A brilliant later set from Lee Konitz – recorded for Blue Note, after many years of Lee's mighty talents being ignored by US labels! Konitz first rose up as a modernist in the postwar years, recorded important records for Atlantic, Verve, Prestige, and other labels – then mostly gave his gifts to the overseas market during the 70s, and especially the 80s. Yet during that time, he grew tremendously as a player – something that's almost hard to imagine given the genius of his youth – and received this excellent showcase courtesy of bassist Charlie Haden, who co-produced with Lee, and plays in the trio alongside pianist Brad Mehldau. The format is open and fluid – never too free, but with that exploratory vibe that Konitz and the rest of the Tristano school opened up in the 50s. Titles include nice long takes on "Alone Together", "The Song Is You", "You Stepped Out Of A Dream", "What Is This Thing Called Love", and "Round Midnight". LP, Vinyl record album

Lovely, laidback, but spontaneous trio jazz from sax great Lee Konitz on tenor – backed by the impeccable piano of Jimmy Rowles, and Michael Moore on bass. This late 70s session finds the group in a spare, graceful, loose elegance and a glowing warmth. Nothing fancy, just a light, but impassioned set of timeless trio jazz. Titles include "I Remember You","Skylark", "Thanks For The Memory", You Are To Beautiful", "Handful Of Stars", "Autumn Nocturne", and "Tenorlee", which segues to "Lady Be Good". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's noteworthy not just for the presence of alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, and for the leadership of baritonist Gerry Mulligan – but a record that also features the great Chet Baker on trumpet, working here as part of a trio of musicians who were really helping transform the sound of jazz in the early 50s! And maybe most noteworthy in the set is the lack of any piano at all – a strategy of Mulligan's at the time, but used in a way that also echoes some of Lee's sublime quartet sessions of the mid 50s too – and a nice setting for Chet, as he has plenty of space to open up and craft those magical notes of his youth! The rest of the group features Larry Bunker on drums, and either Carson Smith or Joe Mondragon on bass – and material was recorded partly live, and partly in the studio – with titles that include "Broadway", "Sextet", "Almost Like Being In Love", "Too Marvelous For Words", "Lover Man", "I'll Remember April", and "All The Things You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

One of two albums that Lee Konitz cut with the trio of Marial Solal in 1968 – originally issued only very briefly in Europe on the small Campi label, and some of Konitz' most groundbreaking work of the 60s! Solal had been transforming the sound of jazz piano for most of the 60s by this point – working in a modernist mode that pushed far past most other American players of the time. His trio with Henry Texier and Daniel Humair is honed to perfection by this point – and the addition of Konitz's icy, angular horn really gives the set a compelling finish that you don't even find on Solal's own albums of the 60s. Titles include "Impressive Rome", "Anthropology", "Roman Blues", and "Stella By Starlight". LP, Vinyl record album

Spare and moody work from the modern trio listed above – Konitz icy on alto, Bley surprisingly warm at times on piano, especially numbers which feature him on electric keys, and Connors playing both acoustic and electric guitar in long and introspective lines. Titles include "Out There", "Pyramid", "Tavia", and "Play Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

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Don't think "disco" as in the New York scene at Studio 54 – as these cuts are much deeper and dubbier – served up under the supervision of Bunny Lee by studio maestros Barnabas and Pat Kelly! Instrumentation is by the Aggrovators, but the magic comes equally from the production effects as it does from the massive rhythms by the group – as all the elements are filtered out in space, and criss-cross back and forth in this wonderful way – never too sloppy or experimental, but definitely tripping out with the groove! Vocals are muted when they do make an appearance – and titles include "The Aggrovators Special Dub", "Money In My Pocket Dub", "Portobello Special Dub", "Super Rockers Dub", "The Bomb Dub", "The Killer Dub", and "The Dub Specialist". LP, Vinyl record album

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A 60s LP that compiles Julia's earlier sides for Capitol – a mixture of jump blues, swing, and R&B, recorded with players that include Red Norvo, Benny Carter, Vic Dickenson, and Baby Lovett – all killer work from the early years of the labgel! Titles include "Last Call For Alcohol", "After Hours Waltz", "King Size Papa", "Snatch It & Grab It", "You Ain't Got It No More", and "Crazy World". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic stuff – and a key example of the penetration of psychoanalysis in the US during the postwar years! The tunes here are all vocal parodies of familiar themes from Freud – sung by Katie Lee in a way that's a bit jazz, but possibly a bit folksy too – very playful at times, with the dry wit that you'd get in some of Tom Lehrer's famous records of the same period. Instrumentation is arranged by Bob Thompson, who really emphasizes the whimsy in the tunes – and titles include "The Will To Fail", "Repressed Hostility Blues", "Gunslinger", "Properly Loved", "Real Sick Sounds", "Shrinker Man", and "Schizophrenic Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

