... CD

A great title for this one – as the album's got a cool, laidback groove that's very much in a "night song" mode! Arrangements are by Don Sebesky – in that warm and fluid mode he was bringing to some of his best CTI sides at the time – and they push guitarist Kenny Burrell a bit more than usual, as he stretches out over the larger arrangements with some really great solo work that dips, turns, and rolls with incredibly warm hues of sound! Kenny plays solo on 2 tracks, and with a smaller quartet on a few more – and titles include "Night Song", "Love You Madly", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Brother Where Are You?", "Nighthawk", and "Teach Me Tonight". CD

Amazing lost sounds from Detroit – a previously unissued album from pianist Kenny Cox – best known for his late 60s albums on Blue Note, but working here in a really righteous style, and using a fair bit of Fender Rhodes as well! The album's a lost gem from the Strata label – home to Lyman Woodard's Saturday Night Special album – and there's definitely a side to this record that's shared with that one – a bit more laidback, definitely, but equally soulful, and mixed with spiritual jazz elements that echo the style of Kenny's Tribe Records contemporaries on the Detroit scene. Other players include Charles Moore on flugelhorn, Buzz Jones on soprano sax and flute, Ron English on bass, and Skeets Curry on electric guitar – and in addition to Fender Rhodes, Cox also plays clavinet, mellotron, and Arp as well! The set's got a bit of vocals – from Fito Foster and Nengue Hernandez – but the main focus is instrumental, and the long tracks really have the group spinning out beautifully. Titles include "Clap Clap The Joyful Noise", "Samba De Romance", "Island Song", "Lost My Love", and "Beyond The Dream". CD

A completely unique little session – and a record that's every bit as musically striking as you might guess from its title and cover! The date's a rare Latin-tinged one for trumpeter Kenny Dorham – a record that takes his usually smooth sound and sets it up against octet backings with horns from JJ Johnson on trombone, Cecil Payne on baritone sax, and Hank Mobley on tenor – plus piano from Horace Silver, bass from Oscar Pettiford, and drums from Art Blakey – plus added congas from Patato Valdes! The expanded group plays with a great sense of power – really pushing Kenny's sound tremendously – and although the album also features a few tracks by a smaller group with less percussion, these also have a bit of a Latin/exotic tinge too. Titles include "Basheer's Dream", "Lotus Flower", "KD's Motion", "Venita's Dance", "Minor's Holiday", "La Villa", and "Afrodisia". CD features 2 bonus tracks too – "Echo Of Spring (aka KD's Cab Ride)" and "Minor's Holiday (alt take)". CD

A fantastic bit of lost hardbop – an obscure ABC album that has Kenny Dorham working with his Jazz Prophets group! The combo's a quintet with a unique lineup that includes Dick Katz on piano, JR Monterose on tenor, Sam Jones on bass, and Arthur Edgehill on drums – and the whole set's got an open-ended sort of approach that's much more like albums of the time on Blue Note or Savoy than it is the usually more staid ABC jazz sides of the 50s! Monterose and Dorham are fantastic, and really open up on the 5 tracks on the album – all of which are long enough to give the players plenty of room to blow. Probably one of the best jazz records ever recorded for ABC – with titles that include "The Prophet", "DX", "Tahitian Suite", and "Blues Elegante". CD

An excellent groover from Kenny Dorham – possibly one of his best ever albums for Blue Note – a record that shows how much he was pushing past his bop roots in his later years! The tracks are extremely long, and done with a complexity in rhythms that mixes Latin elements with hardbop modes – all set up in a style that really stretches out, and drives Dorham's trumpet with a fire he'd hardly had before. The rest of the group is super-sharp – key young players who really help keep an edge the the whole thing – with Herbie Hancock on piano, Joe Henderson on tenor, Butch Warren on bass and Tony Williams drums. Tracks are all long, incredible Dorham originals – "Una Mas" fills up side one, and "Straight Ahead" and "Sao Paulo" cover the flip. Also includes a bonus track, a sweet warm take of "If Ever I Would Leave You". CD

Pure lyrical genius from pianist Kenny Drew – working here in a superb trio that features Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass and the great Alvin Queen on drums! There's a special quality to the recording that seems to make each element in the music resonate in fantastic ways – especially the bass of Niels', who at times almost feels like as much the star of the set as Kenny! Titles include "Greensleeves", "Angel Eyes", "Eco Trip", "Nature Boy", "Sunset", "Blues In Green", and "Song Of The Birds". CD

