A Basie tribute, but a really smoking one – thanks to some hard swinging arrangements from Manny Albam, and plenty of heavy Hammond from the great Jimmy McGriff! The tracks are mostly numbers from the Count Basie songbook of the 50s and 60s, but they're strongly reworked here with a swinging 60s vibe – played with lots of strong horn work in the background, all used as a perfect foil for Jimmy's leaner organ solos over the top! The style's quite similar to other big band organ work of the time – particularly records made by Jimmy Smith in collaboration with Oliver Nelson, or Jack McDuff with Benny Golson – and McGriff's organ comes through nice and clean in the mix, with that sharply fluttering sound that really made him one of the true standouts of the 60s. Titles include "Hob Nail Boogie", "Cute", "Every Day", "Blues Go Away", and "Slow But Sure". CD

Two key albums from a young Jackie McLean – both very early entries in the "new thing" mode of the 60s! First up is Let Freedom Ring a record that features a young Jackie McLean at the height of his powers – really stretching out here, but never going too far out – a perfect balance between his modern bop of previous records, and his groundbreaking "new thing" jazz to come! The group is a relatively straight ahead one – with Walter Davis on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – but the tracks are all quite long, and have this really arch sensibility on Jackie's horn – this edge, this cry he didn't have a few years before – easily one of the freshest voices in alto sax at the time, yearning here to break free with new ideas and new modes of expression. The vibe is perfectly balanced – like McLean's classic A Fickle Sonance – and titles include the classic "Melody For Melonae", plus "Rene", "I'll Keep Loving You", and "Omega". Destination Out is a modernist classic from 60s Blue Note! The album's one of Jackie McLean's greatest from the time – and one of his seminal "new thing" sessions cut with young modernists Grachan Moncur III on trombone and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes – both young players who were really finding the sharper edges of their sound at the time! Three of the four long tracks on the record were written by Moncur, and have a similar approach to his own recordings for Blue Note – moody and introspective, in a style that's as concerned with sound and space as it is jazz and rhythm – and Hutcherson's vibes are beyond compare here, with have a sinister metallic quality that he only used briefly in his early career! The whole record's a gem, and one not to pass up! Titles include "Kahlil The Prophet", "Riff Raff", and "Love & Hate". CD

A very apt title – as Jackie McLean sits in for a soulful session with the Great Jazz Trio of Hank Jones, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – all "old bottles" at this point in their career, but working together beautifully to brew some very mellow "new wine"! The album's easily one of the best in the trio's run of the time – as Jackie's alto sax really helps flesh things out a bit more than usual – and moves the album past the trio sound of their other records. McLean gets plenty of space to do his thing on the longer tracks – and the piano of Jones, bass of Carter, and drums of Williams have a solid, soulful approach that's really wonderful. Titles include 2 McLean originals titled "Appointment In Ghana Again" and "Little Melonae Again", both remakes of older tunes – plus "Confirmation", "Bein Green", and "Round Midnight". CD

A real mind-trip – and an incredible document of the times – not just ideas floating around in the late 60s, but also new ways of making records too! The album is loosely based around ideas and writings from The Medium Is The Massage – McLuhan's important 1967 book, co-written with Quentin Fiore – and represented here as a wild sound collage that blends together music, sounds, media snippets, and readings by McLuhan, Fiore, and a host of other voices! The album's actually much more of a "happening" than a spoken word album – a real studio party that's cut up and messed up by all the added effects, sounds, and music – genius that comes from Jerome Agel, who put the whole project together – and delivered it to the loving hands of John Simon, who produced some other wonderful records of this nature for late 60s Columbia. A real delight throughout – and the kind of an album we wish people still kept making! Great reissue package – in a gatefold LP-styled sleeve, with additional artwork, rare photos, full notes on the sessions, and more! CD

Insanely beautiful work from the great Joe McPhee – an album that was recorded and intended to be issued during his groundbreaking stretch with Hat Art Records – but which never saw the light of day at the time! Why that happened, we're not entirely sure – because the album is tremendous right from the very first note – as McPhee blows alto, tenor, and pocket cornet alongside the work of Andre Jaume on alto, tenor, and bass clarinet – in a set of horn-only performances that are breathtaking from start to finish! Jaume's a great player too – and his work of the time, especially on Hat Art, is a masterpiece of subtlety and soul – and he balances McPhee perfectly here, often with some deeper currents that create a beautifully organic energy between the two. Jaume's got this way of handling his reed that's amazing – and, of course, Joe's phrasing is as incredible as always. Titles include great reworks of modern jazz classics – including "Pithecanthropus Erectus", "Self Portrait In Three Colors", "Evidence", "Chelsea Bridge", and "Lonely Woman" – plus the originals "Nuclear" and "Rue St Jaume". CD

A long overdue return to duet formation for Joe McPhee and Hamid Drake – the duo who played together so beautifully on the Emancipation Proclamation album! This set is maybe even more personal, and more open – with Drake working some incredible magic on the drum kit, creating sounds that so many others would only get from a huge variety of percussion instruments – while McPhee blows both alto sax and pocket trumpet – sometimes with an intensity that makes it hard to believe the record's not some lost session of his from the 70s! If you think that you missed out on all the famous improv records the first time around, then think again – because this one's an instant classic. Titles include "Endangered Species", "Medgar/Malcolm/Martin", "Keep Going", "Lord Don't Let Them Drop Them Goddamn Nukes On Us Lord", "Sojourner's Truth", "Morning Star", and "Time Was". CD

A very unusual session for Carmen McRae – a live recording that features only her vocals and piano, on spare readings of a number of sophisticated songs that ably demonstrate the class and care she was bringing to her work at the time! The approach is quite different from some of the smoother, more soul-based records that McRae was cutting in the 70s – a very laidback, late nite sort of date that takes us right back to Carmen's earliest years on record – but with a 60s' worth of hipness thrown into the mix. She's still got some sense of poise on the tunes, but also brings up a slightly earthy undercurrent at points too – a relaxed, mature vibe that really fits the intimacy of the record. Titles include "The Last Time For Love", "More Than You Know", "I Can't Escape From You", "I Could Have Told You", "Please Be Kind", and "Supper Time". CD

A very unusual session for Carmen McRae – a live recording that features only her vocals and piano, on spare readings of a number of sophisticated songs that ably demonstrate the class and care she was bringing to her work at the time! The approach is quite different from some of the smoother, more soul-based records that McRae was cutting in the 70s – a very laidback, late nite sort of date that takes us right back to Carmen's earliest years on record – but with a 60s' worth of hipness thrown into the mix. She's still got some sense of poise on the tunes, but also brings up a slightly earthy undercurrent at points too – a relaxed, mature vibe that really fits the intimacy of the record. Titles include "The Last Time For Love", "More Than You Know", "I Can't Escape From You", "I Could Have Told You", "Please Be Kind", and "Supper Time". CD

One of Carmen McRae's great 60s albums for Atlantic Records – a set that's still strongly jazz-based overall, but which seems to have an extra dose of soul at the bottom! The approach is a bit like the best late 60s sides by Nancy Wilson or Marlena Shaw – rooted in jazz, but hipper with some soulful elements in the backdrops – penned in this case by Jimmy Jones and Shorty Rogers, both of whom do a great job with the arrangements. The crispness of Carmen's voice works perfectly in the setting – and titles include "Watch What Happens", "Sound Of Silence", "MacArthur Park", "Can You Tell", and "Gloomy Sunday". CD

