Pivotal work from trumpeter Freddie Hubbard – a tight, edgy quintet performance that's done with a modern jazz sound that approaches the Blue Note "new thing" sound, but which stays just this side of the fence to keep in line with Freddie's other soulful work of the 60s – yet still with an edge that you never would expect if you only know his electric and funky work of the 70s! The group features some great work by James Spaulding, who gets a lot of solo room on alto and flute – and Ronnie Matthews is on piano, effortlessly shifting between rhythmic and soulful lines, and passages that get a bit darker and deeper. The tunes are nearly all Freddie Hubbard originals, except for the classic "Mirrors", written by drummer Joe Chambers, who's also a key part of the group – and other tunes include "Breaking Point", "Far Away", "Blue Frenzy", and "D Minor Mint". CD features 2 bonus tracks – 45 rpm takes of "Blue Frenzy" and "Mirrors". CD

A great collection of Thelonious Monk's early pre-LP recordings for Blue Note – seminal not only for the label's commitment to a modernist bop ideal, but also for Monk's integration in the growing collection of top-level jazz players on the New York scene! The work is notable also for the fact that Monk's playing sometimes in larger group settings – not just trio ones – and here, his early writing for and interplay with saxes and trumpet certainly has a strong effect on the development of modern jazz in the 50s – as you'll hear on tracks that include work from players like Sahib Shihab and Lou Donaldson on alto, Milt Jackson on vibes, and Idrees Suliman and Kenny Dorham on trumpets – depending on the volumes. Art Blakey is on drums throughout – and titles on this first volume include "Round Midnight", "In Walked Bud", "Thelonious", "Epistrophy", "Misterioso", "Well You Needn't", and "Off Minor". New version features a total of 21 tracks with great remastering and some rare alternate takes! CD

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

A stunning jazz soundtrack from Piero Piccioni – much more like some of the classic French new wave jazz scores of the late 50s than some of his groovy, mod sounds to come later in the 60s! The instrumentation here is a beautiful mix of piano, bass, vibes, and some occasional stronger horns – used mostly on tracks that are short, but extremely haunting – very evocative, with lots of echoes of American crime jazz, but served up with the more subtle, more tonally rich qualities we love in the early years of Piccioni – stepping here directly from his roots in the Italian jazz scene, and delivering superb sounds throughout! This CD marks the first time the music has ever been issued – as there was an original 45rpm EP scheduled in the 60s, but never issued – and that is presented here with a huge amount of bonus tracks – 31 numbers in all that make for a fantastic soundscape in jazz. CD

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

Late recordings by the legendary Hot Club Of Paris – a selection of 15 titles that were all originally recorded as 78rpm singles, all remastered and wonderfully packaged in keeping with the Jazz In Paris standards! The recordings boast some especially great clarinet work by Hubert Rostaing – a player whose sound is as sublime as that of Django on the guitar! Many of the tunes are relatively spare, and feature clarinet and guitar interplay that hangs nicely in space – almost prefacing later 50s experiments by the team of Jimmy Guiffre and Jim Hall, but with a more traditional bent, of course. Titles include "Gipsy With A Song", "September Song", "Brazil", "Django's Blues", "Love's Mood", "I Love You", and "Moppin The Bride". CD

One of the first European recordings from Sahib Shihab – a classic set that's the start of an amazing 60s run on the continent! Shihab here is quite different than his American dates of the 50s – bolder, and blowing with a really open, fluid sort of groove that marks a great development in his sound – using baritone sax, soprano, and flute – a range of instruments that really creates a wide range of feeling in the set! The performance is a live one, and the group is great too – with Allen Botschinsky on flugelhorn, Ole Molin on guitar, Niles Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and both Alex Riel and Bjarne Rostvold on drums. Rhythms are a key part of the set – really free and open, setting the scene for Sahib's modal genius to come – and titles include "47th Blues", "Billy Boy", and the 3-part track "Conversations". CD

Maybe the most essential of all the Frank Sinatra box sets – as there's an insane amount of stuff on here that never came out on other CDs – a wealth of material from the 78rpm generation of early Sinatra! CD

A full length Riverside album that brings together two different sessions from the 78rpm years! Side one features trombonist Jack Teagarden working with an octet that also includes Rex Stewart on cornet, Ben Webster on tenor, and Barney Bigard on clarinet – and side two features clarinet genius Pee Wee Russell working with Freddie Green on guitar, Max Kaminsky on trumpet, Al Gold on tenor, James P Johnson on piano, and Dicky Wells on trombone! CD