Progressive piano from a young Kenny Drew – already swinging here with a sound that's unlike anybody else at the time! The album follows nicely from Drew's early work for Blue Note – and like those sides, the groove here is a mix of creatively compelling solo lines, and a slight soulful undercurrent in the rhythms – kind of a blend of bop inspiration and some of the more creative 50s piano modes, all wrapped together with just a hint of the generation of players to come. The group features Eugene Wright on bass and Charles Wright on drums – and titles include "Angie", "Bluesville", "Four & Five", "Lo Flame", "Chartreuse", "Kenny's Blues", "Many Miles Away", and "My Beautiful Lady". CD

A beautiful album that definitely lives up to its title – and delivers some of the wonderfully impressionistic piano work that Kenny Drew was recording in the 80s – music that's very different than both his early American albums in the 50s, and some of the key accompaniment he'd provide on European dates with tenor players in the 70s! Here, Kenny's very open and fluid, sometimes almost painterly in his approach to sound – yet still able to swing, too, thanks to accompaniment from Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass and Alvin Queen on drums. The set features a killer version of "Last Tango In Paris" – plus "Cafe Flore", "Evening In The Park", "My Ship", "Morning Mist", and "Rouge Blues". CD

The poetry of the title isn't lost on the group on the record – nor is the "sleep" reference that the famous phrase would imply – as the quartet work in much mellower territory than on some of the other Zorn-directed projects of this nature on Tzadik in recent years – often with a beautifully minimal and hypnotic vibe! The group features twin keyboards – organ from John Medeski, and piano and Fender Rhodes from Brian Marsella – both players who loop around each other in nice ways, and get these slight contributions from the guitar of Bill Frisell and drums of Kenny Wollesen – both musicians who really let the keys take the lead, almost like a small combo jam version of Terry Riley territory. Beautiful throughout – with titles that include "A Secret Twilight", "Eventide", "Introit", "Lacrimosa", and "Midnight Vespers". CD

One of the best solo albums ever recorded by the great Kenny Barron – a set with so much life, so much cover, you really don't need any other instruments at all! Kenny's at a key point in his career here – really stretching out as an individual talent, and getting plenty of room to work on this beautifully-recorded grand piano – whose tones ring out with this soulful, majestic quality that seems to only amplify the genius that Barron brings to the keys! And while there's certainly been other Kenny Barron solo albums over the years – including some great dates from overseas – there's a power and confidence here that's somewhat missing from the rest – this righteous, commanding style that's almost like Stanley Cowell in a similar setting, but more lyrical too. Titles include "Bud-Like", "Calypso", "Body & Soul", "Enchanted Flower", "Star Crossed Lovers", and "Misterioso". CD features the bonus track "Wazuri Blues". CD

One of the greatest albums ever by pianist Kenny Drew – a record that's as noteworthy for the contributions of the sidemen as it is for the efforts of the leader! Drew's a player who often worked mostly in trio formats – but here, he's hitting hard with a righteous Blue Note power – thanks to the presence of Hank Mobley on tenor and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, both of whom really give the record an edge! Drew's lyrical sensibilities are shifted to darker, more modern moments at times – and the rest of the group features Sam Jones on bass and Louis Hayes on drums. An essential addition to the Blue Note legacy of Mobley and Hubbard – and the set's filled with original tunes by Kenny, including "The Pot's On", "Undercurrent", "Funk-Cosity", and "Lion's Den". CD

A soaringly joyous album from British trumpeter Kenny Wheeler – one that has him leading a larger group in a style that resonates with similar projects of the time from artists like Mike Westbrook or Michael Gibbs! Wheeler delivers some magnificent trumpet and flugelhorn solos – very much at the more straightforward, soulful side of his range – and the ensemble is overflowing with work from top-shelf contemporaries – including Mike Taylor on some key electric piano lines, next to Mike Osborne on alto, Tony Roberts on tenor, Ian Hamer on trumpet, Bobby Lamb and Keith Chrsitie on trombones, Alan Branscombe on acoustic piano, Ron Mathewson on bass, and Tony Oxley on drums and percussion. The feel of the record is great – very much like better-known sessions where some of the top-shelf UK talents come together in a unified voice – and the set also features guest tenor from Evan Parker, trombone from Chris Pyne, and vocals from Norma Winstone. Winstone sings on "Song For Someone" – and other instrumental tracks include "Mikei", "Some Days Are Better", and "CP EP". CD

