Classic bop by Sonny Stitt – material recorded at the end of the 40s, originally issued as singles and 45s, but issued here as a full length set with a great cover image by Don Martin! The record features 2 different groups – one that includes JJ Johnson, John Lewis, and Max Roach; another that features Bud Powell, Curley Russell, and Roach – and in both instances, the players keep a sharp edge and tight focus that allows Stitt's tenor to soar out in those tight lines that made him a key bop figure from the get-go! Really classic stuff – with titles that include "Sunset", "Bud's Blues", "Tea Pot", "Elora", "Afternoon In Paris", and "Blue Mode". LP, Vinyl record album

Lionel Hampton on vibraphone, Pepper Adams on baritone saxophone, Cat Anderson on trumpet and flugelhorn, Eddie Bert on trombone, Ray Bryant on piano, Doc Cheatham on trumpet, Arnett Cobb on tenor saxophone, Panama Francis on drums, John Gordon on trumpet, Chubby Jackson on bass, Charles McPherson on alto saxophone, Billy Mackel on guitar, Jimmy Mackel on trumpet and flugelhorn, Paul Moen on tenor saxophone, Joe Newman on trumpet and flugelhorn, Benny Powell on trombone, Earle Warren on clarinet, flute and alto saxophone, Bob Wilber on clarinet, and Teddy Wilson on piano. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record, and one that shows just why Blue Note chose to put "amazing" in the title of every Bud Powell album they released! The set's a live one, done at Birdland – and Bud's working here with a trio that features the young Sam Jones on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums – both musicians you might be more likely to hear over at Riverside Records, and who help give Powell a mighty solid formation here! There's a strong sense of cohesiveness to the trio, and we're always in love with Jones on bass – but it's also clear that Bud's the shining star of the date, as he amazes the world once again with his restless sense of imagination and creativity on the keys of the piano! Titles include "Marmalade", "Monopoly", "John's Abbey", "Dry Soul", "Time Waits", "Buster Rides Again", and two takes of "Sub City". LP, Vinyl record album

With Bud Powell on piano, John Ore on bass, and JC Moses on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Bud Powell on solo piano on tracks 1 to 7 & with John Ore on bass & JC Moses on drums on tracks 8 to 14. LP, Vinyl record album

Mel Lewis leads a big band including Kenny Werner on piano, Dennis Irwin on bass, Earl Gardner, Joe Mosello, Glen Drewes, Jim Powell, and Bill Pusey on trumpets, John Mosca, Ed Neumeister, Douglas Purviance, and Earl McIntyre on trombones, Stephanie Fauber on french horn, Dick Oats, Ted Nash, Joe Lovano, Ralph Lalama, and Gary Smulyan on saxophones, clarinet, and flute. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Milt Jackson, Jay Jay Johnson, Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, Horace Silver, Jimmy Smith, Sonny Clark, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey, and Lou Donaldson. LP, Vinyl record album

Don't let the title fool you, because although the cover of the record says "Many Sides Of Toshiko", the album only features one – her great approach to bop-inflected trio material – recorded here in a classic Verve session with a distinct Bud Powell influence! Not that we're complaining, though – because Toshiko's at her youthful best here, working with Eugene Cherico on bass and John Hanna on drums – in a set that's even got a few original numbers! The best of these is the 3-part suite "Tosh's Fantasy" – a trio adaptation of one of Akioshi's larger jazz orchestra works. Other titles include "Imagination", "Minor Mood", "Studio J", and "Bags Groove". LP, Vinyl record album

You'll be hard pressed to find a better collection of Charlie Parker's classic work on vinyl! Bird's great recordings for Savoy have often been poorly packaged over the years, but here you get the whole batch of seminal bop sides by the pioneering artist of the genre! Bird's the leader on most of these sides, but there's a nice set of recordings under Tiny Grimes and a very young Miles Davis too, with a host of players from the dawn of the bebop age, including Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Sadik Hakim, John Lewis, Duke Jordan, Curly Russell, Tommy Potter and Max Roach. An as you'd expect from this kind of set, you get loads of multiple takes so you can hear these pioneering players creating the style that would change the face of jazz forever. Put together in 1978, this set features 66 tracks in all, spread out over 5 LPs, with a nicely annotated book, and includes "I'll Always Love You Just The Same","Romance Without Finance", "Billie's Bounce", "Now's The Time", "Thriving On A Riff", "Koko", "Donna Lee", "Chasin The Bird", "Buzzy", "Milestones", "Half Nelson", "Another Hair Do", "Bird Gets The Worm", "Barbados", "Ah-Leu-Cha", "Constellation", "Parker's Mood", "Perhaps","Marmaduke", "Steeplechase" and more! LP, Vinyl record album

