Features tracks from JB Hutto & The Hawks, Sam Lay Blues Band, Floyd Jones-Eddie Taylor Band, and Billy Boy Arnold Band LP, Vinyl record album

One of those cool Japanese-only albums from tenorist Sam The Man Taylor – with titles that include "Akai Glass", "Johnny Guitar", "Sans Toi Mamie", "Tokyo Blues", and "Kageo Shitaite". LP, Vinyl record album

Really great work from this American tenorist – a player who made records here during the R&B years, but who eventually found more fame and support over in Japan – where he recorded unique material like this! Many tunes are original, and have Japanese titles – and they feature even better tenor work from Sam than on his American albums – set to arrangements from Akira Arita! LP, Vinyl record album

Features Terell Stafford on trumpet! CD

A cool Japanese-only album – the tenor of Sam The Man Taylor amidst larger backings from Jinzo Kosugi, on tunes that include "Hakodate No Hito", "Koi", "Yanasage Blues", "Casbah No Onna", "Hokkaido Skies", and "Love You Tokyo". LP, Vinyl record album

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One of the great Japanese-only albums from this fantastic American tenorist – a player who seemed to get a lot more interest overseas than back home! The set has Sam blowing very soulful tenor solos over larger backings – and as with some of his other Japanese records, the songs include some great reworkings of Japanese tunes! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums ever for Blue Note – and the only album recorded by tenor player Tina Brooks that was issued during his lifetime! The album's nearly perfect – and features Brooks' edgey tenor set in an all star group that includes Duke Jordan on piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Brooks had blown on other Blue Note sessions before, but here, working as a leader, his sound is tremendous – vaguely to the left of center of some of his other tenor counterparts on the label, but with an equally impeccable approach to soul and rhythm. Titles include "Miss Hazel", "Good Old Soul", "Up Tight's Creek", and "Theme For Doris". CD

One of the greatest albums ever for Blue Note – and the only album recorded by tenor player Tina Brooks that was issued during his lifetime! The album's nearly perfect – and features Brooks' edgey tenor set in an all star group that includes Duke Jordan on piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Brooks had blown on other Blue Note sessions before, but here, working as a leader, his sound is tremendous – vaguely to the left of center of some of his other tenor counterparts on the label, but with an equally impeccable approach to soul and rhythm. Titles include "Miss Hazel", "Good Old Soul", "Up Tight's Creek", and "Theme For Doris". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums ever for Blue Note – and the only album recorded by tenor player Tina Brooks that was issued during his lifetime! The album's nearly perfect – and features Brooks' edgey tenor set in an all star group that includes Duke Jordan on piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Brooks had blown on other Blue Note sessions before, but here, working as a leader, his sound is tremendous – vaguely to the left of center of some of his other tenor counterparts on the label, but with an equally impeccable approach to soul and rhythm. Titles include "Miss Hazel", "Good Old Soul", "Up Tight's Creek", and "Theme For Doris". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – alternate takes of "Good Old Soul" and "True Blue"! CD

One of the greatest albums ever for Blue Note – and the only album recorded by tenor player Tina Brooks that was issued during his lifetime! The album's nearly perfect – and features Brooks' edgey tenor set in an all star group that includes Duke Jordan on piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Brooks had blown on other Blue Note sessions before, but here, working as a leader, his sound is tremendous – vaguely to the left of center of some of his other tenor counterparts on the label, but with an equally impeccable approach to soul and rhythm. Titles include "Miss Hazel", "Good Old Soul", "Up Tight's Creek", and "Theme For Doris". CD features bonus tracks – alternates of "True Blue" and "Good Old Soul". CD

One of the few albums to ever feature trombonist Lawrence Brown as a leader – with Ralph Burns backings on some tunes, and some other small group numbers with Sam Taylor on tenor! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best of Donald Byrd's early Blue Note albums – a sparkling set of hardbop tunes with a really souful edge! The album's one of a few that feature Byrd working with baritonist Pepper Adams – a frequent partner on his best recording dates of the late 50s, of which this set is one of the best. The rest of the group includes a rhythm section of Walter Davis, Sam Jones, and Art Taylor – all grooving nice and hard – plus tenor work by the great Charlie Rouse, whose raspy tone really gives the set a tremendous amount of depth. Tracks are a good blend of originals by Byrd and Davis, swinging with the lyrical beauty of a Horace Silver set of tracks – and titles include "Devil Whip", "Bronze Dance", "Clarion Calls", and "The Injuns". CD

