... CD

Classic collection of Jimmy's hard rockin' R&B for Vee Jay, with a dozen great stompers from Reed: "Baby What You Want Me To Do", "Hush Hush", "Found Love", "Honest I Do", "You Got Me Dizzy", "Take Out Some Insurance", "You Don't Have To Go", "Big Boss Man", "Boogie In The Dark", "Going To New York", "Ain't That Lovin' Baby" and "The Sun Is Shining". LP, Vinyl record album

A great setting for the legendary Jimmy Reed – working here with a tight groove, thanks to the band of Al Smith – who also produced the session! Wayne Bennett is on lead guitar, Lefty Bates on rhythm, and Jimmy Reed handles guitar and harmonica too. LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A stone classic from Jimmy Reed – and one of the first few albums on the Vee Jay label! The sound is spare, rootsy, and bluesy – the kind of tunes that made Jimmy an instant favorite, and which were a key force in the Chicago blues sound of the 50s. The set features material recorded for Vee Jay in 1958 and 1957, with Jimmy on vocals, acoustic guitar, and harmonica. Benchmark late 50s Chicago blues! Titles include "Honest, I Do", "You Got Me Dizzy", "Can't Stand To See You Go", "Boogie In The Dark", "You Got Me Crying", "Little Rain", "Roll & Rhumba", his classic "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A stone classic from Jimmy Reed – and one of the first few albums on the Vee Jay label! The sound is spare, rootsy, and bluesy – the kind of tunes that made Jimmy an instant favorite, and which were a key force in the Chicago blues sound of the 50s. The set features material recorded for Vee Jay in 1958 and 1957, with Jimmy on vocals, acoustic guitar, and harmonica. Benchmark late 50s Chicago blues! Titles include "Honest, I Do", "You Got Me Dizzy", "Can't Stand To See You Go", "Boogie In The Dark", "You Got Me Crying", "Little Rain", "Roll & Rhumba", his classic "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" and more – plus 4 bonus tracks! CD

Rollicking country-tinged blues from Jimmy Reed and an incredible group of backing musicians – actually not captured in the opulent grandeur of Carnegie Hall – and probably all the better for it! Prior to the original double LP release of Jimmy Reed At Carnegie Hall, Reed headlined a Blues At Carnegie Hall event, and though the performance was not recorded for a live album release he went on the cut a similar set list with varying players that included Lonnie Brooks, Phil Upchurch and Eddie Tayor on guitar, Willie Dixon on bass, Earl Phillips and Albert King on tracks. It's really wonderful stuff, obvious epiphany material for loads of rockers and young players on both the US and British blues scenes to come! 23 tracks in all: "Bright Lights Big City", "I'm Mr Luck", "Found Joy", "Kind Of Lonesome", "Tell Me You Love Me", "Hold Me Close", "Baby What You Want Me To Do", "Blue Blue Water", "Hush Hush", "Found Love", "Honest I Do", "You Got Me Dizzy", "Boogie In The Dark", "Take Out Some Insurance", "The Sun Is Shining" and lots more! CD

Rollicking country-tinged blues from Jimmy Reed and an incredible group of backing musicians – actually not captured in the opulent grandeur of Carnegie Hall – and probably all the better for it! Prior to the original double LP release of Jimmy Reed At Carnegie Hall, Reed headlined a Blues At Carnegie Hall event, and though the performance was not recorded for a live album release he went on the cut a similar set list with varying players that included Lonnie Brooks, Phil Upchurch and Eddie Tayor on guitar, Willie Dixon on bass, Earl Phillips and Albert King on tracks. It's really wonderful stuff, obvious epiphany material for loads of rockers and young players on both the US and British blues scenes to come! 23 tracks in all: "Bright Lights Big City", "I'm Mr Luck", "Found Joy", "Kind Of Lonesome", "Tell Me You Love Me", "Hold Me Close", "Baby What You Want Me To Do", "Blue Blue Water", "Hush Hush", "Found Love", "Honest I Do", "You Got Me Dizzy", "Boogie In The Dark", "Take Out Some Insurance", "The Sun Is Shining" and lots more! CD

A smoking live set from Jimmy Reed – filled with the kind of rocking, rollicking numbers that made his bluesy groove an undeniable influence on the UK scene of the 60s! Most numbers begin with a compelling vamp, then have Jimmy taking the lead on vocals – adding in plenty of charm in ways that few later bluesmen ever seemed to be able to match. And at times, there's a nice undercurrent of fuzz in Reed's guitar – almost making him one of the first folks to really use distortion in his music – on a great set of cuts that includes "I'm Going Upside Your Head", "The Devil's Shoestring (part 2)", "A New Leaf", "I Wanna Be Loved", "Wear Something Green", "You've Got Me Waiting", and "When You're Doing Alright". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Milestone 2-fer combining two of our favorite late 60s soul jazz LPs, that practically defined the genre – Work Song and That's Right! "Work Song" was a whopping hit for Nat, plus Cannonball's killer "Sack O Woe", played here by a firey group that includes the great Bobby Timmons on piano, and Wes Montgomery on guitar, making a rare non-leader group appearance. On the second set Nat's trumpet is backed up by a "big sax section" – a trio of reed players that includes Yusef Lateef, Jimmy Heath, and Charlie Rouse, plus some additional baritone work by Tate Houston. The groove's pretty swinging – kind of in the mode of early work with Cannonball Adderley in that it's not as "in the pocket" soul jazz wise, but still quite strong overall. Heath and Jimmy Jones did the arrangements, and the rhythm section features Wynton Kelly, Sam Jones, and Jimmy Cobb. 17 tracks in all, including "Tadd", "The Old Country", "Chordnation", "ESP", "Scrambled Eggs", "Pretty Memory", and "Fallout". LP, Vinyl record album

