The New Mastersounds hardly need to go back to school – unless it's to become the teachers, which is a role they'd fit well – given how many years they've been giving the world funky music! The great Eddie Roberts is very much at the top of his game here on guitar – and there also seems to be even more force from the organ work of Joe Tatton – who's got this way of throwing out fast notes and clipping them in all the right ways to stay lean and funky, and really jounce along with the rhythms at he core! The quartet are nice and lean, with no added elements at all – on titles that include "Boogaloo Is Dead", "Breakfast T", "Down On The Farm", "Scrappy Doo", "Do The Sausage Roll", and "In Da Club". LP, Vinyl record album

Johnny's very much in his "revival" mode here – dipping back to his earlier R&B roots, and working with a host of famous older blues singers. The set's got vocals by Roy Milton, Roy Brown, Esther Phillips, Mighty Mouth Evans, Ivory Joe Hunter, Eddie Cleanhead Vinson, Margie Evans, and Big Joe Turner – and even though Shuggie Otis is on the album, the whole thing's a pretty bluesy affair overall. Titles include "Shuggie's Boogie", "Plastic Man", "Margie's Boogie", "Baby You Don't Know", "Little Esther's Blues", "RM Blues", "Goin Back To LA", "Willie & The Hand Jive", and "Since I Met You Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

A really incredible spiritual jazz treasure from the New Orleans scene – one that features a student group led by legendary Nola musician Alvin Batiste, but delivered in a style that's much more like some of the hipper jazz collectives in cities like Detroit, Chicago, or Philly at the time! The tracks are long and flowing – filled with rhythm progressions that run deep, often with some modal energy – and almost all tracks have these really great vocals from Eddie Perkins, a soulful singer with a style that's in the territory of Andy Bey or Joe Lee Wilson – which, as you can imagine, makes for a really great addition to the music! Other players include Batiste on clarinet, James McElroy on soprano, Ernest Nation on trumpet, Alphonso Rodriguez on guitar, Richard Hunter on percussion, and a young Charlie Singleton on bass – and this rare set was only originally given away as a souvenir for the group's trip to West Africa in 1973. Titles include "Clean Air", "Holdin Meetin", "Nanigo", "Samba Dee", "Ah Je Gu Da Ba", and "Music Came". This reissue also features two rare bonus instrumentals – "Samba Dee" and "Music Came". LP, Vinyl record album

A mix of folk and country, presented in soundtrack form – with tracks from Sheb Wooley, The Gateway Trio, Cathie Taylor, Chris Crosby, and Joe & Eddie. LP, Vinyl record album

Much more soul than rock – a special collection done by the Ace Mississippi label for the New Orleans World's Fair in 1984 – featuring work from Huey Smith, Little Booker, Eddie Bo, Chuck Carbo, Piano Red, Frankie Ford, Earl King, Joe Tex, The Clowns, and Dr John! LP, Vinyl record album

With Muggsy Spanier, Max Kaminsky, Joe Bushkin, Pee Wee Russell, Eddie Condon, Bob Haggart, and more! LP, Vinyl record album

A massive batch of boogaloo gems – all wrapped up in one mighty package! Tico Records was one of the first great New York indie labels to focus on Latin music in the postwar years – and by the time of the huge late 60s boom in the world of Latin Soul, the label were definitely in a great position to turn out some killer work from a variety of artists! Some of the label's artists were aging, but reinvigorated by the energy of the younger generation – who also got access to the top shelf Tico presentation, as they brought in some of the best soul styles from East Harlem to trim things down from the larger Latin ensembles of the previous generation, and really send things home with a funky sort of groove. This set's a great overview of these key years at Tico – and titles include "Sock It To Me" and "Psychedelic Baby" by Joe Cuba, "Tighten Up" and "The Horse" by Al Escobar, "Fever" by La Lupe, "Be's That Way" and "Bobo Do That Thing" by Willie Bobo, "El Watusi" and "Babalu" by Ray Barretto, "Hit The Bongo" and "Coye Como Va" by Tito Puente, "My People" by Joe Panama, "Come An Get It" and "The African Twist" by Eddie Palmieri, "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" by Celia Cruz & Tito Puente, "Madrid" by Candido, "Times They Are A Changin" by Jimmy Sabater, "El Pito" and "Bang Bang" by Joe Cuba, "Fat Mama" and "TP's Shing A Ling" by Tito Puente, and "Yes I Will (part 1)" by Gilberto Sextet. LP, Vinyl record album