One of the best of Donald Byrd's early Blue Note albums – a sparkling set of hardbop tunes with a really souful edge! The album's one of a few that feature Byrd working with baritonist Pepper Adams – a frequent partner on his best recording dates of the late 50s, of which this set is one of the best. The rest of the group includes a rhythm section of Walter Davis, Sam Jones, and Art Taylor – all grooving nice and hard – plus tenor work by the great Charlie Rouse, whose raspy tone really gives the set a tremendous amount of depth. Tracks are a good blend of originals by Byrd and Davis, swinging with the lyrical beauty of a Horace Silver set of tracks – and titles include "Devil Whip", "Bronze Dance", "Clarion Calls", and "The Injuns". CD

One of the best of Donald Byrd's early Blue Note albums – a sparkling set of hardbop tunes with a really souful edge! The album's one of a few that feature Byrd working with baritonist Pepper Adams – a frequent partner on his best recording dates of the late 50s, of which this set is one of the best. The rest of the group includes a rhythm section of Walter Davis, Sam Jones, and Art Taylor – all grooving nice and hard – plus tenor work by the great Charlie Rouse, whose raspy tone really gives the set a tremendous amount of depth. Tracks are a good blend of originals by Byrd and Davis, swinging with the lyrical beauty of a Horace Silver set of tracks – and titles include "Devil Whip", "Bronze Dance", "Clarion Calls", and "The Injuns". CD

Early in his career, Donald Byrd spent some time in Paris – where he not only got a chance to work in a whole new setting with some really great players, but he also got to record some fantastic sides that still stand as some of his best hardbop work! This rare album was originally issued on the French Brunswick label – and it features a quintet that includes Bobby Jaspar on tenor, Walter Davis Jr on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. The set was recorded live – and the tracks are all quite long – really giving the group ample room to stretch out on hard-blowing solos with a lot of soul. Titles include "Ray's Idea", "Flute Blues", "Paul's Pal", "Dear Old Stockholm", and "The Blues Walk". LP, Vinyl record album

Donald's off to the races on this one – grooving with a lean, mean sound that makes the record one of his hardest-hitting and most soulful blue note sessions of the 50s! The group features Byrd's frequent bandmate Pepper Adams on baritone sax – blowing always with a style that's a wonderful counterpoint to Byrd's trumpet work – and the rest of the group features Blue Note heavyweights Jackie McLean, Wynton Kelly, Sam Jones, and Art Taylor – the latter two of whom really make the set bristle with excitement! The set includes some great originals, like "Down Tempo", "Sudwest Funk", and "Off To The Races" – plus a nice version of Sonny Rollins' "Paul's Pal". CD

Donald's off to the races on this one – grooving with a lean, mean sound that makes the record one of his hardest-hitting and most soulful blue note sessions of the 50s! The group features Byrd's frequent bandmate Pepper Adams on baritone sax – blowing always with a style that's a wonderful counterpoint to Byrd's trumpet work – and the rest of the group features Blue Note heavyweights Jackie McLean, Wynton Kelly, Sam Jones, and Art Taylor – the latter two of whom really make the set bristle with excitement! The set includes some great originals, like "Down Tempo", "Sudwest Funk", and "Off To The Races" – plus a nice version of Sonny Rollins' "Paul's Pal". LP, Vinyl record album

Donald's off to the races on this one – grooving with a lean, mean sound that makes the record one of his hardest-hitting and most soulful blue note sessions of the 50s! The group features Byrd's frequent bandmate Pepper Adams on baritone sax – blowing always with a style that's a wonderful counterpoint to Byrd's trumpet work – and the rest of the group features Blue Note heavyweights Jackie McLean, Wynton Kelly, Sam Jones, and Art Taylor – the latter two of whom really make the set bristle with excitement! The set includes some great originals, like "Down Tempo", "Sudwest Funk", and "Off To The Races" – plus a nice version of Sonny Rollins' "Paul's Pal". CD

