A beautiful album by Mal Waldron – recorded in 1960, after the passing of Billie Holiday, and a very loving tribute by Waldron, who was her accompanist for a number of years. The set moves way past the usual "Holiday songbook" mode, and features instead a dark batch of tracks, two written by Waldron – "Minor Pulsation" and "Cat Walk" – a third written by him and Holiday, the famous tune "Left Alone". Jackie McLean plays some fantastic alto sax on the album's version of "Left Alone", and the rest of the tracks are trio tracks played by Waldron, Julian Euell, and Al Dreares. The set also features one very strange track – "Mal Waldron: The Way He Remembers Billie Holiday" – which is an interview with Waldron about Billie! And sure, there were many cash-in records after Billie Holiday died, but this is one of the best, and it comes from a very legitimate source! CD features 6 bonus tracks – the full stereo mix of the album! 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

A magical pairing of musicians – both of whom had come together in different formats, and who here showcase a great late meeting of their genius! The vibe is maybe similar to the Super Quartet that Lacy and Waldron were leading in the early 90s, but with a slightly different lineup – Mal on piano, Steve on soprano sax, Reggie Workman on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums – a very deft, fluid quartet who are able to shift easily between the different modes of the set! The performance begins with a bit of a nod to Thelonious Monk – always a key influence on Lacy's sound, even at the start – but Waldron's also bringing plenty of his ideas in too, and things really open up once the music gets going – with especially strong flavors that come from the territory that both musicians developed overseas in the decades before this performance. Tracks are all very long – and titles include "Variation Of III", "Longing", "Monk's Dream", "What It Is", "Epistrophy", and the long medley "Snake Out/Variations On A Theme By Cecil Taylor". CD

Pivotal work from Waldron – stepping out of the blowing session mode, emerging as one of the 60s most striking moderinists. Like a lot of Waldron's records from the time, this set shows an amazing desire for new forms and modern ideas, and the mix of players – Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, Ron Carter, Joe Benjamin, and Charlie Persip – pulls the material in a number of different ways. Carter plays bowed cello, as he did on Dolphy's Out There session, and he gives the set a dark moody feel. Ervin's in his best modernist mode, and he ably trades lines with Dolphy and keeps the whole thing moving nicely. Waldron's writing and arranging is superb, and the tracks feature a lot of weird time structures and unusual modal patterns. Includes the tracks "Status Seeking", "Warm Canto", "Warp and Woof", and "Fire Waltz". CD

Really evocative work from pianist Mal Waldron – a rare Japanese session cut with trumpeter Terumasa Hino, and a hip group of players who really make the set sparkle! The album's easily one of the most spiritual that Mal ever cut – and features two side long tracks that build beautifully, with soaring, searching rhythms that are unlike anything else we've ever heard in another Waldron record. Other players include Takao Uematsu on tenor, Isao Suzuki on bass, and Motohiko Hino on drums – and the set also feature added percussion, which really adds to the spiritual quality of the music. Titles include "Reminiscent Suite" and "Black Forest". CD

The duo of Archie Shepp and Mal Waldron come together beautifully here – in a mode that echoes some of the duets that pianist Waldron recorded with other reedmen in the 70s and 80s, but which has an especially wonderful contribution from Shepp! Archie blows both tenor and soprano sax – and the warmth of his horn in later years is really perfect here – especially as the album's sometime of an update of Waldron's earlier Left Alone classic, recorded after the death of Billie Holiday at the end of the 50s. As with that one, the tunes here include some numbers very strongly tied to Billie's legacy, but the vibe is very different, and very personal along the lines of the spirit of Shepp and Waldron. Titles include "Lady Sings The Blues", "Left Alone", "Easy Living", "Everything Happens To Me", "When Your Lover Has Gone", and "Blues For 52nd Street". CD

