Rare work from a group you won't know at all, but who are totally great – a hip Argentine trio who really stretch out here in an incredible mix of organ, saxes, and Fender Rhodes! The group are joined by the great Fernando Gelbard on Rhodes for three of the album's five tracks – and they also feature Hammond and piano from Horacio Larumbe, an excellent player who gets this chunky tone out of the organ that reminds us of Eddy Louiss at times – with a similar sense of great, wide colors! The group also features Oscar Tissera on flute and tenor – the latter sometimes played with "octavoice" – plus Eduardo Casalla on drums. This material appears here for the first time ever – a very cool live performance for radio, with titles that include "H2O", "Mate Con Sacarina", "Shadow Of Your Smile", and "Prohibido Fijar Carteles". CD

JJ Johnson's always a cooker, but during the late 50s he cut some incredible records for the Columbia label – tight bop sessions that still stand as some of his best work! This album's one of them – a real smoker of a set that features Johnson's trombone as the only lead horn in a cool quartet that also includes Tommy Flanagan on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Max Roach on drums – a crackling rhythm trio who make the record move a lot more than most other jazz sessions on Columbia at the time! Johnson's sense of tone and phrasing is wonderful – unadorned by any other horns, but a very powerful solo vehicle, especially in the company of the other players – and titles include "Harvey's House", "That Tired Old Routine Called Love", "Nickels & Dimes", "Be My Love", "Paul's Pal", and "Commutation". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic sounds throughout – and maybe the best album ever by this legendary 70s guitar player! O'Donel Levy's got this tremendous sound that comes from playing an electric hollow body – in a tone that takes the best bits of Grant Green and Wes Montgomery, and strips them down for a hipper, badder 70s sort of mode. The album's got some great blackploitation-esque arrangements by Manny Albam, and O'Donel's groove is nice and lean as he snakes over the top of the record in some very soulful solos! Lots of cool grooves, and titles include "Joni", "Nigerian Knights", "Bad, Bad, Simba" and "Sad, Sad, Simba". CD

Fantastic sounds throughout – and maybe the best album ever by this legendary 70s guitar player! O'Donel Levy's got this tremendous sound that comes from playing an electric hollow body – in a tone that takes the best bits of Grant Green and Wes Montgomery, and strips them down for a hipper, badder 70s sort of mode. The album's got some great blackploitation-esque arrangements by Manny Albam, and O'Donel's groove is nice and lean as he snakes over the top of the record in some very soulful solos! Lots of cool grooves, and titles include "Joni", "Nigerian Knights", "Bad, Bad, Simba" and "Sad, Sad, Simba". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff – and one of the stranger examples of a very short-lived jazz trend – the "jazz meets folk" style that appeared on a handful of albums in the early 60s! The set features Shelly Manne exploring his Jewish heritage on a host of Israeli and Jewish folk tunes, played with a group that includes Shorty Rogers, Teddy Edwards, Victor Feldman, and Al Viola. The overall sound is pretty cool – as the tracks have an angular jaunty approach that lends itself well to Manne's dexterous drumming, and a lingering sadness that brings out a nice tone in Edwards' tenor. Titles include "Zamar Nodad", "Bokrei Lachish", "Orchah Bamidbar", "My Yiddishe Momme", and "Tzena". Plus, the CD features 4 bonus tracks – all single edits of tunes on the album! CD

A wonderful later album from 50s cool jazz saxophonist Warne Marsh – one that really has an incredible focus on his tone! With his combination of a warm full tone and cool post-Tristano phrasing, Marsh has one of the most singular voices on the tenor, and one of our favorites! This mid 70s recording has him heading up a quartet playing modern bop, with Lou Levy on piano and Jake Hanna & Fred Atwood providing the pulse underneath. Unlike a lot of other players, Marsh didn't slow down or lose it in later years and his concept sounds as fresh in these later recordings as it does on his classic sides with Konitz & Tristano. The group shines on the Tristano number "317 East 32nd" and Konitz's "Subconscious-Lee" and there's some Warsh & Levy originals too, like "Lunarcy" & "Background Music". CD fatures some alternate takes of the track "On Purpose", "A Time For Love", and "I Have A Good One For You". CD

Bassist Ron McClure heads up a wonderfully warm group here – one that features excellent tenor from Anthony Ferrara, a player who blows with a slightly raspy, nicely soulful tone that's a wonderful complement to the bass! Other players include Michael Eckroth on piano and Steve Johns on drums – and the well-recorded session has Ron right out front with a strong vibe that reminds us what a great player he can be – while also letting Ferrara and Eckroth to have some great time in the spotlight as well. There's plenty of great originals by McClure on the session – including "Topanga", "Pure Imperfection", "Vinnie's 8 Bar Blues & Bridge", "Nimbus", "Let's Pretend Everything's Cool", and "Dog Day Rain". CD

A crackling date from Jackie McLean – a set that's got a more expansive feel than some of his earlier Blue Note work – filled with fire, far from the 50s – and really pointing the way towards his new directions to come! There's a hint of modernism in the mix, mostly on the tone from McLean's alto sax – but most numbers are forward-thinking, and played with a sense of perfection that's pure Blue Note all the way through – served up in original material penned by different members of the group – a killer lineup that includes a young Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, with Kenny Drew on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums. The whole set is wonderful – and titles include "Cool Green", "Torchin", "Bluesnik", "Drew's Blues", and "Blues Function". CD reissue includes 2 non-LP bonus cuts! CD

A crackling date from Jackie McLean – a set that's got a more expansive feel than some of his earlier Blue Note work – filled with fire, far from the 50s – and really pointing the way towards his new directions to come! There's a hint of modernism in the mix, mostly on the tone from McLean's alto sax – but most numbers are forward-thinking, and played with a sense of perfection that's pure Blue Note all the way through – served up in original material penned by different members of the group – a killer lineup that includes a young Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, with Kenny Drew on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums. The whole set is wonderful – and titles include "Cool Green", "Torchin", "Bluesnik", "Drew's Blues", and "Blues Function". LP, Vinyl record album

A crackling date from Jackie McLean – a set that's got a more expansive feel than some of his earlier Blue Note work – filled with fire, far from the 50s – and really pointing the way towards his new directions to come! There's a hint of modernism in the mix, mostly on the tone from McLean's alto sax – but most numbers are forward-thinking, and played with a sense of perfection that's pure Blue Note all the way through – served up in original material penned by different members of the group – a killer lineup that includes a young Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, with Kenny Drew on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums. The whole set is wonderful – and titles include "Cool Green", "Torchin", "Bluesnik", "Drew's Blues", and "Blues Function". CD

A key classic from Thelonious Monk's years at Riverside – and an album that's as compelling as its haunting title! The session features Thelonious working with a great quartet that includes Johnny Griffin on tenor, playing these wonderfully angular lines; Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass, working in well-rounded tones that add a lot of depth to the work; and Roy Haynes on drums, bringing in a playfully rhythmic spirit that really matches the tone of Monk's compositions – a wonderful quartet to interpret the thoughtful, angular, inventive numbers on the set – not just Monk's own tunes, but some killer arrangements of a few classics too. Tracks are all longish, and the album features key readings of "In Walked Bud", "Misterioso", "Nutty", and "Let's Cool One" – includes two bonus tracks. CD

A wonderful and overlooked soundtrack by Morricone – done for a western, but with a tone that's very different than most of his other spaghetti work! The main theme to the film has a very cool and groovy approach – almost in the gentle bossa mode at times, with a slightly jangly theme that reminds us a bit of moments from La Donna Invisible, juxtaposed with some other starker tunes that use mouth-organ, piano, or banjo to create some slight whimsicality. The whole thing's great – with some really cool lost mellow tunes that rank with some of our favorite in this mode by him! There's a total of 18 tracks in all on this version, including a stereo mix of "Rivoluzione??", plus "Chje C'Entriamo Noi?", "Rivoluzione??" and evolving varitions of the title theme. CD

