Wonderful work from this really unique west coast combo of the 70s – a quartet that draws plenty from key contributions of each of its members – but which also has a very special sound in the acoustic guitar of Laurindo Almeida! Almeida's a player who'd already been working in LA for two decades or more, but finds a whole new way to express himself here – in the company of past partner Bud Shank on reeds – who really opens up with some soulful solos on the record, which step boldly past some of the guitar passages that sometimes lead off the tracks. Ray Brown's bass is wonderful too – well-shaped, and given some great space to help work alongside Laurindo's guitar – and the album's completed by some very sensitive work on drums by Shelly Manne. Titles include "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "Django", "Romance De Amor", and "Recipe Of Love". CD

Wonderful work from this really unique west coast combo of the 70s – a quartet that draws plenty from key contributions of each of its members – but which also has a very special sound in the acoustic guitar of Laurindo Almeida! Almeida's a player who'd already been working in LA for two decades or more, but finds a whole new way to express himself here – in the company of past partner Bud Shank on reeds – who really opens up with some soulful solos on the record, which step boldly past some of the guitar passages that sometimes lead off the tracks. Ray Brown's bass is wonderful too – well-shaped, and given some great space to help work alongside Laurindo's guitar – and the album's completed by some very sensitive work on drums by Shelly Manne. Titles include "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "Django", "Romance De Amor", and "Recipe Of Love". CD

A key second chapter in the long and wonderful career of Joni Mitchell – a set that brings together the four albums she recorded for the Asylum label in the mid 70s – a post-Blue period that really had Joni opening up and exploring a lot in her music – including a jazzier side of the spectrum that never showed up as strongly before! First up is For The Roses – a sometimes-overlooked album in the career of Joni Mitchell – but a set that's every bit as great as the two huge hits that bracket it! Joni's really finding a great way forward, sounding more mature, and bringing some jazzier currents into her music – thanks in part to help from reedman Tom Scott and bassist Wilton Felder of The Crusaders – and a style of songwriting that's sometimes more fluid than before, and often a lot more biting too! Titles include "Woman Of Heart & Mind", "You Turn Me On I'm A Radio", "For The Roses", "Barbangrill", "Cold Blue Steel & Sweet Fire", "Let The Wind Carry Me", "Lesson In Survival", and "Judgement Of The Moon & Stars". Court & Spark is a key record in the second chapter of Joni Mitchell on record – a set that has both her vocals and her overall music style flowing with all these amazing touches you might not have heard a few years before – jazzier currents in her music that really set the album apart from earlier work in Joni's career! Mitchell responds to the music with soaring vocals that are completely wonderful, and nicely changed up in character from tune to tune – given backing by a host of great jazz and studio players who include Tom Scott on reeds and Joe Sample on keyboards! Titles include her classic version of "Twisted" – a redone version of the old Annie Ross track – plus the classic hit "Help Me", and "Just Like This Train", "Car On A Hill", "Court & Spark", "Down To You", "Free Man In Paris", and "People's Parties". Miles Of Aisles is the first-ever live album from Joni Mitchell – and a record that sounds a fair bit different than a concert set might have during the Reprise years – as Joni's got plenty of help from Tom Scott & The LA Express, who bring a tight yet intimate vibe to the proceedings! Joni's definitely a superstar at this point – as you might guess from the size of the amphitheater on the cover – but she's also got an even stronger ability to come across with a personal, pointed style – one that's very different than the overblown hype of so many other 70s live albums. The set includes a few tracks not yet on albums, and a nice mix of material – including the live version of "Big Yellow Taxi" that ended up as a hit single – and the cuts"You Turn Me On I'm A Radio", "Blue", "Woman Of Heart & Mind", "Both Sides Now", "Real Good For Free", "Jericho", "Circle Game", "Cactus Tree", "The Last Time I Saw Richard", "People's Parties", and "Woodstock". Hissing Of Summer Lawns is a further step forward in the career of Joni Mitchell – a record that not only continues the jazzier currents she explored in the 70s, but also brings in a whole bunch of different modes as well – so much so, it's almost as if Joni's daring anyone to still call her a folk singer with the album! The themes are wonderfully sophisticated, as is the songwriting – the king of material that would keep Mitchell strong for decades, while so many of her contemporaries faltered – as you'll hear on the tracks "In France They Kiss On Main Street", "Sweet Bird", "Shadows & Light", "The Boho Dance", "Don't Interrupt The Sorrow", "The Jungle Line", and "Edith & The Kingpin". CD