An overdue look at the great range of sounds that came from Inner City Records at the end of the 70s – a hip American indie with a strong specialty in soulful fusion, hip vocalists, and a range of other great styles too – all brought together here by London DJ Kev Beadle! Inner City's often a bit overlooked – as the label flourished most strongly in the years after some of the better-known soulful imprints of the 70s – and the label always had a great ear for new sounds, fresh ideas, and the kind of compelling global elements that often led them to license key tracks from overseas, and bring them to the US market. This collection's heavy on singers – the kind of cool, underground jazz vocalists that Inner City captured so well – and it's also got a nice mix of funky fusion, modal numbers, and spiritual currents – on titles that include "The Other World" by Judy Roberts, "Hunt Up Wind" by Hiroshi Fukumura, "Vera Cruz" by Helen Merrill, "Lucky Southern" by Tom Lellis, "Quickie Nirvana" by Kellis Ethridge, "Samba De La Cruz" by Terumasa Hino, "So High" by Janet Lawson, "The Samba" by Jeff Lorber, "Return Of The Prodigal Son" by Joe Lee Wilson, "Shenkansen" by Urszula Dudziak, "To An Elfin Princess" by Charlie Mariano, "Pandora" by Carlos Franzetti, and "Jennine" by Eddie Jefferson. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by King Oliver's Dixie Syncopators, New Orleans Rhythm Kings, Johnny Dodds' Black Bottom Stompers, Red Nicols & His Five Pennies, Jimmy Noone's Apex Club Orchestra, Jelly Roll Mortion, Pine Top Smith, James P Johnson, Elmer Schoebel's Friar Society Orchestra, Benny Goodman, Eddie Lang & Joe Venuti, and Duke Ellington. LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite compilations of all time – a smoking batch of soulful jazz from the 60s, with a slight bit of funk and blues thrown in as well! The set's exactly what's promised in the title – jazz cuts, but with an ultra-cool mod vibe – the kind of soulful sounds that played big with the younger London crowd digging American music in the mid 60s – and also the kind of music you'd be likely to find blasting out of a backroom jukebox on the west side of Chicago! There's loads of rare single mixes of LP tracks on the set, and a number of smoking 45s from artists you might know better from more mainstream work – really hitting hard here, alongside a few special numbers from the indie underground too. Tracks are cool enough for old school hipsters – but appealing enough to bring in a new listener too – and as proof of that, we've given this one away for many years as a Christmas present. The collection features 25 tracks in all – non-stop pleasure throughout – with titles that include "Soul Shoutin" by Shirley Scott, "Tengo Tango" by Cannonball Adderley Sextet, "Whip It On Me" by Billy Hawks, "Yeh Yeh" by Mongo Santamaria, "Black Talk" by Charles Earland, "I'm Ready" by Otis Spann, "Mama Rufus" by Merced Blue Notes, "Theme From NYPD" by Johnny Hammond, "Step Out & Get It" by The Nomos, "Why Don't You Do Right" by Mark Murphy, "Collard Greens" by Freddie McCoy, "Theme From The Carpetbaggers" by Jack McDuff, "Filthy McNasty" by Eddie Jefferson, "Evil Ways" by Cal Tjader, "Kenny's Theme" by Kenny Burrell, and "Games" by Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones. LP, Vinyl record album

Features great work on tenor by Joe Henderson – alongside Eddie Gomez on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Classic French work from this American tenor giant – with players who include John Garnieri on piano, Eddie Safranski on bass, and JC Heard or Cozy Cole on drums – plus a bit of trumpet from either Buck Clayton or Joe Thomas! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful late 70s side featuring a cast of soul jazz heavies playing in a more straight context, with arrangements by Bill Lee. Richard Davis leads the group, with Eddie Henderson and Joe Henderson blowing up front, and Stanley Cowell and Billy Cobham joining him in the rhythm section, plus Dolly Hirota contributing vocals on "I StillLove You, Baby". The remainder of the set is made up of classic jazz numbers that may fall a bit short of "standard" status, but are great tunes nonetheless, like Miles' "Nardis", Donald Byrd's "Fancy Free" and Horace Silver's "Silver's Serenade". LP, Vinyl record album

One of a few great 70s albums from Luis Gasca – a funky jazz player, but one who draws on a lot of Latin influences too – all in this sweet soulful mode that echoes some of the hippest Bay Area sounds of the time! Arrangements are done with help from Joe Gallardo – who also plays trombone on the record – amidst a very hip lineup that includes Joe Henderson and Hadley Caliman on tenor and flutes, Oscar Brashear and Eddie Henderson on trumpets, George Duke and Mark Levine on electric piano, David Holland on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums! The record includes a great track called "New Orleans Strut", plus the cuts "Dr Gasca", "A Love Supreme", and "I Was Born To Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

Rough-edged blues from the west side of Chicago – a stone classic from the mighty Magic Sam – a player who was taken from us all too soon! On the west side, they mix plenty of soul in with their blues – and you can definitely hear that on this stone smoker – a record that has roots in the same scene as Syl Johnson, whose modes definitely creep into the groove at times! Sam's combo here is mighty nice – with Eddie Shaw on tenor, Lafayette Leake on piano, and Mighty Joe Young on guitar – and titles include "Stop You're Hurting Me", "Easy Baby", "What Have I Done Wrong", "It's All Your Fault", "You Belong To Me", "You Don't Love Me Baby", and "San Jose". LP, Vinyl record album