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An overlooked gem from singer Mamie Lee – a vocalist who inhabits the same space between jazz and soul as Nancy Wilson! The album's got a very groovy feel overall – thanks to small combo backing from The Swingmen, a piano trio who backed up Mamie in live appearances, and who really fit in great for this studio session. Lee's got a great repoire with the group, and they work together to make the album way more than the usual vocal session from the time – a nicely swinging, hip, and lean little set that's totally great! Titles include "Charade", "Come Back To Me", "Once Upon A Time", "Poor Everybody Else", and "Try To Remember". LP, Vinyl record album

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A nicely different album than some of Peggy Lee's other albums for Capitol Records – a set of sophisticated arrangements, handled by Quincy Jones – which really give Lee the kind of setting to remind the world that she can be as compelling of a jazz singer as she can a vocalist on upbeat groovers! Jones here is coming off of work by his larger groups of the late 50s, and has a wonderful sense of tone and shading – creating this richness that's as deeply blue as the image on the cover, and which really works on the more melancholy currents that Peggy could hit at the right moments – those qualities that would get explored a bit more in later years, but which really find their way to open up here. The group features nice work from Benny Carter on alto and Victor Feldman on vibes – and there's a sense of loss and longing to the record that almost rivals that on the Sinatra album Wee Small Hours. Titles include "As Time Goes By", "If You Go", "I Wish I Didn't Love You So", "I Get Along Without You Very Well", "When I Was A Child", "Here's That Rainy Day", and "I'm Gonna Laugh You Out Of My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set of tracks from Peggy – featuring the sublime hit "Is That All There Is?", produced by Lieber & Stoller, and arranged and conducted by Randy Newman. Other arrangements are by the likes of Mike Melvoin, Mundell Lowe, George Tipton, and Bobby Bryant – all of whom conspire to give Peggy one of her hippest albums ever. Titles include "I'm A Woman", "Love Story", "Brother Love's Travelling Show", and "Don't Smoke In Bed". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique later album from Peggy Lee – one that's so different than the brash confidence of her early material, and which shows her really perfecting that boozy, mature sound that she brought to a handful of gems like this! The album's got a truly adult approach to pop that was less concerned with chart placement than it was with getting over a more sophisticated level of expression – and Peggy turns out to be wonderfully well suited for this mode – a deeply emotive singer by this point, capable of bringing a deeper sense of life into younger tunes of the era, fleshing them out with the newer freedoms of the time, yet without going overboard. There's almost a Robert Altman sense of poise and adult grace to these tunes – arranged by Artie Butler with a careful simplicity, and sung by Peggy with some of the truest emotion of her days on record. Titles include "Love Song", "Razor", "When I Found You", "A Song For You", "It Takes Too Long To Learn To Live Alone", "Someone Who Cares", and "Just For A Thrill". LP, Vinyl record album

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Peggy's sweet as sugar, but working here with a heck of a lot of spice – thanks to arranger Benny Carter, who brings in a wonderfully jazzy feel to the set! The album's one of Peggy's best from her comeback years at Capitol – and a prime example of the syncopated, slinking mode of arrangement that was the best 60s discovery for the Peggy Lee voice – and which allowed her to create a unique space for her own maturing sexuality in pop music. The whole thing's great, and avoids the cliches of some of the other Peggy Lee albums from the time. Titles include "I Believe In You", "Ain't That Love", "The Best Is Yet To Come", "The Sweetest Sounds", "Teach Me Tonight", "Tell All The World About You", and "Big Bad Bill". Plus, CD features 3 bonus cuts – including "Amazing", "Loads Of Love", and "I'll Be Around". LP, Vinyl record album

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A great Columbia Records set from the mighty Lee Michaels – still going strong after an amazing run of albums on A&M, but with a vibe that's maybe a bit more underground overall! Lee's still a hell of a songwriter, but he's also got an approach that's maybe slightly muted – almost as if he's done trying for charming stardom, but more than happy enough to revel in his own skills as a singer! There's a nicely relaxed vibe to the record, and clearly Columbia was more than happy to let Lee do his own thing, his own way – which he does beautifully on tunes that include "So Hard", "Olson Arrives At Two Fifty Five", "Your Breath Is Bleeding", "Went Saw Mama", "Bell", and "The Other Day". LP, Vinyl record album

