New Edition show they're no Johnnies-come-lately on the harmony soul scene – and pay tribute to a host of older groups from the 50s and 70s – singing a mix of hits and soul classics in a laidback late nite mode that brings a real focus on their vocals. Given their age, there's a sound here that's still a bit kiddie at times – but that works well on the tunes that have a more youthful approach in the originals. Backings still have a relatively 80s sound to them, and production was handled by Freddie Perren. Titles include "Duke Of Earl", "Hey There Lonely Girl", "A Thousand Miles Away", "What's Your Name", "Tears On My Pillow", "Blue Moon", and "Bring Back The Memories", an original tune written for the set. CD

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Hank Jones on piano, John Patitucci on bass and Omar Hakim on drums. CD

A brilliant album that proves that even at the height of his success, Lee Morgan was one of the freest thinkers on Blue Note – always coming up with fresh ideas that continued to grow his talents! The first cut on the album is keep roof of that fact – the title track "Search For The New Land" – a beautiful 16 minute exploration of modal jazz themes, with an unusual stop/start device as a means of ushering solos by different bandmates – including Wayne Shorter on tenor, Grant Green on guitar, and Herbie Hancock on piano! The approach is unlike anything that Morgan ever did before – and unlike most of other Blue Note as well – and it also benefits from great rhythmic help from Reggie Workman on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. Other tunes are a bit more conventional, but still pretty special – like some of Morgan's inventive work on the Rajah albums – with titles that include "The Joker", "Melancholee", "Mr. Kenyatta" and "Morgan The Pirate". CD

A wickedly great album from Dizzy Gillespie – one of his most striking sessions of the early 60s, and a perfect blend of his Latin and modern modes! The album features an extended suite – composed and arranged by Lalo Schifrin, who'd just begun working with Dizzy at the time, and who was inflecting his sound with a lot of South American grooves. The work's played by a large ensemble led by Benny Carter – with Dizzy as the main soloist, and work by players that include James Moody, Phil Woods, Emil Richards, Francisco Aguabella, and Schifrin himself. Tracks are long, and have complicated introductions – then easily give way to the sort of flowing grooves that Schifrin was penning often at the time. Titles include "The Chains", "The Swords", "The Empire", and "The Legend Of Atlantis". CD

Genius early work from the legendary Thad Jones – one of his greatest albums ever, and a sublime tribute to his talents on the trumpet! Jones has a groove here that definitely fits in nicely with the title – some of the more contemplative, expressive modes of his native Detroit scene – honed with a bit more of the sharpness that New York players were bringing to hardbop at the time! Jones' trumpet is warmly lyrical, but never in a sleepy, or too-easy sort of way – and the group here has plenty of nice edges, thanks to killer tenor sax from the under-rated Billy Mitchell, guitar from Kenny Burrell, piano from Tommy Flanagan, bass from Oscar Pettiford, and drums from Shadow Wilson. There's a tremendous balance between gentleness and depth going on here – and the album has an unbounded sense of creativity that easily makes it one of the most sparkling Blue Note sides from the time! Titles include "Little Girl Blue", "Blue Room", "Tar Riff", "Zec", and "Scratch". CD

Heavy, soul-baring lyricism delivered with spiritual resonance and wise authority by Gil Scott-Heron – his first album shot in far too many years, and a direct hit – essential listening for longtime listeners and neophytes alike and a well worthy entry in a legendary career! Scott-Heron is documenting his world as profoundly and poetically as ever here, and the production is built with spare, haunting beats and atmospheric bits of strings, guitar, keys, loose atmospherics and hazy electronics – loosely framing his voice and giving it all the room in needs to carry the mood. Gil sings and speaks with equal authority throughout, and you can hear the years in his voice like never before, giving him the worn edges of the old soul he always evoked. This is a record we're proud to put among his treasured recordings of the 70s and early 80s. Titles include "On Coming From A Broken Home" (Parts 1 & 2), "Your Soul And Mine", "I'll Take Care Of You", "Where Did The Night Go", "Running", "The Crutch" and more, including several interludes that are pretty amazing – captures of conversation that show Gil nearly as charismatic and poetic in "off" moments as he is recording a song. Also includes 2 covers, "Me And The Devil" (the Robert Johnson song) and the title track, Smog/Bill Callahan's "I'm New Here", given a whole new life. Expanded anniversary version also features some great material recorded at the same time – the titles "Handsome Johnny", "My Cloud", "Piano Player", "King Henry IV", "Jazz", and 2010 live studio takes of "Home Is Where The Hatred Is", "Is That Jazz", and "Winter In America". CD