A gem of a soul jazz set on Motown's Workshop Jazz label! Pianist Earl Washington hails from Chicago, and never cut much as a leader – but here he heads a great group with Thad Jones on trumpet, Frank Foster on tenor, Benny Powell on trombone, Eddie Jones on bass, and Donny Payne on drums! Also, one track features Earl alongside some of his Chicago-based contemporaries – John Neely on tenor, John Avant on trombone, Herb Brown on bass, and Walter Perkins on drums. A really wonderful set – with original tunes "Opus No 3", "The Swinging Jester's Blues", "The Ghost", and "March Lightly". LP, Vinyl record album

A very well-done collection of Charlie Parker performances from the legendary Birdland nightclub – originally presented on radio, but cleaned up here with a great sense of sound! The mighty Symphony Sid can be heard introducing a few tracks, but the main focus is on the music – with the kind of razor-sharp solos that always made Parker a knockout, especially during these key early 50s years – and accompaniment from musicians who include Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell or John Lewis on piano, Kenny Clarke or Roy Haynes on drums, and even the surprising inclusion of organist Milt Buckner at one point! The album may well be worth it, just to hear Bird playing with a Hammond – but the whole thing's great, and titles include "Cool Blues", "Star Eyes", "Blue N Boogie", "Anthropology", "Night In Tunisia", and "Groovin High". LP, Vinyl record album

80s issue of some seminal recordings of some of the most influential, yet unde-documented jazz pianists of the bop and post bop eras. There's three tracks by the Bebop Boys, with Bud Powell, Kenny Dorham, Sonny Stitt, Al Hall and Kenny Clarke: "Bebop In Pastel", "Seven Up" and "Blues In Bebop". Following that there's 5 stellar tracks from Lennie Tristano's trio with Billy Bauer and John Levy, performing his cerebral and vastly influential music on two takes of "Supersonic", plus "On A Planet", "Air Pocket" and "Celestia" and fouor popping bop numbers from Herbie Nichols in a small group rolling through "'s Wonderful", "Nichols & Dimes", "Who's Blues" and "My Lady Gingersnap". There's also a batch of trio sides from Dodo Marmarosa and the under-recorded George Wallington, and a nice handful of bop numbers from the Kenny Clarke Quintet featuring Horace Silver. 27 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set from Count Basie – recorded during the height of his years at Roulette! The back cover of the record proclaims that "Basie Is Back Home" – clearly a bit by Birdland to lay claim to being the Count's home address, which is a bit of a challenge to his KC roots! Whatever the back story, though, the set's a nice one – swinging hard in that completely tight 60s mode, with a great lineup that includes Frank Foster and Budd Johnson on tenor, Thad Jones on trumpet, Bennie Powell on trombone, and Freddie Green on guitar – a really great group who definitely make the record a cooker! Tracks include "Good Time Blues", "Segue In C", "Little Pony", "Discommotion", and "Whirly Bird", which has a vocal by Jon Hendricks! LP, Vinyl record album

Very groovy work from Chico – still very Latin at the core, but with lots of light 60s touches on top, ala the work of Gary McFarland, or some of the other groove-conscious arrangers for Verve and Impulse! Players on the set include Art Farmer, Clark Terry, JJ Johnson, Seldon Powell, and Pat Rebillot – and there's a nice choppy approach to the tracks that keeps the whole thing fresh! Titles include "Live Oak", "Patcham", "Panache", "Green Moss", and "The Lady From Nine Flags". Very groovy cover, too – with images of ladies from around the world, illustrating the Nine Flags concept! LP, Vinyl record album

With Powell on piano, Mundell Lowe on guitar, Chuck Russo on reeds, and Johnny Glasel on trumpet – plus a bit of vocals from Joan Wile. LP, Vinyl record album

Bud Powell on piano with Guy Hayat on bass, Jacques Gervais on drums & Johnny Griffin on tenor saxophone on two tracks. LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of recordings from 1959 and 1961, with sidemen including Thad Jones, Benny Powell, Frnak Wess, Frank Foster, Billy Mitchell, Freddie Gren, and Budd Johnson. LP, Vinyl record album