Groovy downtown score to this NY underground film from the early 80s – a great document of the scene at the time! John Lurie plays sax on a number of tracks, and other players include Scott & Beth B (who directed the film), Richard Edson, and Kristin Hoffman. Titles include "Sleaze", "Black Box Disco", "End Zone", "The Chase", "The Roof", and "The Demo". LP, Vinyl record album

Although Joe first came to big fame in the US as a funky vamper and soloist behind Cannonball Adderley's big group of the 60s, this early album as a leader has a much more mature sound than Joe's funky work with Cannon – and it rightly earns the "third stream" tag in the title through the use of an enlarged ensemble that includes cello and viola, in addition to the core group of soulful players like Jimmy Owens, Richard Davis, and Freddie Waits. William Fischer's also on the record on tenor, and many of the tracks are his own compositions, with that kind of weird off-kilter, slightly serious approach he used on other Atlantic/Vortex sessions at the time. The mix of soul and serious scoring is actually a pretty darn compelling blend – as you'll hear on tracks like "Lord, Lord, Lord", "Soul Of A Village", and "The 5th Canto". LP, Vinyl record album

Very nice early work by Keith Jarrett – and very different than his later albums for ECM! This set is pretty loose and spiritual at times – and has Keith playing a variety of instruments, from piano, to guitar, to soprano sax, organ, and percussion – as well as singing, which he does in kind of a hip, bluesy, jazz-based style. The songs have actual lyrics, not scatting bits, and the feel here is almost folk rock inflected with jazz – which makes for a very interesting mix, and some really great songs that would appeal to those who like the left end of the folk/rock/jazz continuum of the late 60s. Includes the funky "All Right", plus "Restoration Ruin", "Have A Real Time", "Wonders", "You're Fortunate", and "Where Are You Going". LP, Vinyl record album

Stone flute, or stoned flute, the album's got a really laidback feel – a sound that's very open-ended, and quite different from some of the crossover classics Herbie Mann was cutting a few short years before! The record's got the darkly brooding feel of some of his other work on the Vortex label – and features a subtle blend of softly-blown flute with guitar from Sonny Sharrock, vibes from Roy Ayers, and bass from either Miroslav Vitous or Ron Carter. There's some light added strings on most tracks, but they're arranged by William S Fischer – in ways that make them more sly sense of darkness in the background than standard sleepy accompaniment. Herbie and Fischer are a perfect combination here, one that makes for a surprising degree of depth – on titles that include "Waltz For My Son", "Miss Free Spirit", "Flying", "In Tangier", and "Pendulum". LP, Vinyl record album

A great early album by this famous 70s bassist – originally issued as the album Infinite Search on Embryo, but expanded here with the additional track "Cerecka". One of the greatest moments ever from bassist Miroslav Vitous – a very cool album recorded for the trippy Vortex label! The lineup here has Miroslav working with key help from the American underground – piano from Herbie Hancock, tenor from Joe Henderson, and drums from Jack DeJohnette – plus added guitar from John McLaughlin, who seems to have the same spacey sensibilities as Vitous! Henderson really opens up too – in that fluid style of his post-Blue Note work on Milestone – and obviously Herbie's a great one for a set like this too – hitting some of the spiritual modes of his Warner work. Some tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Freedom Jazz Dance", "Infinite Search", "I Will Tell Him On You", "Mountain In the Cloudes", and "Epilogue". LP, Vinyl record album