Subtitled "jazz for that relaxed mood", this is actually a great compilation of early work by Ellington's group – recorded for Columbia during the years 1934 to 1939. Somehow, the tracks still end up sounding 30 years ahead of their time – far stronger than most any early 50s big band set might hope to. Recording quality is excellent, and the whole thing's awash in richly chromatic waves of sound. Titles include "Pyramid", "Reminiscing In Tempo", "Tough Truckin", "No Greater Love", and "Finesse". LP, Vinyl record album

Duke Ellington classics from 2 different decades! Blue Light is subtitled "jazz for that relaxed mood", but is actually a great compilation of early work by Ellington's group – recorded for Columbia during the years 1934 to 1939! Somehow, the tracks still end up sounding 30 years ahead of their time – far stronger than most other big band work of the early 50s – which is when the album was released. Recording quality is excellent, and the whole thing's awash in richly chromatic waves of sound – with titles that include "Pyramid", "Reminiscing In Tempo", "Tough Truckin", "No Greater Love", and "Finesse". Hi Fi Ellington Uptown is one of Duke's best mid 50s sides for Columbia – a strong recording that revisits many of the best elements of his earlier work, and offers up some more sophisticated scoring for the 50s! Players include Billy Strayhorn, Paul Gonsalves, Clark Terry, Ray Nance, Juan Tizol, and Louis Bellson – and the record features long versions of "The Mooche", "Perdido", "Controversial Suite", and "Skin Deep" – plus a 13 minute reading of "A Tone Parallel To Harlem (aka The Harlem Suite)". CD

Includes sessions by Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra, Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra, and Cootie Williams & His Rug Cutters. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first albums to ever issue recordings made at the Newport Jazz Festival – quite a big hit, and the beginning of a real trend in jazz! The set's also some great work by Duke – free to perform in a setting that's not bound by some of the time restrictions of earlier years, which lets him offer up three long tracks with a great deal of sophistication over previous recordings. Titles include "Jeep's Blues", "Diminuendo & Crescendo In Blue", and "Newport Jazz Festival Suite". LP, Vinyl record album

A really well-titled set – as it offers up some more intimate takes on the Duke Ellington sound of the cusp of the 70s – with some especially nice trio and solo numbers that are well worth the price of the whole collection! The album starts with the amazing "Moon Maiden" – a track that has Ellington playing celeste, and reciting this weird little cosmic poem – almost in a Sun Ra-type aesthetic, and key proof that Duke was still stretching out a lot in his later years! There's also some excellent trio tracks that really get at that highly modern mode that Ellington hit at his Live At The Whitney session – mixed with a few more larger group numbers that, while not exactly intimate, still have a nicely laid back feel. In addition to "Moon Maiden", other tracks include "Tenz", "Eulb", "Layin On Mellow", "Edward The First", "Symphonette", and "Some Summer Fun". LP, Vinyl record album

Really fantastic late material from Duke Ellington – two different performances from the Berlin Jazz Festival, both of which really capture him in that mature, modernist mode that we love so much! The first session here definitely has Duke working at that level – beginning with a beautiful long piano improvisation, then shifting into some smaller combo performance material with Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Harold Johnson on trumpet, Harry Carney on baritone, Joe Benjamin on bass, and Quinten White on drums. There's less of the full orchestra Ellington approach, which allows even more focus on those wonderful late piano lines that made Duke's final years so distinct – on titles that include "Piano Improvisation No 1", "Pitter Panther Patter", "Sophisticated Lady", and "Tap Dance", which has tapping from Baby Laurence! Next is a set of tracks from 1969 – recorded with a larger group that contains most of the important Ellington players of the 60s – serving up some beautiful ensemble performances of titles that include "La Plus Belle Africaine", "El Gato", "Caravan", "Meditation", "Satin Doll", and "Mood Indigo". CD

Funky funky Don Ellis – a great set of electric groovers released at the same time that Don scored big with his soundtrack for The French Connection! As you'd guess from the title, the feel here is quite similar – funky electric big band jazz, with a very hip 70s action soundtrack feel – one that mixes acoustic sax and trumpet passages with some groovier keyboards and electronic bits – all wrapped up in production that's tight, but never too slick to be funky! The album features a great take on Don's excellent "Theme From The French Connection" – plus great electric jazz covers of "Alone Again Naturally", "Superstar", "I Feel The Earth Move", "Roundabout", and "Lean On Me" – as well as album originals "Chain Reaction" and "Train To Get There". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-titled album from trumpeter Don Ellis – as the set soars to the skies from the very first note! The album's got a dynamic energy that almost beats Don's American work of the time – lots of funky rhythms, and a cool MPS groove that shows the label's strong 70s legacy of larger group jazz recordings! Like other MPS dates of the time, there's a nice mix of electric and acoustic instrumentation in the lineup – bass and guitar that kick the rhythms up strongly, plus keyboards and electrified strings that bring in their own unique sounds. Milcho Leviev handles the keys on the session – and titles are a fresh batch of numbers that include "Sidonie", "Image Of Maria", "Sladka Pitka", "Go Back Home", "Whiplash", "The Devil Made Me Write This Piece", and "Invincible". LP, Vinyl record album

