... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Mel Lewis leads a big band including Kenny Werner on piano, Dennis Irwin on bass, Earl Gardner, Joe Mosello, Glen Drewes, Jim Powell, and Bill Pusey on trumpets, John Mosca, Ed Neumeister, Douglas Purviance, and Earl McIntyre on trombones, Stephanie Fauber on french horn, Dick Oats, Ted Nash, Joe Lovano, Ralph Lalama, and Gary Smulyan on saxophones, clarinet, and flute. LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary live set from Dizzy Gillespie – recorded over in Paris, but featuring a very hip large ensemble! The group includes extra trumpet from Dave Burns, trombone from Ted Kelly and William Shepherd, alto from John Brown, tenor from George Nicholas, baritone from Cecil Payne, piano from John Lewis, bass from Al McKibbon, and drums from Kenny Clarke – plus congas from the great Chano Pozo, and a bit of vocals from Kenny Pancho Hagood! LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary live set from Dizzy Gillespie – recorded over in Paris, but featuring a very hip large ensemble! The group includes extra trumpet from Dave Burns, trombone from Ted Kelly and William Shepherd, alto from John Brown, tenor from George Nicholas, baritone from Cecil Payne, piano from John Lewis, bass from Al McKibbon, and drums from Kenny Clarke – plus congas from the great Chano Pozo, and a bit of vocals from Kenny Pancho Hagood! LP, Vinyl record album

Includes performaces with The Rhythmakers, Little Chocolate Dandies, Red McKenzie & His Mound City Blue Blowers, Ted Lewis & His Band, and Jack Teagarden & His Orchestra. LP, Vinyl record album

Conducted by Paul Lewis. LP, Vinyl record album

Not the compilation you might expect – but material from a special live performance dedicated to bop greats – featuring work from pianists Walter Bishop Jr, Al Haig, Duke Jordan, Sadik Hakim, John Lewis, Barry Harris, and Tommy Flanagan. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the strongest sessions recorded by pianist John Lewis in the 50s – a date that shows depths of his talents that run even greater than his work with the Modern Jazz Quartet, quite possibly because is work on piano is at the forefront of the record throughout! There's a sense of darkness here that really fits the image on the cover – a style that's stated clearly on piano lines that are often as spacious as they are gentle, but which also have a moodier undercurrent below, thanks to Lewis' careful choice of keys and notes. The backing is often quite spare – Lewis sometimes plays just with Connie Kay's drums, or the guitar of either Jim Hall or Barry Galbraith – and at its fullest, the record features 2 trio numbers with the bass of Percy Heath and drums of Connie Kay. Tracks are lyrically and thoughtfully composed – and titles include "Two Lyric Pieces", "Harlequin", "D&E", "Little Girl Blue", and "Warmeland". LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Howlin' Wolf, Ma Rainey, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ike Turner & His Kings Of Rhythm, Lou Sargent, Johnny Cash, Warren Smith, Carl Perkins, Billy Love, James Cotton, and Frank Frost. LP, Vinyl record album

A funky soul instrumental classic – all the way through! The team of Eldee Young and Redd Holt first came to prominence with Ramsey Lewis' first Chicago trio, then branched out on their own as a jazz act – but by the time of this set, they'd picked up a hipper, funkier late 60s sort of soul groove – and were working with larger backings and a nice deal of extra bass! The pianist in the group is the super-dope Ken Chaney – a player who uses space as much as he uses notes – providing a cool counterpoint to the funky and jazzy riffing of the Young/Holt bass/drum combo. The album includes the landmark track "Soulful Strut" – with tinkling piano over funky backings mixed with sweetened strings – and other tracks include "Funky Is As Funky Does", "Baby Your Light Is Out", "Who's Making Love", "Ain't There Something Money Can't Buy?", "Be By My Side", and "Please Sunrise". A high point in the Chicago soul scene – with backings by Willie Henderson! LP, Vinyl record album