Why thank you – we will! Kenny does too, as he grooves nicely and gently over arrangements by Richard Evans, perfectly crafted in that soul jazz mode of his 60s work for Chess – not Kenny's most challenging format, to be sure, but proof that he often works better in a more structured environment than a freer one. Titles include "Away In A Manger", "My Favorite Things", "Little Drummer Boy", "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", "Merry Christmas Baby", and "Go Where I Send Thee". CD

One of the more legendary albums on Blue Note from the label's classic run – and for many folks, the quintessential album from guitarist Kenny Burrell! Burrell had been playing for a number of years, and had been already recorded by Blue Note on some other excellent records – yet here, there's really something different going on – a bit more of a groove, and a harder edge from Kenny's guitar – augmented with superb work from a group that features Stanley Turrentine on tenor, Major Holly on bass, Bill English on drums, and the great Ray Barretto on congas! The vibe is fantastic, and Turrentine's horn has a raspy edge that's beautiful – while the whole record moves with a very rhythmic groove – thanks to Ray's extra percussion contribution on the bottom! Titles include the classic groover "Chittlins Con Carne", an early jazz dance classic – plus "Soul Lament", "Wavy Gravy", and "Mule". CD

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

Kenny Drew's looking a bit hipper than usual on the cover – and he's sounding a bit hipper, too – really stretching out in a way that's different from some of his other albums of the 70s! The set's an overlooked gem from Drew – recorded in the easygoing manner of the Xanadu label's 70s sessions, with soulful backing from Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Frank Butler on drums – an openly swinging, very soulful group that's a nice change from some of Drew's European ensembles. The title's an apt one, as the Kenny heard here is a bit more laidback and soulful than the Kenny of some of the many European sessions of the 70s – and even on familiar number, there's some great warm interplay between the trio – very much in the smiling spirit of the photo on the cover! Titles include "West Of Eden", "Three & Four Blues", "Ending", "Only You", and "Work Song". CD features the bonus track "Yesterdays". CD

A really free-wheeling live album from Kenny Barron – cut originally as a Japanese-only session for the ultra-hip Why Not label, and done with a sound that's a bit different than some of his American work of the time! The group's a trio – with Buster Williams on bass and Ben Riley on drums – and Barron's got a hard fire right from the start – stretching out on a set of tracks that all go well past the 10 minute mark, with a free approach to grooving – one that really lets him find his own space, solo-wise, yet never get too flowery or ever fail to swing – thanks to the hipness of the rhythm section! Titles include "Manha Do Carnaval", "Rhythm A Ning", and "Someday My Prince Will Come". CD

A beautiful trio set – one that seems to resonate as strongly with the bass work of George Mraz as it does with the lyrical genius of the great Hank Jones! The recording quality is superb, and all the elements of the group's performance seem to hang in air at a level that's even more breathtaking than if you were able to hear the whole thing in person – and along with Mraz and Jones, the great Kenny Washington is superb on drums – really at that point in his career when his special talent in a group like this was starting to hit its stride. Titles include "Interlude", "Wind Flower", "Recorda Me", Blue Monk", "Round Midnight", "I'll Remember April", "Interface", and "A Child Is Born". CD

Slamming funky club from the 70s – as Kenny Dope re-presents some of the best tracks ever by Randy Muller – the creative genius behind BT Express, Brass Construction, and Skyy! Back in the day, Randy had a way of laying the horns alongside the bassline that was totally unique – an approach that was one of the first to link together funk and disco, and hit a groove that countless other groups tried to cop! For the collection, Kenny went back to Randy's original tapes and pulled out the strongest elements – inflecting the grooves with an edge that's even funkier and sharper than the originals, yet always preserving the classic sound of the tracks. CD features a mix-like format that includes a few shout outs – and a total of 11 tracks that include "Movin" and "Ha Cha Cha" by Brass Construction, "High" and "Here's To You" by Skyy, "Boogie's Gonna Get Ya" by Rafael Cameron, "I Surrender" by Funk Deluxe, "Changin" by Brass Construction, and "Express" and "Peace Pipe" by BT Express. CD

