Abstract beats with a depth of global influences from Dimlite – the Swiss beatmaker/producer's debut for the Now Again/Stones Throw – and far reaching effort that covers a lot of aural atmosphere over its running time! Dimlite's work for Sonar Kollectiv was among the most forward looking on the roster, and that unpredictable approach is well served here. Glitchy synth sounds and bubbling electronic errata mix with more earthy rhythms and hazy melodies – with vocals that also give it a more grounded feel in spots, but this is adventurous and unpredictable in all the right ways. Titles include "Kalimba Sewathswamp/Kurt Feelings", "On The Same Picture" featuring vocals by Elan Tamara, "Firevomit (ODN)", "Elbow Flood", "Can't Get Used To Those (Afterlude)" and more. CD features the bonus "Elbow Flood" instrumental. CD

An album that's often overlooked amidst some of the bigger "songbook" Verve sessions by Ella Fitzgerald – yet a really special record that shows off a side of Ella that's not ever captured this well on other records! The record was also initially billed as tied into the book and film Let No Man Write My Epitaph – but there's nothing soundtrack-like at all about the performance, as Fitzgerald works with only backing from pianist Paul Smith – a player who sounds wonderful next to the singer, and brings just the right sort of inflections to open up Ella's vocals for the date! There's a spare quality that's completely captivating – proof that Fitzgerald was a hell of a jazz singer at the core, even when her star was rising on the international scene – maybe even more compelling without any large arrangements at all, as she takes on superb material that includes versions of "Misty", "Black Coffee", "Angel Eyes", "I Cried For You", "Who's Sorry Now", "September Song", "Then You've Never Been Blue", and "Reach For Tomorrow". CD

The first full length collaboration between blues, soul and rock slide guitar eclecticist Ben Harper and harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite – and it's win for both – with a vibe that's rooted in many traditions, but feels right at home in both Harper's and Musselwhite's wheelhouses. We expected a blues & soul covers set when we first heard that this project was in the works – and while the prospect of these 2 fellows working together on the classic Americana songbook sounds like a pretty good idea to us – we're actually all the more impressed with this all originals take on classic styled craft. A bit of blues and blues rock, a bit of gospel, and a bit of southern styled folk soul – and a bunch of great songs! It's a full band set up for the most part, too, as opposed to a spare duos set – and the titles include "Don't Look Twice", "I'm In I'm Out And I'm Gone", "We Can't End This Way", "You Found Another Lover (I Lost Another Friend), "I Ride At Dawn", "Get Up!", "She Got Kick", "Blood Side Out" and "All That Matters Now". CD

An amazing set – all four of the legendary Warner Brothers albums by harmony giants Harpers Bizarre – plus bonus tracks too! First up is Feelin Groovy – the fab first LP by Harpers Bizarre! The group were one of the strangest pop ensembles operating in the seminal LA scene of the mid 60s – ostensibly a sweet harmony vocal group, but with a strangely childish approach that also had an ear open for the mind-blowing production styles of the Brian Wilson era. Van Dyke Parks was a big supporter of the group – and they perform a sublime version of his tune "Come To The Sunshine" as the leadoff track on the album – and even though Van Dyke didn't handle the arrangements of the record, the style of the music is very similar to his own, with guitar, bass, and drums coming into play with strings, woodwinds, and baroque orchestral touches. The record is as dark as it is sublime – one of those pop gems that hit big, but which has a brooding depth bubbling underneath the sugary coating – ala Pet Sounds. Tracks include "Happy Talk", "The Debutantes Ball", "I Can Hear The Darkness", "Raspberry Rug", and their huge hit version of "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin Groovy)". Next is Anything Goes – the group's second album – and while it has a lot of similarities with the first, it's also a lot deeper of an expression of their strange blend of harmony vocals, sweet 60s pop, and the nostalgia for the early 20th century that was running through the Burbank Warner scene that included a young Van Dyke Parks, Randy Newman, Lenny Waronker, and other LA underground of the mid 60s. The whole record fits together beautifully – beginning with an old-timey radio kind of announcer, then sliding into sublimely crafted harmony tunes that include originals from the LA luminaries and the group, plus a few other surprising covers. Titles include the hit version of "Anything Goes", plus "The Biggest Night Of Her Life", "Milord", "Virginia City", "High Coin", "Jessie", "This Is Only The Beginning", and "You Need A Change". The Secret Life Of Harpers Bizarre is the third album by Harpers Bizarre – and one that shows them growing in leaps and bounds with each new release! The record is a sublime fusion of sweet pop California 60s harmonies (ala The Sandpipers or The Lettermen), baroque arrangements with a fake dreamy nostalgia (ala Van Dyke Parks or Randy Newman), and drug-addled underground takes on the eazy sound of the generation (ala Brian Wilson or Love). This album is one of their most perfectly-realized visions, and it features a great blend of older songs, all hipped-up to modern LA arrangements by the likes of Nick De Caro, Perry Botkin, and others. The record has an approach that's simply mindblowing when you consider the amount of funds and effort that must have been put into a record that would only be truly appreciated 40 years later – and it's filled with great titles that include "Me, Japanese Boy", "Look To The Rainbow", "Funny How Love Can Be", "Mad", "Green Apple Tree", and "Las Mananitas". Last up is the group's fourth album, unfortunately, the last Warner album by Harpers Bizarre – one of the few testaments of genius left to us by this incredible group! The record shows the group moving past the sweet pop and dreamy nostalgia of earlier albums – tentatively stepping into the haze of the late 60s LA scene with a blend of songs that share a lot musically with earlier work, but which also seem to have a more adult approach to some of their themes. Arrangements are by the group mostly – with help from pop geniuses like Jack Nitzsche, Nick De Caro, Lenny Waronker, Harry Nilsson, and Perry Botkin Jr. The harmonies are sublime – and the group effortlessly blends original tunes like "Soft Soundin Music", "All Through The Night", "When The Band Begins To Play", and "There's No Time Like Today, along with bizarre covers like "Hard To Handle", "Something Better", "I Love You Alice B Toklas", and Jim Pepper's "Witchi Tai To", which is worth the price of the record alone! Bonus tracks include "Both Sides Now", "Small Talk", "Poly High", "If We Ever Needed The Lord Before", "Malibu U", "Cotton Candy Sandman", "Lost My Love Today", and "Bye Bye Bye". CD