A heavy heavy set from the legendary Alphonse Mouzon – one of his drum-heavy funk records for Blue Note! Alphonse has a style that's a bit different than some of his other work here – very direct, with plenty of soul undercurrents – although definitely some of the rockish elements that also made Mouzon a key crossover player in the fusion years! The album was Mouzon's first, and in some ways may be one of his best – and has a strong jazz component, thanks to work from sidemen who include Sonny Fortune and Buddy Terry on reeds, and the great Larry Willis on acoustic and electric piano. Alphonze wrote, arranged, and conducted all the tracks – and titles include "Crying Angels", "Funky Finger", "Spring Water", and "Sunflower". CD

A really landmark album from the Japanese scene at the start of the 70s – one of the key records in which musicians like Takeru Muraoka were helping to discover something new and unique – a fantastic hybrid of modal jazz, freer solo moments, and some nice electric touches on keyboards – thanks to bold work from the great Masabumi Kikuchi! Kikuchi plays a Rhodes with a hard tone that's very edgey – nicely blocked out amidst equally bold rhythms from Yoshi Ikeda on bass and George Otsuka on drums – essential part of the fantastic quartet that really lets Muraoka stretch out and soar with very inventive lines on tenor! All tracks are nice and long, and as brilliant today as when they were recorded – with titles that include "Snoopy", "Electric Zoo", "Fish", and "Desperation". CD

A classic! This is one of the best-ever albums by the legendary Marlena Shaw – and it's a tremendous live set that really lives up to the righteous promise of her earlier work on Cadet Records! The album was cut with a small combo, and the overall feel is incredibly hip – a mixture of jazz and soul, much more open-ended than some of Marlena's other albums, and with a more sophisticated feeling that was probably part of the way that she was presented to the crowd at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The highlight of the set is a 10 minute long re-working of her classic "Woman Of The Ghetto" – done in an incredible way, with lots of extra lyrics, and a great jazzy groove that's been sampled more than once over the years. Also features an excellent reading of Marvin Gaye's "Save The Children", plus the cuts "Twisted", "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "The Show Has Begun", and "But For Now". CD

An album of incredible beauty – and one of the key early sides that Shorter cut for Blue Note! It's nearly impossible to describe the genius of these records without playing them – and upon playing, all words disappear in the brilliance of Shorter's incredible tone, solo imagination, and writing! There's a nascent soulfulness here that would emerge quite strongly across the field of jazz in the late 60s and early 70s – bubbling forth here on the session, with a sound that we could only call Shorter-archetypal – and return to again and again over the years, as proof that few players ever measured up as greatly at such a young age! The group's a quintet with Herbie Hancock on piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Ron Carter on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and the set list includes "Speak No Evil", "Infant Eyes", "Witch Hunt", and "Wild Flower". CD features a bonus alternate take of "Dance Cadaverous". CD

One of Gabor Szabo's best records – a hip small combo session, featuring backup by Gary McFarland, Sadao Watanabe, Richard Davis, and Willie Rodriguez – an odd kind of lineup, but one that goes well with the offbeat grooves of the set! The overall sound has lots of touches of the McFarland Latinized rhythms of the time – but also stretches out with some of those great snakey guitar solos from Szabo – not nearly as extended or trippy here on other albums of the time, but in a really great way that makes for some tight, hip, mod little tracks! The set's one of Gabor's best from the 60s – and titles include "Flea Market", "Walk On By", "Gypsy Jam", "Gypsy '66", and "The Echo Of Love". The whole thing's kind of a compressed take on the sound of Gabor's Spellbinder album – if you know that one! CD

A really classic-styled tenor date from reedman Kazunori Takeda – a session that has the Japanese player working with trio backing from pianist Yosuke Yamashita, who also produced the record as well! Yamashita's got a very inside approach here – laidback, and late nite – which is a perfect match for the mellow, soulful tones of Takeda's tenor – a horn that we really haven't heard at all on other records, but which is a real delight here! The album's got a richness that's undeniable – a classic American tenor ballad approach, but with a slightly fresher Japanese 70s twist – and titles include "Soul Trane", "Theme For Ernie", "Aisha", "Old Days", and "Little Dream". CD

One of the best records Mal Waldron ever made, and a blinding hard bop session featuring a tight quintet with knock-down-dead front horn lines! The record really follows strongly in the mode of some of Waldron's contributions to Prestige blowing sessions from the same period – but it's also got a much great focus and tightness – one that puts the record right up there with the best hardbop sides on Blue Note! Gigi Gryce plays some razor-sharp alto on the session, Idrees Sulieman is on trumpet, and Waldron's piano is unusually soulful – with slight modern changes that really keep things interesting. Tracks include "Shome", "Transfiguration", "Stablemates", and "Dee's Dilemma". CD

One of the last completely intense albums from Tony Williams' Lifetime group – a slightly changed lineup from the original trio – one that includes guitarist Ted Dunbar, bassist Ron Carter, and percussionists Don Alias and Warren Smith. The group still features some searing organ work from Larry Young (recording here as Khalid Yasin), but the overall sound is also a bit spacier, and even more percussion-driven than before. Dunbar's tripped-out guitar is a nice change from the more rock-focused sound of John McLaughlin on earlier records – and he seems to free the players from their fuzzed out sound, and let them hit some nicely organic moments. Titles include "Clap City", "There Comes A Time", "Two Worlds", "Some Hip Drum Sh!t", "Lonesome Wells" and "The Urchin's Of Shermese". CD

One of the only records we've ever heard from Japanese vocalist Minami Yasuda – a very soulful singer from the 70s, and one who really opens up with some scattingly creative energy on this date! Backings are from the trio of pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, which leaves plenty of space for Minami to do her thing – stretching out the words of the tunes with really great inflections, and adding plenty here even to oft-recorded selections. Titles include a great take on "Sunny", plus "It's Been A Long Long Time", "Akatonbo/Fly Me To The Moon", "Love", "Day By Day", and "You Are My Sunshine". CD

Think The Beatles only had an impact on rock and pop fans in the America of the 60s? Think again – because their music had an undeniable impact on soul as well – as you'll here from this wonderful range of remakes of classic cuts from the Fab Four! The work here is a real surprise if you don't know the legacy – but it also really makes sense once you're reminded of the mind-expanding, ear-opening territory the group hit in the latter half of the 60s – and working with themes of social change, alienation, and personal longing – of the sort that turn out to be perfect for new interpretations in soul! Most of these cuts are way more than standard cover versions, too – as the arrangements are really inventive, and take off in bold new directions that make the songs very much new properties overall. Most of the work here is from the late 60s and early 70s – and as always with Ace Records, the notes and presentation really put the music in context! Titles include "The Fool On The Hill" by The Four Tops, "Dear Prudence" by The Five Stairsteps, "For No One" by Maceo & The King's Men, "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window" by Ike & Tina Turner, "Tomorrow Never Knows" by Junior Parker, "Got To Get You Into My Life" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Do You Want To Know A Secret" by Mary Wells, "Lovely Rita" by Fats Domino, "With A Little Help From My Friends" by The Undisputed Truth, "Savoy Truffle" by Ella Fitzgerald, and "Let It Be" by Bill Withers. CD

A sweet overview of the Van McCoy songbook from the early 60s to early 70s – and a stellar compilation from Ace Records – a label that's gone above and beyond in its efforts to shine a light on the songwriters and producers behind some of most moving songs of the era! The breadth ofMcCoy's talent is pretty amazing, all the more so given his huge disco era hit "The Hustle", a world away from the soaringly emotional soul songs he penned for top shelf singers like Betty Everett, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Nancy Wilson, Donny Hathaway, Erma Franklin, Jerry Butler and more – many of the best of which are compiled here! 24 tracks in all: "I Got The Sweetest Feeling" by Erma Franklin, "Getting Mighty Crowded" by Betty Everett, "Baby I'm Yours" by Barbara Lewis, "Sotp And Get A Hold Of Myself" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "So Soon" by Aretha Franklin, "Giving Up" by Donny Hathaway, "Nothing Worse Than Being Alone" by The Ad Libs, "I've Lost You" by Jackie Wilson and many more. CD