Damn deep grooves from Nick Waterhouse – a singer we've always liked a lot, and one who really seems to sharpen his edge here with some great elements from older R&B! Nick's already proved himself to be one heck of a soulful vocalist – and this time around he picks up more grit from the pre-soul years – including some excellent twangy guitar, tippling piano, and snapping drums – all of which bring out some very blue elements in the lyrics. The overall feel is somewhere in the territory of the 50s 78rpm generation – particularly that of the indie labels that recorded their own styles of R&B – and the production follows nicely, with a very stripped-down feel. Nick's never too overdone – never tries to be too raunchy or over the top – just hits this great blend of soul, blues, and R&B in a very understated mode. Titles include "Sleeping Pills", "Holly", "Hands On The Clock", "High Tiding", "It No 3", and "Let It Come Down". CD

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Think you know the sound of Atlantic Records in the 60s? Think again – because this stunning series opens the vault to a huge amount of rare treasures from the legendary label! The package is amazing – and offers up rare tracks that were mostly only issued by Atlantic on singles – including some on the other imprints associated with the company – some by names we never even knew recorded for the label, others by bigger names, but represented here by obscure material that goes way past their hits – and which is ultra cool because of that. There's also a fair bit more deep soul than you might expect from the usual Atlantic mix – tremendous vocals, and often in less hit-heavy modes – which makes the whole thing a great revelation – and just one more reason to bow down and give even more expect to one of the key companies who helped soul music find a home in the 60s. Plus – as if that's not enough – the whole thing comes in a very cool 7" gatefold package – which emphasizes the from-singles nature of the collection. Volume 3 is overflowing with amazing sounds from the heart of the 60s – rare 45rpm tracks by Atlantic stars, Stax artists, and a few lesser-knowns too. Titles include "Hello Stranger" by The Capitols, "Help Me (parts 1 & 2)" by Ray Sharpe, "Long Distance Love" by Ted Taylor, "Lonely Soldier" by Mike Williams, "How Can You Babysit A Man" by Ned Towns, "Keep Looking" by Solomon Bourke, "I'm Sorry" by Fred Lowrey, "Please Uncle Sam" by The Charmels, "Share What You Got" by William Bell, "Reputation" by The Four Shells, "Me & My Baby" by Mary Wells, "Got No One" by The Delcardos, "Weak Spot" by Ruby Johnson, "Good Love Bad Love" by Eddie Floyd, "Bingo" by Ned Towns, "I Had A Dream" by Johnny Taylor, "I Can't Take It" by Ray Sharpe, "You Can't Love Them All" by The Drifters, "Believe It Or Not" by Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers, "Patch My Heart" by The Mad Lads, "She's The One I Love" by The Delcardos, "Find Me Somebody" by Bobby Womack, "Hello Stranger" by The Capitols, "So Much Love" by Ben E King, "Help The Bear" by Ted Taylor, and "I Feel A Sin Coming On" by Solomon Burke. CD

Music from John Prine, Henry Kaiser, Beth Nielsen Chapman, David Ball, Grey DeLisle, Mavis Staples, Ollabelle, Roger McGuinn, Suzy Bogguss, Will Barrow, Ron Sexsmith, and more. CD

A hand-picked collection of amazing tracks – from one of the world's foremost collectors of 78rpm discs from the pre-war years! Includes a great 72-page booklet with notes on each of the tracks, a lengthy interview, and some great archival photos of Joe in his basement! CD

Rare 78 rpm recordings from Fess Williams, Taylor's Dixie Orchestra, Ross Deluxe Syncopators, Eddie Johnson's Crackerjacks, Williamson's Beale Street Frolics Orchestra, Jimmie Lunceford & his Chickensaw Syncopators, Mart Britt, Blue Steele, Andy Kirk & his Twelve Clouds of Joy, and Slatz Randall. CD

Recorded By Colin Turnbull and Francis S Chapman. CD

The third installment in one of the greatest doo wop series we've ever heard – a really wonderful collection of material recorded for Vee Jay Records in Chicago – but one that goes way past the hits, to include a flurry of rare 78 and 45rpm singles that were among some of the label's best R&B group material! This well-annotated 25 track set is overflowing with goodies – and titles include "Ozeta" and "Rosebud" by The Magnificents, "Be Mine" by Preston Jackson & The Rhythm Aces, "Sugar Girl" by The Orioles, "The Convention" and "I'm Gonna Be Glad" by The Delegates, "Time Makes You Change" and "Dance Dance Dance" by The Dells, "I Pray For Your Love" by Danny Cobb with the Magnificents, "A Rose For My Darling" by The Eldorados, "I Wonder Why" and "That's My Sugar" by The Rhythm Aces, "I'll Pray For You" by The Midnighters, and "My Only Love" and "Stop" by The Lyrics & The Falcons. CD