Possibly the rarest album ever from vocalist Johnny Holiday – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given the rarity of his albums! Holiday's a really overlooked talent from the west coast scene of the 50s – a singer with a great sense of depth and darkness, and one who sounds especially great here. At some level, Johnny's got an approach that's similar to some of the less flamboyant male vocalists of his time – such as Matt Dennis – but he's also got a somewhat fuller voice and raspier tone, a sensibility that's quite human and personal – and which almost makes us feel like we're hearing Holiday speak the lyrics of most of these tunes as private musings, locked up in some corner tavern long after closing time! There's a nicely saloony feel to the whole set – a style that's not the sleepy vocalist with trio mode heard often with female singers, but which also isn't the hard-swinging Sinatra-reaching mode of other males contemporaries of Holiday. Titles include "You Don't Know What Love Is", "No One Ever Tells You", "Too Late Now", "I Remember You", "My Love Left Town", "It's Easy To Remember", and "The Things We Did Last Summer". CD also features the bonus track "It Might As Well Be Spring". CD

Totally wonderful live work from Sarah Vaughan – a Berlin performance that takes off strongly from the grooviest styles of her mid 60s work on Mercury – but with an approach that's maybe even more unfettered overall, given the live setting of the material! Sarah's voice is incredible – working with an amazing demonstration of that famous range that made her such a key force in transforming jazz vocals during the postwar years – always swinging, but with all these inflections that really show just how much she'd developed her voice as an instrument during the 60s. Backing is from an unusual trio – Johnny Veith on piano, Gus Mancuso on bass, and Eddy Pucci on drums – players who really fit the groovy nature of the material – titles that include "On A Clear Day", "Passing Strangers", "I Cried For You", "A Lot Of Livin To Do", "And I Love Him", "Fly Me To The Moon", "The Sweetest Sounds", "What Now My Love", "Time After Time", and "I Had A Ball". CD

One of the most far-out, freaked-out albums ever from the Velvet Underground – easily the most experimental set the group ever recorded! The album's awash in really unusual sounds and styles – from the sonic blast of the title cut "White Light/White Heat", to the 17 minute garage/psych jam of "Sister Ray" to the very odd "The Gift" – which is a creepy story about cuckolding, told with voice and instrumentation split over different stereo channels! Other tunes offset the darkness with an eerie touch of sweet – and include "Here She Comes Now", "Lady Godiva's Operation", and "I Heard Her Call My Name". Arguably one of the Velvets' most influential moments – even if it's also one of their least commercially successful! This great 3CD package features loads of sweet extra bits – including a 7 track Live At The Gymnasium performance from 1967, with versions of "Run Run Run", "Booker T", "I'm Not A Young Man Anymore", "I'm Waiting For The Man", "Sister Ray", and "Guess I'm Falling In Love" – plus "I Heard Her Call My Name (alternate)", "Hey Mr Rain (version one)", "Temptation Inside Your Heart (original mix)", "Stephanie Says (orig mix)", "Beginning To See The Light (early version)", "Hey Mr Rain (version two)", and "Guess I'm Falling In Love (instrumental)". Also features a full mono version of the album, plus "White Light White Heat (mono single)", "Here She Comes Now (mono single)", and previously-unseparated vocal and instrumental versions of "The Gift". Comes in a really great 10" square, hardbound book – with 60 pages of full color notes, photos, and images of cool artifacts too! CD

A treasure box of early 60s R&B 45s – a top shelf collection of singles cut for the King & Federal labels from 1960 to 1964 – amazing numbers from Hank Ballard, Freddy King, The Drivers, Little Bobby Moore, Willie Dixon & The Big Wheels, Johnny Guitar Watson, Carol Ford, Little Willie John and more. Early 60s soul and rollicking R&B sides to rival the best and most exciting sounds of the era – compiled by DJ Mr Fine Wine, most of which have never been reissued before now! Includes "Gibble Gobble" by Willie Wright & His Sparklers, "Broadway" by Hank Ballard, "What Makes You So Cold" by Lulu Reed, "My Nerves" by Little Willie John, "The Slummer The Slum" by The 5 Royales, "I Don't Know About You" by Lloyd Nolan, "Where You At Jack" by Little Mummy,, "That's It Man" by The Valentines, "Mind Your Own Business" by Eugene Church, "Regardless" by Charles Brown,, "Texas Oil" by Freddie King", "One Zippy Zam" by Roy Mildton & His Orchestra, "Mom, Won't You Teach Me To Monkey" by Little Emmett Suttoon, "Hog Killin Time" by Eddie Kirk and more. CD

A key album from a fantastic point in the career of trumpeter Chet Baker – his later years, a time when most of the world was ignoring Baker's talents, but Chet was still in a hugely creative mode, and turning out some of his freshest sounds in decades! There's a wonderful quality to the whole record – and vibist David Friedman is a key part of the sound, as he really matches the air inclinations of Chet, as the pair are backed by Buster Williams on bass and Joe Chambers on drums and percussion – a fantastic duo who only make things sound even better. 4 of the album's 6 tracks are Friedman originals – including "For Now", "Shadows", "Syzygies", and "Lament For Thelonious". CD

What can we say? The Beasties rise to an even higher level with their manic trio hip hop style mixed with the live jazz/funk/garage rock sounds and keyboards by Money Mark – featuring a bunch of their classic hits and underappreciated album cuts alike. They could really do no wrong at this point in their unlikely long career. One of our favorites then and now is "Get It Together" featuring a very sharp Q-Tip almost stealing the show, and other standouts include unstoppable "Sure Shot" and "Sabotage", "Futterman's Rule", "Shambala", "The Scoop", "Do It", "Heart Attack Man", "Bodhisattva Vow", the Jimmy Smith shoutout "Root Down" and more. CD

Cool jazz vocalist Chris Connor makes a strong appearance in this early 80s outing, recorded at New York's Sweet Basil club with backing by the Fred Hersch trio. The format is free and easy, a bit loungey, but never too much so – and Chris sounds surprisingly great in this stripped-down setting. Tunes include "Where Flamingos Fly", "A Foggy Day", "Lush Life", "Just In Time", "All About Ronnie", "I Hear The Music Now", and "All Or Nothing At All". 15 tracks in all. CD

Quite possibly the best album ever from deep soul diva Doris Duke – a set that's produced with a slight undercurrent of sophisticated funk – and put together in ways that take Duke way past the rougher soul of earlier years! The album's a rare UK production – with backing from Ultrafunk and the Armada Orchestra, and a sound that's a great mix of Doris' roots back home with some of the sweeter, funkier sounds of the mid 70s – never in a way that's too commercial, and always with a quality that resonates strongly with the best US indie soul of the time. The album begins with a sublime remake of Marlena Shaw's "Woman Of The Ghetto" – and Doris takes the tune into whole new territory with her reading – and other tracks include "A Little Bit Of Your Love", "To Chicago With Love", "Love Is Here & Now Your Gone", "Grasshopper", "Hey Lady", and "Pick Up The Pieces". CD

