A study in brown, and a study in hardbop too – a seminal album of 50s jazz that forever went on to set the tone for the music! The album was one of a few that trumpeter Clifford Brown cut as his star was strongly rising, before a tragic early accident took his life – and it's a masterpiece of bop modernism, done with the co-leadership of drummer Max Roach – with an equally well-matched group that includes Harold Land on tenor, George Morrow on bass, and Bud Powell's brother Richie on piano. Tracks are short, and played with great boppish fire and fury – virtually the blueprint for the hardbop sound of the 50s, and one of the strongest expressions from this important, but short-lived group. Titles include "Gerkin For Perkin", "Sandu", "Jacqui", "Swingin", and the great "Land's End". CD

Sonny Clark on piano, George Duvivier on bass, and Max Roach on drums. Titles include "Sonny's Crib", "Blue Mambo", "Minor Meeting", "My Conception", and "Sonia". CD

A seminal set from Max Roach – the start of his more righteous stretch in jazz, as you might guess from the title of the album! At some level, the record's got a bit of the feel of the post-Clifford Brown Mercury years from Roach – but at another, it's stretching out towards the directions Max would explore fully on the Candid, Impulse, and Fantasy labels in the 60s – an approach to hardbop that often really pushes its limits – not content to simply set up solos for the players, and instead moving with a much more forceful energy overall! Group members include Booker Little on trumpet, George Coleman on tenor, Ray Draper on tuba, and Art Davis on bass – and the lack of a piano makes for a very exciting sound! The album's got 2 great originals by Bill Lee – "Jodie's Cha Cha" and "Deeds Not Words" – plus Draper's classic "Filide", and the groundbreaking "Conversation" – a very cool solo by Roach on the drums! CD also features the bonus track "There Will Never Be Another You" – with Oscar Pettiford on bass instead of Davis. CD

Great work from Max Roach's Double Quartet of the mid 80s – a group that wasn't just an octet, but an expansion of Max's regular four piece group with the addition of a string quartet! The core jazz sound of Odeon Pope's tenor, Tyrone Brown's electric bass, and Cecil Bridgewater's trumpet is expanded by a string group that includes Maxine Roach on viola – and that family relation is probably one reason that made experimentation like this easy for Max! The approach is a surprisingly great one – as the quartet seems to hold the Roach group a bit more inside than before – letting Pope and Bridgewater stretch out on their solos, but not get as sloppy as they had in some of the more outside Roach quartet outings. And the strings color in things really nicely in classic "with strings" jazz mode – but one that echoes more with 70s soul jazz use of such styles than earlier approaches. Titles include "A Little Booker", "Easy Winners", "Sis", and "Birds Says". CD

Some of the hippest Max Roach work of the 60s – issued here professionally for the first time in years! The first tracks in the set are from a concert in Paris, with Max's group that included Tommy & Stanley Turrentine, as well as Julian Priester. The tracks are long and open-ended – with an approach that you wouldn't find on the group's Mercury sides from the time – and two Roach originals in particular – "Kardouba" and "Stop Motion" – are especially great, and have the Turrentines stretching out in a soul jazz searching mode that's quite different than their Blue Note work. This approach is continued strongly in the set – which features Clifford Jordan on tenor, Coleridge Parkinson on piano, and Abbey Lincoln on some vocals – all recorded at an unknown location in 1961. Again, the Roach originals – especially "This Night Mountain" and "Ceciliana" – are the tunes to watch – but there's also some great other work, including "Jordu", "Who Will Buy", and "Love For Sale". CD

A beautiful blend of jazz, voices, and soul – a landmark record in Max Roach's vocal experimental tradition, and a fitting companion piece to Billy Harper's classic Capra Black album – an equally soulful blend of styles! Like Capra Black, this set features Harper's sharp and soulful tenor up against a choir of voices – blowing on hard-hitting soul jazz arrangements handled by Max Roach, of the style he used on some of his classic early 60s sides for Impulse and Candid. The tracks are long, Harper's in top form, and the group also includes Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and George Cables on piano – ultra hip cats, always! Cuts include "Motherless Child", "Let Thy People Go", and "Troubled Waters. CD

A beautiful blend of jazz, voices, and soul – a landmark record in Max Roach's vocal experimental tradition, and a fitting companion piece to Billy Harper's classic Capra Black album – an equally soulful blend of styles! Like Capra Black, this set features Harper's sharp and soulful tenor up against a choir of voices – blowing on hard-hitting soul jazz arrangements handled by Max Roach, of the style he used on some of his classic early 60s sides for Impulse and Candid. The tracks are long, Harper's in top form, and the group also includes Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and George Cables on piano – ultra hip cats, always! Cuts include "Motherless Child", "Let Thy People Go", and "Troubled Waters. CD