A great pairing of two of the coolest jazz talents of the 50s – icy-cool altoist Paul Desmond and warm-toned baritonist Gerry Mulligan! The group here continues the pianoless tradition of some of Mulligan's work of the decade – leaving plenty of room for amazing interplay between the horns, and a rare chance to hear Desmond away from the instrument – especially considering his work with Brubeck – blowing here in an airy, willowy tone that's totally great. Other players include Joe Benjamin on bass and Dave Bailey on drums – and titles include "Blues In Time", "Standstill", "Line For Lyons", and "Fall Out". CD includes bonus tracks – "Tea For Two", "Wintersong", and "Lover". CD

An obscure west coast set – featuring some very hard-driving big band arrangements, short but with breakout solos that really keep things moving along at a good pace. Murphy wrote and arranged most of the material – cool little offbeat tunes, many with a space theme to match the cover of the album. Players include Frank Morgan, Milt Bernhart, Chico Hamilton, Buddy Colette, and Bob Gordon – and titles include "Lost In A Fugue", "Frantastic", "Frankly Speaking", "Tone Poem", and "Orbit". LP, Vinyl record album

Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt is always a player who finds a way to bring a little something extra to a record – shifting his sound, changing his tone, and always finding a way to offer us a fresh approach – but all while really holding strong to his core principles! Here, Plet's a sonic master – blowing both muted and unmuted, in a very cool lineup that includes excellent work on vibes from Jalen Baker and guitar from Alex Wintz – players whose combinations come across wonderfully – augmented at a few spots by Fender Rhodes and piano from Frank LoCrasto. Leighton McKinley Harrell plays both acoustic and electric bass, drums are by Allan Mednard or Deantoni Parks, and titles include "No AI", "Earl J", "Ante Meridiem", "Basquiat", "Milocraft", and "Amma Is Here". CD

Two Italian horror scores on one CD! Piero Piccioni did the soundtrack for Seven Murders For Scotland Yard – in a style that mixes more dramatic orchestrations with a few great mod touches on organ, flute, and percussion – which step out nicely on the groovier tracks, and bring in a nice note of action and surprise to a score that's mostly tense and poised for danger! Titles include "Seven Murders", "Unknown Maniac", "Reminding The Ripper", "Suspecting", "Inspector Campbell", and "Professor Christie". Francesco De Masi follows with the score for 7 Hyden Park La Casa Maledetta – done in a cool 70s electronic mode, one that often features the keyboards playing simple, but eerie melodies that set a great tone for the film's creepy plot! Titles include "Handicapped Girl", "Falling", "In The Past", "Cursed House", "House In The Park", "Fear & Blood", "So Many Corpses", and "Dreadful Cellar". CD

Record Culture is even cooler than ever – as this issue comes with a bonus book as well! But first, the magazine – this issue has the same great format as the others – a book-style package, filled with beautiful full color photos of record collectors, vinyl culture, and other cool bits from around the world – all put together to show that the love of records knows no boundaries, and is still more vibrant now than it was back in the 20th Century! There's a great article in this issue on Twilite Tone – a Chicago hero from way back, given plenty of space for his career and love of vinyl – and the issue also has features on Gerd Janson, June Jones, Eug, Vanessa Worm, Sebastien Dellier, and Bradley Zero – again, based on their interest and use of records. And lastly, there's a very interesting feature – postcards sent to the Time & Space radio show at WNYU! 211 pages, full color, and more like a softcover book. Then, you also get the very cool book – Second Generation – a collection of Chicago house music flyers from the years 1991 to 200 – dozens of pages of ads for gigs and shows, all in full color, pulled from the archives of Mark Farina and Alicia Prior. Magazine

Pretty darn amazing – and one of the campier vocal jazz albums on RCA from the late 50s! Lizabeth sings in a "guy crazy" mode that these days would really only be the province of drag acts – and it's compelling to hear a record like this, in which songs like "Men", "He is A Man", "Legalize My Name", and "It's So Nice To Have A Man Around The House" are taken at a relatively serious tone. Henri Rene handled the arrangements, and the record has a great version of "Can't Get Out Of This Mood" that begins with a cool monologue. Lizabeth is a real looker, too – and the photo on the front is practically worth the price of the record! CD

Trobonist Altin Sencalar is a new name in the lineup of Posi-Tone Records jazz musicians – yet he steps out right away with all the sorts of strength we love from their releases, while also bringing in some strong new flavors as well! There's some Latin currents on the record at times, and Sencalar has a great way of updating the role of trombone in Latin jazz, while also merging it with the strengths of some of his labelmates – working here in a really cool combo that features Diego Rivera on tenor and soprano, Patrick Cornelius on alto and flute, Art Hirahara on piano and Fender Rhodes, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums! We fell in love with Altin's sense of tone and phrasing right away, and are eager to hear more – and titles on this debut include "Homenaje A Armando", "Mixed Feelings", "Reimagined", "Marina's Arrival", "Nutville", "Minor Mishap", and "Fall". CD

Some of the greatest material Bud Shank ever recorded – a wealth of small combo sessions that run from cool jazz to bossa – and an ultra-rare South African record too! The set features material from the albums Bud Shank Quartet, Bud Shank Quartet Featuring Claude Williamson, Bud Shank Plays Tenor, Bud Shank In Africa, Slippery When Wet, New Groove, and Barefood Adventure – plus tracks from compilations Blowin The Blues and Have Blues Will Travel. The South African session is amazing – never issued in the US until this release – very unique work, with a very exotic tone! CD

One of the greatest Stanley Turrentine albums ever – a hard-blown session that's been one of our favorite Blue Notes for years! Turrentine's tone here is amazing – really raspy and earthy, with a quality that never shows up much in later recordings – a mode that's incredibly focused, yet deeply personal – stepping out with equal parts of gritty groove and creative imagination. The group's a perfect one too – with Horace Parlan really setting fire to the keys of the piano, and the team of George Tucker on bass and Al Harewood on drums giving Stan some super-tight rhythmic backing. The record is incredible, and the kind that keeps us hanging for every moment that it's on – and titles include "Journey Into Melody", "Return Engagement", "Little Sheri", "Tiny Capers", "Minor Chant", and "Look Out". CD

A fantastic early record from tenor giant Stanley Turrentine – a set that's completely hard-hitting, and which has a very different vibe than the sweeter sets he'd cut later in the 70s! Instead, this record is pure hardbop all the way through – with Turrentine matching labelmate Hank Mobley for depth of tone and freshness of ideas – stretching out on these long, live tracks with a very cool combo that also features Grant Green on guitar and Horace Parlan on piano – both of whom are superb, and hit some real Blue Note heights on the set. Parlan brings this sinister edge to some of the best tunes, and Green's guitar rings out with these fantastically soulful chromes – providing a great balance to the deep runs that Stanley takes on the tenor. This double-length package brings together volumes 1 and 2 of the LP releases – and titles include a long moody reading of "Yesterdays", plus the hard bop original "Stanley's Time" – as well as the tracks "Later at Minton's", "Come Rain or Come Shine", "Love for Sale" and "Summertime". CD

Just a short record, but one that brings together three tracks from Wilfred Trevor Woodley – a very cool pianist from Trinidad & Tobago, and one who effortlessly mixes together soulful jazz with just the right amount of elements from the Caribbean! "The Lone Pilgrim" is a great cut that has offbeat reeds, riffing guitar, and some nicely subtle use of steel drums – all of which makes for a really great sense of tone and color! "Uhuru" has a deeper spiritual jazz vibe – nicely raspy tenor blended with warm keyboards over a mighty nice bassline! And "Stickman" builds with almost a Latiny groove – nice percussion and guitar, and a bit more steel pans – topped with tenor and keyboards! LP, Vinyl record album

Work from a cool collective of musicians from the contemporary Finnish scene – music that's maybe in a slightly more spiritual side of the spectrum as work on the We Jazz label, but which also has some looser, more improvised moments too! Many of the tracks share similar musicians in different combinations – and players include Tuure Tammi on trumpet and percussion, Tero Kemppainen on bass, Simo Laihonen on drums, Sami Pekkola on tenor, Virginia Genta on keyboards, and Topias Tiheasalo on guitar – and although the individual artists are differently listed for each tune, there's plenty of crossover on the players throughout. Tracks include "Free Zing" by Kemppainen Tammi Tolvi, "Moon Water" by Oaagaada, "One More Freaky Tune" by Jooklo Sextet, "Doll No Sleep" by Pascal & Baya Rays, "Ain't No Answer" by Mush Tone Ensemble, "Live From The Joint" by Joronen & Sarkkola, and "Nette Or Nette" by Fagelbors. LP, Vinyl record album

