Proof that Dannie Richmond had a lot more to offer than just his drumming with Charles Mingus! The album's a stunning post-Mingus set that shows Richmond in command of a hip group of Mingus-ites – but working in a style that has much of its own manners and quirks! The album features 2 Mingus tunes – as you'd expect from a Richmond album – but the delivery is quite different than when the tunes were in Charles' hands, and they come off with an offbeat sense of rhythm and timing that almost has the playful feel of some of Jaki Byard's best work. The rest of the group features Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Cameron Brown on bass – and titles include "Hi Jinks", "Dionysius", "Flying Colors", and "Peggy's Blue Skylight". CD

Dannie Richmond is Charles Mingus' longtime drummer – working here in a rare set as a leader, leading a group with a number of other from Mingus alumni, including Don Pullen on piano, George Adams on tenor, and Jack Walrath on trumpet – along with Billy Harper's bassist, David Friesen. Side two has a long beautiful Richmond original called "I Told You So", and side one features three more originals – "Waltz for Tamia", "April Denise", and "Neata Babe Boogie". One of the better sides issued on Horo, and not easy to find! LP, Vinyl record album

Two rare KPM sound library grooves – back to back on a single piece of wax! "Name Of The Game" is fantastic – slow funk, but super-heavy – with measured drums that space things out as keyboards really take their time to build up the mood, before serving up a mighty sweet solo in the middle! The drums break nicely by their own at one point too – and "Confunktion" has a similar slow funk start, then really builds with frenetic energy on the drums – almost a proggish take on funk at times! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Mike Richmond is plucking the cello on the front of the cover – and within, he uses the instrument in a wonderfully fluid, jazzy style – really living up to the legacy of earlier work on the cello in jazz by artists like Ron Carter, Sam Jones, or Eldee Young! The group is nice and lean, with Andy Laverne on piano, Jay Anderson on bass, and Anthony Pinciotti on drums – and the cello is recorded very high up in the mix, with a lot more texture on the strings than you might expect – and certainly a very different sound than the use of the instrument in classical music or string quartet settings! Titles include a fair bit of Bill Evans numbers – versions of "Bill's Hit Tune", "Orbit", "Turn Out The Star", "B Minor Waltz", and "Waltz For Debbie" – and a nice take on "You Must Believe In Spring". CD

Two Charles Mingus stalwarts come together here as co-leaders – drummer Dannie Richmond and tenorist George Adams, who also plays a bit of flute – in a quintet with Hugh Lawson on piano,j Mike Richmond on bass, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone – also a key Mingus sideman! CD

With Adams on tenor and flute, Richmond on drums – and Jimmy Knepper on trombone, Hugh Lawson on piano, and Mike Richmond on bass. CD

Proof that Dannie Richmond had a lot more to offer than just his drumming with Charles Mingus! The album's a stunning post-Mingus set that shows Richmond in command of a hip group of Mingus-ites – but working in a style that has much of its own manners and quirks! The album features 2 Mingus tunes – as you'd expect from a Richmond album – but the delivery is quite different than when the tunes were in Charles' hands, and they come off with an offbeat sense of rhythm and timing that almost has the playful feel of some of Jaki Byard's best work. The rest of the group features Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Cameron Brown on bass – and titles include "Hi Jinks", "Dionysius", "Flying Colors", and "Peggy's Blue Skylight". LP, Vinyl record album

A wild record – and one that nobody ever seems to know about! Mingus' drumming stalwart Dannie Richmond leads an odd group of groovy musicians in a weird set of material that's sort of pitched as a camp intellectual approach to jazz. The gatefold cover's got a Warhol-esque image of piles of cans of soup, with Richmond's face and the song titles over the image. The tracks are a weird mix of originals with groovy titles – like "High Camp", "The Spider", and "Pfoofnick" – plus a few other pop tracks cast in a very strange light. Richmond drums in a little combo that includes either Jimmy Raney or Toots Thielmans on guitar, Jaki Byard on piano, and Cecil McBee on bass. It's a very weird record, and one of the oddest sides ever cut by Impulse. We should also add that it's pretty darn groovy! LP, Vinyl record album

A second great collaboration between Masta Ace and Marco Polo – the latter of whom really seems to bring a new sort of open, honest quality to the proceedings – at a level that helps Masta Ace get there as well! There's this down to earth quality to the proceedings that's totally great – and the record thematically follows some of Marco Polo's experience growing up in Richmond Hill outside of Toronto, while tying things to more contemporary issues as well. The album features lots of guest work – from Blu, Inspectah Deck, Stricklin Wordsworth, and others – on titles that include "Hero", "Life Music", "Brooklyn Heights", "Below The Clouds", "Heat Of The Moment", and "Jordan Theory". LP, Vinyl record album

