The Saxophone Masters here are George Coleman, Joe Henderson, and Billy Pierce – who join with Williams' trio in a set of older standards and 2 originals – ranging in styles, and with plenty of space to show off the solo talents of all parties involved. Williams is the strongest force on the set – although Coleman gets in plenty of good moments too – and the whole thing's recorded in that warm DIW style of the early 90s. Titles include "Lo Joe", "Fourplay", "The Song Is You", and "Old Folks". CD

A wonderfully soulful session from the best years of the DIW label – a set that has pianist James Williams recording with tremendous tenor work from Billy Pierce, George Coleman, and Joe Henderson! The album parcels the players out – so that 2 tracks only feature Pierce, and the others feature all 3 players, recorded with placement in different channels of the record – making for a spaciously collaborative sound that's really unique! Williams' piano is great – strong and bold, and without some of the too-traditional echoes that sometimes lose us on other records – and as with a number of the best DIW sessions from the time, there's a bit more grit in the production, which really helps deepen the sound of the music. Titles include "Common Knowledge", "Afro Centric", "Up To The Minute Blues", "Girl Talk", and "Three Card Molly". CD

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James Williams on piano and organ, Christian McBride on bass, Tony Reedus on drums, Billy Pierce on tenor and soprano saxophone, Clark Terry on trumpet, vocals and flugelhorn, and Steve Nelson on vibraphone. CD

James Williams on piano and organ, Christian McBride on bass, Tony Reedus on drums, Billy Pierce on tenor and soprano saxophone, Clark Terry on trumpet, vocals and flugelhorn, and Steve Nelson on vibraphone. CD

James Williams on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. Tracks include "Sonnymoon For Two", "Sweet And Lovely", "Time After Time", "Go Tell It On The Mountain", and Mary Lou Williams' "Lonely Moments". CD

An early date from pianist James Williams – one that has him opening up in a very hip, soulful 70s mode – on both acoustic and electric piano! If you only know Williams from later years, when his phrasing became a bit more "classic", you'll really be surprised at the open flow of this set – as it's a whole group effort, with really wonderful work from Bill Easley on alto and flute, Bill Pierce on soprano and tenor, and Slide Hampton on trombone! Rhythm is from James Baker on drums, and Sylvester Sample on electric bass – the latter of which adds a nice current of warmth – and titles include "Stretching", "Soulful Bill", "Flying Colors", and "1977 AD". CD

The Saxophone Masters here are George Coleman, Joe Henderson, and Billy Pierce – who join with Williams' trio in a set of older standards and 2 originals – ranging in styles, and with plenty of space to show off the solo talents of all parties involved. Williams is the strongest force on the set – although Coleman gets in plenty of good moments too – and the whole thing's recorded in that warm DIW style of the early 90s. Titles include "Lo Joe", "Fourplay", "The Song Is You", and "Old Folks". CD

James Williams on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Art Blakey on drums. Tracks include "Love Letters", "The Night We Called It A Day", Ray Brown's "Buhaina, Buhaina", plus three pieces by Williams including a tribute to one of our all time favorite pianists and former Blakey band member Bobby Timmons! CD

James Williams on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. CD

A massive blend of funk, soul, and gospel – from a small side label in the TK Records universe of the 70s! The sound is like some of the best soul LPs on TK from the time, and the arrangements have a nice warm feel – plenty of sweet Miami elements in the music, especially in the rhythms, which really know how to groove! The King James Version is comprised of five female singers, working with the warmth and depth you might get with Voices Of East Harlem – and they're arranged by keyboardist Gloster Williams, who also wrote some of the material, and delivers these solid lines that really hold the whole thing together. Most of the tracks have a distinct vocal lead, with harmony backing in the style of The Sweet Inspirations – and the album's honestly the sort of set you'd expect to hear on Atlantic Records in the early 70s – given the depth and feeling in the music. Titles include "What Good Is A Song", "There's Not A Friend", "Touch My Life", "No, Not One", and "Get Ready For This". CD

