Nothing innocent about this record – because the groove is hard and heavy, wild and trippy – a really heady brew of funky jazz and more psychedelic influences – all recorded with some weird sounds in the background too! The album's a great one from Japanese groove pioneer Takeshi Inomata – and it's almost a fusion of earlier 60s funky band jazz with some of the more tripped-out modes of the jazz rock era. Vamping rhythms and full-on organs are undercut by wiggy guitar parts and soaring organ lines – all augmented by spoken Japanese passages, sound effects, and production styles that abstract out some instruments into very unusual modes. There's plenty of soulful and funky moments throughout – and titles include "The Death Of Janis", "Child & I", "Blue", "Alone", and "Go For Nothing". LP, Vinyl record album

Weldon Irvine meets Strata East – and the result is one of the keyboardist's funkiest albums ever! The set's more jazz-based than the soul/funk outings Weldon cut for RCA and his own label – with great focus on Weldon's lines on clavinet and Fender Rhodes – supported by sweet guitar lines and lots of heavy percussion – often a mix of drums and congas, which really sounds great. Pianist Virginia Joe Jones joins the group on a few cuts – but the main star here is definitely Weldon, who sparkles wonderfully on some spiritual keyboard solos. Titles include "Pleasure Pain & Me", "Marjorie Moon", "Down Home", "Fat Mouth", "Turkish Bath", and "Gemini Mood". LP, Vinyl record album

Weldon Irvine meets Strata East – and the result is one of the keyboardist's funkiest albums ever! The set's more jazz-based than the soul/funk outings Weldon cut for RCA and his own label – with great focus on Weldon's lines on clavinet and Fender Rhodes – supported by sweet guitar lines and lots of heavy percussion – often a mix of drums and congas, which really sounds great. Pianist Virginia Joe Jones joins the group on a few cuts – but the main star here is definitely Weldon, who sparkles wonderfully on some spiritual keyboard solos. Titles include "Pleasure Pain & Me", "Marjorie Moon", "Down Home", "Fat Mouth", "Turkish Bath", and "Gemini Mood". CD

A huge musical treasure – a full unreleased album by Weldon Irvine, plus a bonus video as well! The music is from the stage play Young Gifted & Broke – a short-lived production by Weldon, and one that's done with some of the same hip modes he was bringing to his own music of the 70s – as well as to other artists as well, especially Nina Simone! The style's more jazz than funk, but is still mighty nice – as the instrumentation features loads of electric piano lines from Weldon, and a sparklingly soulful style that's way hipper than most of what you'd find on the stage at the time. Most tunes have lyrics, but are still heavy on Fender Rhodes lines from Weldon – and titles include "Karate Dancer", "Pity for The Man", "Black Lightning's Song", "Musical Interlude", "Comin Home", "We Got A Deal", "No Now Never None", and "Ghetto Lament". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge musical treasure – a full unreleased album by Weldon Irvine, plus a bonus material as well! The music is from the stage play Young Gifted & Broke – a short-lived production by Weldon, and one that's done with some of the same hip modes he was bringing to his own music of the 70s – as well as to other artists as well, especially Nina Simone! The style's more jazz than funk, but is still mighty nice – as the instrumentation features loads of electric piano lines from Weldon, and a sparklingly soulful style that's way hipper than most of what you'd find on the stage at the time. Most tunes have lyrics, but are still heavy on Fender Rhodes lines from Weldon – and titles include "Karate Dancer", "Pity for The Man", "Black Lightning's Song", "Musical Interlude", "Comin Home", "We Got A Deal", "No Now Never None", and "Ghetto Lament". CD

Jazzy magic from the current Japanese underground – a hip group bubbling under, but with the same magic energy Jazztronik! Like Jazztronik, J's Bee blends together solid jazz roots and modern production – searching out some richly organic grooves that start slowly, build with spare keyboards and rhythms, and then take off to the skies with a really righteous sound. There's a bit of vocals on the set, but like Jazztronik, the group's equally well suited to working in an instrumental mode too. Tracks include "Eclipse", "Glow", "Naked", "Floating", "DB (Deep Blue)", and "Desert Skyline (Version 2)". CD

Jackie & Roy at the height of their ABC powers – really stepping out strongly here with a bold jazz vocal approach that nobody else can touch! Both Roy Kral and Jackie Cain get a few moments of their own in the spotlight, especially Jackie, who steps out on a number of the tracks – but as usual, the duo's at their best when singing together – which they do beautifully here, trading lyrical lines with tremendous charm! Most instrumentation is small combo – with Roy on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums – and titles include "From This Moment On", "Kiss & Run", "Cake Walk", "Have You Met Miss Jones", "Who Cares", and "How Are You Fixed For Love". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collaboration from John Coltrane and Milt Jackson – and one that gives Milt one of his sharpest records ever! The setting is relatively straight – tenor from Coltrane, vibes from Jackson – plus rhythm from Hank Jones on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Connie Kay on drums. Yet there's also a sense of openness here that you'd hardly ever expect on other records by Jackson – especially his contemporaneous sides with the Modern Jazz Quartet – and Coltrane's tenor gets as much room to roam here as it did on Prestige – really cutting some beautifully soulful, open, and flowing lines throughout! Titles include "Bags & Trane", "Three Little Words", "Be-Bop", "Late Late Blues", and "The Night We Called It a Day". LP, Vinyl record album

Four important albums from Jade Warrior – all brought together here in a single set! Floating World is the first album in Jade Warrior's mid-70s run for Island Records – and a set that marks a key shift for the group – a moment when they leaned even more heavily into their interest in global sounds, dropped most of their vocals, and used their impeccable instrumentation to take off in really amazing ways! The core duo of Tony Duhig's guitar and Jon Field's flute serve up most of the instrumentation here – and both players handle plenty of percussion too – yet there's a richness to the record that's undeniable too, which is a great testament to the way the pair make really special music together! Martha Mdenge serves up some guest vocals on the final track "Quba", the group take on the legendary "Monkey Chant" of Balinese music, and other titles include "Red Lotus", "Clouds", "Mountain Of Fruit & Flowers", "Waterfall", and "Easty". Kites is one of the most ambitious records ever from Jade Warrior – a set that expands their core sound in a wonderful way, with all sorts of great guests who really add a lot to the music! As before, the duo of Tony Duhig and Jon Field are at the core – guitar, flute, and plenty of percussion – but augmented here with all sorts of cool contributions by guests who include Fred Frith on violin, Gowan Turnball on saxes, and Jeff Westley on electric piano – plus Clodagh Simonds on a bit of vocals – all really bringing a new sort of majesty to the sort of music that the group delivered on their previous record – but without losing the sense of intimacy either. Titles include "Towards The Mountains", "Wind Song", "The Emperor", "Songs Of The Forest", "Quietly By The River Bank", and "The Last Question". Waves is a key moment in the continuing evolution of Jade Warrior – and a set that nicely moves the group from the prog styles of their roots, into leaner territory that's almost jazz-based at times! Some of the group's contemporaries were making such shifts, but usually in a way that was more heavy handed – where the lightness that Jade Warrior had on previous records really guides the music here – as they work with their core combination of keyboards, flute, guitar, and plenty of percussion – with additional work from Dave Duhig on lead guitar, Maggie Thomas on alto recorder, and Steve Winwood on moog, piano, and keyboards! There's a bit of vocals on the record from a female singer – but most of the tracks just have this gentle instrumental flowering – moving through an album-length suite that includes the tracks "Caves", "Groover", "River To The Sea", "Song Of The Last Whale", "The Sea", and "Wave Birth". Way Of The Sun is a set that's got a few sharper edges than some of the previous records by Jade Warrior – yet one that still hangs nicely in that Eastern-inspired blend of jazz and prog that made their Island Records years so great! As before, the album works as a unified whole – each track crucial to the overall feel of the set – with plenty of excellent work on flute from Jon Field, amidst more conventional guitar, keyboard, and percussion. There's some occasional nice guest moments on flugelhorn, harp, and saxes – and titles include "Sun Ra", "Dance Of The Sun", "Heaven Stone", "Moontears", "Sun Child", "Carnival", and "Death Of Ra". CD