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One of our favorite Lee Morgan albums, and one of his least known – a set recorded in the crucial last five years of his life, and a sparkling mix of hard bop, soul jazz, and slight bits of modernism – that magical mix that Lee was hitting as he reached farther and farther with his music – an amazing legacy in jazz that has us loving every Morgan session from 1965 onward! Lee's playing in very comfortable territory, with a group that includes Bennie Maupin on tenor, Cedar Walton on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – but that doesn't mean that the proceedings are relaxed at all, because the interplay between the players is flawless, and they use their familiarity as a great springboard to soar off into rich new territory. Lee wrote all the tunes on the record – like "Caramba", "Suicide City", and "Soulita". An excellent record throughout, and one that we'd never part with! LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique album from the great Lee Morgan – a set that features the trumpeter in two different settings, but in a way that really works well together! Most of the album has Lee blowing in a very cool quintet – with Joe Henderson on tenor, McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a group who maybe bring out a slightly hipper vibe that really points the way to the rest of Morgan's direction in the late 60s, when he was really letting some more spiritual currents loose. The other two tracks on the record feature a hip larger band directed by Oliver Nelson – swinging hard in a really soulful style! Nelson's arrangements on these two tracks are great – quite progressive, with a soul jazz big band style that seems to point the way towards the 70s – and the band provides a raging backdrop that lets Lee's trumpet soar over the top in beautiful crystal clear solos. Titles include "Nite Flite", "Delightful Deggie", "Ca-Lee-So", and "Zambia". LP, Vinyl record album

Lee Morgan on the hippest side of his 60s talents – working here in a style that's really stretching out, and in the same territory as similar unreleased gems from the time – like Tom Cat or Sonic Boom! The group here is very inventive – Jackie McLean on alto, Larry Willis on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – players who really represent the left side of Blue Note, but not as out as the "new thing" crowd – with a really creative approach to both the rhythms and the solos, commanded by Morgan's rich imagination at this point in his career. All tunes are great, and titles include "Zip Code", "Infinity", "Miss Nettie B", "Growing Pains", and McLean's fantastic "Portrait of a Doll". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums ever from the legendary trumpeter Lee Morgan – a set that Blue Note recorded in the mid 60s, but didn't show the world until almost two decades later! The album's got Lee as his lyrical best – working almost with a sense of exoticism, especially on the wonderful leadoff track – which is this loping take on Cal Massey's lesser-known composition "Pilgrim's Funny Farm" – blocked out into bold solos from Lee, plus Hank Mobley on tenor and Cedar Walton on piano! You can really hear Walton's influence on the record – that mix of flow and lyricism that he was hitting at the time – and drummer Billy Higgins also brings a lot to the record, too – creating these shifting rhythms that really move past the standard hardbop modes of a few years before. In addition to "Pilgrim's Funny Farm", the album also includes the tracks "The Rajah" and "Is That So" – and the whole thing's wonderful all the way through! LP, Vinyl record album

A great album by Lee Morgan – and one not to pass up! The Rumproller often gets too easily lumped next to The Sidewinder – because of an obvious title and cover similarity to that hit record – but like that one, the album's far more than jazz cliche – and shows Lee Morgan to be one of the greatest jazz musicians of the 60s. The set starts off with the title cut, "The Rumproller" – hard-wailing soul bop, in the manner of Lee's most popular work – but then it easily flows into more sensitive material that has a freer, lyrical feel – like the great original tune "Eclipso" and Wayne Shorter's "Edda" – both of which are superb. Lee is astounding, as always, on trumpet – and the rest of the group includes the great Ronnie Matthews on piano, plus Joe Henderson, Victor Sproles, and Billy Higgins. LP, Vinyl record album