A rare bit of righteous jazz from the Cali scene of the 70s – a record that's much more obscure than some of the better-known efforts from the Bay Area and the LA scene, but which resonates strongly with all the power of those classics too! James Benson was an educator as much as he was a musician – yet here, he proves himself very strongly as a hell of a leader – blowing flutes, tenor, and soprano in a cool combo that also features the greats Cal Green and Roy Gaines on guitars, Ed Pratt on alto, Buffalo Williams on piano, and Ronnie Randall on drums! There's plenty of percussion on the record, including some congas by Big Black – and the set mixes rootsy rumblings with spiritual solos in a really great way. Sandra Meadows sings a bit on the set, and titles include "Malcolm IX", "Spring 2000", "Brother Don", "Song For My Black Mother", "Nigeria West Africa", and a nice remake of "Compared To What". CD

James Clay on tenor sax, Cedar Walton on piano, David Williams on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. CD

The first great, label-spanning compilation of great 50s & 60s tracks by a variety of artists with some little in common in some cases, but share at least one unbreakable bond – they recorded these tracks with the incredible James Burton on guitar! It's got fiery, pivotal rockabilly Dale Hawkins and Bob Luman, pop takeover numbers by Ricky Nelson, rustic charisma from Lee Hazlewood, benchmark honky tonk from Merle Haggard, harmony country rock from Buffalo Springfield and much more – including numbers credited to James Burton himself and with Ralph Mooney. Includes "Susie-Q" by Dale Hawkins, "Red Hot" by Bob Luman, "Cannonball Rag" by James Burton, "Blood From A Stone" by Ricky Nelson, "A Child's Claim To Fame" by Buffalo Springfield, "Swamp Surfer" by Jimmy Dobro, "Someday, Someday" by The Shindogs, "Just For A While" by Carol Williams, "Tryin' To Be Someone" by David & Lee and more. CD

A sweet set of electric funk from James Moody – and a great little record to match the grooves he was laying down at the Perception label in the early 70s – with a very unique sound! Moody's working here alongside some sweet work on electric piano by either Jodie Christian or Tennyson Stephens – and with some sly and soulful arrangements by Chicago soul maestro Richard Evans, who also plays bass on the record and gives it a style that's almost an extension of the later Cadet kind of groove. The album features an excellent funky instrumental version of " First Thing I Do In the Morning", originally a funky vocal 45 by Chicago singer Joyce Williams – and other cuts include "Trilby", "Don't Let Me Be Lonely", "World Is A Ghetto", "Good Sense Humor Man", and "Country City Country". CD

Singer Jose James has always had a classic vibe to his vocals – but that quality is maybe put forward even more here on this well-crafted Christmas album – a set that somehow manages to bridge the gap between classic Holiday records and the more contemporary work that James has given us on recent records! The focus here is very strongly on his voice – upfront and unadorned, and presented at a level that reminds us that James has been one of the freshest new singers in jazz over the past decade or so – working with help from Aaron Parks on piano, Ben Williams on bass, and Jaharis Yokely on drums – plus a few great solo spots from Marcus Strickland on tenor. Titles include the beautiful "Christmas In New York" – plus "My Favorite Things", "Christmas Day", "The Christmas Waltz", "This Christmas", and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". CD

A sweet set of electric funk from James Moody – and a great little record to match the grooves he was laying down at the Perception label in the early 70s – with a very unique sound! Moody's working here alongside some sweet work on electric piano by either Jodie Christian or Tennyson Stephens – and with some sly and soulful arrangements by Chicago soul maestro Richard Evans, who also plays bass on the record and gives it a style that's almost an extension of the later Cadet kind of groove. The album features an excellent funky instrumental version of " First Thing I Do In the Morning", originally a funky vocal 45 by Chicago singer Joyce Williams – and other cuts include "Trilby", "Don't Let Me Be Lonely", "World Is A Ghetto", "Good Sense Humor Man", and "Country City Country". CD