Exactly the sort of recording to remind us why the Keith Jarrett Trio has been such an important force in jazz during the past few decades – a popular group, yet one that still retains all its heart and edge as well! The lineup is way more than the piano of the leader – as bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Jack DeJohnette each provide a crucial third of the group's energy – and, if anything, their presence really helps give a focus to Jarrett's always-inventive sounds on piano – still able to fly as freely as on his own solo recordings, but in different shapes, tones, and rhythmic pulses – an approach that's often especially illuminating when the trio takes on standards. The tracks here are mostly in that mode, but handled in very fresh ways – and the set was recorded live in Luzern, with tracks that include "Deep Space", "Solar", "I Thought About You", "Somewhere", "Everywhere Tonight", and "Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea". CD

A really great record with a vibe that's all its own – a stunning blend of spiritual jazz, North Indian music, and some slight contemporary touches – all with a sense of deeper energy that really opens up as the album moves on! There's plenty of great keyboards on the record – a nicely warmer element next to some of the sharper reed lines – supported by some great percussion too! You might hear a bit of a London vibe to the record at points, but that's only because the flute and soprano sax come from Tenderlonious, who spearheads the group alongside guitarist Ali Riaz Baquar – although the whole thing is definitely a group effort, and draws plenty from the tablas of Kashif Ali Dhani, the drums of Qammar Vicky Abbas, sarangi of Zohaib Hassan Khan and the really great range of keyboard sounds from Latarnik – who plays Fender Rhodes, Moog Voyager, Clavinet, and other elements in the set. Titles include "Zari", "Nafs At Peace", "Mosty", "Straight Path", and "Raga Gujri Todi". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal album – a late 60s classic meeting of the brain trust of the avant garde jazz scene in New York, recorded for the young JCOA label – and put forth as one of their early attempts to prove that musicians could be in charge of the means of production! Michael Mantler provided the core composition, and directs the group – but the lineup is a who's who of forces who'd record for ESP, Impulse, and other labels – with bold solos from Don Cherry on cornet, Gato Barbieri on tenor, Larry Coryell on guitar, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Cecil Taylor on piano, and Pharoah Sanders on tenor – in a larger lineup of players who also include Steve Marcus, Andrew Cyrille, Reggie Workman, Alan Silva, Carla Bley, Beaver Harris, Charles Davis, Robert Northern, Kent Carter, and many other key avant musicians! Titles include "Communications 8", "Communications 9", "Communications 10", and "Communications 11".' CD

A very unusual issue of this long-running jazz magazine – one that offers up a special selection of 100 key albums that boast a two-horn quintet – that is, a five piece group with a trumpet and a sax player in the lineup! As with other issues, this one begins with a full color section that features full color thumbnails of all the albums featured, then moves into a black and white section that offers up more details – including players, labels, dates, titles, and other information in English – plus a short review in Japanese, which you can read using Google translate on your phone. The artists range nicely – albums run from 50s classics on Blue Note through 70s Japanese masterpieces, to some more contemporary albums – and there's also other features and reviews too – in a book-style package, 200 pages, with black and white images throughout. Book

Quite an unusual project from Jazzanova – a mixture of older tracks and newer ones, all brought together for an erotic German stage production! The theme of the show really unifies the tracks in a great way – bringing out qualities in Jazzanova's music that we've never noticed before, especially as their own tracks come into play with other numbers from different Sonar Kollektiv artists. There's a groove here that's straightforwardly slinky, and often a bit funky too – one that shakes off some of the too-abstract moments that sometimes get in the way with recent Jazznova projects, and focuses on the most cohesive part of their groove! Titles include the Jazzanova tracks "Behold These Days (Berlin 74)", "This Is The Place", "Glow & Glare", "Theme From Belle Et Fou", "That Night (Live At The SK Office with Clara Hill)", "Keep On Making Me High", and "Am I Losing You" – plus "Maybe Now" by Clara Hill, "Just A Lil Lovin (DJ edit)" by Outlines, "Flickermood" by Forss, "Sun In My Candlelight" by Wahoo, and "Caprice" by Extended Spirit. CD

A great later album by Jobim – one that has him working with "the new band", which includes younger talents like Danilo Caymmi on flute and vocals, Sebastiao Neto on bass, Jacques Morelen baum on cello, and Paulo Jobim on guitar and vocals. Jobim's voice is wonderfully aged and booze-soaked – a perfect vehicle for the darkly jazzy approach of the material. Arrangements are somewhat lighter than his late 70s work, which is a good thing – as it lifts the spirits of the tracks strongly, creating the perfect mix of joy and sadness that characterized his best bossa work. Tracks include "Chansong", "Brasil Nativo", "Bebel", "Gabriela", and the goofy "Samba do Soho". "Chansong" includes the somewhat stupid line "You look so sexy with my pince-nez, let's hijack this concord to the bahamas!" – but the overall quality of the material is quite high. LP, Vinyl record album

Saxophonist Gisle Roen Johansen's been working on the Norwegian scene since the mid 90s, but this is his first set as a leader – a really well-crafted, large-format record that shows that he was clearly brewing up plenty of new ideas before stepping into the studio at the head of his own group! Johansen plays saxes, keyboards, and composed the long pieces on the set – with a core group that mixes guitar with both electric and acoustic basses, in a way that creates plenty of tonal activity alongside the reed lines – balanced out with voice work on two of the album's tracks, but in a wordless way that works nicely with the instrumentation! Two of the three cuts also have some pedal steel, furthering the sonic texture from the guitar – at a level that maybe nods a bit to some of the older Bill Laswell projects – and titles include "Morrasol", "Jon", and "Kveldsragg". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning collection of work from Bola Johnson – a key figure on the scene in Lagos in the years before Fela Kuti and King Sunny Ade! Johnson's style here really shows Nigerian music at the crossroads – upbeat elements of early highlife informing the rhythms with plenty of lean guitar lines and percussion, but topped with all these great jazzy elements over the top – almost as if Johnson is bringing forth an older style of R&B inspiration in the horns, while letting things sound very contemporary in the rhythms! The mix is a bit like some of the wonderful hybrids that were happening on the London scene in the late 50s and early 60s – and the lyrics here often share a similar mix of politics and humor. The package is long overdue – and collects together rare early singles on Philips, with a great set of notes and other titles. Titles include "Somebody Find Me Trouble", "Oh My Baby Josephine", "Obiriki Aye N Yilo", "Koto Ye O", "Buroda Mase", "Kilode", "Mimo Mimo Loluwo", "Lagos Special", "Meme Latori", "Nigeria Drive On The Right", and "Pappa Rebecca Special ". CD

One of the few albums ever cut by reedman Rudolph Johnson – a hell of a saxophonist, and one with a great ability to combine the spiritual with the searing – a bit like Joe Farrell at his CTI best, but not as freewheeling – nicely focused, and a little bit funky in all the right parts – in ways that make this album one of the real standouts on the legendary Black Jazz label! The groove is nice and hard, and plenty dark – with lots of sharp edges around the offbeat rhythms, and a "bite" that makes the album one of the heaviest titles on the label. Other players include John Barnes on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Ray Pounds on drums – and titles include the great "Diswa", which has sort of of a tight jazzy hip hop sample feel to it, plus "Mr TJ", "Little Daphne", and "Spring Rain". CD