Features tracks from Jimmy Reed, Charles Brown, Joe Turner, BB King, Eddie Cleanhead Vinson, Earl Hooker, Otis Spann, Brownie McGhee, and Jimmy Rushing. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most compelling compilations we've heard in ages – a set of tunes by and about Muhammad Ali! It's no secret that back in the day, Ali was way more than just a boxer – he was an international celebrity whose pride and power were a symbol for millions worldwide. At the height of his glory, not only did Ali himself record a number of albums, but he was also graced with countless tribute songs – not only from American artists, but British, Brazilian, and African as well! This festive little set brings together 22 of those great recordings, including a few about boxing in general – with genres that include soul, reggae, and Brazilian grooves – as well as some very catchy novelty numbers that defy classification! Titles include "The People's Choice" and "I'm The Greatest" by Ali himself – plus "8ieme Round" by Trio Madjesi, "Cassius Marcellus Clay" by Jorge Ben, "Muhammad Ali" by Sir Mack Rice, "Muhammad Ali" by Dennis Alcapone, "The Louisville Lip" by Eddie Curtis, "Rumble In The Jungle" by Don Covay, "Foreman Vs Frazier" by Big Youth, "Try It Again" by Joe Frazier, and "Ali Shuffle" by JW Grasshopper & The Butterfly. LP, Vinyl record album

The Music Man, made different – thanks to very fresh arrangements from Jimmy Giuffre – heard here in one of his few large group sessions for Atlantic Records! The music is all from the score of the famous show, but Giuffre really reworks things with some sharp modern jazz edges – inventive rhythms from bassist Wendell Marshall and drummer Ed Shaugnessy – and no use of piano at all, which allows for plenty of free play in the horn section – which features Giuffre on tenor, clarinet, and baritone – plus Al Cohn and Eddie Wasserman on tenor, Joe Wilder and Phil Sunkel on trumpets, and Sol Schlinger on baritone sax. Without any vocals, and with Jimmy's unique structures, these tunes take on some very fresh styles – and titles include "Marian The Librarian", "The Wells Fargo Wagon", "Iowa Stubborn", "Gary Indiana", and "It's You". LP, Vinyl record album

With Buck Clayton, Eddie Durham, Freddy Green, Walter Page, and Joe Jones on the 1938 sessions, and Bill coleman, Dicky Well,s Joe Bushkin, John Simmons, and joe Jones on the 1944 sessions. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little collection of hip 70s soul jazz tunes – recorded for the Mainstream level by a few different groups, but all united with a spirit of freedom and soulful exploration. Titles include "Dark Mood" by a group with Bobby Hutcherson, Harold Land, Mtume, and Buster Williams; "Quien Sabe" by Hadley Caliman, Larry Vuckovich, and others; "Miscegenation" by Buddy Terry, Woody Shaw, Eddie Henderson, and Joanne Brackeen; and "Valerie" by Blue Mitchell, Herman Riley, and Joe Sample. LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of classic live albums! First up is Thelonious Monk Orchestra At Town Hall – a unique large group effort from Thelonious Monk – but one that bristles with all the angular energy of his other great work for Riverside! The group here is a tentet – filled with excellent players who include Donald Byrd, Phil Woods, Pepper Adams, Eddie Bert, Robert Northern, and Charlie Rouse – all supported by rhythm from the team of Sam Jones on bass and Art Taylor on drums, possibly one of the key factors for the success of the record! The album's comprised of Monk classics like "Little Rootie Tootie", "Thelonious", "Friday The 13th", "Off Minor", "Crepuscule with Nellie" and "Monk's Mood" – all arranged by Hall Overton, a little-remembered modernist from the 50s, but one with a keen dedication towards pushing new sounds from old formats! Overton really keeps the spirit of Monk's music intact here – penning charts that allow for plenty of solo space and the kind of cross-trading lines you'd hear in some of Monk's best multi-horn small group sides for Riverside! Next is Thelonious Monk Quartet Plus Two At The Blackhawk – a stunning pre-Columbia session from Thelonious Monk – a really great live date that has Monk's familiar quartet augmented by west coast players Joe Gordon on trumpet and Harold Land on tenor! Given that Charlie Rouse is already in the group on tenor, the addition of Land's horn makes for a very soulful set – and Gordon's one of those players we love whenever we get a chance to hear him on record, which isn't that often, given how few sessions he cut! Other players include John Ore on bass and Billy Higgins on drums – and titles include "Four In One", "Let's Call This", and "Worry Later". LP, Vinyl record album

With Eddie Costa on piano, Joe Benjamin on bass, and Osie Johnson on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Don't like getting your fingers dusty? No problem, the folks at Strictly Breaks work hard so you don't have to! The next installment in their now famous "as sampled by . . ." series, this compilation of 31 tracks and 3 drum breaks covers a gang of material used by Nas (well, his producers actually). Loads of classic soul, jazz and funk, and each track is notated as to which song it was used in. Includes Gong "Babooji", Chris Barber "Petit Fleur", Vicki Anderson "Land Of Milk & Honey", Ahmad Jamal "I Love Music", Joe Chambers "Mind Rain", Heath Brothers "Smilin Billy Suite Pt 2", Eddie Floyd "Check Me Out", 24 Carat Black "Mommas Coming", Japanese Hair "Dead End", Love Unlimited "I'll Move You No Mountain", Blue Jays "What Do You Want", Bob James "The Sponge" and The Soul Children "Move Over". LP, Vinyl record album