An overlooked gem from trumpeter Charles Tolliver – not as well known as his Strata East sessions with Music Inc, but equally great! The sound here is a bit different than some of Tolliver's other albums of the 70s – as the group features the guitar of Nathan Page in place of the usual piano – working with an incredible rhythm duo of Steve Novosel on bass and Alvin Queen on drums, both players who gel together beautifully here, making the album a rhythmic delight throughout! Page's guitar often has these weird little edgey moments, which seems to bring out the same in Tolliver – adding in a new complexity to his well-known style of far-reaching lines on trumpet. The album's got 4 long tracks, nicely hung together with a sound that's searching, but never too loose to swing – and titles include "Earl's World", "Impact", "Truth", and "Compassion". CD

Frank Zappa live in the 70s – working with a surprisingly hip large ensemble, with all the sharp changes and unusual moments of his classic studio albums! Like some of Zappa's other concert performances, there's an approach that steps a few years back – clearly to please the group coming to hear their favorites, but in a way that also offers up a nice sharpening-up of the music too – especially given that the whole thing's happening live on stage! There's some great jazz help here – horns from The Brecker Brothers, Lou Marini, Ronnie Cuber, and Tom Malone – plus wonderful vibes from Dave Samuels and keyboards from Eddie Jobson – and even a bit of narration from Don Pardo. Titles include "I'm The Slime", "Titties & Beer", "Cruisin For Burgers", "The Illinois Enema Bandit", "Punky's Whips", "Big Leg Emma", and "Sofa". Box set includes the original album album, 3 hours of previously unreleased performances, and other nuggets – plus a 60 page booklet with lots of behind the scenes photos. CD

Here's where things really started getting interesting for James Brown! The album was issued right around the same time as James' single "Out Of Sight" on Smash – and like that track, "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" was one of the first to use that "instruments on the beat" style of funk that would dominate all of James' work in years to come – that amazing groove that completely turned soul music on its ear – and paved the way for generations to come! The result is a startling sound that forever changed the face of groove – and you'll hear it nicely placed on this album, along with great cuts like "Cross Firing", "Mashed Potatoes USA", "Doin The Limbo", and "Love Don't Love Nobody". CD

Genius early work from the legendary Thad Jones – one of his greatest albums ever, and a sublime tribute to his talents on the trumpet! Jones has a groove here that definitely fits in nicely with the title – some of the more contemplative, expressive modes of his native Detroit scene – honed with a bit more of the sharpness that New York players were bringing to hardbop at the time! Jones' trumpet is warmly lyrical, but never in a sleepy, or too-easy sort of way – and the group here has plenty of nice edges, thanks to killer tenor sax from the under-rated Billy Mitchell, guitar from Kenny Burrell, piano from Tommy Flanagan, bass from Oscar Pettiford, and drums from Shadow Wilson. There's a tremendous balance between gentleness and depth going on here – and the album has an unbounded sense of creativity that easily makes it one of the most sparkling Blue Note sides from the time! Titles include "Little Girl Blue", "Blue Room", "Tar Riff", "Zec", and "Scratch". CD