2 of Boogaloo Joe's best and rarest albums on one CD – guitar jazz funk at its best! First up is Boogaloo Joe – a killer session of funky guitar jazz, and the record that gave Ivan "Boogaloo" Joe Jones his nickname! The set's a full-on wailer that really blows away Joe's first two on Prestige – breaking out ouf the box with a killer lineup that includes Rusty Bryant on tenor, Bernard Purdie on drums, and Sonny Phillips on organ – all working with Joe's incredibly tight guitar lines to craft some wicked tunes that take soul jazz firmly into the sound of the 70s! Titles include "Boogaloo Joe", "People Are Talking", "Dream On Little Dreamer", and "Atlantic City Soul". Right On Brother is next – and is Ivan's first truly sublime album – a set that showed the world that he was easily one of the greatest jazz guitarists of his generation – able to spin out single-note jams with a speed and dexterity that few others could match! The groove here is totally great and very righteous – heavy drums from Bernard Purdie, wailing organ from Charles Earland, and saxophone from Rusty Bryant – all cooking together in the best early 70s Prestige jazz funk mode! Titles include "Right On", "Brown Bag", "Things Ain't What They Used To Be", and "Poppin". CD

Proof that Elvin Jones wasn't just riding on the laurels of the Great One during his years with John Coltrane – as the album's a breakout date that has Jones firmly establishing his own voice in jazz! There's an explosive power here that makes us think that Elvin must have really just been biding his time with Coltrane – waiting for the chance to try out his own new ideas in music, and finding the perfect accompanists here in a trio that includes Jimmy Garrison on bass and a young Joe Farrell on tenor, soprano sax, and flute! The lack of a piano in the group really makes for a sense of new freedom that's totally great – not dreamy, melodic piano-less work, as in some of the LA groups of earlier years – but a searing, soaring intensity that Farrell was a perfect choice to head up. And while the format might serve to be an excuse for Coltrane-styled blowing, the approach here is decidedly not – a more focused, energy driven approach that really makes strong use of Jones' work on the drum kit, throbs with soulful undercurrents from Garrison's bass, and is topped off by angular, effortlessly-blown lines from Farrell – clearly pointing the way towards a generation of players that would emerge in his wake during the 70s. Tracks include "Village Greene", "Reza", "Kei Ko's Birthday March", and "Sweet Little Mama". CD

Could anyone ever utter a sexier line than "Don't go to strangers, come to me?" We think not, and it's material like that that makes the album a real killer from Etta Jones – one of her best from the 60s, cut when she was really developing her skills as a vocalist, but still had enough of an edge to be interesting. Backing is by a small group that includes Frank Wess, Roy Haynes, and Richard Wyands – and the album has a relaxed, jazzy quality that easily makes it one of the real standouts in Etta's career! Titles include "All The Way", "Where Or When", "Yes Sir, That's My Baby", "If I Had You", "Something To Remember You By", and "Don't Go To Strangers". CD

A set of standards, but swung in a very inventive way by the Great Jazz Trio – a lineup here that features Hank Jones on piano, Mads Vinding on bass, and Billy Hart on drums! Both Vinding and Hart find a way to make the genius of Hank Jones sound even fresher than ever – not stale at the end of the 80s, but every bit as vibrant as in his earlier years – especially that moment in the 70s when it seemed like Jones was born anew, and able to both draw on the richness of his legacy, while also finding a new sense of expression overseas. This date takes off from that moment brilliantly, but also with a whole new sense of sound and shapes – on titles that include "Stella By Starlight", "I'll Remember April", "Stardust", "The Way You Look Tonight", "Tenderly", and "As Time Goes By". CD

An essential bit of 70s soul jazz – a real standout in both the catalogs of tenorist Clifford Jordan, and the Stata East label! This is one of those few records where every element is perfect, and all players rise together to a new level of expression – and we'd easily rank this one right up there with John Coltrane's Love Supreme or Pharoah Sanders' Kharma for sheer magnitude of sound and message! Clifford Jordan is at the height of his tenor powers – cutting sharp lines, stretching out his notes, and hitting all these dark edges that had never appeared in his work – and the rest of the group is great too – with Stanley Cowell on piano, Bill Lee on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Higgins is amazing, and gives the set a sort of lyrical freeplay that makes Jordan's hard solos come alive in a magical way – and Cedar Walton also plays piano on a few numbers, pushing things forward with the sense of warmth and imagination that always made him a treat in the 70s! Every cut's a winner, and the set list includes "John Coltrane", "Alias Buster Henry", "Glass Bead Games", "Biskit", and "Bridgework". Great stuff, and a huge amount of music! LP, Vinyl record album

An essential bit of 70s soul jazz – a real standout in both the catalogs of tenorist Clifford Jordan, and the Stata East label! This is one of those few records where every element is perfect, and all players rise together to a new level of expression – and we'd easily rank this one right up there with John Coltrane's Love Supreme or Pharoah Sanders' Kharma for sheer magnitude of sound and message! Clifford Jordan is at the height of his tenor powers – cutting sharp lines, stretching out his notes, and hitting all these dark edges that had never appeared in his work – and the rest of the group is great too – with Stanley Cowell on piano, Bill Lee on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Higgins is amazing, and gives the set a sort of lyrical freeplay that makes Jordan's hard solos come alive in a magical way – and Cedar Walton also plays piano on a few numbers, pushing things forward with the sense of warmth and imagination that always made him a treat in the 70s! Every cut's a winner, and the set list includes "John Coltrane", "Alias Buster Henry", "Glass Bead Games", "Biskit", and "Bridgework". Great stuff, and a huge amount of music! CD

A landmark session that features two of the greatest tenor talents to emerge from the rich Chicago scene of the 50s! Jordan was well-known to jazz fans, or would be within a few years – but Gilmore's rarely heard in this sort of setting, as most of his recording career was spent in the company of Sun Ra's Arkestra. The record features the duo in a twin-tenor frontline, with backing by Horace Silver, Curly Russell, and Art Blakey. Ostensibly a blowing session, but much tighter than you'd expect – and with a hard heavy Blue Note groove. Titles include "Evil Eye", "Status Quo", "Bo-Till", and "Blue Lights". CD features the bonus track "Let It Stand". CD

A landmark session that features two of the greatest tenor talents to emerge from the rich Chicago scene of the 50s! Jordan was well-known to jazz fans, or would be within a few years – but Gilmore's rarely heard in this sort of setting, as most of his recording career was spent in the company of Sun Ra's Arkestra. The record features the duo in a twin-tenor frontline, with backing by Horace Silver, Curly Russell, and Art Blakey. Ostensibly a blowing session, but much tighter than you'd expect – and with a hard heavy Blue Note groove. Titles include "Evil Eye", "Status Quo", "Bo-Till", and "Blue Lights". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark session that features two of the greatest tenor talents to emerge from the rich Chicago scene of the 50s! Jordan was well-known to jazz fans, or would be within a few years – but Gilmore's rarely heard in this sort of setting, as most of his recording career was spent in the company of Sun Ra's Arkestra. The record features the duo in a twin-tenor frontline, with backing by Horace Silver, Curly Russell, and Art Blakey. Ostensibly a blowing session, but much tighter than you'd expect – and with a hard heavy Blue Note groove. Titles include "Evil Eye", "Status Quo", "Bo-Till", and "Blue Lights". CD features the bonus track "Let It Stand". CD

Never-issued work from these two giants of Brazilian soul – excellent material that really should have seen release back in the day, but which is maybe even more of a treasure presented here at long last! The set's got a warm modern soul glow – the sort of 80s material that Marcos Valle was giving the world at the same time too – lots of rhythms learned from boogie, but given a more sophisticated spin, and just the right touch of jazzy instrumentation – with plenty of sweet keyboards, bouncing basslines, and great vocals throughout. Titles include "Sem Essa", "Batebca", "Dance Baby", "You", and "Suspira". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredibly lovely work from Joyce – quite possibly her best album in years, and a set that's filled with the same scatting brilliance we loved in her classics from the 70s and 80s! The set's done in collaboration with husband/drummer Tutty Moreno – and the pair lead a small combo with a nicely jazzy feel that further enforces the freely soaring lines in Joyce's vocals! Instrumentation includes a shifting array of saxes, flute, clarinet, and piano – plus plenty of warm guitar from Joyce, played with a crystal clear and sensitive sound. Titles include "Garoto", "Sabe Quem", "Tema Pro Baden", "Bodas De Vinil", "Magica", "Penalty", "April Child", "Shangri-La", and a great cover of Tenorio Jr's classic "Embalo". CD