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Elzhi serves up plenty of great lyrical work here, but our favorite aspect of the record may be the work of Oh No – who definitely takes the title seriously, and uses plenty of vibes throughout! This may well be the best vibes-driven hip hop project we've ever heard – as each track has some very strong use of the warmly chromatic instrument, but in ways that shift up nicely – used in a strong Madlib-styled way, but balanced with some sharper cuts around the edges. The set includes features by Blu, Dank, and Guilty Simpson – and titles include "Doc No Check Up", "Trick Dice", "Possessed", "Fireballs", "Smoke", "Last Nerve", and "Twilight Zone". CD

One of the most jazz-based groups of the German prog scene of the early 70s – heard here on a rare outing that features Mal Waldron playing electric piano with the group! Despite Waldron's presence, though, the real keyboard star of the set is Jimi Jackson – who plays mellotron and organ on the record, and sounds especially wonderful on the side-long track "The Call" – a fantastic 17-minute track that arose out of collective improvisations by the group! Instrumentation on the whole set is great – and includes the keyboards, plus heavy bass, vibes, marimba, guitar, sax, and even a bit of electric violin! Titles include "Radio Marrakesch/Orient Express", "Dreaming Girls", and "The Call". CD

Amazing box set – five full albums of material, plus lots of bonus tracks too! First up is Flowers – a soaring classic from The Emotions – thanks to some supreme help from the Earth Wind & Fire side of the soul spectrum! This set has the trio really sounding great – with Kalimba Productions by Maurice White and Charles Stepney – and a good deal of EWF help on the instrumentation as well! The girls break out of the rootsier style used on their earlier Stax recordings, and manage to fit perfectly with the jazzy tinges of the new grooves – and, along with Ramsey Lewis and EWF, the Emotions were part of a hugely successful trinity during the late 70s – one that took the indie soul roots of the Chicago scene and turned it into landmark big business for Columbia Records. The album's got a new approach to female group soul that would go onto shape R&B for years to come – and titles include "Flowers", "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love", "We Go Through Changes", "Special Part", and "You've Got The Right To Know". Next is Rejoice – a huge hit for both The Emotions and Maurice White – whose Kalimba Productions handled this album in the same hit mode they'd been using for Earth Wind & Fire! There's a polished, soaring bounce her that definitely shows the Earth Wind & Fire touch – and which takes the girls miles from their rougher, rootsier soul of the Stax/Volt years – yet like all the best EWF records of the time, the sound is also plenty soulful, with lots of righteous undercurrents. The album includes the group's wonderful track "Don't Ask My Neighbors", a heavenly tune that builds on a long tradition of sweet female soul from Chicago; the super-huge "Best Of My Love", a hit on dancefloors and radios for years to come – and many other nice numbers like "Blessed", "How'd I Know That Love Would Slip Away", and "Key To My Heart". Sunbeam is great little album from The Emotions – largely because it sounds a lot like prime mid 70s Earth Wind & Fire, with female vocals added over the top – ultimately, pulling away with a soulful charm all its own! Maurice White produced the whole set, and it's got a soaring spacey sound that provides a perfect spiritual edge to the girls vocals – taking them way past the hits, into much more sophisticated soul territory. There's a beautifully righteous vibe going on throughout – a sound that's almost like Minnie Riperton at her 70s Capitol best – and titles include "Love Vibes", "Walking The Line", "Time Is Passing By", "I Wouldn't Lie", "Smile", and "Spirit Of Summer". Come Into Our World has the sweet Emotions at the top of their game – one of the brilliant albums that has the soulful trio working hand in hand with Earth Wind & Fire! The girls were plenty great in their early years, but working with Maurice White and company, they really took off – hitting a whole new level that really unlocked some deeply spiritual power in their vocals! And sure, the approach also yielded the group plenty of hits – but for good reason, too – given the classic quality and all-great nature of a set like this. Maurice White produced, and the lineup is filled with plenty of Earth Wind & Fire players too – working with some great arrangements from Tom Tom 84, Wade Marcus, and others. Tunes are balanced between clubby numbers and some nice midtempo moments – and titles include "Where Is Your Love", "Cause I Love You", "Come Into My World", "On & On", "I Should Be Dancing", "Layed Back", and "Yes I Am". New Affair has The Emotions breaking free a bit from the Earth Wind & Fire influence, and grooving nicely with a sweet 80s feel! The girls' voices are still quite wonderful – some of the deepest harmonies in the female soul world at the time – and the tunes kick it up nicely in a blend of snapping bassy club tracks and mellower cuts that sweetly sway with their great vocals! Loads of wonderful tracks – and an album not to miss! Titles include "Turn It Out", "There'll Never Be Another Moment", "Now That I Know", "Love Lies", "When You Gonna Wake Up", and "Here You Come Again". 3CD set features 8 bonus tracks – including "Boogie Wonderland (12" mix", "Don't Ask My Neighbors (single version)", "I Should Be Dancin (single version)", "My Baby Dance", "Changes", "Where Is Your Love (single version)", and "Flowers (single version)". CD