A great album by Lee Morgan – and one not to pass up! The Rumproller often gets too easily lumped next to The Sidewinder – because of an obvious title and cover similarity to that hit record – but like that one, the album's far more than jazz cliche – and shows Lee Morgan to be one of the greatest jazz musicians of the 60s. The set starts off with the title cut, "The Rumproller" – hard-wailing soul bop, in the manner of Lee's most popular work – but then it easily flows into more sensitive material that has a freer, lyrical feel – like the great original tune "Eclipso" and Wayne Shorter's "Edda" – both of which are superb. Lee is astounding, as always, on trumpet – and the rest of the group includes the great Ronnie Matthews on piano, plus Joe Henderson, Victor Sproles, and Billy Higgins. LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant album that proves that even at the height of his success, Lee Morgan was one of the freest thinkers on Blue Note – always coming up with fresh ideas that continued to grow his talents! The first cut on the album is keen poof of that fact – the title track "Search For The New Land" – a beautiful 16 minute exploration of modal jazz themes, with an unusual stop/start device as a means of ushering solos by different bandmates – including Wayne Shorter on tenor, Grant Green on guitar, and Herbie Hancock on piano! The approach is unlike anything that Morgan ever did before – and unlike most of other Blue Note as well – and it also benefits from great rhythmic help from Reggie Workman on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. Other tunes are a bit more conventional, but still pretty special – like some of Morgan's inventive work on the Rajah albums – with titles that include "The Joker", "Melancholee", "Mr. Kenyatta" and "Morgan The Pirate". LP, Vinyl record album

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The Super Ape returns, but in a way that's very different than the previous album with the monkey's name in the title – as this set's got a much more raw, stripped-down vibe – mostly instrumental, and from the farther reaches of the imagination of Lee Scratch Perry! Maybe think of this one as bonus tracks that could be added to the original Super Ape album – but also that, given Perry's genius in the studio, the work here is more main album material for most of his contemporaries! Titles include "Return Of The Super Ape", "Bird In Hand", "Psyche & Trim", "Huzza A Haha", "The Lion", and "High Rankin Sammy". LP, Vinyl record album

Lee Scratch Perry's funky reggae party, put together at the Black Ark, with Boris Gardner, Mickey Boo, Sly Dunbar & Winston Wright. A nice batch of crackling Jamaican funk, with the requisite Black Ark smoke blowing throughout. Includes a bunch of classic Perry-isms, with Scratch dropping verses with his own unique perspective, like "Yu Squeeze My Panhandle", "Roast Fish & Cornbread", "Soul Fire" & "Free Up The Weed" LP, Vinyl record album

We never get tired of these Lee Perry reissues! The first of several compilations put together by the fine folks at Pressure Sounds documenting Perry's tremendous output from his Black Ark studio, at the peak of his powers in the mid 70s. Mostly drawn from 45s of cuts that attained legendary status because of their small press runs, this superb collection brings together the vocal and dub versions of tracks originally released on the Black Art & Upsetter labels. 13 tracks in all including "Psalms 20" by James Boom, "African Style" by the Black Notes, "Wolf Out Deh" by Lloyd & Devon, "Voodooism" by Leo Graham & "Better Future" by Errol Walker, along with their dubs by the Upsetters. LP, Vinyl record album

A host of rare gems from the early years of Lee Perry's legendary Black Ark studios – material recorded by Scratch himself, on some cuts featuring The Upsetters, others some close contemporaries – but all nicely unified here by contributions from Lee at just about every level! As with other Pressure Sounds collections, the approach here is wonderful – way past the entry-level reggae collections you might get elswhere, but also not overwhelmed with trainspotter attention to rareness over quality – as the cuts here are all pretty darn great, and feature many gems from the early reggae years that really show Perry's diversity past his own recordings. The set includes a number of Upsetters version recordings of vocal tunes – and titles include "Set Yourself Up" by The Upsetters, "Brotherly Love" by Henrick Nicholson, "Roots Train (previously unreleased dub plate mix)" by Junior Murvin, "Woman Gotta Have Love (previously unreleased dub plate mix)", "Say A Little Prayer (12" mix)" by Eric Donaldson, "Mr Cravin" by Junior Murvin, "Such Is Life (version)" by The Upsetters, "Nu Fi Run It Down" by Danny Clarke, "Ska Baby" by Bobby Ellis, and "Such Is Life" by Lord Creator. LP, Vinyl record album

Groundbreaking 70s work from Lee Scratch Perry – served up here with both work from The Upsetters, and a long list of "friends" – different singers who take the lead on some of the productions, which are then presented back to back with dub versions of the tracks that overflow with great contributions from a top-shelf lineup of musicians! Players on the cuts include Willie Lindo and Ernest Ranglin on guitars, Winston Wright on organ, Vin Gordon on trombone, and Richard Dirty Harry Hall on tenor – but the real talent here is clearly that of Perry, who's able to move between soulful vocal leads and some deeper, darker Black Ark sounds on the rhythms. Titles include "Mr Money Man" by Danny Hensworth, "Brother Noah" by The Shadows, "Traveling" by Debra Keese, "Ethiopian Land" by Peter & Paul Lewis, "Land Of Love" by Sons Of Light, "Peace & Love" by Shaumark & Robinson, "Freedom Street" by Eric Donaldson, "My Little Sandra" by Leo Graham, "Long Long Time" by Winston Heywood, "White Belly Rat" by Lee Perry, "A Wah Dat" by Junior Dread, and "Feelings" by Sharon Isaacs – and the set features dub versions of every cut by The Upsetters too! LP, Vinyl record album