Exactly the kind of record that's got us digging Japanese trio sessions from the 70s so much – a set that's filled with lots of warm, soulful sounds, creatively compelling changes, and fresh rhythms that really keep the tunes interesting! There's a slight undercurrent of funk on most numbers, but never too much – as the set still preserves all the best lyrical lines of pianist Kichiro Sugino, who steps beautifully around the bass of Kishio Kitahara and drums of Mitsaki Katayama – a perfectly-hinged trio who soar plenty on the record – more than enough to earn the "flight" in the title! This one's really a cut above – filled with wonderful energy, and never a dull moment throughout – a real gem that's waiting to be re-discovered by the 21st Century generation. Titles include "Unknown Point", "Arizona High Way", "It's Over", "Louis", and "First Flight". CD

A real classic from Japanese guitarist Ryo Kawasaki – a sweet batch of Japanese fusion tracks, with lots of nice work on guitar, keyboards, and reeds! Like a lot of Ryo's other albums from the time, the record blends together jazzy riffing with some smoother R&B touches – but still manages to keep things nice and hard overall, especially on the best tracks – a vibe that's more CTI than some of the later Japanese fusion of the 70s! The lineup includes Sam Morrison on tenor and soprano sax, Andy Laverne on piano and keyboards, and Phil Clendininn on a bit of extra Arp – and titles include the great slow funk number "On The Dot", plus "Montevideo", "Good Night John", and "El Diablo". CD

Late 70s genius from Leon Keita, a Mandingue musician who only recorded a few albums on the scene in Mali, but really helped transform the music at the time! There's an evolution of older modes here that's great – never forced, but this kind of gentle nudge into more complexity in both the rhythms and the guitar lines – sometimes with these uplifting qualities that almost seem to echo South African jazz, but with more of the cyclical progressions that you'd expect from Keita's scene. The organ and keyboard lines are especially great, sometimes almost otherworldly – and titles include "Dalaka"," Gnanassouma", "Daka Sate Korotoumi", "Diarabi Mana", and "Ifarana". LP, Vinyl record album

Great 80s work from guitarist Calvin Keys – material that's different than his earlier sides for the Black Jazz label – and which shows Calvin really changing up his sound for the following decade! There's a slightly more inside feel to the recording, but the set's still dripping with soul – warm rhythms that provide a perfect foil for Calvin's open lines on guitar, played with even more deftness than we remember. Other elements include keyboards, percussion, and vocals on one track from Maxayn Lewis, who also sings a bit of backup too – and titles include the smooth groovers "Dantu" and "Love In Your Eyes", plus "Full Court Press", "Growing Pains", and "Bus Scene". LP, Vinyl record album

A set of tracks recorded in the early 90s, unreleased until many years later – and an album that shows a beautifully sensitive side of the music of guitarist Calvin Keys! The title is sometimes very apt – as Calvin is often out front in the lead, crafting these warm lines built from well-chosen chords – but the album's also not just a solo set, as it features work from Jeff Chimenti on piano, Tim Haul on bass, Mark Lignell on drums, and Kenneth Nash on percussion. There's even some light strings at times – but very light, as they just shade in the edges – on titles that include "Dolphin Dance", "Quiet Now", "Isotope", "Marela", "Windows", and "What's Goin On". CD

A set of tracks recorded in the early 90s, unreleased until many years later – and an album that shows a beautifully sensitive side of the music of guitarist Calvin Keys! The title is sometimes very apt – as Calvin is often out front in the lead, crafting these warm lines built from well-chosen chords – but the album's also not just a solo set, as it features work from Jeff Chimenti on piano, Tim Haul on bass, Mark Lignell on drums, and Kenneth Nash on percussion. There's even some light strings at times – but very light, as they just shade in the edges – on titles that include "Dolphin Dance", "Isotope", "Marela", "Windows" and "What's Goin On". LP, Vinyl record album

An insanely wonderful set from Sean Khan – maybe the greatest music he's done since his early classics with the SK Radicals! This album really takes us back to a time when music from London was completely fresh and exciting, and cosmically soulful, too – and Sean's got help from some great singers on the record who also date from that era – including the mighty Omar, plus Sabrina Malheiros, and vocalist Heidi Vogel of Cinematic Orchestra! All three of these artists really flesh out the sound of the record – and make it every bit as much of a soul record as a set that's awash in all the great reed touches and jazzy bits we'd expect from Sean. Andy Noble's also on the record, playing some wonderfully warm piano lines – and the overall instrumentation has more acoustic elements than before, which makes for a very righteous vibe throughout! Titles include "Dance For Little Emily", "Muriel", "Samba Para Florence", "Sister Soul", "What Has Jazz Become", "Trane's Shadow", "Don't Let The Sun Go Down", and "Fire Within" – plus bonus remix tracks "Don't Let The Sun Go Down (4Hero rmx)", "Samba Para Florence (Henry Wu rmx)", and "Things To Say (Ben Hauke rmx)". CD

A set that definitely lives up to the poetry promised in its title – with none of the too-clean sounds you might guess from its hand-washing reference either! The album's one of the freest, most organic sessions we've heard from pianist Masabumi Kikuchi – almost improvised at points, but with a poetic cohesion in the piano lines that's really great – kind of an offbeat sense of lyricism that points in the same directions that Steve Kuhn or Keith Jarrett were heading in the late 60s. Drummer Masahiko Togashi plays lots of cool percussion and even a bit of gong – and Gary Peacock's bass here is as great as on any of his other excellent Japanese recordings. Titles include "Dreams", "The Trap", "The Milky Way", "Apple", "Get Magic Again", and "End". CD

One of Roland Kirk's moodiest albums – and a record that really helped him find a big new audience in the 60s! The approach here is a bit different than some of Kirk's more bombastic jazz albums from previous years – gentle, and almost spiritual at times – thanks to heavy use of flute, which Kirk explores with a deeply personal tone – easing out gentle lines that really foreshadow the use of the instrument in the post-Coltrane generation! The record has a dark somber tone at times, and a sweetly redemptive one at others – and the other players include Horace Parlan on piano, Bobby Moses on vibes, Michael Fleming on bass, and Walter Perkins on drums – and the album also features a bit of vocals from Crystal-Joy Albert. Titles include "Ruined Castles", "Trees", "I Talk With The Spirits", and Roland's classic "Serenade To A Cuckoo". CD

Fantastic stuff! This essential CD brings together two of Roland Kirk's best albums from the mid 60's (and two of his hardest to find on vinyl!) Rip, Rig, & Panic is mindblowing work from Roland Kirk – a record that really pushes the boundaries of his music even farther than some of his earlier, and excellent, albums for the Mercury label! Kirk's really stretching out here – finding a space in jazz that's uniquely his own – modern, yet playful – creative, yet never overindulgent – and perfectly balanced to find a whole new sound of soul for the 60s! Things never get too far outside, but Kirk's reedlines are always breaking out into fresh territory – incredible tenor parts, and also some amazing work on manzello and stritch too, both lesser-known reed instruments that Roland employs to incredible ends. Other group members fit his vibe perfectly – Jaki Byard on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – each stepping quickly to catch the energy of each new twist and turn in Kirk's music. Titles include the sublime "From Bechet Byas & Fats" – plus "No Tonic Pres", "Rip Rig & Panic", "Mystical Dream", "Black Diamond", and "Slippery Hippery Flippery". Beautiful Edith is a bit mellower, but no less wonderful, and the record features some great early piano work by Lonnie Liston Smith. Titles include "Blue Rol", "No Tonic Press", "Rip, Rig, & Panic", "Slipper, Hippery, Flippery", "Stompin' Grounds", and "Mystical Dreams". CD

