A tremendous overview of some really important years in British music – a period that sometimes gets overlooked, due to the huge explosion of psych, prog, and other styles – but one that's equally creative in its own sort of way! First off, forget the term "folk rock" – because although that's what this music might be, it's also very different than the pop folk modes that were big on the US scene in the mid 60s – as this folk rock scene instead represented a host of British musicians really retrenching, and finding their own sort of styles – sometimes borrowing bits from the ancient past of England, other times bringing forth a contemporary way of putting over a tune – at a level that might have gotten commercial and overproduced if these guys were working on the American west coast, but which instead has a nicely unadorned quality here. At a time when most American labels (and listeners) were really leaving folk music behind, these artists were able to often work free from the needs of a big commercial hit – and make genius music that's gone on to transform many minds over the decades. The set moves way past the obvious – and features a whopping 60 tracks in all, with lots of notes in the package – and even includes a few never-issued tracks as well. Includes work by Harvey Andrews, Jade, Michael Chapman, Andy Roberts, Mr Fox, Pentangle, Shirley Collins, Prelude, Heron, Mike Cooper, Paul Brett's Sage, Lifeblood, Dando Shaft, Canticle, Jeremy Harmer, Bridget St John, Al Jones, Bill Fay, Fairport Convention, The Woods Band, Matthew's Southern Comfort, The Johnstons, Beau, Richmond, Chimera, Spirogyra, and many others! CD

One of those records that was a classic from the moment it was first released – the legendary second effort from the trio of David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash – with added bonus of Neil Young in the mix, which gives the whole thing a current of darkness that's completely mindblowing – especially in comparison to the harmonies of the quartet! These aren't the vocal patterns of the Sunshine Pop generation of a few years before – and CSNY find a way to capture all the darkness of the fading light of the 60s, while finding a special space for more thoughtful, sensitive sounds that never would have gotten a chance a few years before. Every track's a classic – and titles include "Carry On", "Our House", "Almost Cut My Hair", "Deja Vu", "Country Girl", "Everybody I Love You", "Woodstock", and "Teach Your Children". CD

A totally great record, with very obscure origin – one that didn't come out until 1973, but which features 1969 studio jam session work with a huge amount of famous players – including Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton under fake names – plus Harvey Mandel, Jack Wilkins, Buzzy Feiten, and Todd Rundgren on guitars; Dr John, Moogy Klingman, and Keith Emerson on organ; Stu Woods and Richard Davis on bass; Chris Wood and Joe Farrell on reeds; and Linda Ronstadt, Eric Mercury, Tommy Cosgrove, and others on vocals! LP, Vinyl record album

2 jazzy gems from Michel Legrand – back to back on a single CD! Michel Legrand Big Band Plays Richard Rodgers is a pretty wonderful album by Legrand – way better than you'd guess from the title! Sure, the tunes are mostly numbers by Richard Rodgers, but Legrand handles them here with the best of his soundtrack skills – really opening them up with some amazingly deft arrangements, and working with a stellar set of American jazz players to give the tunes a sound that's as jazzy as possible – and swinging them with the inherent lyricism that always makes us love his music! Players are a great lineup – with Clark Terry and Ernie Royal on trumpets, Urbie Green and Bob Brookmeyer on trombones, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Jerry Dodgion and Phil Woods on alto, Julious Watkins on French horn, Gary Burton on vibes, and Tommy Flanagan and Hank Jones on piano. Titles include "This Can't Be Love", "Falling In Love With Love", "Bali Hai", "Have You Met Miss Jones", "There's A Small Hotel", and "The Lady Is A Tramp". On the second album, Broadway is the beat, but the sound has plenty of Parisian touches, too – thanks to arrangements from the mighty Michel Legrand! Legrand's in a mode here that's somewhere between his earliest soundtracks, and the European-themed records he cut for Columbia in the late 50s – styles that are a bit more warm and sentimental than in later years, with evocative elements designed to coax the Broadway-based listener out on a voyage across the Atlantic! Strings are relatively full, and sometimes used with great dynamic energy – and titles include "Bewitched", "There's A Boat Dat's Leavin Soon For New York", "Old Devil Moon", "With A Little Bit Of Luck", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", and "Yesterdays". CD

Great music from jazz guitarist Mundell Lowe – a set that was originally written as the soundtrack for an early 60s sexploitation film, Satin In High Heels – but which works equally well as a jazz album on its own! Lowe's in a slightly different setting than on some of his earlier records – working with larger arrangements that include a rich array of sounds and tunes from Eddie Costa on piano and vibes, Clark Terry and Joe Newman on trumpets, Al Cohn and Oliver Nelson on tenor, Jimmy Cleveland on trombone, and Phil Woods on alto sax – an all-star lineup who make the music sound way better than you might expect! Lowe's guitar gets a lot of center space in the sound – providing the right sort of slinky, crime jazz-styled elements – and titles include "Coffee Coffee", "Lake In the Woods", "Pattern Of Evil", "Blues For A Stripper", and "East Side Drive In". Nice jazzy sound, and a very sexy theme! CD

A killer set of funky instrumentals – one of those key records that has the Nite-Liters really challenging legendary groups like The Meters or JBs! If you know the sound of the combo, you'll know that they're a bit different than either – with a very distinctive groove that's created from years of woodshedding before hitting the studio – a live legacy that's a lot like early Kool & The Gang – in that they emerge fully-formed in the studio with razor-sharp instrumentation, especially on their guitars, bass, and drums! The whole thing is great – like finding a pile of funky 45s all stacked together into one great album – with titles that include "Tanga Boo Gonk", "Hang Up", "Kool Pick", "Funky-Doo", "Stinkin Charlie", "We've Got To Pull Together", and "K-Jee". LP, Vinyl record album

A whole new kind of trio session for the 70s – one that has the airy, open lines of guitarist John Abercrombie stretching out nicely in the company of drummer Jack DeJohnette and bassist Dave Holland! The music is archetypal ECM work of the time – a complete contrast to a guitar trio session from a decade before, or even a few years before on any different sort of label. Abercrombie's got a bit of bite at a few moments, but mostly keeps things spare and spacious – and Holland and DeJohnette are more than happy to follow suit. Titles include "Backwoods Song", "May Dance", "Waiting", "Jamala", and "Sorcery 1". CD

A really great setting for Pepper Adams – a rare European live date that has his baritone sax matched with the mighty talents of the George Arvanitas trio! Arvanitas' piano is always great, but we especially love the rhythm work here by bassist Jacky Samson and drummer Charles Saudrais – two amazing players who help Pepper find a groove on the record that's quite different than usual. The set begins with the 11 minute "Bossa Noveau" – a Brazilian-styled groover that reminds us a lot of the Samson/Saudrais work with Marco Di Marco and Chris Woods – and the same sort of vibe follows on the 17 minute "Min & Maj Blues" too. "Ephemera" and "Body & Soul" are a bit straighter, but totally great. LP, Vinyl record album

A really great setting for Pepper Adams – a rare European live date that has his baritone sax matched with the mighty talents of the George Arvanitas trio! Arvanitas' piano is always great, but we especially love the rhythm work here by bassist Jacky Samson and drummer Charles Saudrais – two amazing players who help Pepper find a groove on the record that's quite different than usual. The set begins with the 11 minute "Bossa Noveau" – a Brazilian-styled groover that reminds us a lot of the Samson/Saudrais work with Marco Di Marco and Chris Woods – and the same sort of vibe follows on the 17 minute "Min & Maj Blues" too. "Ephemera" and "Body & Soul" are a bit straighter, but totally great – and the CD also features the bonus track "Dear Old Stockholm". CD