Rare and unreleased Lee Perry dubplate mixes – brilliant productions from the creatively fruitful, boundary busting 70s years – with the mighty Upsetters and numbers featuring Junior Murvin, Candy Mackenzie, Leo Graham, Jimmy Riley, George Faith, Jack Lord and The Silvertones! This is the second Sound System Scratch compilation from the deep treasure diggers at Pressure Sounds – who have again assembled staggeringly adventurous and hard to find Scratch productions from an amazing period at Black Ark. A number of the tracks are previously unreleased, others are exclusive dubplate mixes, all incredible – be it smoked out, hazy dubs and surprisingly accessible and soulful reggae. Includes "Righteous Rocking" by The Upsetters, "Get Ready (Bongo Mix) by Junior Murvin & The Upsetters, "Kis Me Mix" by The Upsetters, "I've Got The Dub" by George Faith & The Upsetters, "Enter The Upsetter" by Lee Perry & The Upsetters, "Darkness In The City" by Jimmy Riley & The Upsetters, "Rejoice Jah Jah Children" by The Silvertones and more. LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual album, and one that features a host of recordings done by Lee Perry right before his Pipecock Jackson implosion in the late 70s – but presented by former partner Pauline Morrison, who deserves a lot of credit for putting together a host of great dub tracks that might have been lost otherwise! The record first surfaced in the UK around 1980, with the usual very spare set of packaging that seems to mark some of the best dub records from the time – so there's little in the way of actual details about the recordings, but the quality of the bassy, echoey tracks definitely resonates with the strengths of the Black Ark studios at their height Titles include "Cool Rockers", "Jah", "Rasta Man", "Camp", "Dreadlock", "Guidance", "In The Valley", and "Money". LP, Vinyl record album

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A masterful fusion set from guitarist Lee Ritenour – one that expands his sound a bit more than usual by adding in vocals on a number of tracks – but in a way that really gets at the mainstream soul influences that bubble through his jazz work! The set features key vocal appearances from Patti Austin, Tom Baylor, and Bill Champlin – all singers who really know how to respect the instrumental side of a tune, too – which is great, given that the record also features keyboards from Dave Grusin and Patrice Rushen too. Titles include "That's Enough For Me", "Sugarloaf Express", "What Do You Want", "Matchmakers", "Morning Glory", and "The Storm". LP, Vinyl record album

Smooth jazzy fusion from Lee Ritenour – a classic set that was originally only released in Japan, part of the underground Japanese Fusion movement of the late 70s, famous for groove hounds for that added level of soul that often wasn't showing up in American releases at the time! The album was recorded in both Rio and LA – with work by a mixture of Brazilian and American fusion players, including Chico Batera, Oscar Castro Neves, Alex Acuna, Don Grusin, Dave Grusin, Steve Forman, and Marcus Miller. Includes the smooth funk classic "A Little Bit Of This & A Little Bit Of That", plus the cuts "Simplicidad", "Rainbow", "Rio Funk", "San Juan Sunset", and "Ipanema Sol". LP, Vinyl record album

On The Line has a style that's a bit keyboard-heavy – in a way that seems to borrow from some of the 80s soundtrack work of the time, and which is clearly a nod to the success of the Lyle Mays/Pat Metheny sound that was breaking big on ECM. The move is a nice one for Lee on the best cuts – those that underplay the cheesier aspects of the style – and other players on the album are a batch of likely suspects that include Harvey Mason, Dave Grusin, Ernie Watts, and Steve Forman. Titles include "The Rit Variations", "Dolphin Dreams", "California Roll", "On The Line", "Tush", and "Heavenly Bodies". LP, Vinyl record album

Few people did soulful fusion better than Lee Ritenour back in the early 80s – and the guitarist always seemed to find a way to really link together all the different sounds of the electric genre – from heavy jamming to soulful grooving to a rock-like appreciation for a good hook! Harvey Mason provides some great heavy drums, and also helped Lee produce – which gives the record a sharp, soulful focus that's like some of Harvey's own great records of the time – an undercurrent of funk that more than helps keep the Ritenour vocals moving along! Titles include "Mr Briefcase", "Countdown", "Good Question", "Dreamwalk", "Is It You", and "Just Tell Me Pretty Lies". LP, Vinyl record album