One of the only two vocal jazz albums that the Blue Note label recorded back in the day – and a haunting batch of tracks from a young Sheila Jordan! The style here is quite different than that of Jordan's later, more experimental records – and this early session shows her as an extremely talented young vocalist, with a unique approach that adds a sparkling modernist touch to familiar tunes – yet which still keeps things in a relatively more straightforward fashion. There's a great mixing of older and newer visions in the set – not just in Jordan's vocals, but also in the small combo backing by the trio of Barry Galbraith on guitar, Steve Swallow on bass, and Denzil Best on drums. Titles include great versions of "Baltimore Oriole", "Dat Dere", and "Hum Drum Blues" – plus the tunes "I'm A Fool To Want You", "Am I Blue", "Laugh Clown Laugh", and "Who Can I Turn To?". CD

The MC5 move to Atlantic Records after their first album – and find a whole new sort of focus that's pretty great! Their classic debut was a raw live album – designed to capture their intensity on the Detroit scene of the late 60s – but this set has the group stretching out, and really going for something else – working in the studio for the first time, with surprisingly strong production from a young Jon Landau – and a sense of focus in the songs that shows a great degree of maturity, while still keeping all their pre-punk edges! Wayne Kramer and Fred Sonic Smith are plenty darn fierce on guitar – and the titles alone give a good idea of the energy of the record – and include "Tutti Frutti", "Teenage Lust", "High School", "Shakin Street", "The Human Being Lawnmower", and "Back In The USA". CD

An early moment of genius from post-Beatles Paul McCartney – a solo set that's wonderfully diverse throughout – filled with the kinds of cool little twists and turns we loved in his late Beatles records, and in his 70s killers with Wings! There's a newly-emerging sweetness going on here – that great sound that started to emerge with the McCartney album – where Paul was a proud, put-together family guy – easily one of the most confident of his fab foursome, and able to bring an incredible amount of charm to just about any style he wanted to try! Some of the best cuts here are the mellower, more personal moments – still delivered with an amazing rock-solid sense of musicianship and production, too – and even the rockers, which might sound clunky in the hands of anyone else, manage to come off with a great deal of charm as well. Titles include the wonderfully playful "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" – plus "Too Many People", "Heart Of The Country", "Dear Boy", "Ram On", "The Back Seat Of My Car", and "Smile Away". Deluxe edition comes in a beautiful clothbound box and includes the original album in mono and stereo, the Thrillington instrumental album, bonus tracks, a DVD documentary, 112-page book, and lots of other goodies! CD

Rare material from one of our favorite jazz musicians of all time – legendary Hammond hero Jack McDuff, heard here in a really wonderful setting! McDuff in the 60s was already great – an organist who played in ways that really stood out, with a sense of rhythm that was completely unique – and which only took off even more strongly as the 70s approached. Here, McDuff is in a very fruitful part of that decade – playing live in a way that really echoes his classic Heatin System album, recorded in the same year for Chess Records – really long, exploratory tracks that also feature strong solo work from Dave Young on tenor and soprano sax, Leo Johnson on tenor and flute, and Vinnie Corrado on guitar. There's an unknown trumpeter on two tracks too – and the combination of Young and Johnson is great, with all these sharp soulful edges that really highlight the new groove that McDuff was laying out in the 70s! Titles include "Ain't No Sunshine", "Blues 1 & 8", "6:30 In The Morning", "Middle Class Folk Song", "Jolly Black Giant", and the killer "Theme From Electric Surfboard". CD

A triple-action classic from alto genius Jackie McLean – and one of those key records from the years when he stunned the world by moving from hardbop into the more experimental modes of the "new thing" generation! The approach here is very formative – not just for some of Jackie's spiritual expressions in the 70s, but also for the way that more creative jazz moved forward in years to come – as McLean is working alongside key players who include Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Cecil McBee on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums! Higgins' lyrical playing is a perfect complement to the more avant tones of the others – giving the album a free dancing soul, but also never letting things get too out of hand to lose the jazz basis of McLean's best work. The album includes an early recording of Tolliver's classic tune "Plight", plus the tracks "Wrong Handle", "Action", and "Hootnan". CD

A warm later set from Carmen McRae – recorded with great small combo jazz backing that features tenor sax work from Clifford Jordan! The album's a real back-to-basics one for McRae – and gets away from crossover modes used in the 60s and 70s, taking Carmen back to the more jazz-based sound of her earliest records – but going even one further by bringing in Jordan, since Carmen mostly started out with straight trio backing. Other players include Eric Gunnison on piano and John Collins on guitar – and the tunes themselves are mostly standards, sung with impeccable phrasing. Titles include "Tulip Or Turnip", "Body & Soul", "I Hear Music", "This Is Always", "It Could Happen To You", "Old Devil Moon", and "Have You Met Miss Jones". CD

One of the few great records that modern bassist Paul Chambers made as a leader – a rare treasure given to the world before he left this planet all too soon! Chambers is maybe best remembered for some of his late 50s work with Miles Davis and John Coltrane – and the session also marks a key early appearance on Blue Note for Coltrane on tenor – acting as a sideman here, instead of a leader – but also bringing a really deep vibe to an all-star lineup that also includes Donald Byrd on trumpet, Horace Silver on piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The writing is great, and the group has a nice dark edge that gives the session a slightly different sound than other Blue Note albums from the time. Chambers leads off with the bass on most tracks, kind of putting the work at an off-center pace that really gives it a fresh feel – and which makes it different from the straighter bop sound of his albums as a leader on Vee Jay. Tracks include "We Six", "Dear Ann", "Tale Of The Fingers", and "Omicron". CD

Two of the best west coast boppers of the postwar years – back together again in a killer revival date cut by Contemporary Records! As the title implies, the set's got a backward-looking sort of feel – at least for the early 60s recording date – but from the perspective of our generation, the whole thing merges nicely into the classic sound of LA bop – perhaps extending out the original Central Ave groove a bit more, thanks to the generous recording spirit of Contemporary, and the longer tracks on the date. Edwards plays tenor, McGhee plays trumpet, and other players include Phineas Newborn on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums. Titles include "Together Again", "You Stepped Out Of A Dream", "Up There", "Perhaps", "Misty" and "Sandy". CD

Soaring grooves from Sean McCabe – the artists' debut on the mostly-reissue Z Records, but a set that also puts him in the same sort of classic territory as his labelmates, the Sunburst Band! Sean's groove is filled with classic club touches, but is also a bit more contemporary – the warmest, most soulful side of the London scene – and at a level that we've not heard anyone do this well in a long long time – a set that takes us back to that magical time a decade or so ago, when London was really burning up our collection with wonderful records like this! There's plenty of echoes of The Rurals or Nathan Haines in the mix – and vocals are by a shifting array of singers, who glide across the keyboard-heavy grooves. Titles include "All Of The Above", "Everything's Alright", "Something About You", "Who's Foolin Who", "Love For Life", "Reach Out", "Back To Front", "Embrace You", "Somethin For Nothin", and "Tomorrow's Another Day". CD