The second volume of work that Donald Byrd recorded live at the Olympia in Paris in 1958 – even harder-hitting in tone than the first! The set features Byrd playing some tight hardbop lines – working in a cool group that also features Bobby Jaspar on tenor, Walter Davis Jr on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – all players who come together with the sound and style of some of those great late 50s Prestige blowing sessions! The difference, though, is that Byrd is the clear leader here – working his trumpet solos with techniques that really show him growing as an artist on this Paris trip – forging a tight vision into the music that makes it way more than just a loose bop exercise on stage. You'll hear that especially on "52nd Street Theme", but the whole set's pretty darn great – and tracks include "At This Time", "Formidable", "Two Bass Hit", "Parisian Thoroughfare", and "Stardust". LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever release of a lost live performance from trumpeter Donald Byrd – material from that brief time when he was working on the Paris scene, and really pushing his music in new directions! As you'll note from the title, the group here also features the great reedman Bobby Jaspar – who blows both flute and tenor, and works alongside Byrd in tremendous formation – in part because there's a crack rhythm trio on the date – a Prestige/Blue Note-styled group that features Walter Davis on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums! The material was recorded with great fidelity by the French ORTF – far better than another live date with Byrd and Jaspar that's been floating around over the years – and the whole thing cooks like a stone classic that should have been issued on an American label in the late 50s, not languishing in the vaults for decades. Titles include "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "Long To You", "Flute Bop", "Boogie Woogie", "When Your Love Has Gone Away", and "It Could Happen To You". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-issued material from a key moment in the early career of trumpeter Donald Byrd – a time when he was working in Paris, and really starting to hit the soulful vibe that would open strongly on Blue Note albums to come! The work here is every bit as great as his early sides for that label – expertly executed, with a group that's co-led by European reedman Bobby Jaspar, who blows both tenor and flute, and gives a nicely different vibe to the proceedings than some of Byrd's early records with Pepper Adams – driven strongly by two different rhythm trios – one with Walter Davis on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – the other with Jack Dieval on piano, Jacques Hess on bass, and Daniel Humair on drums. Both groups are great – and the tracks are long, and wonderfully recorded for French radio – with titles that include "Flute Bop", "Easy Living", "Paul's Pal", "Splendid", "Formidable", and "After You've Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

A side's worth of material from each of the band leaders with their orchestra! Benny Carter tracks feature sidemen that include Bumps Myers, Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, JJ Johnson, and Idrees Sulieman; and Cootie Williams tracks feature Bob Horton, Eddie Vinson, and Sam Taylor. LP, Vinyl record album

Texas tenors locked in hard formation! The set's a wonderfully stripped-down set that has James Clay and David Fathead Newman playing head-to-head in a rootsy Texas tenor style jazz session – one that's a bit more open-ended and earthy than some of the faker tones on Newman's early work for Atlantic! The setting is nicely relaxed – New York blowing session, taken down south – and rhythm is from a trio that includes Wynton Kelly on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Tracks are long, with lots of focus on the solos – and the set includes two hip compositions by Babs Gonzales – "Wide Open Spaces" and "Figger-ation" – plus the titles "Some Kinda Mean", "What's New", and "They Can't Take That Away From Me". CD

Soul legend Sam Cooke left our planet all too soon – but during his short time in the business, and during the height of his fame, he managed to start his own record company too – a really groundbreaking imprint that issued some great singles of his own, and helped to showcase a small group of well-chosen artists that Cooke really got behind! The date range here is a bit longer than the actual recording history of SAR – as Sam died in 1964, and was overseeing most of the artistic and creative direction of the label – along with help from partner JW Alexander – and the material here showcases both sides of Cooke's legacy, both secular and spiritual – with a focus on some great soul singers and groups, and a bit of gospel music too. The collection is nicely tight – not as wide-ranging as bigger label compilations, in part because of the elite group of artists who recorded for SAR – which makes for a sharp lineup of tracks, from artists who include Johnnie Taylor, The Valentinos, The Womack Brothers, Soul Stirrers, The Simms Twins, Billy Preston, Johnnie Morisette, RH Harris & His Gospel Paraders, and Sam Cooke himself! LP, Vinyl record album