With Steve Vai, Billy Sheehan, and Gregg Bissonette. This one came out the same year as Van Halen's "5150" – who is gonna win the battle? LP, Vinyl record album

A rare second meeting between Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra – recorded for RCA a few years after their initial outing for Reprise, and done with a style that's even moodier than the first! Given that Nancy's less of a star at this point, Lee really dominates the album – and casts Sinatra in a space that's filled with his own dark themes of loneliness, pride, responsibility, and forbidden adult love. Backings are rich and large, but the voices are always upfront in the mix – and arrangers Larry Muhoberac and Clark Gassman really do a great job of getting the Hazlewood vision down perfectly. Most of the tracks are originals, and titles include "Got It Together", "Back On The Road", "Arkansas Coal Suite", "Congratulations", "Paris Summer", "Friendship Train", and "Tippy Toes". Also features two great bonus tracks – "Machine Gun Kelly" and "Think I'm Coming Down". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly jazzy score – thanks to orchestrations by Ralph Burns, and musical direction by Elliot Lawrence! And of course, the vocals by Sammy Davis Jr are pretty darn nice too! LP, Vinyl record album

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Accompanied by Rusty Dedrick, Johnny Mince, Buddy Morrow, Dick Hyman, Bucky Pizzarelli, George Duvivier, and Don Lamond. LP, Vinyl record album

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Rare early material from singer Lee Wiley – pulled from a series of V-Disc recordings, with backing by the group of guitarist Eddie Condon! Players include Jack Teagarden on trombone, Bobby Hackett on trumpet, and Pee Wee Russell on clarinet. LP, Vinyl record album

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A great set of torchy ballads from Lee Wiley – a singer who virtually helped invent the genre on record with her classic sets for Columbia Records! This album's done a few years after those – and features backings by Ralph Burns, who brings a fair bit more sentimental moments to his work here than you might expect from some of his other more modern outings. The proceedings have a nice touch of jazz – thanks to players who include Urbie Green on trombone, Nick Travis on trumpet, and Moe Wechsler on piano – and although Lee's vocals have a slightly aging quality, that only serves to help the fragile emotions of the best numbers in the set. Titles include "You're A Sweetheart", "This Is New", "Who Can I Turn To Now?", "My Ideal", "Limehouse Blues", "I Left My Sugar Standing In The Rain", and "Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful little concept for a beautiful little album – a "duologue" in which Lee Wiley sings one track, then Ellis Larkins plays the next, and so on – making for a split LP, but one with a lot of variety along the way! Wiley sings on about two thirds of the tracks on the set – working with a small combo that features Jimmy Jones on piano, Ruby Braff on trumpet, Jo Jones on drums, and Bill Pemberton on bass – all of whom provide gentle accompaniment to Lee's traditionally styled vocals. Ellis Larkins plays piano on the rest of the tracks – solo, with that wonderful late nite style of his – an approach that's more complicated than cocktail piano, but a bit more laidback than straighter jazz. Wiley numbers include "My Heart Stood Still", "Give It Back To The Indians", "My Romance", "You Took Advantage Of Me", and "My Funny Valentine". Larkins numbers include "Perfume & Rain", "By Myself", "Looking At You", and "Then I'll Be Tired Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

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One of the hippest albums ever from singer Joe Lee Wilson – a righteous vocalist with a style we'd rank right up there with Leon Thomas or Andy Bey in the 70s! The album's got an easygoing vibe that's a nice change from some of Joe's other records – a quality that's never too forced, and which has Wilson sliding into the tunes wonderfully without any sort of gimmicks or tricks. His voice often has a nice crackle, which further underscores his instrument-inspired approach – and also makes the lyrics sound that much more wonderful too. The set was produced by Noah Howard, possibly in Paris – and it features a quartet with Bobby Few on piano, Steve Sax on saxes and flute, Jack Gregg on bass, and Al Levitt on drums. Includes the lovely originals "Dedicated To My Father", "Come & See", and "Secrets From The Sun" – plus a great take on Billy Gault's "Mode For Trane". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the best Joe Lee Wilson album you can ever get! Joe Lee Wilson's got a spiritual jazz vocal style that's in the vein of Leon Thomas, but which often falls short of Thomas' greatness on other recordings – yet here, though, he's totally great – hitting a beautifully soulful vein that's totally righteous, and which really delivers on the promise you'll hear on his other records. The group's quite tight – the Bond Street combo, which includes Fielder Floyd on trumpet, Monty Waters on alto and soprano, and Shiroh Mori on guitar – and the session was released by the hard-to-find Why Not imprint of the Japanese label Trio, making it one of the more obscure records in Wilson's catalog. The set steps off with an amazing take on Billy Gault's "Mode For Trane" – and other titles include "Song For My Father", "One ", "Four", and "Sophisticated Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

