A masterful tribute from one bad cat to another – and easily one of Miles Davis' greatest electric albums ever! The album's got a powerful, epic sort of feel – a renewed focus after the looser style of Bitches Brew, and the 70s live albums – and one that mixes a deeper funky sound with the raw, exploratory style Davis had let loose a few years before. Michael Henderson's bass is a big part of the power of the record, and John McLaughlin's guitar has never sounded better, or sharper. Teo Macero made the whole thing magic in the studio, and titles include two sidelong funkdafied jams – "Right Off" and "Yesternow". LP, Vinyl record album

The great Michael Smith departed this planet all too soon, yet managed to leave behind this righteous gem from the early 80s – a set that's got superb production from Dennis Bovell and Linton Kwesi Johnson, and a vibe that's very much like the best work of the latter! Smith's as much a poet as Johnson, but also works a lot more slang into his words – giving the record a very down to earth, on the streets sort of vibe – one that's certainly hinted at by the title. The production is great – clear and clean, yet never commercial – hardly the stuff of big reggae hits on Island at the time, with a selection of message-oriented tunes that include "Picture Or Picture", "Roots", "Mi Feel It", "Black N White", "It A Come", "Long Time", "Trainer"- and "Give Me A Little Dub Music". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful soundtrack to the dark British comedy of the same name – starring a young Michael Caine! You might expect it to be a bit schmaltzy, but it's pure jazz all the way through, and features strong inside playing by Rollins over lively orchestrations by Oliver Nelson – filled with moody colors, great changes, and a vibrant sense of energy that's far deeper than the actual film! The group includes Phil Woods, Kenny Burrell, and J.J. Johnson, and they swing hard on all tracks. Titles include the 10 minute workout of "Alfie's Theme", plus a shorter "Differently" version" – plus "On Impulse", "Transition Theme", and "He's Younger Than You". Nice stuff throughout, and much more of a jazz album than a soundtrack! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most beautiful, most sophisticated, and most fully-realized sessions from trumpeter Hannibal Marvin Peterson – and a record that features some incredible larger backings from David Amram! The set's a haunting suite dedicated to the children of Vietnam – one that starts out in a darkly brooding mode, but which opens up with some extremely redemptive moments as the set moves on – done in a very spiritual approach to soul jazz that's strongly in the Alice Coltrane tradition! Instrumentation includes a small string group, plus added percussion – and musicians on the set include Art Webb on flute, Richard Davis on bass, Billy Hart on drums, Michael Cochran on piano, and Hannibal himself on both trumpet and koto. The lovely Alpha Johnson sings on a few of the album's tracks, and the whole thing is very warm and deep, and has a lot of variance in tempo and mood, with a strong spiritual feel similar to that of some of the more ambitious Strata East recordings from the time! Titles include "Forest Sunrise", "The Bombing", "Prayer", "Aftermath", and "Finale". LP, Vinyl record album