Cannonball Adderley and Earle Warren on alto saxophone, Jerome Richardson on baritone saxophone and flute, Ray Brown and Sam Jones on bass, Ray Brown on cello, Nat Adderley on cornet, Albert Heath, Grady Tate, and Osie Johnson on drums, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Wild Bill Davis on organ, Hank Jones and Tommy Flanagan on piano, Danny Bank, Jimmy Heath, Phil Woods, and Robert Ashton on reeds, Budd Johnson and Seldon Powell on tenor saxophone, Yusef Lateef on tenor saxophone and flute, Britt Woodman, Jimmy Cleveland, Melba Liston, Paul Faulise, Tom McIntosh, Tony Studd, and Urbie Green on trombone, Clark Terry, Ernie Royal, Joe Newman, and Snooky Young on trumpet, Milt Jackson on vibraphone, and Marion Williams on vocals. CD

An overlooked score from the great Roy Budd – one that we're not sure ever made it to vinyl back in the day – and which is presented here in a nicely expanded version! The music has that tense quality that made the non-groovy cuts from Budd's Get Carter score so great – and which was followed in some of his other early 70s soundtracks – which, like the music here, really shows a maturation away from the straighter jazz of Roy's roots – but still features the occasional piano solo (including electric) to remind us that he's a performer as much as a composer. There's a darkly moody vibe to many numbers – this current of sadness that's really beautiful, and which flowers often in a subtle way – on titles that include "Change Of Plan", "The Journey Continues", "Opening", "In The Woods", "Peeping Robin", "Mingle With Me", "Swept Up In Memories", "In The Office", and "Bossa Nova". CD features the bonus tracks "Pipe Tobacco", "You Can Never Trust A Friend", and "Demo Jingle". CD

A great document of all this famous harmony trio/quartet were able to achieve during their first few years – a masterful reworking of vocal group modes from earlier rock and soul styles, taken forward towards the 70s with a spirit that's still as powerful today as it was back at the time! These tracks saw so much circulation over the years, it's easy to forget how revolutionary they were – especially when coming from artists who had roots in more familiar rock modes, but who somehow really seemed to rise together in the company of each other. Titles include "Deja Vu", "Suite Judy Blue Eyes", "Ohio", "Teach Your Children", "Our House", "Helplessly Hoping", "Wooden Ships", "Woodstock", "Helpless", "Guinnevere", and "Find The Cost Of Freedom". LP, Vinyl record album

An 80s fusion classic from saxophonist Bill Evans – working here on tenor and soprano sax, plus some keyboards as well! The music has a flowing, open sort of style – almost to saxophone what Pat Metheny's work of the time is to guitar – played with a nice sense of feeling on most numbers, and quite different from some of the slicker, more tune-tracked fusion that was beginning to emerge at the time. Many tunes have a spaciousness that offsets any electronics with an exploratory, almost ECM-like sense of sound – and other players on the date include Mitch Foreman on piano and keyboards, Mark Egan on bass, Adam Nussbaum on drums, and Manolo Badrena on percussion. Titles include "Reef Carnival", "Living In The Crest Of A Wave", "Past Thoughts", "The Young & The Old", and "Dawn In Wisconsin North Woods". CD

Georgie Fame really sounds wonderful here – stepping out in a straight jazz mode, with the promised blues currents at the bottom – in a vibe that takes us back to his early work in the 60s! Ben Sidran produced the set, and also plays piano – with an all-star group that includes Mike Mainieri in vobes, Phil Woods and Pete King on alto, Stanley Turrentine and Bob Malach on tenor, Ronnie Cuber on baritone, and Grady Tate on drums! All that top-shelf jazz talent really makes the album sparkle – but, as always, it's Georgie and his wonderfully-inflected vocals that really hold the charm for the whole set – a voice that we'd rank right up there with Jon Hendricks or Mose Allison for sheer inventiveness and individuality. Titles include "The Woodshed", "The Blues & Me", "Maybe It's Because Of Love", "Roll With My Baby", "How Long Has This Been Going On", and "Pass Me By". CD

Genius work from the legendary Bill Fay – one of those 70s artists who never got their due back in the day, but who have gone on to become a crucial piece of the musical puzzle as the years move on! Fay recorded two incredible records for Decca – treasures as rare as the early Nick Drake albums – and like Drake, Bill was years ahead of his time, although in very different ways – an incredible songsmith, with qualities that maybe come through best of all in the material within! The tracks are all from Fay's personal archives – recorded in the early 70s in a stripped-down mode, but as fully formed songs – brought to the light of day by David Tibet, and presented here in a way that finally give these lost years their full exposure. Titles on this first volume include "Plan D", "Inside The Keeper's Pantry", "Arnold Is A Simple Man", "Time Of The Last Persecution", "Backwoods Maze", "The Sun Is Bored", "Release Is In The Eye", "Tell It Like It Is", and "Pictures Of Adolf Again". CD

Notable sidemen include Julius Watkins on French horn, Les Spann on guitar and flute, Phil Woods and Sahib Shihab on saxophones, Melba Liston on trombones, and Clark Terry on trumpet. CD

A haunting set from French soundtrack maestro Michel Legrand – an obscure album of orchestral tunes from the mid 70s, handled with a lot more strings than you'd usually hear in his work, but in a way that comes off sounding delightful! Legrand has a talent for making any kind of setting swing, and he certainly shows that in this set – a moodily concocted batch of tracks that fit perfectly with his best soundtrack work of the time. There's a slight bit of electricity in some of the tracks, and the album features solo work by Phil Woods on alto, Derek Watkins on trumpet, and Don Lusher on trombone. Titles include "Pieces Of Dreams", "Sweet Gingerbread Man", "Christine", "Wonder Where I'll Be Tomorrow", "The Saddest Thing Of All", and "Happy". LP, Vinyl record album

A quartet session that mixes vibes and piano – the former from Aleksander Sever, the latter from Floris Kappeyne – but in a way that's nicely different from any sort of historical precedents – such as work from the MJQ or George Shearing, and maybe even more recent recordings from duos like Joe Locke and Kenny Barron! There's a round sort of warmth going on here – a flow that's maybe directed first by piano, then followed by the vibes – and driven equally by the richness of the rhythm work of Omer Govreen on bass and Wouter Kuhne on drums, both players who give the record a dynamic energy that's a really nice change from some of the colder, gentler efforts that might feature vibes and piano. As with other albums on the JMI label, the recording quality really brings out a great deal of color in the performance – on titles that include "Tired", "Trust", "God's Word", "Maya", "Heal", "Fragility", and "Inwoods". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little jazz record by Gary – very different than his groovy/easy albums on Verve, and with a dark sound that shows his strength as a composer and arranger. The group features McFarland in the lead on vibes, plus reed work by Phil Woods, Zoot Sims, and Richie Kamuca, and lots of rhythm backing by the likes of Richard Davis, Gabor Szabo, Sam Brown, and others. Willis Conover does a bit of narration, and tracks include "Sage Hands", "Milo's Other Samba", "Winter Colors", and "Bygones & Boogie". LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever live album from Joni Mitchell – and a record that sounds a fair bit different than a concert set might have during the Reprise years – as Joni's got plenty of help from Tom Scott & The LA Express, who bring a tight yet intimate vibe to the proceedings! Joni's definitely a superstar at this point – as you might guess from the size of the amphitheater on the cover – but she's also got an even stronger ability to come across with a personal, pointed style – one that's very different than the overblown hype of so many other 70s live albums. The set includes a few tracks not yet on albums, and a nice mix of material – including the live version of "Big Yellow Taxi" that ended up as a hit single – and the cuts"You Turn Me On I'm A Radio", "Blue", "Woman Of Heart & Mind", "Both Sides Now", "Real Good For Free", "Jericho", "Circle Game", "Cactus Tree", "The Last Time I Saw Richard", "People's Parties", and "Woodstock". LP, Vinyl record album