One of THE seminal Basie albums of all time – and a masterful pairing between the Count and arranger Neal Hefti! Hefti has an amazing ear for the Basie groove, and he works here to re-fit the overall sound of the group with a tighter, more fluid approach – one that ensured that they'd be alive and booming well into the 60s. The Hefti touch is one that's slightly lighter than the Basie of before – one that assumes the bump at the bottom, but never overdoes it – and instead almost uses the sound of no sound at all to carry the rhythm – while the horns at the top of the group are vamping around in these majestic charts that break out into fantastically searing solos. Basie's on piano, natch – and other players include Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Henry Coker, Al Grey, Frank Wess, Frank Foster, and Eddie Lockjaw Davis. Titles are all brilliant Hefti originals – and include "After Supper", "Flight Of The Foo Birds", "Teddy The Toad", "Splanky", "Fantail", and "Lil Darlin". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic French work from this American tenor giant – with players who include John Garnieri on piano, Eddie Safranski on bass, and JC Heard or Cozy Cole on drums – plus a bit of trumpet from either Buck Clayton or Joe Thomas! LP, Vinyl record album

They don't call Jimmy Dawkins "fast fingers" for nothing – and the first few minutes of the record are definitely testament to his mighty power on the guitar! The instrument is electric, and recorded with this sense of powerful echo that easily has Dawkins blowing away some of the UK blues rockers who were starting to get into the game at the time – as do his vocals, which we'd put head to head with some of the giants who took this mode and ran with it through the arena rock scene of the 70s! Yet throughout, it's the guitar that's especially amazing – completely confident and masterful, even though this was Jimmy's first album – with nice lean support from Eddie Shaw on tenor, Lafayette Leake on piano and organ, and Mighty Joe Young on second guitar. Titles include "Little Angel Child", "Night Rock", "Triple Trebles", "It Serves Me Right To Suffer", "Breaking Down", "I Don't Know What Love Is", and "I Wonder Why". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums ever from organist Charles Earland – a double-length set that's filled with spiritual, soaring grooves! The style here is a perfect blend of the rougher soul jazz of Earland's roots with some of the spacier styles of his later recordings – served up in a sound that's majestic and powerful, almost with an indie soul jazz sort of vibe overall! There's an immediate urgency to most numbers that's totally undeniable – a lesson learned from the electric experiments of Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis, but fused down into a core essence – then let loose on a soaring journey to the heavens. Earland plays Hammond, moog, clavinet, and Arp on the set – and other players include Joe Henderson on tenor, Dave Hubbard on alto and soprano sax, Eddie Henderson and Freddie Hubbard on trumpets, Marc Elf on guitar, Harvey Mason on drums, and the incredible Patrick Gleeson on synthesizers – bringing in a spacey edge to the record that's really amazing! Rudy Copeland sings a wonderful vocal on the title cut, "Leaving This Planet" – and all other instrumental cuts include "Red Clay", "Warp Factor 9", "Tyner", "Van Jay", "Never Ending Melody", "Mason's Galaxy", and "Asteroid". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Hank Jones' key mid 50s sides for the Savoy label – and quite possibly the hippest of the bunch, thanks to the presence of a young Donald Byrd on trumpet! The core trio here is Hank's group with Eddie Jones on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums – but it's Donald Byrd's trumpet that really makes the album shine – by adding in a slightly sharper edge than you might normally hear on some of Jones' sweeter trio sets. An additional trumpeter – Matty Dice – joins the group on some of the tracks too, blowing alongside Byrd in a relaxed, open-ended way that's totally great. Titles include "An Evening At Papa Joe's, "Summer's Gone", "Don't Blame Me", "And Then Some", and "Almost Like Being In Love". LP, Vinyl record album

1954-1955 recordings with Moody on alto and tenor sax, playing in several group settings that includes Dave Burns on trumpet, William Shepard on trombone, Pee Wee Moore on baritone sax, Sadik Hakim on piano, John Latham on bass, Joe Harris on drums, and a few vocal tracks – featuring Eddie Jefferson on the title track and "I Got The Blues", and Iona Wade on 'That Man O' Mine". Other tracks include "I'm Gone", "Over The Rainbow", "Mambo With Moody", "Blues In The Closet", "It Might As Well Be Spring", and "Faster James". 16 tracks in all, and with some nice soulful and bluesy moments! LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning little record from Pharoah Sanders – a double-length set that has all the soul and spirit of his Impulse Records classics, but with a very different vibe! There's a sense of focus here that's tremendous – as if Sanders has found a way to take the energy of his side-long performances and hone them to a level that's maybe even more expressive in its economy – maybe a streamlining of spiritual jazz for the new decade, but not at a level that tries to sound commercial or mainstream at all. Sanders is joined here by a host of equally well-voiced players who really match his energy – Joe Bonner and John Hicks on piano, Eddie Henderson on flugelhorn, Ray Drummond on bass, and Idris Muhammad on drums – and the set also features a bit of great work on koto from Yoko Ito Gates as well. Titles include the classic "You've Got To Have Freedom" – a fantastic soaring anthem of joy – plus "After The Rain", "Soledad", "Greetings To Idris", "Doktor Pitt", "Think About The One", "Bedria", and "Yemenja". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning little record from Pharoah Sanders – a double-length set that has all the soul and spirit of his Impulse Records classics, but with a very different vibe! There's a sense of focus here that's tremendous – as if Sanders has found a way to take the energy of his side-long performances and hone them to a level that's maybe even more expressive in its economy – maybe a streamlining of spiritual jazz for the new decade, but not at a level that tries to sound commercial or mainstream at all. Sanders is joined here by a host of equally well-voiced players who really match his energy – Joe Bonner and John Hicks on piano, Eddie Henderson on flugelhorn, Ray Drummond on bass, and Idris Muhammad on drums – and the set also features a bit of great work on koto from Yoko Ito Gates as well. Titles include the classic "You've Got To Have Freedom" – a fantastic soaring anthem of joy – plus "After The Rain", "Soledad", "Greetings To Idris", "Doktor Pitt", "Think About The One", "Bedria", and "Yemenja". LP, Vinyl record album

