Nine tracks, including "Train To Nowhere", "Vicksburg Blues", "It Hurts Me Too", "May Be Wrong", and "Tolling Bells". Produced by Mike Vernon, and the band includes Roger Earl & Lonesome Dave! CD

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A fantastic classic from Savoy Brown – one of those records that shows just why these guys were so great during their short early run! The approach is maybe familiar blues rock, but the sound is also very special – with a great sense of fusion of all the elements, so that vocals, guitar, and rhythms all seem tightly tied together – still with the kind of bravado you might expect, and plenty of strong guitar from Kim Simmonds – but also given this focus that's really wonderful, especially when heavy piano lines come into the mix to almost give things a Mose Allison vibe, and added horns open up some currents of soul. A strong cut above the competition – with titles that include "Master Hare", "Needle & Spoon", "A Hard Way To Go", "That Same Feelin", "A Little More Wine", "I'm Crying", "Is That So", and "Stay While The Night Is Young". CD

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A special split LP from Savoy Brown – one side live, and one side studio – both produced to blues rock perfection by Mike Vernon! The live set features one 22 minute long medley, titled "Savoy Brown Boogie" – and studio tracks include "Made Up My Mind", "I'm Tired", "Where Am I", and "Life's One Act Play". CD

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Some of the earliest material ever recorded by the Modern Jazz Quartet – early 50s sides that were originally issued as 78rpm singles, then brought together in this self-titled LP! Some of the material was first released under the name of the Milt Jackson Quartet – but featured the lineup of Jackson on vibes, John Lewis piano, Percy Heath bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. Yet other tracks on the set have bassist Ray Brown in for Heath and drummer Al Jones in for Clarke – both players who make for a slightly different groove in the company of Jackson and Lewis. Tunes are short, but already show that Lewis love of chromatic tones – and titles include "Yesterdays", "Love Me Pretty Baby", "Milt Meets Sid", "Moving Nicely", "D&E", "True Blues", and "Autumn Breeze". CD

Tremendous saxophone interplay throughout – and 2 great 50s sessions that both feature Art Pepper and Warne Marsh! The first half of the CD is the legendary Vanguard album Free Wheeling – one of the few sessions ever cut by tenorist Ted Brown – working here with a group that features Warne Marsh and Art Pepper in the frontline, with rhythm by Ronnie Ball on piano, Ben Tucker on bass, and Jeff Morton on drums. The session's got the outward appearance of a west coast session, but has much more soul overall – the kind of Back Bay Boston sound you'd hear in 50s sessions by Charlie Mariano or Dick Johnson – with plenty of rasp on Pepper's horn, and some nice edges on Brown's as well! Tracks are short, and often with ensemble heads – but the production is beautiful, and the interplay between the three saxophonists comes through with amazing quality! Titles include "Crazy She Calls Me", "Arrival", "Once We Were Young", "Avalon", "Foolin Myself", "Aretha", and "Long Gone". The remaining 7 tracks on the CD were recorded on the same day, but with a lineup that features Ted Brown dropping out, so that the main interplay is between Pepper's alto and Warne Marsh's tenor. Again, the sound is incredible – far fresher than most of Pepper's so-called "classic" sessions, and it shows the edge and creativity of his alto playing in a way that few other albums ever do. We really recommend this one if you've ever been disappointed by another Pepper album – because there's a sharpness here that really comes through. Titles include "All the Things You Are", "What's New", "Avalon", "Warnin", "Stompin At The Savoy", and "Tickle Toe". CD

Quite possibly THE key example of the magic of Clifford Brown and Max Roach on record – a brilliant studio session that really has the group "incorporating" their sound – forging a bold musical statement that would forever leave its imprint on jazz for years to come! The format here shows Brown and Roach as a key force in 50s hardbop – extending Max's bop idiom of years back, and using Clifford's more lyrical approach to solo work to expand the tone, color, and spirit of their music – linking styles and worlds wonderfully, and forging a sound that's tight, yet also beautifully spontaneous and personal. The rest of the group includes Harold Land on tenor, Richie Powell on piano, and George Morrow on bass – and titles include "Sweet Clifford", "Ghost Of A Chance", "Stompin At The Savoy", "I'll String Along With You", "Mildama", "Darn That Dream", and "I Get A Kick Out Of You". CD