Maybe the most compelling volume in this excellent series – a set that unearths all sorts of unusual moments from Joni Mitchell's years on Asylum Records – a stunningly creative period when she was really opening up her music, and also bringing in a lot of inspiration from jazz as well! All the material here has never been issued – and the set features a long live 1974 set with Tom Scott & The LA Express, plus other live performances from the time – and tracks from rare sessions done with James Taylor, Neil Young, Graham Nash and David Crosby too! But maybe the best material here is the huge array of session tracks and demos – for the albums For The Roses, Court & Spark, and Hissing Of Summer Lawns – really letting you hear Joni's creative process at work as she explores early versions of dozens of tunes, some very different than the famous recordings. The whole thing comes with a big booklet of notes and images – and includes Joni discussing her music with Cameron Crowe! LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most compelling volume in this excellent series – a set that unearths all sorts of unusual moments from Joni Mitchell's years on Asylum Records – a stunningly creative period when she was really opening up her music, and also bringing in a lot of inspiration from jazz as well! All the material here has never been issued – and the set features a long live 1974 set with Tom Scott & The LA Express, plus other live performances from the time – and tracks from rare sessions done with James Taylor, Neil Young, Graham Nash and David Crosby too! But maybe the best material here is the huge array of session tracks and demos – for the albums For The Roses, Court & Spark, and Hissing Of Summer Lawns – really letting you hear Joni's creative process at work as she explores early versions of dozens of tunes, some very different than the famous recordings. The whole thing comes with a big booklet of notes and images – and includes Joni discussing her music with Cameron Crowe! CD

The first-ever live album from Joni Mitchell – and a record that sounds a fair bit different than a concert set might have during the Reprise years – as Joni's got plenty of help from Tom Scott & The LA Express, who bring a tight yet intimate vibe to the proceedings! Joni's definitely a superstar at this point – as you might guess from the size of the amphitheater on the cover – but she's also got an even stronger ability to come across with a personal, pointed style – one that's very different than the overblown hype of so many other 70s live albums. The set includes a few tracks not yet on albums, and a nice mix of material – including the live version of "Big Yellow Taxi" that ended up as a hit single – and the cuts"You Turn Me On I'm A Radio", "Blue", "Woman Of Heart & Mind", "Both Sides Now", "Real Good For Free", "Jericho", "Circle Game", "Cactus Tree", "The Last Time I Saw Richard", "People's Parties", and "Woodstock". LP, Vinyl record album

A late 70s pressing of some classic Verve sides from the 50s, featuring two masters of the tenor, blowing side by side in a couple of small group settings: one with rhythm backing by Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, and Alvin Stoller and the other with Jimmy Jones, Les Spann, Ray Brown and Jo Jones, plus Roy Eldridge and Budd Johnson in the frontline. The best tracks have lots of room – plenty of space so that the tenors aren't butting heads with each other in too close of quarters, with space to express themselves freely. Titles include "Blues For Yolande", "La Rosita", "Shine On Harvest Moon", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "It Never Entered My Mind", "De-Dar", "Time After Time", "Young Bean" and "In A Mellowtone". LP, Vinyl record album

Although this 15 track compilation doesn't even begin to cover the full scope of this great messed-up funky group from LA, it's just about the only way you'll get their best stuff – because it's pretty darn hard to find in any format! The CD runs the gamut of the group's output – from tight choppy funky stuff like "Express Yourself" and "Spreadin' Honey", to later trippier soul stuff, like "90 Day Cycle People" and "Comment". Lots of other goodies, plus a good set of notes that tracks the roots of this enigmatic funk band from LA! CD