Mr & Mrs Jazz – and their cool cousins too – given that the combo also features some sublime tenor sax from JR Monterose, in addition to vocals from Sue and piano from Ralph! The set's a much harder-edged date than you might guess from the cover – and Sharon's approach to arrangements is a bit more dynamic than later work with Tony Bennett – swinging in a cool Bethlehem way, but given a great punch from the instrumentation – which also includes vibes from Eddie Costa and guitar from Joe Puma! Sue Sharon's a pretty nice singer, and appears on about half the tracks – the others are instrumentals – and titles include "That Goldblatt Magic", "Mynah Lament", "Just You Just Me", "Nothing At All", "Hugette Waltz", "A Nightingale Can Sing The Blues", and "A Trout No Doubt". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic – one of the few albums of the time from blues singer Lucille Spann – produced by Al Smith, recorded in Chicago, and with small combo backing by a group that features Detroit Junior on piano, and both Mighty Joe Young and Eddie Taylor on guitar! Titles include "Wine Head Woman", "Daddy Let Me Love You", "Everybody's Fishin", "Cry Before I Go", "Make You Feel Like A Bigger Man", and "Mean Ration Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

With Buck Clayton on trumpet, Eddie Durham on guitar, Freddie Green guitar, Walter Page on bass, and Joe Jones on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Killer stuff – a really well-done collection of rare bop material for Savoy! The set's not really a compilation, but more of an archive of great sessions from the 78rpm era – with batches of tracks in order from the same sessions. Includes material by a Kenny Dorham combo, a Joe Newman group, a Gil Fuller set with Dave Burns and Sahib Shihab, a Ray Brown date, and vocal sets by Eddie Jefferson, Babs Gonzales, and Kenny Hagood! LP, Vinyl record album

Includes selections by Al Johnson, Lenny Capello, Eddie Bo, Johnny Adams, Joe Jones, Martha Nelson, Tommy Ridgley, Edgar Blanchard, and The Velvetiers. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Boston, Commodores, Eddie Money, Meat Loaf, Gerry Rafferty, Peter Brown, Three Degrees, Joe Thomas, Michael Zager Band, Sylvester, Cissy Houston, Karen Young, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