Way more than just a live album – as the record features material from the film of the same name – a tremendous stage performance that begins with solo David Byrne, then has the group building up as the set moves on – adding in more musicians and instruments with each new step, at a level that traces the richness of the group's sound as it emerged on the Speaking In Tongues album that was the tour that spawned the concert and the film! Because of that shift throughout, the record's way more than just a live concert – and very different than the group's previous live album too – as the performances here are markedly different, and distinct from their studio renditions – with very unusual takes on titles that include "Psycho Killer", "Swamp", "Slippery People", "Burning Down The House", "Girlfriend Is Better", "Once In A Lifetime", "What A Day That Was", "Life During Wartime", and "Take Me To The River" – plus 7 previously unreleased live tracks. CD

A really landmark album in soulful jazz for the 60s – a set that takes the already-great energy of the young trumpeter Donald Byrd, and mixes it with some voices borrowed from gospel music bur turned towards modern jazz – all in a style that's very similar to some of the Max Roach experiments from the time! The core group is really great – with tenor from Hank Mobley, guitar from Kenny Burrell, and piano from Herbie Hancock – plus vibes from the obscure Donald Best, an instrument that you don't always hear on Donald Byrd's albums! Added to this group are voices directed by Coleridge Perkinson, a very hip cat who takes the voices far away from cliched modes of earlier years – and into some very righteous territory that makes the record one of Donald Byrd's first really powerful statements as a leader. Duke Pearson handled the arrangements, and the sound is beautiful and spiritual, with a sound that mixes Blue Note hardbop with a style that would later show up on labels like Strata East, or in the experiments of Max Roach and Billy Harper. The tracks are long and moody, and the vocal group never gets in the way, but instead backs Byrd in a way that lets him hit new heights, and which gives him a stronger sense of voice. Titles include the classic "Christo Redentor", plus "Chant", "The Black Disciple", and "Elijah". CD

Plenty of spirit, and plenty of soul – a 70s classic from organist Doug Carn, and a record that took his instrument, and jazz in general, to a whole new level for the decade! Carn's got this burning, righteous quality on his keys – a vibe that certainly owes something to Larry Young, but also takes off even further – working in a spiritual ensemble that also features his wife Jean Carn on vocals – sounding way more like a righteous jazz singer than on her later soul sides for Philly International! Other players are great, too – and include Charles Tolliver on flugelhorn, Garnett Brown on trombone, George Harper on tenor and soprano sax, Buster Williams on bass, and Alphonse Mouzon on drums. Tracks include "New Moon", "Trance Dance", "My Spirit", "Blue In Green", and "Arise & Shine". CD

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Tim Armacost on saxophone, David Berkman on piano, Daiki Yasukagawa on bass, and Gene Jackson on drums. Titles include "Nefertiti", "Giant Steps", "Sweet And Lovely", and the original "Hidden Fondness". CD

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A key outing from drummer Roy Haynes – a classic trio session that has a lot more energy than the usual set from the time – thanks to equal participation from Paul Chambers on bass and Phineas Newborn on piano! The unified approach hinted at in the title certainly comes through in the grooves – as Chambers bass works way more than rhythm here – and Haynes' drumming is lightly melodic on the best numbers, allowing Newborn to almost handle more of the pace of the tunes himself. Tracks are longish, and titles include "Reflection", "Sugar Ray", "Solitaire", "Our Delight", and "Sneakin Around". 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

One of the most open-ended and laidback records ever from Oliver Nelson – a set that gets away from the tighter arrangements of other albums, and really lets you concentrate on his saxophone work! The album's got a really wonderful feel throughout – easygoing and soulful, with work by a sextet that includes Eric Dolphy on alto, Richard Williams on trumpet, and Richard Wyands on piano – all grooving beautifully with immaculate Rudy Van Gelder production – used here with a slightly echoey quality that really deepens the sound of the set! Nelson plays both alto and tenor sax – and titles include "Screamin The Blues", "Alto-It is", "The Meetin", "The Drive", "Three Seconds", and "March On March On". CD