One of the most righteous albums that Max Roach ever cut – and a monumental jazz release from the heart of the Civil Rights era! As you can guess from the cover and title, there's a very political bent to the record – served up in righteous lyrics penned by Oscar Brand Jr, and sung by Abbey Lincoln at her most biting – really stepping out here in just a few short years from her previous role as a straight jazz singer, and firmly grabbing up territory no other female vocalists had touched! For this momentous event, Roach gathered together a really special group for the record – players who include regular partners Booker Little on trumpet and Julian Priester on trombone – alongside surprising guests like Coleman Hawkins on tenor sax, Olatunji on percussion, and Ray Mantilla on congas. There's no piano at all on the record, and the tracks are all long ones – stretching out with soaring horn passages next to the vocals, and plenty of percussion at the bottom to get things moving! Titles include "Driva' Man", "Tears for Johannesburg", "Freedom Day", "All Africa", and "Prayer/Protest/Peace". CD

A wonderful step forward for drummer Max Roach – working here in very creative company with saxophonist Anthony Braxton! Although Roach could have easily rested on his laurels as a famous bop drummer – and have spent endless years touring on highly-paid revival/reunion tours – he was a true creative giant who never stopped expanding his talents, especially during the late 70s, when he was matching up with some of the greats of the avant garde. This album is a perfect example of that commitment to modernism, as Roach duets with Anthony Braxton on a set of 7 fantastic tracks that stand apart from individual work by either artist – more loose and open than earlier Roach work, but a bit more inside than some of Braxton's – with fresh results from both players that never fail to delight! Titles include "Dance Griot", "Birth", "Tropical Forest", and "Spirit Possession". CD

A genius collaboration between Max Roach and Anthony Braxton – a single performance that spans the entire record, and which showcases some of the best work by both players at the time! Roach is a real revelation here – coming off of an already experimental side of 70s sessions, but moving into even more of a deeply complicated mode here through a range of different percussion instruments, gongs, and cymbals – all of which help him unlock a more melodic side of his playing, which is then offset by even more dramatic rhythmic moments. Braxton is wonderful too – moving beyond some of his colder 70s moments and often unleashing searing solo intensity that rivals the best of the European free scene. There's a mix of modes, styles, sounds, and textures here that keeps things exciting throughout – and the album's a real treasure in the catalog of both artists! CD

It's hard to overstate the influence of Max Roach and Clifford Brown on the west coast scene of the 50s – as the two players helped draw out the bop sound of LA that was quickly getting lost in the cool jazz shuffle of the time, and gave it a strength and focus that not only made the group one of the strongest of the time, but which also sparked new life and a hardbop generation on the LA scene! This classic set of live recordings was one of the first great Brown/Roach moments – recorded during 2 different concerts by Gene Norman Presents, and featuring some great tenor work by LA giants Teddy Edwards and Harold Land, plus some piano by the amazing "sideways" player Carl Perkins, as well as Bud Powell's brother Richie – a key factor of the group's studio recordings on Mercury, and a player who would perish in the same accident that took the life of Clifford Brown. Titles include "Parisian Thoroughfare", "I Can't Get Started", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", and "Jordu". CD

A late meeting between these two jazz giants! Tracks include "In The Beginning (Part 1)", "Arrival", "Georges Cinq", "Place De La Concorde", "Fountain Blues", "Just Dreaming", "The Theme", and "Oo Pa Pa Da". CD

A rare slice of the career of this famous and short-lived jazz duo – tapes that were recorded in 1955 at the legendary Bee Hive niteclub in Chicago, but not issued until the end of the 70s, in this smashing 2CD set that was produced by Max himself! The material offers a strong contrast to the sometimes more staid work the pair recorded for Mercury before Brown's untimely death – as it features unbridled playing in a rougher environment than usual – and a break from the original format of the famous group, with only Roach, Brown, and bassist George Morrow intact – plus appearances from Chicagoans Nicky Hill on tenor, Billy Wallace on piano, and Leo Blevins on guitar. Sonny Rollins makes an early appearance on tenor – and titles include long versions of "Walkin", "Cherokee", "I'll Remember April", and "Woody N You". If you've ever wondered what hard bop sounded like to the average crowd at the time of its popularity, this is the record to dig – and even though the recording quality is sometimes a bit "live", it's still a great document! The 2CD package expands on the original 2LP set – and also features work from Basin Street performances from 1956, and a Copenhagen gig from 1953 – making for a total of 12 tracks in all! CD