Two 60s jazz albums from Atlantic Records – back to back in a single set! Les McCann leads off with Much Les – a groovy set of late 60s soul jazz piano tunes – played by Les McCann in a swinging style that pre-dates his 70s funk work – and which also features him playing in a strictly instrumental setting! The core of the material is by Les' trio with Leroy Vinnegar on bass – but most tracks feature an expanded sound, either by adding Willie Bobo and Victor Pantoja on Latin percussion, or by backing the group with off-beat arrangements by the great William Fischer, whose talents had graced some of the best Atlantic jazz albums at the time! Titles include "Burnin Coal", "Doin That Thing", "Roberta", and a groovy version of "Love For Sale". On Catbird Seat, the usual duo of Dwike Mitchell and Willie Ruff is augmented by drummer Charlie Smith – in a mode that makes the set one of their strongest of the 60s! The format is essentially piano trio jazz – but handled with the pyrotechnic touches that the pair were known for – and with Smith's strong and light touch on the kit, the album at times has the feel of some Ahmad Jamal work for Argo. Includes a great version of "Con Alma", plus the tracks "The Catbird Seat", "So In Love", and "I'll Remember April". CD

Makaya McCraven pushes his unique jazz genius even further – by serving up a completely groundbreaking remix of live jazz performance on the London scene! McCraven's already stood out from the pack in the way that he breaks down jazz norms by playing with a recorded performance later in the studio – but this time around, he really pushes that approach to the forefront – working in a mode that really lives up to the "mixtape" of the title – but which also still has everything that we love from his other records too! Makaya's on drums – and plays with a massively heavy groove – and he plays here with some of the leading lights of the contemporary London scene – Soweto Kinch and Nubya Garcia on saxes, Joe Armon Jones on Fender Rhodes, Kamaal Williams on keyboards, and Theon Cross on tuba – in amazing performance activity which is then brought home to Chicago, where the music gets additional remix and overdub help from LeFto, Don Leisure, Earl Jeffers, Ben LaMar Gay, Emma Jean Thackray, Quiet Dawn, and Lexus Blondin. Clearly, Makaya's one hell of a collaborative spirit – yet he also manages to make this record his boldest personal statement to date – as you'll hear on titles that include "Halls", "Suite For Artis Gilmore", "Ox Tales", "The Bounce", "Oracle", "Run Dem", "Too Shy", and "Drums & Bruk & Feel The Vibe". CD

Makaya McCraven pushes his unique jazz genius even further – by serving up a completely groundbreaking remix of live jazz performance on the London scene! McCraven's already stood out from the pack in the way that he breaks down jazz norms by playing with a recorded performance later in the studio – but this time around, he really pushes that approach to the forefront – working in a mode that really lives up to the "mixtape" of the title – but which also still has everything that we love from his other records too! Makaya's on drums – and plays with a massively heavy groove – and he plays here with some of the leading lights of the contemporary London scene – Soweto Kinch and Nubya Garcia on saxes, Joe Armon Jones on Fender Rhodes, Kamaal Williams on keyboards, and Theon Cross on tuba – in amazing performance activity which is then brought home to Chicago, where the music gets additional remix and overdub help from LeFto, Don Leisure, Earl Jeffers, Ben LaMar Gay, Emma Jean Thackray, Quiet Dawn, and Lexus Blondin. Clearly, Makaya's one hell of a collaborative spirit – yet he also manages to make this record his boldest personal statement to date – as you'll hear on titles that include "Halls", "Suite For Artis Gilmore", "Ox Tales", "The Bounce", "Oracle", "Run Dem", "Too Shy", and "Drums & Bruk & Feel The Vibe". CD

One of the most hard-hitting Jimmy McGriff albums of the 70s – a raw live date recorded in Newark – and a set that's a perfect bridge between the sharp soul of his Sue Records sessions and his later funk to come! The whole thing's got a gritty vibe the really recalls the sound of a Hammond combo in a small club back in the day – a sense of recording that's different than the usual Blue Note record, and we mean that in a good way! Future Groove Merchants Fats Theus and O'Donel Levy are both on the record – the former on tenor, the latter on guitar – and Jimmy gets plenty of room to really open up and soar on the Hammond. The group also features the lesser-known Ronald White on trumpet and Joseph Morris on alto – and titles include "In A Mellow Tone", "Groove Alley" and "Man From Bad" – and a nice cover of "Ode to Billie Joe"! CD

A later groover from Jimmy McGriff – but done in a style that's nicely old school overall! The sound here is almost a Prestige Records mid 70s mode – somewhat tighter than the early 70s jazz funk years of the label, but still quite far from the slicker modes you might expect from a 90s date – thanks to classic production work from Bob Porter, the kind of a guy who always knew that it was best to let players like these just lay back and do their thing! McGriff plays Hammond B-3, alongside David Newman on tenor, Red Holloway on tenor and alto, Mel Brown on guitar, and Bernard Purdie on drums – on titles that include "Don't Blame Me", "Fleetwood Stroll", "Red Not N New", "McGriffin", "Ain't It Funny How Time Slips Away", and "Things Ain't What They Used To Be". CD

A very nice recent album by Jackie, featuring a stripped-down lineup that includes Cedar Walton on piano and Billy Higgins on drums, joining Jackie in a haunting set of mellow ballads. After years of playing, Jackie's tone is impeccable, and it's great to hear him work through a set of standards like the ones on this album – "Star Eyes", "Nature Boy", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", and "You Don't Know What Love Is". Sure, the album's not as groundbreaking as some of Jackie's 60s new thing records, or 70s spiritual sessions, but it's still a nice treat, and has a surprisingly compelling edge to it. CD

If you ever needed a record to re-remind you of the genius of Jackie McLean, this Blue Note classic may well be it! At first glance, the session appears to be the usual sort of date – a quintet outing, with help from Donald Byrd on trumpet, Walter Davis on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums – yet as with all of McLean's best moments on records, the album explodes with freshly creative energy from the start – getting way past any easy expectation in the way it sets up the groove and delivers the sound! Jackie's tone is amazing – very modern at times, yet with all the soul of hardbop – and although the rhythms are relatively straight, there's always a slight setting-free at points – that pre-new thing groove that McLean further explored on records like Capuchin Swing or Fickle Sonance. The sound is amazing throughout – and titles are all originals by McLean and Davis – great gems that include "Davis Cup", "Sweet Cakes", "Hip Strut", "Minor Apprehension", and "Greasy". CD includes the bonus track "Formidable". CD

A great meeting of two generations of jazz – and one that really blows the top off some of Dexter Gordon's other European sessions of the time! The setting here is definitely one that's more a Gordon-based date – long tracks with rhythm backing from a trio with Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums. But unlike some of the other long-blown Gordon-heavy albums for the stretch, the presence of Jackie McLean really brings in a new sort of fire – the kind of soaring, soulful energy he brought to his own records in these immediate post-Blue Note years – almost a Coltrane influence, and a sense of spiritualism that really comes through on some of his solo moments – even in this relatively straight setting. Titles include "Half Nelson", "I Can't Get Started", "Another Hair-Do", and "Dexter Digs In". CD

Insanely beautiful work from the great Joe McPhee – an album that was recorded and intended to be issued during his groundbreaking stretch with Hat Art Records – but which never saw the light of day at the time! Why that happened, we're not entirely sure – because the album is tremendous right from the very first note – as McPhee blows alto, tenor, and pocket cornet alongside the work of Andre Jaume on alto, tenor, and bass clarinet – in a set of horn-only performances that are breathtaking from start to finish! Jaume's a great player too – and his work of the time, especially on Hat Art, is a masterpiece of subtlety and soul – and he balances McPhee perfectly here, often with some deeper currents that create a beautifully organic energy between the two. Jaume's got this way of handling his reed that's amazing – and, of course, Joe's phrasing is as incredible as always. Titles include great reworks of modern jazz classics – including "Pithecanthropus Erectus", "Self Portrait In Three Colors", "Evidence", "Chelsea Bridge", and "Lonely Woman" – plus the originals "Nuclear" and "Rue St Jaume". CD

