Jan Akkerman on guitars and synths, Jasper Van't Hoff and Joachim Kuhn on keys, Jim Campagnola on tenor sax, Pablo Nahar on bass guitar, and others. CD

A brilliant update of the older Blue Note All-Stars concept – a set that features a tremendous lineup of the contemporary talents who've helped shape the new sound of the label in recent years – including trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, keyboardist Robert Glasper, bassist Derrick Hodge, guitarist Lionel Loueke, drummer Kendrick Scott, and tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland. The set's produced by Glasper, and has all the open, soulful currents of his own great records for the label – but also really draws a lot from the contributions of the other heavyweights too – as they work together on a se of mostly original tunes, all with shapes and sounds that you never would have expected on Blue Note in years past. We're huge fans of this direction of the label – and appreciate the way that they've found a way to keep things creatively soulful, but without rehashing the past or resorting to easy gimmicks. There's a depth here that would have made the old school proud – and titles include "Bayyinah", "Cycling Through Reality", "Witch Hunt", "Second Light", "Freedom Dance", and "Message Of Hope" – plus a few shorter tracks dedicated to Bruce Lundvall, the always-optimistic champion who headed the label in the years before his death. CD

An incredible treasure from a lost vocal jazz genius – the little-known Bobby Cole, every bit as great a singer as he was a songwriter, very unusual for the time! Bobby was probably best remembered as the house pianist at Jillys, but at the time of this 1964 recording, he was poised to emerge as a serious vocalist with a rich talent for penning interesting and witty little tunes. The album's got Bobby singing in a style that's halfway between Matt Dennis and Mark Murphy – with the sophisticated talents of both in place, and perhaps a bit of the wit of Bob Dorough or Roy Kral. The original album features Bobby on piano and vocals, with only bass and drums behind him – and the CD features a bonus 6 tracks recorded in more recent years, with larger backings. The core album is completely brilliant – the kind of off-kilter vocal record we die for – and every track's a fresh original by Bobby! Titles include "You Can't Build A Life On A Look", "Heat", "You Could Hear A Pin Drop", "Change Of Scene", "A Perfect Day", "Elegy For Eve", and "Status Quo". CD

Kevin Eubanks on guitar, Kent Jordan on alto flute, Charnett Moffett and Dave Holland on bass, and Mark Mondesir and Marvin "Smitty" Smith. CD

An incredible, and oft-overlooked album from the great Benny Golson – and one of the few early albums that really point the way to his huge run of work for decades to come! The style here is a bit looser, and more open than some of Golson's previous albums – less of a focus on arrangements, and more on the spontaneous interplay between his tenor and the crack rhythm section – which features Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – a dream lineup who really make the record sparkle. But the real star of the show is Golson – who's hitting this raspy, soulful tone he never had before – much freer of soul jazz formalities, and with a modern edge that's wonderful – as you'll hear on titles that include "Alone Together", "Turning Point", "Stella By Starlight", and "Dear Kathy". CD

Randy Halberstadt on piano, Mark Taylor on alto sax, Thomas Marriott on trumpet, Jeff Johnson on bass, and Mark Ivester on drums. CD

Fred Hersch on piano – with Rich Perry on tenor saxophone, Dave Douglas on trumpet, Drew Gress on bass, and Tom Rainey on drums. CD

Mindblowing work from pianist Andrew Hill – one of the key records during that short initial run when Blue Note was really giving him a special showcase for his talents – and when the label was dabbling in more avant jazz as part of the "new thing" moment on the scene! The group here is really the stuff of legends – as the set features a very late performance from Eric Dolphy on alto, plus Joe Henderson on tenor, Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Richard Davis on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – all players at the prime of their young talents, soaring to the skies under the leadership of Hill – skittishly working their way into territory that's never truly free, but wonderfully expressive and exploratory – a clear summation of the sense of "modern" in modern jazz! All tracks are originals by the pianist, too – and titles include "New Monastery", "Flight 19", "Spectrum", "Dedication", and "Refuge". CD reissue also features 2 bonus alternate takes of some of these, for a total of 7 tracks in all. CD

Mindblowing work from pianist Andrew Hill – one of the key records during that short initial run when Blue Note was really giving him a special showcase for his talents – and when the label was dabbling in more avant jazz as part of the "new thing" moment on the scene! The group here is really the stuff of legends – as the set features a very late performance from Eric Dolphy on alto, plus Joe Henderson on tenor, Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Richard Davis on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – all players at the prime of their young talents, soaring to the skies under the leadership of Hill – skittishly working their way into territory that's never truly free, but wonderfully expressive and exploratory – a clear summation of the sense of "modern" in modern jazz! All tracks are originals by the pianist, too – and titles include "New Monastery", "Flight 19", "Spectrum", "Dedication", and "Refuge". CD reissue also features 3 bonus alternate takes of some of these, for a total of 8 tracks in all. CD