Nat's trumpet is backed up by the "big sax section" here – a trio of reed players that includes Yusef Lateef, Jimmy Heath, and Charlie Rouse, plus some additional baritone work by Tate Houston. The groove's pretty swinging – kind of in the mode of early work with Cannonball Adderley in that it's not as "in the pocket" soul jazz wise, but still quite strong overall. Heath and Jimmy Jones did the arrangements, and the rhythm section features Wynton Kelly, Sam Jones, and Jimmy Cobb. Tracks include "Tadd", "The Old Country", "Chordnation", and "ESP". CD

One of the greatest albums ever from Lorez Alexandria – an ultra-hip singer who recorded for Impulse and King, but who sounds especially wonderful on this rare date for Chess Records! The album's got a groove that definitely lives up to its title – a jazzy, bouncy sort of rhythm that's definitely "for swingers only", and which is a nice contrast to overdone torch or standard jazz vocal modes. Alexandria's singing is completely sublime – quite fluid, yet with a soulful depth that's really amazing – and her backing combo is equally hip – a group led by John Young on piano, and also featuring George Eskridge on guitar, Jimmy Garrison on bass, Phil Thomas on drums, and Ronald Wilson on flute and tenor – an obscure player whose reed work really makes the album sparkle! The song choices are great too – a mix of some under-recorded gems and a few blue-toned classics – all redone amazingly by Lorez with a sound that's quite unique. Titles include her classic Argo reading of "Baltimore Oriole", which begins with an amazing drum/bass passage that's worth the price of the album alone – and other tracks include "The End Of A Love Affair", "Baltimore Oriole", "All Or Nothing At All", "Mother Earth", "Love Look Away", and "Traveling Down A Lonely Road". CD

An amazing slice of music from the legendary David Axelrod – quite different than his better-known sides for Capitol and Reprise Records – and plenty darn funky overall! Axelrod is at his studio best here – stepping off the funky jazz modes he produced for Cannonball Adderley, and taking a shot at that territory on his own! In a reversal of modes, Cannonball actually handles the production – with help from Jimmy Bowen – which leaves Axelrod alone to compose, arrange, and direct the group on the set. The album's got a fair bit of electricity in the mix – heavy keyboards from Joe Sample, and some really fuzzy guitars – plus lots of choppy reed work from Joe Sample and Ernie Watts, all wrapped up with some monstrously funky drums from Ndugu Chancler. There's a very bottom-heavy groove to the record – one that makes for a few completely amazing breaks, and a very funky sound overall – and Axelrod does an amazing job of controlling the players here – so that nobody jams too much, and the grooves are always right on the money! The whole thing's great – a sublime symphony of instrumental funk all the way through – and titles include "Reverie", "Miles Away", "Go For It", "Ken Russell", "1000 Rads", and "One". First time ever on CD – a seminal reissue from Dusty Groove! CD

The cover to this one advertises the more famous names that do tracks for the album – like Mountain, Delaney & Bonnie, and others – but the best tracks here are those by the great arranger Jimmy Bowen, who turns out some excellent complicated funky numbers that have a bit of a hippy soundtrack groove! Jimmy's work here is informed by a bit of rock scoring, but the overall feel is fast and funky – and his tunes include the great "Super Soul Theme" and "Freedom Of Expression". Another nice one is Jerry Reed's "Welcome To Nevada", which has a guitar solo by Jerry, but which is also nice and funky too! Other tunes include "You Got To Believe" by Delaney & Bonnie, "Mississippi Queen" by Mountain, "So Tired" by Eve, and "Runaway Country" by Doug Dillard. LP, Vinyl record album

A genius idea – almost like the World Sax Quartet, but even more groundbreaking, in that the group unites 2 older players (Alvin Batiste and Jimmy Hamilton) with 2 younger players from the forefront of modern jazz (John Carter and David Murray). The result is wonderful – a record that will forever change your expectations of the sound of the clarinet in jazz, and which shows that reed work from a variety of generations can be equally influential across a variety of scenes. Titles include "Clariflavors", "Groovin High", "Sticks & Bones", "Sweet Lovely", and "The Washington Square Park Episode". LP, Vinyl record album