A classic early 60s session for Candid Records – put together by a group that includes Charles Mingus, Max Roach, and a host of other musicians who were working here as "Newport Rebels" – by setting up the Jazz Artists Guild Festival as a protest against the increasingly commercialized Newport date! And for the record, the group definitely live up to their name – really shaking off the easier modes popularized at the Newport festival, and coming across with a style that's much more modern, firey, and righteous! Other artists include Abbey Lincoln on vocals, Booker Little on trumpet, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Eric Dolphy on saxophone, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone – and titles include a great rendition of "Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do" – plus the originals "Cliff Walk" by Booker Little, "Mysterious Blues" by Mingus, and "Me & You" by members of the group. CD

Proof that Max Roach was always experimenting with his music – even in the later years! The album's one of a few 80s efforts to feature Roach's Double Quartet – a group that takes his regular four-piece jazz group and augments it with a string quartet – all in a sound that's almost an extension of modes first begun by Roland Kirk in the 60s! The Kirk reference isn't accidental – as the title track here is a great version of Kirk's "Bright Moments" – one that uses the strings to offset the core jazz work of Roach on drums, Odeon Pope on tenor, Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, and Tyrone Brown on electric bass – all in ways that are as creative as they are playful, definitely in a Kirk-styled spirit. Other tunes follow suit – and use the strings to echo Kirk's dream of a black classical music, but also one that's always firmly jazz-based at all times. Titles include "Double Delight", "Hi Fly", "Bright Moments", "Elixir Suite", and "A Tribute To Duke & Mingus". CD

The drums are certainly unlimited here – and the album's a really unique one, in that it shows Max Roach in 2 different settings – one with a group, and one that's simply solo! One batch of tracks has Max in the company of a tight group of soul jazz players like Freddie Hubbard, Roland Alexander, James Spaulding, and Ronnie Matthews. The group is very tight, and they've got hard wailing sound similar to a Blue Note group, but with a bit more of a soul jazz feel. They play on two long tracks – "Nommo" and "In the Red". The rest of the tracks – "Drums Unlimited", "The Drum Also Waltzes", and "For Big Sid" – feature Max playing solo, which is a rare treat for a recording of this vintage. The tracks are great, with a very musical groove, and lively playing by Max that never gets too self indulgent. CD

Max Roach continues the fine line of work with his fresh-voiced quartet of the early 80s – a very hip group that features a young Odeon Pope on tenor, plus Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet and Calvin Hill on bass! The work's similar to Roach's quartet sessions of the late 70s, although perhaps a bit more introspective – not as bouncing and joyous as when Billy Harper was with the group, but still freshly modern, and a good indication that Max continued to grow strongly as a player during the time – never content to just rest on his good name from the old days, and always forging forward into fresh jazz territory. Titles include "In The Light", "Good Bait", "Tricotism", "Henry Street Blues", and "Ruby My Dear". CD

Sublime work from Max Roach – featuring a group that was one of his greatest! The album was recorded in Paris in the early 60s, and players include the Turrentine Brothers – Stanley on tenor and Tommy on trumpet – a killer frontline that really gives the album a hell of a lot of soul, especially when you add in Julian Priester on trombone and Bob Boswell on bass! The piano-less ensemble has a fantastic groove – more soul jazz than most of Roach's work, but also with angular touches of modernism that make the album have a very edgey quality – a perfect blending of the two best Modes that Max explored in the years after Clifford Brown's death. Stan and Tommy never sounded so great – and titles include "Nica", "Petit Dejuner", "Liberte", and the extended "Parisian Sketches" suite. CD

A later percussion ensemble album by Max Roach – one done in the style of some of his earlier 60s percussion experiments, but with a fuller scope, and a more serious feel overall. The ensemble was first formed in 1970, but recorded here with a very ambitious tone as part of Columbia's classical/jazz crossover experiments of the late 70s – with percussionists that include Omar Clay, Roy Brooks, Fred King, Ray Mantilla, Warren Smith, Freddie Waits, and Joe Chambers. Titles have a variety of styles – some more tribal, some more jazz-based, and others with almost a 20th century avant feel. Tunes include "Onomatopoeia", "Glorious Monster", "January V", "Caravanserai", "Rumble In The Jungle", and "Epistrophy". CD

An excellent album from Max Roach – cut at a time when he was rising from the ashes, after the too-soon death of trumpeter Clifford Brown – and began working with really inventive younger players who would drive him into a whole new mode of righteous styles! That's definitely the case here – as Roach leads a group that includes Kenny Dorham on trumpet, filling in the Clifford Brown spot with a very different sound – next to Sonny Rollins on tenor, Ray Bryant on piano, and George Morrow on bass – players who really help open new doors in the music! The tunes are a mixture of the hardbop that Roach forged with Brown, plus a growing sense of the spiritual, slyly sneaking in, and working an agenda that is at once subtle and powerful – on titles that include "Dr Freezee", "Mr X", "Woodyn You", and "Body & Soul". CD features 3 bonus tracks – "Minor Trouble", "Love Letters", and "It Don't Mean A Thing". CD