The title might give you some hint of the feel of the set – as it's got a relatively complex quality, one that definitely fits its naming with a difficult formula – although the music itself is anything by formulaic! The group's headed by tenorist Ellery Eskelin, and features a round of New York stalwarts that includes Andrea Parkins on piano and accordion, Jim Black on drums and percussion, Marc Ribot on guitar, Melvin Gibbs on bass, and Jessica Constable on voice – all working together in the mix of free jazz and more offbeat, art-based sounds they can create. Through it all, Eskelin's tenor brings a nice degree of soul to the set – and titles include "If Not Now", "Tell Me When", "Anyone's Guess", "Say It Again", and "More Than That". CD

The stuff of legend – and not just work by the Jazztet combo, but also solo albums from Art Farmer and Benny Golson too! Set includes Jazztet albums Meet The Jazztet, Big City Sounds, Jazztet & John Lewis, Jazztet At Birdhouse, Another Git Together, and Here & Now; Benny Golson albums Turning Point, Free, and Take A Number From 1 to 10; plus Art Farmer albums Art, Listen To Art Farmer, and Perception. CD

The definitive classic of the post-millennium Flaming Lips! Weird and bubbly and soul-searchingly introspective at the the same time, metaphorically at least – there's only so much navel gazing that can happen on an album with a young girl vs giant robots motif – this one to another step in their newfound love of more layered sounds and electronics that came out so strong on the critically and fan-beloved, but at the time commercially overlooked The Soft Bulletin, with songs that manage to some of their oddest and catchiest at the same time. Includes "Fight Test", "One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21", "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots" (Pts 1 & 2), "Egotripping At The Gates Of Hell", "Are You A Hypnotist??", "Do You Realize??", "All We Have Is Now" and more. CD

Hal Galper sounds as great as ever on this recent live set – as bold, strong, and powerful on the keys now as he did back in the 70s – getting some especially great support from Reggie Workman on bass and Rashied Ali on drums! Both players give the record a bit of an edge – a sound that's slightly more open and exploratory than some of Galper's straighter work, in a way that shakes out some of his warmer tones, and brings in more angular lines on the piano – notes that aren't exactly free, but freewheeling in their energy, especially on the more familiar tunes. Titles include "Take The Coltrane", "Soul Bod", "Blue In Green", "Soliloquy", "When Autumn Leaves Us", and "Constellation". CD

A mindblowing collaboration between The Heliocentrics and underground film legend Melvin Van Peebles – a set that has the group serving up some madly trippy grooves, while Melvin speaks and sings some wisdom of his own! Van Peebles already blew our minds years ago with his insane soundtrack to Sweet Sweetback's Baaaadasss Song – still one of our favorite records of all times – and The Heliocentrics follow in the odd spirit of that gem, by mixing lots of sounds and styles together in a mad cacophony of music – then leaving just the right amount of space for Melvin to come into the mix! Instrumentation is often fuzzy and psych-oriented, but always with a funky, soulful vibe as well – of the sort you'd hear on vintage records from Van Peebles – and titles include "Big Bang Reincarnation", "Transformation", "Infinite List", "Trust The Cosmos", and "Blue Mist". Special package also features a full bonus disc of instrumentals too! CD

An excellent second set from Hour Glass – the pre-Allman Brothers Band that featured both Duane and Gregg Allman, the latter of whom is really coming into his own on the record! Unlike the group's debut, this one features a lot more original material by Gregg – and guitars that start to crackle in that sweetly cresting style that would become the group's hallmark, and which would have an undeniable influence on the sound of rock in the 70s. At some level, the whole thing's an early southern effort to answer the sounds of the Bay Area scene – and comes off beautifully, thanks to titles that include "To Things Before", "I'm Not Afraid", "Home For The Summer", "Down In Texas", "Now Is The Time", and "Going Nowhere". CD

Excellent stuff! This is the great US issue of the fantastic first rare album of funky soundtrack stuff put out by Crippled Dick. In case you haven't heard it, the set's a mix of tracks from the funky scores to three wild lesbian vampire films from the late 60's, and the music is an excellent mix of organ grooves, funky breakbeats, and cool Now Sound sounds – with wild sitar, guitar, and electronics! The package comes with great notes, cool photos from the films, and excellent cuts like "Shindai Lovers", "Kamasutra", "Necromania", "Lions & The Cucumber", and lots lots more. Great stuff, very goofy, and very very funky! This LP copy comes with a cool tri-fold poster that's very very sexy, too! CD

One of Grace Jones' best albums – recorded at a point when she was really beginning to stretch the boundaries of club music, crossing over with the early 80s post-punk/post-disco crowd through a melange of sounds that was all her own. The oveblown diva mode of her disco years is gone by this point – and in its place is a wonderfully stripped down sound that bubbles with influences from reggae, post-punk, and elsewhere! The set was recorded in Nassau, with rhythm from Sly, Robbie, and Wally Badarou – and titles include a fair bit of original numbers penned with Barry Reynolds. Tracks include "Nipple To The Bottle", "My Jamaican Guy", "The Apple Stretching", "Cry Now, Laugh Later", and "Inspiration". CD

A wonderful classic from John Klemmer – one of those artists we've under-appreciated for years, but grow to love more and more as time goes by! The set's an incredibly soulful set of explorations played by Klemmer (on tenor, soprano, and Echoplex) with a group that includes Mike Nock on Fender Rhodes, Eddie Marshall on drums, Victor Feldman on percussion, and Wilton Felder on bass – definitely in the post-Coltrane mode, with long spiraling solos that explore both space and the outer sonic reaches, yet never too way-out, and never losing a subtle swing that makes the record sparkle with unimaginable appeal. One of those few hippy jazz classics that really works – and which arguably sounds better now than it did back in the 70s! Titles include "Centrifugal Force", "There's Some Light Ahead", "Waterfall", and "Utopia: Man's Dream". CD

