Early work by Alice Coltrane – somewhat under the shadow of her late husband, as you'd guess from the use of his name on the front cover – but really stepping out here with a voice of her own! The Monastic Trio of the set features Alice on harp and piano – alongside bass from Jimmy Garrison and drums by either Ben Riley or Rashied Ali – both really fluid players who open up nicely in this way that's never to far out, at least in the way that John Coltrane was using rhythms at the time – but which allow Alice to really take the lead as a bold musical visionary of her own! Perhaps most exciting, Pharoah Sanders sits in on one of the album's longest tracks – blowing tenor with a force that's enough to bring back The Great One – but the real charm of the set is Alice's piano work, bubbling out here with a sensitivity that we never would have expected from the harder-edge sessions cut with Coltrane – that new level of spirituality she instantly brought to her own solo sessions. Titles include "Ohnedaruth", "Lovely Sky Boat", and "Atmic Peace" – plus the bonus tracks "Lord, Help Me To Be", "The Sun", and "Altruvista". CD

One of the greatest albums we've ever heard from Ben Sidran – a really relaxed, laidback album that features plenty of great tenor sax from Johnny Griffin! The style here is different from most of Sidran's other albums – never slick or polished, and always at a level that hearkens back to a more personal style of male vocal jazz – particularly that forged by Matt Dennis, Bob Dorough, Mark Murphy, and others back in the small club scene of the 50s. Instrumentation is only by a quartet with Sidran on piano, Griffin on tenor, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Ben Riley on drums – and the lovely Clementine joins in on vocals on one number. Titles include "Good Foot", "Little Sherry", "New York State Of Mind", "Girl Talk", "My Wife", "Straight No Chaser", "Try", and "Lately". CD

One of the hippest projects we've heard from drummer Ben Riley in awhile – a big band project devoted to the music of Thelonious Monk, and one that gets most of its angular changes from the saxophone section! There's a great post-Monk quality to this one that makes it way more than just a copycat of the old days – a re-interpolation of the music and inspirations of Monk for a slightly different jazz idiom, presented with 4 saxophones, 1 trumpet, guitar, bass, and drums – and no piano at all! Riley's on drums, and saxophones include Bruce Williams on alto and soprano, Wayne Escoffery and Jimmy Greene on tenor, and Jay Brandford on baritone – working alongside guitar from Freddie Bryant, bass from either Kiyashi Kitagawa or Peter Washington, and trumpet from Don Sickler, who sometimes blasts out in the lead. Titles include "Gallop's Gallop", "Green Chimneys", "Shuffle Boil", "Straight No Chaser", "Rhythm-A-Ning", and "Let's Call This". CD