A beautiful album by Mal Waldron – recorded in 1960, after the passing of Billie Holiday, and a very loving tribute by Waldron, who was her accompanist for a number of years. The set moves way past the usual "Holiday songbook" mode, and features instead a dark batch of tracks, two written by Waldron – "Minor Pulsation" and "Cat Walk" – a third written by him and Holiday, the famous tune "Left Alone". Jackie McLean plays some fantastic alto sax on the CD's version of "Left Alone", and the rest of the tracks are trio tracks played by Waldron, Julian Euell, and Al Dreares. The set also features one very strange track – "Mal Waldron: The Way He Remembers Billie Holiday" – which is an interview with Waldron about Billie! And sure, there were many cash-in records after Billie Holiday died, but this is one of the best, and it comes from a very legitimate source! CD

A beautiful album by Mal Waldron – recorded in 1960, after the passing of Billie Holiday, and a very loving tribute by Waldron, who was her accompanist for a number of years. The set moves way past the usual "Holiday songbook" mode, and features instead a dark batch of tracks, two written by Waldron – "Minor Pulsation" and "Cat Walk" – a third written by him and Holiday, the famous tune "Left Alone". Jackie McLean plays some fantastic alto sax on the CD's version of "Left Alone", and the rest of the tracks are trio tracks played by Waldron, Julian Euell, and Al Dreares. The set also features one very strange track – "Mal Waldron: The Way He Remembers Billie Holiday" – which is an interview with Waldron about Billie! And sure, there were many cash-in records after Billie Holiday died, but this is one of the best, and it comes from a very legitimate source! CD

Mal Waldron's got no more tears for Lady Day – but maybe that's because so many of the pianist's previous albums evoked his relationship with Billie Holiday! Shedding that reference, just focus on the strength of Waldron in a trio setting – that mature, moody style that really showed how much Mal had grown during his 60s and 70s years recording abroad, then able to bring back that energy to a range of records that gave him greater exposure during this excellent 80s stretch! All the sensitivity of Waldron's early years is in place, and there's clearly an understanding of the out territory he explored in more recent years – but focused with careful energy in this trio that features Paulo Cardoso on bass and John Betsch on drums. Titles include "Melancholy Waltz", "No More Tears", "Alone Together", "All Night Through", and "Yesterdays". CD

A haunting and unusual batch of tracks from bassist Ron Carter – working here with a group that includes spiritual modernists Eric Dolphy on reeds and Mal Waldron on piano – both players who really add a lot to the set! In a way, the album's more like Dolphy's own work as a leader from the time than the sort of music usually associated with Carter – and Ron really seems to let the reedman shape the overall sound of the set with his tremendous work on alto, flute, and bass clarinet. Carter plays a bit of cello in addition to his bass – giving the record a nicely eerie sound at points – and Waldron's piano, as always, is excellent during this point in his career. Titles include Randy Weston's "Where" and "Saucer Eyes", plus "Bass Duet", which features Carter dueting with George Duvivier, and a very nice version of "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". CD

A legendary German session from the 60s – and a record that really showcases the unusual criss-crossing of modes that was going on in the European scene at the time! There's a very strong MPS vibe here – as trumpeter Dusko Goykovich leads a swinging sextet that includes Nathan Davis on flute, soprano, and tenor – blowing some tremendously soulful reed lines – plus incredible rhythms from Mal Waldron on piano, Peter Trunk on bass, and Cees See on drums. The record's an attempt to bring traditional Macedonian rhythms into a jazz perspective – but with players like these, it swings in a way any Macedonian album never could – damn soulful, and with a great exotic vibe. Davis is especially great, and plays in a soaring modal vein that's similar to his work on his classic MPS sides, and on the records he cut in America in the early 70s. The album's a beautiful session that often get's overlooked because it blends it with the Enja catalog – but it's really more of a record that belongs in an MPS reissue series, and is a great lost groover that's waiting to be rediscovered by the Dusty Groove crowd. Titles include "Macedonia", "Old Fisherman's Daughter", "Jumbo Uganda", "Bem Basha", "Saga Se karame", and "The Nights Of Skopje". CD