Bold work from Max Roach – great material from the piano-less quartet that features Odean Pope on tenor and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet! The style here follows strongly from Roach's Horo and Japanese recordings of the late 70s – as the album features one long track, with plenty of creative improvisation from the horn players – and rhythmic moments that get mighty open from Max, who's really on fire at this point in his career. Tyrone Brown plays electric bass, which makes for a nice sort of pulse – and Pope and Bridgewater solo with real force, recalling the same soulful spirit of Roach albums from eyars past! One long track – "Scott Free" – a soulful, spiritual gem throughout. CD

Beautiful duets between these two legends – and Ibrahim's piano brings out some newly sensitive sides of Max's playing! CD

Nothing too quiet here – as the album's one of Max Roach's key classics from the Mercury years – recorded with one of the hippest groups he ever led! Players here are all wonderful – Julian Priester on trombone, Stanley Turrentine on tenor, Tommy Turrentine on trumpet, Bob Boswell on bass, and Max on drums – all working together in a very hip groove – no piano at all in the mix, which makes for even more interplay between the horns as they dance around tightly at the heads on each tune, always with sharp modern tones – then break apart beautifully for richly expressive solos! The arrangements are wonderful – proof that Roach was really moving past straight hardbop modes by this point in his career – and titles include "Quiet As It's Kept", "To Lady", "Lotus Blossom", "As Long As You're Living", "Juliano", and "The More I See You". CD

Nothing too quiet here – as the album's one of Max Roach's key classics from the Mercury years – recorded with one of the hippest groups he ever led! Players here are all wonderful – Julian Priester on trombone, Stanley Turrentine on tenor, Tommy Turrentine on trumpet, Bob Boswell on bass, and Max on drums – all working together in a very hip groove – no piano at all in the mix, which makes for even more interplay between the horns as they dance around tightly at the heads on each tune, always with sharp modern tones – then break apart beautifully for richly expressive solos! The arrangements are wonderful – proof that Roach was really moving past straight hardbop modes by this point in his career – and titles include "Quiet As It's Kept", "To Lady", "Lotus Blossom", "As Long As You're Living", "Juliano", and "The More I See You". Parisian Sketches features the same great piano-less lineup and a fantastic groove – more soul jazz than most of Roach's work, but also with angular touches of modernism that make the album have a very edgey quality – a perfect blending of the two best Modes that Max explored in the years after Clifford Brown's death. Stan and Tommy never sounded so great – and titles include "Nica", "Petit Dejuner", "Liberte", and the extended "Parisian Sketches" suite. CD

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About as classic as you can get for the Brown/Roach group – recorded at Basin Street with a group that includes Richie Powell on piano, Sonny Rollins on tenor, and George Morrow on bass. Tracks are tight and in that firey hardbop mode the pair pioneered – and titles include "Gertrude's Bounce", "Powell's Prances", "Time", "The Scene Is Clean", and "I'll Remember April". Most notable is the work by Powell on the record – as Bud's brother really shines here, turning out some great original compositions, and arranging the group with tight precision! Plus, the CD reissue features 7 bonus tracks – including alternates of some tunes on the record, and a few breakdowns. CD

Dizzy is heard here in one of his famous Salle Pleyel concerts in Paris – but the real treat is the collection's late 40s work by Max Roach – fronting a group here that also features James Moody on tenor, Kenny Dorham on trumpet, and Al Haig on piano! 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

Excellent early hardbop material from Mobley – in a style that's similar to his early Blue Note work, but with a bit less polish. Not that that's a bad thing, though – as the long tracks create some strong interplay between the groups, and the rough edges bring out some good sides of the players' tones that you don't get in slicker sessions from the time. The groups include Barry Harris, Donald Byrd, Doug Watkins, and Kenny Clarke – and the CD features material from the full sessions that yielded the Jazz Message album on Savoy, with titles that include "Space Flight", "Cattin", "Madeline", "B For BB", and "Blues Number Two". Added to those tracks is a full bonus LP – recorded in 1953, under the title Max Roach Quintet With Hank Mobley. Despite the early date and boppish orientation of the material on, the tracks have a sinister modernist edge that easily belies the later work of both Roach and Hank Mobley. The set kicks off with the incredible stormer "Cou Manchi Cou", then slides into a crackling batch of cuts that include "Mobleyzation", "Chi Chi", "Sfax", and "Orientation". There's lots of amazing drum work, and some incredible arrangements that show a very far-reaching sensibility on Roach's part. CD