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

The Medeski, Martin, & Wood trio is augmented by the guitar of John Scofield – and the result is one of their funkiest records in years! There's almost a back-to-basics sort of style going on here – the kinds of grooves the trio first brought to the table during their groundbreaking years on Gramavision – back at a time when nobody was jamming that much, and few modern groups could ever really get a funky sound right. Back at that point, John Scofield was just beginning to get a bit funky too – so in a way, this record's almost like a merger that should have happened a decade ago – but hey, better late than never, especially when it sounds this nice! There's still plenty of left-field sounds and notes in the mix, even when the style is more directly funky – and Scofield's doing plenty here to match the inventive styles on the keyboard from John Medeski. Titles include "In Case The World Changes Its Mind", "Little Walter Rides Again", "Tootie Ma Is A Big Fine Thing", "Hanuman", "Telegraph", "Julia", "What Now", "Down The Tube", and "Legalize It". CD

Super-heavy funk from late great Desco Records scene! The Mighty Imperials were one of the best funky 45 groups to record for mighty deep funk Desco label – and their first album never properly saw the light of day, thanks to some pressing and distribution messups before the demise of the company. Now, the whole thing's finally out officially – a funky treasure that sounds like a lost 70s gem, and which has almost as much mystique, given the status of the original record! The core combo features organ, drums, bass, and super-heavy guitar – and the album also features them recording with some additional vocal help from Joseph Henry! Henry sings in a mode that's very similar to Lee Fields' work with the deep funk scene – and his vocals are on a number of tracks on the album – leaving the rest as groovy funky instrumentals with a nice heavy late 60s sock-boogaloo sound! Includes covers of "Never Found A Girl" and "Cold Sweat" – plus originals "Soul Buster pt 1", "Chico's Barnyard", "Kick The Blanket", "Thunder Chicken", and "Joseph's Popcorn". CD

Searing sounds from 70s Zambia – from one of the hippest, funkiest, most sharp-edged groups on the scene! This sweet little set may well be the best album ever from Musi O Tunya – a perfect fusion of funky roots with lots of Afro Soul touches, and a wicked approach to the guitar that fills the record with these fuzzy, frenetic solo passages! Vocals are often in an ensemble mode, and work really well with the dubby undercurrents in the rhythms – creating a head-nodding groove that's somewhere in the territory of Cymande, but which really takes off in a new direction once the guitar steps up to the plate – that perfect fusion of psych, rock, and funk that marks some of the best Zamrock work of the time. Titles include "My Baby", "When I'm Gone", "Katonga", "Give Love To Your Children", "Ayeaye", and "Mwana Osauka". CD features a book-style cover, with a huge booklet of notes and photos – plus bonus tracks "Musi O Tunya" and "Thunder Man". CD

Think what you want – we think this is a damn great soul album! Sure, the record was a crossover classic that got played to death back in the 80s – but give it a listen now, and you'll be stunned to hear how fresh it sounds, and how much it reminds you of all the British soul acts that sprung up in the years after it was released. We're not saying that Sade had a direct influence on groups like Soul To Soul or Brand New Heavies – but this album's strong commitment to acoustic musical styles and real jazz playing made it a real standout in the often-tinny world of 80s chart soul, and a harbinger of the later return to warm soul styles that would be spurred on by other groups from the UK. Plus, Sade's vocals are incredibly well-wrought, and are the perfect vehicle to deliver songs like "Frankie's First Affair", "Hang On To Your Love", "Your Love Is King", and the seminal 80s slacker dancefloor anthem, "When Am I Going To Make A Living". CD

We're not normally the types to walk around singing the praises of the major labels – but hats off to MCA's Country Music Hall Of Fame Series, with beautifully remastered classic tracks that were previously nearly impossible to track down on vinyl, and excellent notes and biographical details. Honky tonk angel Kitty Wells gets the queen's treatment here – with 16 sweet, heart-tugging (but too endearing to be heartbreaking) singles originally released on Decca between the early 50s and mid 60s. Kitty sounds sad, sweet and beautifully earth-bound, with her vocals placed well out in front of the spare steel and waltz-picked guitar, and distant fiddle. Every ones a classic! Tracks include "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", "Icicles Hanging From Your Heart", "My Cold, Cold Heart Is Melted Now", "I Gave My Wedding Dress Away", "Release Me", "Making Believe", "I'd Rather Stay Home", "Mommy For A Day", "Heartbreak U.S.A", "Will Your Lawyer Talk To God", and "A Woman Half My Age". CD

Stunning new work from Kourosh Yaghmaei – the Iranian rock legend whose trippy sounds of the 70s have become the rage of global collectors – a style of music that Kourosh continues strongly with this new record! The album took over a decade to record – due to all the censorship and government restriction that Yaghmaei has faced over the years – and as with some of his earliest albums, there's a sense of passion and struggle that really goes into the music, especially the vocals, which have a delivery that really goes beyond the bounds of language. Instrumentation feels a bit more contemporary, but maybe in an 80s mode more than a 21st Century one – and titles include "Safar", "Nowruz", "Panahandeh", "Poshte Oun Dar", "Chamedoon", "Harfay Abi", and "Ghatar". CD

A real moment of genius for Joe Henderson from the 80s – a spare trio session, recorded live at the Village Vanguard, in a mode that recalls Sonny Rollins classic sets there for Blue Note! And while Sonny often performed heavily in a trio setting, unfettered by chords in the rhythm section – this is a unique date for Joe, and he sounds brilliant throughout! Ron Carter and Al Foster provide a crisp but elastic foundation for Henderson's burnished melodies and solos in a very spacious setting – and this first volume features the tracks "Beatrice", "Friday The Thirteenth", "Happy Reunion", "Loose Change", "Ask Me Now", and "Isotope". CD

A beautiful illustration of the deep talents of Anthony Ortega – a player who still sounds as creative and inventive this late in his career as he did way back in the 50s and 60s! The bulk of the CD features Ortega in two settings – one, a batch of studio duets with bassist Kash Killion; the other a series of live solo performances, recorded in Paris by a video camera! The Killion duets have a wonderfully warm, round sound – acoustic bass set up next to Ortega's alto and flute, with a carefully structured approach that's extremely thoughtful, and almost poetic. The live solos have a much rougher sound – partly from the starkness of the video recording, but also because they represent Oretga taking it much more off the cuff – just spinning things out on alto sax with a sound that's a fair bit like the old days. And to cap things off – speaking of the old days – the CD closes with one more duet from the 60s – a track that has Ortega and bassist Chuck Domanico playing together from an older Revelation session, appearing here for the first time ever! That track is a long version of "Ornithology", and other titles include "Ask Me Now", "Jupiter", "Blue Monk", "I'll Remember April", "Now's The Time", and "Open Spaces". CD