A large group in a small club – the legendary Clarke Boland Big Band, playing at the home turf of one of their key members – tenorist Ronnie Scott! The set features a very legendary performance by the ensemble – a crack lineup that's easily one of the best ever sported by the CBBB – perfectly mixing American rhythms, and a trans-Atlantic lineup of soloists – all tied together with just the sort of rich arrangements that make the group so great! Things groove right from the get-go – thanks to a rhythm lineup that features Kenny Clarke on drums, and Francy Boland on piano – plus bassist Ron Matthewson, sitting in for the usual Jimmy Woode. The horn players really send things off, though – tight trumpets from Benny Bailey, Idrees Sulieman, and Dusko Goykovich; bold trombones from Ake Persson and Nat Peck; and some searing reed lines from Johnny Griffin and Ronnie Scott on tenor, Derek Humble on alto, Sahib Shihab on baritone, and Tony Coe on both tenor and clarinet. This CD features both the first and second sets at Scotts by the group – albums titled Volcano and Rue Chaptal – with titles that include "Volcano", "Griff's Groove", "Now Hear My Meanin", "Box 703 Washington DC", "Thence We Issued Out Again to See the Stars", "Rue Chaptal", "I Don't Want Nothin From Nobody & I Ain't Giving Nothin Away", "Sax No End", "Minor Blues", and "The Girl & The Turk". CD

A large group in a small club – the legendary Clarke Boland Big Band, playing at the home turf of one of their key members – tenorist Ronnie Scott! The set features a very legendary performance by the ensemble – a crack lineup that's easily one of the best ever sported by the CBBB – perfectly mixing American rhythms, and a trans-Atlantic lineup of soloists – all tied together with just the sort of rich arrangements that make the group so great! Things groove right from the get-go – thanks to a rhythm lineup that features Kenny Clarke on drums, and Francy Boland on piano – plus bassist Ron Matthewson, sitting in for the usual Jimmy Woode. The horn players really send things off, though – tight trumpets from Benny Bailey, Idrees Sulieman, and Dusko Goykovich; bold trombones from Ake Persson and Nat Peck; and some searing reed lines from Johnny Griffin and Ronnie Scott on tenor, Derek Humble on alto, Sahib Shihab on baritone, and Tony Coe on both tenor and clarinet. This album features the full "first set" at Scotts by the group – with titles that include "Volcano", "Griff's Groove", "Now Hear My Meanin", "Box 703 Washington DC", and "Thence We Issued Out Again to See the Stars". LP, Vinyl record album

A large group in a small club – the legendary Clarke Boland Big Band, playing at the home turf of one of their key members – tenorist Ronnie Scott! The set features a very legendary performance by the ensemble – a crack lineup that's easily one of the best ever sported by the CBBB – perfectly mixing American rhythms, and a trans-Atlantic lineup of soloists – all tied together with just the sort of rich arrangements that make the group so great! Things groove right from the get-go – thanks to a rhythm lineup that features Kenny Clarke on drums, and Francy Boland on piano – plus bassist Ron Matthewson, sitting in for the usual Jimmy Woode. The horn players really send things off, though – tight trumpets from Benny Bailey, Idrees Sulieman, and Dusko Goykovich; bold trombones from Ake Persson and Nat Peck; and some searing reed lines from Johnny Griffin and Ronnie Scott on tenor, Derek Humble on alto, Sahib Shihab on baritone, and Tony Coe on both tenor and clarinet. This album features the full "second set" at Scotts by the group – with titles that include "Rue Chaptal", "I Don't Want Nothin", "Sax No End", and "The Girl & The Turk". LP, Vinyl record album

We love the work of bassist Henry Grimes – and he sounds especially wonderful in this very open set of improvisations with trumpeter Ted Daniel, in a series of performances that also features work from Michael Marcus on Bb and A clarinets! The recording quality is great – so that you really get to hear the textures of the deeper, darker lines on Grimes' bass – and the mix of horns keeps things interesting, too – especially as Daniel also blows a French hunting horn! Marcus' work on clarinet is nice and deft – often blown with the soulfulness of a different sort of reed instrument, but in creative open space first explored by musicians like Perry Robinson or Jimmy Giuffre – and titles include "Quism", "Reconciliation", "Truth Telling", "Sonic Corridors", and "Spiral Landscapes". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful solo sounds from Angel Bat Dawid – a Chicago clarinetist who works here with the same inventive spirit as the other contemporary artists on the International Anthem label! By that, we mean that although Angel's music starts in jazz, it quickly becomes something else – as she assembled the record not from a solitary solo performance, but by overdubbing sounds she'd recorded around the globe, and back home in Chicago – mixing her own very beautiful reed lines with a variety of other instrumentation – all recorded on cell phone, which gives the whole thing a wonderfully fresh feel! Don't worry about the album being too gimmicky, or too DIY – as it's got the same appeal as a studio-recorded spiritual session by a larger group – and there's plenty of focus on Dawid's incredible solos on her chosen instrument, with a vibe that's likely to have her rising to the level of clarinet giants like Jimmy Guiffre or John Carter. Titles include "Black Family", "Capetown", "The Oracle", "We Are Starzz", "London", and "What Shall I Tell My Children Who Are Black". CD