The only Blue Note album ever cut by pianist Walter Davis Jr – but a heck of a hard-swinging set, and possibly his greatest album ever! Although Davis is more frequently heard in trio formation as a leader, this set brings him back to the mode used during some of his bop sideman dates of some years before – two completely solid horn players in the frontline, Donald Byrd on trumpet and Jackie McLean on alto – both blowing with a tremendous amount of soul and spirit on each track! Jackie's nicely sharp edges helps push Davis strongly – and rhythm work by Sam Jones on bass and Art Taylor on drums also add strongly to the punch of the set as well. Titles are all original compositions by Walter – and tracks include "Smake It", "Rhumba Nhumba", "Minor Mind", and "Millie's Delight". CD

The only Blue Note album ever cut by pianist Walter Davis Jr – but a heck of a hard-swinging set, and possibly his greatest album ever! Although Davis is more frequently heard in trio formation as a leader, this set brings him back to the mode used during some of his bop sideman dates of some years before – two completely solid horn players in the frontline, Donald Byrd on trumpet and Jackie McLean on alto – both blowing with a tremendous amount of soul and spirit on each track! Jackie's nicely sharp edges helps push Davis strongly – and rhythm work by Sam Jones on bass and Art Taylor on drums also add strongly to the punch of the set as well. Titles are all original compositions by Walter – and tracks include "Smake It", "Rhumba Nhumba", "Minor Mind", and "Millie's Delight". CD

Ahhhh . . . The Jam Session years of Gene Ammons! This album was one of a number that Jug cut for Prestige during the mid 50s, all excellent examples of how perfectly the label's "blowing session" style could work when it wanted to. The set takes Ammons' tenor, and groups it with an all-star cast that includes Art Farmer and Donald Byrd on trumpets, Jackie McLean on alto, Mal Waldron on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. All the horn players are given free reign to solo – and as most of the tracks go on and on and on, they really get room to open up, blowing with the kind of competitive creativity you'd hear in a live set at the same time. Includes three long tracks: "Not Really The Blues", "Jammin With Gene", and "We'll Be Together Again". CD

Three very rare slices of work from the great Albert Ayler – all of them pretty darn mindblowing! The set begins with Ayler's appearance at the 1967 Newport Jazz Festival – a set that must have been a shock to audience members who'd seen some of the more staid work at the event – as Ayler really lets loose on alto, tenor, and soprano sax – working with a very freely improvising quartet that includes Michel Samson on violin, Bill Folwell on bass, and Milford Graves on drums – really going to town on the titles "Japan/Universal Indians", "Our Prayer", and "Truth Is Marching In/Omega". Next is a single track that was recorded at the funeral of John Coltrane – a spiritual blend of "Love Cry/Truth Is Marching In/Our Prayer" – blown by Ayler on tenor, with Don Ayler on trumpet, Richard Davis on bass, and Milford Graves on drums. The last track is the earliest on the set – and very early for recorded Albert Ayler as well – a captivating performance recorded in Copenhagen in 1962 – as Ayler's tenor joins the work of the Cecil Taylor trio – with Taylor on piano, Jimmy Lyons on alto, and Sunny Murray on drums – as the group soar on a 21 minute reading of "Four". CD

3 rare hardbop sides – issued together as one great 2 CD set! The album features work from 3 records first issued by the short-lived Transition label from Boston – Byrd's Eye View and Byrd Blows On Beacon Hill, both by Donald Byrd (in case you couldn't guess!), and Watkins At Large, one of the few albums ever issued by hardbop bassist Doug Watkins. The feel of the material is great – totally on a par with the Blue Note hardbop work of the late 50s, and featuring many players in common with those recordings – Hank Mobley, Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Duke Jordan, and Art Taylor. The 2CD set features 17 tracks on all, and it's the first time the material's been made available to the US market at an affordable price! Titles include "Return To Paradise", "El Sino", "Doug's Blues", "Crazy Rhythm", "If I Love Again", "What's New", "More Of The Same", and "Phinupi". CD