A huge dip into the history of hip hop – in a set that's something of a groundbreaking effort from the folks at the Smithsonian! If we're honest, we'll tell you that we're old enough to remember a time when folks thought that hip hop was just a fad – when it was a musical style that would disappear in just a few short years. But now, all these many decades later, the form has had such an impact on American culture that the Smithsonian Institute is giving it some official sort of due – something we never would have believed back in the 80s! The package is huge – 9CDs with a whopping 129 tracks in all, and a 300 page book that supports the recordings with an insane amount of notes, photos, and all sorts of other information – alongside a track list that was put together by folks who include Questlove, 9th Wonder, Chuck D, Jeff Chang, and MC Lyte! The set is especially great on old school tracks up through the golden era hip hop years – but also moves into the 21st century too – and artists include Treacherous Three, Afrika Bambaataa, Fearless Four, Cold Crush Brothers, Herbie Hancock, Run DMC, Fatback, Sugarhill Gang, Kurtis Blow, Funky Four +1, T La Rock, Schoolly D, Beastie Boys, Kool Moe Dee, LL Cool J, Eric B & Rakim, Mantronix, Stetsasonic, Audio Two, Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte, Marley Marl, Tone Loc, Jungle Brothers, NWA, Public Enemy, Slick Rick, 3rd Bass, De La Soul, Queen Latifa, DOC, 2 Live Crew, Dr Dre, Sir Mix A Lot, Digable Planets, Positive K, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Naughty By Nature, Black Sheep, Tribe Called Quest, Geto Boys, Pharcyde, 2Pac, Warren G, Gang Starr, Notorious BIG, and many many more! CD

A fantastic dip into the world of Japanese funk during the 70s – a great place to start if you don't want to slap down big money for expensive imports – and a set that's also got a fair bit of obscure numbers in the lineup, even if you have some of the material from this time! The collection's got a specific ear for a groove – and often focuses on tracks that mix US styles of jazzy funk with specific Japanese styles of instrumentation – a wood flute here, a bit of koto there – all used in very cool, very groovy ways – and in a setting that's still very appealing if you're a fan of more familiar funky jazz from the 70s! Titles include "Incitation" by Monica Lassen & The Sounds, "Soran Bushi" by Toshiiko Yonekawa, "Touch Of Japanese Tone" by Takeo Yamashita, "Cloudy" by Chikara Ueda & The Power Station, "Downtown Blues" by Chumei Watanabe, "Sidewinder" by Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffalos, "Sniper's Snooze" by Masahiko Sato and Jiro Inagaki, and "Hanagas Onda" by Kifu Mitsuhashi. LP, Vinyl record album

Very nice record, and one of the rarer sides by Gene Ammons. We can't remember the exact story behind this, but we know that the material was recorded by Jug during the early 60's, when he was violating his contractual agreements with a number of labels, and recording sessions for just about everybody. Paul Winley caught him then, and put him in the studio with Howard McGhee and guitarist Jake Fisher, for this cool laidback soul jazz session that's probably one of Jug's most open-ended from the time. The tracks are all long, with a lot of room for solo space, and a round mellow tone. Winley has his name on all of the writing credits, which is probably false (the lying bastard!), and titles include "Housewarmin", "Nothin' But Soul", and "Jug & McGhee". LP, Vinyl record album

A very different record than the first collaboration between Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto – but that's also one of the things that makes it great! The album's more of a split LP than a shared one – as side one features a live performance from the great mid 60s Stan Getz quartet that featured Gary Burton on vibes – a wonderfully cool combo that was very under-documented on record, and which makes a key appearance here. The combination of Burton's vibes and Stan's tenor is pure genius – a sound that's got all the subtle hues and cool colors of the Getz bossa recordings, but which is quite different overall. Stan's tone is amazing on these tunes – and titles include "Here's That Rainy Day", "Tonight I Shall Sleep With A Smile On My Face", "Grandfather's Waltz", and "Stan's Blues". Side two features Joao Gilberto without Stan – playing in a very groovy trio that's more straight bossa than most of his other US recordings – cool small combo grooving that's totally great! The lineup features Gilberto on guitar and vocals, Keeter Betts on bass, and Helcio Milito on drums – all working in a sweetly grooving mode on titles that include "Samba De Minha Terra", "Meditation", "Bim Bom", "Rosa Moreno", and "O Pato". CD also features 5 bonus tracks with vocals from Astrud Gilberto – "It Might As Well Be Spring", "Only Trust Your Heart", "Corcovado", "Garota De Ipanema", and "Eu E Voce" – all from the Getz Au Go Go album. CD

A landmark record – both in 60s jazz and bossa nova – and a set that not only bridged worlds of music, but set the tone for so many other albums to come! By the time of this 1964 set, Stan Getz had already issued a few bossa nova experiments on Verve – but this pairing with guitarist Joao Gilberto really pushed the format over the top – thanks in part to the vocals of Gilberto's lovely wife Astrud, who'd never sung in the studio before this famous recording! The record created a sound that was copied endlessly, and which catapulted Astrud to unbelievable fame worldwide – even though she was only included in the session at the last minute, because Joao couldn't sing in English – and the mix of Stan's tenor and Joao's guitar is wonderful – and backed throughout by this light, lilting bossa nova rhythms. Titles include the classic recording of "Girl From Ipanema", plus loads of other bossa classics like "Desafinado", "Cocovado", "O Grande Amor", and "Vivo Sonhando". Plus, this CD reissue package includes 2 bonus cuts – and a very cool tri-fold cover! CD

Nice 2LP set that brings together some of his most striking sessions of the early 60s recorded for Emarcy. This set includes pieces composed and arranged by Lalo Schifrin played by a large ensemble led by Benny Carter – with Dizzy as the main soloist, and work by players that include James Moody, Phil Woods, Emil Richards, Francisco Aguabella, and Schifrin himself. Tracks are long, and have complicated introductions – then easily give way to the sort of flowing grooves that Schifrin was penning often at the time. Titles include "The Conquerors", "The Chains", "The Swords", "The Empire", and "The Legend Of Atlantis". The set also features Diz playing tracks from Tom McIntosh, one of the scene's brightest arrangers at the time, and a talent who was looming large, thanks to support from folks like Diz and James Moody. Moody's in the group – blowing tenor with a quintet that includes Kenny Barron on piano, Chris White on bass, and Rudy Collins on drums – and his tone is incredible, with a darkness that he'd rarely had before, and the whole group has a mixture of modern tones and soulful grooves that's beyond compare! Titles include "November Afternoon", "The Cup Bearers", "The Day After". Also included are songs from the soundtrack for the lost Shirley Clarke verite drama The Cool World. Mal Waldron wrote the material for the score, and Diz plays the music with a moody emotionality that you don't often hear in his other 60's work. The recording was made by his great group that included Kenny Barron and James Moody, and the titles include "The Pushers", "Duke's Fantasy", "Coney Island", and "Street Music". LP, Vinyl record album

Blues-a-plenty, but still pretty darn jazzy too – as the "blues" in the title is just Verve's code for the way the album's put together – loose, unstructured, and a great format for Johnny Hodges to do some wonderful blowing on alto sax! The album also features strong work from Ben Webster, too – whose tone is perfect for the late nite vibe of the record – and other players include Roy Eldridge on trumpet, Vic Dickenson on trombone, Billy Strayhorn on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Sam Woodyard on drums – kind of an Ellington small combo, relaxing here in a wonderfully intimate setting. The sound is beautiful, and the album's one of Hodges' best-ever for Verve – with cuts that include "Cool Your Motor", "Honey Hill", "Saturday Afternoon Blues", and "I Didn't Know About You". CD

Blues-a-plenty, but still pretty darn jazzy too – as the "blues" in the title is just Verve's code for the way the album's put together – loose, unstructured, and a great format for Johnny Hodges to do some wonderful blowing on alto sax! The album also features strong work from Ben Webster, too – whose tone is perfect for the late nite vibe of the record – and other players include Roy Eldridge on trumpet, Vic Dickenson on trombone, Billy Strayhorn on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Sam Woodyard on drums – kind of an Ellington small combo, relaxing here in a wonderfully intimate setting. The sound is beautiful, and the album's one of Hodges' best-ever for Verve – with cuts that include "Cool Your Motor", "Honey Hill", "Saturday Afternoon Blues", and "I Didn't Know About You". CD