Two MPS gems from this unusual 70s ensemble – back to back on the same CD! Chasin The Bird features classic bop modes, updated strongly for the 70s – and played by a hip group of older players who really know how to cook! Supersax is led by Med Flory on alto, who also did the arrangements – and works here with great reed help from Warne Marsh and Jay Migliori on tenor, Joe Lopes on alto, and Jack Nimitz on baritone – plus soaring sounds from Conte Candoli and Blue Mitchell on trumpets, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Lou Levy on piano – all of whom really help the reed players find their groove! Charts are large, as is the ensemble, but there's a nice sense of individual personalities too – even when all the saxophonists are taking a solo together at once. Titles include "Shaw Nuff", "Drifting On A Reed", "Oop Bop Sh'Bam", "Now's The Time", and "The Song Is You". Dynamite is a looser, more free-swinging album than usual for Supersax – one that still has the group working with some key contributions from west coast jazz luminaries, but in a vibe that's almost more small combo than larger ensemble! The tracks here include a fair bit of Bud Powell and Charlie Parker numbers, but the arrangements are mighty fresh – open, and swinging with some hipper 70s touches, thanks to rhythms from a trio that features Lou Levy on piano, Fred Atwood on bass, and John Dentz on drums – players that are never locked into a strict bop mode. As with other Supersax albums, there's a brace of reed players working together at the front – Lanny Morgan on alto, Jack Nimitz on baritone, and both Jay Migliori and Don Menza on tenors – coming together as one voice on the solos, and getting some key help from Conte Candoli on trumpet and Frank Rosolino on trombone. Titles include "The Fruit", "Bambu", "Blues For Alice", "Tempus Fugit", "Parker's Mood", and a surprising, but great take on Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Wave". CD

Theo Parrish takes on the music of Black Jazz Records – yet somehow manages to make the whole thing come across with a cosmic groove that's all his own! By that, we don't mean that Theo's messing with the cuts – just that his mix here really highlights the more expansively electric and rhythmically angular elements of the label's classic catalog – sounds that are clearly an inspiration for a huge number of 21st Century musicians and producer – not just Parrish himself! There's a richly spiritual vibe to the whole set – and the collection is easily one of the best presentations of the Black Jazz label we've ever heard – stunning from start to finish. Cuts include "My Favorite Things" by Gene Russell, "Those Who Chant" by Walter Bishop, "Jupiter" and "Convulsions" by The Awakening, "Trance Dance" by Doug Carn, "Time & Space" by Rudolph Johnson, "Criss Cross" and "BE" by Calvin Keys, and "Blue Bossa" by Walter Bishop Jr. CD

A mad mix of Latin and funky rhythms – a 70s classic from the Belgian group Chakachas! The album's best known for its title hit "Jungle Fever" – an insane cut that features heavy drums, choppy guitar, and a stop/start action that's peppered with sounds of female pleasure! The track was a worldwide hit, and continues to be a funky classic today – thanks to a heavy sample history, and a life in playlists worldwide – but the rest of the album's pretty darn great too, and even weirder. Some tracks mix easy Euro grooving with heavy conga, others have kind of an LA Chicano funk approach, and still others throw in some mad horns to complicate matters with nice jazzy riffing. Really great throughout – and maybe one of the best funky albums to ever come out on a major label! Titles include "Jungle Fever", "El Canyon Rojo", "Chica Chica Bau Bau", "Eso Es El Amor", "Ay Mulata", "Cha Ka Cha", "Latin Can Can", and "Yo Soy Cubano". CD

One of the true soul jazz classics of the 90s! Although Andrew Cyrille is better known for some of his more "out" material, we totally dig this 1992 album – because it's got a sweeping spiritual feel, and a very soulful groove that recalls 70s work by players like Billy Harper or Marvin Hannibal Peterson! Tracks are long and very open-ended, but never go too far out – just progress along with a great sense of vision, courtesy of a group of players that includes Hannibal on trumpet, Oliver Lake on soprano and alto sax, Adegoke Steve Colson on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Cyrille on drums. The group is impeccably tight, and the whole thing sounds like a lost session from Strata East – with just the right mix of outside soloing and inside grooving – and titles include "Soul Brother", "The Prophet", "Shell", "Tap Dancer", "South Of The Border Serenade", and "Where's Nine". CD

An amazing run of music – the complete Laurie Records singles of Dion DiMucci – all presented here in original mono mixes, most of which have never been on CD before! The package is a real revelation to our ears – and takes us past both the early hits we know well, and the later oddities we like even more – to an extended realm of sounds that really illustrate why Dion's had such great staying power over the years. He's a hell of a singer – easily one of the most soulful of the crossover talents of his generation – and there seems to be a rawness to the mono mixes that really get back to the core of his essence. The package features detailed notes, and a whopping 36 tracks that include "Little Miss Blue", "Lonely Teenager", "After The Dance", "Purple Haze", "The Dolphins", "Runaround Girl", "The Majestic", "Heaven Help Me", "Little Girl", "Lost For Sure", "Little Diane", "Born To Cry", "Tag Along", "Daddy Rollin", "He Looks A Lot Like Me", "Abraham Martin & John", and "Shout". CD

Fantastic Fender Rhodes from Yusuke Hirado – plus a fair bit of other keyboards too – all delivered in a set that mixes 70s space jazz funk with some great contemporary elements, and in a way that's nicely different than Hirado's work in the group Quasimode! The set's got some old school rhythms, but plenty more moments that soar and take off with very contemporary cosmic energy – very strongly in a jazz perspective overall, but with a strong knowledge of all the other musical changes that have taken place on the hipper scenes around the globe over the past 20 years – woven into classic keyboard sounds that take on a whole new shape in the setting! Titles include "The Kicker", "Early Bird", "Sonar", "Blue Sky", "Circle", "Galaxy Highway", and "Heady Dayz". CD