David Murray always sounds great in a spare setting like this – and with Mal Waldron as his musical partner for a set of duets, you can bet that the album's pretty darn special! In a way, Murray seems to open up even more the less players he's got on a date – hitting new tones and new timings with his horn, as he stretches out in the open space with an inherently rhythmic sensibility – one that has him taking very different paths than other more free jazz oriented players might. Waldron's tone is wonderful too – and he's working on a Steinway here, recorded with a strong sense of echo that amplifies even the simplest turns of phrase nicely – creating lots of shimmering notes alongside Murray's tenor and bass clarinet. Most tracks are quite long, and titles include "Free For CT", "Silence", "Jean-Pierre", "Hurray For Herbie", "Soul Eyes", "All Too Soon", and "I Should Care". CD

The duo of Archie Shepp and Mal Waldron come together beautifully here – in a mode that echoes some of the duets that pianist Waldron recorded with other reedmen in the 70s and 80s, but which has an especially wonderful contribution from Shepp! Archie blows both tenor and soprano sax – and the warmth of his horn in later years is really perfect here – especially as the album's sometime of an update of Waldron's earlier Left Alone classic, recorded after the death of Billie Holiday at the end of the 50s. As with that one, the tunes here include some numbers very strongly tied to Billie's legacy, but the vibe is very different, and very personal along the lines of the spirit of Shepp and Waldron. Titles include "Lady Sings The Blues", "Left Alone", "Easy Living", "Everything Happens To Me", "When Your Lover Has Gone", and "Blues For 52nd Street". 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

A lesser-known gem from Mal Waldron – recorded back on the American scene at the start of the 80s, with some really great help on tenor from Joe Henderson! Both players were working a bit out of the mainstream at the time, but had lost none of their powers – and instead, there's an odd edge here that really makes the album compelling – some of those great broken-down notes you'll hear in Henderson sessions of the 80s, mixed with both fragmented lines from Waldron, and some surprisingly warm moments as well. The group's completed by David Friesen on bass and Billy Higgins on drums – and although Henderson's not on every track, his presence on some of them makes for a nice balance with the trio numbers. Titles include the amazing "Herbal Syndrome", plus "Blues in 4 By 3", "Golden Golson", "One Entrance Many Exits", and "Chazz Jazz". CD

Includes the albums ; After Hours, Prestige All Star Quartet, Mal 3 – Sounds, Mal 4, Just Wailin, Left Alone, Impressions and The Quest. CD

With John Coltrane, Bobby Jaspar, Paul Quinichette, Booker Ervin, Gene Ammons, Jackie McLean, Eric Dolphy, Cecil Payne, Pepper Adams, Steve Lacy, Idrees Sulieman, Johnny Splawn, Webster Young, Kenny Burrell, Joe Puma, Teddy Charles, Paul Chambers, Julian Euell, Earl May, Addison Farmer, Buell Neidlinger, Joe Benjamin, Wendell Marshall, Ron Carter, Art Taylor, Albert "Tootie" Heath, Ed Thigpen, Jerry Segal, Kenny Dennis, Elvin Jones, and Charlie Persip. CD

Searing work from Mal Waldron – recorded in the early 70s with an excellent trio that features Billy Higgins on drums and Reggie Workman on bass! The group's got a lot more fire and energy than some of Waldron's other assemblages of the 70s – and the tracks are long and exploratory, yet also groove at the best moments – a great blend of some of the freedom that Waldron had been exploring overseas, while still tying things to some of the more soulful, spiritual currents of his early years. Carla Poole joins the group on flute for the track "Space Walk" – and other titles include "Up Popped The Devil", "Snake Out", and "Changachangachang". CD

Not a duet session as you might guess from the title – as the piano of Mal Waldron and alto of Jackie McLean are joined by the bass of Herbie Lewis and drums of Eddie Moore! Titles include "Lover Man", "Minor Pulsation", "Left Alone", "Cat Walk", and "Good Morning Heartache". CD

Mal Waldron on piano, Steve Lacy on soprano saxophone, Reggie Workman on bass, and Eddie Moore on drums. CD