A killer from Ahmad Jamal – a Fender Rhodes record that stands as a nice contrast to his equally great work of the 60s! Jamal was already a master of the subtle, soulful touch – and on Fender Rhodes, that quality comes out even more strongly – given some light support from arranger Richard Evans, who brings in some cool elements that are very much in the late 60s Cadet Records vein! Ahmad's tone is very rich and full, with a great soul sound – and the album features some great jazz funk covers – like a version of the classic break track "Misdemeanor", plus "Trouble Man", "Ghetto Child", and "Don't Misunderstand". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing sounds from Gino Marinacci – a 70s Italian jazz flute player, and one who's got a vibe that's very different than most of his American contemporaries! Gino really likes to go for a cool compressed tone on his instrument – often creating these warm waves of sound that are balanced by the arrangements in a great way – sometimes paired with additional flute from Alfio Gagliani, as both artists shift between variations on the instrument – in a lineup that has electric piano and organ from Antonello Vannucchi, soprano and alto from Quarto Maroni, tenor from Livio Cervellieri and Sal Genovese, and some especially great work from the legendary trombonist Dino Piana – whose own sense of compression is a great balance with the flutes! The instrumentation also includes electric bass and guitar, which with the keyboards make for a great 70s vibe – a sound that's very soulful, but with qualities that are nicely different from American work on labels like CTI. Titles include "Life", "Guardrail", "Space", "Atom Flowers", "Walking Moon", "Actors Flute Studio", "Meeing", and "Sonatina In Beat". CD

Thelonious Monk meets the mighty Oliver Nelson – the hip bigger band arranger who was helping so many other artists find their groove back in the 60s! The result is less Nelson-led than some of Oliver's other albums of the time – and instead, the arranger is nicely respectful of Monk's core sound – and still manages to led Thelonious keep the frontline strong on piano, and work with familiar players are the core who include Charlie Rouse on tenor, Larry Gales on bass, and Ben Riley on drums. Nelson's touch seeks mostly to augment the Monkish lines with some larger horn shadings – sometimes a bit upbeat, but never more swinging than Monk might want. There's enough of a blue tone here to keep this one nicely in line with the rest of the 60s Columbia catalog for Thelonious – and titles include "Monk's Point", "Consecutive Seconds", "Let's Cool One", and "Rootie Tootie". LP, Vinyl record album

A great pairing of two of the coolest jazz talents of the 50s – icy-cool altoist Paul Desmond and warm-toned baritonist Gerry Mulligan! The group here continues the pianoless tradition of some of Mulligan's work of the decade – leaving plenty of room for amazing interplay between the horns, and a rare chance to hear Desmond away from the instrument – especially considering his work with Brubeck – blowing here in an airy, willowy tone that's totally great. Other players include Joe Benjamin on bass and Dave Bailey on drums – and titles include "Blues In Time", "Standstill", "Line For Lyons", and "Fall Out". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Jimmy Raney's greatest albums – and a hard swinging set that features some wonderful interplay between his guitar and the valve trombone of Bob Brookmeyer! Piano is handled by either Hank Jones or Dick Katz – and the group has a lively edge that's reminiscent of Raney's earlier work on Prestige – modern, but never too cool, a perfect illustration of the powers Raney had during the few years when he was at his height! Jim's tone has softened a bit by the time of this recording, but the groove is still all in the right place – and the set's a great batch of single-line guitar tracks that stands right up there with the best mid 50s work by Tal Farlow. Tracks include "The Flag Is Up", "Get Off That Roof", "Jim's Tone", and "Too Late Now". CD

An obscure one from Chicago – a cool mix of vocal jazz, exotic rhythms, and a bit of club soul! LP, Vinyl record album

A great debut from Japanese tenorist Takao Uematsu – a player who blows here with a wonderful sense of tone right from the start – almost an inherent sense of spiritualism that he still manages bring to tunes with a straight ahead swing! The approach is a bit like Archie Shepp in that cool 70s stretch when he was stepping away from the outside – and Uematsu's clearly a player who knows the far reaches, but often just hints at them in his music – while moving through these long-blown lines spurred on by a really wonderful group! The combo features excellent Fender Rhodes from Sadayasu Fuji – who stretches out on the long tracks on the set – plus trombone from Takashi Imai, bass from Yoshio Suzuki, and drums from George Otsuka. Titles include "TI", "Sleep My Love", "Stella By Starlight", and "Inside Parts". CD

A landmark album – even if it was the only session that Cannonball Adderley ever cut for Blue Note! The album was recorded at a time when Adderley was working with Miles Davis – and as such, the session features a group that includes Miles, blowing trumpet in a cool tone that's a perfect offset to Cannonball's more soulful style on alto sax – also different than the sound of his brother Nat, who was Adderley's more frequent partner on records. The rest of the group includes Hank Jones on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – and like John Coltrane's Blue Train, the record's more of an "special session" than the usual Blue Note album, but the strength of the players make it one of the more memorable records of its day! Titles include "Somethin' Else", "One For Daddy-O", "Autumn Leaves", "Love For Sale", and a nice moody take on "Dancing In The Dark". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album – even if it was the only session that Cannonball Adderley ever cut for Blue Note! The album was recorded at a time when Adderley was working with Miles Davis – and as such, the session features a group that includes Miles, blowing trumpet in a cool tone that's a perfect offset to Cannonball's more soulful style on alto sax – also different than the sound of his brother Nat, who was Adderley's more frequent partner on records. The rest of the group includes Hank Jones on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – and like John Coltrane's Blue Train, the record's more of an "special session" than the usual Blue Note album, but the strength of the players make it one of the more memorable records of its day! Titles include "Somethin' Else", "One For Daddy-O", "Autumn Leaves", "Love For Sale", and a nice moody take on "Dancing In The Dark". CD

A landmark album – even if it was the only session that Cannonball Adderley ever cut for Blue Note! The album was recorded at a time when Adderley was working with Miles Davis – and as such, the session features a group that includes Miles, blowing trumpet in a cool tone that's a perfect offset to Cannonball's more soulful style on alto sax – also different than the sound of his brother Nat, who was Adderley's more frequent partner on records. The rest of the group includes Hank Jones on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – and like John Coltrane's Blue Train, the record's more of an "special session" than the usual Blue Note album, but the strength of the players make it one of the more memorable records of its day! Titles include "Somethin' Else", "One For Daddy-O", "Autumn Leaves", "Love For Sale", and a nice moody take on "Dancing In The Dark". CD

A classic album of vocal tracks from Chet Baker – one that elevates the sound of his earlier small group work with some added backings on some tracks – all at a level that continues the new level of sophistication that Baker brought to jazz on his first few recordings! The mid 50s set is overflowing with key performances from Chet, both on vocals and trumpet – and the core group features wonderful work on piano from Russ Freeman, and this great use of flute by Bud Shank – which seems to underscore some of the moodier currents in Baker's music. Some tracks feature larger arrangements that really elevate the proceedings – handled by Johnny Mandel, Marty Paich, and Frank Campo – and the album's classic Chet all the way through – cool but fragile – summed up in the set's perfect take on the stone classic "Lets Get Lost" – plus titles that include "Just Friends", "Grey December", "I Remember You", "Long Ago & Far Away", "Someone To Watch Over Me", "I Wish I Knew", and "Daybreak". LP, Vinyl record album

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". CD

A real classic in the canon of American postwar jazz – one of the few albums ever cut as a leader by Boston baritone player Serge Chaloff – one of a handful of musicians who really helped move the instrument forward in jazz, and help it take a rightful place next to the expressiveness of the tenor and alto sax! Even though he hardly got a chance to record, Serge was a hell of a player, and one who has both the rich tone of the instrument completely in hand, while also able to move with the fluidity of a much leaner horn – a quality that's augmented here by the fantastic rhythm work from Sonny Clark on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The set's a treasure through and through – from the cool cover image, to the great music within – served up on tunes that include "How About You", "Handful Of Stars", "The Goof & I", "Susie's Blues", and "All The Things You Are". CD