A second great collaboration between Masta Ace and Marco Polo – the latter of whom really seems to bring a new sort of open, honest quality to the proceedings – at a level that helps Masta Ace get there as well! There's this down to earth quality to the proceedings that's totally great – and the record thematically follows some of Marco Polo's experience growing up in Richmond Hill outside of Toronto, while tying things to more contemporary issues as well. The album features lots of guest work – from Blu, Inspectah Deck, Stricklin Wordsworth, and others – on titles that include "Hero", "Life Music", "Brooklyn Heights", "Below The Clouds", "Heat Of The Moment", and "Jordan Theory". CD

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George Adams and Don Pullen knock it out of the park on this one – finding great company in each other's presence, and really moving things forward in the process! The set begins with a long track titled "Mingus Metamorphosis", and that really sums up the spirit of the record – an 80s reworking of all the ideas that the players had learned from Mingus, but with an individual, personal sense that's all their own – and very different than some of the more standard modes of the Mingus Dynasty group that continued the legacy in a more direct manner. Adams is bold one minute, lyrical the next – and plays both tenor and flute – alongside Pullen on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums. Titles include "Mingus Metamorphosis", "Samba For Now", "City Gates", "Thank You Very Much Mr Monk", and "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen". LP, Vinyl record album

Open, swinging live work from the George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet – and a set that shows both the group's sense of jazz tradition, and their willingness to play with it on their own terms! The tracks here are all quite long, jamming numbers – built on lively rhythms from the bass of Cameron Brown and drums of Dannie Richmond, and featuring a mix of exploratory solos and more swinging moments from Adams on tenor and Pullen on piano. Titles include a great reading of the Mingus tune "Diane" – plus "The Necessary Blues", "Intentions", and "Solitude" – all of which are over 13 minutes long! LP, Vinyl record album

One of Chet Baker's most classic albums of the 50s – a record that features both vocals and strong trumpet solos – all from a time when Baker was one of the hottest things going in jazz! The album's different from records from previous years, in that it moves Baker from LA to New York – where he works with a great quartet that features Kenny Drew on piano, George Morrow or Sam Jones on bass, and Philly Joe Jones or Danny Richmond on drums – all players who have a slightly different approach than some of Baker's compatriots on Pacific Jazz sessions, which also seems to bring out a bit more bite in Chet too. Tracks are still shortish, with those breathy Baker vocals we love so much, balanced with really well-crafted trumpet solos – and titles include "It Could Happen To You", "Do It The Hard Way", "Old Devil Moon", "Dancing On The Ceiling", and "The More I See You". CD features 2 bonus tracks! CD

One of Chet Baker's most classic albums of the 50s – a record that features both vocals and strong trumpet solos – all from a time when Baker was one of the hottest things going in jazz! The album's different from records from previous years, in that it moves Baker from LA to New York – where he works with a great quartet that features Kenny Drew on piano, George Morrow or Sam Jones on bass, and Philly Joe Jones or Danny Richmond on drums – all players who have a slightly different approach than some of Baker's compatriots on Pacific Jazz sessions, which also seems to bring out a bit more bite in Chet too. Tracks are still shortish, with those breathy Baker vocals we love so much, balanced with really well-crafted trumpet solos – and titles include "It Could Happen To You", "Do It The Hard Way", "Old Devil Moon", "Dancing On The Ceiling", and "The More I See You". LP, Vinyl record album

