... LP, Vinyl record album

Modern art, but of the sonic variety – served up here by composer Daniela Casa on a rare sound library album, but with a free-thinking quality that rivals the best of the avant garde at the time! Unlike some more staid, academic record, there's no overarching concept here – no detailed notes that you need to read to "get" the music. Instead, Casa creates these short, dark little passages of sound – sometimes very abstract, occasionally tuneful – with elements that move between free jazz, atonal piano and woodwinds, offbeat strings, and even a bit of Fender Rhodes! The whole thing's a great reminder of just how much genius was bubbling up in Italy during the 70s – so much so that a record like this, which would have been worthy of release by Columbia or Deutsche Grammophon in bigger scenes, was only pressed up in small quantities by the Flipper music label. Titles include "Concetto Informale", "Dimensione Umana", "Prima Maniera", "Ricerca Della Materia", "Visione Surreale", and "Ricerca Cromatica". LP, Vinyl record album

DMZ's badass self-titled set for Sire from '78 – buzzsaw guitars, driving rhythms, manic vocals and eerie organs – an incredible combination of 60s garage inspiration and ferocious punk-era urgency! DMZ migh have been weird fit at a Sire label that at the time was struggling to get The Ramones and Richard Hell into the mainstream – but boy, is it ever worthy stuff! Includes "Mighty Idy", "Bad Attitude", "Watch For Me Girl", "Cinderella", "Don't Jump Me Mother", "Destroyer", "Out Of Our Tree", "Border Line", "Do Not Enter" and "From Home". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the more string-heavy sessions in RCA's Stereo Action series, but still worthy of the dynamic style that made the Stereo Action titles some of RCA's best easy recordings from the 60s! Marty's got orchestrations here that are a bit quirkier than usual – making good use of the stereo effects to shift things back and forth, picking out some odd instruments from the rest of the pack, and even throwing in the odd chorus vocal – which comes off nicely in such a setting. Titles include "High On A Windy Hill", "Out Of Nowhere", "It's Magic", "That Old Black Magic", "I've Got The World On A String", and "Little Sir Echo" – a great number with dreamy voices! LP, Vinyl record album

The seminal debut of The Grateful Dead – a record that was maybe as important to the American psychedelic scene as the first two albums by Pink Floyd were to the UK! Like those sets, this one almost seems to come out of nowhere – still very much a part of its time, with trippiness and fuzz that other groups were certainly working with – but put together at a level that's very much its own thing, and which is undeniably worthy of all the copycats who paid it tribute in years to come. There's maybe a deeper current of blues roots here than in later years of The Dead – but in the best way possible – and titles include "The Golden Road", "Beat It On Down The Line", "Cold Rain And Snow", "Morning Dew", and "Viola Lee Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

The never-issued second album from Main Source – and a set that's a very worthy successor to their classic Breaking Atoms! As with that record, the production here is superb – Large Professor at his best, with all the right sort of early 90s jazz influence in the samples, balanced with the group's trademark bite and wit in the lyrics – all at a level that makes for a record that shoulda been a classic back in the day! The set's got a fair bit of interludes, maybe to space out the vocal tracks for the full length release – but given the production, and great ear for found spoken bits, they seem to further the delightful quality of the record, as on an early De La set. Titles include an uncut version of "Looking At The Front Door", an unreleased version of "Fakin The Funk", and the tracks "Hellavision", "How My Man Went Down In The Game", "Time (part 2)", "Raise Up", and "Bootlegging". LP, Vinyl record album

Groovy rock from Moby Grape – a sweet set from the end of the 60s that's as tight and consistent as just about anything else in their early canon – despite the absence of recently departed Skip Spence! The rest of the group really bring out some magic here – on tunes that touch on Byrds-y folk psychedelia and far grittier tunes, too! Underrated and totally worthy work from Moby Grape! Titles include "Ooh Mama Ooh", "Ain't That A Shame", "I Am Not Willing", "Hoochie", "Trucking Man", "Captain Nemo", "Seeing" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A boogaloo album, but one that's a lot trippier than most – and definitely worthy of the psychedelic reference in the group's name! As with so much of the best work from the Venezuelan scene of the late 60s, the music here draws on references from up north, but really abstracts the sound – almost as if the boogaloo had to go through a bit of a filter on the way down to Tono, where it picked up some cool production techniques, offbeat keyboards, and lots of other elements – often set to rhythms that aren't straight Spanish Harlem grooves, and instead also borrow bits from Colombia and Peru! Most of the record is instrumental – and titles include "Mr Boogaloo", "No Te Bote", "Chin Chin", "El Basuero", "Borinquen Bell", "El Guaycol", and "Las Hojas Secas". LP, Vinyl record album

