Charlie Haden has made many wonderful albums over the years, in many different formats, both large and small – but this set holds a really special place in our heart, as it's got this close-up and intimate approach that really shows the world what a special musician Haden can be! Each track on the album is a duet – one with Ornette Coleman on alto, one with Keith Jarrett on piano, one with Alice Coltrane on harp, and the last with Paul Motian on drums – on long tracks that feature some really magical interplay between the musicians. The spare format is an extremely wonderful showcase for Haden's expressive bass work – and the intimacy of the tracks is different from some of the ECM recordings made during the same stretch – as the feel here is less a muted exploration of sound than it is a deeply personal interaction with some of the best talents of his generation. Tracks include "Ellen David", "For Turiya", "OC", and "For A Free Portugal". CD

Charlie Haden has made many wonderful albums over the years, in many different formats, both large and small – but this set holds a really special place in our heart, as it's got this close-up and intimate approach that really shows the world what a special musician Haden can be! Each track on the album is a duet – one with Ornette Coleman on alto, one with Keith Jarrett on piano, one with Alice Coltrane on harp, and the last with Paul Motian on drums – on long tracks that feature some really magical interplay between the musicians. The spare format is an extremely wonderful showcase for Haden's expressive bass work – and the intimacy of the tracks is different from some of the ECM recordings made during the same stretch – as the feel here is less a muted exploration of sound than it is a deeply personal interaction with some of the best talents of his generation. Tracks include "Ellen David", "For Turiya", "OC", and "For A Free Portugal". CD

Bassist Charlie Haden in a really wonderful mode – stepping out here in a set of spare duets, each with a different hip player on each of the album's four long tracks – a masterful setting not just for his own work as an improviser, but also for the collaborative spirit that's always made Charlie such a great musical player! The vibe is similar to his Closeness album, but maybe a bit more relaxed and open – and the set has many wonderful moments – as Don Cherry plays trumpet and flutes on "Out Of Focus", Archie Shepp plays tenor on "Shepp's Way", Hampton Hawes plays piano on "Turnaround", and Ornette Coleman plays trumpet on the beautiful title track "Golden Number". CD

2 later gems from Carlos Lyra – back to back on one CD! First up is E No Entanto E Preciso Cantar – a wonderful 70s session from bossa legend Lyra, and a set that's got a different sound than some of his earlier work – but one that's still plenty great overall! The mode is a bit more subdued than before – still with bossa at the roots, but also production and instrumentation that nod a bit more towards the singer/songwriter generation of the time – almost with a European feel at time. Roberto Menescal produced, and arrangements by Theo Barros have a slow-building, unassuming quality that's really great. Chico Buarque guests on the groover "Essa Passou", and other titles include "Identidade", "Rio Vermelho", "Primavera", "O Pregoeiro", "Ate Parece", and "I See Me Passing By". Eu & Elas is from a few years later, but equally great – never too full or overdone, with arrangements that still shadow a bit of older bossa orchestrations, but which are a bit more laidback and intimate overall. The sound is incredible, and Lyra's vocals are recorded in that flanged-out way that was used beautifully in Brazil at the time – spread speaker to speaker with a closeness that we really love. Titles include "Elas", "Isabel", "Despedida", "O Amor Mais Triste", and "Nothing Night". CD

One of Maria Bethania's best albums of the 80s – a set that has the singer almost hitting a more personal, more intimate mode – working with music from Caetano Veloso that helps bring in a closeness that Bethania was sometimes missing in her sound! The approach is a bit jazzy at times – with warm keyboard currents that allow Maria to trip lightly on the vocal tip, while still moving with the kind of sophisticated songwriting that serves her best – and Caetano also sings a bit on the record, as does Milton Nascimento. Titles include "Anos Dourados", "Doce Espera", "Yorubahia", "Gostoso Demais", "Tranchan", "Errei Sim", and "Cancoes E Momentos". CD

Viola player Jessica Pavone leads a string trio here – but the result is very different than you might expect, if you're only thinking of music in terms of jazz or more traditional elements – as there's a blend of strings, textures, and tones here that's completely wonderful! In addition to Pavone's viola, the group also features Aimee Neimann on violin, and Abby Swidler on both viola and violin, depending on the track – both musicians who add their voice to one track, along with Jessica – but mostly have this way of finding great sonic resonance together, with a quality that's both abstracting from the original modes of the instruments, yet never too far to make them sound unfamiliar. Titles include "Done & Dusted", "Hidden Voices", "The Pitches & Notated", and "Closeness Unnoticed". CD