A very nice session by baritonist Sahib Shihab – and one of the most far-reaching works he cut in this country before disappearing to Europe for the better part of the 60s! The album's broken into two different groups – both have Sahib playing with Phil Woods on alto and Benny Golson on tenor, but one rhythm section is Hank Jones on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – and the other is Bill Evans on piano, Oscar Pettiford on bass, and Taylor again on drums. Tracks are long, and mostly have a hardbop sort of approach – but there's also a slight undercurrent of mysticism too, of the sort that would show up more strongly in Sahib's later work. Titles include "Ballad To The East", "Jamila", "Le Sneak", and "The Moors". CD

An overlooked 70s gem from the legendary saxophonist Sonny Stitt – recorded in Chicago, and with a hip vibe that ties things very much to the best spirit of the Chess/Cadet world of the time! There's two different approaches used on the record – and on the first four, the group is a bit on the larger side – with Chess/Cadet touches from Richard Evans on bass, Morris Jennings on drums, Tennyson Stephens on piano, a bit of strings, and vocalizing by "Kitty Hayward" – who is likely Kitty Heywood, of Kitty & The Heywoods! The remaining tracks are done in a smaller setting – and they feature a rare appearance by AACM avant legend Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, who plays straight ahead here – in a quartet with Wilbur Campell on drums and Cleveland Eaton on bass. Titles include "Got To Get Over", "Soul Girl", "Jeep Blues", and "I Know That You Know" with the larger group – plus the quartet pieces "I Should Care", "Eight Track Blues",and "Gone With The Wind". CD

The incredible first album from Traffic – a record that was already way ahead of the pack, and would set the tone for so many other sounds and modes from others in years to come! At some level, the group were just coming off the big beat group years in the UK – that time of strong inspiration from American soul, jazz, and R&B – but they're already pushing all these elements in very different ways – certainly psychedelic, as you'd guess from the image on the cover – but also still holding onto a lot of the soul and jazz that first inspired them! To our ears, the reed work of Chris Woods is as important to the record as the Hammond from Steve Winwood, guitar from Dave Mason, and drums from Jim Capaldi – plus the vocals from all three – and in addition to the classic title cut "Mr Fantasy", other tunes include "Dealer", "House For Everyone", "Berkshire Poppies", "No Face No Name No Number", and "Coloured Rain". CD

Fantastic work from one of our favorite jazz duos of all time – pianist Jack Wilson and the young vibes genius Roy Ayers – working here back before his soul/funk fame of the 70s, in a completely different style! Ayers and Wilson only made a handful of records together back in the day – including important dates for Atlantic and Blue Note – and this set of unreleased live material from 1966 provides a much-needed addition to their short catalog of sides together – sublime modal jazz that we'd put right up there with anything else they ever did! Wilson is already a hell of a pianist on his own – one of the unsung greats of his generation, with a fantastic sense of flow and this mixture of lyricism and soulfulness that leads to all these very vivid moments and tonal explosions. Add Ayers to the mix, and you've really got something special – a vibes/piano pairing that sounds like nobody else – and which shows that even back before he worked with Herbie Mann, Roy was a tremendously unique player, destined for greatness. The group has a rock-solid rhythm duo – Buddy Woodson on bass and Von Barlow on drums – and titles include "Serenata", "Harbor Freeway 5pm", "Here's That Rainy Day", "CFD", "Pensativa", "Stolen Moments", "Nirvana", and "Call Me". CD

The title's certainly got it right – as the set's overflowing with killer UK tracks from a time when the scene was heavily influenced by American soul, jazz, blues, and R&B – served up here on a host of singles that go way past the bigger names of that generation, and which really show the diversity and complexity of the underground groups who were making London hum in the mid 60s! And despite a strong influence from America, most of these acts aren't just aping music from our shores, and instead are already taking it to new and exciting places – using core elements in very different ways, at a level that would end up being a path forward for prog, psych, and other styles to come! The limited 2LP set features 34 tracks in all – and titles include "Oh Yeah" by The Others, "Unchain My Heart" by Trendbender Band, "Work Song" by James Royal, "I Still Want You" by Mickey Finn & The Blue Men, "Things She Says" by The In Crowd, "Crawdaddy Simone" by The Syndicats, "That Driving Beat" by The Favourite Sons, "I Take What I Want" by The Artwoods, "Number One" by Stormsville Shakers, "See Saw" by The Union, "Ain't Love Good" by Lucas & The Mike Cotton Sound, "Gotta Brand New Man" by Barry St Loun, "Last Night" by Laurel Aitken & The Soul Men, "Turn On Your Lovelight" by Wynder K Frog, "Something For Nothing" by Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede, "Good Lovin Never Hurt" by The Soul Brothers, "Hold On" by Ruperts People, and "She's A Girl" by The Attraction. LP, Vinyl record album

An essential look at the spiritual jazz legacy of Impulse Records – a set that's maybe a bit overdue in this series, given that Impulse first opened the door to these modes with their recordings of John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders in the 60s! For some reason, Impulse had a perfect ear for this music – able to let players stretch out and be free, but also work some of the earlier modal jazz impulses into longer-form tunes that still had a pulse of rhythm – and which were often a bit different than the freer jazz styles on a label like ESP. Make no mistake, there's plenty of improvisation going on here – but it's also part of the larger, unified spirit of the tunes – a real message in the music, on selections that include "Sister Mamie" by Yusef Lateef, "Three Flowers" by McCoy Tyner, "7th Day" by Freddie Hubbard, "Half & Half" by Elvin Jones, "Groove Waltz" by McCoy Tyner, "The Blessing Song" by Michael White, "Turiya & Ramakrishna" by Alice Coltrane, "A Taste Of Honey" by Phil Woods, "Constant Trob (part 1)" by John Klemmer, "Hum Allah Hum Allah Hum Allah" by Pharoah Sanders, "Maimoun" by Marion Brown, "Lonesome Lover" by Max Roach, "Fantszm" by Elvin Jones, "Acknowledgement" by John Coltrane, "Thembi" by Pharoah Sanders, and "Journey In Satchidananda" by Alice Coltrane. And let us say that even if you have some of these tracks on other records, there's something completely sublime about the way the whole thing is put together – and the way the tracks sound next to each other! CD