Four of the more obscure RCA albums from the great Bobby Bare – all brought together here in a single set! First up is the very unusual English Countryside album – a special set that has the vocals of Bobby Bare paired with a group from the UK – Liverpool's Hillsiders, who sing with a style that's a bit folk, and a bit rock – but which takes on a very distinct country vibe amidst the RCA production of Chet Atkins! Both Bare and The Hillsiders sing solo on the record – but most of the set has them paired together, and the presence of all those voices on the tracks create a nice sense of spontaneity – maybe a hint at the more relaxed recording approach that Bobby would use on his big albums of the mid 70s! Titles include "Sweet Dreams", "Six Days On The Road", "Find Out What's Happening", "Love's Gonna Live Here", "Goin Home", "Blue Is My Lonely Room", and "I Washed My Face In The Mountain Dew". Margie's At The Lincoln Park Inn is a seminal album in the career of Bobby Bare – and the record that really has him turning from a young smiling country singer to the kind of more adult, mature talent that would really send him over the top! The album's promise of "controversial country songs" is certainly apt – as in addition to the great Tom T Hall title cut, the album also features Bare taking on great material from Kris Kristoffersen, Mel Tillis, and even the team of Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn – all set to arrangements that are nicely more sophisticated than those used on the more pop productions of some of Bobby's earlier albums. Titles include "Margie's At The Lincoln Park Inn,", "The Law Is For The Protection Of The People", "Watching The Trains Go By", "Skip A Rope", "Rainy Day In Richmond", "Cincinnati Jail", "Wild As The Wind", and "Drink Up & Go Home". I Hate Goodbyes is the record that marked the return of Bobby Bare to RCA Records in the early 70s – and one that also marks the start of a very different phase in Bare's career! This time around, Bobby's handling the production himself – working with the kind of thoughtful, mature material that would really let him open up – songs from Billy Joe Shaver, Mickey Newbury, the team of Bill Rice and Jerry Foster, and even an early tune from Shel Silverstein – who would soon become one of the biggest contributors to Bobby's records. The vibe is very different than his RCA material of the mid 60s, and in a great way – on titles that include "I Hate Goodbyes", "Restless Wind", "Ride Me Down Easy", "Send Tomorrow To The Moon", "You Know Who", "An Offer She Couldn't Refuse", "What's Your Mama's Name Child", and "Poison Red Berries". Last up is Cowboys & Daddys – an overlooked gem in the mid 70s RCA years of the great Bobby Bare – and a set that really shows the dedication that Bare had during these years to finding the most sophisticated material of the new country generation! The list of songwriters alone is great – as the set features tracks from Terry Allen, Shel Silverstein, David Hickey, and Tom T Hall – plus an early contribution from Bob McDill, with whom Bare would soon record a lot more material on albums to come. There's a mature, laidback vibe to the whole set – different than some of the more playful Bobby Bare albums of the time – and titles include "Chester", "The Cowboy & The Poet", "Amarillo Highway", "Speckled Pony", "Calgary Snow", "Last Dance At The Old Texas Moon", "Pretty Painted Ladies", and "The Stranger". CD

One of the greatest albums on the Bethlehem label – and one of the first albums as a leader by the legendary Booker Ervin! At the time of the set, Ervin had come off a great stint with the Charles Mingus group – one that inflected his rootsy Texas tenor tones with a sharper modern edge – heard to perfection on this great little session, which is equal parts hard swinging soul jazz and dark-tinged early 60s modern! Zoot Sims joins Booker in the front line, and the two of them trade tenor solos throughout on the album's long compositions – grooving with a great sextet that includes Tommy Turrentine on trumpet, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Mingus' drummer Dannie Richmond on the kit! Cuts include "Largo", "The Book Cooks", "The Blue Book", and "Git It". CD

A mighty deep dig into the overlooked soul scene in Virginia – put together by the same folks who gave us the fantastic Raw Soul/Ol Virginia Soul compilations a number of years back! The set focuses on the special studio productions of Lenis Guess – head of LGA Records, and a strong force in the underground scene in Norfolk – a city east of Richmond, and one that had its own great little soul scene for a number of years too! Some of the material here was issued on very small run 7" singles – but a number of others also never saw the light of day back in the 70s, yet are killers that resonate equally well with the singles – raw soul with a nicely gritty vibe, and some slight traces of the more upbeat modes that were hitting VA at the time. Titles include "Keep My Company With You" and "You Don't Believe I Love You" by Deltones Ltd, "Your Love Gave Me Peace Of Mind" by 35th Street Gang, "You Don't Miss Your Water" and "How Long Have I Been A Fool" by Jato Vondel, "Don't Wake Me Up" by Jack & The Mods, "No Steps Away" by Lenis Guess & The Royal Robins, "Home Ain't Home" and "Find Yourself Another Baby" by The Symbolics, and "Sentimental Love (inst)" by Little Wink & Eddie's 25th Century Band. LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from one of the most compelling trombonists of the 50s! Jimmy Knepper is probably best known for his excellent work on some of Charles Mingus' best records – but this set from 1957 shows that Knepper was also an extremely capable (if under-recorded) leader in his own right! The album is one of the rarest Bethlehem sides – and it features Knepper leading a crack group that includes Bill Evans, Gene Quill and drummer Dannie Richmond, making a rare non-Mingus appearance here! The tracks are shortish, and a number of them are standards, but the group swings nicely, and Knepper's tone is nice and edgey on most tracks. Titles include "Avid Admirer", "Close As Pages In A Book", "Ogling Ogre", and "Idol Of The Flies". CD