Darkly brooding work from John Coltrane's early years as a leader on Prestige – a very unique little record that features twin baritone sax support from Pepper Adams and Cecil Payne! Both players are wonderfully hip here – more than enough to match Trane's unique musical vision for the group's format – and the sound of the session is much edgier than some of his other Prestige work – which may be why the label chose not to issue it until 1963, even though it was recorded back in '57. There's a nice roughness here – the same inspirational early sound you'll get on Coltrane's early sides for Savoy or Imperial – and other players include Mal Waldron on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Titles include "Cat Walk", "Dakar", "Route 4", "Velvet Scene", and "Witches Pit". CD

Darkly brooding work from John Coltrane's early years as a leader on Prestige – a very unique little record that features twin baritone sax support from Pepper Adams and Cecil Payne! Both players are wonderfully hip here – more than enough to match Trane's unique musical vision for the group's format – and the sound of the session is much edgier than some of his other Prestige work – which may be why the label chose not to issue it until 1963, even though it was recorded back in '57. There's a nice roughness here – the same inspirational early sound you'll get on Coltrane's early sides for Savoy or Imperial – and other players include Mal Waldron on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Titles include "Cat Walk", "Dakar", "Route 4", "Velvet Scene", and "Witches Pit". CD

An amazing legacy in music from Mike Cooper – a British musician who started out in the world of folk blues, but never ended up moving towards some of the rockish modes of his contemporaries – instead finding his very own sort of special space in the freedom allowed by the Dawn Records label! The set begins with the very spare Oh Really – a set that has Mike Cooper mostly on guitar and vocals, in a style that's part Piedmont, part Delta blues – but also given a more folksy spin, and graced with Cooper's unusual vocals – almost making the whole thing feel like a spare acoustic version of Canned Heat territory – with titles that include "Maggie Campbell", "Saturday Blues", "Electric Chair", "Crow Jane", and "You're Gonna Be Sorry". Do I Know you is a record that follows up with a sound that's maybe a bit fuller than Mike Cooper's debut, but still relatively spare – with Mike on acoustic guitar and slide guitar, Harry Miller on bass (really great bass, by the way!), and Poor Little Anne on a bit of vocals. Miller brings these deep tones to the record that really transform things – and titles include "Do I Know You", "Start Of A Journey", "First Song", "Theme In C", and "The Link". Trout Steel is a beautiful set from the British scene at the start of the 70s – a record that's got a fairly folksy tone, but lots of jazzy currents as well! The set was issued on the seminal Dawn Records label – and really shows that imprint's commitment to the left side of the spectrum – as Mike Cooper's vocals and acoustic guitar come into play with more guitar from Stefan Grossman – plus alto sax from Mike Osborne, tenor and soprano from Alan Skidmore, piano from John Taylor, and bass from the late Harry Miller – all key players on the UK avant jazz scene of the time! The mix of these players with Cooper's core inspiration is not unlike some of the most progressive material coming from Island Records – or, even better, the special jazzy moments on records by Tim Buckley or Tim Hardin – company that Cooper could very easily keep, given the strength of his songwriting. Titles include "Don't Talk Too Fast", "On My Way", "Hope You See", "Weeping Rose", "Trout Steel", "I've Got Mine", "That's How", and "Pharoah's March". Places I Know blends Cooper's acoustic guitar and rootsy vocals with some very compelling arrangements from Mike Gibbs – the British jazz talent who was already known for his larger ensemble creations at the time, but who works here in these really subtle ways – to inflect Cooper's core inspirations with just some slight instrumental colors, tones, and phrases on most numbers – while Cooper brings in the core Machine Gun Co group on a few more. The result is a record that's way more than familiar folk – and arguably a lot hipper than most of the British acid folk of the time, too – on titles that include "Night Journey", "Paper & Smoke", "Country Water", "Time To Time", "Goodbye Blues Goodbye", and "Places I Know". The Machine Gun Co album is a partner record to Places I Know – recorded in the same sessions, but with tracks that are longer, and even more openly expressive – all with backings from the sweet Machine Gun Co quartet, a group with some especially nice electric piano from Alan Cook! Heavy use of that instrument really works against some of the folksier elements in Cooper's music – with these blocks of warm sound and color that really illuminate the tunes, and almost unlock a new level in the vocals. Cooper plays a bit of electric guitar at times – and titles include "So Glad That I Found You", "Lady Anne", "Midnight Words", and "Song For Abigail". CD also features songs from singles – "Your Lovely Ways (parts 1 & 2)", "Time In Hand", and "Schaabisch Hall". CD