A wonderful little session from Manny Albam – one that continues the strong tradition of larger group jazz arranging he began in the 60s, but which takes it to an even deeper level! Manny composed the entire set as kind of a "city suite" in jazz – one that paints the picture of many different shades of city life through jazzy solos and a range of deeper tones and colors from the larger ensemble. Players include Frank Wess, Phil Woods, JJ Johnson, Jerome Richardson, and Mike Manieri – all extremely well-suited to an outing like this – and titles include "The Game Of The Year", "Born On Arrival", "The View From The Inside", "El Barrio Latino", "Ground Floor Rear", and "Riverview". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few early albums as a leader cut by trumpeter Benny Bailey – a tremendous talent, finally getting his due! Bailey is one of the great unsung talents of jazz, and he's always made top-shelf work – from his early days with Quincy Jones, to his later years as an American expatriot, recording for European labels like Ego and MPS. This rare early session is one of the few recorded for the super-hip Candid label – and it features Bailey's trumpet at the head of a tight combo that includes Phil Woods on alto sax and bass clarinet, Julius Watkins on French Horn, Les Spann on flute and guitar, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and rhythm from Buddy Catlett on bass and Art Taylor on drums. Despite the "big brass" title, there's no horn section here – and instead, most of the numbers have that sharp-edged modern sound we associate with Candid – with Watkins horn being the only other brass instrument, alongside the lighter lines of Woods and Spann. Titles include "Hard Sock Dance", "Tipsy", "Please Say Yes", and "Maud's Mood". CD

A really compelling second set from Cat Mother & The All Night Newsboys – and quite different than the first! On their Polydor debut, the group had Jimi Hendrix at the production helm – but this time they're taking things on their own, with a feel that's nicely loose and freewheeling – and which really matches the woodsy image of the cover! The core mix of guitar and organ is still as tight as before – but it also gets some nice rootsy touches from violin, mandolin, and acoustic guitar – used in ways that echo folk and maybe preface a bit of redneck rock – yet which also have a bit more of a North Cali sort of sensibility in the long run. Titles include "Riff Raff", "Boonville Massacre", "Turkish Taffy", "Last Go Round", "Good Times", "Albion Doo Wah", and "Strike A Match & Light Another". CD

A great document of all this famous harmony trio/quartet were able to achieve during their first few years – a masterful reworking of vocal group modes from earlier rock and soul styles, taken forward towards the 70s with a spirit that's still as powerful today as it was back at the time! These tracks saw so much circulation over the years, it's easy to forget how revolutionary they were – especially when coming from artists who had roots in more familiar rock modes, but who somehow really seemed to rise together in the company of each other. Titles include "Deja Vu", "Suite Judy Blue Eyes", "Ohio", "Teach Your Children", "Our House", "Helplessly Hoping", "Wooden Ships", "Woodstock", "Helpless", "Guinnevere", and "Find The Cost Of Freedom". CD

Genius work from the legendary Bill Fay – one of those 70s artists who never got their due back in the day, but who have gone on to become a crucial piece of the musical puzzle as the years move on! Fay recorded two incredible records for Decca – treasures as rare as the early Nick Drake albums – and like Drake, Bill was years ahead of his time, although in very different ways – an incredible songsmith, with qualities that maybe come through best of all in the material within! The tracks are all from Fay's personal archives – recorded in the early 70s in a stripped-down mode, but as fully formed songs – brought to the light of day by David Tibet, and presented here in a way that finally give these lost years their full exposure. Titles on this first volume include "Plan D", "Inside The Keeper's Pantry", "Arnold Is A Simple Man", "Time Of The Last Persecution", "Backwoods Maze", "The Sun Is Bored", "Release Is In The Eye", "Tell It Like It Is", and "Pictures Of Adolf Again". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set of soul jazz from Chicago – a rare indie date recorded in the early 80s, but with a tight and swinging feel that's more 70s jazz funk than you might think! Corky's on Yamaha keyboards, and he's backed by a hip group of Chicago players that includes Curtis Prince on drums, Artee Duke Payne on saxes, and Stephen Harris on guitars – all working together in a tightly rhythmic sound with some slight spiritual undercurrents – almost in the same territory as James Mason on his legendary record from a few years before! As with that set, there's a bit of polish here, but never too much – a balance that makes the record a wonderfully mature record with a depth that keeps it going for years. Byron Woods sings lead vocals on the album's jazz dance classic "Searching For Soul" – and a few other tracks feature Theresa Davis on lead vocals. Other titles include "Everything Must Change", "Open Wide", "Passion", "Jive Mama T", "Off C", and "Mirror Mirror". LP, Vinyl record album

A key second chapter in the long and wonderful career of Joni Mitchell – a set that brings together the four albums she recorded for the Asylum label in the mid 70s – a post-Blue period that really had Joni opening up and exploring a lot in her music – including a jazzier side of the spectrum that never showed up as strongly before! First up is For The Roses – a sometimes-overlooked album in the career of Joni Mitchell – but a set that's every bit as great as the two huge hits that bracket it! Joni's really finding a great way forward, sounding more mature, and bringing some jazzier currents into her music – thanks in part to help from reedman Tom Scott and bassist Wilton Felder of The Crusaders – and a style of songwriting that's sometimes more fluid than before, and often a lot more biting too! Titles include "Woman Of Heart & Mind", "You Turn Me On I'm A Radio", "For The Roses", "Barbangrill", "Cold Blue Steel & Sweet Fire", "Let The Wind Carry Me", "Lesson In Survival", and "Judgement Of The Moon & Stars". Court & Spark is a key record in the second chapter of Joni Mitchell on record – a set that has both her vocals and her overall music style flowing with all these amazing touches you might not have heard a few years before – jazzier currents in her music that really set the album apart from earlier work in Joni's career! Mitchell responds to the music with soaring vocals that are completely wonderful, and nicely changed up in character from tune to tune – given backing by a host of great jazz and studio players who include Tom Scott on reeds and Joe Sample on keyboards! Titles include her classic version of "Twisted" – a redone version of the old Annie Ross track – plus the classic hit "Help Me", and "Just Like This Train", "Car On A Hill", "Court & Spark", "Down To You", "Free Man In Paris", and "People's Parties". Miles Of Aisles is the first-ever live album from Joni Mitchell – and a record that sounds a fair bit different than a concert set might have during the Reprise years – as Joni's got plenty of help from Tom Scott & The LA Express, who bring a tight yet intimate vibe to the proceedings! Joni's definitely a superstar at this point – as you might guess from the size of the amphitheater on the cover – but she's also got an even stronger ability to come across with a personal, pointed style – one that's very different than the overblown hype of so many other 70s live albums. The set includes a few tracks not yet on albums, and a nice mix of material – including the live version of "Big Yellow Taxi" that ended up as a hit single – and the cuts"You Turn Me On I'm A Radio", "Blue", "Woman Of Heart & Mind", "Both Sides Now", "Real Good For Free", "Jericho", "Circle Game", "Cactus Tree", "The Last Time I Saw Richard", "People's Parties", and "Woodstock". Hissing Of Summer Lawns is a further step forward in the career of Joni Mitchell – a record that not only continues the jazzier currents she explored in the 70s, but also brings in a whole bunch of different modes as well – so much so, it's almost as if Joni's daring anyone to still call her a folk singer with the album! The themes are wonderfully sophisticated, as is the songwriting – the king of material that would keep Mitchell strong for decades, while so many of her contemporaries faltered – as you'll hear on the tracks "In France They Kiss On Main Street", "Sweet Bird", "Shadows & Light", "The Boho Dance", "Don't Interrupt The Sorrow", "The Jungle Line", and "Edith & The Kingpin". CD