A set of incredible records from Charles Mingus – all presented together in one mighty nice package! First up is Mingus Moves – a fantastic fresh new chapter in the career of Charles Mingus – a set that features the addition of two key players who would really shape his sound in the 70s – Don Pullen on piano and George Adams on tenor, both completely wonderful here! The group also features excellent trumpet from Roland Hampton, a player we don't know from many other settings – and the set also features some really nice vocal work from Honi Gordon and Doug Hammond. Titles include "Canon", "Moves", "Wee", "Flowers For A Lady", "Opus 3", and "Newcomer". CD also features bonus tracks – "Big Alice" and "The Call". Changes is key 70s work from Charles Mingus – an album that was recorded over the course of three days of creative activity at the end of 1974, but somehow split into two different albums under the Changes name! The lineup here is prime 70s Mingus – George Adams on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Don Pullen on piano – young players who really give a fresh voice to Mingus' musical ideas, and help him find this beautiful late life sense of color, tone, and timing that's completely sublime! Titles on this second volume include "Sue's Changes", "Devil Blues", "Remember Rockefeller At Attica", "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA", "Black Bats & Poles", "For Harry Carney", and "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love" – which features a guest appearance by Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and Jackie Paris on vocals. On 3 Or 4 Shades Of Blues, Charles Mingus is returning to the soulful gospel-influenced mode he swung big in the early 60s! The record's something of a later predecessor of the classics Blues & Roots for Atlantic and Mingus (x5) for Impulse – and the style is slightly less dramatic, but still quite steeped in soulful explorations that feature plenty of notes from the bluer side of the spectrum! Players include George Coleman and Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Larry Coryell on guitar – and titles include new takes on "Better Git Hit In Your Soul" and "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" – plus"Nobody Knows", "Noddin Ya Head Blues", and "Three Or Four Shades Of Blues". Next is Cumbia & Jazz Fusion – one of the most enigmatic albums that Charles Mingus ever recorded – especially in his later years! The set features two very long tracks done by Mingus for use in a film about cocaine traffic between New York and Columbia – but considering the nature of the music, and the freely exploratory style, both numbers here stand very well on their own! Although touched with some of the Latin influences you might expect from the title, the sounds are often darker and more brooding than, say, the Mingus style on the classic Tijuana Moods set. And instead, there's a very serious soundtrack-like vibe going on through most of the set – larger jazz orchestrations used to beautifully underscore subtle themes, and breakout solo moments from players who include Mauricio Smith on flute, Paul Jeffrey on tenor sax, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. The album also features a fair bit of added percussion – and features two long tracks, "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion" and "Music For Todo Modo". Me Myself An Eye is complicated later work from Charles Mingus – a great illustration of the way his power to command a large ensemble never wavered as the years went on! The album features two different large groups of players – filled with modernists young and old – including Ricky Ford, George Coleman, and Michael Brecker on tenors; Ronni Cuber and Pepper Adams on baritone; Randy Brecker and Jack Walrath on trumpets; Lee Konitz on alto, Larry Coryell on guitar, Slide Hampton on trombone, and Eddie Gomez on bass. Side one features the 30 minute track "Three Worlds Of Drums", and side two contains a remake of "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting", plus "Devil Woman" and "Carolyn Keki Mingus". Something Like A Bird is one of the last albums Charles Mingus ever gave us – before departing this planet way way too soon! The set shows the increasing sophistication of Mingus' music in these later years – a mode that almost echoes the path that Duke Ellington would take in his final decade – a move towards some larger-form material that still holds onto all the raw energy of the early days, but finds a way to not only bridge larger musical ideas – but musical generations as well! As part of this, the set's got a wonderful lineup – with Lee Konitz on alto, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, George Coleman on tenor, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include the long title track, "Something Like A Bird", split up over 2 sides of the LP, plus "Farewell Farwell". CD

A killer Morricone soundtrack from the late 60s – filled with sweet tunes and moodier numbers – all served up with cool orchestrations, and some sweet work on electric harpsichord too! The score's lesser-known than some of the maestro's best from the time – but is equally great, and one we're very happy to discover – caught at a mode that still has Morricone using some of his best mod elements from the 60s, yet also beginning to explore the darker sounds that would unfurl even more strongly in the 70s! Bruno Nicolai conducts the group, and the set features a few great vocal moments from I Cantori Moderni – on titles that include "Scherzo Da Guerra", "Scherzo Da Baffone", "Filastrocca Per Cretini", and "Lo Sai Che Cosa Facevano Le Donne A Stalin". CD

The most righteous album ever from Kellee Patterson – her first record, and a set that's way different from her more soul-based sides of later years! The album's got Patterson working in a wonderfully soulful approach to jazz – a style that's not unlike the earliest work by Dee Dee Bridgewater, especially her seminal Afro Blue album – and which mixes Kellee's unique vocals with some very hip backings that are right in the best Black Jazz mode! Instrumentation is from a loose jazz combo, and the tunes are a mix of jazzy numbers and a few tighter tracks – a really rich array of sounds that comes together beautifully in the hands of producer Gene Russell. Titles include a stellar version of Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage", a great take on the Flip Nunez number "See You Later", and the tracks "Soul Daddy", "Be All Your Own", "Magic Wand Of Love", "You", and "Look At The Child". CD

A totally essential 2 CD set that brings together a huge amount of singles that were recorded by Sun Ra and others for his legendary Saturn label! As you probably know, the albums that were recorded for Saturn were rare enough – but the singles on the label were even rarer, and some of them were pressed in batches as small as 75 copies! The material is a very strange mix of jazz, soul, doo wop, and R&B – but it's all got the off-kilter Sun Ra twist to it, and the music is a key slice in the independent history of underground jazz pioneered by Ra & The Arkestra. You'll hear plenty of stuff by Ra (including the legendary "I'm Gonna Unmask The Batman") – and you'll also get stuff by Lacy Gibson, The Cosmic Rays, The Nu Sounds, Yochannan, and The Qualities. Annotated with 36 pages of detailed notes, written by 4 different Ra experts – and a treat for collectors and novices alike! CD

Incredible deep soul – and a wealth of tracks you've probably never heard before! Sure, the King label's best known for it's work in 50s R&B and 60s James Brown soul – but this 24 tracks set shows that King (and related labels) were still working hard in the late 60s and early 70s to come up with the best of the southern soul underground – a massive batch of lesser-known artists who were burning the soul light bright. The quality of the work here is fantastic – as great as the best on Stax at the time, and then some – as the tunes really glisten with a newness and freshness that keeps us going through the set list again and again. Titles include "Precious Minutes" by Elaine Armstrong, "Beggin Just Ain't My Bag" by Dan Brantley, "Money Can't Buy True Love" by James Duncan, "One Woman" by Pat Lundy, "Darling Darling I Love You" by Johnny Soul, "Everywhere I Go" by Bobby & The Expressions, "Never Let A Love Grow Cold" by Allison, "Lost My Faith In You" by Charles Vickers, "I'm A Fool In Love" by LH & The Memphis Sounds, "All Woman" by Dottie Clark, "She Wrote It I Read It" by Junior McCants, and "Counting Teardrops" by James K-Nine. CD