Three full albums from this tremendous singer – all in a single set! Morning In Paris is very early work from South African singer Sathima Bea Benjamin – recorded in Paris in 1963, with backing by longtime partner Abdullah Ibrahim, plus additional piano and production by Duke Ellington! The album was cut around the same time as Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) did his famous Reprise album in Paris with Ellington – and it's got a similar mix of modern and moody styles – with Sathima singing in a mellower tone than we're used to from her later records, over extremely spare backing that often has the piano barely stepping in, and which also features some nice plucked violin work from Svend Asmussen – acting almost as the bass on a few tracks! Billy Strayhorn also sits in on this extremely unusual session – and titles include "The Man I Love", "Soon", "Lover Man", "I Should Care", "I Could Write A Book", and "Darn That Dream". Lovelight is always-great work from Sathima Bea Benjamin – one of the hippest jazz vocalists of the 80s, working here in a highly spiritual mode that sounds a lot more like records from many years past! There's a warmly gentle glow to the whole set – thanks to instrumentation from Larry Willis on piano, Buster Williams on bass, Billy Higgins on percussion, and Ricky Ford on tenor sax – all coming together in ways that are filled with unusual rhythms, odd turns of phrases, and just the right sort of unconventional accompaniment to fit the Africanist themes of Sathima's music at its best. A few numbers are more traditional, but even these have a nicely sensitive feel – and offer plenty of room for Willis to solo. Titles include "Winne Mandela Beloved Heroine", "African Songbird", "Gift Of Love – For Duke", "Music", and "You Are My Heart's Delight". Southern Touch is a set that's maybe a bit more of a straight jazz vocal record than some of Sathima Bea Benjamin's earlier material – but that might also be because the great Kenny Barron is part of the group on piano – supporting Sathima's great voice with the help of Buster Williams on bass and Billy Higgins on drums! Tunes are mostly standards, but it's great to hear them opened up with Benjamin's unique phrasing – that voice that was raised up on more righteous material in earlier years, and which still seems to bring some of that power to tunes that include "Street Of Dreams", "Lush Life", "One Alone", "I'm Glad There Is You", and "I've Heard That Song Before". CD

One of those rare Blue Note sessions from tenorist Tina Brooks – originally recorded for the label in 1960, but never issued at the time – yet easily on a par with their more famous work of the period! Brooks' horn has a nice hard edge here – that sharp-edged modernism you'd hear with Jackie McLean, who makes a key appearance here on the album's famous "Street Singer" track. Jackie's not on the rest of the record, but that's fine with us – because other players are all equally great, and include Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Apart from "Street Singer", other titles include "The Ruby & The Pearl", "Back To The Tracks", "For Heaven's Sake", and "The Blues & I". CD

Two jazz rock classics – back to back as a 2CD set! Solar Plexus was a pivotal album in the career of British jazzman Ian Carr – one that had him really opening up into some trippy, spacey grooves – adding in a lot of keyboards, kicking up the grooves, yet still never losing the strong jazzy finish that was the best part of his earlier work. Players on the set include trumpeters Harry Beckett and Kenny Wheeler, guitarist Chris Spedding, and keyboardist Karl Jekins, who really throws in some groovy lines on the set! Titles include "Elements 1 & 2", "Snakehips Dream", "Torso", "Spirit Level", and "Bedrock Deadlock". Belladonna is one of the heaviest electric sets from UK trumpeter Ian Carr – and that's really saying a lot, given how much heavy work he cut with his group Nucleus! The sound here is a groundbreaking mix of acoustic horns and keyboards – trumpet from Carr, and a mix of tenor, soprano, alto, and flute from Brian Smith – coming into contact with the Fender Rhodes of Dave MacRae and the Hohner electric of Gordon Beck! The pairing of keys is wonderful – and the whole thing is sewn together by the guitar of a young Allan Holdsworth, who's very much in the sway of Carr's sound here, instead of the later directions he'd take as a leader. The set might be worth it alone for the massive "Summer Rain" – a slow funk track that trips along beautifully – but the whole thing's great, and other titles include "Belladonna", "Mayday", "Suspension", and "Hector's House". CD