The roots of modern jazz never sounded this great before – and this is the first time ever that all the early bop recordings by Savoy have been properly brought together in one place! Savoy was one of the most important labels to record the early bop pioneers – and had a dedication to the music that begin in 1945, and moved well into the 50s – as the label captured some of the brightest young stars who'd go onto shape a generation! Almost all of this material was originally issued just as 78rpm singles – then later scattered and repackaged in a confusing way – although many tracks here also never made it into the LP or CD generation, either. The folks at Mosaic have worked incredible magic to correct that error – and have pulled together a stunning 10CD package that finally presents this amazing legacy of music in its proper form – complete with notes and session details that were never given in later years, too. There's way too much here to list in this space – but the set features dates recorded under the name of Dexter Gordon, Fats Navarro, Stan Getz, JJ Johnson, Sonny Stitt & Kenny Dorham's Bebop Boys, Allen Eager, Kai Winding, Ray Brown, Eddie Davis, Serge Chaloff, Kenny Hagood, Leo Parker, Tadd Dameron, Teddy Reig, Brew Moore, Milt Jackson, Kenny Clarke, and Gil Fuller – all with groups that are filled with equally hip and important musicians too. We love Mosaic all the time – but with a collection of 78rpm material, they really knock it out of the park – and do us, and the jazz history books, a mighty big favor! CD

Classic Savoy bop work from Diz – featuring some sides cut with the orchestra of Johnny Richards, plus some cut with the "Bepop (sic) Boys", a group that includes Milt Jackson, James Moody, Hank Jones, Dave Burns, and John Brown. The Richards sides are great – a bit more swinging than the ones he and Diz cut on Verve, but no less well-conceived. Titles include "Interlude In C", "Lullaby Of The Leaves", "The Things I Love", "Moody Speaks", "For Hecklers Only", and "Boppin The Blues". CD

Early and brilliant work by the MJQ – recorded at a time when the combo's idea was quite unique, and when its execution was still filled with a lot of creative energy! The group, of course, features the core duo of Milt Jackson and John Lewis – and bass chores are handled by either Percy Heath, or Ray Brown – the latter of whom dominates the album surprisingly. Drums are mostly by Kenny Clarke, whose harder touch gave the group an edge on a lot more of these early recordings – and on a few numbers, Al Jones sits in instead of Kenny. Titles include "Love Me Pretty Baby", "D&E", "True Blues", "Yesterdays", "Round About Midnight", and "Milt Meets Sid". CD

An odd little session for Blue Note, but a great one too! The record is odd in that it features a host of players who weren't normally part of the label's off-used roster of big-name sidemen, and odd in that it features a swinging style that's a bit of a nod to earlier jazz days than the early 60s – but it's also a great revival of a player from an earlier generation of jazz! Baritonist Leo Parker cut some heavy sides for labels like King and Savoy – but on this Blue Note session he really opens up in a hard-swinging way that you don't always hear on his earlier recordings. The group's a firey sextet, with John Burks on trumpet, Bill Swindell on tenor, and Yusef Salim on piano – but the real star is Parker, who swings the baritone harder and faster than just about anyone else we've heard. Titles include "Blue Leo", "Glad Lad", "Parker's Pals", "Low Brown", and "Vi". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – a longer take on "Low Brown" and "The Lion's Roar". CD

An excellent overview of the early Wallace Roney work for Muse Records – brilliant sessions that helped Roney redefine the sound of the trumpet for a whole new generation! Roney's sound was one of the boldest, brightest on the label – and on records like this he really shines – working with an array of like-minded young lions who include Ravi Coltrane, Donald Brown, Antoine Roney, Christian McBride, and Cindy Blackman – on titles that include "Blue In Green", "Obsession", "Daahoud", "Lost", "For Duke", "Donna Lee", and "Love For Sale". CD