Searing early work from Joe McPhee – quite possibly his hardest-hitting recording of the 70s, even if the material wasn't properly issued until 25 years later! The performance was done for radio station WBAI in New York – and it features McPhee, Clifford Thornton, and Byron Morris coming together in an experimental setting that also includes some earlier taped performances by McPhee alongside the live work by the group! There's an energy here that rivals the most aggressive avant work on Impulse Records at its best – a soaring, righteous sound that's got an undercurrent of social change and politics, as you'd find in classics by Archie Shepp or Marion Brown. The remaining members of the group include Mike Kull on piano and Harold E Smith on percussion, and McPhee plays trumpet as well as tenor – on titles that include "Black Magic Man", "Nation Time", "Song For Lauren", "Message From Denmark", "Harriet", and "The Looking Glass 1". CD

One of the greatest albums ever from Blue Note tenor giant Hank Mobley – a set that really explodes in all the new directions Hank was taking in the 60s! Mobley in the 50s was already the stuff of legend – a tremendous soloist on tenor, and every bit his own man – firmly focused forward with a voice that was already tremendous – but which was turned towards a lot of new ideas with records like this! Both Mobley's phrasing and rhythmic construction are different here than a few years before – still every bit as soulful as ever, but able to open up with richer imagination, especially on the strong original tunes on the set. The group's great – a quintet that offers up both guitar from Grant Green and piano from Wynton Kelly – and rhythm is by the mighty team of Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Tracks are longish, with plenty of room for solos – and titles include "Smokin", "Greasin Easy", "Workout", and "Uh Huh". CD features the bonus track "Three Coins In The Fountain". CD

Brilliant work as a leader from McCoy Tyner – and easily one of his most righteous albums ever – a true batch of spiritual gems that really takes the John Coltrane legacy one step further! Most numbers build with a modal vibe that's more Impulse Records than Blue Note – and players on the set include Alice Coltrane on harp, Gary Bartz on alto, Wayne Shorter on tenor and soprano sax, Ron Carter on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – a wonderful lineup that really holds tightly to the soaring, soulful energy that Tyner spins from his piano – a mode that's never too far out or avant, yet which stretches to the skies with a heavenly vision. The whole thing's wonderful – and tracks include "Message From The Nile", "The Wanderer", "Survival Blues", and "His Blessings". CD

A New York performance by the legendary pianist Yosuke Yamashita, but one that burns every bit as strongly as his famous albums from Japan – thanks in part to some really incredible work from Akira Sakata on alto and clarinet! There's few folks who could ever hope to match the Cecil Taylor-like energy of Yamashita on the piano, but Sakata always seems to rise to the challenge wonderfully – and with the drums of Shota Koyama along for the ride, the trio must have left the New York audience with their jaws on the floor – especially as most of the US had not been able to get access to Yosuke's records at the time. The set features three very long tracks – "Rabbit Dance", "Mina's Second Theme", and "Sunayama". CD

A wonderfully wicked album – one that sold so many copies that it's sometimes hard to remember how great it is! George takes on all of Abbey Road – or just about all of it – as he runs through some of the most beautiful tracks The Beatles ever wrote, like "Golden Slumbers", "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", "The End", "Because", and "You Never Give Me Your Money". The whole thing's set to some great baroque jazzy arrangements by Don Sebesky, and George digs the whole thing so much that he even sings a bit – vocalizing in a cool chromatic way that really works well with his guitar playing, and which would soon transform into a very popular style on his records of the 70s. Keyboards are by Bob James and Herbie Hancock – and there's plenty of other great jazz players in the mix! CD

Two of the biggest singers who ever worked for Verve Records – captured perfectly at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1957! Ella Fitzgerald steps out with a strong, lively groove on the first half of the set – swinging things with a looser, more upbeat quality than on some of her mellower Verve studio sets of the late 50s – really grooving it up with small combo backing from the trio of pianist Don Abney! Billie Holiday also gets some small combo backing too – a hip trio with Mal Waldron on piano, Joe Benjamin on bass, and Jo Jones on drums – often a bit more laidback than the group on Ella's sides, but in a great way that helps Holiday hit a very intimate sound, even before this large audience. Ella sings "This Can't Be Love", "Body & Soul", "April In Paris", "I Got A Crush On You", and "Airmail Special" – and Billie sings "Nice Work If You Can Get It", "What A Little Moonlight Can Do", "My Man", "Willow Weep For Me", and "Lady Sings The Blues". CD also features 3 more unissued bonus tracks by Ella – "Too Close For Comfort", "Lullaby Of Birdland", and "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down & Write Myself A Letter". And, added to all of this are 7 more tracks recorded by Carmen McRae at Newport, not issued by Verve in the 50s because Carmen was working for Decca! These sides feature trio backing too – from groups featuring Ray Bryant and Junior Mance on piano – on titles that include "Body & Soul", "Skyliner", "I'll Remember April", "Perdido", and "Love Is Here To Stay". CD

A tremendously beautiful album from overlooked genius Roy Harper – a set that steps into even more personal, private territory than his first few records – but with a sound that's every bit as great! The album only features four tracks – two long, two a bit shorter – and Roy handles guitars, vocals, and even a bit of piano – sometimes in a really spare setting, bot on one track with great arrangements from David Bedford. The music has a really fantastic vibe – that special Harper style of acoustic work that's light years past folk, and very much in a unique space of its own – filled with odd changes and colors, and set to Roy's incredible vocals. Titles include "Hors D'Oeuvres", "The Same Old Rock", "Me & My Woman", and "One Man Rock & Roll Band" – all of which are way more interesting than you'd guess from their titles! CD

Funky fusion doesn't get any funkier than this – and the album's one of the greatest 70s recordings by jazz funk trumpeter Eddie Henderson! The album's got a harder edge than a lot of Eddie's other records of the decade – razor sharp rhythms crackling away underneath a sublime space-heavy mix of keyboards, bass, saxes, and Eddie's funky trumpet. The group includes work by Bennie Maupin on reeds, George Duke on keyboards, Julian Priester on trombone, and Harvey Mason on drums – and the great Skip Drinkwater is at the production chair, cutting the grooves here with a lot more fire than in some of his later work! The whole thing's great – and titles include "Involuntary Bliss", "Galaxy", "Kumquat Kids", and "Explodition". CD

Rock-solid work from Wynton Kelly – a standout trio side from the early 60s, and one of his few dates recorded for Vee Jay Records! Kelly seems to have a bit more kick here than in the 50s – and a bit more of a down to earth quality than on his later sides for Verve – really laying back on the keys of the piano, and getting some great help from a rhythm group that features Jimmy Cobbs on drums, and either Sam Jones or Paul Chambers on bass. The tunes are mostly familiar numbers, but they're offset by a few strong Kelly originals – including "Joe's Avenue" and "Sassy" – amidst other titles that include "Love I've Found You", "Autumn Leaves", "Gone With The Wind", and "Autumn Leaves". CD

Forget The Stooges, forget Alice Cooper, forget the White Stripes, and maybe even forget Funkadelic – because this landmark album is one that really put the ferocity of the Detroit scene on the map – rising up the city's legacy of raw sounds next to their better-known soul and pop of the 60s – and forever putting MC5 on the great rock and roll map! The group had been honing their craft in the city for a few years before this set – and it was the genius of Elektra Records to capture them live at the city's Grande Ballroom, and not in the studio – which is part of the intensity of the record's charm, especially on the sometimes-edited bit of profanity. Titles include the seminal "Kick Out The Jams", plus "Come Together", "Rocket Reducer No 62", "Borderline", "Motor City Is Burning", "I Want You Right Now", and "Starship". CD