Way more than just an album with Gene Ammons as a leader – and instead, a set that truly earns the "all stars" listed on the cover – thanks to a great array of supporting players, and a very loose, open-ended jam session style that lets everyone get in plenty of solo space! Ammons' tenor is tremendous, but he's also a great collaborator here, too – working with Idrees Suliman on trumpet, Pepper Adams on baritone, Mal Waldron on piano, Art Taylor on drums, Doug Watkins on bass, and Ray Barretto on conga – in a mode that's maybe slightly tighter than some of the blowing sessions Prestige was doing at the time, but which still has that key longform creative energy that made the hardbop generation so great. Titles include "Blue Gene", "Scamperin", "Blue Greens n Beans", and "Hip Tip" – and all tracks are long, with plenty of focus on solos! CD

Not to be confused with the Jammin' With Gene LP, this set was later reissued as The Twister. Classic blowing session material from Jug – with 4 long tracks that are all a superb example of how great Prestige could be when they wanted to! The group is filled with great players – Jackie McLean, Mal Waldron, Idrees Sulieman, and Kenny Burrell – and the band plays with a free easy groove that produces some beautiful solos, especially from Jug! Titles include "Cattin", "The Twister", "Four", and "Pennies From Heaven". CD

A great little vocal session on Bethlehem – and maybe the only record we've ever seen from singer Betty Blake! Blake's a great vocalist right from the start – one who balances swing and sophistication wonderfully – amidst some very hip jazz backings from a combo that features Zoot Sims and Roland Alexander on tenor, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Teddy Charles on vibes, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Mal Waldron on piano! The set's got a bit more punch than some other Bethlehem vocal dates, but it also has a nice sense of spontaneity too – never over-arranged or too staid, in ways that really show off Blake's swinging side. Titles include "Moon and Sand", "I'll Be Around", "While We're Young", "Blue Fool", and "Trouble Is A Man". CD

Kenny Burrell on guitar with Gene Ammins, Ray Brown, Donald Bgyrd, Paul Chambers, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Art Farmer, Tommy Flanagan, Coleman Hawkins, Joe Henderson, Philly Joe Jones, Wynton Kelly, Jackie McLean, Jimmy Smith, Arthur Taylor, Stanley Turrentine, Mal Waldron, Cedar Walton, and others. CD

A great meeting of tenor sax talents old and young – as the up-and-coming John Coltrane plays alongside Paul "Vice Pres" Quinichette – in a classic Prestige session of well-blown saxophone work! The rhythm section on the album features Mal Waldron on piano, Julian Euell on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums – but the real focus here is on the tenor giants in the title – working together in warm spirit that's surprisingly well matched! Titles include "Sunday", "Cattin", "Anatomy", and "Vodka". CD

Searing live work from Eric Dolphy – part of a series of recordings that set a whole new standard for live jazz recording! The record features Dolphy going even farther out than on his studio sides from the time – as the record features very long tracks performed by a crack group that includes Booker Little on trumpet, Mal Waldron on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums. Despite the length of the tracks, Dolphy isn't as far out as on later European live recordings – but the performance is a great example of his inventiveness within a mainstream structure, and the modernist tendencies of both Waldron and Little shine very brightly in the set. The concert was one of Little's last (and greatest) recordings – sometimes billed as a "memorial", even though he was still alive when it was done – and titles on this volume include "Aggression" and "Like Someone In Love". CD

A surprisingly nice little record – a set in which Prestige Records collected together a number of unissued Eric Dolphy tracks after his death – but still a strong full album – as the record features music that's even a bit more far-reaching than some of the studio albums on the label! Dolphy plays a solo bass clarinet version of "God Bless The Child"; he plays with Booker Little and Mal Waldron on "Status Seeking"; he's on flute in a quartet with Jaki Byard on "April Fool"; and he plays with a pickup Danish rhythm section on an alternate take of "Don't Blame Me". CD