A pair of great albums back to back – both rare albums from a percussionist who worked with Sun Ra! First up is Mora volume 1 – a legendary early set from percussionist Francisco Mora Catlett – and a really sublime blend of spiritual jazz and Latin rhythms! Mora's percussion is definitely at the core – but the set also features wonderful contributions from Vincent Bowens on tenor and soprano sax, Jerome LeDuff on berimbau, Alberto Nacif on quinto, and Detroit jazz legend Kenny Cox on piano! There's a balance here that really matches the best Strata East energy of the 70s – an open, flowing approach that's completely sublime, and very righteous too – even more so than anything Mora's done since the 70s – making this record one of his greatest achievements ever. Tersa Mora sings a bit of vocals at times – and titles include "Afra Jum", "Five AM", "Rumba Morena", "Samba De Amor", and "Cultural Warrior". Mora 2 is a set recorded in Detroit, but one that's got a globe's worth of elements in the mix – originally recorded in the mid 80s, but not released until a brief CD issue in the early part of the 21st Century! Despite that history, the album's a really timeless record that encompasses a world's worth of elements in jazz! Francisco Mora Catlett's at the height of his powers here – leading the group with a sense of righteous majesty that takes us back to some of the most ambitious heirs of the post-Coltrane generation, but with perhaps an oddly rhythmic twist as well – such as you might find in some of the 70s classics of Bobby Vince Paunetto. Echoes of Latin, Afro, and spiritual jazz come together as one – soaring to the skies on soulful waves of sound – brought together with a sense of focus and spirit that really moves us a lot. Players include Marcus Belgrave and John Douglass on trumpets, Sherman Mitchell on trombone, Vincent Bowens on tenor and flute, Alex Harding on baritone and bass clarinet, Kenny Cox on piano, and Rodney Whitaker on bass – and titles include "Samba/Conga De Amor", "Amazona Prelude/Dawn", "Old Man Joe", "Por Que Paro", and "Afra-Jum (parts 2 & 3)". CD

One of the most obscure of the Paul Chambers albums on Blue Note – and one of the most interesting as well! Although best known for his solid rhythm work on late 50s hardbop recordings, Chambers breaks out here with a more introspective, more exploratory style on the bass – using the instrument "on top", as a lead solo force in a group with Kenny Burrell on guitar, Hank Jones on piano, and Art Taylor on drums. The sound is surprisingly soulful, and modern yet swinging – in the manner of Oscar Pettiford's best sides of this style. Titles include "Yesterdays", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "Confessin", and "The Theme". CD

Great early work from one of the hippest bassists of his generation! Paul Chambers cut this obscure little album in LA, featuring a "jazz delegation from the east" that included Philly Joe Jones on drums and John Coltrane on tenor – plus pianist Kenny Drew, who had already been working on the west coast – all in a style that's much more relaxed and stretched-out than most other jazz recorded in LA at the time! The album is one of the earliest small group sessions with Coltrane, and it's a very spare batch of tracks that lead off with Chambers' amazing work on bass – but which also feature some incredible early work from Trane – very raw and loud in the mix, with a lot more bluesiness than you'd expect – and we mean that in a good way! Titles include "Dexterity", "Visitation", "John Paul Jones", and "Eastbound". CD

The complete work of pianist Sonny Clark as a leader for the Blue Note label – masterful material that really helped define the sound of the hardbop generation, and records that are still classics and still filled with fantastic energy after all these many years! In some way, Sonny Clark was the perfect figure to help Blue Note step into this generation – both a modernist and a soulful player, a strong group leader and an intimate soloist in a trio setting – clearly the lynchpin of the new energy during Blue Note's explosion in the LP generation – as you'll hear on classic albums that include Dial S For Sonny, Sonny's Crib, Sonny Clark Trio, Cool Struttin, Leapin & Lopin, Sonny Clark Quintets, Blues In The Night, My Conception, and the Art Of The Trio! Some of these albums were recorded in the late 50s, but only issued years later – and the package also includes all the bonus material that was added to later CD versions as well. Players include John Coltrane, Clifford Jordan, Charlie Rouse, and Hank Mobley on tenors – plus Art Farmer and Donald Byrd on trumpets, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Jackie McLean on alto, and Kenny Burrell on guitar – top-shelf Blue Note Groups on every record – and the set features 61 tracks in all, and the usual Mosaic booklet of notes! CD