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

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

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Reedman Oliver Lake at his most creative – stepping out here on a sublime set of 70s improvisations – all put together with a really spiritual feel! There's a very open, collaborative feel to the music – and the set was recorded in St Louis, at a time when Lake was a key part of that city's scene – and who here also seems able to attract some other musicians from the AACM in Chicago as well! As a result, the album's a wonderful document of the new ideas bursting forth at the start of the 70s – that richly creative moment when local scenes were coming together in various cities to find new ways of jazz beyond Coltrane and Dolphy – giving a player like Lake some of the most imaginative outlets of his career. Oliver plays alto, soprano, flute, and other small instruments – and other players include Baikida Carroll and Floyd Leflore on trumpets, Joseph Bowie on trombone, John Hicks on piano, Clovis Bordeaux on electric piano, Don Officer on bass, Charles Bobo Shaw on drums, and Don Moye on congas too. Titles include "Africa", "Tse Lane", "Eriee", "Zip", and "Electric Freedom". CD

Roberto Magris on piano, Alfredo Chacon on vibraphone and congas, Dion Kerr on bass, and Rodolfo Zuniga on drums. CD

Luis Perdomo on piano, Miguel Zenon on alto saxophone, Max King on tenor saxophone, Ravi Coltrane on tenor and soprano saxophone, Ugonna Okegwo, Carlo DeRosa, and Miriam Sullivan on bass, Ralph Peterson Jr on drums, and Roberto Quintero on batas and Afro Venezuelan percussion. CD

A stone killer from organist Lonnie Smith – one of his completely cooking early albums for Blue Note, and a hard-burner all the way through! Smith's working here with a really great group that includes Idris Muhammad on drums and Melvin Sparks on guitar – both of whom give the album a really heavy bottom, and almost make the set feel like one of those classic Prestige jammers from the same time. But added to them is a great horn section of Lee Morgan on trumpet, Julian Preister on trombone, and Bennie Maupin on tenor – all of whom give the record a slightly hipper, more modern feel – in keeping with the Blue Note groove of the time. Tracks are all nice and long – and titles include the originals "Turning Point" and "Slow High" – plus versions of "See Saw", "People Sure Act Funny", and "Eleanor Rigby". CD

A stone killer from organist Lonnie Smith – one of his completely cooking early albums for Blue Note, and a hard-burner all the way through! Smith's working here with a really great group that includes Idris Muhammad on drums and Melvin Sparks on guitar – both of whom give the album a really heavy bottom, and almost make the set feel like one of those classic Prestige jammers from the same time. But added to them is a great horn section of Lee Morgan on trumpet, Julian Preister on trombone, and Bennie Maupin on tenor – all of whom give the record a slightly hipper, more modern feel – in keeping with the Blue Note groove of the time. Tracks are all nice and long – and titles include the originals "Turning Point" and "Slow High" – plus versions of "See Saw", "People Sure Act Funny", and "Eleanor Rigby". CD

Features Steve Turre on trombone, Howard Johnson on tuba, Junior Cook on tenor, and others! CD

A wonderful look at the Compass Point Studios in Nassau – a force that was as important to the sound of grooves in the early 80s as Stax and Fame were to soul in the 60s! Compass Point was the brainchild of Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, but it offered up way more than just a reggae-styled approach to the music – and although the house band at Compass featured both Sly and Robbie, the overall sound was a groundbreaking mix of funk, punk, and post-disco elements! Compass Point was a key recording site for a number of leftfield acts in its early years – and this package does a great job of showing the way the studio left an undeniable imprint on the sound of its time. The booklet features very detailed notes on the studio, its scene, and its key players – and the CD features 13 great 80s grooves that include "Genius Of Love" by Tom Tom Club, "Dance Sucker (Francois K rmx)" by Set The Tone, "Obsession (Nassau mix)" by Guy Cuevas, "Padlock (Larry Levan mix)" by Gwen Guthrie, "River Niger" by Sly Dunbar, "Don't Stop The Music" by Bits & Pieces, "Spasticus Autisticus (version)" by Ian Dury, "You Rented A Space" by Cristina, "Adventures In Success (dub copy)" by Will Powers, "Whisper" by Chaz Jankel, "Born Under Punches" by Talking Heads, and "My Jamaican Guy (12" version)" by Grace Jones. CD