A well-done live set by a group who always seem to be shifting up their sound and energy – sometimes swinging loosely, at a level that allows leader Christoph Gallio to take off on a saxophone solo – sometimes more tightly tied together, so that his reed work is making a resonant sound with the bass of Silvan Jeger and drums and percussion of Gerry Hemingway! The track style and length vary nicely throughout the set – and Gallio moves between alto, soprano, and c-melody sax – on titles that include "Tall Guy "Blues", "Mare", "Kopfnuss", "Jimmy", "Too Much Nothing", and "Marina & The Lucky Pop Song Transformation". CD

One of the coolest, hippest albums you'll ever hear from drummer Albert Tootie Heath – a set that's so different than his earlier work of the 60s, and which has the same sort of righteous, spiritual energy as the Heath Brothers album on Strata East! Albert's got a wonderfully loose vibe on the drums – and the added percussoin he brings into the mix – and the group here features slight electric currents from Kenny Barron on Fender Rhodes and Ted Dunbar on guitar – plus sublime reed lines from brother Jimmy Heath – who really blows it away on tenor, soprano sax, and flute – again like his best Strata East performance! Brother Percy Heath is on bass – which seems to be electric at points – and Curtis Fuller rounds out the group with some of that hipper, more searching trombone style he was using at the time – and the whole thing's wonderful, much more progressive than some of the other Xanadu Records sessions of the period. Titles include "Dunia", "Sub-Set", "Tafadhali", "Oops", and "A Notion". Features the bonus track "Wazuri Blues" – a piano solo by Kenny Barron. CD

Hardly a folk album, despite the title – and instead a wicked batch of raw bluesy numbers from the mighty John Lee Hooker! Two of the album's tracks were recorded live at the Newport Folk Fest, but the rest were done back in Chicago – with lots of gritty vocals and guitar from Hooker, plus some occasional extra backing on a few of the cuts – including some harmonica and guitar from Jimmy Reed. The album's a perfect illustration of Vee Jay's classic approach to blues – almost more impressive than that of Chess Records in a setting like this – on cuts that include "Tupelo", "I'm Mad Again", "Take Me As I Am", "The Hobo", "You're Looking Good Tonight", and "I'm Going Upstairs". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice Impulse work from Elvin Jones – 2 albums in a single package! Illumination features an amazingly unique little group – one that kind of stepped in the Impulse Records back door from the Coltrane galaxy, but which features some very unique aspects overall! As the cover states, the ensemble's led by bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin Jones – and also features McCoy Tyner from Coltrane's quartet – yet the real charm of the record comes from the reed men, who include Prince Lasha on flute and clarinet, Sonny Simmons on alto and English horn, and Charles Davis on baritone sax! All players are free-thinking modernists, with ties to some of the farther reaches of 60s jazz – yet they work here in a beautifully inside mode, similar to Lasha's excellent Insight album on CBS UK – a vibe that takes all the most wonderful aspects of the Coltrane generation, but pushes them even further with some deeply personal expressions. Tracks include the seminal "Half & Half" – plus "Aborigine Dance In Scotland", "Oriental Flower", and "Nuttin Out Jones", and "Gettin On Way". Dear John C is one of the stranger albums on Impulse, but a beautiful session that's filled with surprises you wouldn't expect! Elvin Jones leads a group of odd bandmates in a set of tracks that's sort of a "letter" to Coltrane, and the groupings include either Roland Hanna or Hank Jones on piano, plus Richard Davis bass, and Charlie Mariano on alto sax! Mariano is the real highlight of the album, and his sparkling alto playing on the disc is some of his finest work from the 60s – really standing out in one of his few American sessions from the middle part of the decade. Titles include "Love Bird", "Fantazm", "Ballade", "Dear John C", and "Smoke Rings". CD

An excellent little album from the team of Herbie Mann & Buddy Collette – one that has both players using a wide range of reed instruments, and not just flute! Herbie and Buddy are wonderfully paired here – in a way that expands past the usual flute jazz mode by adding in bits of tenor sax, alto, and clarinet – as well as a range of different flutes too – not in a mode that's gimmicky, but which complements the lighter sound of the flute with some heavier notes on tenor at just the right moment – in a style that reminds us of some of Jerome Richardson's best records of the time. Rhythm is by the trio of Mel Lewis on drums, Buddy Clark on bass, and Jimmy Rowles on both piano and a bit of celeste – and tracks are long, with a freshly spontaneous feel that's really great! Titles include "Morning After", "Here's Pete", "Theme From Theme From", "Give A Little Whistle", "Herbie's Buddy", and "Pop Melody". This is a 2nd pressing of the Mode album Flute Fraternity – without Buddy Collette as the co-leader on the cover, and with his name listed in the notes as Bobby Collette! LP, Vinyl record album