One of the hippest albums ever from the team of Kenny Clarke and Francy Boland – a unique small combo session that's even groovier than their famous big band work! The setting is wonderful – Clarke on drums, Boland on piano, and a sextet lineup that includes Sahib Shihab on flute, Fats Sadi on vibes, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Joe Harris on percussion – all players who know each other well, and groove together as one amazing unit on the set! The tunes here are lyrical and lively, modal and moving, and still some of the freshest jazz cut on the European scene of the 60s – music that's having a huge impact these days in the club jazz underground. Shihab's flute work is sublime, especially next to Sadi's vibes – and Harris' added percussion gives a number of the cuts a bit of a Latin kick that's totally great! There's a bit of vocals on the set, and titles include "Ebony Samba", "Tin Tin Deo", "Potter's Crossing", "Wives & Lovers", "Ensadinado", "Lorraine", "Day By Day", "Love Hungry", and "Please Don't Leave". CD

Stellar early 70s work from John Dankwork – in a 2CD set! Full Circle is simply one of the greatest albums we've ever heard from the Brit maestro – a big band album as in earlier years, but one done with lots of hip 70s touches! The feel here is halfway between that of sound library grooving and some of the larger group 70s sessions on MPS – often funky at times, but with freshly modern solo work that breaks out from the larger ensemble nicely to accentuate the mood of the tunes. Players include Alan Branscombe on vibes, John Taylor on piano, Joe Moretti on guitar, and Kenny Wheeler on trumpet – and tunes include Mike Vickers' "Eleven Plus", Mike Gibbs' "A Family Joy" and "Triple Portrait", Keith Jarrett's "Grow Your Own", and Dankworth's "Academy One" and "Earthman". Also features a nice bass-y take on "You Are Too Beautiful". Lifeline is another great one – also reminding us of some of the larger MPS projects of the same time. The tracks have a bit of an electric glow in the basswork and production, but the main focus is on acoustic big band grooving – with breakout solos, and some tighter ensemble passages. Includes the sweet suite "Lifeline", which has a few funky moments – plus"Tomorrow's World", "WRVR", and "Fighting The Flab". Players include Don Rendell, Tony Hymas, Ken Gibson, and Dankworth himself. CD

A killer hardbop session from the early years of MPS/Saba Records – and one of the boldest statements on record from the mighty American reedman Nathan Davis – then residing in Europe, and really making some great waves on the scene! As with so many of the best Saba gems, the record has a way of taking Blue Note/Prestige Records inspiration, and pushing it with a fresher sensibility picked up overseas – elements of spiritual and modal jazz in the mix, served up by Davis on tenor, flute and soprano – in a wonderful combo that also features Carmell Jones on trumpet – with Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – that ultra-hip rhythm section who opened up so many Gigi Campi productions! The album's a prize in the collection of any serious jazz collector – and titles include "The Hip Walk", "Train Of Thought", "B's Blues", and the nice groover "That Kaycee Thing". CD

One of Art Farmer's pivotal mid 50s sides – recorded in the company of altoist Gigi Gryce, a great player and a budding young arranger who helped Farmer really formulate the best side of his sound! The tracks are lyrically modern – but still have a nice dose of soul in them – a wonderful blend that really sets the stage for the move that Art was making away from earlier trumpeters in jazz – into that hip territory that was neither too cool, nor too overblown – and which would almost be known as "Farmer-like" in years to come! The album features Gryce and Farmer in 2 different groups – one with Horace Silver on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – the other with Freddie Redd on piano, Addison Farmer on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Titles include "Social Call", "Capri", "Deltitnu", "Stupendous Lee", and "Blue Concept". CD

The classic sound of Funkadelic, reworked by a key selection of contemporary talents from the Detroit scene – but never in a way that wrecks the originals at all! Unlike other remix projects, which might break up the music to a point that you can hardly recognize the original grooves – this set does a wonderful job of maintaining all the integrity of the famous funky recordings by the group, while also letting some artists from the group's hometown also include a few of their own contributions too – all in ways that really expand the original vision of the music, while keeping things in a funky soul vein all the way through! Given all the greateness of Detroit grooves in recent years – from that city's very fertile underground of producers and musicians – the sound here is still even more amazing than we expected, and the album's a very fitting one to be issued on the Westbound label. The set's double-length, and for good reason too – and titles include "Music 4 My Mother (Underground Resistance mix)", "Sexy Ways (Recloose disco flip)", "Get Your Ass Off & Jam (Marcellus Pittman rmx)", "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure (Alton Miller mix)", "Super Stupid (Dirtbombs version)", "Music For My Mother (Andres Wo Ahh Ay voc mix)", "Cosmic Slop (Moodymann mix)", "Be My Beach (Mophono & Tom Thump)", "Let's Make It Last (Kenny Dixon Jr edit)", "Let's Take It To The Stage (Amp Fiddler @Ya mix)", "Undisco Kidd (Gay Marvine edit)", "Looking Back At You (Ectomorph stripped & dubbed)", and "Standing On The Verge (Anthony Shake Shakir & T Dancer rmx)". CD