The legendary trumpeter Booker Little – paired here with drummer Max Roach, who was frequently Book's leader at the time! The set's got a sharp-edged and modern mix of hardbop and fresh ideas – very similar to the best Roach albums of the time – and with a similar sort of group – given that in addition to Little's trumpet, the set also features George Coleman on tenor, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Art Davis on bass! All arrangements were done by Little – making the album a real showcase of that bold vision in jazz that was taken from us all too soon – and titles include "Milestones", "Rounder's Mood", "Dungeon Waltz", and "Jewel's Tempo". CD

2 of the best studio albums from the legendary trumpeter Booker Little – back to back on 1 CD! The first 7 tracks on the set are from the Bethlehem album Booker Little & Friend – a fantastic sextet session recorded in 1961, shortly before Booker Little's death, and filled with all the promise and power he ever packed into his playing! The lineup includes Julian Preister, George Coleman, and Pete La Roca, and the groove is tight modern hard bop all the way through. An excellent album, and one of the best recordings ever on Bethlehem – with tracks that include "Matilde", "Booker's Blues", "Forward Flight", and "Victory and Sorrow". Next up are 6 tracks from the album Booker Little 4 & Max Roach – recorded for United Artists in 1958, at a time when Little was in the Max Roach band. The album is virtually a Max Roach session, as it features regular Roach group members Coleman and Little – plus bassist Art Davis and pianist Tommy Flanagan – all of whom fall perfectly into line behind Roach's masterful drumming on tracks like "Rounder's Mood", "Dungeon Waltz", and "Jewel's Tempo". 13 tracks in all. CD

The legendary trumpeter Booker Little – paired here with drummer Max Roach, who was frequently Book's leader at the time! The set's got a sharp-edged and modern mix of hardbop and fresh ideas – very similar to the best Roach albums of the time – and with a similar sort of group – given that in addition to Little's trumpet, the set also features George Coleman on tenor, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Art Davis on bass! All arrangements were done by Little – making the album a real showcase of that bold vision in jazz that was taken from us all too soon – and titles include "Milestones", "Rounder's Mood", "Dungeon Waltz", and "Jewel's Tempo". CD

Older Charlie Parker material – originally recorded as 78rpm releases for Savoy, packaged up here in full LP form, along with alternate takes and a great cover, in the years after his early death! Players include Miles Davis on trumpet, Tiny Grimes on guitar, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet and piano, Duke Jordan and John Lewis on piano, and Max Roach on drums – and titles include "Red Cross", "Sippin At Bells", "Little Willie Leaps", "Donna Lee", "Chasing The Bird", and "Half Nelson". CD

Sidemen include Miles Davis, Erroll Garner, Dizzy Gillespie, and Max Roach. Tracks include "Night In Tunisia", "Ornithology", "Yardbird Suite", "Dexterity", "Bongo Bop", and "Dewey Square" – 25 cuts in all. CD

That's two new sides to be exact! The first session features Miles Davis, Al Haig, Tommy Potter and Max Roach. The second replaces Davis with Kenny Dorham and adds Lucky Thompson and Milt Jackson. Tracks include "52nd St. Theme", "Slow Boat To China", "Hot House" and "Big Foot". CD

A fantastic, label-spanning collection that brings together material recorded for Guild, Dial, Savoy, and Clef. Features work with Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Max Roach, Bud Powell, Duke Jordan, and more. 38 tracks on 2 CDs, plus a nice set of notes too. CD

The complete presentation of a legendary live performance, and one that's often billed as a high moment in the history of bebop – a special concert-only group that brings together five key bop heavyweights – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a unique one-off performance! The set was recorded up in Canada, and represents one of the first widely-circulated live recordings of a straight bop set – different than some of the mix of styles you'd get on a JATP record, with long tracks that really show the nonstop creative energy that shifts between the players. The original vinyl release broke the concert out into two records – both of which are united here with additional material! The set features two takes on the Quintet material – without overdubs, and with them added – on titles that include "Night In Tunisia", "Perdido", "Salt Peanuts", "All The Things You Are/52nd Street Theme", "Wee", and "Hot House". The package then also adds in the second half of the concert – a set that features the core rhythm trio, without Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie – a killer lineup that has Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums! The tunes are a bit shorter than on the quintet sides, but maybe that's because Powell can always pack so much into such a short space – and Mingus has plenty of sharp small group imagination here, while Roach is a young genius, really breaking out here too. Titles include "Sure Thing", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Jubilee", "Cherokee", and "Embraceable You". Plus, the set features a stunning solo drum performance by Max Roach – "Drum Conversation". CD