Anthemic early 90s rock from Pearl Jam – one of the biggest debuts of all time and for good reason! Ten has a big, classic rock-reared sound, but done with such forthright sincerity and for the time, completely refreshing lack of macho posturing, it really was the perfect formula for a breakout smash in its era and it's worthy of its legacy – especially in retrospect! One classic song after another including "Once", "Alive", "Jeremy", "Why Go", "Black", Release", "Porch", "Oceans", "Garden", "Deep" and "Release". LP, Vinyl record album

New York is what is funky! This is a killer new release by a small organ jazz combo from the Big Apple – and they are definitely worthy members of the city's great end-of-the century funk scene that includes Medeski Martin & Wood, Sugarman Three, and The Other Side! The band have certainly spent plenty of time getting their chops up – and they have a very tight organ/guitar sound with a totally live feel to it. The overall groove is right up there with the best classic combos on Prestige – with stone cold funky drumming underneath sweetly strident lines on the Hammond, and some very heavy guitar rhythm parts. In a way, the record really evokes the heavy funk sound of Lonnie Smith's fantastic Blue Note sides from the Late 60s – with a very heavy drum sound nicely kicking it live! The CD's their first – and believe us, it will more than break them out of the box. Tracks include "Arruga De Agua", "Doin Something", "Rudy's Way", "Azucar", and "Steppin". Great stuff – and the kind of small-group recording that makes it worth shopping at Dusty Groove! Plus, this is the new remastered version of the CD – featuring 2 bonus cuts that weren't on the original release! LP, Vinyl record album

Gene Vincent & The Blue Caps had a cleaner sound by the time they recorded these sessions for Capitol – comparable to the slightly less ragged & raw shift in tone Johnny Cash and Johnny Horton had after settling over at Columbia – but the re-configured Blue Caps still packed a wallop! At this point Gene's proving to be a worthy balladeer, but the group still kicks you're a** on half the tunes. Tracks include "Brand New Beat", "By The Light Of The Silvery Moon", "Frankie And Johnnie", "In My Dreams", "Flea Brain", "You Belong To Me", "Your Cheatin' Heart", "It's No Lie" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

An early gem from trumpeter Tom Browne – a set that not only firmly established Browne as one of the best young players of his generation, but which also paved the way for a whole new direction for jazz funk in the 80s! The record is a perfect example of how great the mix of R&B rhythms and jazz fusion instrumentation could be – groovy enough to capture a whole new audience from the soul market, but still more than respectful of the solo talents of the leader – but all without any attempt at smooth jazz commercialism at all! There's some great hard funk moments on the set – and Browne approaches the music in a way that's nicely different than Donald Byrd or Freddie Hubbard, two older players who first helped forge this sound in the 70s – and whose path Tom's clearly taking, but with new directions of his own. There's almost more of a street-worthy vibe to the set – quite a surprise if you only know later records on the GRP label – and the arrangements are by Tom, Weldon Irvine, Lesette Wilson, and Dave Grusin. Titles include the funky classic "Funkin' For Jamaica", plus "Her Silent Smile", "Moon Rise", "Nocturne", "Forever More", and "Weak In The Knees". LP, Vinyl record album

Underground work from the Manchester scene at the start of the 80s – and work that's even more deeply underground than some of the city's post-punk classics at the time! Spider King only ever issued a track or two back in the day, but the music on this first full LP is worthy of the best from the North England indie world at the time – sometimes as dark as the early cold wave material, sometimes more witty and catchy, with almost a new wave vibe – all done with a homemade brew of electronics, keyboards, and basslines – plus maybe a slight bit of punkish sneer in the vocals. Only two of the album's ten tracks was released before, and titles include "Shot To Pieces", "City Girls", "Mad Dog", "Chinese Takeaway", "Back On The Pills", and "Would You Wanna Die For England". LP, Vinyl record album