A heady set from the glory days of the Krautrock scene, and one that's recorded by Conny Plank – but a record that maybe has more of a hard rock vibe overall, one that's very much in keeping with the doom-styled look of the cover! These guys really jam their asses off – not in some sort of spacey experimental way, but instead really romping on the drums, riffing on the guitar, and bustling on basslines that really keep the whole record moving forward – all of which makes for a record that you could easily share with fans of Black Sabbath or Deep Purple – something that might not always be the case for other experimental German work of the time. Titles include "Trouble (parts 1 & 2)", "Delusion", "Dream Of A Drummer", "Time Is Flying", and "What Are You Doin". CD

A pair of overlooked female soul gems – back to back on a single CD! The first album is It Must Be Love – sweet late 70s modern soul from Alton McClain & Destiny – a great little female vocal trio with a sound that ranges from lightly funky with jazzy flourishes, to soaringly soulful! The group kind of follow in a tradition started by Honeycone and First Choice, and improved upon by The Emotions – and like that latter group, the girls move from the easier disco tracks that you'd normally expect, into a range of soulful styles that all come off equally well with their vocal technique. Webster Lewis handled some of the nice string arrangements – and players include Wah Wah Watson on guitar and Lee Ritenour on keys. titles include "Crazy Love", "Sweet Temptation", "Taking My Love For Granted", "My Empty Room", "Push & Pull", and "The Power Of Love". More Of You is one of the best records by this great little modern soul trio who should have gone onto bigger and better things. The session's got a strong mellow groove, typical of some of the non-hit soul coming out of labels like Polydor and Capitol at the end of the 70s – and tracks include "Stares & Whispers", "Love Waves", "More Of You", "99 1/2", "You Bring Me To My Morning Light", and "Thank Heaven For You". CD

One of the most spiritual albums to come from the young AACM movement in Chicago – a session that's somewhat equal in expression to some of the best post-Coltrane work on Impulse Records! Maurice McIntyre plays here with a sound that's already fully formed – an approach to the tenor that's as searingly human as that of Pharoah Sanders or Albert Ayler – but which is also played with a sharpness at times that recalls a young Marion Brown. The rest of the group is equally well-matched – a tremendous array of talent from the Chicago scene, with Malachi Favors on bass, Thurman Barker and Ajaramu on drums, Leo Smith on trumpet and flugelhorn, John Stubblefield on soprano sax, and Amina Claudine Myers on piano. George Hines vocalizes a bit on a few tracks – singing in a spiritual tone that's somewhat like Leon Thomas, but much freer and more abstract – and the album beautifully balances shorter musical statements with a fuller suite on side two – showing the deeper, more ambitious expressions that were starting to well up in the AACM. Titles include the tremendous "Humility In The Light Of Creator", plus "Hexagon", "Kcab Emoh", "Pluto Calling", "Life Force", and "Suite – Ensemble Fate". CD also features a bonus version of the title track! CD

One of the most spiritual albums to come from the young AACM movement in Chicago – a session that's somewhat equal in expression to some of the best post-Coltrane work on Impulse Records! Maurice McIntyre plays here with a sound that's already fully formed – an approach to the tenor that's as searingly human as that of Pharoah Sanders or Albert Ayler – but which is also played with a sharpness at times that recalls a young Marion Brown. The rest of the group is equally well-matched – a tremendous array of talent from the Chicago scene, with Malachi Favors on bass, Thurman Barker and Ajaramu on drums, Leo Smith on trumpet and flugelhorn, John Stubblefield on soprano sax, and Amina Claudine Myers on piano. George Hines vocalizes a bit on a few tracks – singing in a spiritual tone that's somewhat like Leon Thomas, but much freer and more abstract – and the album beautifully balances shorter musical statements with a fuller suite on side two – showing the deeper, more ambitious expressions that were starting to well up in the AACM. Titles include the tremendous "Humility In The Light Of Creator", plus "Hexagon", "Kcab Emoh", "Pluto Calling", "Life Force", and "Suite – Ensemble Fate". CD also features a bonus version of the title track! CD

One of the most righteous albums ever issued by the always-righteous Tribe Records label of Detroit – a really collective effort, one that features ensemble vocals and spiritual jazz – all pulled together by pianist Harold McKinney! The album showcases a group named Voices Of The Creative Profile – formed by McKinney to accompany his Creative Profile instrumental group – and the overall style is a great blend of spiritual soul jazz that gives equal time to the voices and instruments in the set. Gwen McKinney heads up the vocal ensemble, and other players on the set include Wendell Harrison on flute, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Billy Turner on percussion, and Ed Pickins on bass. Also features some cool moog from Darryl Dybka – and titles that include "In The Moog", "Freedom Jazz Dance", "Dolphin Dance", "Heavenese", "Ode To Africa", "Out Of The Blues", and "Cornerstone". CD features two bonus tracks – versions of "Ode To Africa" and "Jelly Loa". CD

A young Jackie McLean at the height of his powers – really stretching out here, but never going too far out – a perfect balance between his modern bop of previous records, and his groundbreaking "new thing" jazz to come! The group is a relatively straight ahead one – with Walter Davis on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – but the tracks are all quite long, and have this really arch sensibility on Jackie's horn – this edge, this cry he didn't have a few years before – easily one of the freshest voices in alto sax at the time, yearning here to break free with new ideas and new modes of expression. The vibe is perfectly balanced – like McLean's classic A Fickle Sonance – and titles include the classic "Melody For Melonae", plus "Rene", "I'll Keep Loving You", and "Omega". CD

If you ever needed a record to re-remind you of the genius of Jackie McLean, this Blue Note classic may well be it! At first glance, the session appears to be the usual sort of date – a quintet outing, with help from Donald Byrd on trumpet, Walter Davis on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums – yet as with all of McLean's best moments on records, the album explodes with freshly creative energy from the start – getting way past any easy expectation in the way it sets up the groove and delivers the sound! Jackie's tone is amazing – very modern at times, yet with all the soul of hardbop – and although the rhythms are relatively straight, there's always a slight setting-free at points – that pre-new thing groove that McLean further explored on records like Capuchin Swing or Fickle Sonance. The sound is amazing throughout – and titles are all originals by McLean and Davis – great gems that include "Davis Cup", "Sweet Cakes", "Hip Strut", "Minor Apprehension", and "Greasy". CD

If you ever needed a record to re-remind you of the genius of Jackie McLean, this Blue Note classic may well be it! At first glance, the session appears to be the usual sort of date – a quintet outing, with help from Donald Byrd on trumpet, Walter Davis on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums – yet as with all of McLean's best moments on records, the album explodes with freshly creative energy from the start – getting way past any easy expectation in the way it sets up the groove and delivers the sound! Jackie's tone is amazing – very modern at times, yet with all the soul of hardbop – and although the rhythms are relatively straight, there's always a slight setting-free at points – that pre-new thing groove that McLean further explored on records like Capuchin Swing or Fickle Sonance. The sound is amazing throughout – and titles are all originals by McLean and Davis – great gems that include "Davis Cup", "Sweet Cakes", "Hip Strut", "Minor Apprehension", and "Greasy". Plus, this CD reissue has one extra bonus track – the unreleased "Formidable", written by Walter Davis. CD

The album's a definite brass city – given that Joe McPhee plays pocket cornet and valve trombone, and just a bit of soprano sax – next to excellent work on slide trombone by the great Jeb Bishop! The players have an instant sympathy with each other – so much so that space and timing are as important as the sounds that emerge from either player – a really sensitive balance that reflects all the great elements that Bishop was bringing to his music at the time, and which seems to take McPhee back to some of the genius of his earliest records too! The set features the seven part "The Brass City" suite – plus "Outpost (For Tom Guaralnick)", "Transmute", and "The Rozwell Incident". CD

