One of Max's many great records from the late 50's, most of which tend to get overlooked in favor of his more experimental sessions. The group here includes Ray Bryant, Stanley Turrentine, Julian Priester, and Turrentine's great brother Tommy – and they're joined by Abbey Lincoln on vocals on a number of tracks. The set is mostly standards, and titles include "Never Let Me Go", "Namely You", "Speak Low", and "Wild Is The Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous little album from Sonny Rollins – one of his most sharp-edged sessions of the mid 60s, and a bold departure from some of his previous work for RCA! The album has a crackling sense of energy that more than lives up to the exclamation point in the title – a starker quality than some of Sonny's earlier records, and one that brings out some sharper tones in his horn, even on the mellower numbers. The rhythm support is loose, but somewhat soulful and spontaneous – and features Ray Bryant on piano, Walter Booker on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums – an unusual pairing for Sonny, but that's what makes them so great. In a way, the album's almost Rollins' equivalent of John Coltrane's earlier Ballads album for Impulse – in that it includes familiar tunes, but remade into completely new numbers by the sound of the leader. Titles include "Green Dolphin Street", "Everything Happens To Me", "Three Little Words", and "Hold Em Joe". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous little album from Sonny Rollins – one of his most sharp-edged sessions of the mid 60s, and a bold departure from some of his previous work for RCA! The album has a crackling sense of energy that more than lives up to the exclamation point in the title – a starker quality than some of Sonny's earlier records, and one that brings out some sharper tones in his horn, even on the mellower numbers. The rhythm support is loose, but somewhat soulful and spontaneous – and features Ray Bryant on piano, Walter Booker on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums – an unusual pairing for Sonny, but that's what makes them so great. In a way, the album's almost Rollins' equivalent of John Coltrane's earlier Ballads album for Impulse – in that it includes familiar tunes, but remade into completely new numbers by the sound of the leader. Titles include "Green Dolphin Street", "Everything Happens To Me", "Three Little Words", and "Hold Em Joe". LP, Vinyl record album

A fascinating look at musical modes in London during the big years of postwar immigration – a time when former residents of the crumbling British Empire were flooding to London for jobs and a better way of life – often bringing along a huge amount of cultural experience in the process! This set follows wonderfully in the spirit of previous volumes of the series – bringing together a range of different sonic styles that were originally recorded in London as 78rpm singles – where a new wave of Caribbean and West African immigrants were fusing older styles with a newly modern sensibility, and often a fair bit of jazz as well! The set list is wonderful – a great array of well-chosen material – and titles include "Wa Sise" by Willie Payne & The Starlite Tempos, "The Emperor Of Africa" by The Mighty Terror, "Royal Wedding" by The Lion, "Modern Telephone" by Dai Dai Simba, "Sons & Daughters Of Africa" by Lord Beginner, "Caroline" by Trinidad Steel Band, "Ema Foju Ana Woku" by West African Rhythm Brothers, "Kana Kana" by Billy Sholanke, "Boul Ve Se" by Calypso Rhythm Kings, and "My Handy Man" by Marie Bryant. LP, Vinyl record album