The Modern Jazz Quartet with a very noteworthy addition – the great Sonny Rollins, whose work on this record really makes it a cut above the usual MJQ outing for Atlantic! As on the quartet's previous Music Inn album with Jimmy Giuffre, the addition of a reed player really inflects their trademark sound with a new range of sounds and feelings – and Rollins himself cuts back on the hardbop influences, and shows some great restraint in matching some of the group's more modern modes. Sonny only plays on 2 of the album's 6 tracks – but that's enough to open it up nicely – and on other numbers, the MJQ begin in their usual mellower mode, but then seem to step things up with more boppish inflections, almost anticipating Rollins' arrival on the last 2 numbers. Sonny plays on the tunes "Bag's Groove" and "Night In Tunisia" – and other titles include "Midsommer", "Festival Sketch", "Yardbird Suite", and an opening medley. LP, Vinyl record album

A great addition to the Modern Jazz Quartet – as the clarinet of Jimmy Giuffre brings a sharp modern edge to the record! The album's similar to the other MJQ Music Inn date with Sonny Rollins – and shows how the addition of a reed player can really unlock new colors, tones, and possibilities in the sounds of the group. And in this case, given the Giuffre's at the height of his early powers – coming off some sublime trio dates for Atlantic – the pairing of players is completely sublime! Titles include "A Fugue At Music Inn", "Serenade", and "Fun". LP, Vinyl record album

Late 70s genius from the Japanese jazz scene – a record that features warm piano work from the leader Masao Nakajima – a player who can burn one minute with great intensity, then deliver a laidback lyrical line the next! It's that balance that makes the album really wonderful – a quality that's echoed very strongly by the reed work on the record – great contributions from Toshiyuki Honda on flute, alto, and soprano – a player you might hear on fusion records in other settings, but who is even more wonderful here. The rest of the group includes bassist Osamu Kawakami, and the great American drummer Donald Bailey – a player who worked with Jimmy Smith in the 60s, but who has a very different vibe here. Titles include a beautiful remake of "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" – plus "Third Plane", "Moment's Notice", "My Love", and "Beloved Diane". CD

Late 70s genius from the Japanese jazz scene – a record that features warm piano work from the leader Masao Nakajima – a player who can burn one minute with great intensity, then deliver a laidback lyrical line the next! It's that balance that makes the album really wonderful – a quality that's echoed very strongly by the reed work on the record – great contributions from Toshiyuki Honda on flute, alto, and soprano – a player you might hear on fusion records in other settings, but who is even more wonderful here. The rest of the group includes bassist Osamu Kawakami, and the great American drummer Donald Bailey – a player who worked with Jimmy Smith in the 60s, but who has a very different vibe here. Titles include a beautiful remake of "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" – plus "Third Plane", "Moment's Notice", "My Love", and "Beloved Diane". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully sensitive work from pianist Geri Allen – a session cut with a core trio of Ron Carter on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums, but one that sparkles even more from guest contributions by Wallace Roney and Carmen Lundy! Geri's piano is at the forefront of the set – sliding out gracefully with a sound that's not exactly timeless, but which has a soulful energy that reminds us a lot of some of the best styles of her roots – focused a bit more here, and augmented on a few tracks by the Atlanta Jazz Chorus, a vocal group who hardly dominate the record, but float in very gently alongside Geri's piano – almost in a style that's similar to the use of voices on some of Duke Pearson's last recordings for Blue Note. Titles include "Portraits & Dreams", "Oh Freedom", "Melchezedik", "Well Done", "La Strada", "I Have A Dream", "Nearly", "In Real Time", "Our Lady", and "Timeless Portraits & Dreams". CD features a bonus disc with a version of "Lift Every Voice & Sing" by vocalist George Shirley with the Atlanta Jazz Chorus. CD

A never-issued live performance from a really incredible trio – and a set that has reedman Perry Robinson coming across with some of the bold energy he brought to his important avant recordings on the New York scene of the 60s! The pairing of Barry Altschul's drums and David Izenson's bass is wonderful – as they work with that freewheeling sense of rhythm learned from their earliest experiences with important avant players a decade before, and Izenson's especially great here, as he moves between plucked and bowed passages that remind us just how great he can be in the right setting! Robinson is a delight throughout, and his use of clarinet continues to be a next step past the work of Jimmy Giuffre in terms of free, avant expression on the instrument – much sharper here than on some of his more common European recordings from the period. The set features four long improvisations – and is a revelation throughout! CD