A masterpiece of messed-up LA funk – and one of the crowning moments in the career of Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band! Charles and crew do an excellent job with all the tracks – most of which are more open ended than some of their earlier ones, and run on for longer than usual with some good trippy instrumental moments that really stretch out the groove from their funky 45 days. The album includes the stoner funk classic "High As Apple Pie", done here in two "slices", plus the classic "Express Yourself", a monster number that still sounds great every time we hear it – even though it's been used on commercials and sampled plenty of times over the years! Other tracks include "I'm Aware", "Love Land", and "I Got Love" LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece of messed-up LA funk – and one of the crowning moments in the career of Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band! Charles and crew do an excellent job with all the tracks – most of which are more open ended than some of their earlier ones, and run on for longer than usual with some good trippy instrumental moments that really stretch out the groove from their funky 45 days. The album includes the stoner funk classic "High As Apple Pie", done here in two "slices", plus the classic "Express Yourself", a monster number that still sounds great every time we hear it – even though it's been used on commercials and sampled plenty of times over the years! Other tracks include "I'm Aware", "Road Without An End", and "Tell Me What You Want Me To Do". CD features 10 bonus tracks too – including 2 radio spots, single versions of "Express Yourself" and "High As Apple Pie", an alternate version of "Road Without An End", unreleased tracks "Jam #4" and "Everything's Gonna Be Alright", and the cuts "Living On Borrowed Time" and "Solution For Pollution". CD

That's a sweet image on the cover – and the grooves inside are equally dynamic too – a really wonderful collection that's easily one of the most compelling in Numero's Eccentric Soul series! The work here all hails from the tiny San Antonio scene of the late 60s – but much of the music has a sound that's way different than you might expect from Texas soul – often with great harmonies that recall the best of the east coast groups of the time, and occasionally with a few brown-eyed touches that echo the style of East LA! There's a wonderfully heartbreaking feel to many of these tracks – and the set's heavy focus on mellower numbers is totally great – and gives the whole thing a wonderful late nite sort of vibe that's usually quite hard to find in compilations like this. As usual, Numero's done a great job with the notes and history of the label – but the music alone is more than enough – a heady brew of cuts that include "Little Girl Blue" and "Try Loving Me" by The Webs, "I Gotta Know" by Tonettes, "Give Your Love To Me" and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Little Jr Jesse & The Tear Drops, "Cry & Wonder Why" by Doc & Sal, "Must Be Alright" and "Hey It's Love" by The Commands, "She's Gotta Have Soul" by Bobby Blackmon & The Soul Express, and "I Can't Take No More" by Willie Cooper & The Webs. CD

That's a sweet image on the cover – and the grooves inside are equally dynamic too – a really wonderful collection that's easily one of the most compelling in Numero's Eccentric Soul series! The work here all hails from the tiny San Antonio scene of the late 60s – but much of the music has a sound that's way different than you might expect from Texas soul – often with great harmonies that recall the best of the east coast groups of the time, and occasionally with a few brown-eyed touches that echo the style of East LA! There's a wonderfully heartbreaking feel to many of these tracks – and the set's heavy focus on mellower numbers is totally great – and gives the whole thing a wonderful late nite sort of vibe that's usually quite hard to find in compilations like this. As usual, Numero's done a great job with the notes and history of the label – but the music alone is more than enough – a heady brew of cuts that include "Little Girl Blue" and "Try Loving Me" by The Webs, "I Gotta Know" by Tonettes, "Give Your Love To Me" and "Ain't No Big Thing" by Little Jr Jesse & The Tear Drops, "Cry & Wonder Why" by Doc & Sal, "Must Be Alright" and "Hey It's Love" by The Commands, "She's Gotta Have Soul" by Bobby Blackmon & The Soul Express, and "I Can't Take No More" by Willie Cooper & The Webs. CD