One of THE key records in the Konitz school – a full length Prestige album that brings together important material from sessions originally issued on 10" LPs! The lineup here is virtually the Konitz school – with shifting lineups that include Billy Bauer on guitar, Lenny Tristano or Sal Mosca on piano, and Warne Marsh on tenor – all working as airily and fluidly as Konitz himself! How Lee managed to achieve such unity with his groups here will forever be a mystery to us – as will the freshness of the work at the end of the 40s, especially given that it's still arguably more "modern" than much of the jazz it inspired in years to come! Titles include "Progression", "Subconscious-Lee", "Rebecca", "Sound-Lee", "Fishin Around", "Palo Alto", "Ice Cream Konitz", "You Go To My Head", and "Tautology". CD

A fantastic album that brings together all of the European winners of the recent Downbeat polls of the late 60s – a massive all-star lineup that features Karin Krog on vocals, John Surman on baritone and soprano sax, Albert Mangelsdorff on trombone, Francy Boland on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Daniel Humair on drums – almost a who's who of hip jazz on the European scene of the time! The sextet is a lively batch of free-swinging European jazz stylists, with touches of modernism that keep the whole session on edge throughout – in a way that's right up there with the best of the classic MPS avant sessions of the late 60s/early 70s! The highlight of the set is Karin Krog's beautiful vocal version of "Maiden Voyage", but there's loads of other nice bits – like "Winter Song", "Ryoan-Ji", "Open Space", and "Hello Thursday". LP, Vinyl record album

The brilliant return of Rolf and Joachim Kuhn to Impulse Records – and a set that's every bit as their landmark album for the label in the 60s! As with that classic – Impressions Of New York – there's a sound here that's let free right from the start – bold stepping forward by both players, with piano and clarinet interwoven together in lines that are free, yet still have an inherent sort of pulse – guided subtly by the work of John Patitucci on bass and Brian Blade on drums! What's truly amazing is that the Kuhns sound as vibrant, urgent, and potent as ever – as if the passage of decades hasn't dimmed them a bit, and that they're still breaking down barriers of jazz with a record like this. Titles include "Girona", "Lion's Speech", "Mosquitas", "A Little Time Machine", "Light Year", and "Researching Has No Limits". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that furthers Takuya Kuroda's experiments in pushing farther past the jazz of his roots – still graced with plenty of strong trumpet work and bold solo lines – but amidst rhythms that have a nice complexity, and which really push the envelope at times – mostly played live, but with a richness that evokes both the initial broken beat experiments in London, and some of that city's more contemporary modes. There's a few straighter jazz cuts that balance things out – a mellow moment or two that Freddie Hubbard might have added to a CTI session – and titles include "Dead End Dance", "Old Picture", "Time Coil", "Midnight Crisp", "Choy Soda", and "Fade". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums that drummer Pete LaRoca ever made as a leader – and a gem through and through! LaRoca had a touch on the drums that was unlike anyone else – free, but never "out" – and in a flowing, progressive style that pointed the way towards the sound of jazz in the 70s, but which was still firmly rooted in the soulful style of the 60s. The album's filled with beautiful flowing waves of sound – and features lead solos by Joe Henderson, strong piano lines by Steve Kuhn, and some great round basswork by Steve Swallow. The feel of the set's somewhere in the vein of Larry Young's work at the time – never too "out", but much more flowing and free than the typical Blue Note. Tracks include "Basra", "Tears Come From Heaven", and "Candu". A fantastic album, with a unique approach! CD

One of the few albums that drummer Pete LaRoca ever made as a leader – and a gem through and through! LaRoca had a touch on the drums that was unlike anyone else – free, but never "out" – and in a flowing, progressive style that pointed the way towards the sound of jazz in the 70s, but which was still firmly rooted in the soulful style of the 60s. The album's filled with beautiful flowing waves of sound – and features lead solos by Joe Henderson, strong piano lines by Steve Kuhn, and some great round basswork by Steve Swallow. The feel of the set's somewhere in the vein of Larry Young's work at the time – never too "out", but much more flowing and free than the typical Blue Note. Tracks include "Basra", "Tears Come From Heaven", and "Candu". A fantastic album, with a unique approach! CD

One of the greatest soundtracks ever – an archetypal album from French composer Francis Lai, and a record that set the tone for countless other imitations to come – yet which is still the best! The groove here is really unique – a spare blend of bossa influences, jazzy organ lines, and wordless vocals that are sung beautifully by French singers Nicole Croisille and Pierre Barouh – and although a mainstream success, the record was the initial force behind the legendary Saravah imprint that Barouh would form later, to record a wide range of groundbreaking work in a variety of genres. But history aside, the music here is plenty – and from the very first note the whole soundtrack grabs you with a sense of warmth and sentiment that defy description – modes never heard before in the soundtrack world, and which really broke the mold from Hollywood conventions! Titles include the seminal bossa number "Samba Saravah", plus "A Man & A Woman", "Today It's You", "In Our Shadow", "At 200 MPH", and "Stronger Than Us". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest soundtracks ever – an archetypal album from French composer Francis Lai, and a record that set the tone for countless other imitations to come – yet which is still the best! The groove here is really unique – a spare blend of bossa influences, jazzy organ lines, and wordless vocals that are sung beautifully by French singers Nicole Croisille and Pierre Barouh – and although a mainstream success, the record was the initial force behind the legendary Saravah imprint that Barouh would form later, to record a wide range of groundbreaking work in a variety of genres. But history aside, the music here is plenty – and from the very first note the whole soundtrack grabs you with a sense of warmth and sentiment that defy description – modes never heard before in the soundtrack world, and which really broke the mold from Hollywood conventions! Titles include the seminal bossa number "Samba Saravah", plus "A Man & A Woman", "Today It's You", "In Our Shadow", "At 200 MPH", and "Stronger Than Us". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the sharpest, funkiest album to date from the great jazz organist Delvon Lamarr – a live set that was done at the Colemine headquarters – but handled with a vibe that makes the whole thing feel like some small club date from the east coast from the 60s Hammond hero generation! Delvon is a monster on the keys – graced with as much a sense of pedal basslines as deft solo work on the keys – alongside support from Jimmy James on guitar and David McGraw on drums – partners in the rock-solid trio that's got to be one of the best funky jazz groups in the world! Tracks are all nice and long – and titles include "Love Land", "Ain't It Funky Now", "Tacoma Black Party", "Move On Up", "You Know When I'm Right Or Wrong", "Memphis", and "Can I Change My Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's definitely all woman – thanks to the sexy sounds of Monica Lassen on vocals! The singer works at a wordless level here – breezily scatting alongside these slinky, jazzy lines from The Sounds – a Japanese group who've clearly drunk deep from the well of bossa nova and European soundtrack influences of the 60s – and find a way to create their own small combo variation of those styles! The music has bits of organ, guitar, flute, and even what feels like electronics at points – and Monica's often more than content to step back, and let the group groove, then come in for a sigh, a moan, or a lighter vocalized passage. Titles are as sexy as the image on the cover – and include "Three Woman", "Love Touch", "Whimper", "Incitation", and "Happiness" – plus the long "Tie In/Double Bed/Enjoy Time". LP, Vinyl record album