A mixed bag record, but with some really wonderful moments – and essential listening as a lead-up to the Pet Sounds album to follow! There's a mix of styles here – some rough rocking numbers that are a bit stiff, mixed with some really amazing tunes that get at Brian Wilson's new sensitivities – tunes like "Girl Don't Tell Me", "You're So Good To Me", "Summer Means New Love", and "Let Him Run Wild" – all complicated in subtle ways, with a great sense of tension underneath. Other tracks include "Help Me Rhonda (45 single version)", "California Girls", "I'm Bugged At My Old Man", and "Amusement Parks USA". CD

A nice little blend of Brazilian and club-styled grooves – done by this Bah Samba offshoot with a similar feel to Bah Samba's own work! There's a wonderful London-meets-Rio vibe running through the whole set – a love of real Brazilian music that gets past the mis-steps of so many other attempts in recent years – but which has that great London ability to expand upon the original with a whole new feel. There's nice bits of older funk and club sliding in and out of the mix – coming into play with Brazilian elements and instrumentation in a way that's almost like some of the recent work on Far Out. Titles include "O Ronco Da Cuica", "Elephant Man", "U Got Me Spinnin", "I'm Missing You", "Omeriah", "And It's Beautiful", "Mozza", and a cover of Roy Ayers' "Running Away". CD

Easily the crowning moment of genius for the legendary Dave Brubeck Quartet – the moment when all things came together magically, and the group somehow elevated themselves to a whole new level in jazz! At the time of the set, Brubeck, Paul Desmond, and the rest had already been making plenty of waves with their creative yet swinging approaches to modern jazz – heard on a number of successful albums for Fantasy and Columbia in the 50s. But with this record, they really knocked one out of the park – blending Desmond's cool alto, Brubeck's unusual piano phrasing, Joe Morello's melodic drum work, and Eugene Wright's pulsating bass into a waltzing, almost modal groove that crossed over to many camps at the time! The classics "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo Ala Turk" were both hits on their own – but all titles are great, and include "Kathy's Waltz", "Strange Medow Lark", "Everybody's Jumpin", and "Pick Up Sticks". 2CD version features a set of previously unreleased Dave Brubeck material recorded at Newport in the early 60s – 8 rare bonus tracks on a separate CD – plus a DVD that features an interview with Dave on Time Out, historic Brubeck performance footage, a piano lesson, and a photo grallery too! CD

Johnny first LP collaboration with his soon to be wife June Carter, and it's a nice one! Carryin' On has it's share of sweet, lovely moments shared by the two, but also has a lot more cool 60s oddball touches than one would expect. The couple cover Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" and two Ray Charles tunes, "I Got A Woman" and "What I Say". All three sound pretty strange coming out of hard-nosed Johnny, and prove to be quite fun and endearing, and very indicative of the freedom he had at Columbia to do whatever the heck he wanted. Other tracks include "Shantytown", "Pack Up Your Sorrows", "Jackson", "What A Good Thing We Had", and "No, No, No". Includes two bonus tracks from the sessions, and new liner notes by old pal Carl Perkins. CD

One of Alice Coltrane's most adventurous albums – a beautiful blend of organ, harp, percussion, and strings – much of which are transcribed for the album by Ornette Coleman! The most haunting aspect of the album is Alice's work on organ – spare, jagged, with a nascent soulful quality that's quite different from her piano work on other Impulse albums. The strings provide a sheet of sound – a shimmering backdrop to support Alice's work on the keys – moving forward tentatively, but growing in energy as the album progresses through a host of Eastern spiritual influences. Alice is way past jazz at this point – moving towards the new level of consciousness hinted at in the title, growing majestically on tracks that include "Oh Allah", "Sita Ram", "Hare Krishna", "Universal Consciousness", and "The Ankh of Amen-Ra". CD