First New Orleans, then Houston, now Baton Rouge – leave it to the folks at Tuff City to make any southern city funky funky funky! The album actually only features work by 4 artists – but all of them are pretty darn great, the kind of obscure funky acts that first put us in business years back! The groove is hard and heavy – quite a different slice of LA than the New Orleans groove – with lots more hard drums and rumbling bass, and an overall sound that's very much in the east coast indie funk sound of the early 70s. And honestly, this is one of the freshest and strongest compilations that Tuff City ever put out – filled with great tracks that include "Joy & Affection", "Funky Black Man", and "Hogwash" by Earnest Jackson; "I Never Found A Girl" by Underground Express; "That's Henry", "Mississippi Mud", and "Angela" by Black Blood & The Chocolate Pickles; and "Ooh Wee Baby I Love You", "What The Deal Is", and "Groove Making" by George Perkins. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection – and one that fills in a crucially under-documented side of the New York dancefloor generation – the wealth of special mixes and edits that were made for that city's important DJs for their own use in clubs! The package sorts through a mountain of never-issued acetates, and goes way past conventional disco or rare club collections – to showcase the special mixing talents these DJs brought to their re-presentation of the material – which was usually done on tape, then pressed onto acetate discs for their own private use! Those rare treasures are brought forth here – in a beautiful package that's also overflowing with fantastic notes that finally give this lost history its due – all handled by Al Kent – who's a hell of a mixer himself, as well as an underground club historian. Vinyl part 2 features five full records – all with lots of space for the tracks to stretch out – and titles include "My Number's Up (Tee Scott rmx)" by The Salsoul Orchestra, "The Love Bug Done Bit Me Again (David Todd rmx)" by Skyliners, "LA Sunshine (Robert Ouimet rmx)" by Aura, "Love Has Come My Way (Jim Burgess rmx)" by Tony Valor Sound Orchestra, "Handsome Ma (Bobby DJ Guttadoro rmx)" by Sparkle Tuhran & Friends, "Love Thang (Tee Scott rmx)" by First Choice, "Burn Me Up (Jellybean Benitez edit)" by Kay Gees, "Love Is The Message (Tee Scott rmx)" by Brooklyn Express, "Changes (Jellybean Benitez rmx)" by Chain Reaction, "J'Ouvert (Frank Sestito rmx)" by John Gibbs & The Jam Band, "By The Way You Dance (Bobby DJ Guttadaro rmx)" by Bunny Sigler, "It's Good For The Soul (Walter Gibbons disco madness version)" by Salsoul Orchestra, and "It's A Better Than Good Time (Walter Gibbons rmx)" by Gladys Knight & The Pips. LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous work from Joshua Abrams – a set that's very different than some of his other work in recent years, but every bit as great! The set's got a lean group – Abrams on bass, Jeff Parker on guitar, Gerald Cleaver on drums, and the great Ari Brown on tenor – of Awakening fame – a group that delivers a more stripped-down version of some of Josh's more spiritual ideals – but in ways that also touch base with more conventional jazz expression! Make no mistake, there's nothing conventional about this set – the approach is very unique, and very striking – and the presence of the younger musicians really sets Ari Brown on fire, and reminds us of what a great soloist he can be when he's pushed to his limits. Titles include "Collapsing Novelty", "Duke Hill", "Echo Tracer", "In Place Of Memory", and "Coniunctio". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous step forward for the young Muhal Richard Abrams – a set that still shows his early roots in the AACM, but which also blossoms with some of his more serious compositional efforts to come! There's a sensitivity here that really stands out – even among Abrams' contemporaries – a striving for a wider range of expression – some as bold as before, some much more deeply personal and intimate. The tracks feature a shifting array of players – working alongside Abrams piano, and building up the sound in a number of different ways. Players include Wallace McMillan on flute and sax, Edwin Daugherty on sax, Richard Brown on sax, Emanuel Cranshaw on vibes, Rufus Reid on bass, and Steve McCall and Wilbur Campbell on drums. Ella Jackson provides vocals on "How Are You?" – and other titles include "Ballad For New Souls", "Things To Come From Those Now Gone", "In Retrospect", "Ballad For Old Souls", "1 & 4 Plus 2 & 7", and "March Of The Transients". CD