The real sound of the British underground at the end of the 60s – a stellar 3CD package that goes way beyond the oft-heard modes from the classic rock and progressive years! Sure, all the big names from those years are totally great – but they've also obscured the really rich tapestry of lesser-knowns who were working in London and beyond at the time – extremely inventive groups who work here in a blistering array of fuzzy, freaky, and mad mod styles! The book's got plenty of details on the 65 tracks included in the box set – more than enough info to help situate these really unique sounds, and no doubt start you digging for more in the future. Yet there's hardly any need to dig when you've got a set this great – a package that includes "Pretty Colours" by Deep Feeling, "Ebeneezer Beaver" by The Mirage, "Amanda Jane" by West Coast Consortium, "Love" by Shy Limbs, "Santa Lucia" by Respect, "Iridescent Butterfly" by Fat Mattress, "Story Book" by Alan Bown, "Just Another Day" by Neon Pearl, "I'll Be Late For Tea" by Blossom Toes, "Am I Glad To See You" by The In Crowd, "Busy Bee" by Tintern Abbey, "Fillin A Gap" by Paper Bubble, "Creation" by Beau, and "Hurry On Sundown" by Hawkwind Zoo. CD

Dust To Digital moves across the Atlantic Ocean – and brings the same great skill to African music they've already brought to blues, folk, and gospel! This package is amazing – 100 rare 78rpm recordings, appearing here on CD for the first time ever – not just wonderful music, but music that's wonderfully put together – with detailed notes that really blow us away as much as the sounds on the discs! The beautiful thing is that these guys not only know how to pick the best tracks, but that they also know what the music is about – and can prove it with a lavish 112 page book that features very rich information on all the obscure recordings – an archival feat that's a real bargain at this price. Heck, some guys would spend an entire career just to excavate and annotate this much great music – yet it's all in a day's work for this legendary label. And we haven't even told you about the actual music yet – but trust us, it's wonderful – the kind of mindblowing 78-era tracks that will really open up your understanding of global sounds! CD

Magnificent music from Atomic – a set that begins with a set of variations on the "Pet Sounds" theme from Brian Wilson – then takes off into some great directions inspired by the music of Steve Lacy, Jimmy Giuffre, Paul Bley, and Edgar Varese! Atomic are always fantastic – way more than the sum of their parts, which is a top-shelf quintet lineup that includes Fredrik Ljungkvist on saxes and clarinet, Magnus Broo on trumpet, Havard Wilk on piano, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on bass, and Hans Hulbaekmo on drums – mostly players you'll know from our rave reviews of their other music here on these pages, but who always seem to really reach new heights together as a group! There's a sense of energy here that's wonderful – structure balanced with freedom, group performance balanced with individualism – spread out over inventive performances of "Pet Sounds", "Karin's Mode", "Art", "Walking Woman", "Cry Want", "Un Grand Sommeil Noir", and "Inri". CD

A really beautiful combination of reeds and synthesizer – one done in a spare, moody style that's extremely evocative! Austin's saxophone work here would be great enough on its own – soulful, fluid, and freely searching, but never too outside. Yet the added synth and percussion from Gallivan really makes the record something special – because Joe never overdoes his contributions, and instead keeps things really even handed – often going for a style that matches the lyrical beauty of Austin's work perfectly. And unlike other projects of this type, this one is never sleepy, or too "atmospheric" – as each tune here has a good structure and sense of economy – letting us know that Gallivan and Austin aren't just putting down sloppy soundscapes. Titles include "Quassia", "Perfect Reality", "Essence Of Purity", "As Above So Below", "Intimate Oasis", and "Subtle Actuation". CD

The tenor sax here makes the album a standout – as John Coltrane still works with Miles Davis on 2 tracks for the record, but Blue Note stalwart Hank Mobley joins in on the rest! The approach is similar to that of the classic Coltrane/Davis years – and in a way, the record's kind of a swan song to that period – one of the last studio session that Miles would cut in such an unabashedly sweet and lyrical way. And while Mobley's always better known for his harder-blown notes at Blue Note, he sounds totally great here next to Davis – really keeping up the gentle spirit and spaciousness of the record, and working with a gentleness that surpasses even his work on the legendary Soul Station album. Rhythm is by the trio of Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb – and titles include Miles' classic version of "Someday My Prince Will Come", plus "Old Folks", "Teo", "Drad-Dog", and "Pfrancing". CD

The tenor sax here makes the album a standout – as John Coltrane still works with Miles Davis on 2 tracks for the record, but Blue Note stalwart Hank Mobley joins in on the rest! The approach is similar to that of the classic Coltrane/Davis years – and in a way, the record's kind of a swan song to that period – one of the last studio session that Miles would cut in such an unabashedly sweet and lyrical way. And while Mobley's always better known for his harder-blown notes at Blue Note, he sounds totally great here next to Davis – really keeping up the gentle spirit and spaciousness of the record, and working with a gentleness that surpasses even his work on the legendary Soul Station album. Rhythm is by the trio of Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb – and titles include Miles' classic version of "Someday My Prince Will Come", plus "Old Folks", "Teo", "Drad-Dog", and "Pfrancing". Includes the bonus tracks "Blues No. 2" and "Someday My Prince Will Come (alt take)". CD

Matt Dennis is best-known to most as the composer of the classic evergreen "Angel Eyes" – but he's also a pretty great singer and piano player, with an easy and hip style that's a lot like Bobby Troup. This album's one of the few he ever cut in this mode – and is a great small group session with backing from guitar, bass, and drums – done in a gentle groove that has some cocktail touches, but which also shares a fragileness with the vocal work of Chet Baker – quite unusual for a male singer of the time! The set list is filled with great original tunes as well – making for a set that sounds quite fresh, especially when compared to the average RCA vocal jazz session of the time. Titles include "Bless You Little Sleepyhead", "That's How Close I Want To Be To You", "Show Me The Way To Get Out Of This World", "Devil Talk", "Old Uncle Fud", "The Land Of Danger", and "Relax". CD

Brian Eno at the crux of his career – hanging perfectly between the guitar-heavy glam of earlier years, and the spacey electronics of later material – both of which he presents wonderfully on the record! The album is one of his last to feature real rock songs, with the kind of vocals you'd know from Eno's first two albums – and it mixes straighter styles with more complex electronic soundscapes, resulting in some wonderfully cold and abstract material that prefaces musical territory that many other artists wouldn't hit until the following decade! Titles include "Golden Hours", "The Big Ship", "St Elmos Fire", "Sky Saw", "Spirits Drifting", and "Becalmed". CD