One of the most jazz-based groups of the German prog scene of the early 70s – heard here on a rare outing that features Mal Waldron playing electric piano with the group! Despite Waldron's presence, though, the real keyboard star of the set is Jimi Jackson – who plays mellotron and organ on the record, and sounds especially wonderful on the side-long track "The Call" – a fantastic 17-minute track that arose out of collective improvisations by the group! Instrumentation on the whole set is great – and includes the keyboards, plus heavy bass, vibes, marimba, guitar, sax, and even a bit of electric violin! Titles include "Radio Marrakesch/Orient Express", "Dreaming Girls", and "The Call". CD

A late 60s soundtrack by Serge Gainsbourg – but a record that's easily as great as any of his studio albums from the same time! The bulk of the album has a spare, punctuated groove that's somewhat funky – quite a bit like Melody Nelson in its sense of space and timing – and its sex-heavy groove that bubbles up nicely from the bottom of bassy backings and mod orchestrations. Serge sings a bit – as does Anna Karina and Jean-Claude Brialy, Gainsbourg's co-stars in the film – and the orchestrations on the record were handled by Michel Colombier, and easily rank as some of his greatest work ever! Titles include both vocal and instrumental versions of "Sous Le Soleil Exactement", "Pas Mal Pas Mal Du Tout", "Boomerang", "Un Jour Comme Un Autre", "Ne Dis Rien", "Roller Girl", "GI Jo", "Pistolet Jo", "Photographes Et Religieuses", "Rien Rien J'Disais Ca Comme Ca", and "Un Poison Violet C'Est CA L'Amour". CD

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

18 tracks in all featuring appearances by Lester Young, Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Gerry Mulligan, Mal Waldron, Milt Hinton and Osie Johnson. CD

One of Charles Mingus' greatest albums from the early days – and a record that shows him making the shift into the groundbreaking style that would characterize his excellent work of the late 50s! The group features Mal Waldon on piano, George Barrow on tenor, Eddie Bert on trombone, and Max Roach on drums on two tracks (Willie Jones handles the kit on other cuts) – all coming together with a jagged sense of power that really shows Mingus taking charge – pushing the group strongly in a "jazz workshop" sort of mode! The album features a key reading of the seminal "Haitian Fight Song", a masterful reworking of the tracks "A Foggy Day" and "I'll Remember April" – and the tunes "Lady Bird", "Love Chant", and the very cool "Drums". CD

A classic session of modernist jazz – and some of Mingus most groundbreaking early work! The album was recorded for Savoy with 2 different groups – one's got Mingus leading John LaPorta on alto, Teo Macero on tenor, and Mal Waldron on piano, and the other group's a quartet with Macero, Kenny Clarke, and Wally Cirillo. The set marks a strong shift for Mingus – into tightly composed tracks that arc out in complex lines, hinting at the ferocity of later years – and it offers a showcase for a strong set of soloists carefully picked to match Mingus' rich vision. Titles include "Gregarian Chant", "Rose Geranium", "Purple Heart", "Transeason", "Smog L.A.", and "Level Seven". CD also features one bonus track not on the original LP – a previously unissued version of "Body & Soul" cut during the same sessions! CD

Four altos in perfect formation – a record that captures a young Phil Woods at the height of his powers, and offers a rare non-baritone set from the great Sahib Shihab! The style here is similar to the Prestige tenor blowing sessions of the time – with core rhythms by a trio that features Mal Waldron on piano, Tommy Potter on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – and altos from the four players in the lead – coming together a bit at the start, then breaking off into some really wonderful solo work that's arguably tighter and better executed than most tenor sessions of this type! Titles include "Pedal Eyes", "Kokochee", "No More Nights", "Kinda Kanonic", and "Staggers". CD