The title says it all – as Yusef Lateef works here in that wonderful mixture of hardbop, soul jazz, and Eastern stylings that he brought to all of his best early sessions as a leader! Lateef himself is playing tenor, flute, and oboe – which he uses to craft these eerie snakecharmer lines that work perfectly with the modal grooves of the tracks – very unusual rhythms for the time, and a real precursor to some of the world jazz experiments to come from overseas. The rest of the group features pianist Barry Harris, drummer Lex Humphries, and bassist Ernie Farrow, who also plays a strange instrument called a rabat – which further adds to the charm of the record. Titles include "Plum Blossom", "Purple Flower", "Three Faces Of Balal", and "Chinq Miau". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing album – and the cornerstone of the CTI sound! The record's an incredibly baroque set of tracks from funky flautist Hubert Laws – featuring arrangements from Don Sebesky that mix complicated lines on flute with electric piano from Bob James, into a swirling mass of sound that's warm, soulful, and fuzzy. The record's incredibly hip – and even on material like "Theme From Love Story", "Fire & Rain", and "Passacaglia In C Minor", Laws and the group soar away into another plane of being! Jazz flute and CTI were never the same after this album! LP, Vinyl record album

A very different sort of book on bebop – one that looks at the music during its key years of midcentury, but through a very different prism than the sorts of all-star players who usually get most coverage by jazz writers! Author Jonathan Leal digs very deep to uncover three obscure players who cross race, cultural, and creative lines – Raul Salinas, Harold Wing, and James Araki – figures who were not huge on the scene, but who intersected with some very big names – and whose experiences here really enrich an understanding of the social possibilities offered by jazz at the time. Leal gets past the platitudes about the music and opens up the communities and opportunities created by jazz – tracing the histories of each of these three unique and overlooked players, while also putting their individual experiences in a larger context too. The notes alone are huge – really showing the work that Leal put into the project – and the book is 238 pages, softcover, with a small amount of black and white images. Book

One of the most wonderful soundtracks ever! Michel Legrand wrote the jazzy groovy score for this legendary French film from the mid 60s – and every word of dialogue in the film is sung throughout, making for a very cool, ever-changing array of vocal bits and jazzy styles. Embedded in here are lines that later became worldwide hits – like "I Will Wait For You" and "Watch What Happens" – but in this version, the songs are just themes in the huge pastiche of dialogue and narrative, and they lurk behind the score in a beautiful way. CDs features 30 tracks in all – with titles that include "Scene Du Garage", "Dans Le Magasin", "Diner", "Le Mariage", "Le Retour De Guy Chez Elise", "Guy Au Cafe", "Chez Dubourg Le Joallie", and "Sur Le Quai"–plus a few instrumental tracks as well! CD

Fantastic work from bassist Gunter Lenz – a set with maybe a jokey title, but a heck of a lot of power underneath – one of those overlooked German jazz gems from a very special time in the scene! The players here are aware of the farther reaches of jazz, yet work together with more inside stile – yet always with a sensibility that there's a much broader frontier that informs their music! The lineup features Frank St Peter on alto and flute, Lesek Zadlo on tenor and soprano, Johannes Faber on trumpet, Bob Degen on piano, and the great Joe Nay on drums – and titles include "Speed Freak", "Children Of The Night", "The Bear Is Gone", and "Do Not Tear The Posters Down". CD

One of the best records we've ever heard from pianist Lou Levy – a record that steps past the simple format of earlier records, into a style that's slightly modern, and very cool – thanks to the addition of vibes to his usual trio format. Larry Bunker plays vibes on the record, and rhythm's by Stan Levy and Leroy Vinnegar – both of whom hip things up nicely, and give the album a soulful bottom that offsets Levy's sprightly piano lines in a wonderful way. A real delight, even on the familiar tunes – and titles include "Gray Fox", "Tune Up", "Without You", "Wail Street", "Star Eyes", "Imagination", and "Indiana". LP, Vinyl record album

Very much the sort of record that's made James Brandon Lewis such a key force on the tenor in recent years – an album that acts as a bridge between so many different modern modes, in part because of the strength of the group! Lewis is one of that rare breed who can improvise on the outside, yet still retain a soulful swing – almost a quality that hearkens back to 60s avant jazz giants – and we can say that same about the rest of the group here, a lineup that features Aruan Ortiz on piano, Brad Jones on bass, and Chad Taylor on drums – the last of whom is especially marvelous in this endeavor! It almost seems as if Lewis gets better and better with each new record – and that's certainly the case here – n titles that include "Black Apollo", "Triptych", "Elan Vital", "Empirical Perception", "Transfiguration", and "Swerve". CD

One of the strongest sessions recorded by pianist John Lewis in the 50s – a date that shows depths of his talents that run even greater than his work with the Modern Jazz Quartet, quite possibly because is work on piano is at the forefront of the record throughout! There's a sense of darkness here that really fits the image on the cover – a style that's stated clearly on piano lines that are often as spacious as they are gentle, but which also have a moodier undercurrent below, thanks to Lewis' careful choice of keys and notes. The backing is often quite spare – Lewis sometimes plays just with Connie Kay's drums, or the guitar of either Jim Hall or Barry Galbraith – and at its fullest, the record features 2 trio numbers with the bass of Percy Heath and drums of Connie Kay. Tracks are lyrically and thoughtfully composed – and titles include "Two Lyric Pieces", "Harlequin", "D&E", "Little Girl Blue", and "Warmeland". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the biggest jazz albums of the 60s – and a crucial crossover set from the legendary Ramsey Lewis trio! The record's a live one, which gives the group a perfect chance to show off their special genius – not just soulful grooves from Ramsey on piano, but wickedly sharp and playful basslines from the great Eldee Young, and equally inventive work on drums from Redd Holt – both fantastic players who would soon break out on their own as Young Holt Unlimited! There's a surprising mix of modes on the record, too – as Ramsey begins with the group's classic reading of "The In Crowd" – formerly a soul tune, but maybe more of a hit here in their instrumental reading – then runs through material that really showcases the creative depth of the group, on titles that include "Love Theme From Spartacus", "Felicidade", "Come Sunday", and "You Been Talkin Bout Me Baby". CD features 2 non-LP bonus tracks! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the biggest jazz albums of the 60s – and a crucial crossover set from the legendary Ramsey Lewis trio! The record's a live one, which gives the group a perfect chance to show off their special genius – not just soulful grooves from Ramsey on piano, but wickedly sharp and playful basslines from the great Eldee Young, and equally inventive work on drums from Redd Holt – both fantastic players who would soon break out on their own as Young Holt Unlimited! There's a surprising mix of modes on the record, too – as Ramsey begins with the group's classic reading of "The In Crowd" – formerly a soul tune, but maybe more of a hit here in their instrumental reading – then runs through material that really showcases the creative depth of the group, on titles that include "Love Theme From Spartacus", "Felicidade", "Come Sunday", and "You Been Talkin Bout Me Baby". CD features 2 non-LP bonus tracks! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the key records from the Cadet/Concept scene in late 60s Chicago – a tremendous collaboration between pianist Ramsey Lewis and arranger Charles Stepney – and the kind of record that took soul and jazz to a whole new level! Ramsey on his own is great enough at this point – but add in Stepney's touch, and the record becomes something really brilliant – a blend of soaring strings, groovy rhythms, and spaciously stepping piano lines – all held together with a tremendous amount of creative imagination! The group here features a young Maurice White on drums and Cleveland Eaton on bass – both hitting a groove that's quite different than the Ramsey Lewis Trio sound of years back, with a lot more space, a lot hipper rhythms, and just the right sort of groove to match Stepney's sophisticated touches. The piano gets a bit electric at times, but is mostly acoustic overall – and titles include a great version of Minnie Riperton's "Les Fleur", a funky version of "Mighty Quinn", and the cuts "Afro Boogaloo Twist", "Maiden Voyage", "Ode", "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", "Only When I'm Dreaming", and "Eternal Journey". CD