Magnificent music from Atomic – a set that begins with a set of variations on the "Pet Sounds" theme from Brian Wilson – then takes off into some great directions inspired by the music of Steve Lacy, Jimmy Giuffre, Paul Bley, and Edgar Varese! Atomic are always fantastic – way more than the sum of their parts, which is a top-shelf quintet lineup that includes Fredrik Ljungkvist on saxes and clarinet, Magnus Broo on trumpet, Havard Wilk on piano, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on bass, and Hans Hulbaekmo on drums – mostly players you'll know from our rave reviews of their other music here on these pages, but who always seem to really reach new heights together as a group! There's a sense of energy here that's wonderful – structure balanced with freedom, group performance balanced with individualism – spread out over inventive performances of "Pet Sounds", "Karin's Mode", "Art", "Walking Woman", "Cry Want", "Un Grand Sommeil Noir", and "Inri". CD

Forget the hokey kangaroo picture on the cover, because the record's a mighty sweet set of 50s modern jazz – played by some key musicians from Australian who were working in the US at the time! The record's got a style that's somewhere between the hippest sessions of LA and Sweden at the time – all the coolness of both scenes, but a sense of playful expression that really comes through on some of the more unusual passages. The core group features Errol Buddle and Dick Healey on reeds, Bryce Rhode on piano, and Jack Brokensha on vibes – with added work from John Fawcett or Jimmy Gannon on bass, and Nick Stabulas on drums. Titles include "Loose Walk", "Like Someone In Love", "Music For Walkin", "Fascinating Rhythm", "A Foggy Day", and "Little Girl Blue". CD

Bessie Smith by LaVern Baker – a great blend of modes that really comes off great! Instead of sounding like a throwback blues album, the set comes across with a nice degree of contemporary class – thanks in part to a jazzy presentation that's a bit different than some of Baker's other music of the time – and which sports reeds from Sahib Shihab, tenor from Paul Quinichette, trumpet from Buck Clayton, and trombone from Jimmy Cleveland! Baker's voice is in fine form in this comfortable setting – and really works magic with tracks that include "After You've Gone", "Preaching The Blues", "Empty Bed Blues", "Back Water Blues", and "Gimme A Pigfoot". CD

Early soul jazz brilliance from a young Gary Bartz – music that pre-dates his Ntu Troup, and his work with Larry Mizell! Libra is fantastic early work from Gary – and probably his rarest record ever! The album was cut at a time when the young Bartz was first coming to prominence in the hip late 60s soul jazz group of Max Roach – and Bartz's playing at the time is a perfect model of mid-Coltrane searching with some of the tighter sides of soul jazz that were being forged at labels like Blue Note by players like Hank Mobley or Lee Morgan. The record's a masterpiece of youthful soulful energy – and the group includes Jimmy Owens on trumpet, Richard Davis on bass, Albert Dailey on piano, and Billy Higgins on drums, all players who are perfectly matched to fit Bartz's stridently creative vision. His solos on alto are impeccable – some of the most meaningful we've ever heard on the instrument from the time – and the album's a great one all the way through! Titles include "Air & Fire", "Eastern Blues", "Libra", "Freedom Of The Day", and "Cabin In The Sky". Another Earth is amazing too – one of the first that Gary Bartz ever cut – done during a time when he'd been working with Max Roach and a super-hip group of younger soul jazz players who would go onto shape the sound of the 70s. Bartz leads a group that includes Stanley Cowell, Freddy Waits, Charles Tolliver, Pharoah Sanders, and Reggie Workman – and the music sounds like it was lifted from one of the best albums on Strata East from the 70s. There's no funk, no vocals, no weird rhythms – just pure spiritual jazz, played to perfection, and filled with a creative vitality that most of the players had lost a few years later. Tracks include the album-side "Another Earth", plus "Dark Nebula", "UFO", and "Perihelion & Aphelion". Note: CD omits the track "Disjunction" from Libra – due to space restrictions. CD

Early soul jazz brilliance from a young Gary Bartz – music that pre-dates his Ntu Troup, and his work with Larry Mizell! Libra is fantastic early work from Gary – and probably his rarest record ever! The album was cut at a time when the young Bartz was first coming to prominence in the hip late 60s soul jazz group of Max Roach – and Bartz's playing at the time is a perfect model of mid-Coltrane searching with some of the tighter sides of soul jazz that were being forged at labels like Blue Note by players like Hank Mobley or Lee Morgan. The record's a masterpiece of youthful soulful energy – and the group includes Jimmy Owens on trumpet, Richard Davis on bass, Albert Dailey on piano, and Billy Higgins on drums, all players who are perfectly matched to fit Bartz's stridently creative vision. His solos on alto are impeccable – some of the most meaningful we've ever heard on the instrument from the time – and the album's a great one all the way through! Titles include "Air & Fire", "Eastern Blues", "Libra", "Freedom Of The Day", and "Cabin In The Sky". Another Earth is amazing too – one of the first that Gary Bartz ever cut – done during a time when he'd been working with Max Roach and a super-hip group of younger soul jazz players who would go onto shape the sound of the 70s. Bartz leads a group that includes Stanley Cowell, Freddy Waits, Charles Tolliver, Pharoah Sanders, and Reggie Workman – and the music sounds like it was lifted from one of the best albums on Strata East from the 70s. There's no funk, no vocals, no weird rhythms – just pure spiritual jazz, played to perfection, and filled with a creative vitality that most of the players had lost a few years later. Tracks include the album-side "Another Earth", plus "Dark Nebula", "UFO", and "Perihelion & Aphelion". Note: CD omits the track "Disjunction" from Libra – due to space restrictions. CD