One of the first-ever full length collections of work from bop piano legend Bud Powell – a record with a seminal Blue Note cover image, and the well-earned "Amazing" in the title! Powell's in great form throughout – very much at that restless, effortless best of his early career on the piano – working on a number of tracks in a trio with Max Roach on drums and Curly Russell on bass – and even more unusually in another group with Fats Navarro on trumpet and Sonny Rollins on tenor – some of his few non-trio recordings of the time! The set features some key early classics, a few with alternates too – and titles include "Un Poco Loco", "Parisian Thoroughfare", "Dance of The Infidels", "Wail", "Bouncing With Bud", and "52nd St Theme". CD features a few bonus alternates too. CD

Small group sides with either Ray Brown, Percy Heath, or Curly Russell on bass – plus Art Blakey, Kenny Clarke, Buddy Rich, Max Roach, or Art Taylor on drums. CD

A wealth of classic work from Bud Powell – his complete recordings for both the Blue Note and Roost label – served up in a mighty 4CD set! The package begins with early 78rpm sides from the late 40s, then moves into material from full albums in the 50s – and ends with one track from 1963. As with most Powell recordings from the time, much of the material is recorded with a trio – players like Paul Chambers, Sam Jones, or Curley Russell on bass – and drummers who include Art Taylor, Max Roach, and Roy Haynes. A few sides feature added horns from Fats Navarro on trumpet and Sonny Rollins on tenor – and the set features a total of 75 tracks in all, plus a 40 page booklet of notes. CD

A fantastic collection that has the pianist working in variety of small group settings. Notable sidemen include Curly Russell, George Duvivier, Lloyd Trotman, Percy Heath and Ray Brown on bass; Art Blakey, Art Taylor, Buddy Rich, Kenny Clarke, Max Roach and Osie Johnson on drums. CD

Seminal early work from Sonny Rollins – pulled from his mid 50s Prestige sessions with players who include Clifford Brown on trumpet, Tommy Flanagan and Thelonious Monk on piano, John Coltrane on tenor, and Max Roach and Art Taylor on drums! CD

A crucially important record in Sonny Rollins' career – one that had him breaking out of the straight bop sound, and emerging as a major power on the tenor sax – one with limitless creative power! The set features Rollins working with only drum and bass accompaniment – played by Max Roach and Oscar Pettiford, respectively – and the lack of piano or other horns gives Rollins a free space in which to work his magic, doing so incredibly on the album's "Freedom Suite", an extended piece that runs for nearly 20 minutes, and which pushes all conceptions of the tenor's ability to solo freely on record. The other side of the record features shorter tracks – "Shadow Waltz", "Someday I'll Find You", and "Will You Still Be Mine?" – blown with no less creativity. Includes a bonus alternate take of "Till There Was You". CD

Quite possibly THE greatest Sonny Rollins album of the early years – or at least the one that has received the most accolades over the years! The record is a brilliant batch of quartet tracks that reinvents bop through Sonny's complicated, yet seemingly automatic solos – an excellent showcase for his razor-sharp talents for improvisation and invention, played with effortless ease, yet still one of the great bar-setting performances of 50s jazz. The group features Tommy Flanagan, Max Roach, and Doug Watkins – and tunes include an original reading of the perennial Rollins' standard "St. Thomas", plus a great version of "Moritat (Mack The Knife)", and the cuts "Strode Rode" and "Blue 7". CD

Quite possibly THE greatest Sonny Rollins album of the early years – or at least the one that has received the most accolades over the years! The record is a brilliant batch of quartet tracks that reinvents bop through Sonny's complicated, yet seemingly automatic solos – an excellent showcase for his razor-sharp talents for improvisation and invention, played with effortless ease, yet still one of the great bar-setting performances of 50s jazz. The group features Tommy Flanagan, Max Roach, and Doug Watkins – and tunes include an original reading of the perennial Rollins' standard "St. Thomas", plus a great version of "Moritat (Mack The Knife)", and the cuts "Strode Rode" and "Blue 7". CD

Frenetic bop work from Sonny Rollins – recorded in 1956 with an open-mouthed tone that's certainly less controlled than later years, but still no less compelling! Sonny races along some of these tracks like a train out of control – especially on "B Quick" and "B Swift", and the aptly titled "Ee-Ah". Side two has him mellowing out a bit – extended takes of "The House I Live In" and "Sonny Boy" – but the overall groove is still quite hard, a lot harder than the RCA years. Max Roach is on drums, Kenny Drew plays piano, and George Morrow is on bass. CD