A set of incredible records from Charles Mingus – all presented together in one mighty nice package! First up is Mingus Moves – a fantastic fresh new chapter in the career of Charles Mingus – a set that features the addition of two key players who would really shape his sound in the 70s – Don Pullen on piano and George Adams on tenor, both completely wonderful here! The group also features excellent trumpet from Roland Hampton, a player we don't know from many other settings – and the set also features some really nice vocal work from Honi Gordon and Doug Hammond. Titles include "Canon", "Moves", "Wee", "Flowers For A Lady", "Opus 3", and "Newcomer". CD also features bonus tracks – "Big Alice" and "The Call". Changes is key 70s work from Charles Mingus – an album that was recorded over the course of three days of creative activity at the end of 1974, but somehow split into two different albums under the Changes name! The lineup here is prime 70s Mingus – George Adams on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Don Pullen on piano – young players who really give a fresh voice to Mingus' musical ideas, and help him find this beautiful late life sense of color, tone, and timing that's completely sublime! Titles on this second volume include "Sue's Changes", "Devil Blues", "Remember Rockefeller At Attica", "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA", "Black Bats & Poles", "For Harry Carney", and "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love" – which features a guest appearance by Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and Jackie Paris on vocals. On 3 Or 4 Shades Of Blues, Charles Mingus is returning to the soulful gospel-influenced mode he swung big in the early 60s! The record's something of a later predecessor of the classics Blues & Roots for Atlantic and Mingus (x5) for Impulse – and the style is slightly less dramatic, but still quite steeped in soulful explorations that feature plenty of notes from the bluer side of the spectrum! Players include George Coleman and Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Larry Coryell on guitar – and titles include new takes on "Better Git Hit In Your Soul" and "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" – plus"Nobody Knows", "Noddin Ya Head Blues", and "Three Or Four Shades Of Blues". Next is Cumbia & Jazz Fusion – one of the most enigmatic albums that Charles Mingus ever recorded – especially in his later years! The set features two very long tracks done by Mingus for use in a film about cocaine traffic between New York and Columbia – but considering the nature of the music, and the freely exploratory style, both numbers here stand very well on their own! Although touched with some of the Latin influences you might expect from the title, the sounds are often darker and more brooding than, say, the Mingus style on the classic Tijuana Moods set. And instead, there's a very serious soundtrack-like vibe going on through most of the set – larger jazz orchestrations used to beautifully underscore subtle themes, and breakout solo moments from players who include Mauricio Smith on flute, Paul Jeffrey on tenor sax, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. The album also features a fair bit of added percussion – and features two long tracks, "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion" and "Music For Todo Modo". Me Myself An Eye is complicated later work from Charles Mingus – a great illustration of the way his power to command a large ensemble never wavered as the years went on! The album features two different large groups of players – filled with modernists young and old – including Ricky Ford, George Coleman, and Michael Brecker on tenors; Ronni Cuber and Pepper Adams on baritone; Randy Brecker and Jack Walrath on trumpets; Lee Konitz on alto, Larry Coryell on guitar, Slide Hampton on trombone, and Eddie Gomez on bass. Side one features the 30 minute track "Three Worlds Of Drums", and side two contains a remake of "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting", plus "Devil Woman" and "Carolyn Keki Mingus". Something Like A Bird is one of the last albums Charles Mingus ever gave us – before departing this planet way way too soon! The set shows the increasing sophistication of Mingus' music in these later years – a mode that almost echoes the path that Duke Ellington would take in his final decade – a move towards some larger-form material that still holds onto all the raw energy of the early days, but finds a way to not only bridge larger musical ideas – but musical generations as well! As part of this, the set's got a wonderful lineup – with Lee Konitz on alto, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, George Coleman on tenor, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include the long title track, "Something Like A Bird", split up over 2 sides of the LP, plus "Farewell Farwell". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of Morton's recordings including vocal sides, solo work, and with his Hot Six and Hot Seven, featuring Red Allen, Albert Nicholas, Eddie Williams, Joe Britton, Wellman Braud, Zutty Singleton, and Claude Jones. LP, Vinyl record album

It's hard to go wrong with the New Mastersounds – and even after so many years, and so many records, these guys are still totally at the top of their funky game – one of the tightest, hardest, sharpest combos around – one of the first in the 21st century generation of deep funk acts, and still one of the best! Eddie Roberts, as always, is a monster on guitar – both in terms of his solos and his sense of riffing rhythms – and the group features plenty of C3 organ and other keyboards from Joe Tatton, plus some guest vocals on a few cuts from Lamar Williams. Titles include "Gonna Get In My Way", "Hot Tub", "Let Me In From The Cold", "Georgie Famous", "Meet You In The Sunshine", "Northern Lights", "Before", and "High On The Mountain". LP, Vinyl record album

Material recorded early in the Blue Note career of Jimmy Smith – but not issued until the mid 60s, and often overlooked at the time! The record's still in the spare trio mode of the early Jimmy Smith years – but is a bit lighter and more lyrical than before – a nice change from the harder tones of Jimmy's early trio records, and a hint and the expansive lines he'd take on later recordings! The lineup features mostly Kenny Burrell on guitar and Philly Joe Jones on drums – plus a few additional tracks that use Eddie McFadden on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums – and titles include "These Foolish Things", "Sometimes I'm Happy", "Someone To Watch Over Me", "One For Philly Joe", and a nice version of Monk's "Hackensack". LP, Vinyl record album

Joe Wilder on trumpet, Oscar Pettiford on bass, Osie Johnson drums on all groups plus on Fats George Wallington on piano, Nick Travis on trumpet, Eddie Bert & Jimmy Cleveland on trombone, Aaron Sachs on tenor sax plus on Bix Joe Soldo on flute, Danny Bank on clarinet, Harold Goltzer on basoon, Jim Buffington on french horn, Barry Galbraith on guitar, plus on Duke/Talbert Herb Geller, Joe Soldo, Aaron Sachs & Danny Bank on reeds, Jim Buffington on french horn, Eddie Bert on trombone, Barry Galbraith on guitar. LP, Vinyl record album

Plenty of great tracks – work from Toussaint McCall, Eddie Giles, Jerry Butler, Betty Harris, Joe Simon, Gene Allison, Betty Lavette, Bobby Patterson, Gene Chandler, Jimmy Hughes, and others! LP, Vinyl record album