A real standout in the Bill Evans catalog for Riverside – and that's saying a lot, given how important all of his Riverside albums are! The core session's a rare quintet outing for Evans – one that breaks the mode of the usual trio format by adding in Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and Jim Hall on guitar – alongside rhythm players Percy Heath on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums – already a unique enough match for Evans' talents. In a way, the record's one of those sessions that Riverside would sometimes do – pairing a key new voice as a leader with others in an all-star group – but in another way, it's also a return to the sound that first brought Evans' to a wider audience in the 1957 and 1958 years – when he was working in non-trio groups with more famous players – adding his unique piano stylings to their (then) better-known solo modes. The pairing of Evans and Hall has been beautifully documented on other records – and sounds equally great here – but the real treat is Freddie Hubbard's horn, which often lays back on most of the tracks, then bursts in with a brashness that really ignites some of the tunes! He's playing a bit muted here, trying to go for that Miles/Evans combination from the late 50s – but that's plenty ok with us, as we love those records a lot. Titles include "When You Wish Upon A Star", "You & The Night & The Music", "I'll Never Smile again", "You Go To My Head" and the Evans original, "Interplay". This double-length set also expands the original Interplay album with even more material from another group session in 1962 – a set recorded also with Philly Joe Jones on drums and Jim Hall on guitar – plus Ron Carter on bass and Zoot Sims on tenor. Titles include "Time Remembered", "Loose Bloose", "Fun Ride", "There Came You", "Fudgesickle Built For Four", and "My Bells". CD

A low price, but a really great package – one that's overflowing with some of the best recent work from the mighty Schema Records! If you read these pages at all, you'll know we think that Schema's one of the greatest things going these days – a modern label, but one that's committed to the real jazz grooves of earlier years – the bossa, modal, and soul jazz styles of the 60s and 70s – played in a mixture of real instrumentation and just a bit of dancefloor production, with a sound that's instant classic on nearly every release! This package is a great introduction to the Schema label's genius, and even if you've got some of the tracks here on other releases, the set is a really great way to hear all this music in one place – kind of a "best of the best" that's totally great! Titles include "Bluesanova" by Gerardo Frisina, "Moon Vision" by Soulstance, "I knew The Way" by Invisible Session, "On A Clear Day" by Was A Bee, "Emotional Dancing" by S-Tone, "Stay (In Mood)" by Paolo Fedreghini & Marco Bianchi, "Afrolicious" by Dining Rooms, "Esquema Da Bossa" by Quintetto X, "Today's Sound" by Intensive Jazz Sextet, and "Dreaming Of The Past" by Rosario Giuliani Quartetto. CD

A classic! What seemed a silly idea at the time was true proof of Ray's genius, and the result was the most successful album of his career – and a bona-fide number one hit that rode the charts for years and years! Ray's voice works perfectly with the material, and thanks to soulful arrangements by Gil Fuller, Marty Paich, and Gerald Wilson, the whole thing comes off to perfection. Titles include "You Don't Know Me", "I Can't Stop Lovin You", "Careless Love", "You Win Again", and "Worried Mind". CD

A beautifully sensitive set from Tex Allen – mostly a trumpeter, but also a singer here on two numbers – working with a laidback approach that's totally great! Tex blows with a bit of Miles Davis space in his trumpet – early Miles, not late – and his singing has a warm, mellow feel that's a bit like Grady Tate, although a bit more understated too, with a slight rasp that gives him a nice sense of personality – and makes him a really great change from the obvious. This approach sounds especially great on the tune "The Process Necessary" – almost a samba-esque jazz dancer, but with a gentle groove – and Allen also sings on the longer tunes "When You Find A Love" and "The Things We'll Never Know". All other titles are instrumental, with players who include Jesse Davis on alto, Jackie Terrasson on piano, Ugonna Okagu on bass, and Eddie Gladden on drums. Lawrence Killian plays percussion on half the album – and other titles include "Estate", "Mutti's Bletten", "Wings Of Ceola", and "You Don't Know What Love Is". CD

Lovely lyrical sounds from Tommy Flanagan – a pianist who can be as deft as a bopper, but also bring in some richer currents of soul as well! Case in point is this great album from the late 70s – a time when Flanagan wasn't as much in the recording spotlight as the decade before, but a period when he'd actually matured a lot more as a player – able to step effortlessly between both his inclinations, especially when working with a group this great – a trio that features George Mraz on bass and Elvin Jones on drums! Tommy's got a touch on the keys that's subtle at times, but extremely powerful – a knowledge of notes and colors that's never overstated, but always right on the money. Titles include a great reading of the Tom McIntosh tune "Cup Bearers", plus "Maybe September", "Confirmation", "50 21", and "It Never Entered My Mind". CD

An incredible legacy of jazz – one that's certainly as disconnected as promised by the title, but which stands as a much-needed look at the many-sided talents of tenorist Allen Lowe! The set's on ESP Records, but often has sounds that are somewhat straight ahead – although often in a way that's a bit more than you might expect – as Lowe's a player with a strong knowledge of older generations of jazz, but who can put things together with a very contemporary ear – maybe best summed up in the Avant Garde Tribute To Louis Armstrong – a Knitting Factory performance that's part of this set. Lowe works with a compelling range of musicians throughout – maybe most importantly, trumpeter Doc Cheatham, who shows that in the 80s and 90s, he was still very open to new ideas – as well as Percy France and David Murray on tenor, Randy Sandke on trumpet, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Matthew Shipp on piano and Farfisa organ – and many others along the way. The massive 8CD set features countless rare recordings from over 40 years of Lowe's career – private recordings, live sets, and lots more – a huge addition not just to his own catalog, but a revelation of a connecting web on the east coast scene for decades! CD

Damn great work from Chicago flautist Nicole Mitchell – and another new chapter of her mighty talents! The album's a quartet session that beautifully swings between straight jazz modes and some more creative sounds – never as far out as some of Mitchell's more avant work, but always pushing the boundaries in really great ways. The set's quite different than some of the fuller, more ambitious projects Mitchell has undertaken in recent years – and it's also a change from some of the more intimate solo and duet modes she's used too – and the group features heavy contributions from guitarist Jeff Parker, plus bass from Harrison Bankhead, and drums from Avreeayl Ra. Titles include "Curly Top", "Center Of The Earth", "Snowflakes", "Awakening", "There", and "FOC". CD