A heck of a collection – and one that really gets at the amazing array of free-thinking jazz that was brewing up on the European scene during the 70s! The set brings together over eight hours of music recorded during two years of this legendary festival – and each new disc has some great surprises along the way! There's some possibly more familiar material here – such as long improvisations that include a solo piano performance by Joachim Kuhn, two by a Mal Waldron trio with Jimmy Woode on bass and Allen Blairman on drums, one by a trio headed by pianist Yosuke Yamashita and with Akira Sakata on alto, two more by the duo of Peter Brotzmann on tenor and Han Bennink on drums, and a final two long improvisations by a great Archie Shepp gruop with Richard Greenlee on trombone, Dave Burell on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums! Yet that's only the tip of the iceberg – as there's a full CD of music by a group led by Hugo Heredia on saxes and flute – with Horace Parlan on piano, Dodo Goys on bass, Tullio D'Piscopo on drums, and Mandrake Ivanir Do Nascimento on percussion. And there's another CD that features an hour-long improvisation by a version of the Willem Breuker Kollektief with Leo Cuypers on piano, Maarten Van Norden on tenor, Boy Raaymakers on trumpet, and Bernhard Hunnekink and Willem Van Manen on trombones. There's also a very long track by a cool quartet headed by Polish alto giant Zbigniew Namyslowski – and one more by the French Machi Oul Big Band. There's also tracks by Riot, with Uli Beckerhoff on trumpet; Grumpff with Michael Schlaper on tenor and soprano, and Ekkehard Jost on baritone; Mumps with Albert Mangelsdorff on trombone and John Surman on tenor; and the Eddie Prevost Quartet with Geoff Hawkins on tenor and Gerry Gold on trumpet. And last but not least are two long trcks by the Czech group Celula Jazz Crew – with Laco Deczi on trumpet, Karel Ruzicka on electric piano, and Svatopluc Kosvanec on trombone. Phew – that's a lot of music, and the whole thing comes in a very cool 10" box set, complete with a booklet of notes, too! CD

A classic album featuring music from The Sound Of Jazz – the legendary 1957 TV show that brought together some of the greatest talents then working in jazz! Unusual for TV, the show really seemed to capture the players at their best – and recorded some tremendous live performances that were among the most moving ever filmed by the artists involved. Highlights include "The Train & The River" played by the Jimmy Giuffre Trio, "Fine & Mellow" sung by Billie Holiday, "Rosetta" and "Wild Man Blues" by the Red Allen All-Stars, "Blues" by Jimmy Giuffre & Pee Wee Russell, "I Left My Baby" by Count Basie with Jimmy Rushing, "Dickie's Dream" by Count Basie, and "Nervous", a solo piano number by Mal Waldron. CD

A great little set compiled by the folks at Swing Journal, with music by Miles Davis, Art Farmer, George Wallington, Thelonious Monk, Taddd Dameron, Mal Waldron, Roy Haynes, Kenny Dorham, Sonny Rollins, and others – 21 tracks total CD

A very unusual early album from piano genius Jaki Byard – recorded right around the same time as his initial albums for Prestige, and his big breakthrough with Charles Mingus! The set is all solo, recorded during that legendary short span of recordings by Candid Records in Nola Penthouse – and Byard is completely on fire, maybe showing a pianistic dexterity and command of the history of jazz that wouldn't burst forth on other records until the end of the decade! Jaki wrote all the material himself – and seems to embrace a range of expression that runs from Jelly Roll Morton up through Mal Waldron – then filtered and focused brilliantly through his godlike fingertips. Titles include "Hollis Stomp (Mr Piano Man)", "Flight OF The Fly", "Aluminum Baby", "One Two Five", Dian's Melody", and "Jaki's Blues Next". CD

Part 3 to the Five Spot recordings from Eric Dolphy – issued here as a "memorial" to Booker Little, even though Little was still alive for the recording! The album features especially searing work from Dolphy, and was part of a series of recordings that set a whole new standard for live jazz recording. The record features Dolphy going even farther out than on his studio sides from the time – as the record features very long tracks performed by a crack group that includes Booker Little on trumpet, Mal Waldron on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums. Despite the length of the tracks, Dolphy isn't as far out as on later European live recordings – but the performance is a great example of his inventiveness within a mainstream structure, and the modernist tendencies of both Waldron and Little shine very brightly in the set. The concert was one of Little's last (and greatest) recordings – and titles include "Number Eight" and "Booker's Waltz". CD