An amazing package – a pair of rare avant jazz albums, presented here together! The first album is Peace In The World – maybe the only album issued under the name of Michael Cosmic – but a set that's part of a key legacy with his brother, reedman Phill Musra! The set has Cosmic in very heady territory – sounds that come from his young tenure in the AACM, his brief time with Cecil Taylor, and his budding reputation on the 70s Boston scene – where the set was recorded, and almost stands as a precursor to the rich legacy of improvisational jazz that would emerge on the New England scene for decades to come! Tracks are long and very free, but have spiritual currents too – and Cosmic is mostly on piano, with Musra on soprano sax and tenor, Leonard Brown on soprano and tenor, John Jamyll Jones on bass, Huseyin Ertunc on drums, and Eric Jackson on percussion. Titles include "We Love You Malcolm X", "Peace In The World", "Sapce On Space", and "Arabia". Next is the related album Creator Spaces, by Phill Musra – recorded at the time when he was part of the very underground Boston avant scene – a world that had a slightly different vibe than music coming from Chicago, Detroit, or New York! The album's got a spiritual avant bent – soulful at the core, with lots of references to outer space as well – and an approach that feels a lot like a classic Saturn Records session by Sun Ra, both in sound and spirit! Musra plays reeds, chimes, and percussion – and the group features some incredible sax work by Michael Cosmic, who also plays a bit of organ, again in a tripped-out, Ra-type way. Huseyin Ertunc plays percussion – very free and loose, in ways that are a great balance to the more angular lines of the reeds – and tracks include "The Creator Is So Far Out", "The Creator Spaces", "Egypt", and "Arabia". Also features unreleased tracks "The Creator Is So Far Out (unreleased version)" and "Phyllis". Added to the set is a really special bonus third CD – an unreleased long live performance of "The Prayer" by Worlds Experience Orchestra – a group from the same scene at the time – with Shaddu Jones on piano, Stan Strickland on tenor and soprano, Frank Peterson on alto, John Jamyll Jones on bass, Robert Ruff on cello, Larry Lerner on drums, and John Klein on amplified violin. CD

An excellent album that features some great Fender Rhodes work from the mighty Frank Cunimondo! Frank's more famous for his oft-sampled work with singer Lynn Marino – but this album's a lot more obscure, and features Frank doing amazing work on electric and acoustic piano, aided and abetted by drummer Roger Humphries and bassist Mike Taylor. The format of the album is simple, but the sound is incredible – with lots of complicated fills and grooves from the rhythm section, a perfect platform for Frank to get all warm and moody on the keys, ringing out in that subtly funky style that's made him a favorite on the groove scene for years. Includes sublime versions of "Wichita Lineman" and "We've Only Just Begun" – both done in a mellow funk mode that's just great – plus the tracks "Seven Steps To Heaven", "Echoes", "You've Made Me So Very Happy", "Remembering Our Love", and "Bonnie B". CD

Stellar early 70s work from John Dankwork – in a 2CD set! Full Circle is simply one of the greatest albums we've ever heard from the Brit maestro – a big band album as in earlier years, but one done with lots of hip 70s touches! The feel here is halfway between that of sound library grooving and some of the larger group 70s sessions on MPS – often funky at times, but with freshly modern solo work that breaks out from the larger ensemble nicely to accentuate the mood of the tunes. Players include Alan Branscombe on vibes, John Taylor on piano, Joe Moretti on guitar, and Kenny Wheeler on trumpet – and tunes include Mike Vickers' "Eleven Plus", Mike Gibbs' "A Family Joy" and "Triple Portrait", Keith Jarrett's "Grow Your Own", and Dankworth's "Academy One" and "Earthman". Also features a nice bass-y take on "You Are Too Beautiful". Lifeline is another great one – also reminding us of some of the larger MPS projects of the same time. The tracks have a bit of an electric glow in the basswork and production, but the main focus is on acoustic big band grooving – with breakout solos, and some tighter ensemble passages. Includes the sweet suite "Lifeline", which has a few funky moments – plus"Tomorrow's World", "WRVR", and "Fighting The Flab". Players include Don Rendell, Tony Hymas, Ken Gibson, and Dankworth himself. CD