Sublime spiritual jazz from a really great contemporary group – a combo that features key players on the New Zealand scene, all working together in a set of modal jazz numbers with a very soulful vibe! Bassist Ben Turua may be the star of the set – as the tone and pacing of his instrument really guides the group on most numbers – and allows very free flights from other players, who include Cameron Allen on tenor and alto, Guy Harrison on piano and Fender Rhodes, Finn Scholes on trumpet and vibes, Julien Dyne on drums, and Jong Yun Lee on soprano, tenor, alto, and flute! There's a warm glow throughout, and a depth that's somewhere in the early 70s handling of this sort of material by labels like Impulse or Flying Dutchman – save for the fact that the tunes are all original too. Cory Champion adds some cool Buchla Modular synth on most tracks – and there's also a bit of harp on the record too – on titles that include "Spirits (part 2)", "Bliss", "Plume", "Veneer", "Kohan", and "Bones". LP, Vinyl record album

Great 70s trio work from the master of electric jazz guitar tone – working here with Ray Brown on bass and Hank Jones on piano – a cool drum-less group that really lets you get to hear Tal at work! LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark record – both in 60s jazz and bossa nova – and a set that not only bridged worlds of music, but set the tone for so many other albums to come! By the time of this 1964 set, Stan Getz had already issued a few bossa nova experiments on Verve – but this pairing with guitarist Joao Gilberto really pushed the format over the top – thanks in part to the vocals of Gilberto's lovely wife Astrud, who'd never sung in the studio before this famous recording! The record created a sound that was copied endlessly, and which catapulted Astrud to unbelievable fame worldwide – even though she was only included in the session at the last minute, because Joao couldn't sing in English – and the mix of Stan's tenor and Joao's guitar is wonderful – and backed throughout by this light, lilting bossa nova rhythms. Titles include the classic recording of "Girl From Ipanema", plus loads of other bossa classics like "Desafinado", "Cocovado", "O Grande Amor", and "Vivo Sonhando". CD reissue package includes 2 bonus cuts – and a very cool tri-fold cover! CD

A selection of work by one of the most enigmatic talents on the LA scene of the mid 50s – French Horn player John Graas, an artist with a talent as unique as his horn! Unlike other jazz artists who used the French Horn, Graas managed to keep things cool and light – working in a cool mode that really fit the tone of the scene at the time – but also bringing in some nice modern touches to his writing, as you'll hear in this set of mostly original numbers. The CD collects recordings from the year 1957 – a shifting group of players that includes Graas on a few numbers, plus Jack Montrose, Bill Perkins, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, and Paul Moer – all coming together in varying configurations around Graas' compositions. Titles include "Cluster", "Mood", "Cannon Friar", "Westlake Bounce", "Motif", "Cannon Ball", and "Mulliganesque". CD

It's the late 60s, and Eddie's creating his famous electrified Varitone sound – unique among other soul jazz players in that it actually added a lot to Eddie's work, instead of detracted from it (as with some other boppers who briefly picked up the instrument.) The Varitone's cool flat tone works extremely well with the original tracks on Electrifying Eddie Harris – like the long version of "Listen Here", the groovy "Sham Time", the Latiny "Spanish Bull", or the incredible "Theme In Search Of A Movie", written by the great Chicago soul genius Charles Stepney. The album Plug Me In features Harris along with some fantastic arrangements by Stepney. Stepney's work on the album is amazing, and he contributes incredible touches like prepared piano and funky strings, both of which make the album one of the best that Harris ever did! Titles on the session include "Live Right Now", "It's Crazy", "Winter Meeting", and "Theme In Search Of A TV Commercial". CD

Great later work from Eddie Harris – three albums in a single set! Live In Berlin is a surprisingly great concert – recorded by Eddie at the end of the 80s, with a fire and open approach that we wouldn't have expected! The album features Eddie on piano and tenor, with backing only by Ray Peterson on bass and Norman Fearrington on drums – and the spare setting really has Eddie taking charge of the set dynamically, hitting funky notes one moment, soulful notes another, and messing around in a tripped-out style that we haven't heard since his best Atlantic recordings of the early 70s. The set kicks off with the funky jamband number "Ambidextrous", rolls into the weird vocal tune "La Carnival", and contains other great numbers like "Scatting Unlyrically Simultaneously", "Airigen", "Walkin", "Lover", and "Eddie Who". Eddie Who is only a trio set, but one that often has all the full, soulful currents of some of the reedman's 70s material for Atlantic Records! Eddie plays piano and trumpet in addition to his usual tenor – and often does so at the same time, thanks to the magic of overdub – which also allows Harris to vocalize a bit next to his instrumental passages, with this very cool sound that's both an extension of the vocalizations he'd begun with Les McCann, but also some more familiar jazz singing as well. The whole album's not vocal, and the more instrumental passages feature some mighty nice tenor – and rhythm is from the team of Ralphe Armstrong on bass and Sherman Ferguson on drums. Titles include "Eddie Who", "Cedar Trees", "Silverplated", "Eddie Theme", and "Ambidextrous". People Get Funny is a later album from reedman Eddie Harris – but a set that still continues some of his best funky styles from the 70s Atlantic Records years! In fact, the record may well be the last that Eddie ever cut in this mode – a real surprise at a time when some of his other sessions were more traditional – and the record's filled with lots of very groovy surprises that include great Fender Rhodes from William Henderson, plus more electric piano from Eddie – who also sings a bit too, in that great raspy tone of his. Rhythms are often pretty great, too – funky, in an offbeat way – thanks to sweet basslines from Larry Gales and drums from Carl Burnett. Titles include "People Get Funny When They Get A Little Money", "Ski Ball", "Three Quarter Miles", "Silver Plated", "Hal Strange", and "Step Down To The Top". CD

Earl Hines has a very cool trio here – a unique group that features Richard Davis on bass and Elvin Jones on drums – both younger modern players who provide a surprising match for his lead work on piano! Hines really seems to step up to the setting, and although his phrasing and tone echo his older years in jazz, there's also a fresh crackle to the record too – one that may also partly come from the way in which Earl was really being rediscovered and re-exposed at the time of the album's recording. Davis and Jones definitely never try to overdo things, but you can definitely feel their presence at work – particularly Jones, whose percussion on the record is a real delight. Titles include "Stanley Steamer", "Shoe Shine Boy", "Smoke Rings", "Save It Pretty Mama", and "Bernie's Tune". CD

Fantastic sounds throughout – and maybe the best album ever by this legendary 70s guitar player! O'Donel Levy's got this tremendous sound that comes from playing an electric hollow body – in a tone that takes the best bits of Grant Green and Wes Montgomery, and strips them down for a hipper, badder 70s sort of mode. The album's got some great blackploitation-esque arrangements by Manny Albam, and O'Donel's groove is nice and lean as he snakes over the top of the record in some very soulful solos! Lots of cool grooves, and titles include "Joni", "Nigerian Knights", "Bad, Bad, Simba" and "Sad, Sad, Simba". CD

An early showcase for the cool, compressed flute work of the young Herbie Mann – a style that created a great bridge to jazz for so many later players on the instrument! The Mann heard here isn't the overblown, soul-drenched Herbie of the 60s – but a player who's very careful with his tone and timing, yet still able to swing incredibly well! Herbie's solos are a masterpiece of economy – and set up strongly in a hip quartet that features some equally careful work from Joe Puma on guitar – plus Charles Andrus on bass and Harold Granowsky on drums. There's a number of strong original tunes on the set – numbers written with a bit of wit and angular finish – and titles include "Jasmin", "Woodchuck", "One Way Love", "Sorimao", "The Influential Mr Cohn", and "Beverly". LP, Vinyl record album

A crackling date from Jackie McLean – a set that's got a more expansive feel than some of his earlier Blue Note work – filled with fire, far from the 50s – and really pointing the way towards his new directions to come! There's a hint of modernism in the mix, mostly on the tone from McLean's alto sax – but most numbers are forward-thinking, and played with a sense of perfection that's pure Blue Note all the way through – served up in original material penned by different members of the group – a killer lineup that includes a young Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, with Kenny Drew on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums. The whole set is wonderful – and titles include "Cool Green", "Torchin", "Bluesnik", "Drew's Blues", and "Blues Function". LP, Vinyl record album