Alvin Queen has given us some pretty heavy work over the years – but here, the drummer's showing off a different side of his talents – a gentler sense of rhythm that really fits the "night" spirit of the record – as he works alongside Calle Brickman on piano and Tobias Dall on bass! Brickman's a warmly lyrical player that really fits Alvin's spirit for the record – and the trio work their way through a number of well-crafted ballad renditions that almost make the whole thing feel like some of the more laidback material from the Oscar Peterson trio of the 60s – and maybe that's the whole idea with the "Night Train" in the title. Tracks include "Farewell Song", "Have You Met Miss Jones", "Bag's Groove", "Night Train", "D & E", "Tranquility In The Woods", "Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars", and "Some Other Time". CD

The incredible first album from Traffic – a record that was already way ahead of the pack, and would set the tone for so many other sounds and modes from others in years to come! At some level, the group were just coming off the big beat group years in the UK – that time of strong inspiration from American soul, jazz, and R&B – but they're already pushing all these elements in very different ways – certainly psychedelic, as you'd guess from the image on the cover – but also still holding onto a lot of the soul and jazz that first inspired them! To our ears, the reed work of Chris Woods is as important to the record as the Hammond from Steve Winwood, guitar from Dave Mason, and drums from Jim Capaldi – plus the vocals from all three – and in addition to the classic title cut "Mr Fantasy", other tunes include "Dealer", "House For Everyone", "Berkshire Poppies", "No Face No Name No Number", and "Coloured Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare soul from the Detroit underground at the end of the 60s – most of it pretty darn funky too! The work here all comes from the hands of the legendary Dave Hamilton – a key Motor City talent who turned out a stunning array of music on many different labels back in the day – then also managed to come up with some equally great work that never even got released at the time! Kent/Ace Records have been digging deep into Dave's vaults for the past decade or so, and we've loved all those other previous collections – but we've also gotta say that we're really stunned by this one – as there's a darker, funkier vibe to some of these cuts than we might have heard previously – almost a Westbound Records vibe at times, with great guitar and these nicely trippy grooves – especially on the earliest cuts in the set. There's a few numbers from later years – Dave kept woodshedding all through the 70s into the 80s – but most tracks are late 60s/early 70s vintage, and supported by the usual top-shelf notes that make each Kent collection way more of a history lesson than just a pile of funky 45s! Titles include "Party Time" by Chico & Buddy, "Challenge My Love" by Tobi Lark, "My Sweet Baby" by JT's Rhythm Band, "The Dreamer" by Felecia Johnson, "Showdown (part 1)" by Simon Barbee & The Barbabes, "I Gotta Have You (alt take)" by Little Ann, "When I Say Groove" by Dave Hamilton, "Guess I'll Go To Packin" by Carolyn Franklin, "Four O'Clock Blues" by Glemie Derrell, "Moving On" by Little Stevie & The Sensational Reynolds Singers, "It Takes Two" by Del-Phis, and "Somebody is Wrong" by Presberry. CD

The coolest of all the Mad Magazine records from the early days – a set done in collaboration with Big Top Records, as sort of a parody of the rock and roll that label was putting out at the time! Most songs are surprisingly strong rock numbers, but the lyrics are often jokes about the usual themes handled at the time – but given the level of presentation and strength of the overall record, the whole thing maybe just serves to remind us how important novelty records were to the birth of rock and roll! Titles include "She Got A Nose Job", "Let's Do The Pretzel", "Throwing The High School Basketball Game", "Someone Else's Dandruff", "When My Pimples Turned To Dimples", and "Blind Date". LP, Vinyl record album

A really well done memorial to the (then) recently-departed Charlie Parker – cut with an unusual lineup that features Cecil Payne on baritone sax, Phil Woods on alto, and Frank Socolow on tenor – all working through long, laidback takes of 4 of Bird's best known compositions! There's a really relaxed feel to the record that's totally great – and the players aren't so much aping the sound of Charlie Parker's work, as they are working in the newer freedoms allows by it – stretching out in freely creative lines that never fail to please, and working here with a rhythm section that includes Duke Jordan on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. The album was recorded live at the Five Spot – and titles include "Parker's Mood", "Steeplechase", "Buzzy", and "Scrapple From The Apple". Great 80s pressing – done on 2LPs – with lots of unissued material! LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever full length album from Big Joe Williams, despite a much longer legacy as a blues singer in the south – captured in a few different intimate settings in St Louis by the then-fledgling Delmark Records! The approach is very lean, of the sort that made the record a key statement in the folk blues revival at the end of the 50s – with Joe playing this really unique nine string guitar from two different instruments put together, and singing with this really compelling trill in his voice that marks the singer as very distinct from so many others in his generation. JD Short adds harmonica and a bit of guitar – and titles include "Mellow Peaches", "No More Whiskey", "Tailor Made Babe", "Omaha Blues", "Juanita", "Tailor Made Babe", and the interesting "Big Joe Talking" – which has Williams speaking a bit on his life! CD

The first-ever full length album from Big Joe Williams, despite a much longer legacy as a blues singer in the south – captured in a few different intimate settings in St Louis by the then-fledgling Delmark Records! The approach is very lean, of the sort that made the record a key statement in the folk blues revival at the end of the 50s – with Joe playing this really unique nine string guitar from two different instruments put together, and singing with this really compelling trill in his voice that marks the singer as very distinct from so many others in his generation. JD Short adds harmonica and a bit of guitar – and titles include "Mellow Peaches", "No More Whiskey", "Tailor Made Babe", "Omaha Blues", "Juanita", "Tailor Made Babe", and the interesting "Big Joe Talking" – which has Williams speaking a bit on his life! LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record, and one that definitely hangs strongly on the "and more" promised in the title – as alto sax genius Phil Woods moves very far from the familiar "Charlie Parker With Strings" format you might expect – almost as a statement that shows how much both the setting and Woods have evolved over the decade! There's definitely strings on the set – a full backing that's really seems to inspire Woods towards some of his best work of the period – as does the core rhythm contributions from Ben Arnov on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Douglas Sides on drums – all players who seem to be higher in the mix than the strings, which really emphasizes their presence. The tracks include some long takes on classic Bird/strings songbook material, plus some great surprises – all in nicely different versions. Titles include "April In Paris", "All The Things You Are", "I'll Remember April", "Easy To Love", "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set", "Repetition", "The Best Thing For You Is Me/How Deep Is The Ocean", "Solitude", "Willow Weep For Me", and "I Get Along Without You Very Well". CD

Really compelling large group work from Phil Woods – one of his first-ever efforts of its type, and a tremendous session that's filled with solos from a wide array of very hip players! The whole album's built around a 5-part "Rights Of Swing" work penned by Woods – a jazz modern number that's obviously taking off of Stravinsky, but without any classical overtones at all – just jazz-based instrumentation from players who include Benny Bailey on trumpet, Julius Watkins on French horn, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Curtis Fuller on trombone. The horn interplay is wonderful – and the solos are too! CD

Really compelling large group work from Phil Woods – one of his first-ever efforts of its type, and a tremendous session that's filled with solos from a wide array of very hip players! The whole album's built around a 5-part "Rights Of Swing" work penned by Woods – a jazz modern number that's obviously taking off of Stravinsky, but without any classical overtones at all – just jazz-based instrumentation from players who include Benny Bailey on trumpet, Julius Watkins on French horn, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Curtis Fuller on trombone. The horn interplay is wonderful – and the solos are too! LP, Vinyl record album

