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With Alex Ward on clarinet. CD

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Incredible work from the team of Donald Byrd and Gigi Gryce – crisp modern jazz, filled with soul, and never failing to swing! During the time of these recordings, Gryce was one hell of an arranger – with a tight ensemble approach that worked magic in a small combo setting. He was also a tremendous alto player – with a tone that was unlike any other musician at the time, magically sharp, with a sound that always seemed to inspire a great deal of energy from his bandmates. He gets plenty of that here from trumpeter Donald Byrd – sounding better on these sides than on most of his other 50s recordings – thanks also to some great accompanists, who include Tommy Flanagan, Wendell Marshall, and Art Taylor. Some tunes feature additional horn work from players that include Benny Powell, Julius Watkins, and Sahib Shihab. Volume 1 in this Lonehill's Complete Jazz Lab Studio Sessions mixes 13 tracks originally released on the LPs Jazz Lab, Modern Jazz Perspective, plus mutual tracks with the rare compilation Jazz Omnibus. Titles include "Nica's Tempo", "Smoke Signal", "Over The Rainbow", "Sans Souci", "Speculation", "Stablemates", "Steppin Out", "Social Call", "Satellite", "An Evening In Casablanca" and more! CD

Beautiful solo work from pianist Abdullah Ibrahim – a player with a sound so rich and rhythmic, his sessions like this are often every bit as captivating as his trio and group recordings! There's a really special sort of poetry going on here – first in the way that Ibrahim brings out these unusual tones in the piano – a warmth that almost feels like a Fender Rhodes at times, even though the instrument is acoustic – secondly in the structure of the tunes, which are sometimes short and very poetic – packing a lot of meaning into just a very short space in sound! To balance that out, the record has many different selections – twenty in all – some older compositions reworked, some less familiar. Titles include "Sotho Blue", "District 6", "Tokai", "Blues For A Hip King", "In Tempo", "Dreamtime", "Nisa", "Mindiff", "Trieste My Love", and "Signal On The Hill". CD

Essential early work by Stan – a 3 CD collection of his early 50s recordings for the Roost label, either under his own name and group, or with guitarist Johnny Smith. The Smith sides only make up a very small portion of the package – as most of the work are by Getz's quartet or quintet, the groundbreaking assemblage that featured Jimmy Raney on guitar, whose icy clear tone was a perfect counterpart for Getz's sweet breathy work on the tenor. The quality of the material is really great – and the package does a great job of presenting the work freshly, without an overload of alternate takes or tunes you don't want to hear. There's a total of 59 tracks in all – and titles include "Potter's Luck", "Tenderly", "Budo", "Signal", "Fools Rush In", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "It Might As Well Be Spring", "Yvette", "Melody Express", "Split Kick", "Hershey Bar", and "Penny". CD

Beautiful solo work from pianist Abdullah Ibrahim – a player with a sound so rich and rhythmic, his sessions like this are often every bit as captivating as his trio and group recordings! There's a really special sort of poetry going on here – first in the way that Ibrahim brings out these unusual tones in the piano – a warmth that almost feels like a Fender Rhodes at times, even though the instrument is acoustic – secondly in the structure of the tunes, which are sometimes short and very poetic – packing a lot of meaning into just a very short space in sound! To balance that out, the record has many different selections – twenty in all – some older compositions reworked, some less familiar. Titles include "Sotho Blue", "District 6", "Tokai", "Blues For A Hip King", "In Tempo", "Dreamtime", "Nisa", "Mindiff", "Trieste My Love", and "Signal On The Hill". CD

Funk from Belgium? Believe it or not, stranger things have happened – and we can promise that if you played these tracks back to back with more familiar grooves from other 70s sources, you'd quickly find that these Belgian grooves are right up there with the best of the bunch! The set's maybe a more sophisticated follow-up to the excellent Funky Chicken collection, which documented some grittier Belgian 70s material a few years back – and this one shows off a wickedly sharp batch of tunes that include funky fusion, sweet sound library numbers, and lots of really inventive cuts that are plenty funk, but often take some great chances too – in ways that almost make us think that the nation's scene was so small that musicians from different genres were often hanging out together, and breaking down lots of musical boundaries in the process! Titles include "Funky Chimes" by Francis Coppieters, "My Chinese Girl Likes Kung Fu Fighting" by The Sumos, "Traveling On Rhythms" by Bud Hunga & His Diplomatic Music, "Pink Movement" by Experience, "Tiger Walk" by The Peter Laine Orchestra, "Faded Lady (inst)" by SSO, "Barabajagal" by The Flying Guitar, "Scratch My Back (parts 1 & 2)" by The Soul Scratchers, "Skylab" by Electronic System III, "Free Way Exit" by Guido Carnagy, "Guess We'd Better Break Up Now" by Etta Cameron, "Give It Up Or Turn It A Loose" by Philip Catherine, "Riff For Peggy" by Roland Thyssen, "We Love The Policemen" by Hearts Of Soul & Shampoo, "Smoke Signal" by Indian Sound Of Blackfoot, "Inner City Blues" by Leslie Kent, "Chewing Gum Delirium" by Free Pop Electronic Concept, "Akkerwinde" by Lieven, "Concerto For Right Foot & Orchestra" by George Hayes & His Philarpopic Orchestra, "Punktowiec" by Skleroptak, and "Soul Melody" by R Dero. CD

