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Sublime small group work from tenor saxophonist Bill Holman – and a record that really lets him stretch out with some longer-than-usual solo work! Holman's working here as the co-leader with drummer Mel Lewis – in a group that also features trumpeter Lee Katzman, bassist Wilford Middlebrook, and pianist Jimmy Rowles. The head arrangements are quite tight, and remind us a lot of some of Holman's work on charts for larger bands – but as the longish tunes unfold, the solo work is extremely dexterous – and supported wonderfully by some fluid work on piano by Rowles. Titles include Holman's classic "Jive For Five", plus "The Beat Generation", "502 Blues Theme", and "Liza". CD

Heavy funk from Jimmy McGriff – a monster set of grooves that ranks with his best of the late 60s! The tracks are short and sock-hard – Jimmy wailing on Hammond, over rhythms that have plenty of sharp edges, and lots of nice drum work – all recorded in a mode that's a heck of a lot rawer than some of his other records! The album brings together all the rough power of Jimmy's years at Sue Records with the funkier grooves of his 70s work – and features a killer combo that includes tenor from Fats Theus, alto from Danny Turner, trumpet from Blue Mitchell, guitar from Thornel Schwartz, and drums from both Mel Lewis and Grady Tate. Titles include "The Worm", "Blue Juice", "Lock It Up", "Think", "Heavyweight", and "Girl Talk". CD

A surprisingly great meeting between Kenny Burrell and Jimmy Smith – and a set that's one of Jimmy's standout small combo sessions for Verve! The feel here is much more Jimmy Smith at Blue Note than some of the bigger group Verve dates of the 60s – and Kenny Burrell's sensitive guitar lines provide wonderful company for Smith on the date – shading in his Hammond lines with a nice sense of color, in ways that really fit the late nite setting of the record. Other players on the date include either Bill English or Mel Lewis on drums, George Duvivier or Milt Hinton on bass, Vince Gambella on guitar, and Art Marotti on percussion – and titles include "Kenny's Sound", "Blues For Del", "Blue Bash", "Travelin", and "Soft Winds". CD

Two rare slices of Charles Mingus from the 50s – back to back on a single CD! First up is a Charles Mingus Octet session, originally released as a 10" LP – and a date that shows some of the first complicated orchestrations from the legendary bassist! The music here already has the creatively complex feel of Mingus' better-known mid 50s sessions – like the Jazz Composers Workshop date on Savoy, or the Bethlehem sides – and the interplay between the horn work is really amazing, and worth the price of admission itself! Players include Willie Dennis on trombone, Teo Macero on tenor, Eddie Caine on alto and flute, Ernie Royal on trumpet, and Danny Bank on baritone. Nadi Qamar conducts, and other players include John Lewis on piano, Mingus on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – and Janet Thurlow sings on two titles, "Blue Tide" and "Eclipse". Other tracks include "Miss Bliss", "Pink Topsy", and the CD also features 2 alternates too. Jimmy Knepper heads the next date – a rare 10" outing from 1957, with some killer horn work throughout! The group's a quintet – and the album's easily one of Knepper's most hard-burning, thanks in part to some sharp alto lines from the great Joe Maini, a player we can never get enough of! The rest of the group features Bill Triglia on piano, Mingus on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums – and titles include "Cunningbird", "The Masher", "Latter Day Saint", and "The Jumpin Blues" – plus four more bonus alternate takes. CD

A trio date – with George Mraz on bass and Lewis Nash on drums! CD

Hank Crawford on alto saxophone, Jimmy McGriff on organ with George Benson, Wayne Boyd, Cornell Dupree, Vance James, Mel Lewis, Jimmy Ponder, Billy Preston & Bernard Purdie. CD

Features backings by Gerry Mulligan, Ben Webster, Jimmy Rowles, Leroy Vinnegar, and Mel Lewis – plus additional tracks with Roy Eldridge and Earl Hines. CD

Benny Carter plays with The American Jazz Orchestra, directed by John Lewis, with John Eckert, Virgil Jones, Bob Millikan, and Marvin Stamm on trumpets, Eddie Bert, Jack Jeffers, Jimmy Knepper, and Britt Woodman on trombones, Bill Easley and John Purcell on alto and flute, Loren Schoenberg on tenor, Lew Tabackin on tenor and flute, Danny Bank on baritone and bass clarinet, Dick Katz and John Lewis on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. CD