A great batch of moogy grooves from the In Search Of Orchestra – really the team of Laurin Rinder & Michael Lewis, working here on a slightly wider variation of the styles used in their dancefloor work for AVI! The album's somewhat of a soundtrack for the In Search Of TV show hosted by Leonard Nimoy – and it's a wonderful blend of keyboards and subtle funky rhythms – often at a pace that's a lot more laidback and spacious than some of the more familiar disco from Rinder & Lewis. Lewis plays a host of great keys – including Fender Rhodes, clavinet, harpsichord, and synth – and the tracks range from long to short, with plenty of great funky bits and samples in the mix. Titles include "A Taste Of Ghosts", "Time Traveler", "The Rise & Fall Of Vlad Dracula", "In Search Of", "Nazca Lines", "Easter Island Suite", and "Afterthought". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic club from Webster Lewis – and much more of an all-out disco affair than some of his later work! The record introduces Lewis' all-encompassing style – as he writes, arranges, and produces the album at a level that easily matches that of Barry White – who would later emerge as a mentor for Lewis, introducing him as part of the later Love Unlimited Orchestra records. The group here is billed as "Webster Lewis & The Post-Pop Space-Rock Be-Bop Gospel Tabernacle Orchestra & Chorus" – a pretty good way to describe the soaringly full sound of the album – one that's built up from Webster's keyboards with lots of added strings and rhythms, plus occasional backing vocals from a female chorus. Most of the focus here is instrumental, though – filled with great tunes that include "On The Town", "Love Is The Way", "Do It With Style", "Song Of Joy", "Goodnight Baby Girl", "Since I've Been Gone", and "Saturday Night Steppin Out". LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Bettye Lavette, Frank Ballard, Linda Gail Lewis, Roscoe Gordon, Slim Rhodes, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Brightlights, Soul Suspects, Clarence Murray, Wade Cagle & The Escorts, The Four Upsetters, Alvin Robinson, and Carl Perkins. LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous tribute to the tenor talents of Paul Bascomb – pulled together here from rare 78rpm sides for United Records – including more than a few that were never issued at the time! Bascomb's got a rich and soulful tone – easily one of the best of the postwar generation, even though Paul never got the same sort of due as tenorists on big labels like King, Chess, or Savoy! The set features most of the same players on all tracks – Bascomb on tenor, Eddie Lewis on trumpet, Frank Porter and Tommy Waters on alto, and Duke Jordan on piano – and Porter sings on a few tracks too. Titles include "Mumbles Blues", "Blues & The Beat", "Black Out", "Nona", "Love's An Old Story", "Liza's Blues", and "Soul & Body". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album in a legendary run of vocal jazz classics on Atlantic Records – and a set that really helped Chris Connor move to a new level of expression in her music! The sound here is much richer than Connor's previous recordings for Bethlehem – and the small combo jazz backings have been replaced by fuller orchestrations by Ralph Burns – done in a cool, edgey sort of way that really pushes Chris into newly sophisticated territory! The sound's on a par with the best June Christy/Pete Rugolo collaborations on Capitol – and the group's filled with some great jazz players, including Zoot Sims, John Lewis, Milt Hinton, and Oscar Pettiford. Titles include "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "My April Heart", "He Was Good to Me", "Where Are You", and "Get Out Of Town". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky nugget from the second Blue Note chapter of guitarist Grant Green – that wonderful point when he shifted into more funk-based styles from his hardbop work at the start – and found a way to unlock a whole new side of his talents! The approach here is similar to some of the funky Lou Donaldson albums from the time – like Hot Dog or Say It Loud – in that tracks are nice and long, and have some great funky currents at the bottom from the drums of Idris Muhammad – who kicks up lots of those chunky funky breaks that we always love so much! Green's work on guitar is especially nice – stretched out, but never trippy, with a tight single note style that really gets the most out of the grooves – in a great lineup that features Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Claude Bartee on tenor, Emanuel Riggins on Hammond, Jimmy Lewis on bass, and Candido on congas. Neal Creque contributed two great tracks to the set – "Windjammer" and "Dracula" – and the album also sports a great long version of James Brown's "Ain't It Funky Now", and a sweet cover of "A Day In The Life"! LP, Vinyl record album

Helen Humes gets great small combo backing – from players who include Benny Carter on trumpet, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Teddy Edwards on tenor, Andre Previn on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and either Shelly Manne or Mel Lewis on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A damn great early moment from David Sanborn – a record that really shows the reedman at his best – working some tight solos over soulful backings in the same 70s manner as Tom Scott or Wilton Felder! Like both of those players, David's got the chops to step out in front of the backings strongly – blowing some of his best notes with surprisingly little flourish, and crafting a soulful lead that's supported by work from Hiram Bullock on guitar, Rosalinda De Leon on keyboards, and Victor Lewis on drums. There's a bit of vocals on the album – courtesy of Patti Austin, Lain Groves, Phoebe Snow, and Paul Simon – and titles include "Indio", "Smile", "Concrete Boogie", "Mamacita", and "7th Ave". LP, Vinyl record album

As beautiful an illustration of the genius of Lester Young as you could ever hope to find – tight, short small group numbers recorded with a keen focus on Young's amazing tone – all served up with beautiful sound throughout! The cover bills the set as being by Young and his orchestra, but the material's presented in a variety of different small group settings – with Verve regulars who include Ray Brown on bass, Hank Jones or John Lewis on piano, and Buddy Rich or Joe Jones on drums. There's no other horns on the date, so Lester's tenor is right out front on all numbers – and titles include "Little Pee Blues", "Neenah", "Thou Swell", "Up N Adam", "Encore", and "Frenesi". LP, Vinyl record album