One of the most soulful voices in Jamaican music – presented here in a wonderful collection that includes some of Ken Boothe's early rocksteady material, then runs through his bigger famous cuts of the 70s! Ken wasn't nearly as big a hit over here as artists like Jimmy Cliff or Bob Marley, but his vocals here easily match theirs for sheer, raw, soulful power – and maybe show an even more direct inspiration from American music, especially on the earlier cuts – or his great covers of cuts by artists like Syl Johnson and Bill Withers. Boothe can also sing as sweetly with a groove as his bigger 70s reggae counterparts, but knows how to draw an edge when the song calls for it – and this 40 track set is overflowing with Trojan Records gems from the vocalist – with titles that include "Crying Over You", "Freedom Street", "Speak Softly Love", "Ain't No Sunshine", "African Lady", "You Send Me", "Black, Gold & Green", "Is It Because I'm Black", and "Everything I Own". LP, Vinyl record album

Cannonball Adderley and Earle Warren on alto saxophone, Jerome Richardson on baritone saxophone and flute, Ray Brown and Sam Jones on bass, Ray Brown on cello, Nat Adderley on cornet, Albert Heath, Grady Tate, and Osie Johnson on drums, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Wild Bill Davis on organ, Hank Jones and Tommy Flanagan on piano, Danny Bank, Jimmy Heath, Phil Woods, and Robert Ashton on reeds, Budd Johnson and Seldon Powell on tenor saxophone, Yusef Lateef on tenor saxophone and flute, Britt Woodman, Jimmy Cleveland, Melba Liston, Paul Faulise, Tom McIntosh, Tony Studd, and Urbie Green on trombone, Clark Terry, Ernie Royal, Joe Newman, and Snooky Young on trumpet, Milt Jackson on vibraphone, and Marion Williams on vocals. CD

Features Jimmy Smith on keyboards, and Jerome Richardson and Joe Henderson on reeds! CD

One of the most obscure 50s releases from Blue Note Records – part of a pair of 10" albums recorded on the west coast – which was quite a change from the label's usual east coast home! The album's originally came with no full artist information, and were released as a "blindfold test" under the supervision of Leonard Feather – in which the listener was supposed to guess the players! The musicians on the original record were not named – probably because of contractual reasons – but artists include the cream of the LA scene of the time – Conte Candoli on trumpet, Jimmy Giuffre and Charlie Mariano on reeds, Howard Roberts on guitar, and Marty Paich on piano – all coming together with a fresh, clean sound that's more like the classic 50s sessions on the Mode or Bethlehem labels instead of Blue Note. Titles on volume 2 includes "Here's Pete", "Blindfold Test No 3", "Arcadia", and "Burbank Bounce". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal moment in leftfield music – maybe the crowning achievement of Captain Beefheart, and a landmark collaboration with Frank Zappa as well! Zappa produced, and gave the group plenty of room to stretch out on this double-length set done for his Bizarre Records imprint – which allowed the Captain the kind of freedom that Frank was getting at the time – which meant there was no need for a hit, no need to tone things down, and plenty of patience for all the record's amazing instrumental twists and turns, and Beefheart's madcap sense of humor as well! The Cap sings, and plays saxes and bass clarinet – and the record's got some really incredible guitar work from Zoot Horn Rollo and Antennae Jimmy Semens – really setting the stage for countless other guitarists in years to come. Tracks include "Dachau Blues", "Hair Pie", "Moonlight On Vermont", "Sweet Sweet Bulbs", "China Pig", "My Human Gets Me Blues", and "Dali's Car". CD

A seminal moment in leftfield music – maybe the crowning achievement of Captain Beefheart, and a landmark collaboration with Frank Zappa as well! Zappa produced, and gave the group plenty of room to stretch out on this double-length set done for his Bizarre Records imprint – which allowed the Captain the kind of freedom that Frank was getting at the time – which meant there was no need for a hit, no need to tone things down, and plenty of patience for all the record's amazing instrumental twists and turns, and Beefheart's madcap sense of humor as well! The Cap sings, and plays saxes and bass clarinet – and the record's got some really incredible guitar work from Zoot Horn Rollo and Antennae Jimmy Semens – really setting the stage for countless other guitarists in years to come. Tracks include "Dachau Blues", "Hair Pie", "Moonlight On Vermont", "Sweet Sweet Bulbs", "China Pig", "My Human Gets Me Blues", and "Dali's Car". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work by this legendary hard swinging band – an early 60s American album issued on Atlantic Records, in the years before the Clark Boland Band's legendary run on MPS! Despite the early date, the album's got all the core elements of the band's sound in place – soaring rhythms, sharp-edged frontlines, and some great solo work by players who include Benny Bailey, Derek Humble, Jimmy Woode, Shahib Shihab, Idrees Sulieman, and Fats Sadi – coming together in a brilliant trans-Atlantic meeting of jazz talents! Tracks include "Long Note Blues", "Speedy Reeds", "Sonor", and "Om Mani Padme Hum". CD