Three albums in one package! First up is TTT – a great later date from tenor genius JR Monterose – a set that's deceptively simple at the outset, but which has JR playing with all of those wonderfully sharp lines and well-chosen phrases of earlier years! Monterose is a real unsung talent on his instrument – a player who never went too far out on most recordings, but managed to pack an incredible amount of ideas into each solo – a bit like Sonny Rollins at his most inventive, but with a raspier tone that's got to be heard to be fully appreciated. This set features Monterose continuing his genius in a live setting – working in a Danish club in 1988 with a quartet that includes Hod O'Brien on piano, Guffy Pallesen on bass, and Jesper Elen on drums. The titles are all familiar ones, but the solos are the sort of thing that make you fully appreciate jazz at its best – the kind of phrasing, timing, and tone that true giants like Monterose bring to their best work. Tracks include "All The Things You Are", "What's New", "Central Park West", "Airegin", and "You Don't Know What Love Is". Next is Alive In Amsterdam – some of the rawest work ever from this under-recorded tenor genius – a late 60s Dutch set that's very different than both the famous blue album by JR Monterose, and his later comeback material too! Here, the bulk of the record is just JR on tenor with percussion accompaniment – the drums of Han Bennink on side one, then added percussion from three other players alongside Bennink on side two – while JR switches to a very cool electrified, amplified version of the tenor! His tone and texture are wonderful right from the start – as he and Bennink deliver fantastic duet performances of "I Remember Clifford" and "Sonnymoon For Two" – before joining with the other percussionists on the extended "Reborn" on side two – a very well-titled number, given JR's sound! Last is Body & Soul – an extremely rare set – recorded in 1970 in Holland, and featuring the tenor of JR Monterose in quintet with Jon Eardley on trumpet, Rien De Graaff on piano, Henk Haverhoek on bass, and Pierre Courbois on drums. The set's a key lost chapter in the career of this enigmatic tenor player – as it's got a sound that reaches back to his few hardbop recordings from the 50s, but also shows that Monterose had grown a lot as a soloist in the past decade, inserting a lot more freeness to his style, possibly an influence from 60s modernists like Coltrane or Ayler. The Dutch rhythm of the set works quite well for the nature of the materials – and Courbois' drums are especially compelling, nicely held back here from some of their more over-the-top tendencies, but adding in a lot of complicated fills and rhythmic changes underneath the sax solos. Titles include "Short Bridge", "Old Folks", "For Hank", "Just Blues", and "Body & Soul". CD

A fantastic CD collection – one that brings together all five volumes of Stereolab's Switched On albums in one set – a huge collection of unusual material and rare singles! On the original Switched On record, moog, fuzz, and farfisa have never sounded so great together – and although these guys drank deep of the well of 60s pop magic before making this modern-day classic – they also come off sounding pretty darn original on their own! When this gem of a record first hit the world, it was as if all of us were hearing music from the cosmos for years, but could never find a way to make it part of our everyday lives. Then along come Tim Gane, Laetitia Sadier, and crew – and completely change the world for the better! An album that no home should be without – with titles that include "Contact", "Super-Electric", "Doubt", "Brittle", "Au Grand Jour", "The Way Will Be Opening", and "Changer". Refried Ectoplasm is the second in the holy trinity of "switched on" albums from Stereolab – a set that collects together all the unusual recordings and other side bits the group were doing in the early years of their career – standing strong as a testament to their non-stop efforts to forever push the boundaries of electric fuzzy pop! The vocals Laetitia Sadier are completely sublime – almost a bridge between the darker modes of the previous pop generation and all the new ideas of the world to come – when the rest of rock music would finally catch up to these guys, and realize that the best path to the future is through the past! Titles include "Farfisa", "John Cage Bubblegum", "Tempter", "Exploding Head Movie", "French Disko", "Harmonium", "Revox", "Mountain", and "Sadistic". By the time of Aluminum Tunes (Switched On Vol 3) – it had only been a few years since the previous Switched On set, but Stereolab had already created so much musical magic, they needed a double-length record to keep the whole thing intact! The sound here is somehow getting even more dreamy and wonderful – definitely showing their work with the mighty Sean O'Hagan, and also really opening up into all the many musical ideas that Tim Gane was picking up from his never-ending search for unusual records! The 60s swirl through time and space, and make the future sound even better than we could have imagined it – while the Channel is drained, and England and France become one in a genius marriage of pure pop modes. Titles include "The Extension Trip", "How To Play Your Internal Organs Overnight", "Space Moment", "Iron Man", "The Long Hair Of Death", "One Note Samba/Surfboard", "Percolations", "1000 Miles An Hour", "Klang Tone", and a great take on the theme to "Get Carter". Switched On 4 is full of fantastic sounds from Stereolab – an assortment of rare singles and other unusual recordings that were mostly issued on their own Duophonic label, and which are far more obscure than their bigger label albums during the same period! Even though Stereolab gave the world some undeniable classics in the late 90s and early 00s, they were also working endlessly, and seemed to record more than they could ever fit on a full length set – which resulted in all the cool singles, limited releases, and other material included here – not dusty tapes pulled from the archives, but beautiful work that often returns the group to all the space age charms of their first few records! The package is huge – 25 tracks in all, of varying length – and titles include "Barok Plastik", "Calimero", "Fried Monkey Eggs (voc)", "Solar Throw Away", "Variation One", "Monkey Jelly", "Explosante Fixe", "Jump Drive Shut Out", "The Super-It", "L'Exotisme Interieur", "Pandora's Box Of Worms", "Retrograde Mirror Form", "Nomus E Phusis", "I Feel The Air Of Another Planet", "Outer Bongolia", and "Intervals". Includes tracks from Duophonic 45s, Underground Is Coming EP, Moog, First Of The Microbe Hunters, and work from compilations, unreleased tracks, and even a collaboration with Brigitte Fontaine! Switched On 5 is maybe the coolest entry so far in this really wonderful series – a set that's overflowing with rare and unusual work from Stereolab – most of it done at a time when the group were riding high on a major label, but still managed to issued a huge amount of music on their own, and work in a variety of collaborative settings too! One of our favorite is their work with Nurse With Wound, and tracks from that partnership begin this set – which then moves into rare singles, work with artists, compilation contributions, and plenty more – all with the usual Stereolab charm, but often with a nicely different vibe too! Titles include "Simple Headphone Mind", "Symbolic Logic Of Now", "Magne Music", "Forensic Itch", "Spool Of Collusion", "Robot Riot", "Trippin With The Birds", "Cybele's Reverie (live)", "Nth Degrees, "Refractions In The Plastic Pulse (Autechre Feebate mix)", and "Plastic Mile (original version)". CD

A strange one for Sonny Stitt – but also a real gem! The album has Sonny, who'd been working for the Roost/Roulette label, coming together with other jazz players in the same boat, plus Latin musicians who were recording for the related Tico label. Moishe Levy never made such a good talent judgement as he did with this session – which features an all-star Latin jazz jam that includes the likes of Ray Barretto, Joe Cuba, Junior Mance, Les Spann, Billy Taylor, Wild Bill Davis, Barry Galbraith, Walter Perkins, and Tito Puente. The organ of Davis is a particularly great touch – odd for a Latin session, but creating a cool groove on the best tracks, and a nice way to touch back with a soul jazz sound. Stitt's tone is right out front, and never sounded better – making us wish he'd recorded a few more albums in this manner! Titles include "Duketation", "Twana", "Icey Stone", "Let My People Split", "Samba De Orfeo", "Liberian Love Song", and "Handkerchief Head". Very hip stuff – and organized by Henry Glover, which might be part of the explanation for that! LP, Vinyl record album

The "pair" here is Phil Woods and Gene Quill – both blowing beautifully on alto sax, with that sharp edge and deep tone that made both players a real standout in the 50s scene! The Woods/Quill mix has been documented elsewhere, but the sound here is rawer than some of those other dates – a bit less formal, with a nice blowing session sort of groove. There's also a pair of trumpets, too – Donald Byrd and Kenny Dorham – and rhythm is from the trio of Tommy Flanagan on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. All tracks are quite long – and the album features 4 titles that include "The Stanley Stomper", "Cool Aid", "Suddenly It's Spring", and "Pairing Off". LP, Vinyl record album