A crackling bit of hardbop from Sonny Rollins – and a session that has Sonny playing with the Max Roach/Clifford Brown group that included Bud Powell's brother Richie on piano! Sonny had already made a strong name for himself on albums issued under the Roach/Brown tag at the time, and here the group returns the favor by allowing Sonny to lead, and by giving him a good deal of time in the spotlight! Rollins' solo ability is risen to a razor-sharp level for the set – really getting fire, and managing to invent at a speed and sharpness that's simply amazing. Titles include Sonny's classic reading of "Pent-up House", plus "Valse Hot", "Kiss & Run", and "Count Your Blessings". CD

A crackling bit of hardbop from Sonny Rollins – and a session that has Sonny playing with the Max Roach/Clifford Brown group that included Bud Powell's brother Richie on piano! Sonny had already made a strong name for himself on albums issued under the Roach/Brown tag at the time, and here the group returns the favor by allowing Sonny to lead, and by giving him a good deal of time in the spotlight! Rollins' solo ability is risen to a razor-sharp level for the set – really getting fire, and managing to invent at a speed and sharpness that's simply amazing. Titles include Sonny's classic reading of "Pent-up House", plus "Valse Hot", "Kiss & Run", and "Count Your Blessings". CD

Amazing early work from Sonny Rollins – the first of his tremendous Blue Note albums – and a record that really shows him taking off at the time! The record captures Rollins at a key turning point – emerging from his firey bop years, moving into a much more complicated, introspective tenor style that was a perfect showcase for his developing genius for improvisation – not as far out as in a few years to come, but already awash in imagination and creativity. The group here includes Donald Byrd on trumpet, Wynton Kelly on piano, Gene Ramey on bass, and Max Roach on drums – but as with all Rollins Blue Note sessions, his tenor is the dominant force. Titles include "Bluesnote", "Plain Jane", "Sonnysphere", and "Decision". CD

Wonderful Rollins work from the bop years – served up cracklin' hot, in a group with Kenny Drew on piano and Max Roach on drums. The obscure vocalist Earl Coleman checks in on two numbers – "Two Different Worlds" and "My Ideal" – giving a nice glimpse of a time in the bop era when players were much more likely to let a vocalist sit in on a set. However, the instrumental tunes – "Ee-Ah", "B Quick", and "B Swift" – are still the best ones. Also included is "Sonny Boy". CD

Wonderful Rollins work from the bop years – served up cracklin' hot, in a group with Kenny Drew on piano and Max Roach on drums. The obscure vocalist Earl Coleman checks in on two numbers – "Two Different Worlds" and "My Ideal" – giving a nice glimpse of a time in the bop era when players were much more likely to let a vocalist sit in on a set. However, the instrumental tunes – "Ee-Ah", "B Quick", and "B Swift" – are still the best ones. Also included is "Sonny Boy". CD

If worktime was like this for us, you'd catch us showing up on the job early every day – but sadly, nothing at our office can match the brilliance of early Sonny Rollins here – a sharp-edged genius that perfectly illustrates why he was one of the greatest players on his horn for many decades running! There's a depth of tone on the record that rivals Coleman Hawkins or Lester Young – but a quickness of pace and imagination that shows a clear influence from Charlie Parker, and a deftness that few were bringing to the tenor at the time. The rhythm section here is super tight – and features Ray Bryant on piano, George Morrow on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all supporting Rollins' bold lead with lines that bristle with electricity, but still often fall back to let the sound of the tenor envelop the whole group. Tracks are longish, and titles include "Raincheck", "There Are Such Things", "Paradox", and "It's All Right With Me". CD

Sonny Stitt on alto and tenor saxophone with Bud Powell, Duke Jordan, and Junior Mance on piano, Curly Russell, Eugene Wright, and Tommy Potter on bass, and Art Blakey, Max Roach, and Wes Landers on drums. CD

One of the best Stanley Turrentine albums ever! This hard-wailing set is from the early days of Stan's time at Blue Note – and like his best early sides for that label, this one has him blowing with an edgey tone that rarely ever surfaced in his later, sweeter recordings. Stan's got a sound here that's simply mindblowing – with a dark approach that really keeps us coming back to the set again and again over the years, amazed at Stan's poise, timing, and approach to the solos. Of course, it also helps that he's got a heck of a backing group on the set – one that includes Max Roach on drums, Sonny Clark or Tommy Flanagan on piano, and George Duviver on bass. Titles include "Let's Groove", "Sheri", "Minor Mood", and "Stolen Sweets". CD