Mod mod 60s jazz – and 20 tight-as-can-be instrumentals from London's Dave Davani combo! Dave's a Hammond player with a great mix of soul jazz and R&B in his grooves – very much the best sort of instrumental work you might expect from London in the swinging 60s – a great blend of American influences and UK mod styles. The rest of the group includes guitar, bass, and drums – plus a bit of vocals and Latin percussion from Beryl Wayne. The groove here is clearly a precursor to the James Taylor Quartet, and the overall sound is better than some of the more famous groups from the time – such as the combos of Brian Auger or Graham Bond. The set features tracks from Dave's Parlophone album, a few other singles, and even 4 previously unissued tracks from the same time – with titles that inlcude "Big Bossa Man", "Working Out", "Funky Mama", "Sack O Woe", "Boot Leg", "Harlem Waltz", and "Pig Foots". CD

Quite an unusual Lou Donaldson album for Blue Note – much more open-ended than his other sets, with a really hard-jamming sort of sound! Unlike some of Donaldson's tighter dates of the time, which feature more bop-based, song-based shorter tunes – this one's more of a long-form blowing session, much more of the date you'd expect to hear from Prestige in the late 50s – and a bit like some of the work that Lou did on some of Jimmy Smith's all-star blowing dates from the same time. The group's a great one – a sextet with Donaldson on alto, Donald Byrd on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Sonny Clark on piano, Jamil Nasser on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – the last of whom is very much at home in the setting, and does a great job of directing the energy of the group. The album's only got four long tracks – and titles include "Sputnik", "Dewey Square", "Groovin High", and "Strollin In". CD

Quite an unusual Lou Donaldson album for Blue Note – much more open-ended than his other sets, with a really hard-jamming sort of sound! Unlike some of Donaldson's tighter dates of the time, which feature more bop-based, song-based shorter tunes – this one's more of a long-form blowing session, much more of the date you'd expect to hear from Prestige in the late 50s – and a bit like some of the work that Lou did on some of Jimmy Smith's all-star blowing dates from the same time. The group's a great one – a sextet with Donaldson on alto, Donald Byrd on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Sonny Clark on piano, Jamil Nasser on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – the last of whom is very much at home in the setting, and does a great job of directing the energy of the group. The album's only got four long tracks – and titles include "Sputnik", "Dewey Square", "Groovin High", and "Strollin In". CD

Quite an unusual Lou Donaldson album for Blue Note – much more open-ended than his other sets, with a really hard-jamming sort of sound! Unlike some of Donaldson's tighter dates of the time, which feature more bop-based, song-based shorter tunes – this one's more of a long-form blowing session, much more of the date you'd expect to hear from Prestige in the late 50s – and a bit like some of the work that Lou did on some of Jimmy Smith's all-star blowing dates from the same time. The group's a great one – a sextet with Donaldson on alto, Donald Byrd on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Sonny Clark on piano, Jamil Nasser on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – the last of whom is very much at home in the setting, and does a great job of directing the energy of the group. The album's only got four long tracks – and titles include "Sputnik", "Dewey Square", "Groovin High", and "Strollin In". CD

Not the Broadway record that you might guess from the title, but a great showboat for the hipper talents of trumpeter Kenny Dorham! The album is made up of tunes from the famous show, but the presentation here is quite strongly hardbop – blown by Kenny with the same mix of sweet and modern you might hear on his Blue Note records, but a bit looser too – almost with the rougher edges of a Prestige date. Other players include Jimmy Heath on tenor, Kenny Drew on piano, Jimmy Garrison on piano, and Art Taylor on drums – one hell of a great group – and although the titles are familiar – "Can't Help Lovin Dat Man", "Ol Man River", "Why Do I Love You", and "Nobody Else But Me" – they're recast by Kenny as thoughtful little showpieces, rich with imagination, and played as if they were his own compositions. CD