Beautiful bossa from late 60s France – a really lovely session that mixes the vocals of Tita with jazzy backings from Trio Camara – who we know from their own legendary album on the Saravah label! The sound here is a bit different than bossa from Brazil – somewhat darker at points, carried off in that cool continental mode that would sometimes show up when sounds from Rio were filtered through 60s Paris – kind of an extra level of hipness that really makes for some special music here. There's a bit of additional strings next to the trio's backing, which underscores some elements of sadness and also makes for a bit of a soundtrack feel at points – and other instrumentation includes acoustic guitar and some occasional flute. Titles include "Anjo", "Trapezista", "Zefa", "Um Motivo De Ser", "Beatriz", "Nao Faz Mal", "Quebra Mar", and "Vejo A Tarde Cair". CD

... CD

A really fantastic little record – a set that shows a strong evolution of spiritual jazz styles into the 80s! The set was recorded at a time when the jazz underground was really getting a lot of exposure, and was bursting forward with a new sense of hope – a quality that you can really feel in the music, right from the very first note – as these tunes are joyous, yet highly rhythmic and spiritual too – a vibe that's maybe a bit like Pharoah Sanders on Theresa Records, especially on his classic "You Got To Have Freedom"! Most tunes here are upbeat and modal – driven by the rhythms of Ron Burton on piano, Abdu Wali on guitar, Sabu Adeyla on bass, Idris Muhammad on drums, and Abdus Saboor on percussion – and soaring with solos from leader Kamal Abdul Alim on trumpet, James Spaulding on alto and flute, and Bobby Watson on alto and soprano. The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include "Prayer", "Peace", "Al Nafs", "Dance", and "Brotherhood". CD

... CD

... CD

The classic recording of Chico Buarque's opera Malandro – done with the supervision of Chico himself, who also stars on vocals along with singers that include Gal Costa, Zizi Possi, MPB4, Nara Leao, Alcione, Moreira Da Silva, and Francis Hime. Hime handled the arrangements and directed the music – and titles include "O Malandro", "Viver De Amor", "Hino De Duran", "Terezinha", "O Meu Amor", "Pedaco De Mim", and "Opera". CD

... CD

A dozen hits. CD

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

With a record like this, it's clear that bassist Jamale Davis is a player to watch – as he's got a way of really bringing something new to the table, and presenting us with a very fresh conception of jazz! Way back through a legacy that includes albums by Ron Carter, Richard Davis, and Oscar Pettiford, it's often the case that groups led by a bassist can really deliver something different – not just a way of pushing a player who's sometimes in the background to the front, but maybe changing up approaches to rhythm and melody in all these really inventive ways – something that Jamale definitely does here – working with a lineup who shape their sounds beautifully – Dario Terzuolo on tenor, John Mosca on trombone, Mferghu on piano, and Ben Zweig on drums and pandeiro. The mix of tenor and trombone is beautiful next to the bass – and the album has a good blend of unusual tunes and a few well-chosen remakes – in a set list that includes "Rabbit Island", "Indra", "Taxi Bird", "Star Eyes", "Run With The Hunted", "Congo Blues", and "Hello I Must Be Going". CD

One of the best albums in years from altoist Jesse Davis – recorded in a relaxed, open-ended style that really unlocks some new magic in his horn! Davis' studio records are all quite nice, but this live date really takes him to places we've never heard before – a really old school exploration of alto modes that brings us back to Stitt or Criss, and shows a long-winded creativity we hardly knew that Jesse had. The rhythm section really helps the feel of the record, too – with a lot of humanity in the piano of Spike Wilner, mixed with the impeccable work of Peter Washington on bass and Billy Drummond on drums. Ryan Kisor's trumpet adds one more horn to the mix – and titles include "I'll Close My Eyes", "Piece Of The Apple", "Pray Thee/Beyond The Storm", "Journey From The Lighthouse", and "Body & Soul". CD