Incredible work by Randy Weston – light years ahead of his trio material from just a few years before! The album is one of his most progressive from the early years, and features an extended suite dedicated to the newly-won freedoms of the African Nations – with occasional lyrics by Langston Hughes, and arrangements by the great Melba Liston! The material's political, radical, and modernist – but it never fails to groove, and uses its politics to achieve an added emotional punch, as in the best work from the same time by Max Roach and Charles Mingus – and some of their larger progressive projects. The group is much larger than you'd expect from Randy – with Benny Bailey and Richard Williams on trumpets, Slide Hampton on trombone, Sahib Shihab on reeds, and Candido and Olatunji on percussion – which really dominates the record. The whole thing is amazing – one of the purest realizations of the African influence in Weston's music – and movements of the suite are entitled "Uhuru Kwanza", "African Lady", "Bantu", and "Kucheza Blues" CD

Way more than just a simple collection of famous cool jazz numbers – and instead, an ultra-hip set that shows the evolution of the original sound over the space of decades and the stretch of two continents! The collection nicely avoids the obvious overplayed west coast examples of the sound, and goes for some less obvious gems that show the way that players in the late 50s and 1960s took the initial cool jazz inspiration and expanded it tremendously in a range of different modes! As with other titles in the excellent Jazz Club series, the tracks here are pulled from Universal-owned labels like Verve, Impulse, and MPS – recorded on both sides of the Atlantic in the 50s and 60s, and brought together here in one well-done, low-priced package. Titles include "Nuages" by Barney Wilen, "The Cool One" by Art Farmer/Benny Golson Jazztet, "Harper" by Ed Thigpen, "Crackle Hut" by Max Roach, "Coolie" by Dizzy Gillespie, "Cleo's Asp" by Paul Gonsalves, "Serenade In Blue" by Stan Getz, "Snap Crackle" by Roy Haynes, "Foolin Myself" by Lee Konitz, "The Gentle Art Of Love" by Hans Koller, and "Wintersong" by Gerry Mulligan & Paul Desmond. CD

A real standout set from pianist Stanley Cowell – one of his few dates in recent years to feature more than a trio lineup – and recorded in a live setting that really seems to ignite some old school fires in Stanley's music! Make no mistake – Cowell is always wonderful – but there's a nice edge to his compositions here, as Stanley hits a bit harder, and drives things along to match the energy from the trumpet of Freddie Hendrix and alto of Bruce Williams – who play in a lineup that also features Tom DiCarlo on bass and Vince Ector on drums. Sunny Cowell performs a beautiful vocal version of the classic "Equipoise" – maybe worth the price of the album alone – and other tracks include "Cal Massey", "Montage For Toledo", "This Life", "Banana Pudding", "No Illusions", and a take on the Max Roach tune "It's Time". CD

Legendary early work from trumpeter Miles Davis – late 40s sessions for Capitol Records that are completely different than the bop material he was cutting with Charlie Parker and on his own! Instead, these sides have Miles working with a complex, more arranged style – built up with a young Gil Evans, in a mode that prefaces the later famous recordings the pair would make in the late 50s for Columbia. Here, the tracks are shorter, but beautifully blend bop ideas with fuller arrangements – and Davis blows alongside other key young modernists in a variety of larger groups – with work from Lee Konitz on alto, Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax, JJ Johnson and Kai Winding on trombones, Al Haig and John Lewis on piano, and Kenny Clarke and Max Roach on drums. Mulligan contributed plenty, too – his ideas on an overall sound definitely helped shape these sides – and the record's go on to legendary status – even though it's very different than most other Miles Davis from the time. Titles include "Godchild", "Jeru", "Move", "Venus De Milo", "Budo", and "Deception". This "complete" package follows up the core tracks with live material recorded at the Royal Roost, even before the original studio sessions – in a group that features Mike Zwerin on trombone with Konitz, Mulligan, Lewis, and Roach – plus a bit of vocals from Kenny Pacho Hagood. Titles include "Darn That Dream", "Moon Dreams", "S'Il Vou Plait", "Move", "Birth Of The Cool Theme", "Godchild", and "Budo". CD

The title gets it right – as these recordings are definitely some of the first-ever by Miles Davis – some done under his own name, some as a key sideman with other artists! The first 8 cuts feature Davis with group of his own, featuring his famous boss of the time, Charlie Parker, on alto sax – plus John Lewis on piano and Max Roach on drums. Most tracks have a few versions, and titles include "Half Nelson", "Little Willie Leaps", "Milestones", and "Sippin At Bells". Next are 7 more tracks done on sessions that feature vocalist Rubberlegs Williams and reedman Herbie Fields – tunes that include "That's The Stuff You Gotta Watch", "Pointless Mama Blues", and "Bring It On Home". Last up is a bonus Charlie Parker tune – a classic 1945 recording of "Now's The Time", with Miles on trumpet. CD