One of the coolest projects we've ever heard from the mighty Dave Lee – and that's saying a lot, given all the excellent records he's given us under the name of Joey Negro, Sunburst Orchestra, and other related projects! Here, Dave mixes his keen ear for funky club with some of the great cop/crime grooves of the mid 70s – particularly the kind of work that might have backed police programs on the small screen, almost as if Lee is channeling the classic work of Rhythm Heritage for SWAT, then taking things in a whole new direction! The "symphony" in the group's name is very well put, as there's soaring strings on many numbers – an even fuller feel than on some of Dave's other projects, but with equally tight grooves at the core. Part 2 includes "The Philly Avengers", "AC Express", "The Mystery, The Moment", "It's Got To Be Love", "Music For Your Pleasure" and "Losing My Mind At The Disco". LP, Vinyl record album

Bold new work from the legendary Pyramids ensemble – a spiritual jazz group who go back to the 70s, but who've reemerged in recent years with a renewed sense of energy, and a very forward-thinking sound! Leader Idris Ackamoor is still a master of tone and feeling on reeds – including alto and tenor, plus some other instrumentation as well – and he also vocalizes a bit on the record too hitting some righteous expressions that are in the spirit of Leon Thomas or Dwight Trible, mixed along with instrumentation from other players on drums, percussion, keyboards, trumpet, trombone, and guitar. The album's got a beautifully positive vibe – and titles include "Police Dem", "First Peoples", "Afro Futuristic Dreams", "Garland Rose", "Truth To Power", and "Requiem For The Ancestors". CD

Bold new work from the legendary Pyramids ensemble – a spiritual jazz group who go back to the 70s, but who've reemerged in recent years with a renewed sense of energy, and a very forward-thinking sound! Leader Idris Ackamoor is still a master of tone and feeling on reeds – including alto and tenor, plus some other instrumentation as well – and he also vocalizes a bit on the record too hitting some righteous expressions that are in the spirit of Leon Thomas or Dwight Trible, mixed along with instrumentation from other players on drums, percussion, keyboards, trumpet, trombone, and guitar. The album's got a beautifully positive vibe – and titles include "Police Dem", "First Peoples", "Afro Futuristic Dreams", "Garland Rose", "Truth To Power", and "Requiem For The Ancestors". LP, Vinyl record album

The music of Roscoe Mitchell, served up here in a really amazing setting – all solo vibes, handled by Jason Adasiewicz, in a style that's very different than Roscoe's original versions of these tunes! If you've ever heard Adasiewicz solo, you'll already dig what's going on here – work on vibes that's deeply resonant, warmly chromatic, and full of some of the most human, honest, open expressions we've ever heard on the instrument! Jason's always been part of the avant underground in Chicago, but he's also a very spiritual player too – a quality that really comes out in a setting like this – as he unlocks very different currents in tunes that Mitchell originally presented on his own albums, or with the Art Ensemble Of Chicago. The whole thing is wonderfully hypnotic throughout – and titles include "Congliptious", "Old", "Carefree", "The Waltz", "Toro/Jo Jar", "The Key", "A Jackson In Your House", and "Daddy Rollin Stone". CD

The music of Roscoe Mitchell, served up here in a really amazing setting – all solo vibes, handled by Jason Adasiewicz, in a style that's very different than Roscoe's original versions of these tunes! If you've ever heard Adasiewicz solo, you'll already dig what's going on here – work on vibes that's deeply resonant, warmly chromatic, and full of some of the most human, honest, open expressions we've ever heard on the instrument! Jason's always been part of the avant underground in Chicago, but he's also a very spiritual player too – a quality that really comes out in a setting like this – as he unlocks very different currents in tunes that Mitchell originally presented on his own albums, or with the Art Ensemble Of Chicago. The whole thing is wonderfully hypnotic throughout – and titles include "Congliptious", "Old", "Carefree", "The Waltz", "Toro/Jo Jar", "The Key", "A Jackson In Your House", and "Daddy Rollin Stone". CD