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A very cool concept – the minimalist orchestrations of Philip Glass, based around tracks from the Berlin years of David Bowie and Brian Eno! CD

Based on the music of David Bowie and Brian Eno! CD

Scott Johnson on guitar, Erik Friedlander on cello, Philip Bush on piano and synths, and Mary Rowell on violin. CD

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A swingin' Japanese concert by one of Cannonball's best groups from the 60's. Joe Zawinul's on piano, brother Nat's on cornet, Sam Jones is on bass, and Louis Hayes is on drums. But the real treat here is Yusef Lateef, who does some excellent reed work on tenor, flute, and oboe – and who's playing at this point with that great mix of soul jazz and out-sounds that he was cooking up at the time. There's some great long cuts, including an excellent 12 minute reading of Lateef's "Brother John", plus the title track, "Come Sunday", "Tengo Tango", "Easy To Love" and "The Weaver". CD features the bonus track "Work Song". CD

Nat and Johnny Griffin front The Three Sounds in this easy-going soul jazz session with a nice rolling groove. The set's got a couple of originals – "Sister Caroline" and "Branching Out" – plus versions of "Well You Needn't" and "I've Got Plenty Of Nothin". Gene Harris & The Three Sounds make for a nice backing, and Johnny Griffin's solos are as sharp as they ever were at this point. CD

The recording debut of tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander – done at a time when he'd just finished some key woodshedding years on the south side of Chicago, and was poised to become one of the most important jazz voices of his generation! Even at this early point, Alexander's clearly one of the greats – a tenorist with confidence and creativity, and no cliches whatsoever in his sound – an instantly classic player who's well matched here with the incredible Harold Mabern on piano, in a generation-spanning partnership that would form the basis for a number of tremendous albums to come. Other players on the date include Jim Rotondi on trumpet, John Webber on bass, and George Fludas on drums – and titles are a well-balanced set of choices that include "Straight Up", "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", "Blues Waltz", "An Oscar For Treadwell", and "End Of A Love Affair". CD

A sweet double-length set – one that features two classic Prestige albums from Gene Ammons! Boss Is Back is a great comeback for tenor legend Gene Ammons – not just in a musical sense, but also because Jug had spent most of the past few years in prison – as part of the usual trumped-up drug charges that were filed against musicians at the time! At the time of this album, Ammons had not recorded since a very successful flurry of sides recorded in 1961, done for a number of labels, and issued slowly during his time off the recording market – a precursor to this fantastic return to form, which has Gene hitting more of a jazz funk mode, in the best Prestige style at the end of the 60s! Case in point is the presence of Bernard Purdie on drums on a number of cuts – in a lineup that also features some organ from Sonny Phillips, piano from Junior Mance, and electric bass from Bob Bushnell – plus congas from Candido for a nice extra kick! Titles include the funky cuts "Tastin' the Jug" and "Jungle Boss" – plus "Madame Queen" and "Feeling Good". Brother Jug is a great bit of jazz funk from tenor genius Gene Ammons – really reinventing himself here after some time off the scene in the 60s! The set has Gene picking up a great groove with help from Billy Butler on guitar and Sonny Phillips on organ – and the great Bernard Pretty Purdie is also on drums, and kicks it nice and lean on the great groover "Jungle Strut"! The album also features a nice version of "Son of A Preacher Man", plus "Ger-ru", which features Junior Mance on piano. CD

A real turning point in the career of Gene Ammons – a record that almost returns Ammons to his earthier roots, and in the process helps build up a whole new sound in soul jazz for the 60s! The "Jug" nickname in the title is kind of a joking way to help Ammons stand alongside "Miles", "Trane", "Diz", and other one-name monikered stars in jazz – but even without that gimmick (which somehow lasted for years), the album's got a depth that more than gets Gene back on top, thanks to a gritty soulfulness and good sense of feeling in the grooves! Players here include Richard Wyands on piano on most numbers – plus a rare appearance by Clarence "Sleepy" Anderson on 2 numbers – one on organ, one on piano. Rhythm is by Doug Watkins on bass and JC Heard on drums – and Ray Barretto makes one of his great soul jazz appearances on drums – rolling the groove along with a nice bit of bounce throughout! Titles include "Tangerine", "Ol Man River", "Easy To Love", "Seed Shack", "Miss Lucy", and "Namely You". CD