A great group set with Bobby Watson on alto, Bill Pierce on tenor, and James Williams on piano! Tracks are long – and titles include "Gypsy Folk Tales", "How Deep Is The Ocean", "Webb City", and "Skylark". CD

Art Blakey at the Keystone Korner – really rattling the rafters with a great lineup that includes Bobby Watson on alto sax, David Schnitter on tenor, and Valery Ponomarev on trumpet! Although the Shorter/Morgan lineup is always hailed as one of Blakey's best, we're also pretty partial to this great late 70s stretch of The Jazz Messengers – as it shows some wonderful early flowering of Watson's alto, and his songwriting abilities; Ponomarev's well-blown trumpet lines; and Schnitter's crisp, sharp lines on tenor – always carved out with a great depth of feeling. Add to the mix some great piano from James Williams, and bass from Dennis Irwin, and you've got a great lineup next to Blakey's drums – all working together in a rough-edged, hard soul space on tracks that include "Pamela", "Unlimited", "Dark Side Light Side", "Blues For Two", and "In This Korner". CD also features the bonus track "1977 AD". CD

The legendary Kenny Burrell played often at the Village Vanguard over the years – and this sweet set from later years has the guitarist really stretching out in the familiar setting – hitting some surprisingly deep, strong lines throughout – all with effortless ease! The record's a great reminder that Burrell kept on growing over the decades, and never seemed to lose his power as both a leader and a soloist – something we've been reminded of in his many records after this early 90s set – and the younger combo here really seems to bring out a fresh fire in Kenny, with work from James Williams on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Sherman Ferguson on drums. Titles include the originals "Then Along Came You", "Good News Blues", and "Maya's Dance" – plus "Fungi Mama", "Lament", and "Black & Tan Fantasy". CD

Conducted by William Russo, Paul Mertens and Tyrone Tatum on alto saxophone, Billy Rogers on baritone saxophone, Eddie Johnson and Pat Mallinger on tenor saxophone, Chuck Parrish, Mark Olen, Orbert Davis, Scott Hall, and Terry Connell on trumpet, Audrey Morrison, Edwin Williams, Loren Binford, and Tracy Kirk on trombone, Fritz Hocking on bass trombone, Larry Combs on clarinet, Charley Harrison on guitar, Brandon McCune on piano, James Cammack on bass, Bobby Everson on timpani, and Dana Hall and Frank Donaldson on drums, with Bobbi Wilsyn, Carol Loverde, and Cynthia Felker on vocals. CD

The title's a bit of a silly joke, but the album's a really great one – a five-pianist effort that features Donald Brown, Harold Mabern, Mulgrew Miller, James Williams, and Geoff Keezer on the keys – all stepping off from some great rhythm from Christian McBride on bass and Tony Reedus on drums! The pianos are often used together wonderfully – so that one handles rhythm and another the melody – and the interplay is really great, and never too gimmicky – a sound that's almost just a deepening of the already-great DIW trio mode of the time, given new shades and inflections by the style of the recording! Titles include "Theme For My Father", "Valerie", "Hibiscus", "Will Power", "One's Own Room", "Up There", and "PNJ". CD