Two rare albums from Dutch reedman Theo Loevendie – both amazing little records that sound beautiful here on a single CD! Mandela features complicated lines from a hip Netherlands combo of the late 60s – one headed up by Theo Loevendie on alto sax, but which acts a lot more like a collective of modernists working together – Hans Dulfer on tenor and bamboo flute, Willem Van Manen on trombone, Nedly Elstak on trumpet, Joop Mastenbroek on baritone and clarinet, Maarten Altena on bass, and Martin Van Dunhoven and John Engels on drums. The tunes all have a nice sense of structure – energy that's more like the early 60s modernism of the European scene – particularly some of the more rhythmic styles – than the looser freedoms that some of Loevendie's contemporaries were hitting at the same time. There's definitely plenty of offbeat sounds in the mix – but the group also knows how to swing, too – on titles that include "Trombomanie", "Mr Brook", "Timbuktu", "Trompedly", and "Pepy". Chess is a really playful outing from a very cool Dutch combo – one with lead alto from Theo Loevendie, but a rich array of sounds from the other members too! The reeds are especially nice – often coming together with a complexity that goes back to older European modern traditions, yet with a swinging sensibility that's still plenty jazz, too – kind of a mix of composition, arrangement, and inherent swinging – with standout work from Hans Dulfer on tenor, Leon Van Oostrom on baritone, Leo Cuypers on piano, and Willem Van Manen on trombone – a player we barely know at all, but whose bold tones really bring a lot to the record. Titles include "Lapsang Souchong", "Scratch", "Brasilia", and "Tremolo". CD

Maybe one of the most soul-based records ever from percussionist Ralph MacDonald – partly because Ralph does a bit of singing, in addition to playing the heavy congas on the cover! Yet the record's still got the core jazz vibe of his other sets from the late 70s – served up with an all-star lineup that includes Grover Washington Jr on soprano and tenor, David Sanborn on alto, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Michael Brecker on tenor, Richard Tee on keyboards, and Eric Gale on guitar – all musicians who help give the whole thing the warm funky fusion vibe of late 70s albums on labels like Kudo or Tappan Zee! Some of the best cuts slide into a snapping 80s groove that opens up nicely with the instrumentation – and Ralph only sings a bit, leaving plenty of room for solos from the players. Titles include the great Latin-inflected groover "East Dry River" – plus "You Are In Love", "I Need Someone", "Tell The Truth", and "Always Something Missing". LP, Vinyl record album

A really revolutionary album – both at the time it was released, and all these many years later! In a surprising nod to the younger generation, Blue Note opened the door to Madlib – already making a name with his array of great projects at the start of the century – an early part of his legacy of bringing in lots of jazz energy to hip hop production! The album wasn't the first effort of this nature, but certainly set a new standard – one that so many others have tried to match over the years, but never got this right. The set's got a fair bit of live jazz work – in the mode of Madlib's Yesterdays New Quintet project – mixed with all sorts of cool production elements too. We love the vibes of Ahmad Miller especially in the lineup – and titles include reworks of "Montara", "Song For My Father", "Footprints", "Stepping Into Tomorrow", "Peace/Dolphin Dance", "Stormy", "Distant Land", and "Slim's Return" – plus the original "Funky Blue Note". LP, Vinyl record album

A really revolutionary album – both at the time it was released, and all these many years later! In a surprising nod to the younger generation, Blue Note opened the door to Madlib – already making a name with his array of great projects at the start of the century – an early part of his legacy of bringing in lots of jazz energy to hip hop production! The album wasn't the first effort of this nature, but certainly set a new standard – one that so many others have tried to match over the years, but never got this right. The set's got a fair bit of live jazz work – in the mode of Madlib's Yesterdays New Quintet project – mixed with all sorts of cool production elements too. We love the vibes of Ahmad Miller especially in the lineup – and titles include reworks of "Montara", "Song For My Father", "Footprints", "Stepping Into Tomorrow", "Peace/Dolphin Dance", "Stormy", "Distant Land", and "Slim's Return" – plus the original "Funky Blue Note". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky 70s killer from Japanese arranger Norio Maeda – very different than his 60s material, and also different than you might guess from both the image on the cover, and the "samba" in the title! There's some Brazilian influence in the rhythms, but the approach is fuller, richer, and handled with lots of sweet CTI-style electric touches – including great keyboard work from Maeda himself, guitar from Shigeru Suzuki, and nicely strong basslines from Haruomi Hosono – quite a surprise on a set like this! Larger horn lines really top the set in a nice way – and there's great percussion from Motoya Hamaguchi – on titles that include funky jazz takes on "Wave", "Desafinado", "Constant Rain", "Manha De Carnaval", "Summer Samba", and "The Girl From Ipanema". LP, Vinyl record album

Saxophonist Mike Makhalemele is in great company here – blowing these long, soulful lines in a combo that has plenty of mellow grooves – keyboards from Jabu Nkosi and bass from Sipho Gumede – both players who really know how to lay back, open up a groove, and let Mike do all the rest with his horn! The approach is a more stripped-down take on American soul fusion styles of the time – never too smooth or commercial, and definitely with some elements of older South African jazz in the mix, although in subtle ways. The main focus is on the tenor, which is great – on titles that include "My Thing", "15th Avenue", "Peace Train", "End Of The Road", and "Going West". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant moment as a leader from saxophonist Maurice Malik King – a member of the St Louis underground in the 70s, but one who never saw the same sort of fame as contemporaries who left the city for New York and beyond – yet who continued to create some incredible music far away from the limelight! The early 80s set is a great example of the way the more sophisticated, sensitive moments of the loft jazz world of the 70s were taken to farther local scenes in the US, and allowed players to continue the journey with their own very personal levels of expression – something that's definitely the case here as King crafts these beautiful long lines on alto alongside the bass of Zimbabwe Nkenya and percussion of Qaiyim Shabazz. There's a very special sound to the whole thing – a mode that's every bit as unique as the Ritual Trio up in Chicago, yet every different too – as you'll hear on cuts that include "In Between Space", "Music To Me", "In Search Of Spirits Passed & Present", and "When Force Meet". CD

A great little album of Latiny tunes from Henry Mancini – played by a very hip lineup of west coast jazzmen! The rhythms have a great mix of Latin influences and Mancini magic – the kind of grooves you'd hear on his 60s soundtracks at the time, played by a lineup that includes Bud Shank and Tom Scott on reeds, Buddy Childers and Pete Candoli on trumpets, Ray Brown on acoustic bass, Max Bennett on fender bass, Larry Bunker on percussion, and Shelly Manne on drums. The vibe is nice and relaxed – a bit more upbeat than bossa, but not as all-out as other RCA Latin sessions – thanks to Mancini's nice sense of warmth and space in the arrangements. Titles include some pretty darn cool takes on "Mission Impossible", "Fistful Of Dollars", "Magnificent Seven", "Touch Of Evil", and "Springtime For Hitler", from the film The Producers. Other titles include "Patricia", "Zacatecas", and "Las Cruces". LP, Vinyl record album

Herbie Mann returns to the stage at the Newport Jazz Festival – but opens up in ways that are even hipper than some of his other material from that scene! The tracks here are quite long – driven by some great rhythms from Carlos Patao Valdez, and featuring round, rolling basslines from the mighty Reggie Workman. And in addition to Herbie's own smoking work on flute, the set also features great young trumpet from Jimmy Owens – whose bold style here really gives the record a nice sort of depth. The set features four tracks from Newport, plus one more studio number with Attila Zoller on guitar – and titles include "Project S", "Scratch", "She's A Carioca", and "All Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost bit of 70s fusion from the west coast – a group led by percussionist Manolo Badrena, with lots of nice Brazilian jazz touches! Many of the tracks have lyrics – soulful and sunny, somewhere in between late 70s work by Flora Purim and Seawind – and the overall groove is like some of the excellent 70s work on CTI/Kudu Records – especially the electric session that would bring in some strong percussion on the bottom! The whole thing's really wonderful – with some keyboard lines that almost link the record to early albums by Azymuth – and musicians include Hugo Fattorso on Fender Rhodes and percussion, Abraham Laboriel on bass, and Maria Fatima and Sybil Thomas on vocals. Titles include "Clube Da Esquina", "Got Some", "Canales", "Fly Away", "Yana", "Amor Lejano", and "Claro Que Si". CD