A well-done little collection – one that's maybe a second look at the Prix Label, covered by Numero Group in a previous collection – but which revisits the tapes and brings back a number of alternate recordings from the vaults of the label! The title's a reference to the cut "You & Me" by Penny & The Quarters – a heartbreaking soul track that was initially lost to time, until Numero manages to place it on a Ryan Gosling film – which gave that cut some very long legs, and opened the door here to some equally wonderful and obscure soul tracks – a lineup that includes "You Are Giving Me Some Other Love" and "I Cried A Tear" by Penny & The Quarters, "Don't Take Your Love From Me" by Eddie Ray & Joe King, "Since I Fell For You" by Brenda Walker, "All In The Past" by Eddie Ray, "You Are Mine" by Jay Robinson, "Will I Ever" by Jay Robinson with Penny & The Quarters, "I'm A Stranger" by Joe King, and "Untitled Studio Moves" by Harmonic Sounds Band – plus the famous "You & Me" by Penny & The Quarters. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by Eddie Daniels, Kenny Barron, Ralph MacDonald, Phil Upchurch, Jimmy McGriff, Jimmy Ponder, and Joe Thomas. LP, Vinyl record album

Buddy Rich is definitely wailing on this one – an open-ended all-star set that features work from Ben Webster on tenor, Sonny Criss on alto, Harry Edison and Joe Newman on trumpets, Oscar Peterson on piano, and Freddie Greene on guitar! The album features 4 long tracks – all in the best Verve relaxed jam session mode, with plenty of room for solos –and titles include "The Monster", "Sunday", "Smooth One", and "Broadway". LP, Vinyl record album

Soul Jazz gets the royal treatment, or should we say gives us the royal treatment! The royal court is in session with a fine, fine batch of today's sound today, another regal dip into the Studio One vaults, showcasing the top male vocal stars in Coxsone Dodd's stable! The set includes both classic cuts and some well chosen lesser known nuggets, and as you now know (or are about to find out) the Soul Jazz selectors pull together a compilation fit for a king! 17 numbers in all, including "I've Got To Make It" by Larry Marshall, "Every Tongue Shall Tell" by Horace Andy, "Well Run Dry" by Alton Ellis, 'Water More Than Flour" by Johnny Osbourne, "I Am The Ruler" by Anthony Rocky Ellis, "Pretty Looks Isn't All" by Cornell Campbell, "Please Be True" by Alexander Henry, "Them A Come" by Burning Spear, "Change Of Plan" by Joe Higgs, "Roots Natty" by Devon Russell, "Be Yourself" by Ken Boothe, "I Shall Be Released" by Freddie McGregor, "Father Will Cut You Off" by Freddie McKay, "Locust" by the Ethiopian, "One, One" by George Philip, "I Don't Want To See You Cry" by John Holt and "Won't You Come Home" by Delroy Wilson. LP, Vinyl record album

Quite an unusual session for trumpeter Freddie Hubbard – a set done during his early run of albums for Blue Note, but one that's got some much darker, more modern qualities than the rest! The music here almost verges on some of the "new thing" material of the period on the label – although is not as far outside as some of the others – and the record features two different groups – both with excellent early work from James Spaulding on alto and flute, and really unique use of euphonium from Kiane Zawadi, whose depth on the instrument really explores the darker currents of sound. In addition to Freddie's trumpet work, the set also features Joe Henderson and Hank Mobley on tenors, Harold Mabern and McCoy Tyner on pianos, and Clifford Jarvis and Pete LaRoca on drums. Big Black also adds in percussion on the cuts "Cunga Black" and "Soul Surge" – and other titles include "Outer Forces", "Blue Spirits", and "Jodo". LP, Vinyl record album

Pivotal work from trumpeter Freddie Hubbard – a tight, edgy quintet performance that's done with a modern jazz sound that approaches the Blue Note "new thing" sound, but which stays just this side of the fence to keep in line with Freddie's other soulful work of the 60s – yet still with an edge that you never would expect if you only know his electric and funky work of the 70s! The group features some great work by James Spaulding, who gets a lot of solo room on alto and flute – and Ronnie Matthews is on piano, effortlessly shifting between rhythmic and soulful lines, and passages that get a bit darker and deeper. The tunes are nearly all Freddie Hubbard originals, except for the classic "Mirrors", written by drummer Joe Chambers, who's also a key part of the group – and other tunes include "Breaking Point", "Far Away", "Blue Frenzy", and "D Minor Mint". LP, Vinyl record album