Music from Mister T, ES-K, Sixfingerz, Loopmaffia, Green Street, and others. CD

A landmark album that forever changed the face of live recordings – and soul music too! As has been told and retold often, King records not only had the genius idea of bringing recording equipment into the Apollo Theater to catch James in a smoking live setting – the sort of show that really set his fans on fire – but they also went out of their way to record and re-record the audience, creating a wonderful interplay on the record between James and the crowd. The result is the stuff of legend – and the record's filled with loads of nice tracks like "I'll Go Crazy", "Try Me", "I Don't Mind", "Lost Someone", "Think", "Night Train", and the massive medley featuring "Please Please Please/You've Got The Power/I Found Someone/Why Do You Do Me/I Want You So Bad/I Love You Yes I Do/Strange Things Happen". This newly remastered edition features five bonus tracks/single mixes of original LP tracks! CD

The roots of bebop! During the early 40s, sets held in Harlem nightclubs, especially the famous Minton's, were seminal to the development of bebop – and you'll hear exactly what we mean on this long overdue CD reissue. The set features material recorded by Jerry Newman at Minton's and Monroe's up in Harlem – sessions that include players like Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Christian, Thelonious Monk, Hot Lips Page, Kenny Clarke, and Don Byas. The players run through a batch of material that might be called small-combo swing – but the style of the solos shows a lot of bebop, as well as a strong penchant for new ideas. Titles include "Lips Flips", "Swing to Bop", "Guy's Got To Go", "Kerouac", and "Stardust". CD

The first post-EPMD album from either of the brothers from Brentwood LI. As you'd expect, bottom heavy beats and the classic E-Double slow rolling flow. Includes "Payback II", "Stay Real", "Imma Gitz Mine", "Hostile", "Safe Sex", "Hittin' Switches", "The Hype", "The Ill Sh!t" and "Swing It Over Here". CD

One of Europe's greatest jazz musicians ever – captured here on two rare albums from the 50s! Although Lars Gullin was mostly a baritone player, his rich talent on the instrument won him many accolades during the postwar years – and he recorded a huge amount of albums, both here in the US, and home in his native Sweden. These two sessions were originally issued in Sweden on Metronome, but are offered here in the versions issued by Atlantic in the US during the late 50s. Both records are some of Gullin's best straight material from the time – and they feature him swinging hard and straight-ahead, in a perfect setting made up of some of Sweden's finest players. Titles include "Always", "After 8pm", "Half Nelson", "So What", "Fedja", and "Perntz". Great to have back out again – and what a deal! (Please note that the CD had to omit the track "Ma" because of space limitations.) CD

Excellent work from pianist Art Hodes – tracks he recorded in the early years of Blue Note – with help from players who include Baby Dodds on drums, Sandy Williams and Ray Coniff on trombones, Rod Cless on clarinet, Bob Hggart on bass, and Max Kaminsky on trumpet! Hodes was a great player in the trad tradition, but he was also sharp enough to be reflecting on the music, too – finding ways to push it forward in the postwar years. The set features rare tracks from 78rpm singles and early 10" releases – plus a few unissued numbers too! CD

A nicely distilled collection of Charlie Parker's work for Savoy Records – done between the years 1945-1948, with some of the best talents in the bop business! Some of the other Savoy Parker sets have been a bit too overstuffed with alternate takes – and this one nicely changes that by focusing only on the material that made it out to the public as 78rpm recordings at the time. This set features a total of 26 tracks – with titles that include "Billie's Bounce", "Cheryl", "Half Nelson", "Constellation", "Ah Leu Cha", "Now's The Time", and "Donna Lee". CD

Bernard Peiffer was one of the greatest pianists working in the French scene of the postwar years – a technical master of the keys, with a level of skill to equal that of Oscar Peterson, and a rhythmic, pulsating style that had some nice traces of Errol Garner. Peiffer's genius is captured beautifully in this 21 track set – a collection of recordings from 1952 and 1953, originally issued as 78rpm singles by the Blue Star label, but remastered here for the collection! Pieffer's work on the keys is tremendous throughout – and on some tracks he's playing solo, while others feature rhythm work from Pierre Michelot on bass and Jean-Louis Vale on drums. The CD features a total of 21 tracks in all, including 2 previously unreleased tunes – and titles include "La Vie En Rose", "Ballad In Paris", "Hit That Jive Jack", "Tired Blues", "Don't Blame Me", "Midday On Champs Elysees", and "Slow Burn". CD