Four classic albums from Jackie DeShannon – all in a single set! First up is Me About You – sophisticated Jackie at her best – working with great arrangements from Jack Nitzsche and Nick DeCaro – both cats from the California scene we can really trust for "cut-above" pop work like this – music that goes way past the simple sounds of DeShannon's start – into cool adult territory that really makes the album great. Jackie's vocals are surprisingly soulful in the setting – even more so than before – and the tunes include lots of gems, including versions of Van Dyke Parks' "High Coin", John Sebastian's "Didn't Want To Have To Do It", and Tim Hardin's "Baby Close Its Eyes". Also includes "I Keep Wanting You", "Me About You", and "Nicole". Next is Laurel Canyon – heady work from Jackie DeShannon's later years in 60s pop – an album with themes and styles that go way beyond her earlier recordings – as you might guess from the hip Laurel Canyon reference in the title! Jackie's working here in a mode that's much more strongly in a singer-songwriter style than before – with arrangements and backings that are a lot more organic, and less pop-tuned than ever – almost in a Laura Nyro approach on some numbers. As usual, a good portion of the tracks were written by Jackie herself – including "Holly Would", "Come & Stay With Me", "LA", "Too Close", and "Laurel Canyon" – and the album also features a few well chosen tracks by other writers too, like "Bitter Honey" by Paul Williams & Roger Nichols, "I Got My Reason" by Barry White, and "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" by Smokey Robinson. Put A Little Love In Your Heart is quite possibly the last great hit from singer Jackie DeShannon – an album built around the righteous spirit of the title track – filled with really wonderful original tunes penned by Jackie and soul singer Jimmy Holiday! The album may well be the best to explore the space between pop and soul that often characterized Jackie's work – and the overall sound is somewhat similar to some of Dusty Springfield's best pop/soul work from the same stretch. 10 of the album's 12 tracks are originals by Holiday and DeShannon – all set to soaring orchestrations by James Langeford, which often have a pronounced influence from the sound of Atlantic Records in the late 60s! Titles include "Put A Little Love In Your Heart", "You Are The Real Thing", "River Of Love", "Movin", "You Can Come To Me", "You Have A Way With Me", and "I Let Go Completely". To Be Free is an interesting little record – with kind of a crossover California soul feel overall – recorded with Rene Hall arrangements that echo a few rootsy modes at times, mixed in with fuller orchestrations that step a bit back towards Jackie's earlier years on Imperial – a surprisingly nice blend, with a fresh sound for the 70s. The album features a number of great tracks co-written with Jimmy Holiday – a fellow Imperial talent – and titles include "Mediterranean Sky", "Sooner Or Later", "What Was Your Day Like", "Livin On The Easy Side", "Brighton Hill", and "When Morning Comes Again". CD

Dave Douglas on trumpet, Chris Speed on clarinet and tenor saxophone, Joshua Roseman on trombone, Greg Tardy on clarinet, bass clarinet and tenor saxophone, Uri Caine on piano, James Genus on bass, and Joey Baron on drums. Tracks are a mix of originals and compositions by Mary Lou Williams. CD

A landmark concert from the mid 80s – one held to honor the resurrection of the Blue Note label, featuring a wealth of some of the best players for the label – from the 80s back to the 50s bebop years. This first volume in the 4 LP series features centered around Herbie Hancock and Bobby Hutcherson, with appearances by Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Ron Carter, Tony Williams and James Newton. Side one features the group nicely stretching out on a quintet take of "Canteloupe Island" and a sextet reading of "Record A Me", and side two has a quintet take of "Little B's Poem", a trio take of "Bouquet" and a quartet take of "Hat & Beard". CD

Seminal work from one of the hippest jazz singers ever – a session that showed the world that Eddie Jefferson was firmly back in business during the 60s! The set's got a really rollicking feel, and a bit more influence from soul than the bop of Eddie's roots – with elements of gospel and R&B filtering into the mix from time to time, alongside some of the more sophisticated jazz styles we've always loved in Jefferson's vocals. The group features some great tenor work from James Moody – one of Eddie's frequent musical partners – plus Dave Burns on trumpet, Barry Harris on piano, Steve Davis on bass, and Bill English on drums. Titles include "Now's The Time", "So What", "Psychedelic Sally", "Filthy McNasty", "Oh Gee", and "See If You Can Git To That" – plus a very cool spoken introduction by Ed Williams! CD