A spot-on set from pianist Andy Laverne – all original material, penned by Andy himself, and underscored here by some excellent work on tenor sax from Ben Solomon! Solomon's got a richness to his tone that's great – a slightly dark edge that seems to bring out the same in Laverne's piano – as the pair work with tight rhythm accompaniment from Jason Tiemann on drums and Mike Richmond on bass – a pair who use a light touch, but in a very effective way – often gently swinging, but letting the piano and tenor really set the tone! Titles include "Corean", "Solace", "Bassline", "Tune For Tyner", "Flipside", and "Wistful Thinking". CD

The title's an apt one, because after frustrations experienced working for Columbia and other labels, Mingus is finally allowed the freedom here to present his own ideas in all their unfettered glory – working with a bracingly tight quartet that features Eric Dolphy on alto and bass clarinet and Ted Curson on trumpet! A number of the tracks here are familiar in their titles from other records, but the versions here stretch out far longer – moving past 10 minutes on 2 of the album's 4 tracks, and approaching that limit on others. But even more noticeable is the spareness of the sound – as the smaller group versions allow for a tremendous amount of solo space, really letting the focus fall on the two horn players, with the bass of Mingus and drums of Dannie Richmond shading in the space behind and beyond. Titles include "Folk Forms No. 1", "All the Things You Could Be By Now If Sigmund Freud's Wife Was Your Mother", and the original uncensored version of "Faubus Fables". CD

A complete collection Charles Mingus' classic recordings for the Candid label – far and away some of the best recordings he ever made, and some of the few studio sessions that really let him stretch out and do his thing! Players here are a firey lineup of young modernists that includes Eric Dolphy, Ted Curson, Charles McPherson, Booker Ervin, Paul Bley, Roy Eldridge, Tommy Flanagan, Jimmy Knepper, Jo Jones and Dannie Richmond – all working here with Mingus on really long tracks that burst out with raw emotion, intense energy, and some really searing solo work! 17 tracks spread out over 4 LPs, with titles that include "Lock Em Up", "MDM", "Stormy Weather", "Folk Forms No 1", "Original Faubus Fables", "Bugs", "All The Things You Could Be If Sigmund Freud's Wife Was Your Mother", "Mysterious Blues", "Melody From The Drums", "Vasserlean" and "Wrap Your troubles In Dreams" LP, Vinyl record album

Charles Mingus on bass with Eric Dolphy on alto sax, clarinet & flute, Clifford Jordan on tenor sax & Danny Richmond on drums. CD

Great stuff – recorded in Mingus' classic period! Mingus leads a sharp small group here – a wonderful quintet that features Booker Ervin on tenor, John Handy on alto, and Richard Wyands on piano – with longtime musical partner Dannie Richmond on drums! The session was recorded live at the Nonagon Gallery in New York, and has that sort of arch-modernist groove that was Mingus' hallmark in these key late 50's years. Ervin, as always, is amazing, and John Handy, who makes his recording debut here, demonstrates the genius that Mingus had for spotting brilliant young players as he plays with the sort of imagination and intensity that he only ever managed to hit again on one or two of his own records as a leader. The record's got four long tracks, including long takes of "Nostalgia In Times Square", "Alice's Wonderland", and "No Private Income Blues". CD

Great recordings the important 1964 tour of Europe by bassist Charles Mingus – a key musical moment that not only saw some of the last recordings of Eric Dolphy before his departure from this planet, but which also introduced the overseas scene to some key up-and-coming talents who were in Mingus' tenure! The group here is a quintet, but plays with the fire of some of Charles' bigger ensembles from a few years before – and the setting has some especially open space for great solos from the reedmen – both Dolphy on alto, flute, and bass clarinet – plus Clifford Jordan on tenor. Dannie Richmond plays drums, and Jaki Byard is superb on piano – and titles on this second volume include "Charlemange", "At-Fw-You", "Sophisticated Lady", and "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress Then Blue Silk". CD