Not the Broadway record that you might guess from the title, but a great showboat for the hipper talents of trumpeter Kenny Dorham! The album is made up of tunes from the famous show, but the presentation here is quite strongly hardbop – blown by Kenny with the same mix of sweet and modern you might hear on his Blue Note records, but a bit looser too – almost with the rougher edges of a Prestige date. Other players include Jimmy Heath on tenor, Kenny Drew on piano, Jimmy Garrison on piano, and Art Taylor on drums – one hell of a great group – and although the titles are familiar – "Can't Help Lovin Dat Man", "Ol Man River", "Why Do I Love You", and "Nobody Else But Me" – they're recast by Kenny as thoughtful little showpieces, rich with imagination, and played as if they were his own compositions. CD

A fantastic legacy of music from the UK scene – even though it's a pretty darn secret one as well! The Electric Banana were a very unique studio group – a combo who featured Phil May and Dick Taylor of the Pretty Things, right at a time when that group were at the height of their fame – working as a faceless studio combo with other musicians for the DeWolfe Sound Library label – all to create these tight, short rock tracks that would later end up getting used in film soundtracks and TV programs all through the 70s! This album features half vocal tracks, half instrumental – both the same tunes, but with vocals stripped out on side two. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic legacy of music from the UK scene – even though it's a pretty darn secret one as well! The Electric Banana were a very unique studio group – a combo who featured Phil May and Dick Taylor of the Pretty Things, right at a time when that group were at the height of their fame – working as a faceless studio combo with other musicians for the DeWolfe Sound Library label – all to create these tight, short rock tracks that would later end up getting used in film soundtracks and TV programs all through the 70s! This album features half vocal tracks, half instrumental – both the same tunes, but with vocals stripped out on side two. LP, Vinyl record album

Soul Junction's a great title for this one – because the album's a great meeting point between 50s hard bop and some of the looser, earthier styles that were beginning to show up in the first years of soul jazz! The title track of this one is worth the price of admission alone – as Red Garland works with John Coltrane and Donald Byrd on a 15 minute tune that starts slow, builds in a bluesy way with nearly 8 minutes of trio work by Garland, Art Taylor, and Jamil Nasser – then finally rolls into some great late nite solo work on the horns! Other tracks are a bit shorter, but follow a similar easygoing and soulful approach – and tracks include "Woody'N You", "Birk's Works", "I've Got It Bad", and "Hallelujah". From the same sessions that also created the album All Mornin Long! CD

Quite possibly the greatest album ever cut by pianist Duke Jordan – a seminal force in bop, both for his writing and playing – but an artist who rarely ever got the chance to work as a leader! This session's a prime bit of lost Blue Note – with an unusual and edgey lineup that includes Dizzy Reece on trumpet, Stanley Turrentine on tenor, Reggie Workman on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – all coming together under Jordan's direction. The set's got a wonderfully classic feel – a mix of hardbop with slightly more lyrical leanings, and a few darker undercurrents – heard to best effect in Jordan's writing, which reminds us of some of his work on French soundtracks from the same time. Titles include "Deacon Joe", "Si-Joya", "Flight To Jordan", and "Squawkin". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly the greatest album ever cut by pianist Duke Jordan – a seminal force in bop, both for his writing and playing – but an artist who rarely ever got the chance to work as a leader! This session's a prime bit of lost Blue Note – with an unusual and edgey lineup that includes Dizzy Reece on trumpet, Stanley Turrentine on tenor, Reggie Workman on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – all coming together under Jordan's direction. The set's got a wonderfully classic feel – a mix of hardbop with slightly more lyrical leanings, and a few darker undercurrents – heard to best effect in Jordan's writing, which reminds us of some of his work on French soundtracks from the same time. Titles include "Deacon Joe", "Si-Joya", "Flight To Jordan", and "Squawkin". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Diamond Stud" and "I Should Care". CD