Almost a continuation of music made a few decades before by the team of Darol Anger and Mike Marshall – but recorded with a depth and sensitivity that goes beyond their greater fame in the 80s instrumental acoustic years! The woodshop in the title is a good reference – as the rich tones of Angers violin and Marshall's mandolin and guitar are captured beautifully here – an American acoustic mode that has traces of jazz and folksier elements, all supported by light rhythm on most numbers. Titles include "Peter Pan", "Borealis", "Who Had Whom", "Slip & Slide", "The Creep", "Hearts Wait", and "The Unbearable Gift". CD

Chris Woods is one of our favorite reed players from the 70's, and, like a lot of our other favorites (Nathan Davis, Sahib Shihab), he spent a great deal of time in Europe, and never achieved the recognition he would have if he'd been playing here. (Or perhaps we should say that he never received the recognition in the US that he did in Europe.) Whatever the case, though, this is one of the rare few recordings he left behind from that era, and it features Woods on alto and flute, playing with Gerry Wiggins on piano, Major Holley on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums. The session was recorded by the French Black & Blue label, and includes material that's mostly laidback renditions of standards like "Lush Life", "Alone Again", and "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", plus a few originals like "Mule Walk" and "You Can't Win None Of 'Em". CD

Jamila Woods already blew us away with her debut – but this second set has the singer ready to take on the world with a huge step forward in her style! Jamila caught us almost by surprise when she first emerged – a Chicago soul singer who wasn't on our radar, and who already had this fully-formed, completely unique style – but here, she embraces legacies of past musical and cultural inspirations, folding them into a instrumental settings created almost completely on her own, and which are topped by these shape-shifting lyrics that really live up to their references. The album shows a powerful, personal, and completely self-contained approach to the music – something that many of Jamila's contemporaries can hardly match – and titles include "Miles", "Baldwin", "Basquiat", "Eartha", "Giovanni", "Zora", "Betty", "Frida", "Sun Ra", and "Octavia". CD

Really compelling large group work from Phil Woods – one of his first-ever efforts of its type, and a tremendous session that's filled with solos from a wide array of very hip players! The whole album's built around a 5-part "Rights Of Swing" work penned by Woods – a jazz modern number that's obviously taking off of Stravinsky, but without any classical overtones at all – just jazz-based instrumentation from players who include Benny Bailey on trumpet, Julius Watkins on French horn, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Curtis Fuller on trombone. The horn interplay is wonderful – and the solos are too! CD

Really compelling large group work from Phil Woods – one of his first-ever efforts of its type, and a tremendous session that's filled with solos from a wide array of very hip players! The whole album's built around a 5-part "Rights Of Swing" work penned by Woods – a jazz modern number that's obviously taking off of Stravinsky, but without any classical overtones at all – just jazz-based instrumentation from players who include Benny Bailey on trumpet, Julius Watkins on French horn, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Curtis Fuller on trombone. The horn interplay is wonderful – and the solos are too! LP, Vinyl record album

Really compelling large group work from Phil Woods – one of his first-ever efforts of its type, and a tremendous session that's filled with solos from a wide array of very hip players! The whole album's built around a 5-part "Rights Of Swing" work penned by Woods – a jazz modern number that's obviously taking off of Stravinsky, but without any classical overtones at all – just jazz-based instrumentation from players who include Benny Bailey on trumpet, Julius Watkins on French horn, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Curtis Fuller on trombone. The horn interplay is wonderful – and the solos are too! LP, Vinyl record album

Import collection of some more obscure Miles moments from the late 50s Columbia years! There's 4 tracks recorded with the orchestra of Michel Legrand – and players that include Coltrane, Phil Woods, Jerome Richardson, and Bill Evans: "Jitterbug Waltz", "Round Midnight", "Wild Man Blues", and "Django". 2 tracks from a recording by the Brass Ensemble Of The Jazz & Classical Music Society, one led by John Lewis, the other by Gunther Schuller, are surprisingly wonderful – very much in the mode of Miles' work with Gil Evans, with a similar glistening sound on Miles' trumpet, and warm chromatic washes of sound underneath to provide the perfect soloing vehicle. And there are 4 numbers, a pair each from the Coltrane/Garland incarnation of the quintet, "Sweet Sue" & "Budo", and a transitional sextet from 1962, "Devil May Care" & "Blue Xmas". LP, Vinyl record album

A real genre-defying record from the contemporary London scene – a set produced by Shabaka Hutchings, and done with that post-jazz vibe that's really been creeping into his music in recent years! There's a very strong hip hop component to the record at times – thanks to key appearances from Billy Woods, Elucid, Anthony Joseph, and others – but the album also has an instrumental focus at the core, with work from Alex Hawkins on piano, Ross Harris on reeds, Daisy George on bass, and Jas Kayser on drums – players who work with lots of production and processing, so that their contributions are often abstracted into part of a richer, darker whole. Kofi Flexx is less of an artist than a process, as described in the notes – and that process is very strongly at work here – on titles that include "It Was All A Dream", "Apothecary", "Increase Awareness", "Aim", "Fire", "Babylon Dun Topple", "Flowers In The Dark", "By Now", and "Show Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Phil Woods on alto saxophone, Dean Johnson on bass, Ron Vincent on drums, John Clark on french horn, John Lewis on piano, Dave Bargeron on trombone, Wallace Roney on trumpet, and Bill Barber on tuba. CD

A beautiful soundtrack to the dark British comedy of the same name – starring a young Michael Caine! You might expect it to be a bit schmaltzy, but it's pure jazz all the way through, and features strong inside playing by Rollins over lively orchestrations by Oliver Nelson – filled with moody colors, great changes, and a vibrant sense of energy that's far deeper than the actual film! The group includes Phil Woods, Kenny Burrell, and J.J. Johnson, and they swing hard on all tracks. Titles include the 10 minute workout of "Alfie's Theme", plus a shorter "Differently" version" – plus "On Impulse", "Transition Theme", and "He's Younger Than You". Nice stuff throughout, and much more of a jazz album than a soundtrack! CD

A beautiful soundtrack to the dark British comedy of the same name – starring a young Michael Caine! You might expect it to be a bit schmaltzy, but it's pure jazz all the way through, and features strong inside playing by Rollins over lively orchestrations by Oliver Nelson – filled with moody colors, great changes, and a vibrant sense of energy that's far deeper than the actual film! The group includes Phil Woods, Kenny Burrell, and J.J. Johnson, and they swing hard on all tracks. Titles include the 10 minute workout of "Alfie's Theme", plus a shorter "Differently" version" – plus "On Impulse", "Transition Theme", and "He's Younger Than You". Nice stuff throughout, and much more of a jazz album than a soundtrack! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest entries we've ever seen in this excellent series – a package that's heavy on rare funk tracks from overseas, most of which we're never likely to find on vinyl in our neck of the woods! There's a slinky, sexy groove to most of these cuts – very 70s, with plenty of sweet electric elements, and lots of keyboards too – and although the vocals are part of the sound, the strength of the cuts really lies in the instrumentation – especially on the longer numbers that really take off strongly! Titles include "Puutharassa" by Pekka Streng, "Ombilic Contact" by Atomic Crocus, "Erotica" by Agua Turbia, "Primitivo" by Hareton Salvanini, "September 13" by Deodato, "Dingo" by Olivier Despax, "Animal" by Farm, and "Psychastenie" by Serge Gainsbourg. LP, Vinyl record album