Fantastic work from reedman Charles McPherson – a player who was really coming back to basics in the mid 70s, but also finding a way to stretch out with a sound that was different than his initial albums of a decade before! Charles has moved way past the straight bop that first got him notice – yet he's also got this deft way of making changes that hardly denies that legacy at all, and instead turns to a newly fluid sense of expression that might well make McPherson one of the most soulful altoists of his generation – especially in the long legacy of great records that flowed from this period. The group features Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Leroy Williams on drums – and tracks are nice and long, with titles that include "Tokyo Blue", "East Of The Sun", "Desafinado", "Orient Express", and "Bouncing With Bud". CD features two bonus tracks – "Groovin High" and "Blue N Boogie". CD

Three great 60s albums from jazz singer Carmen McRae – all in a single set! Second To None is one of Carmen McRae's best records of the 60s – an album done with beautiful arrangements from Peter Matz, who's probably best known for his work with Barbara Streisand at the time – and who really helps McRae take her music to the next level! Carmen was already one of the most sophisticated jazz singers of the 50s – but in the following decade, she really perfected her phrasing – and was able to grab material and make it completely her own – all with a mode that's steeped in the special sort of inflections a jazz singer can bring, but which is also able to maybe be even more adult in approach overall. The strings soar, the percussion is fairly spare and often a little bit off kilter – and Carmen emphasizes her phrasing and more earthy tendencies without any empty histrionics – on titles that include "In The Love Vain", "The Music Makes Me Dance", "Too Good", "Once Upon A Summertime", "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes", and "Cloudy Morning". Live & Doin It is about as strong an example of the genius of Carmen McRae as you could ever hope to find – a live album that displays Carmen's impeccable phrasing in a very stripped-down setting – and one that also swings with a fair degree of sophisticated soul as well! Back in the 50s, Carmen paved the way for later stars like Marlena Shaw or Nancy Wilson – and here, she outdoes both of them with effortless ease – working with a very cool trio that features Norman Simmons on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and a very young Stu Martin on drums. The set's got that strong understanding of soul that was explored even more fully in her Atlantic Records years – which really transforms tracks in unexpected ways. Titles include "Guess Who I Saw Today", "Quiet Nights", "Trouble Is A Man", "My Ship Has Sailed", "No Where", "Meaning Of The Blues", and "I Only Have Eyes For You". Haven't We Met is great work from Carmen McRae – light and groovy one minute, deeply expressive the other – but all with a sense of balance that few other singers can touch at this point in her career! Carmen's already moved past straight jazz, yet she also avoids the traps of bigger label commercial singers too – really making the best of the sophisticated charts by Don Sebesky, yet also always reminding us who's in charge! The album's on a par with the excellent work to come for Atlantic records – and titles include the groovy "Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries", "Who Can I Turn To?", "He Loves Me", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Limehouse Blues", "I'm Foolin' Myself", "Fools and Lovers", and the title track – a wonderfully groovy take on the Kenny Rakin tune "Haven't We Met". CD

A great little CD – not only for the very nice price, but for the fact that the double-length set brings together two albums' worth of work that Carmen McRae recorded for the Groove Merchant label in the early 70s! The style here is strongly jazzy, but with a firm dose of soul too – all in a mode that follows nicely from Carmen's late 60s sessions for Atlantic Records, but with a sound that's almost even more focused and in the pocket. The band is largeish, but the rhythms are tight – and even the mellower tunes seem to have a nice sort of lilt at the bottom, one that goes great with the way that Carmen spaces out her vocals on the set. Players include Joe Pass on guitar, Larry Bunker on vibes, Zoot Sims on tenor, and Dick Shreve on piano – and the CD features 19 tracks that include "Hey John", "Inside A Silent Tear", "The Right To Love", "You & I", "Sunshine Of My Life", "The Good Life", "It Takes A Whole Lot Of Human Feeling", "Livin", "Masquerade", "You're Mine You", and "There Will Come A Time". CD

A contemporary gem from Paulette McWilliams – the Chicago singer who was part of Rufus before Chaka Khan, worked with Luther Vandross, and who's given the world decades of great contributions after cutting her rare solo debut on Fantasy Records in the 70s! This set shows Paulette very much in charge of her game, and working at a level that really lives up to her legacy in soul music – with well-crafted tunes that really gain a lot from her vocals, set up in these lean, but grooving arrangements that always let you know that the singer is the star of the scene! Titles include "Sometimes Your Eyes", "New Tunes Old Grooves", "Share", "These Are The Sweet Things", "Tell Me You Love Me", "Take A Drink Of Me", and "That's How I Am". CD

That's Brasil 65, not Brasil 66 – a distinction that marks a key early stage for the great Sergio Mendes – heard here on one of his first albums to mix together bossa jazz and vocals! The approach here is a bit more like vintage bossa dates from Brazil – or a bit like some of the Verve bossa records too – as Sergio's core trio is at the heart of every tune, playing with a great jazzy approach – then augmented in different ways by alto and flute from Bud Shank, guitar from Rosinha De Valenca, and vocals from the lovely Wanda De Sah! Production is perfect – really in a classic Elenco Records mode – and titles include "Let Me", "Consolacao", "Tristeza Em Mim", "Muito A Vontade", "Reza", "Berimbau", and "Aquarius". CD

A killer combo from saxophonist Cannonball Adderley – a group that features George Duke on both acoustic and electric piano, stretching things out, and helping the Adderley brothers find an even more soulful groove than they had in the 60s! The George Duke approach really makes for a cool concert throughout – with Cannon on alto (and a bit of soprano on one track too!), Nat on cornet, Walter Booker on bass, and Roy McCurdy on drums – hitting that more complex, more righteous groove that Adderley was opening up on Fantasy Records in the final years of his life – a bit more spontaneous here, with lots of room for improvisation! The set also has some more spiritual moments than you might expect if you only know Cannon's 60s albums on Capitol – especially at the start of the show, which is very loose and open. Titles include a great version of Nat's "Hummin" – plus side-long takes on "Doctor Honoris Causa" and "Black Messiah" – and the tunes "Walk Tall/The Scene", "Soli Tomba", "Directions", and "Autumn Leaves". CD

A 10th Anniversary performance by the Chicago Tentet – a wonderful group that's become the fruitful union of saxophonist Peter Brotzmann with a younger generation of players who were working heavily on the Chicago scene at the time! Back when the group first started, it was something of an experiment – but over the following decade, the ensemble won great attention for their playing, and for good reason too – considering the solo contributions of players like Ken Vandermark and Mats Gustafsson on reeds, Joe McPhee on trumpet and tenor, Johannes Bauer on trombone, Kent Kessler on bass, and Paal Nilssen Love on drums – all working under the visionary leadership of Peter Brotzmann! The tracks are all somewhat long and open-ended – almost more spacious than on other Chicago Tentet records, with a freely improvised feel. Titles include "Ten By Ten", "Little By Little", and "Step By Step". CD