Lester Young joins the Oscar Peterson trio – and the result is a classic meeting of the minds from early 50s Verve! Young's tone is tremendous throughout – that sharp-yet-cool style that had such a big influence on other 50s players, and which gets some great support here from Peterson's group, which also features guest guitar from Barney Kessel. Oscar's piano lines are a bit more forceful than usual – possibly because of the presence of Prez – and titles include "I Can't Get Started", "Ad Lib Blues", "Just You Just Me", "Two To Tango", "I'm Confessin", "There Will Never Be Another You", and "Almost Like Being In Love". CD

A holy grail of jazz – Roy Ayers' first album as a leader, and a near-lost session that's simply sublime! The record was cut at the same time that Roy was working in LA with pianist Jack Wilson – and it's got an approach that's a bit similar to some of the Wilson/Ayers sessions for Atlantic, Blue Note, and Vault – but with a marked difference here in the presence of Curtis Amy, who plays some incredible tenor and soprano sax on the session – arcing out over the modal lines set up by the vibes and piano, and shading in the record with a much deeper sense of soul! Amy plays on about half the album's tracks – all of which are standout modal tunes that preface the MPS/Saba sound by a number of years, and which we'd easily rank as some of the greatest jazz recorded anywhere in the 60s. And even the tracks without Amy are great too – and have Roy echoing out with a wonderfully round tone on the vibes – no tricks, no gimmicks, no attempt to cross over to commercial jazz – just a brilliant tone and fresh vision on his instrument for the time. Wilson's great too (but when is he not?) – and rhythm is by either Bill Plummer or Victor Gaskin on bass, and either Tony Bazley or Kenny Dennis on drums. Titles include "Sound & Sense", "Ricardo's Dilemma", "Out Of Sight", "Young & Foolish", "Reggie Of Chester", and "Days Of Wine & Roses". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – "Now's The Time" and "Perhaps/Cool Blues" – both pulled from the Bird Call record with Vi Redd as a leader, noteworthy as Roy's first time in the studio! CD

Four great albums from reedman Arthur Blythe – all together in one collection! First up is Lenox Avenue Breakdown – a stunning Columbia Records debut from Blythe! At the time of the date, Blythe had already spent years working in the jazz undergrounds on both coasts – developing a searing sound on alto sax that's perfect for the focused structure of this album – almost a tone poem of sorts, offering up a portrait of the Harlem scene that was a key part of Arthur's life at the time. The sounds are sharp, but also have a sense of energy that really holds them together – guiding the players through long readings of well-penned tunes by Blythe that are filled with loads of energy and life! Players include James Newton on flute, James Blood Ulmer on guitar, Bob Stewart on tuba, Cecil McBee on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and Guillermo Franco on percussion – and titles include "Odessa", "Slidin Through", "Down San Diego Way", and "Lenox Avenue Breakdown". In The Tradition is a gem – as the set represents the modern musician taking on a host of older jazz currents, while carving things out with his own special sort of soul! Half the tunes are familiar favorites, the other half originals – and Blythe moves far past his avant roots, to showcase his deep understanding of so many different shades of jazz – blowing alto beautifully throughout, in a very hip quartet that features Stanley Cowell on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Steve McCall on drums! Titles include great takes on "Naima", "Jitterbug Waltz", "Caravan", and "In A Sentimental Mood" – plus the originals "Break Tune" and "Hip Dipper". Illusions is maybe the boldest of Arthur Blythe's albums for Columbia Records – as the set bristles with newly creative energy right from the start, and provides a great showcase for some of the criss-crossings of styles and rhythms that were taking place on the New York scene at the time! The lineup alone announces something special – a cool combination of James Blood Ulmer on guitar, John Hicks on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, Abdul Wadud on cello, Bob Stewart on tuba, and Steve McCall on drums – working together in some slight variations at times, often with these angular edges that are perfectly sharpened by Arthur's amazing work on alto sax. The music's never too free, but quite outside for a major label at the time – balanced out so that it's never overindulgent at all. Titles include "Bush Baby", "Miss Nancy", "My Son Ra", and "Carespin With Mamie". Blythe Spirit is a set that showcases the never-ending growth and imagination of reedman Arthur Blythe during this fruitful period of his career – and his ability to effortlessly blend together different elements in his music – especially sides of the New York loft jazz scene, and the Chicago-based AACM! The tunes are beautiful – mostly originals, and showing a richer spirituality than even a year before – while still working in that compellingly rhythmic mode that Arthur was hitting during these years – in a lineup that features Blythe on alto, Abdul Wadud on cello, Kelvyn Bell on guitar, Steve McCall and Bobby Battle on drums, John Hicks on piano, Amina Claudine Myers on organ, and Fred Hopkins on bass. The mix of electric and acoustic elements is fantastic – very fresh, even all these many years later – and titles include "Misty", "Spirits In The Field", "Just A Closer Walk With Thee", "Reverence", and "Contemplation". CD

A real classic in the canon of American postwar jazz – one of the few albums ever cut as a leader by Boston baritone player Serge Chaloff – one of a handful of musicians who really helped move the instrument forward in jazz, and help it take a rightful place next to the expressiveness of the tenor and alto sax! Even though he hardly got a chance to record, Serge was a hell of a player, and one who has both the rich tone of the instrument completely in hand, while also able to move with the fluidity of a much leaner horn – a quality that's augmented here by the fantastic rhythm work from Sonny Clark on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The set's a treasure through and through – from the cool cover image, to the great music within – served up on tunes that include "How About You", "Handful Of Stars", "The Goof & I", "Susie's Blues", and "All The Things You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

A real classic in the canon of American postwar jazz – one of the few albums ever cut as a leader by Boston baritone player Serge Chaloff – one of a handful of musicians who really helped move the instrument forward in jazz, and help it take a rightful place next to the expressiveness of the tenor and alto sax! Even though he hardly got a chance to record, Serge was a hell of a player, and one who has both the rich tone of the instrument completely in hand, while also able to move with the fluidity of a much leaner horn – a quality that's augmented here by the fantastic rhythm work from Sonny Clark on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The set's a treasure through and through – from the cool cover image, to the great music within – served up on tunes that include "How About You", "Handful Of Stars", "The Goof & I", "Susie's Blues", and "All The Things You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

Guitarist Ed Cherry gave us some great albums on the Posi-tone label in recent years – and he's equally great here in a different setting – a cool cooker of a record with Monte Croft on vibes and Kyle Koehler on Hammond! The mix of guitar, vibes, and organ is mighty nice – used in ways that are looser and more open than they would have been back on a 60s session for Prestige, yet still equally soulful under the leadership of Cherry – and driven on nicely by the sharp crackle of the drums of Byron Landham! Titles include "Holy Land", "Are We There Yet", "Ding Dong", "Jean Pauline", "Japanese Folk Song", "Green Jeans", and "Lawns". CD

The team of Paul Desmond and Jim Hall was one of the best ideas ever forged in American jazz of the 60s – and the icy pair are perfect company together on this album of bossa-inflected tracks with a very cool edge! The album allows Desmond's alto to take on a warmth and flowing quality it never had in the Dave Brubeck group – and Hall's guitar work, while a masterpiece of understatement, brings in just the right amount of ringing tone to echo out the brilliance of Desmond's ideas. Gene Wright and Connie Kay complete the group, and titles include "O Gato", "Samba Cantina", "Girl From East 9th", "Ship Without A Sail", and "Bossa Antigua". LP, Vinyl record album

The team of Paul Desmond and Jim Hall was one of the best ideas ever forged in American jazz of the 60s – and the icy pair are perfect company together on this album of bossa-inflected tracks with a very cool edge! The album allows Desmond's alto to take on a warmth and flowing quality it never had in the Dave Brubeck group – and Hall's guitar work, while a masterpiece of understatement, brings in just the right amount of ringing tone to echo out the brilliance of Desmond's ideas. Gene Wright and Connie Kay complete the group, and titles include "O Gato", "Samba Cantina", "Girl From East 9th", "Ship Without A Sail", and "Bossa Antigua". Plus, this excellent CD reissue features 2 bonus tracks – the groovy "Samba Cepeda" and an alternate take of "O Gato". CD