A really wonderful little chapter in the rich, and all-too-short career of bassist Oscar Pettiford – larger group recordings done for ABC in the mid 50s! The sessions show Pettiford to be surprisingly great at such a format – leading a group through Gigi Gryce arrangements that have a nice modern jazz take on earlier bop themes of the 50s. Gryce himself plays alto on the session, and other players include Jerome Richardson, Benny Golson, Art Farmer, Kenny Dorham, Jimmy Cleveland, Al Grey, Tommy Flanagan, and Lucky Thompson. The CD seems to include material from both Pettiford sessions for ABC – for a total of 17 tracks that include "Two French Fries", "Perdido", "Speculation", "Sunrise Sunset", "Smoke Signal", "Deep Passion", "Nica's Tempo", "Not So Sleepy", "Little Niles", and "Seabreeze". CD

A really wonderful little chapter in the rich, and all-too-short career of bassist Oscar Pettiford – larger group recordings done for ABC in the mid 50s! The sessions show Pettiford to be surprisingly great at such a format – leading a group through Gigi Gryce arrangements that have a nice modern jazz take on earlier bop themes of the 50s. Gryce himself plays alto on the session, and other players include Jerome Richardson, Benny Golson, Art Farmer, Kenny Dorham, Jimmy Cleveland, Al Grey, Tommy Flanagan, and Lucky Thompson. The CD seems to include material from both Pettiford sessions for ABC – for a total of 17 tracks that include "Two French Fries", "Perdido", "Speculation", "Sunrise Sunset", "Smoke Signal", "Deep Passion", "Nica's Tempo", "Not So Sleepy", "Little Niles", and "Seabreeze". CD

Completely sublime duets between alto saxophonist Nick Mazzarella and cellist Tomeka Reid – working here together at a level that seems to both bring a whole new sense of energy to duo improvisation, and also put the record at the level of some of the most exciting work of the 70s! The strength here is the tunefulness that both players maintain at most moments – whether it's Mazzarella crafting these rich, soulful lines that feel more like tenor expressions than alto – or Reid working her instrument more like an acoustic bass, again with a depth that seems beyond the instrument's usual scope of expression. There's definitely some free moments throughout, but there's also an adhesion to warmth at the core – on titles that include "Invoking A Spirit", "Blues For Julius & Abdul", "Signaling", "Like So Many Drops Of Water", "The Ancestors Speak", "Rediscovery Of An Age", and "Let It Be Known". CD

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A great later document of the power of James Brown in a live setting – an early 80s concert that really cooks strongly all the way through – bubbling over with the sort of non-stop energy that James was bringing to his live albums from the Apollo Theater onward! The group isn't listed on the package, but have all the tightness of the James Brown Band of the late 60s and the JBs of the 70s – and the Godfather is clearly directing them all with his signals from the front of the stage, while he simultaneously knocks it out of the park with his vocals! There's plenty of funky classics throughout – and titles include "I Can't Stand Myself", "Payback", "Jam", "Get On The Good Foot", "Get Up Offa That Thing", "Hot Pants", "Super Bad", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "It's Too Funky In Here", "Gonna Have A Funky Good Time", and "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose". CD

A great Jerry Goldsmith score from the mid 60s – penned for a western, but with a sensitivity that's much more like some of his best dramatic work of the time! There's some wonderful use of woodwinds and strings in the lineup – often with the sense of mature color and tone that Jerry brought to thoughtful crime scores, or some of his more adult soundtracks – including those for well-penned TV dramas. There's some acoustic guitar to provide the right western flair at times – but overall, the style is a nice change from the usual – although with Goldsmith, things are always a cut above the usual too! Titles include "The Fuse", "The Prisoner", "Smoke Signals", "Cantina 1 & 2", "A Change Of Luck", "Unlucky Lover", "River Crossing", and "Special Delivery" – plus 5 bonus tracks. CD