The American debut of The English Beat – aka the UK group The Beat, who'd been making some big waves with import 45s on the 2Tone label, the burst forth on our US market with a slight shift in name, due to another group hogging their original moniker on our side of the Atlantic! That bit of backstory hardly need matter, though – as the group wear their English loud and proud here, setting off a huge ska revival as they blend Jamaican roots with London attitude in the post-punk years – stacking up a set of classics that continue to groove many turntables all these many years later. Titles include "Mirror In The Bathroom", "Hands Off She's Mine", "Twist & Crawl", "Big Shot", "Best Friend", and "Jackpot". LP, Vinyl record album

A bold, bracing ensemble of improvising musicians from both sides of the Atlantic – and one that features some surprising electric elements too! The lineup includes trumpet from Nate Wooley, alto from Mette Rasmussen, and reeds from Ken Vandermark – balanced with core sounds from Elisabeth Harnik on piano, Steve Heather and Did Kern on drums, Joe Williamson on acoustic and electric bass, Jasper Stadhouders on electric bass and guitar, Terrie Hessels on guitar, and Dieb 13 on turntables and electronics – coming together in this great mix of sonic elements that's really fantastic throughout! The three long tracks were recorded live in performance – and have the Ken Vandermark standard of being dedicated to creative inspirations – Ikue Mori, Richard Serra, and Francis Picabia. Titles include "Telegram", "Foundry", and "Perpetual Desk". CD

A rock-solid collection of work from Eruption – the UK soul group whose sound really exploded during the disco generation! Eruption were always equal parts pop and soul – and the latter half was delivered strongly by the vocals of Precious Wilson – who could soar out of some of the more catchy arrangements of their tunes, and really give the group a strong identity – one that almost linked it to the best American club acts of the time. The set features all the best cuts from their Hansa years – and titles include "I Can't Stand The Rain", "Leave A Light", "Movin", "Computer Love", "Left Me In The Rain", "The Way We Were", "Wayward Love", "You Are My Soul", "Valley Of The Dolls", "Hey There Lonely Girl", "One Way Ticket", and "Runaway". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic set by Booker Ervin, and one of his most overlooked sessions! Ervin's hard biting tenor is met by a warm thoughtful group that includes the great Horace Parlan on piano, plus Frank Strozier on alto, and Walter Perkins on drums. Perkins is wonderful, and he lyrically dances about the kit and brings a whole new shade of color to this session. The writing is fantastic, and the tracks include "Mooche Mooche", "No Land's Man", and "Mour". Great great great stuff – and this CD includes the original cover art, plus 2 bonus tracks that were 45 takes of the best tracks. Simply brilliant! CD

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A wonderful late 70s albums from Bill Evans – showing a further evolution of his solo piano/overdub approach! New Conversations is a record that follows strongly on the format of Bill's famous "Conversations" sessions for Verve in the 60s – and like those dates, it features the pianist playing alongside himself, thanks to the magic of overdubbing. But unlike those, this one also features a bit of electric piano too – picked up from the Left & Right years, and played alongside the acoustic piano in a shimmering sort of sound that's really great. The tones are tremendous – almost more open and fluid than in any Evans trio dates of the time – and the whole thing's got a ringing quality that's as much about sonic textures as it is about melody. Titles include "Song For Helen", "I Love My Wife", "For Nenette", "Maxine", "Nobody Else But Me", "After You", and "Reflections In D". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic Verve Records material from Bill Evans – a set that follows the no-nonsense trio style of his Riverside material, but which definitely shows the evolving Evans style of the 60s! The group here is a nicely mellow one – bassist Chuck Israels, whose sound is tremendous – and drummer Larry Bunker – a player you might know from percussion work on other albums, which seems to give him a very sensitive touch on the drum kit here! Both players have a dancing quality that goes far beyond strict rhythmic timekeeping – and this approach opens up Evans' solos in to a freer mode than on some of his early 60s sets. The result is a wonderful album that really transforms the tunes – as you'll hear on the set of tracks that include "Round Midnight", "Israel", "Elsa", and "How My Heart Sings". LP, Vinyl record album

A previously-unissued live date from Bill Evans – recorded in Copenhagen right at the end of the 60s, in a very hip trio that features Eddie Gomez on bass and Marty Morell on drums! There seems to be a bit more force than usual in Bill's left hand – a pulse that comes through nicely on a few tracks in particular – offsetting the brilliantly understated lyrical modes that always makes his music from this period so wonderful. The set features nicely dark versions of "Nardis" and "Waltz For Debby" – plus "Time Remembered", "You're Gonna Hear From Me", "Round Midnight", "Our Love Is Here To Stay", and "Emily". CD