Some of the last great recordings by Django Reinhardt – a series of 78 rpm recordings for the Blue Star label in Paris, done in a variety of settings, both large and small! About half the tracks on the CD feature Django with the Hot Club lineup that included Hubert Rostaing on clarinet and Joseph Reinhardt on rhythm guitar – and other titles include 2 recorded with the quintet of trumpeter Rex Stewart, 1 with the Orchestre Du Boeuf Sur Le Toit, and 1 with a quintet that includes Michel De Villers on alto sax. The CD features 12 titles in all, all remastered from the original 78s – and titles include "Vette", "Swing 48", "Minor Blues", "Peche A La Mouche", "Danse Norvegienne", and "Blues For Barclay", done in 2 takes. CD

Volumes 1-3 in Tompkins Square's masterful compilations of both rare vintage and the deepest modern acoustic guitar folk experimental instrumentals – in a single package that's a perfect intro to the series if you're like us and late to get in on it! The material is in the Takoma Records realm of adventurous, genre melding (or skirting) greatness – stunning stuff that blends older recordings by masters both iconic and obscure, newer recordings by pivotal figures, and modern work by younger artists that are just as awe inspiring, and the mix of old and new is seamless! Volume 1 includes "Imaginational Anthem" by Max Ochs, "Bouba's Bounce" by Brad Barr, "White Mule III" by Jack Rose, "Untitled" by Sandy Bull, "O Holy Night" by John Fahey and more. Volume 2 includes "River Of Heaven By James Blackshaw, "Future Shot At Life" by Peter Lang, "Leaving The Apple" by Michael Chapman and more. Volume 3 includes "Zocalo" by Richard Crandell, "Sleep Architecture" by Greg Davis, "Goblins" by George Stavis, "Texarkana 1971" by Shawn David McMillen and much more. CD

A really cool 60s session from the great Chet Baker – one that moves away from the standard sound of his 50s work, and shows that unusual sense of careful sonic energy that would mark his further development over the decades! Chet's got a great sound here – blowing flugelhorn instead of trumpet, with a cool compressed vibe that's augmented by work from a very hip group that includes Frank Strozier on alto and flute, Phil Urso on tenor sax, and piano work by either Bob James or Hal Galper – both at a very early point in their careers! Titles include "Baby Breeze", "This Is The Thing", "I Wish You Love", "Pamela's Passion", and "Comin Down". CD

londie had a lot to live up to after Parallel Lines, but they pulled it off here – Eat To The Beat is another classic! Downtown cool, a strong sense of pop history and tight production by Mike Chapman make for a really distinct sound on this one. Standouts include the excellent opener "Dreaming" (one of the finest Harry/Stein songs ever, if you ask us), the punky title track, "Union City Blue" and "Accidents Never Happen", and while Blondie albums are by nature hit-and-miss given the fearless mish-mash of styles they always brought in, the whole thing is pretty great! Other tracks include "Shayla", "Die Young Stay Pretty" and "Living In The Real World". CD

A key early appearance on record by Sonny Rollins – recorded here with Miles Davis and Jackie McLean in the landmark Dig session! The album's the stuff that 50s bop dreams are made of – a session that has up-and-coming modernists working in the new freedom of the long playing record, in a way that allows them to break past the shorter, more urgent sound of the 78rpm single! Rollins is young, but a surprisingly strong voice on the set – and Jackie McLean's alto is incredibly sharp at this point, with strong hints of the genius to come later in the decade. The rest of the lineup includes Walter Bishop on piano, Tommy Potter on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – and tracks include Miles' classic version of "It's Only A Paper Moon", plus "Denial", "Out Of The Blue", "Dig", and "Bluing". CD features 2 bonus tracks. CD

Very early pre-Chess work from bassist Willie Dixon – heard here in his cool Big Three Trio – a hip jump blues group with almost a west coast vibe at times – presented here on some rare 78rpm material recorded for Columbia, including a few unreleased tracks! CD

Amazing work from the early, legendary years of Billy Eckstine – that time when he was fronting one of the hippest backing groups a vocalist could hope to have! Eckstine's voice was already becoming the stuff of legend by the time of these recordings – but thanks to contributions from a host of famous boppers, his band was getting equal fame, too – a really legendary lineup that includes such greats as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie,Kenny Dorham, and Fats Navarro on trumpets; Wardell Gray, Dexter Gordon, and Gene Ammons on tenor; Leo Parker on baritone; Art Blakey on drums; and many other huge names too! The band was virtually a school for a whole generation of jazzmen to come – allowing them to play together, get to know each other, and spin off in important small groups – much in the way the Kenton group a few years later allowed so much development on the west coast. And amidst all this great music, Billy's vocals have never sounded better – much bolder and hard-swinging than in later years! 2CDs, great notes, and a whopping 41 tracks in all. CD

A really nice set – arranged chronologically – with one disc devoted to Ellington's pre-war 78 rpm recordings, and two discs pulled from his classic Columbia LPs. 66 tracks total, plus a great booklet with detailed notes on each track. CD