Maybe one of the greatest jazz albums of all time – a real breakthrough moment for the legendary John Coltrane, and the blueprint for generations of jazz records to come! Trane was already breaking down plenty of boundaries before Love Supreme – but he knocked it out of the park for the album – which is a full-length suite of spiritual expression, one that gives even greater focus and message to Coltrane's long-spiralling style of soloing on the tenor sax! The group here is the classic quartet – McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – taking Trane up to the heavens on waves of modal energy, but also holding his spirit closer to the planet than on some of later, more outside performances. There's a slight bit of vocalization on the record – that chanted energy that imbues the set with so much love – and movements include "Acknowledgement", "Resolution", "Pursuance", and "Psalm". Plus, this new version of the set features a huge amount of bonus material – a long live version of the whole suite, recorded in 1965 in Antibes, alternate takes of tracks on the original session – and the fantastic sextet reading of "Acknowledgement", with playing by Archie Shepp! Movements include "Acknowledgement", "Resolution", "Pursuance", and "Psalm". CD

A seminal set from the young Miles Davis – working here on one of his legendary pairings with tenorist John Coltrane, who's equally important to the sound of the session as Miles! Tracks are long, and mix up some modern modes with remade ballads – both sublime expressions of the new ideas in jazz that both players were unlocking at the time, presented here in a setting that still sets a standard for modern jazz on record! The rhythm trio is equally wonderful – Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – and titles "Tune Up", "Blues By Five", and "Airegin" – plus the pair's classic reading of "My Funny Valentine". CD

A dark blend of acoustic and electric modes from Miles Davis – a set that still has him working with elements of the classic 60s quintet, but which also brings in a stronger emphasis on electric piano too! The rhythms here are really fantastic – ready to burst forth into a whole new direction, yet still not hitting the Bitches Brew level of freedom – and drummer Tony Williams may well be the real star of the set for his tremendous work on the kit – even though, as stated, the album's got some heavy electric piano contributions both from Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea! All titles feature Miles on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, and Tony Williams on drums – and the titles with Herbie feature Ron Carter on bass, while the rest with Chick Corea feature Dave Holland. Titles include "Frelon Brun", "Tout De Suite", "Petits Machins", "Mademoiselle Mabry", and "Filles De Kilimanjaro". CD

The mindblowing debut of De La Soul – a set that's inarguably one of the most important records in hip hop history – overflowing with playful, endearingly oddball trio rhymes and Prince Paul production at it's most sprawlingly sampled and creative! The set has classic songs that stand out well enough on their own – but they're all also wonderfully linked together as a whole, making the album one of the first really well-thought out full length albums in hip hop – filled with loosely connective skits with recurring characters that are vital to the experience of listening to the record as a whole! Additionally, the set is especially fascinating given its 1989 release year – a time when so many of the contemporaneous crews and solo MCs on both the east coast and west coast were going grittier, darker and more profane – but it doesn't feel like a conscious reaction to that, as much it feels like sharp trio and a brilliant producer carving out their own damn creative niche. Includes "Me Myself & I", "The Magic Number", "Plug Tunin", "Say No Go", "Tread Water", "Eye Know", "Buddy" and much more! Expanded edition contains a second bonus CD packed with alternate versions and rare 12" single remixes! CD

A rare bit of Dutch jazz from the 60s – a hip quintet led by pianist Cees Slinger, and featuring a cooking lineup that's every bit as great as groups coming out of the British or French scenes at the time. Slinger was the pianist in the legendary Wessel Icken trio – and through his years in that group, he developed a solid swing that started stretching out into a more modal styled groove – and works here with Cees Smal on trumpet, Harry Verbecke on tenor, Jacques Schols on bass, and John Engels on drums – all top shelf players too! Many of the tracks on this set are a lot more adventurous than you might expect from the staid look of the group – and the album burns with the warmth and originality of some of the best Saba records of the late 60s, with slightly longer tracks that really stretch out, both in terms of rhythm and solo work. The writing is superb, and all titles are originals by European players – with tracks that include "Ruined Girl", "Lutuli", "Lining Up", "New Born", and "Monosyl". 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 "Fire Waltz", "Bee Vamp", and "The Prophet". CD also features an alternate take of "Bee Vamp". CD