Bring on the sun if it burns this strongly – as we're more than happy to get extra toasty in the light of such wonderful tracks as these! The set's a stunning look at the massive musical shift on the UK scene in the year of 1967 – a time when psych was certainly making its influence felt, but groups were also opening up in all these other sorts of ways too – really getting past the jaunty rhythms and catchy lyrics of a few years before – and instead somehow managing to make all these amazing things happen in just the space of a short 7" single! Some of the artists here are artists who were making more mainstream music a few years earlier, others are new acts that would soon become superstars, and a few more are genius groups who burst out strongly, then disappeared from view – all brought together in a great 3CD package, with 79 tracks in all, and very detailed notes. Artists include The Herd, Idle Race, Dave Davies, John Williams, Svensk, Universals, Australian Playboys, Tony Rivers, Great Uncle Fred, Artwoods, 23rd Turnoff, Vocal Point, Zombies, Nirvana UK, Lisa & Francesca, The Mirage, Virgin Sleep, Accent, Our Plastic Dream, David Bowie, Living Daylights, John's Children, Episode Six, Orange Bicycle, The Poets, Genesis, Crocheted Doughnut Ring, Piccadilly Line, Scott Henderson, Made In Sheffield, Caleb, and many others! CD

The great Italian pianist Enrico Pieranunzi is featured here in three great records! First up is New Lands – a warmly-crafted trio set from Enrio Pieranunzi – a set that still shows his modern tones on the piano, but which also has a sensitivity that really makes things open up overall! The group is a trio – with Marc Johnson on bass and Joey Baron on drums – both subtle players who really let the piano take the lead at times, as Enrico stretches out on long tracks that include "New Lands", "A Child Is Born", "The Mood Is Good", and "If There Is Someone Lovelier Than You". Daedalus Wings is an unusual record, and one that features twin piano work from Bert Van Den Brink and Enrico Pieranunzi – not on long, free tracks, but on these beautiful shorter numbers that really seem to resonate strongly with the voices of each player! Titles include "Daedalus Suite", "Si Peu De Temps", "Pour Claude", "Guitar Blues", "Woods", and "O Toi Desir" – plus two solo takes by each player on "I Can't Get Started". Improvised Forms For Trio is a really different album from pianist Enrico Pieranunzi – and one that really lives up to its title! Rather than being song-based – featuring compositions by Enrico or some of his contemporaries – the record features the trio improvising, but never in a free jazz way – always with a groove, and a strong sense of rhythmic cohesion – but clearly improvising their way through the 18 short numbers that make up the set! The energy is great – in ways that maybe make the record one of Pieranunzi's most compelling records – and the rest of the group features Hein Van De Geyn on bass and Hans Van Oosterhout on drums. Titles include "Forms" 1 through 18. CD

A great look at the changing tone on the American scene at the end of the 60s – that moment when Vietnam, social unrest, and many other problems weighed heavily on the country's consciousness – and made their presence manifest in all sorts of pop music as well! We're not talking about the familiar sounds of the Woodstock generation – but instead more mainstream artists who had never touched on politics or social issues before – but suddenly found themselves singing alongside the underground about the bigger problems of the day. This package is a superb look at that moment – put together by the team who've given us the great English Weather and Paris In The Spring collections for Ace – with the same care for choice of tracks, and a wealth of wonderful notes that really get at the nature of these unusual tunes. Titles include "Clean Up Your Own Back Yard" by Elvis Presley, "Wine In The Wind" by Anita Kerr Singers, "Paint Me Black Angels" by Eartha Kitt, "This Crazy World" by Paul Anka, "Questions" by Bobby Darin, "Do You Believe This Town" by Dean Martin, "Cardboard California" by Buddy Greco, "Cherrystones" by Eugene McDaniels, "Save The Children" by Teresa Brewer, "Welfare Hero" by Johnny Tillotson, "What Do We Do With The World" by Bing Crosby, "4th Of July" by The Beach Boys, "Mr Businessman" by Ray Stevens, "Paint America Love" by Lou Christie, "Hitchhiker" by The Four Preps, "Brand New Day" by Della Reese, "Saturday's Father" by The 4 Seasons, and "Southbound Jericho Parkway" by Roy Orbison. CD

A unique little album from Thelonious Monk – an early 60s live date that features a really cooking big band, plus some solo and quartet tracks as well! The bulk of the album's played by the big band – an unusual mix of players that includes Phil Woods on alto, Steve Lacy on soprano sax, Charlie Rouse on tenor, Thad Jones on cornet, Eddie Bert on trombone, and Nick Travis on trumpet – all cutting nicely angular lines under the direction of Monk's piano. The quartet material strips things down to a group with Rouse on tenor, Butch Warren on bass, and Frank Dunlop on drums – and one selection features Monk on solo piano. Titles include "I Mean You", "Oska T", "Four In One", "Darkness On The Delta", "Evidence", and "Played Twice". 2CD set features bonus tracks too – including "Bye Ya", "Misterioso", "Epistrophy", and "Light Blue" – 2 of which are additional quartet numbers. CD

A beautiful soundtrack to the dark British comedy of the same name – starring a young Michael Caine! You might expect it to be a bit schmaltzy, but it's pure jazz all the way through, and features strong inside playing by Rollins over lively orchestrations by Oliver Nelson – filled with moody colors, great changes, and a vibrant sense of energy that's far deeper than the actual film! The group includes Phil Woods, Kenny Burrell, and J.J. Johnson, and they swing hard on all tracks. Titles include the 10 minute workout of "Alfie's Theme", plus a shorter "Differently" version" – plus "On Impulse", "Transition Theme", and "He's Younger Than You". Nice stuff throughout, and much more of a jazz album than a soundtrack! CD

Some of the best early work by Prez – all recorded in small combo sessions for Aladdin Records during the years 1947 through 1948. The album's one of the few chances you can get to hear Prez blowing clear and free from the time, in that amazing tone which inspired generations of players, which works perfectly in groupings with players that include Roy Haynes, Fred Lacey, Shorty McConnell, Curley Russell, and Tiny Kahn. Titles include "Sunday", "Jumpin With Symphony Sid", "No Eyes Blues", "OnThe Sunny Side Of The Street", "Jumpin' At The Woodside", "One O'Clock Jump", "Easy Does It", "Confessin'", "Sax O Be Bop", "East Of The Sun, West Of The Moon", "Sheik Of Araby", "Something To Remember You By" and "Just Cooling". LP, Vinyl record album

