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A great little session recorded in New York for the Jazz City label – with Larry Willis on piano, George Mraz on bass, Al Foster on drums, and guest alto from Kenny Garrett! Plus the CD includes an additional bonus track – the Larry Willis original "Ethiopia". CD

With George Garzone on saxophone. CD

An underappreciated solo record from guitarist Nils Lofgren – not a bad singer songwriter record, elevated big time by the stellar musicianship! Where the songs would come off as bit on the nose at face value, you get lost in the guitar playing and precision grooves of the band – particularly on the numbers produced by Al Kooper. Titles include "Cry Tough", "It's Not A Crime", "For Your Love", "Mud In Your Eye", "You Lit A Fire", "Jailbait" and more. CD

Funking around something old and something new – as the title says – and a pretty tasty set that has Les on keyboards and vocals, working with a quartet that includes drums, bass, and some nice sax licks from Keith Anderson. The sound's a mixed bag – with some tunes that hit a perfect late 60s Eddie Harris/Les McCann vibe – and others that get a bit mellower and play around the keys, plus one or two vocal numbers that kind of dip down a bit. Overall, though, the feel is fresh enough to warrant our attention, and even the older tunes are remade in some nicer new versions. Titles include "Maleah", "It's You", "Little Blue Volkswagen", "Compared To What", "With These Hands", "Cold Duck Time", and "Zora". CD

A set of standards, but swung in a very inventive way by the Great Jazz Trio – a lineup here that features Hank Jones on piano, Mads Vinding on bass, and Billy Hart on drums! Both Vinding and Hart find a way to make the genius of Hank Jones sound even fresher than ever – not stale at the end of the 80s, but every bit as vibrant as in his earlier years – especially that moment in the 70s when it seemed like Jones was born anew, and able to both draw on the richness of his legacy, while also finding a new sense of expression overseas. This date takes off from that moment brilliantly, but also with a whole new sense of sound and shapes – on titles that include "Stella By Starlight", "I'll Remember April", "Stardust", "The Way You Look Tonight", "Tenderly", and "As Time Goes By". CD

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