The title may be a simple one, but the record really marks a key point in John Coltrane's development – an embrace of the newer freedoms allowed to him at Atlantic Records, but in a way that's a bit more subtle than some of his other work for the label! At one level, the record moves at the same groove as Trane's later Prestige years – with rhythm mostly from Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – carving out some sharp lines for Coltrane to cascade over on tenor sax. Yet there's also a new sense of darkness here too – one that moves into edgier territory, and which isn't nearly as settled in as before. These qualities sneak out of both original numbers like "Harmonique", "Fifth House", and "Like Sonny" – as well as standards like "My Shining Hour" and "Little Old Lady". And they really come to the forefront on the classic "Village Blues" – the one track that features the new Coltrane group of McCoy Tyner, Steve Davis, and Elvin Jones! CD features 2 bonus alternate takes too! CD

The title may be a simple one, but the record really marks a key point in John Coltrane's development – an embrace of the newer freedoms allowed to him at Atlantic Records, but in a way that's a bit more subtle than some of his other work for the label! At one level, the record moves at the same groove as Trane's later Prestige years – with rhythm mostly from Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – carving out some sharp lines for Coltrane to cascade over on tenor sax. Yet there's also a new sense of darkness here too – one that moves into edgier territory, and which isn't nearly as settled in as before. These qualities sneak out of both original numbers like "Harmonique", "Fifth House", and "Like Sonny" – as well as standards like "My Shining Hour" and "Little Old Lady". And they really come to the forefront on the classic "Village Blues" – the one track that features the new Coltrane group of McCoy Tyner, Steve Davis, and Elvin Jones! LP, Vinyl record album

The title may be a simple one, but the record really marks a key point in John Coltrane's development – an embrace of the newer freedoms allowed to him at Atlantic Records, but in a way that's a bit more subtle than some of his other work for the label! At one level, the record moves at the same groove as Trane's later Prestige years – with rhythm mostly from Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – carving out some sharp lines for Coltrane to cascade over on tenor sax. Yet there's also a new sense of darkness here too – one that moves into edgier territory, and which isn't nearly as settled in as before. These qualities sneak out of both original numbers like "Harmonique", "Fifth House", and "Like Sonny" – as well as standards like "My Shining Hour" and "Little Old Lady". And they really come to the forefront on the classic "Village Blues" – the one track that features the new Coltrane group of McCoy Tyner, Steve Davis, and Elvin Jones! CD features 4 more bonus alternate takes too! CD

John Coltrane returns to the Village Vanguard – but his sound here is a lot more far-reaching than a few years before! The album's a great counterpart to the first Vanguard session – as it takes all of the bold, soaring energy of that date, and balances it with the newly introspective sound of the later Coltrane years – plus some of the freedoms learned from the Love Supreme era. The group here showcases the new territory explored by Coltrane – with Trane himself on tenor, soprano, and a bit of bass clarinet (echoing earlier Dolphy), plus Pharoah Sanders on additional tenor, Alice Coltrane on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Rasheid Ali on drums. The album only features 2 long tracks – an incredibly soulful version of "Naima", and a very firey version of "My Favorite Things", but one that begins with a haunting bass solo by Garrison! CD

John Coltrane returns to the Village Vanguard – but his sound here is a lot more far-reaching than a few years before! The album's a great counterpart to the first Vanguard session – as it takes all of the bold, soaring energy of that date, and balances it with the newly introspective sound of the later Coltrane years – plus some of the freedoms learned from the Love Supreme era. The group here showcases the new territory explored by Coltrane – with Trane himself on tenor, soprano, and a bit of bass clarinet (echoing earlier Dolphy), plus Pharoah Sanders on additional tenor, Alice Coltrane on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Rasheid Ali on drums. The album only features 2 long tracks – an incredibly soulful version of "Naima", and a very firey version of "My Favorite Things", but one that begins with a haunting bass solo by Garrison! LP, Vinyl record album

A pure statement of being and essence – and one of John Coltrane's spiritual masterpieces from the 60s! The 1965 recording was one of Trane's most adventurous so far – as it featured just one album-length track, building up out of relatively free expressions from Coltrane in the studio – initially in the spirit of Love Supreme, but much sharper-edged and unbridled overall – as if the meditative spirit of the previous recording had unlocked a sense of freedom that refused to be tied down to simple structures! The group is great – and features Pharoah Sanders on tenor, Donald Garrett on bass clarinet, McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – plus a bit of flute and percussion from Joe Brazil. The playing is much freer than on other albums of the time, but also has some introspective spiritual moments – clearly inspired by the Love Supreme recording, but taken a shade outside as well! LP, Vinyl record album