A never-issued studio session from the 70s – one that has Stan Getz working with a really superb group that includes Joanne Brackeen on electric and acoustic piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – all exploring the kind of territory that we loved on Stan's classic mid 70s albums on Columbia! The set's on Steeplechase, but this isn't one of those EU live albums with long takes of standards – and instead, the group have a warm, intimate, really cohesive style that's completely great – almost a bridge between Stan's Captain Marvel album and the Concord sessions to come. Titles include some really great song choices – versions of Milton Nascimento's "Cancao Do Sal" and Kenny Wheeler's "Quiso" – plus the classic tune "Litha" by Chick Corea, which Stan recorded so wonderfully in the past. Other titles include "Blue Serge", "I Remember Clifford", and "Lady Sings The Blues". CD features three bonus alternate takes too! CD

A stunning slice of work from the mighty Dexter Gordon – material recorded in the Netherlands, at a time when Dex was really expanding his talents on that scene! The work here is unreleased, but follows the format of some of his killer albums on the Steeplechase label – a live performance, with Gordon really stretching out on some incredible solos that are filled with fire and imagination– with backing from a Dutch trio that features Rein DeGraaff on piano, Henk Haverhoek on bass, and Eric Ineke on drums. Rein is great – and has the full sense of soul that Kenny Drew brought to some of his recordings with Gordon on the scene – but the real star is the man himself, stretching out beautifully on long versions of "Fried Bananas", "The Panther", and "Body & Soul". CD

Fantastic unreleased work from one of the greatest trumpeters on the European scene from the late 50s onward – and one of the few players who could match the depth and soul of American jazzmen on the instrument! Dusko Goykovich has given us so much great music over the years – in small groups as a leader, in unusual projects as a sideman, and even as a soloist in bigger bands – and here, we capture the trumpet giant at the earliest stage of his career – on some beautiful German radio studio recordings from the end of the 50s and start of the 60s – tight, soulful, boppish material with a slight modern edge – recorded on all tracks with Derek Humble on alto, Karl Drevo (Drewo) on tenor, Franciso Coppieters on piano, and Jonny Fischer on bass. Some tracks feature Kenny Clarke on drums, the rest feature Stuff Combe on the kit – and titles include "Mile Dave", "Omricon", "Perhaps", "Quicksilver", "Solar", "Les Copains", "Salud To Birdland", and "On Green Dolphin Street". CD

A trio of albums from one of our favorite trumpeters on the European scene! First up is Portrait – a set that stands as a tribute to trumpeter Dusko Goykovich's 70 years on this planet – and a record that features him in a variety of settings too! Other players include Ferdinand Povel on flute and tenor, Tony Lakatos on tenor, Steve Gut on trumpet, Isla Eckinger and Ray Drummond on basses, Abraham Burton on alto, and Kenny Barron and Tommy Flanagan on pianos – on titles that include "Recado Bossa Nova", "Balkan Blue", "Adriatica", "One For Klook", and "Inga". Next is Swinging Macedonia – a legendary German session from the 60s – and a record that really showcases the unusual criss-crossing of modes that was going on in the European scene at the time! There's a very strong MPS vibe here – as trumpeter Dusko Goykovich leads a swinging sextet that includes Nathan Davis on flute, soprano, and tenor – blowing some tremendously soulful reed lines – plus incredible rhythms from Mal Waldron on piano, Peter Trunk on bass, and Cees See on drums. The record's an attempt to bring traditional Macedonian rhythms into a jazz perspective – but with players like these, it swings in a way any Macedonian album never could – damn soulful, and with a great exotic vibe. Davis is especially great, and plays in a soaring modal vein that's similar to his work on his classic MPS sides, and on the records he cut in America in the early 70s. The album's a beautiful session that often get's overlooked because it blends it with the Enja catalog – but it's really more of a record that belongs in an MPS reissue series, and is a great lost groover that's waiting to be rediscovered by the Dusty Groove crowd. Titles include "Macedonia", "Old Fisherman's Daughter", "Jumbo Uganda", "Bem Basha", "Saga Se karame", and "The Nights Of Skopje". Brandenberg Concert features one of the greatest trumpeters on the European scene of the past few decades – heard here in a completely sublime setting! Dusko Goykovich has played in many styles and many ways, but hasn't ever done a date with full strings before – a long-overdue placement for his wonderful tone on trumpet – shimmering out front of a larger ensemble, in the manner of classic "with strings" dates by Dizzy Gillespie or Art Farmer! Altoist Peter King arranged the album – and titles are all originals by Dusko, some of which you might know from earlier records – reworked here beautifully for the new setting. King also solos on a handful of tracks too – a rich voice that provides a nice balance with Dusko's trumpet. Strings are never overdone, and the album's always got a nice swing from a core rhythm trio that features Renato Chicco on piano. Titles include "Good Old Days", "Handful O Soul", "Danca Comigo", "St Germain Des Pres", "Adriatica", "In My Dreams", and "I Miss You So". CD