A great cooker from the glory days of Ernestine Anderson on Concord Records – a time when the singer was rediscovered, and revamped in a bit of a bluesy mode – reaching a wide new audience at the time! Her vocals really shine at this point in her career, as she lets loose with a bit more personality too – as you'll hear on this swinging set of down home numbers, cut with a combo that includes Red Holloway on tenor, Ray Brown on bass, and Gene Harris on piano! Titles include "Someone Else Is Steppin", "Goin To Chicago Blues", "Alone On My Own", "Mercy Mercy Mercy", and "I Love Being Here With You". CD

A great cooker from the glory days of Ernestine Anderson on Concord Records – a time when the singer was rediscovered, and revamped in a bit of a bluesy mode – reaching a wide new audience at the time! Her vocals really shine at this point in her career, as she lets loose with a bit more personality too – as you'll hear on this swinging set of down home numbers, cut with a combo that includes Red Holloway on tenor, Ray Brown on bass, and Gene Harris on piano! Titles include "Someone Else Is Steppin", "Goin To Chicago Blues", "Alone On My Own", "Mercy Mercy Mercy", and "I Love Being Here With You". CD

A well-titled set, given that Fred Anderson's been a missing link in Chicago jazz for many years – a bold tenorist with qualities that reach back to the heavy sax generation of the 50s, and a creative improvisor who's kept the AACM ideals alive and well in the Windy City for years! The session captures Fred in the late 70s, a really under-recorded point in his career (especially in comparison to his big revival of the past decade or so) – and Anderson's working with Larry Hayrod on bass, Hamid Drake on drums, and Adam Rudolph on percussion – in relatively freewheeling space that gives Fred plenty of room to solo! Titles include "Twilight", "Ballad For Rita", and "The Bull". CD features the bonus previously-unreleased track "Tabla Peace" – a cool number penned by Drake, with lots of nice percussion. CD

Brilliant late work from Ayler – 2 albums in a single set! The Love Cry session has none of the jazz-meets-other music feel of some of the other Impulse albums – and is more in the straight expressive style of the ESP recordings. Tracks are more reined in here – with some short themes that are almost a distillation of the freedom Ayler had been expressing for a few years, summed up beautifully in tunes that have a plaintive cry, filled with as much soul and love as Ayler could muster into his horn! Players include Don Ayler, Cal Cobbs, Alan Silva, and Milford Graves – and titles include "Zion Hill", "Love Flower", "Love Cry", "Ghosts", "Omega", and "Dancing Flowers". That's followed by Ayler's last album ever – and an incredibly strange batch of tracks that shows perfectly the kind of stylistic and emotional struggle he was going through in the final years of his life. Like the albums New Grass and Love Cry, this one shows Ayler toying with influences from other genres – like rock and soul – in order to better communicate his message to the masses. And while there's some strange odd moments that don't really work, there's others that have a gutsiness that's stunning – especially from the otherwise serious (by this point) NY underground. Players include Bobby Few, Muhammad Ali, and Stafford James – and tracks include "Untitled Duet", "Again Comes The Rising Of The Sun", "Toiling", "Birth Of Mirth", and "Desert Blood". 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

Some obscure but great 60s work by Chet Baker – and one of 5 albums recorded under the guidance of Richard Carpenter, best known as the author of "Walkin", but also Chet's manager at the time. The record's got a lot more soulful feel than some of Chet's other work – thanks to a hip group that includes George Coleman on tenor next to Chet, plus rhythm backing by Kirk Lightsey, Herman Wright, and the great Roy Brooks. Tracks include "Madison Avenue", "Lonely Star", "Wee, Too", and "Tan Gaugin". And as proof of how obscure Baker's career had gotten at one point, the liner notes are by a jazz critic who says that he thought that Baker had died a few years before! 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

Fantastic 2 CD set compiling the tracks from Gato's first two LPs for Impulse, plus 5 previously unreleased tracks, and full length versions of tracks that were edited on the original albums. In case you don't know this stuff, it's amazing. Gato went down to Argentina to record the stuff, and it's an insane mix of nuevo tango, South American percussion, and Gato's wonderful reed work – which at this point has a hard edge with a lot of soul, and sounds a lot like Pharoah Sanders. Excellent stuff throughout, with a great booklet that tells the full story of the amazing sessions, and which really opens up the music. One of our fave reissues from Impulse! With the tracks "India", "Gato Gato", "To Be Continued", "Encontros", and "Encuentros". 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