The Texas tenor legend soars again – in three great albums from his later years! Funky Butt is strong later work by tenor sax legend Arnett Cobb – in a quartet session cut in New York in January of 1980 – sounding fresh and revitalized one of his final studio dates! Funky Butt actually isn't a left turn into a funk sound Cobb, but it is a pretty darn great showcase for his rich, full sounding and playful tenor approach – not too out of character from his work in the late 50s on Prestige. He's backed by a great group that includes Ray Drummond on bass, Derek Smith on piano and Ronnie Bedford on drums. It's got a few fairly stomping numbers, particularly the opener "Jumpin' At The Woodside" and their energetic take on "I Got Rhythm" – and the whole set is terrific – with the bluesy Cobb-composed title track, plus "September In The Rain", "Isfahan", "Georgia On My Mind" and "Satin Doll". Wild Man From Texas is a great overseas set from tenor giant Arnett Cobb – a set done after a bit of a late 60s comeback on Prestige Records, and one that takes him back into even grittier territory overall! The great Milt Buckner is on the set on organ and a bit of vibes – and the record also features work from Eddie Chamblee on tenor, Buster Cooper on trombone, Wallace Davenport on trumpet, and Earl Warren on alto – players of a generation who really resonate well with Arnett's lead! Titles include "Where Or When", "Ghost Of A Chance", "Smooth Sailing", "Dutch Kitchen Bounce", and "Flying Home No 2". Again is a set that has the tenor of Arnett Cobb reunited with the Hammond of Milt Buckner – but in an unusual quartet that also features Clarence Gatemouth Brown on guitar! Brown's presence definitely brings out some bluesier currents at times, and the tunes also get plenty of that raw, raspy tenor treatment that Cobb can do so well – on tunes that include "Cobb's Boogie", "Deep Purple", "Cobb's Blues", "Light Like That", and "Willow Weep For Me". CD

One of the few albums ever cut by Les DeMerle, one of the hippest drummers of his time – made legendary thanks to legions of samplers and beatheads in the 90s! This is certainly one of Les' best ever efforts – a tight batch of funky big band tracks, with lots of nice grooves, and a very hip lineup that includes Frank Foster, Joe Beck, Chris Woods, Arnie Lawrence, and Charles Sullivan – all coming together in some great tunes that have very unusual rhythms, and a great format that puts the drums in line with the hip playing in the reed section! The album includes Les' famous version of "A Day in the Life", which begins with a monster funky intro – plus the cuts "Fusion – Pro & Con", "Underground", "Deflections 1, 2, 3, & 4", and "Aquarius". CD

A record that's every bit as weird and wild as its cover – and the only album ever recorded by this overlooked band – a late 60s act who were hip enough to be on the lineup at Woodstock, even though they never seemed to crack the big time after that! Yet although Quill were left out of the film version of the concert, their music here is more than heady enough to live up to the famous company in which they traveled – certainly psych, but with some deeper currents on the guitar that almost verge into hard rock at times – at a level that makes us wonder where they might have gone had they hung on a bit longer! Titles include "Thumbnail Screwdriver", "The Tube Exuding", "BBY", "Yellow Butterfly", "Too Late", and "Shrieking Finally". CD

A beautiful soundtrack to the dark British comedy of the same name – starring a young Michael Caine! You might expect it to be a bit schmaltzy, but it's pure jazz all the way through, and features strong inside playing by Rollins over lively orchestrations by Oliver Nelson – filled with moody colors, great changes, and a vibrant sense of energy that's far deeper than the actual film! The group includes Phil Woods, Kenny Burrell, and J.J. Johnson, and they swing hard on all tracks. Titles include the 10 minute workout of "Alfie's Theme", plus a shorter "Differently" version" – plus "On Impulse", "Transition Theme", and "He's Younger Than You". Nice stuff throughout, and much more of a jazz album than a soundtrack! LP, Vinyl record album

A 70s issue of 2 seminal sides from George Russell, originally recorded in the 50s. The first, New York New York is a wonderful album from George Russell – and a refreshing change from his overly-academic modernist work! The session's an unusual one – a musical portrait of New York City, performed with an all-star cast that includes John Coltrane, Art Farmer, Bill Evans, Phil Woods, Benny Golson, Max Roach, and Hal McKusick – all working together to paint tones on the tunes that George has crafted to set up his scene of New York in the 50s. Most importantly, though, Jon Hendricks acts as the narrator of the album – talking and scatting in hipster mode, laying out a bit of beat rapportage about the Big Apple, all done in a very cool 50s style that's a bit different from his own vocal work. Titles include "Manhattan", "Big City Blues", "Manhattan-Rico", and "A Helluva Town". And don't let the title of the second, Jazz In The Space Age, mislead you into thinking it's a record of bachelor pad musi. The set's one of Russell's finest recordings of the 50s, and it features some wonderful work in odd tones and scales, executed by another awesome cast of players, including Bill Evans, Paul Bley, Hal McKusick, Bob Brookmeyer, and David Young. An essential chapter in Russell's career, and nice to have in any form. Titles include "Chromatic Universe (parts 1, 2, & 3)", "Dimensions", "Waltz From Outer Space", and "The Lydiot". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Phil Woods on alto sax and clarinet, Mike Renzi on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Grady Tate on drums and additional vocals CD

Excellent vocal jazz from postwar Paris! The Blue Stars were a legendary combo that were led by Blossom Dearie, and which featured a host of great vocal talents that would later go onto form groups like Les Double Six or The Swingle Singers, including Mimi Perrin and Christine Legrand, as well as instrumental jazz artists like Fats Sadi and Roger Guerin, who are doing some rare vocalization here. The first 4 tracks on the set are pulled from a 1956 ep – and it features the group on the tracks "Jumpin At The Woodside", "C'est La Vie", "Broadway At Basin Street", and "Grapevine". The next 12 tracks are from the Pardon My English LP – which has the group down to a sextet, working without Dearie, in a groovy accented English vocal style that's a direct precursor of the vocalese grooving of Les Double Six. Titles on that set include "Small Talk", "Move", "Did You Close Your Eyes?", and "Promises & Lies". The last 3 tracks on the set are a bit different – featuring vocals and guitar by Henri Salvador, with backing on bass and drums. The style of Salvador's work is still similar, though – way more vocalese than the "blues" in the title would make you expect – and the tracks are lifted from a rare Fontana ep-only release that was recorded in the same year. Titles include "Don't Blame Me", "Salvador Plays The Blues", and "Stompin At The Savoy". CD

A fantastic collection of work from the UK scene at the start of the 70s – a treasure trove of pop cuts from the time, most of which never made it across the Atlantic to our neck of the woods – and which represent a whole different world of music than you'd know from the classic rock and prog albums that usually represent the period! Instead, these are cuts that were cooked up in the studio in search of a hit – some by names that worked strongly in the 60s, others by new groups – some of whom only existed as a name on a label – but all in search of fresh sounds, groovy lyrics, and a way of putting over a tune that spoke volumes about the studio changes and advances taking place around the UK scene at the time! A number of cuts here have production that might be vaguely in glam territory, while others change up the way that vocals and guitars work together, and others evolve past Brit pop modes of the 60s – embracing psych or hard rock elements, but in a subtle way. As with other Cherry Red/Grapefruit collections of this nature, the whole thing is a stunning journey through music that we'd never have heard otherwise, and never in this much detail – presented with a big booklet of notes on all the crazy cats within – to support 85 tracks by artists who include Paintbox, Simon Turner, Mr Bloe, The Weathermen, Fumble, Posse, Gingerbread, Majority One, Jonathan King, Marmalade, Clifford T Ward, Stud Leather, Paul Gabriel, Autumn, St Cecelia, Rick Price, The Piglets, Kincade, Sweet, The Sad, Gumm, The Angelette, Grumble, Jungle Jim, Shag, Bubblerock, Harmony Grass, Terry Dactyl & The Dinosaurs, Stardust, Bill Fay, Pete Dello, Buggy, David Essex, Peter Kellern, Fickle Pickle, Touchwood, and many others! CD