... LP, Vinyl record album

Great Blue Note 2-fer that brings together a bunch of previously unreleased live sessions from Art Blakey and different incarnations of the Jazz Messengers! Sides 1 through 3 feature a stellar set of tracks recorded in 1961 and 1962 with the sextet lineup that included Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, and Curtis Fuller, with the titles "Promised Land", "Arabia", "Mosaic", "Ping Pong", and "Up Jumped Spring". Side 4 has some older material, from 1954 – by the first incarnation of the group that included Lou Donaldson, Clifford Brown, and Horace Silver – and the titles "Wee Dot", "Blues", and "The Way You Look Tonight". Nice notes, and as usual, the Messengers shine in a good live setting. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unique albums ever cut by pianist Marian McPartland – and definitely a set that offers up the bossa and soul promised in the title! Marian's playing electric and acoustic, over some very groovy rhythms from the trio of Ben Tucker on bass, Dave Bailey on drums, and Ralph Dorsey on congas – a group who give Marian a groove that's much more like the sort you'd find on a 60s record by Vince Guaraldi than any of her other work! The electric piano is great – not a Fender Rhodes, but most likely a Wurlitzer – which creates unusual tones that again really changes the McPartland sound – and the rhythms throughout create a wicked vibe, and loads of wonderful modal numbers. Titles include "Stranger In A Dream", "Coming Home Baby", "Green Dolphin Street", "Baby You Should Know It", "Love For Sale", "Tell Me", and "Sweet And Lovely". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard-swingin tracks from Ernie Wilkins – one of the most soulful arrangers of his time, working here in a wonderful all-star session from the 50s! The album's definitely got the "top brass" promised in the title – a lineup that features Donald Byrd, Ray Copeland, Idrees Sulieman, and Joe Wilder on trumpets – all working at a level that allows plenty of space for well-blown solos, but tied up in tighter ensemble formation overall – all with that Wilkins sense of swing that really set Ernie apart at the time. Rhythm is from a trip that includes Hank Jones on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Kelly Clarke on drums – and titles include "58 Market Street", "Trick Or Treat", "Speedway", "Dot's What", "Top Brass", "Imagination", and "Willow Weep For Me". Also features the album Trumpets All Out – an all-trumpet affair, one that features 5 different players on the instrument – Art Farmer, Emmet Berry, Charlie Shavers, Ernie Royal, and Harold Baker – supported by spare rhythm from the trio of Don Abney on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Bobby Donaldson on drums. There's a definite swing-based approach here – different than usual for some of Farmer's outings of the time – but the differences between the players are nicely pronounced, and the amazing thing about the album is how it manages to pack so much solo energy in such a relatively small space, in a way that still lets you hear the different voices clearly. Titles include "She's Just My Size", "Five Cats Swingin", "Blues In 6/4", "Trumpets All Out", and "Low Life". LP, Vinyl record album