24 songs from Billy Eckstine, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Boyd Raeburn, Ray Brown, Dexter Gordon, JJ Johnson, Fats Navarro, Serge Charloff, Stan Getz, Charlie Ventura, and George Wallington. CD

A really cool package that's way more than just the blues promised in the title – as the set brings together work from a variety of scenes and styles, all showing the many ways that American blues had such an impact on UK sounds from the mod generation onwards! There's definitely some tracks here that stick to a slavish representation of the original influence – but the set also includes all sorts of great divergences, tracing the path that so many artists would take from learning blues licks to really stepping out with new sounds of their own in psych, prog, hard rock, and other British styles to follow! There's also some surprising folk moments too – and over the course of 73 tracks, the box follows a fantastic journey – also supported with great notes too – through the work of artists who include Siren, Andy Roberts, Medicine Head, John Martyn, The Deviants, Pentangle, Killing Floor, Jo Ann Kelly, Jellybread, Alexis Korner, Rod Stewart, Mike Cooper, Savoy Brown, The Purple Gang, Al Jones, Bronx Cheer, Dave Ellis, Roger Hubbard, Taste, Incredible String Band, Ralph McTell, and many others. CD

An unusual double-length album of tracks recorded by this bluesy soul singer in the years after she recorded for Savoy, and cut her big hit "Candy". This LP's got a harder rockin' bluesy feel to it, with the sort of R&B revival sound of the late 60/early 70. Maybelle's still great, though, and really manages to belt out tracks like "Cold, Cold Heart", "Your Turn To Cry", "Winnie Widow Brown", "Big Sweet Daddy", "Long Long Journey", and "Blame It On Your Love". CD

On Joyous Lake; Delmar Brown on electric piano, Mark Leonard on bass & Kenwood Dennard on drums & percussion. On Starbright; Gil Goldstein on keyboards, Michael Mainieri & Warren Bernhardt on synetesizers, Will Lee on bass, Charles Collins & Michael Carvin on drums, Alyrio Lima Cova on percussion, Marty Quinn on tablas & Joe D'Onofrio on violin. CD

A very interesting early session for Elvin, and one that's filled with lots of warm lyrical moments – nicely laid down by Thad Jones, Frank Wess, Hank Jones, and Frank Foster. These four came together often during the late 50s on some sessions, but the addition of Elvin opens things up nicely, and creates a rhythm sound that's a bit freer than some of those old Savoy sessions or Prestige blowing sides. Titles include "Ray El", "Lady Luck", "Pretty Brown", "Shadowland", and "Buzz-at". CD

A classic 50s album on Savoy – a set that's almost as memorable for its cartoony cover as it is for the great Art Pepper material on the record! Pepper's tone here is wonderful – that sharper-edged, more soulful approach that you often get in his smaller label 50s work – a nice contrast to some of the smoother sides of Art, and the part of his sound we really love. The album's got three different west coast groups working with Pepper – with players who include Russ Freeman or Hampton Hawes on piano, Jack Montrose on tenor, Joe Mondragon or Monte Budwig on bass, and Larry Bunker or Bobby White on drums. But Art's the main star of the set – blowing beautifully throughout, with both jaw-dropping precision and a tremendous sense of sound! Titles include "Tickle Toe", "Chili Pepper", "Susie The Poodle", "Brown Gold", "Holiday Flight", "Surf Ride", "Straight Life", "Cinnamon", and "Thyme Time". CD

Key early recordings from JJ Johnson – a player who really helped transform the role of the trombone in jazz! The set brings together sides that JJ recorded for both the Savoy and Blue Note labels – all small bop sessions, done in a tight boppish mode – with players that include Bud Powell, Cecil Payne, Leo Parker, John Lewis, Sonny Rollins, Kenny Dorham, and Clifford Brown. The set features 22 tracks in all – with titles that include "Jay Bird", "Coppin The Bop", "Mad Bebop", "Audobhan", "Riffette", "Yesterdays", "Down Vernon's Alley", "Bee Jay", "Elysee", "Opus V", "Capri", "Fox Hunt", "Sketch One", and "Turnpike". CD

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