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A late concert from Chet, reunited here with Lee Konitz for a live set that's a lot more free-thinking than some of their classic recordings in the 50s! The pair are supported by Michael Moore on bass and Beaver Harris on drums – but the overall style of the recording is quite spare, with Chet and Lee moving around each other with a lot of room, on a set of longer tracks that include "This Is Always", "Just Friends", "Walkin", "There Will Never BE Another You", and "Airegin". LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than the simple Charlie Parker tribute promised in the title! For starters, the set's got two of the best cuts by Gillespie's mid 60s group with James Moody – "Um-Hmmm" and "Groovin High" – both of which have Moody playing in an incredibly unbridled tone that's just great! Next up are Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge fronting a hip group with Billy Taylor on a long version of "Now's The Time". Taylor also makes an appearance on Dave Lambert's scatted vocal version of "Donna Lee", as well as on a large group medley of the tunes "Bird Watcher" and "Disorder At The Border". Finishing off the set is an amazing Lee Konitz solo version of "Blues For Bird", his own composition, played as a spare solo tune on alto! LP, Vinyl record album

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A fantastic pairing of soulful talents – the legendary John Lee Hooker on the mighty Stax Records – in a set that's a real standout in the career of both! The vibe here is different than the usual sound of Stax – not a Memphis-ized John Lee Hooker, but instead the kind of stripped-down session that the singer had done for other labels in his early years – given a very faithful presentation here by producer Henry Stone (who himself might well be the third important force at work on the set!) Tracks are mostly short – apart from one eight minute jam – and Hooker's got that raw, raspy bite that still makes him one of the all-time greats. Titles include "Teachin' The Blues", "Goin To Louisiana","I Need You", "My Love Comes Down For You", "Please Don't Go", "I Just Don't Know", "Slow & Easy", "Two White Horses", "Feel So Bad", and "Grinder Man". LP, Vinyl record album

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Wonderfully spare early jazz sides by Peggy, and the kind of material that's not easy to find amidst the bulk of her pop-oriented work. The album's a moving set of ballads and torchy numbers, recorded in small-combo fashion, in a style that's similar to some of Chris Connor's later Bethlehem work. The combo includes Cootie Chesterfield on trumpet, Jimmy Rowles on piano, Max Wayne on bass, and Ed Shaughnessy on drums. A real treasure – with titles like "A Woman Alone With The Blues", "Love Me Or Leave Me", "Easy Living", and "Black Coffee". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant album that proves that even at the height of his success, Lee Morgan was one of the freest thinkers on Blue Note – always coming up with fresh ideas that continued to grow his talents! The first cut on the album is keep roof of that fact – the title track "Search For The New Land" – a beautiful 16 minute exploration of modal jazz themes, with an unusual stop/start device as a means of ushering solos by different bandmates – including Wayne Shorter on tenor, Grant Green on guitar, and Herbie Hancock on piano! The approach is unlike anything that Morgan ever did before – and unlike most of other Blue Note as well – and it also benefits from great rhythmic help from Reggie Workman on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. Other tunes are a bit more conventional, but still pretty special – like some of Morgan's inventive work on the Rajah albums – with titles that include "The Joker", "Melancholee", "Mr. Kenyatta" and "Morgan The Pirate". LP, Vinyl record album