Three full albums from this great Dutch pianist! Miss Dee is a heck of a set from Dutch pianist Rob Agerbeek – easily one of the most soulful European pianists of the 70s, even in an acoustic setting like this! Rob's got a bite on the keys that reminds us a lot more of American players from the 60s – not a straight soul jazz groove, but a style that definitely draws from that mode – then opens up into some more lyrical elements that are more in keeping with overseas expression in the 70s. The trio matches his energy nicely – especially on the upbeat numbers that rule the set – with bass from Harry Emmery and drums from Eric Ineke – on titles that include "Little Miss Dee", "Cup Bearers", "Birk's Works", "Caravan", and "Out Of This World". Second Opinion is a trio set from the great Rob Agerbeek – one that lets him open up on familiar tunes, but with a sense of imagination that really packs a lot into a small space! The lineup features Paul Berner on bass and Ben Schroeder on drums – and titles include "Summertime", "East Of The Sun", "Lover Man", "Besame Mucho", "Mad About The Boy", "Girl Talk", "As Time Goes By", and "Things Ain't What They Used To Be". Lock Stock & Barrell is a relatively recent set from Dutch piano Rob Agerbeek – who locks it up nicely, in a trio with Erik Albjerg on bass and Tjeerd Klapwijk on drums! Titles include "Lock Stock & Barrel", "A Child Is Born", "Round Midnight", "O Morro Nao Tem Vez", "Thora's Dance", "Cubano Chant", "Nearest & Dearest", and "Footprints". CD

One of the best albums ever by this legendary Chicago trio – a great example of the way that records on the Nessa label can really get to the heart of artists' intentions! The trio of Henry Threadgill on reeds, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Steve McCall on percussion have never sounded better – and have this intimate, soulful interplay that's sometimes missing from other efforts – that special kind of energy that makes the AACM so great when it's really clicking this well – as deeply spiritual as it is freely expressive! Threadgill plays alto, tenor, bass flute, and the compelling hubkaphone – and titles include "I'll Be Right Here Waiting", "No 2", "GvE", "Subtraction", and "Keep Right On Playing Thru The Mirror Over The Water". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful album from Lorez Alexanderia – one of her two excellent sessions for Impulse! The record was cut after Lorez recorded some great sides for the Argo label – and it works off the strength of those sides, taking her unique vocal approach, forged in R&B, but smoothed by jazz, into a whole new level of expression! The backing is great – small combo, with featured musicians who include Bunk Shank and Paul Horn on reeds, and Victor Feldman and Wynton Kelly on piano – all working with moody, soulful arrangements that are a perfect accompaniment to Lorez' beautiful voice. Includes the cuts "Get Me To The Church On Time", "Satin Doll", "Show Me", "The Best Is Yet to Come", "I'm Through With Love", and 5 more! CD

A beautiful album from Lorez Alexanderia – one of her two excellent sessions for Impulse! The record was cut after Lorez recorded some great sides for the Argo label – and it works off the strength of those sides, taking her unique vocal approach, forged in R&B, but smoothed by jazz, into a whole new level of expression! The backing is great – small combo, with featured musicians who include Bunk Shank and Paul Horn on reeds, and Victor Feldman and Wynton Kelly on piano – all working with moody, soulful arrangements that are a perfect accompaniment to Lorez' beautiful voice. Includes the cuts "Get Me To The Church On Time", "Satin Doll", "Show Me", "The Best Is Yet to Come", "I'm Through With Love", and 5 more! LP, Vinyl record album

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Way way more than you might guess from an album with Motown in the title – and instead, a set that may well be one of the best we've heard from Geri Allen in years! Yes, the tracks are mostly numbers from the classic years of the famous soul label – but the presentation is quite different – mostly solo piano, with Geri stretching out in these fluid, spiritual ways that go far past any familiar melodies, and which really make the songs deeply her own. Plus, the set also features some tremendous guest work from Marcus Belgrave on trumpet on three tracks – stretching out with the kind of righteous, expressive tones that have made us love him from the days of Tribe Records onwards. David McMurray also guests on alto on one track – but the bulk of album is solo piano from Allen, on titles that include "The Smart Set", "Space Odyssey", "Inner City Blues", "Stoned Love", "Itching In My Heart", "Tears Of A Clown", "That Girl", and "Grand River Crossings". CD