Beautifully dynamic work from drummer Myele Manzanza – an artist we've never heard work in this scope before, and we hope will soon do so again! The album's got Myele at the helm of a great large ensemble – a group who have a strong spiritual sense at the core, but often move in more vibrant rhythms driven by Manzana's work on the drums – not really funky, maybe more in an upbeat modal mode – which allows for great sounds from the rising crest of alto, trumpet, tenor, trombone, and flute in the lineup! Bass is by Ross McHenry, whose sound is a key core part of the record – and Ross also produced, as well – really capturing the right sort of vibe for the entire album. Myele's part of the Adelaide scene, in New Zealand – but we'd put this record right up there with some of the best work coming out of the London jazz world in recent years – with titles that include "Big Deal", "Madrid", "Itaru's Phone Booth", "Family Dynamics", "Ritual", and "A Love Requited". Includes the Japanese-only bonus track "Freedom Of Movement". CD

A stunning jazz set from the LA scene – and one that's got even more spiritual, forward-flowing energy than some of the studio sessions recorded by Terrace Martin! The performance continues Martin's strong move into jazz over the past decade plus – with lots of alto solos from the leader, amidst a lineup that features keyboards from Paul Cornish, bass from Joshua Crumbly, and drums from Ronald Bruner. There's plenty of warm Fender Rhodes lines that really make the record shine with soulful energy throughout – and Martin's sharper reed lines are matched by the richer tenor of Kamasi Washington on the tracks "Juno" and "Stop Trippin" – the latter of which also features trumpet from Maurice Brown. Other titles include "For Free" and "Great Is Thy Faithfulness". CD

A stunning jazz set from the LA scene – and one that's got even more spiritual, forward-flowing energy than some of the studio sessions recorded by Terrace Martin! The performance continues Martin's strong move into jazz over the past decade plus – with lots of alto solos from the leader, amidst a lineup that features keyboards from Paul Cornish, bass from Joshua Crumbly, and drums from Ronald Bruner. There's plenty of warm Fender Rhodes lines that really make the record shine with soulful energy throughout – and Martin's sharper reed lines are matched by the richer tenor of Kamasi Washington on the tracks "Juno" and "Stop Trippin" – the latter of which also features trumpet from Maurice Brown. Other titles include "For Free" and "Great Is Thy Faithfulness". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet live set from guitarist Pat Martino – recorded with a nice gritty feel, and just the right blend of organ and tenor that Pat would get on his Prestige Records dates of the 60s! The tracks are all nice and long, with the kind of open, freewheeling energy that we love back in the 60s soul jazz days when Martino got his start – and as on some other excellent recent dates, the move back to basics works perfectly for Pat's deep talents on the guitar – augmented nicely here by organ lines form Tony Monaco, and some especially tight tenor from Eric Alexander. The group's completed by drummer Jeff Tain Watts – and titles include "Lean Years", "Inside Out", "Side Effect", "Goin To A Meeting", and "Double Play". CD

The mighty Sun Ra is on the cover, and also famously named a record Magic City – which was also the nickname of his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama – a city that gets plenty of coverage here for its long musical legacy! Birmingham was given the "magic city" nickname late in the 19th Century, when it was experiencing a great economic boom – one that helped attract folks from all over the south, and made the city a cultural crossroads for many years to come – especially when it came to jazz, where Birmingham was one of the most important scenes in the south for part of the 20th Century. In addition to the relationship between the city and Sun Ra, the book also features a long lineup that includes Joe Guy, Teddy Hill, Erskine Hawkins, Fess Whatley, Avery Parrish, and others – in histories that criss-cross, overlap, and extend with influences far past the city. This softcover edition is 340 pages, with some very nice black and white images. Book

The first-ever full length album from vibist Max Beesley – and a much-needed expression of some of the deeper ideas that he's always had in his music! Max was an artist who first started making waves during the earliest years of acid jazz on the UK scene – but like the best of his contemporaries, he's really grown a heck of a lot since then – to a point where he's able to deliver a cinematic funky jazz masterpiece like this – a record that's got plenty of his own great work on vibes, amidst heavy drums, funky basslines, and sweet keyboards – all set up in larger arrangements that have a sense of majesty we never would have expected in Beesley's music! Titles include "Saturn's Dust", "We'll Always Have Yesterday", "Fire", "Sergio's Bag", "Ice", "Snake Oil", and "Zeus". CD

The first-ever full length album from vibist Max Beesley – and a much-needed expression of some of the deeper ideas that he's always had in his music! Max was an artist who first started making waves during the earliest years of acid jazz on the UK scene – but like the best of his contemporaries, he's really grown a heck of a lot since then – to a point where he's able to deliver a cinematic funky jazz masterpiece like this – a record that's got plenty of his own great work on vibes, amidst heavy drums, funky basslines, and sweet keyboards – all set up in larger arrangements that have a sense of majesty we never would have expected in Beesley's music! Titles include "Saturn's Dust", "We'll Always Have Yesterday", "Fire", "Sergio's Bag", "Ice", "Snake Oil", and "Zeus". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that definitely lives up to its title – as the set is definitely a turning point in the career of John Mayall, and the debut of brand new lineup that helped move his music past a the straighter sound of American blues! There's still plenty of blues at the core – and great vocals and harmonica from the leader – but the lineup also features no drums at all, which gives very open space to freeplay between the acoustic guitar of Jon Mark, the bass of Steve Thompson, and the wicked work of Johnny Almond on tenor, alto, and flute! The jazzy elements that Almond brings to the music are wonderful – and really open up the sound, and showcase a whole new side of Mayall's talents too – as the group here play live at the Fillmore East, on titles that include "The Laws Must Change", "California", "I'm Gonna Fight For You JB", "Room To Move", and "Saw Mill Gulch Road". LP, Vinyl record album

Yoni Mayraz is a pianist, but one who plays keyboards in modes that are much more than conventional jazz – and which instead really reflect the changes in the London scene where he's made his home in recent years! The record bristles with some of the best sort of creative inspirations we'd be likely to hear on a label like Brownswood or 22A – definitely jazz at the core, but with rhythms and instrumentation that really break past the usual format – as Yoni deftly blends his own keyboards with crackling live drums, driving basslines, tenor, flute, and trumpet – all used in these shifting, inventive progressions from track to track. This is cosmic creative jazz at its finest – with tracks that include "Palms", "The Master Wore A White Robe", "Pawnshop", "Painkillers", "As We Entered Jericho", "1999", "South Star", and "The Biggest Fear". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most ambitious albums ever from Rob Mazurek – and a set that really continues the legacy of community building and world healing that's become such an important part of his music! Rob's a player who was great at the start – a hell of a trumpeter, and a great experimentalist with electronics – but in recent years, he's matured to become a real messenger for the farther, future reaches of jazz – with an energy that makes a collaborative project like this come off in a way that might never have occurred in the hands of any other musician! Mazurek is at the head – director, composer, arranger, and instrumentalist too – and the large lineup is filled with heavyweights from the Chicago scene that Rob helped shape over the past few decades – plus others as well – players who include Damon Locks on voice and electronics, Nicole Mitchell on flutes, Tomeka Reid on cello, Joel Ross on vibes, Jaimi Branch on trumpet, Jeff Parker on guitar, Ingebrigit Haker Flate on bass, and Chad Taylor, John Herndon, and Mikel Patrick Avery on a variety of drums and percussion. There's a richness here that tops other Exploding Star Orchestra performances – and more of a focus, too – so that the whole thing comes together as even more than the sum of its mighty parts, as one of the best International Anthem releases to date. Titles include "Galaxy 1000", "Parable Of Inclusion", "Autumn Pleiades", "Minerals Bionic Stereo", "Dimensional Stardust", "Abstract Dark Energy", and "The Careening Prism Within". CD