A jazz classic if there ever was one – and the best-selling album ever by Lee Morgan, thanks to the use of the title track in a car commercial! Sure, you've probably heard "The Sidewinder" enough that you think you know the album already – but the rest of the tunes really open up past that groover, into a realm of lyrical, soulful playing that's simply tremendous! The group on the record features Joe Henderson on tenor, Barry Harris on piano, Bob Crenshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the album rolls along with a sense of perfect power that is every bit Blue Note at its best! Titles include "Sidewinder", "Gary's Notebook", "Hocus-Pocus", and "Totem Pole". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful late work from Lee Morgan! The last five years of Lee's life saw him really stretching out to do some fantastic writing, playing, and leading – and this record stands today as one of the best examples of that period – a pure act of genius, with a sound that really takes off from Lee's earlier Blue Note albums. The styles are a unique blend of soulful hardbop and the more stretched-out spiritualism that would later emerge in the early 70s soul jazz scene – and players include the lesser-known Frank Mitchell on tenor, plus Jackie McLean on alto, Cedar Walton on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – the last of whom provides an amazingly lyrical approach to rhythm, the sort that was key to some of Lee Morgan's best work of the time! Titles include "Afreaka", "Short Count", "The Cry Of My People", "Anti Climax", and "Psychedelic". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the weirdest, wildest pop albums of the 60s – maybe the crowning achievement of both Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood – two artists who'd worked together before, but never with an intensity this great! The record is overflowing with all the great touches you'd expect from Lee – that sense of spacious production, all-adult performance, and deep-tinged vocals that are a perfect counterpoint for the lighter style of Nancy – almost as if he's continuing to urge her to adulthood over the course of the set – which he certainly does through the sensuality of the performance! The album features the insanely wonderful "Some Velvet Morning" – a pop duet unlike anything you've ever heard – plus Hazlewood tunes "Summer Wine", "Sand", "Lady Bird", "I've Been Down So Long", and "Sundown Sundown" – but even the remakes are stunning, and include "Storybook Children", "Jackson", and "You've Lost That Lovin Feeling". LP, Vinyl record album

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

... LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual bit of club from Lee Garrett – a singer who's got a relatively rootsy sound overall, but who's working here with a set of smooth and and jazzy backings! Arrangements on the set are by Tom Sellers, who plays piano at the hed of a combo that includes Dave Grusin on synth, Tom Scott on saxes, Ernie Watts on flute and alto, George Bohannon on trombone, Lee Ritenour on guitar, and Harvey Mason on drums – all top-shelf fusion players who help bring a bit of polish to the set, in stark contrast to Lee's rougher vocals. The approach is almost a bit like some of Swamp Dogg's work for the clubs at the time – and titles include "How Can I Be A Man", "Heart Be Still", "You're My Everything", "Sad Sad Story", and "Stop That Wrong". LP, Vinyl record album

We love Lee Hazlewood – and this album is one of his best! The record's a stunning batch of Lee's original compositions – all wonderful examples of the way that Lee could take a postwar fascination with Western themes and images, and turn it on itself to reveal the anxieties and frustrations of the 60s generation – all with a smooth presentation and near-perfect backings from the legendary Billy Strange! If you ever needed proof of why Lee Hazlewood's so great, this album may well be it – a record we'd gladly trade for a dozen by other 60s singer/songwriters. Titles include "The Girls In Paris", "After Six", "In Our Time", "Jose", "The Old Man & His Guitar", "Dark In My Heart", and "The Nights". Fantastic stuff! LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's maybe not the first record from the great John Lee Hooker – but one that definitely helped push him over the top, and forever cement his place in the legend of 20th Century blues! The vibe here is a bit different than some of Hooker's earlier, rawer material – as he gets some soulful backing from members of The Funk Brothers – an early current of Detroit punch, yet still delivered with a sound that's nice and lean – so that Hooker's vocals and raw guitar completely dominate the set! The mix of sharp rhythms and Hooker's lead is heard to great effect on the classic cut "Boom Boom" – a number that may well have set fire to a whole generation of British and American rockers – and other tracks are equally great, and every bit as gritty – with titles that include "Process", "Blues Before Sunrise", "I Got A Letter", and "What Do You Say". LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary John Lee Hooker, heard here in one of his more obscure recordings from the late 50s – at least in contrast to his famous sides for Vee Jay Records! This set's an unusual date – recorded in Detroit, despite the claim of the title – and featuring Hooker on acoustic guitar and vocals, without any other instrumentation at all – pitched much more towards the growing folk blues scene than some of his more familiar Chicago recordings. Tracks are short, but pack plenty of punch – and titles include "Black Snake", "I Rowed A Little Boat", "Bundle Up & Go", "Behind The Plow", "Water Boy", "Tupelo Blues", and "Pea Vine Special". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set – early RPM recordings of the great John Lee Hooker – nice and raw, and with all the hard-hitting quality of his best early work! Titles include "Driftin From Door To Door", "She Left Me On My Bended Knee", "Good Rockin Mama", "Let Your Daddy Ride", "Don't You Remember Me", and "Hug & Squeeze You". LP, Vinyl record album