Remember Beach music? Once upon a time we might have argued that was a more contemporary term for an older genre, like northern soul, but this mighty fine collection from the late 60s on Atlantic shows you the sound's been around for quite some time! A great soundtrack for the beach from the Carolina scene – sweetly loping grooves that got heavy play at summer resorts on the southern shores of the Atlantic! While not all the groups originated in the south, the music's gained a special place in the hearts of folks in the Carolinas, who've come to consider the music their own because of it's slightly stepping beat and gentle kind of groove! A dozen numbers in all, including "One Mint Julep" by the Clovers, "Searchin" and "Zing Went The tings Of My Heart" by the Coasters, "Think A Little Sugar" by Barbara Lewis, "CC Rider" by Chuck Willis, "Money Honey" and "Honey Love" by Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters, "Walking Up A One way Street" and "Thank You John" by Willie Tee,"There Goes My Baby" by the Drifters, "Just One Look" by Doris Troy and "Drinkin' Wine Spo Dee O Dee" by Stick McGhee. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer collection of rare 60s soul – very different than you might expect from the title and cover! Remember Beach music? Once upon a time we might have argued that was a more contemporary term for an older genre, like northern soul, but this mighty fine collection from the late 60s on Atlantic shows you the sound's been around for quite some time! A great soundtrack for the beach from the Carolina scene – sweetly loping grooves that got heavy play at summer resorts on the southern shores of the Atlantic! While not all the groups originated in the south, the music's gained a special place in the hearts of folks in the Carolinas, who've come to consider the music their own because of it's slightly stepping beat and gentle kind of groove! A dozen numbers in all, including "Searching For My Love" by Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces, "Teasin' You" by Willie Tee, "Hello Stranger" by Barbara Lewis, "Fat Boy" by Billy Stewart, "Memphis Soul Stew" by King Curtis, "May I" by Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs, "Across The Street" by Lenny O'Henry, "Without Love (There Is Nothing)" by Clyde McPhatter, "Idol With The Golden Hand" by the Coasters, "The Entertainer" by Tony Clarke, "Nip Sip" by the Clovers, and "I (Who Have Nothing)" by Ben E King. LP, Vinyl record album

From the vaults of Liberty and United Artists, with selections by Jay & The Americans, Bertell Dache, Johnny Maestro, The Belmonts, Patty Duke, Mike Clifford, Gary Lewis & The Playboys, Bobby Vee & The Johnny Mann Singers, The Fleetwoods, Patience & Prudence, Johnny Burnette & The Johnny Mann Singers, and Jan & Dean. LP, Vinyl record album

Although Marsh first came onto the scene as a modernist in the 50s, he's one of the few players of his generation who really held strong to his initial sound, continuing to craft records of understated genius for years to come. And while this album's not his best-ever, it's certainly a nicely little outing – with Marsh laying down angular tenor solos, and backing by Hank Jones, George Mraz, and Mel Lewis. Titles include "Hank's Tune", "Switchboard Joe", "Victory Ball", and "One For The Band". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums to come from the New York underground of the early 80s – even if it was a relatively big "hit" on a major label! Laurie Anderson is in perfect form here – drawing on a strong tradition of avant garde performance, but without any of the indulgences that would mire down performance art in years to come. Instead, she's got a clean, clear style that's simply amazing – spoken passages that are poetic and pointed, but which also have a slight undercurrent of wit – a charming quality that never takes itself too seriously, even when the sounds and styles are somewhat dark. Instrumentation includes some great rhythm passages from David Van Tieghem, plus surprising performances from Rufus Harley on bagpipes and George Lewis on trombone. Titles include "From The Air", "Big Science", "O Superman", "Born Never Asked", "Walking & Falling", "Example #22", "Let X = X", and "It Tango". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's an apt one, as trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff's out here in his loneliness – blowing solo, and beautifully, in a set of highly imaginative numbers! Solo trombone may not sound like the most earth-shattering thing in the world – but in the hands of Mangelsdorff, it can definitely move mountains – creating complicated patterns of shape and sound with a very familiar instrument – used here in ways you'd never expect, even from some of Albert's other group recordings. There's a strong sense of tone here – one that's perhaps only matched by George Lewis for sheer inventiveness and creativity – and Mangelsdorff never misses an opportunity to surprise, and the whole set is refreshing throughout. Titles include "Do Your Own Thing", "Fur Peter", "Marc Suetterlyn's Boogie", "Creole Love Call", "Questions To Come", and "Bonn". LP, Vinyl record album