A great early moment for the legendary Charles Mingus – music that was used in the equally-legendary film Shadows – the first directorial effort from a young John Cassavetes! The album's worth it alone for the unusual piece "Untitled Percussion Composition" – one of the loosest, sparest Mingus moments ever – and a work that features Charles on both piano and percussion, alongside more percussion from Dannie Richmond, Horace Parlan, Jimmy Knepper, and Clarence Shaw – with a sublime flute solo from Shafi Hadi over the top! The rest of the tracks are more familiar moments from the key Mingus year of 1959 – played by groups with John Handy on alto, Booker Ervin and Shafi Hadi on tenor, and either Richard Wyands or Horace Parlan on piano – on the titles "Self Portrait In Three Colors", "Nostalgia In Times Square", and "Alice's Wonderland" – plus an "Untitled Percussion Composition". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff – recorded in Mingus' classic period! Mingus leads a sharp small group here – a wonderful quintet that features Booker Ervin on tenor, John Handy on alto, and Richard Wyands on piano – with longtime musical partner Dannie Richmond on drums! The session was recorded live at the Nonagon Gallery in New York, and has that sort of arch-modernist groove that was Mingus' hallmark in these key late 50's years. Ervin, as always, is amazing, and John Handy, who makes his recording debut here, demonstrates the genius that Mingus had for spotting brilliant young players as he plays with the sort of imagination and intensity that he only ever managed to hit again on one or two of his own records as a leader. The record's got four long tracks, including long takes of "Nostalgia In Times Square", "Alice's Wonderland", and "No Private Income Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff – recorded in Mingus' classic period! Mingus leads a sharp small group here – a wonderful quintet that features Booker Ervin on tenor, John Handy on alto, and Richard Wyands on piano – with longtime musical partner Dannie Richmond on drums! The session was recorded live at the Nonagon Gallery in New York, and has that sort of arch-modernist groove that was Mingus' hallmark in these key late 50's years. Ervin, as always, is amazing, and John Handy, who makes his recording debut here, demonstrates the genius that Mingus had for spotting brilliant young players as he plays with the sort of imagination and intensity that he only ever managed to hit again on one or two of his own records as a leader. The record's got four long tracks, including long takes of "Nostalgia In Times Square", "Alice's Wonderland", and "No Private Income Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A real musical discovery – not just for the fact that the CD represents a previously-unreleased concert by Charlies Mingus – but also because the sounds and styles here offer up a version of Mingus that's almost more adventurous than some of his other albums of the time! The sextet features some key work by Eric Dolphy on alto sax, flute, and bass clarinet – but all other players are wonderful too, and include Johnny Coles on trumpet, Clifford Jordan on tenor, Jaki Byard on piano, and Dannie Richmond on drums – all coming together with a sense of power and presence that matches that of a group double their size! The long tracks on the set allow plenty of space for individual expression – some stretched-out solos that really push the limits of the music, sometimes going farther outside than we might expect – almost in the manner of some of Coltrane's important live dates of the same year. Titles include "ATFW You", "Fables Of Faubus", "Take The A Train", "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress", "Meditations", "So Long Eric", "Jitterbug Waltz", and "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling". CD

One of the coolest jazz vocal albums you'll ever find! Frank Minion sings this suite of tracks billed as an "Introduction To Black Opium Street", and he puts the music together with little recitations in between the tracks, so that the whole thing sounds like one of the great Langston Hughes jazz albums from the same period. Minion's singing voice is in the same rich-toned tradition as singers like Johnny Hartman, but his speaking voice is raw and very soulful – and he gets more than able backing by a great set of players that includes Tommy Flanagan on piano, Roland Alexander on tenor and flute, Dannie Richmond on drums, and Paul Chambers on bass. The whole album sounds more like a rare session on Candid than it does the usual stuff on Bethlehem – and it's a surprisingly hip album that still holds up well over the years! Titles include "Oddsville USA", "Bongo Blues", "Autobiography Of A Musician", "Watermelon", "Flamenco Sketches", "Laughing Boy", and "Later". CD

A really great little set from Zoot Sims – earthy, and almost a bit more fragile than much of his other work! There's a real "down home" feel to the whole record – as Zoot blows comfortably and easily in a quartet with Dave McKenna on piano, George Tucker on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums – making a rare non-Mingus appearance for the set! Zoot's horn has a bit more dirt in the tone than on some of his "cleaner" sessions – a style that we like a lot, and which really fits the feeling of the set. Titles include "Doggin' Around", "Avalon", "Jive At Five", "I've Heard That Blues", and "Goodnite Sweetheart". LP, Vinyl record album