One of Eric Dolphy's lasting classics – and possibly the ultimate album of "new thing" jazz from the mid 60s! The record's got an even sharper edge than previous Dolphy recordings for Prestige – a really unique combination of instrumentation that includes Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Richard Davis on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – plus Dolphy on alto sax, flute, and bass clarinet. Although Dolphy's reed playing is as amazing as you'd expect, the real surprise here is Hutcherson, whose vibes ring out with this cold harsh tone that give a perfect edge to the set – bold and metallic, quite different than any work on vibes from previous players. Despite a large number of later recordings, Hutcherson almost never hit this sound again – except perhaps on a few Jackie McLean recordings – and it's his playing that gives the set such a unique sound. Titles include "Straight Up & Down", "Gazzelloni", "Hat & Bread", "Out To Lunch" and "Something Sweet Something Tender". CD

A really unique little record from vocalist Frank D'Rone – one that's got a very different approach than some of his more pop-oriented sets! The album's recorded live at San Francisco's legendary Hungry I – often a haven to beats and folkies, and a venue that seems to have brought out a whole new level of Frank's talents! D'Rone's singing here with much lighter accompaniment than usual – just a small rhythm section – but the key part of the set is that Frank's also accompanying himself on guitar, strumming along with his vocals in a way that's sometimes gentle, sometimes jazzy – and which reminds us a lot of similarly swinging sides by vocalist Eddie Hazell (not the P-Funk guitarist!) Given the early 60s date of the set, there's a nice flexibility here with rhythms – and Frank opens up with slight bossa, swinging, and syncopated sounds on a few numbers – and sounds even better on the gentler tracks, which really mostly feature just voice and guitar. Titles include "Tea For Two", "Nancy", "But Not For Me", "Teach Me Tonight", "I Am In Love", "Out Of This World", and "I'll Remember April". CD

Really wonderful early work from pianist Berndt Egerbladh – a player who's gotten a lot more global attention in recent years, but who sounds especially great on this rare date from the 60s! The album's a masterful showcase for Berndt's warm, fluid approach on the keys of the piano – a style that's really quite unique for the time, and a very strong precursor to modes that wouldn't show up that strongly on other scenes until the following decade. There's a really mature sound to the record, but one that never tries to hard to be "new", nor pushes its own sense of specialness too strongly. Instead, Berndt manages to stretch out spaciously, but in an understated way – a beautiful balance of color and sound that gives the record a really timeless quality. Bass is by Bjorn Alke, drums by Sten Oberg – and titles include "Mr Idrees", "Eva", "Sarek", "Monique", "Schizo", and "Days Of Wine & Roses". CD

Bill Evans is reunited with singer Monica Zetterlund – in a live date done more than a decade after their classic Waltz For Debby album! The first side of the record features Evans in a trio mode – working instrumentally, without Monica, in a group that features the great Eddie Gomez on bass and Eliot Zigmund on drums – easily some of the better-recorded European live material by Bill from the 70s, caught in a way that really shows his new sensitivity in the later decade. Evans' piano is breathtaking here – a subtle symphony of shades and tones that delights the ears at each new twist and turn – recorded in some slightly longish takes on tunes that include "Sugar Plum", "Sareen Jurer", "Very Early", and "Gloria's Step". Bill continues the feeling of the first side wonderfully on the flip – as Zetterlund joins the group, and shows how much she's matured as well since here last meeting with Evans. Most of the tunes are standards, but they've got a sensitivity that goes way beyond familiar readings – carried off wonderfully by Monica in some beautifully dark-toned vocals. Titles include "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "The Second Time Around", "Once Upon A Summertime", "What's New", and the lovely "Samba". CD