One of Grant Green's late great funky albums for Blue Note! Carryin' On is a solid groover with heavy jazz funk grooves that won't stop, and that vibe carries all the way throughout – in the same mode as some of Lou Donaldson's classic sounds from the time! The group features Idris Muhammad on drums, playing his trademark funky breakbeat sound from the late 60s – plus Jimmy Lewis on bass, Willie Bivens on vibes, Claude Bartee on tenor sax and Clarence Palmer on keys. Titles include a great versions of James Brown's "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothin", The Meters' "Ease Back", and Neal Creque's "Cease The Bombing" (featuring Creque on electric piano) plus Green's own "Upshot". CD

A funky nugget from the second Blue Note chapter of guitarist Grant Green – that wonderful point when he shifted into more funk-based styles from his hardbop work at the start – and found a way to unlock a whole new side of his talents! The approach here is similar to some of the funky Lou Donaldson albums from the time – like Hot Dog or Say It Loud – in that tracks are nice and long, and have some great funky currents at the bottom from the drums of Idris Muhammad – who kicks up lots of those chunky funky breaks that we always love so much! Green's work on guitar is especially nice – stretched out, but never trippy, with a tight single note style that really gets the most out of the grooves – in a great lineup that features Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Claude Bartee on tenor, Emanuel Riggins on Hammond, Jimmy Lewis on bass, and Candido on congas. Neal Creque contributed two great tracks to the set – "Windjammer" and "Dracula" – and the album also sports a great long version of James Brown's "Ain't It Funky Now", and a sweet cover of "A Day In The Life"! CD

With Yusef Ali, Joey Baron, Tyrone Brown, Richard Davis, Ralph Dorsey, Sherman Ferguson, Gil Goldstein, Eddie Green, Jabali Billy Hart, Billy Higgins, Marc Johnson, Bob Kenmotsu, Steve LaSpina, Jimmy Lewis, James Ridl, Bobby Rose, Bill Stewart, Ron Thomas and Carl Wilson, CD

Mulligan always sounds great next to a tenor – especially in the Verve series that has him teamed up with players like Johnny Hodges, Paul Desmond, or Stan Getz. This release, cut with Ben Webster upfront, is one of the best of that series – and features the pair blowing easily and soulfully on some long tracks with rhythm by Jimmy Rowles, Leroy Vinnegar, and Mel Lewis. Titles include "Go Home", "The Cat Walk", "Sunday", "Who's Got Rhythm", and "Tell Me When". CD

A classic set from all-true Alexander O'Neal – and maybe one of his last great records for the Tabu label! The set's got a nice balance of groovers and mellower moments – really showing the growing diversity of O'Neal as an artist, as he tries to move away from some of his bigger ballads. The rhythms are often handled by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis – who themselves are going for a leaner style than in the 80s, yet still have that undeniable funky punch in the mix! At tines, Alexander's not leading the songs so much as stepping into the grooves – but at other times, he comes as the strong singer that first emerged in the mid 80s. Titles include "What Is This Thing Called Love", "The Yoke", "Time Is Running Out", "All True Man", "Midnight Run", "Used", "Shame On Me", and "The Morning After". CD

A unique large group session from Art Pepper – one of his few this way as a leader, despite constant 50s presence as a sideman in big ensembles! Arrangements are by Marty Paich, who more than makes things swing – and there's a nice rhythm section dancing underneath a larger group – with Russ Freeman on piano, Joe Mondragon on bass and Mel Lewis on drums. Players in the fuller lineup include Jack Sheldon on trumpet, Herb Geller on alto, Bill Perkins on tenor, and Bob Enevoldsen on trombone and tenor – and titles are mostly modern numbers written by other jazzmen like Horace Silver, Denzil Best, Jimmy Giuffre, and Sonny Rollins. Titles include "Groovin High", "Move", "Four Brothers", "Anthropology", and "Airegin". CD