The first four albums from this crucial group – along with four more CDs of rare live material too! First up is the self-titled Cactus – the first album from this legendary group – an important American hard rock powerhouse, driven by the famous rhythm duo of Tim Bogert on bass and Carmine Appice on drums – both of whom roll out of the gate here with amazingly frenetic energy! They're maybe only topped by the guitar work of Jim McCarty, whose searing lines are clearly learned from blues inspirations, then turned up in both speed and power – to match the vocals and harmonica of Rusty Day! There's nothing going on here that sounds like blues rock at all – even though the set begins with a cover of "Parchman Farm" – next to other titles that include "My Lady From South Of Detroit", "No Need To Worry", "You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover", and "Let Me Swim". On One Way Or Another, Cactus are totally at the top of their game – and the guitar of Jim McCarthy really sets the record on fire, right from the very first note – at a level that should have made Jim one of the real guitar hero legends of his generation! Yet there's also power from the whole group going on too – tight rhythms from the team of Carmine Appice and Jim Bogert, the latter of whom starts to bring in his own vocals a fair bit more, offering backup to the raspy lead of Rusty Day. And while there's a few currents that show their older influence from blues, the sound here is massively hard rock all the way through – making the record a great illustration of the way that slavish blues rock gave birth to a fresh new jamming sound in a matter of just a few short years. Titles include "Rockout Whatever You Feel Like", "Song For Aries", "Feel So Bad", "Rock N Roll Children", and "Hometown Bust". Restrictions is next, and despite the title, there's no restrictions at all – as Cactus seem to be even more confident, more able to stretch their wings and fly than ever before – even adding in some extra piano and keyboards at points to the core guitar-heavy sound of the quartet! All the group's best elements are very firmly in place – searing guitar, righteously confident vocals, and a strutting sensibility that makes this early 70s album way ahead of the game in terms of territory that so many bigger groups would later copy for their own classic records. Titles include "Guiltless Glider", "Evil Alaska", "Sweet Sixteen", "Bag Drag", "Restrictions", and "Mean Night In Cleveland". Ot N Sweaty is a record that's got a bit of a shift in the classic Cactus lineup – as the group's still driven strongly by the work of Carmine Appice on drums and Tim Bogert on bass, but get guitar power from Werner Fritzschings, who's a pretty amazing player – next to some added keyboards from Duane Hitchings, and vocals from Peter French – a singer who's ballsy power might be even more in line with the group than their previous lead singer! The album's got an unusual approach in that side one was recorded live, side two in the studio – each with a nicely different flavor as a result – on titles that include "Swim", "Our Lil Rock N Roll Thing", "Bedroom Mazurka", "Telling You", "Bad Stuff", and "Bringing Me Down". 8CD set is overflowing with great material – bonus tracks added to three of the four albums in the collection, than a further 4CDs worth of live material – titled Fully Unleashed – The Live Gigs Vols 1 & 2. The live material is great – and really shows the tightness of the group at their best! 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

A really cool little record that's essentially the start of the great musical legacy of Ellen McIlwaine – a group effort, but one that still features Ellen on vocals and arrangements – as well as work on harmonica, guitar, and organ! The style is more blues-influenced than some of the acoustic moments of McIlwaine's great Polydor records from a few years later – but as with those, there's also a genre-defying approach that's mighty nice – with some currents of funk in the offbeat arrangements, which really keeps things interesting! Lead guitar is from Chris Zaloom, who has a heavier, headier quality than you might expect – and titles include "Crawling Kingsnake", "The Letter", "Mossy Dream", "Billy Gene", "Born Under A Bad Sign", and "Bow'd Up". CD

Very hip work from a young Jimmy Heath – a relative newcomer to the scene at this point, but breaking out with a firm conception and tone, exercised strongly here in a set of large group arrangements worked out in collaboration with Tom McIntosh. McIntosh's work in this format is well known from albums by Dizzy and James Moody – and as with those records, this one has an edgey quality that really keeps the music fresh, and which provides a good foil for solos by Heath, McIntosh, Pat Patrick, and Cannonball Adderley. Titles include "Big P", "Mona's Mood", "Nails", and "The Picture Of Heath". CD

Very hip work from a young Jimmy Heath – a relative newcomer to the scene at this point, but breaking out with a firm conception and tone, exercised strongly here in a set of large group arrangements worked out in collaboration with Tom McIntosh. McIntosh's work in this format is well known from albums by Dizzy and James Moody – and as with those records, this one has an edgey quality that really keeps the music fresh, and which provides a good foil for solos by Heath, McIntosh, Pat Patrick, and Cannonball Adderley. Titles include "Big P", "Mona's Mood", "Nails", and "The Picture Of Heath". CD features the bonus track "Nails", in an alternate take! CD

A famous date that showcases the Chess Records influence on the sound of the Brit rock scene – one that has a number of key players "giving back" to the label, and working on a special date with Howlin Wolf! Wolf's rough vocals are in the lead on all tracks, and he also plays a bit of harmonica and guitar as well – and other artists include Steve Winwood on piano and organ, Eric Clapton on guitar, Bill Wyman on bass, and Charlie Watts on drums – all players who are respectful of the original bluesy sound of Chess, and who clearly dig the opportunity to show off their chops in the setting. Titles include "I Ain't Superstitious", "Poor Boy", "Do The Do", "Red Rooster", "Built For Comfort", "What A Woman", "Highway 49", "Who's Been Talking", and "Rocking Daddy". CD

An excellent collection – 46 tracks, and most of his important early singles for Decca Records! CD

One of the most unique albums from Ramsey Lewis' early years at Chess Records – a spare set of bossa groovers that has the Lewis trio with Eldee Young and Redd Holt augmented by added Brazilian percussion and guitar! The sound is spare, sharp, and soulful – and the record's one of the first small combo bossa dates like this in the US – a 1962 effort that even predates most of Verve's better known bossa jazz albums of the 60s, and which matches their groovy energy wonderfully. The record's quite an unusual one for Lewis, and it's further proof that the trio with Young and Holt was an incredibly dynamic outfit! Two tracks on the album – "A Noite Do Meu Bem" and "Cara De Palhacao" – feature vocals, by Carmen Costa and Josef Paulo, respectively – and other tracks are all instrumental, and include "Samba De Orpheus", "O Pato", "Roda Moinho", "Roda Moinho", and "Cancao Para Geralda". CD

A fantastic set – 46 Chess Records recordings, including a few unissued titles! CD

Two rare albums from Dutch reedman Theo Loevendie – both amazing little records that sound beautiful here on a single CD! Mandela features complicated lines from a hip Netherlands combo of the late 60s – one headed up by Theo Loevendie on alto sax, but which acts a lot more like a collective of modernists working together – Hans Dulfer on tenor and bamboo flute, Willem Van Manen on trombone, Nedly Elstak on trumpet, Joop Mastenbroek on baritone and clarinet, Maarten Altena on bass, and Martin Van Dunhoven and John Engels on drums. The tunes all have a nice sense of structure – energy that's more like the early 60s modernism of the European scene – particularly some of the more rhythmic styles – than the looser freedoms that some of Loevendie's contemporaries were hitting at the same time. There's definitely plenty of offbeat sounds in the mix – but the group also knows how to swing, too – on titles that include "Trombomanie", "Mr Brook", "Timbuktu", "Trompedly", and "Pepy". Chess is a really playful outing from a very cool Dutch combo – one with lead alto from Theo Loevendie, but a rich array of sounds from the other members too! The reeds are especially nice – often coming together with a complexity that goes back to older European modern traditions, yet with a swinging sensibility that's still plenty jazz, too – kind of a mix of composition, arrangement, and inherent swinging – with standout work from Hans Dulfer on tenor, Leon Van Oostrom on baritone, Leo Cuypers on piano, and Willem Van Manen on trombone – a player we barely know at all, but whose bold tones really bring a lot to the record. Titles include "Lapsang Souchong", "Scratch", "Brasilia", and "Tremolo". CD

Amazing lost work from the Mahvishnu Orchestra – a previously-unreleased studio session from 1973, one that features John McLaughlin and the group working in some beautifully tripped-out territory! The lineup features McLaughlin on a variety of guitars – plus Jerry Goodman on electric violin, Jan Hammer on keyboards, Rick Laird on bass, and Billy Cobham on drums – all coming together perfectly with that sense of subtle, organic fusion that made the Mahvishnu records so great – a real change from the harder, more rockish sounds of Hammer and Goodman in later years. Titles include "Dream", "Sister Andrea", "I Wonder", "Steppings Tones", "John's Song", and "Triology". CD