Keystone bop indeed – a smoking little set from Freddie Hubbard, recorded during his great back-to-basics years of the early 80s! The tracks here are all quite long, and informed by a strong sense of hard bop – but they also open up with some sharper, more modern moments at times – of the sort that keenly reflect Freddie's best roots during his early years at Blue Note. The other players here are all quite strong – especially well-matched for the energy of such a record – with Bobby Hutcherson on vibes and Joe Henderson on tenor, plus rhythm from Billy Childs on piano, Larry Klein on bass, and Steve Houghton on drums. 3 lengthy tracks: "The Littlest One Of All", "One Of Another Kind", and "Body & Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from Freddie Hubbard – one of his best albums ever! The title cut's a classic, but all cuts on the album are great – and really set a whole new standard for soul jazz in the 70s! Unlike the freer runs of Miles Davis, Freddie takes things into territory here that's open, yet tightly controlled – a really soulful, spiritual vibe that's quite different than any of his later commercial work – or his hardbop of the decade before! The lineup includes Joe Henderson on tenor and Herbie Hancock on piano – and even back in the 80's, when everyone was going purist again, and was pretending they didn't like 70's electric jazz at all, they still claimed that this was a great jazz record, and one of the only good ones for CTI. We know better now, of course, and know that there were loads of great CTI sessions – but that doesn't stop this from being one of the best! Titles include "Red Clay", "Delphia", "Suite Sioux", and "The Intrepid Fox". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of Verve Classics – back to back on this UK album from the 70s! First up is Jazz Giants 56 – a timeless ensemble session from Verve Records! The feel here is almost in jam session mode, but perhaps a bit tighter – a group of all-star players from the mid-50s, with Lester Young on tenor, Roy Eldridge on trumpet, Vic Dickenson on trombone, Teddy Wilson on piano, and Freddie Green on guitar – a nice mix of generations and styles that really helps open up the sound of the record. Tracks are nice and long, taken in that open, solo-conscious Verve mode – and tunes include "I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan", "This Year's Kisses", "You Can Depend On Me", and "I Didn't Know What Time It Was". Next is Pres & Teddy – a classic session of mellow magic from tenorist Lester Young and pianist Teddy Wilson – both giants of jazz from an earlier generation, but maybe sounding even better here in a sublime Verve Records setting from the 50s! Young's tenor fronts the trio of Wilson – with Gene Ramey on bass and Joe Jones on drums – a somewhat unassuming group, which means that Lester's power really holds sway throughout – these magical solos that so easygoing they almost seem effortless – but which are filled with soul and imagination. Titles include "Love Me Or Leave Me", "All Of Me", "Prisoner Of Love", and "Love Is Here To Stay". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost treasure from the overlooked late 70s jazz years at Columbia! The album's got Freddie Hubbard working with arranger Claus Ogerman on some expansive tracks that go beyond his earlier work in the decade – sometimes blowing mellow notes over larger orchestrations, other times working in a surprisingly lean groove that has some really soulful touches! The approach shifts from track to track, but all titles are long, and the overall effect is really great. Al Jarreau guests on a sweet vocal version of "Little Sunflower", and other players on the set include Joe Farrell and Tom Scott on reeds, and Chick Corea, who plays most of the keys on the set. Titles include "Lazy Afternoon", "This Dream", "Brigitte", and "The Love Connection". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal set in the rebirth of straight jazz in the early 80s – a wonderful record with a much warmer, more traditional feel than you'd expect from some of the players involved! Bassist Stanley Clarke and pianist Chick Corea really return to their roots here – Stanley with some of the bold acoustic tones of his earliest soul jazz years, Chick with those modern-yet-soulful piano lines he first brought to magical recordings of the 60s – including the Sweet Rain session with Stan Getz. Freddie Hubbard's also in the group – blowing wonderfully with that reborn sound of his early 80s years, still some of the best work he ever did – and the group also features Joe Henderson on tenor, always a treat, and Lenny White on drums, really keeping things focused. The set's a gem through and through – and titles include "L's Bop", "Happy Times", "Remember", "Guernica", "October Ballade", and "Why Wait". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from Freddie Hubbard – one of his best albums ever! The title cut's a classic, but all cuts on the album are great – and really set a whole new standard for soul jazz in the 70s! Unlike the freer runs of Miles Davis, Freddie takes things into territory here that's open, yet tightly controlled – a really soulful, spiritual vibe that's quite different than any of his later commercial work – or his hardbop of the decade before! The lineup includes Joe Henderson on tenor and Herbie Hancock on piano – and even back in the 80's, when everyone was going purist again, and was pretending they didn't like 70's electric jazz at all, they still claimed that this was a great jazz record, and one of the only good ones for CTI. We know better now, of course, and know that there were loads of great CTI sessions – but that doesn't stop this from being one of the best! Titles include "Red Clay", "Delphia", "Suite Sioux", and "The Intrepid Fox". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet late 70s set from Freddie Hubbard – a slight move away from some of his highly-electric sides of the CTI years, yet one that still has some of the most soulful qualities of that work! Freddie's trumpet has a nicely spacious quality throughout – one that's flowing, and almost glowing at time – cascading along with qualities you might be more likely to hear from Art Farmer on some of the gentler numbers, yet really bursting out with that old Hubbard dynamism on the rest. Other players include Joe Henderson on tenor, Hubert Laws on flute, Kenny Barron on piano and keyboards, Ron Carter on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – and George Benson also guests on guitar on one number too. A good number of the titles are originals, and tracks include "Super Blue", "To Her Ladyship", "Take It To The Ozone", "The Gospel Truth", and "Theme For Kareem". LP, Vinyl record album

A great bit of funky guitar work from Freddie Robinson – a player who clearly started out with a bluesy backing, but managed a real super-dope sound by the time of his 70s work for Stax! Part of the sound is that Freddie's using a hollow-body electric – giving him a style that's a bit like Little Beaver on the best tracks. Freddie sings a bit on the set, but his guitar play's his strongest suit – and he's backed here by electric piano from Monk Higgins, and keyboards from Joe Sample! Tracks include "Smoking", "Off the Cuff", "Rivers Invitations", "Try It One Time", and "Medicine Man". LP, Vinyl record album