One of the greatest albums ever recorded by the mighty Yusef Lateef – and that's really saying a lot, given his fantastic legacy of albums! The set's a live one, which is a bit unusual in Lateef's catalog at this time – and the concert setting is perhaps a window onto some of his more expressive, experimental modes that didn't always show up on record, especially the Impulse studio sides he was recording at the time. Lateef's group is pure genius – with a young Mike Nock on piano, sounding all weird and dark, with amazing tones from his instrument – plus the great Richard Williams on trumpet, a player who always seems to bring something special to a record! The team of Ernie Farrow on bass and James Black on drums help create all these modal rhythms that are really fantastic – and Lateef himself blows tenor and flute, plus the more exotic reed instruments argol and shanai. Titles include "The Magnolia Triangle", "Sister Mamie", "Number 7", "The Weaver", and "Slippin' & Slidin'". This CD adds 3 long extra cuts to the original release! CD

A fantastic trio set from pianist Takeshi Obayashi – a player you might know from work with Jose James and Takuya Kuroda, but one who really steps out here strongly in a trio setting! Part of the record's strength is the rhythm help – as Ben Williams plays bass and Nate Smith plays drums – both musicians who have a round, chunky sort of groove that works perfectly with Obayashi's piano as he spins out strongly soulful tunes that offer up a vision of jazz piano trio energy in the post-Robert Glasper world! All players contribute equally to the sound – and Williams is especially great – on titles that include "Konbini Confessions", "Black Label", "The Big News", "Ngroove", "Beyond Affinity", and "Bop Boom". CD

An all-star effort from The Temptations – and a well-titled set that has the group brimming over with classic vocal talent! The group's expanded to a seven-piece outfit for the album – with Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin back in the fold, singing alongside Dennis Edwards, Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, and the rest of the group! Motown also culled together some top-shelf production talent for the set too – including Berry Gordy, Rick James, Barrett Strong, and Smokey Robinson – all of whom produce numbers for the record. Some of the tracks are in an 80s groove modes, and others are mellower ballads that offer plenty of space for vocal interplay – and titles include "I've Never Been To Me", "Backstage", "More On The Inside", "Standing On The Top", "Lock It In The Pocket", and "You Better Beware". CD

A great back-to-basics set for Sadao Watanabe – a live date that almost echoes the spirit of one of his youthful Columbia sessions in Japan! The group features James Williams on piano, Charnett Moffett on bass, and Jeff Waits on drums – and Sadao blows alto on titles that include "Billie's Bounce", "Parker's Mood", "Lament", and "Stella By Starlight". CD

Joe Wilder on trumpet and flugelhorn, James Williams on piano, Remo Palmieri on guitar, Jay Leonhart on bass, and Sherman Ferguson on drums. CD

Music from Muddy Waters, Magic Sam, Jimmy Reed, Elmore James, Eddie Taylor, Howlin' Wolf, Junior Wells, Otis Spann, J.B. Lenoir, Little Walter, Otis Rush, Earl Hooker, Sunnyland Slim, Sonny Boy Williamson, Robert Lockwood Jr, Billy Boy Arnold, Luther Allison, and Hound Dog Taylor & The House Rockers. CD

Music from Woody Guthrie, James Shorty, Viola James & Congregation, Leadbelly, Memphis Slim, Sonny Boy Williamson & Big Bill Broonzy, Vera Hall, Bessie Jones & group, Sidney Lee Carter, Kelly Pace & group, Cleveland Simmons group, Macbeth the Great, Duke Of Iron, Georgia Turner and more. CD

Music from Dave Toop, Cleveland Watkiss, the Jason Rebello Trio, Slow Fuse, Snowboy, the Jazz Renegades, Steve Williamson, the James Taylor Quartet and the Kick Horns. CD

Music from Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Robert Johnson, Otis Rush, Henry Thomas, Elmore James, Snooky Pryor, Jimmy Reed, Bo Diddley, Little Walter, and more. CD