Guitarist Laurindo Almeida returns to a bit of his roots here – but he also shows off a lot of the jazz experience he's picked up along the way! The album features Almeida working solo on acoustic guitar – although possibly overdubbed alongside himself at times – and while the set begins with the serious title composition, things never get too much in the realm of classical guitar – and instead have Almeida skirting many different styles, including a bit of bossa guitar – and working with this uniquely echoey recording style that makes each note resonate with a richly expressive sound! Titles include "Cool Cat Keeps Coat On", "Holiday For Strings", "Songs From Black Orpheus", "The Summer Knows", and "Star Dust". CD

Guitarist Laurindo Almeida returns to a bit of his roots here – but he also shows off a lot of the jazz experience he's picked up along the way! The album features Almeida working solo on acoustic guitar – although possibly overdubbed alongside himself at times – and while the set begins with the serious title composition, things never get too much in the realm of classical guitar – and instead have Almeida skirting many different styles, including a bit of bossa guitar – and working with this uniquely echoey recording style that makes each note resonate with a richly expressive sound! Titles include "Cool Cat Keeps Coat On", "Holiday For Strings", "Songs From Black Orpheus", "The Summer Knows", and "Star Dust". LP, Vinyl record album

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

A landmark set from the freer side of the British jazz scene at the end of the 60s – a relatively open-ended session cut by alto saxophonist Trevor Watts with his Amalgam trio – a great group that features John Stevens on drums and Jeff Clyne on bass (although Barry Guy also sits in on bass for one of the tunes!) The sound here is somewhere between the original trio formation of the ESP groups of the mid 60s and the more freely expressive groups of the FMP years – but is also touched with a good deal of that sense of sadness and depth of emotion that colored some of the best modern British jazz sessions of the period. Watt's work on alto is incredible throughout – dominating the record more than most players we could imagine on the instrument in such a setting – and titles include "Tales Of Sadness", "Judy's Smile I", "Judy's Smile II", and "Prayer For Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue second dive into the tapes of Fred Anderson's searing performance in Milwaukee in 1980 – a brilliant document of a group that was not recorded often, and who shine here in a way that really illuminates the genius that Anderson was capable of in the decade before the world began to give him greater recognition! There's a quality here that's almost a lost chapter in the development of avant jazz, especially the Chicago scene – earlier AACM energies given a bit more focus, and a bit bolder expression – by a quartet that also includes Billy Brimfield on trumpet, Larry Hayrod on bass, and Hamid Drake on drums – players who have a taught, urgent approach to the music that makes for completely captivating listening all the way through! The material is a key addition to Anderson's catalog, and a record that may well stand at the top of it as well – with titles that include "He Who Walks Alone", "Another Place", "Bernice", "3 On 2", and "Our Theme". CD

Stunning work from Lucas Arruda – a record we love even more than his first – and we totally loved that one to death! The sound here is prime Brazilian 70s at its best – that magical moment when jazz, fusion, and older bossa-schooled styles all came together in a really unique blend – and also helped Brazil find its own unique sense of soul, too – a quality that really came forth in the best work from Azymuth and Marcos Valle at the end of the decade! No surprise, Lucas has Azymuth bassist Alex Malheiros and Valle collaborator Leon Ware both on board to help out with the record – but the strength of the set is clearly all Arruda's own – as his vocals are wonderful, with a soulful expression that's vaguely in the Ed Motta side of the spectrum – mixed with his own warm lines on Fender Rhodes, which totally warm things up! Production is perfect, and equally vintage – and the album's a treasure we'll be loving for years. Titles include "Uma Onda", "Melt The Night", "Vento Sul", "Kalunga", "Solar", "O Mar O Samba E O Sol", "Beyond The Sea", and "Agua". LP, Vinyl record album

Don't let the "alternate" in the title fool you, because it's not like the Art Ensemble Of Chicago are getting all alt-rock or anything – nor is the album a set of alternate takes! Instead, the album's one of their best from the time – a well-crafted set of tunes, recorded in very familiar company in Chicago – issued only for the Japanese market by DIW. There's a richly organic quality to some of the tunes – as many of the numbers are sparer, more thoughtful tracks that focus on spare percussion and instrumental interplay between members of the group. The album also features the longer tune "Kush", which gets fairly outside at times – plus shorter numbers that include "Imaginary Situations", "And There Was Peace", "Whatever Happens", and "Alternate Express". CD