A beautiful little session from one of the greatest guitarists ever! The album's part of Blue Note's tendency to "churchify" Grant Green on some albums – giving his guitar a gospelly groove that has some nicely soulful connotations – but it's also a record that's maybe the strongest of that bunch, as it's got this approach that's loose and open – and which has this fantastic flow that's aided by the piano of Kenny Drew! Drew is the equal star on this set – and the longer tunes on the record really allow for plenty of open solo space – and the whole thing shines with Drew's piano matching lines with Green's strung-out single-note solos. The groove is pretty hard, and the recording quality keeps the whole thing nice and lively – thanks also to work from Ben Tucker on bass and Ben Dixon on drums. Titles include "Sunday Mornin", "Come Sunrise", "Exodus", and "Freedom March". CD

An expanded, remastered version of this legendary live performance from British tenor giant Tubby Hayes – a 1965 session recorded at the famous Hopbine club, owned by saxophonist Tommy Whittle, who also makes an appearance on two numbers in the set! The recording quality of the CD is quite strong – and Hayes is caught in strong Sonny Rollins-like territory – improvising strongly and creatively over longer selections, never failing to delight with his rich command of the tenor. Most tracks are in the 10 minute and more range – and the group features Tubby as the main soloist with a rhythm section that includes Kenny Powell on piano, Ron Mathewson on bass, and Dick Brennan on drums. Titles include "Night & Day", "It Never Entered My Mind", "I Remember You", "No Blues", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Have You Met Miss Jones", and "What's New". CD

The start of a legend – a huge amount of material that introduced the world to the tenor genius of the young Joe Henderson – recorded over the space of a few short years, on records that feature Joe as both the leader and a sideman on some of the hippest Blue Note records of the time! Henderson was amazing right at the start – able to play a soulful hardbop lead at one moment, then slide into edgier modern territory the next – a quality that made him a key artist to work with some of the other strong Blue Note innovators of the period – as you'll hear in this overstuffed set! The set features a total of 47 gems – including some alternate takes – all wrapped up with the usual top-shelf Mosaic Records booklet of notes, photos, and other key details on the material. Includes the full albums Page One, Our Thing, In N Out, Mode For Joe, and Inner Urge – all recorded under the leadership of Joe Henderson – plus tracks from the albums Unity by Larry Young, The Kicker by Bobby Hutcherson, Little Johnny C by Johnny Coles, and Step Lightly by Blue Mitchell – and the full Kenny Dorham albums Una Mas and Trompeta Toccatta, both of which are essential in Henderson's career! CD

One of the first true moments of genius from tenorist Joe Henderson – his debut as a leader for Blue Note, and a set that already has him knocking it out of the park, and setting a tone for a whole new generation! Right at the start, Joe was as distinct a saxophonist as recent predecessors like Wayne Shorter or Hank Mobley – but like both of them, he had a voice that was all his own – and already stretching past more familiar tenor modes, at a level that would make Henderson one of the most important players in years soon to come! But he's already great here – and is working in a suberpb group with Kenny Dorham on trumpet, McCoy Tyner on piano, Butch Warren on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums. LaRoca's very free on the drum kit, and gives the set a rhythmic looseness that's a bit of a hint at some of Joe's 70's recordings – and that style's even further supported by Tyner's long flowing lines on piano, and Dorham's sparkling work on the trumpet! Includes the classic reading of Kenny's "Blue Bossa", plus the titles "Recorda-Me", "Jinrikisha", "La Mesha", and "Homestretch". CD