Bettye Lavette on Verve Records – a move that also signals a shift in her music too – in a way that we can really approve! Bettye's getting some richer care in the backings – more of a classic soul approach, in terms of warmth – never trying too hard to cast the singer in modes that might be a bit forced, and instead almost echoing a Muscle Shoals sort of vibe at times – which leaves Lavette to provide more than plenty of edge to the music with her vocals! All of the tunes here are Bob Dylan covers, but are wonderfully transformed – and even the presence of guest stars like Keith Richards or Trombone Shorty can't get in the way of the lady and her message. Titles include "Emotionally Yours", "Going Going Gone", "Seeing The Real You At Last", "Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight", "Things Have Changed", and "Ain't Talkin". CD

One of the first big moments of global fame for the legendary Ennio Morricone – and a record that still stands as one of his landmark albums all these many years later! The set's famous for its haunting theme – that "wah-wah-wah" melody that led to countless covers and samples over the years – but the whole thing's a lot more complex than just that tune – with lots of the same sense of space and brooding that Morricone brought to his music for Once Upon A Time In The West – with careful use of key instruments on a track by track basis, and these floating lines that almost signaled a whole new way of recording music for a film soundtrack. And yes, there's certainly key western elements like guitar or harmonica – but maybe more striking are all the points at which these obvious tropes disappear – to leave us with those really unique Morricone sounds that go way beyond music! Titles include "The Sundown", "The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly", "Marcia", "The Desert", "The Strong", and "The Trio". CD

One of the most groundbreaking Brazilian albums from the end of the last century – a key set that signaled a whole new generation of creativity in Brazilian music – and one that wasn't afraid to move effortlessly between the past and future! Otto uses this great blend of acoustic roots and electronic samples – shifting easily between sounds, rhythms, and modes of expression – at a level that soon became a calling card for a new generation of Brazilian artists – but is maybe still best here in the hands of its master! The record came out around the same time as important work by Carlinhos Brown and Arnaldo Antunes, but got far less global circulation – even though we think it's better overall. Titles include "Renault/Peugeot", "Sao Paulo", "O Cellular De Nana", "Bob", "Low", and "TV A Cabo". CD

Great late 70s work from John Prine – a set that signals his shift to Asylum Records from Atlantic, but with a quality that's still got all the best open, honest touches that Prine brought to American music when he emerged from the Chicago scene! Production is by Steve Goodman – an old buddy from Chicago – and the presentation is mostly pretty stripped-down, and with a focus on Prine's always-biting lyrics, and his wonderful vocal presentation. Titles include "Fish & Whistle", "Iron Ore Betty", "If You Don't Want My Love", "The Hobo Song", "Crooked Piece Of Time", "Sabu Visits The Twin Cities Alone", and "That's The Way That The World Goes Round". CD

Sweet silver cycles from Eddie Harris – a wonderful late 60s album that features lots of lines on the electrified Varitone saxophone, mixed with cool contributions from a shifting lineup of soulful musicians! The set's one of Eddie's real classics from the Atlantic years – completely inventive, but never in a gimmicky way – and a really great bridge between late 60s modes of funk, jazz, and soul – at the same level he'd serve up more famously in his collaborations with Les McCann! There's a lot of that same energy here, but the vibe is even tighter – and Harris really blows us away with his great arrangements, which get a slight bit of help from Arif Mardin. Other players include Melvin Jackson on bass, Seldon Powell on reeds, and Joe Zawinul on keyboards – and titles include "Silver Cycles", "Electric Ballad", "Little Bit", "Free At Last", "Coltrane's View", "Electric Salad", "1974 Blues", and "Smoke Signals". CD

Nicole Mitchell is in very different territory here than on some of her more spiritual albums – something you might have guessed from the cover, which signals another great chapter in Mitchell's shift into science fiction territory on some of her other projects! At some level, Nicole's working more here almost as a writer of speculative soundscapes instead of a jazz musician – blowing a variety of flutes, and adding in some vocalizations – next to the original Vivo electronic system employed by Fabio Paolizzo – whose dark tones and dystopic elements really shape the sound of the set! Titles include "Perils To Beauty", "A Baby Jellyfish", "Replicas", "The Birth", "Transformation Of A Simple Life Form", "Make Fertile", "Wings", and "Apotropaic". CD