Great 70s trio work from the master of electric jazz guitar tone – working here with Ray Brown on bass and Hank Jones on piano – a cool drum-less group that really lets you get to hear Tal at work! CD

A great illustration of the upbeat, positive vibe that Peggy Lee could serve up when she was at her best – a cool Capitol Records mode that really helped Lee set a whole new tone for singers in the 60s! The great Jack Marshall is at the helm on arrangements – putting things together with a vibe that's bright, but also pretty modern as well – thanks to work from a west coast jazz lineup that includes Shelly Manne on drums, Joe Harnell on piano, Pete Candoli on trumpet, and Barney Kessel on guitar! The set includes Lee's famous version of "Fever" – plus "It's A Wonderful World", "Things Are Swingin'", Alright, Okay, You Win", "Ridin' High", "Alone Together", "Life For Livin'", and"You Don't Know". A classic collaboration between Peggy Lee and Nelson Riddle – and a record that really set the tone for Lee's famous Capitol sides of the 60s! The groove here is very upbeat – as you might guess from the title – with a bouncing, almost syncopated approach that's definitely Riddle's, but which also hints at some of Lee's more soul-based backings of the 60s from Jack Marshall – those slinky-stepping groovers that would really put her back in front of American ears. Many tunes are older numbers, but they're updated nicely by Riddle's playful backings – and cuts include "Jump For Joy", "Back In Your Own Back Yard", "Old Devil Moon", "What A Little Moonlight Can Do", "Just In Time", "Music Music Music", "Four Or Five Times", and "Ain't We Got Fun". CD

One of the greatest soundtracks ever from the early years of Henry Mancini – a hip jazzy TV score that we've loved for years! The jazzy theme to "Mr Lucky" is reason enough to buy this album – as it's got these wonderful warm washes of sound, interlayed in a way that makes you wish the track went on and on and on again – but Mancini brilliantly follows that gem up with a host of wonderful other tunes – cool numbers that move past even the familiar crime jazz that Hank had given us on Peter Gunn, into a level of instrumental sophistication that set a whole new tone for the 60s generation to come. Other tunes include "Lightly Latin", "Tipsy", "One Eyed Cat", "Chime Time", and "March Of The Cue Balls", a Mancini classic if there ever was one! LP, Vinyl record album

Guitarist Joe Marcinek has a mighty sharp group here – a combo that features plenty of organ work from Robert Walter, plus piano, trombone, trumpet, and tenor – all used in ways that are nicely more complicated than just standard funk! Marcinek's a bit like Eddie Roberts – in that he's a guitarist who's got clearly got some great chops and a very wide range – which often pushes the music into more jazz-based territory, even though most of the tunes are short and funky too! The set really draws a lot from Joe's strong sense of color and tone – and titles include "Vitalizing", "Dog", "Bella", "Cool Down", "Lagniappe", and "Bulldog". LP, Vinyl record album

A key classic from Thelonious Monk's years at Riverside – and an album that's as compelling as its haunting title! The session features Thelonious working with a great quartet that includes Johnny Griffin on tenor, playing these wonderfully angular lines; Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass, working in well-rounded tones that add a lot of depth to the work; and Roy Haynes on drums, bringing in a playfully rhythmic spirit that really matches the tone of Monk's compositions – a wonderful quartet to interpret the thoughtful, angular, inventive numbers on the set – not just Monk's own tunes, but some killer arrangements of a few classics too. Tracks are all longish, and the album features key readings of "In Walked Bud", "Misterioso", "Nutty", and "Let's Cool One". LP, Vinyl record album

Guitar man Joel Paterson always has a great way with a Holiday record – maybe echoing the Chet Atkins sound of the past, but also bringing in a bit more jazz as well – all while working on the array of cool guitars pictured on the cover! As that image attests, Joel also plays a bit of steel guitar – an instrument that's handled with a wonderfully deft style, in a trio with Beau Sample on bass and Alex Hall on drums and percussion. Titles include "Christmas Island", "Christmas Guitar Boogie", "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", "Please Come Home For Christmas", "Here Comes Santa Claus", "Let It Snow", and "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those rare European sessions by bassist Oscar Pettiford that far outshines most of his American work from the 50s! The set's a very hip one – cut with a quartet that includes German modernists Hans Koller on tenor and Atilla Zoller on guitar, plus American Jimmy Pratt on drums. Pettiford plays a bit of Cello on the set, and the string treatment that he delivers, next to Zoller's unique style of guitar, really makes the album a great one. Added to all of this is Koller's fantastic tone on tenor – an icy cool one that slices through the guitar and bass with dexterity. Titles include "Cohn's Limit", "Oscar's Blues", "Blues In The Closet", and "The Gentle Art Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

That's Betico Salas on the cover – a hell of a trumpet player, and one who really sets the tone for this rare album from the Peruvian scene! The record's very much in the best small combo mode of the New York scene of the time, but also has some unique South American touches too – some of which come from the vocal phrasing of singer Benny Del Solar, others from the always-cool piano work of Alfredo Linares – an artist we love on his own records, and who really adds plenty here too. The production is nice and raw, and titles include "Mambo Jazz", "Ritmo De Amor", "El Arbol", "La Renga", "Que Le Digo A Mi Mujer", "Asi Nama", and "La Chola". LP, Vinyl record album

Lonnie Smith revisits some of the key songs of his early years – but does them here in the company of a cool octet – so that the results often come out sounding a heck of a lot different than the originals! Lonnie was a hell of a player right at the start, but in recent years he's developed a depth that we never would have expected – a sense of tone and color, phrasing and phasing, that really pushes him into a whole new level. The work of the larger group here illustrates that quality wonderfully – as the added trumpet, alto, flute, and tenor help give the music a sophisticated edge while still never losing the groove that's always made Smith so great. The Hammond lines are completely sublime – and the set features long versions of "Aw Shucks", "Move Your Hand", "In The Beginning", "Turning Point"," Mama Wailer/Hola Muneca", "Keep Talkin", "Slouchin", "Track Nine", and "Psychedelic Pi". CD

One of the greatest albums by Toots that we've ever heard – a groovy set of tunes recorded in the 60s, with Dick Hyman on organ! Hyman's lean and fluid tone is a real wonder – working better here than even on his own albums, and coming into play magically with Toots – who whistles at the same time he's playing the guitar, making for an incredibly cool whistle/organ/guitar groove that's totally outta site! Tracks include "The Valley Whistler", "Wives & Lovers", "Indian Nuts", "Falling In Love With Love", "Marionette", and a version of "Bluesette" recorded earlier in Sweden. LP, Vinyl record album

A heady batch of classics from Toots & The Maytals – work from the rocksteady years that really helped set the tone for countless reggae work in years to come – and which also helped Jamaican music really reach out at a more global level – especially on the London scene, where the group really found great fame! The set's full of seminal cuts from this wonderful group – and the package even includes a few dubs of vocal numbers, and some lesser-known gems mixed in with the hits. Titles include "54 46 That's My Number", "Alidina", "Bim Today Bam Tomorrow", "Do The Reggay", "Johnny Cool Man", "Just Tell Me", "Monkey Man", "Night & Day", "Oh Yeah", "Don't Trouble", "I Need Your Love", "Image Get A Kick", and "I Shall Be Free". CD

A wonderful record – one in which Phil Woods blows alto solos over the arrangements of Michel Legrand – handled in the masterful style of Legrand's best jazzy soundtrack work, and in a way that lets Woods hit some of his best solos of the 70s! Legrand's always been great at this sort of album for any jazzman – and here, he unlocks a romantic tone in Woods' style that is a nice counterpart to some of the hippy-dippiness that he'd been showing in other sides from the 70s. The real highlight is the 14 minute title track – "Images" – a cool extended jazzy romp which has Woods' alto running through hard tight changes alongside Legrand's dynamic orchestra – but there's plenty of other nice numbers, including "The Summer Knows", "Windmills Of Your Mind", and "I Was Born In Love With You". LP, Vinyl record album