20 songs from Mike Gordon & El Tempos, Sylvia Vanderpool, Jimmy Lewis, the Chords, Prince Patridge, Floyd Dixon, Millie Bosman, and the Playboys. CD

A great set that brings together early material that trombone giant JJ Johnson cut for Blue Note as a leader – sides that already mark his approach to the instrument as one of the most distinct of the time, and which pave the way for all the greatness that Johnson would bring to jazz in years to come! JJ's got a way of blowing his horn here that's almost trumpet-like at time – tight and focused, and perfect for the young bop generation – as he's paired on these cuts with players who include Hank Mobley and Jimmy Heath on tenor, Clifford Brown on trumpet, and either Wynton Kelly, John Lewis, or Horace Silver on piano, depending on the volume. There's plenty of other great surprises too – including a bit of bass from Charles Mingus, on a few cuts that also feature congas from Sabu Martinez – plus drums from Kenny Clarke on all tracks too. Titles on this this second volume include "Daylie Double", "Groovin", "Viscosity", "Coffee Pot", "It's You Or No One", and "Jay". CD

Long-overdue collection that brings together the classic Polydor recordings of the great Ellen McIlwaine! Ellen's style is a totally unique mixture of folk, funk, and jazzy singing – and although she's beyond comparison, we might put her in the same camp as Joyce, Linda Lewis, or Joni Mitchell. The tracks on the CD are a mix of styles – and although you may know groovers like "Jimmy Jean" or "Up From The Skies" – there's lots of other great stuff on here that shows the full range of Ellen's talent. Her guitar playing is excellent, and her voice has an amazing range that puts her up with some of the best singers of the 70's. This 21 track CD includes "Jimmy Jean", "Sliding", "Pinebo", "Wings Of A Dove", "All To You", "Toehold", "We The People", and the previously unreleased track "It's Growing". Nice notes, too! CD

A unique large group session from Art Pepper – one of his few this way as a leader, despite constant 50s presence as a sideman in big ensembles! Arrangements are by Marty Paich, who more than makes things swing – and there's a nice rhythm section dancing underneath a larger group – with Russ Freeman on piano, Joe Mondragon on bass and Mel Lewis on drums. Players in the fuller lineup include Jack Sheldon on trumpet, Herb Geller on alto, Bill Perkins on tenor, and Bob Enevoldsen on trombone and tenor – and titles are mostly modern numbers written by other jazzmen like Horace Silver, Denzil Best, Jimmy Giuffre, and Sonny Rollins. Titles include "Groovin High", "Move", "Four Brothers", "Anthropology", and "Airegin". CD

A real lost treasure from Pacific Jazz – a rare late 50s west coast session from Pepper Adams, featuring the amazing baritonist in a group with Lee Katzman on trumpet, Jimmy Rowles on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums! The sound is incredible – on a par with that rare few of Adams' other magnificent albums as a leader – modern, yet soulful, and with a fluid feel that makes it hard to believe that Pepper's working with a baritone sax. Adams' work is always top-shelf, but this album's an even further cut above – and its proof that Pepper was one of the strongest talents burning in jazz in the late 50s! Tracks are all longish, and feature some nice unusual numbers that include "Minor Mishap", "Blackout Blues", "High Step", "5021", and "Zec". CD also features the bonus track "Four Funky People". CD

A great set that brings together early material that trombone giant JJ Johnson cut for Blue Note as a leader – sides that already mark his approach to the instrument as one of the most distinct of the time, and which pave the way for all the greatness that Johnson would bring to jazz in years to come! JJ's got a way of blowing his horn here that's almost trumpet-like at time – tight and focused, and perfect for the young bop generation – as he's paired on these cuts with players who include Hank Mobley and Jimmy Heath on tenor, Clifford Brown on trumpet, and either Wynton Kelly, John Lewis, or Horace Silver on piano, depending on the volume. There's plenty of other great surprises too – including a bit of bass from Charles Mingus, on a few cuts that also feature congas from Sabu Martinez – plus drums from Kenny Clarke on all tracks too. Titles on this first volume include include "Turnpike", "Sketch 1", "Capri", "Lover Man", "Get Happy", and "Coffee Pot". CD features alternate takes, too. CD