The cover's a silly one, but the record is rock-solid all the way through – a wonderful blend of funky jazz and warmer soul, and a real lost treasure from the 70s TK Records empire! Fat is Fats Gallon – who plays drums on the record, and also sings lead vocals a bit too – with this raspy southern soul style that's a great counterpoint to the smoother sounds on the set! Things get plenty funky and tough throughout – and the small combo lineup ensures that the record steers quite clear of the more commercial styles that were coming out of the Miami scene in the 70s. There's a jazzy inflection to most of the instrumentation, which makes for some compelling changes that have kept this set going strongly with new generations over the years – and the instrumentation includes loads of great guitar and keyboard bits too. Titles include "Doing Bad", "Tip Of My Tongue", "How Can I Explain", "Magician Man", "Life Is A Beautiful Thing", "Satan's Dream", and "Free My Mind". CD

One of the great Pablo Records efforts to revisit the jazz sound of the 50s – but in fresh new ways allowed by the freer recording modes of the 70s! The album features Ella Fitgerald and Joe Pass, plus nobody else – just voice and guitar coming together in quiet, introspective ways that are completely sublime, and a very nice change from some of Ella's fuller band recordings of the few years before this album. And far from being sleepy, the intimacy of the record almost seems to set a new kind of fire – one that comes from the gentle persona of Ella, which is a far cry from the glass-breaking singer that she'd come to be known as in the mainstream! Titles include "Take Love Easy", "Once I Loved", "Lush Life", "You're Blase", "A Foggy Day", "I Want To Talk About You", and "You Go To My Head". CD

A wicked album that's one of Stan Getz's best from the 70s! The record features Stan reunited with Chick Corea, whose warm lyricism was the lynchpin in Getz's landmark Sweet Rain – the stunning session from 1968 that is perhaps our favorite-ever Getz album. Corea plays electric piano here, but with none of the indulgence that he was lapsing into at the time. His blocky chords stake out a stark new territory, into which Getz solos beautifully, into a range yet untapped at that time in his career. Tony Williams augments the group on drums, giving the whole thing a sense of freedom, but also a nice tight swing. Tracks include "La Fiesta", "Five Hundred Miles High", "Times Lie", and "Day Waves". Great stuff – and expanded here with the new track "Crystal Silence", plus bonus alternates of "Five Hundred Miles High" and "Captain Marvel". CD

Rare Blue Note work from Dexter Gordon – an album that was recorded during Gordon's legendary run for the label in the 60s, but not issued until a brief vinyl pressing nearly 15 years later! The record's got Gordon vamping in tight hardbop formation – a sound that's strongly 60s Blue Note all the way through, and which shows the great control that the label helped bring to Dex's music – giving him new focus and energy to take off on much freer flights later in the 60s. Other players on the date include Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Barry Harris on piano, Billy Higgins on drums, and Bob Cranshaw on bass – and Hubbard's trumpet is an especially welcome element here on the more upbeat numbers. Titles include "Hanky Panky", "Jodi", "Lady Iris B", "Clubhouse", and "Devilette". CD

Guitar genius Grant Green is definitely feelin the spirit here – as he mixes his lean 60s style with a host of traditional numbers from the spiritual canon – at a level that provided a whole new sense of soul at the time! There was plenty of music influenced by gospel during the decade – but here, Green makes the link a lot more explicit – taking traditional themes and turning them into jazz instrumentals – with the help of a lean quartet that features Herbie Hancock on piano, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all working with a feel that's a lot more like the Grant Green/Sonny Clark material than some of Grant's more organ or tenor-assisted albums! Garvin Masseaux provides a bit of extra percussion on tambourine – and titles include "Go Down Moses", "Just A Closer Walk With Thee", "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child", and "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen". CD