A landmark leaping-off point for The Beatles – and a record that really paved the way for countless new ideas to come! The mix of catchy pop and freer ideas here is really wonderful – tunes that introduce a whole new mature world in mainstream music – yet manage to have all the catchy complexity of the earlier years too. Production, songwriting, and delivery is superb – and this version features 14 songs that include "Drive My Car", "Norwegian Wood", "Nowhere Man", "Think For Yourself", "The Word", "What Goes On", "Girl", "I'm Looking Through You", and "Run For Your Life"". CD

The complete recording of Tony Bennett and Bill Evans as a duo – the Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album from '75 and the '76 follow up Together Again – back to back, plus a bonus CD of alternate takes! If you've ever doubted the real jazz sensibility of Tony Bennett, the Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album is the one to change your mind – because Tony's working here in a marvelously unadorned setting – with only the piano of Bill Evans to back him up! The record's a rare gem from years after Bennett was cracking the pop charts, but was willing to pull back to the jazz of his roots – and the session's equally rare for Evans, who rarely worked with vocalists at this point in his career. The simplicity of the album is its strength – and together, the pair really sound tremendous – slightly faltering at times, but in a way that exposes a sense of humanity you might not find in other records, especially those by Bennett. Titles include "When In Rome", "Some Other Time", "The Touch Of Your Lips", "My Foolish Heart", "Waltz For Debby", and "Young & Foolish". Together Again is another gem, following the form of the first duos record exceptionally well, perhaps with Evan's piano a bit more prominent in the sound, and another fine batch of tunes, including "The Bad And The Beautiful", "Lucky To Be Me", "A Child Is Born", "Lonely Girl", "You Must Believe In Spring" and more. The bonus CD features alternate takes of material from the 2 albums, with versions of "You And Foolish", "The Touch Of Your Lips", "Some Other Time", "When In Rome", "Waltz For Debbie" and multiple versions of "The Bad And The Beautiful", "A Child Is Born", and more. CD

If you've ever doubted the real jazz sensibility of Tony Bennett, then this is an album to change your mind – because Tony's working here in a marvelously unadorned setting – with only the piano of Bill Evans to back him up! The record's a rare gem from years after Bennett was cracking the pop charts, but was willing to pull back to the jazz of his roots – and the session's equally rare for Evans, who rarely worked with vocalists at this point in his career. The simplicity of the album is its strength – and together, the pair really sound tremendous – slightly faltering at times, but in a way that exposes a sense of humanity you might not find in other records, especially those by Bennett. Titles include "When In Rome", "Some Other Time", "The Touch Of Your Lips", "My Foolish Heart", "Waltz For Debby", and "Young & Foolish". CD

A great Denon date from saxophonist Bob Berg – recorded at a point when he was really coming into his own as a leader, and using some fusion elements a bit more confidently than before! The session balances Bob's work on tenor and soprano with work from Don Grolnick on organ and keyboards, Mike Stern on guitar, Robby Kilgore on synth, and Peter Erskine on drums and percussion – a lineup that feels itself together well on the date, grooving with a sense of tightness, but one that's opened up well by Berg's bolder solo moments. David Sanborn guests on one track – and titles include "Words", "Snakes", "Kalimba", "The Search", "Maya", and "That's The Ticket". CD

Reedman Nat Birchall has been delighting our ears for almost a decade now – and during all that time, we've just grown more and more in love with his music – and continue to feel that he's one of the crowning jazz talents of our generation! Birchall belongs in the same spiritual territory as John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders – and as with both of them, he already started out great, then evolved to a point where he's completely sublime – as you'll hear on this wonderfully well-crafted album! Nat's every bit as righteous in his blowing as before – both on tenor and soprano sax – but the overall sound is even more far-reaching, especially in the way the long tunes unfold with majestic piano work from Adam Fairhall – who sets things up beautifully throughout, and really underscores the soul in Birchall's reeds. The group also features bassist Michael Bardon – plus two drummers, Johnny Hunter and Andy Hay, who each get their own channel on the mix. All tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Ocean Of Truth", "Love In The Cosmos", "Through The Darkness", "Peace Be Unto Us", and "Light Of All Worlds". CD

Well, "album of the year" might be a hard claim to live up to – but this is a heck of a great record! The album's one of Blakey's real sleepers – cut years away from his time at Blue Note, with a fluid soulful approach that steps off his work at Prestige quite nicely. The real strength of the set is the group – as even at this point, Blakey's got an insanely perfect ear for picking young talent. Every player's a star, and the group features work by Bobby Watson, James Williams, Bill Pierce, Charles Fambrough, and even a young Wynton Marsalis, who still sounds pretty nice at this point. The set list include some great tracks, too, originals by group members that include "Soulful Mister Timmons", "Little Man", "In Case You Missed It", and "Ms BC". CD