A once underappreciated later effort from the mighty Run DMC – with slightly harder hitting beats, and an overall tougher style – and it's ultimately the crew's last solid beginning-to-end LP! A worthy set that includes "Mary, Mary", "Beats To The Rhyme", "Run's House", "They Call Us Run-DMC", "Papa Crazy", the title track and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Raw early Beatles – recorded in Hamburg at the beginning of the 60s when they were backing up singer Tony Sheridan – surprisingly well-preserved recordings, assuming that no one knew that this little backing band was going to take over the entire pop music world in a few years! We actually really dig the stripped-down, fairly rudimentary, though nicely rollicking Beatles instrumentation here – with charismatic vocals by Sheridan as well as some nice early Beatles compositions and vocals. The original release of this material may have been a post-breakout cash grab, but the music holds up really well and it's very much worthy! Includes "Ain't She Sweet", "Cry For A Shadow", "Let's Dance", "My Bonnie", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Ruby Baby", "Why", "Nobody's Child", "Ya Ya" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

An unmitigated blast of punk, worthy of setting the stage for the American hard core movement! While punk rock had been firmly established by the time this album came out, no one was prepared for the next level that Black Flag would take things to with this brutal, nihilistic, stripped down assault on the status quo! A classic that will stand up for ages, wit fist in the air anthems like "Rise Above", "Six Pack", "What I See", "TV Party", "Police Story", "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie", "Thirsty & Miserable", "Depression", "Padded Cell", "Damaged I", "Damaged II", "Life Of Pain", "Room 103" and "No More". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare material from John Coltrane – tracks that were done for Bethlehem Records at a time when he was just rising up as a leader, and still contributed work as a sideman! The album features Trane playing tenor on only four of the album's eight tracks – making it kind of surprising that they used his name in the title – but the album is a lesser-known batch of large group recordings that offer an interesting early chapter in his career! The main force behind the album is arranger Harry Tubbs – possibly not a name that's as sexy as John Coltrane, hence the billing – but a worthy leader for the date, given the quality of the music. Many of the other players here are small combo heroes who can also shine brightly in bigger groups – such as Donald Byrd and Art Farmer on trumpets, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Al Cohn on baritone sax, Eddie Costa on piano and vibes, and Oscar Pettiford on bass – plus Rolf Kuhn, making an early American appearance on clarinet. Coltrane gets in some nice, but short moments on the date – but the bigger charm is the full ensemble work – on titles that include "She Didn't Say Yes", "Turtle Walk", "At Home With The Blues", "Seabreeze", and "Love & The Weather". LP, Vinyl record album

Diz breaks past his bop playing, takes a bit of a turn towards swing-based material, and also hits this nice rolling groove that gives a bit of a peek at the way he'd sound in the 60's, when he had Lalo Schifrin on piano, and more of a Latin sound. He's backed here by Junior Mance on piano, Les Spann on flute and guitar, Sam Jones on bass, and Lex Humphries on drums. Given the soul jazz leanings of the group, the set's a lot hipper than you'd expect from Verve at the time, and is certainly worthy of the use of the word "excite" in the title. The tracks are all standards, but the group grooves openly, and makes a heck of a lot out of the material. Titles include "My Man", "St. Louis Blues", and "Woody'n You". LP, Vinyl record album

The seminal debut of The Grateful Dead – a record that was maybe as important to the American psychedelic scene as the first two albums by Pink Floyd were to the UK! Like those sets, this one almost seems to come out of nowhere – still very much a part of its time, with trippiness and fuzz that other groups were certainly working with – but put together at a level that's very much its own thing, and which is undeniably worthy of all the copycats who paid it tribute in years to come. There's maybe a deeper current of blues roots here than in later years of The Dead – but in the best way possible – and titles include "The Golden Road", "Beat It On Down The Line", "Cold Rain And Snow", "Morning Dew", and "Viola Lee Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

The classic debut of Killing Joke – a key set during the post-punk years, and a record that also set the tone for countless dark scenes for years to come! At this point, the group aren't too far from Joy Division – with very stark, almost stiff rhythms, topped with just the right amount of fuzz on the guitar and darkness in the production – handled pretty well by the group themselves, as if they had Martin Hannett with them in the studio! The pace picks up from time to time, almost a bit of Bauhaus too – and at this point in their career, Killing Joke are certainly very worthy comparisons to those other two groups! Titles include "Tomorrow's World", "Complications", "Requiem", "Change", "Primitive", "The Wait", and "Bloodsport". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of outtakes from the Deserter's Songs sessions! Includes home demos and otherwise rougher, early versions and otherwise alternate mixes – pretty wonderfully fleshed out, though, even in blueprint form. A very worthy batch of rare versions of songs from their one-time underappreciated/now acknowledged classic Deserter's Songs – plus more from the sessions. 11 in all: "Piano Vs Telephone (Home Cassette Tape Demo)", "Pick Up, If You're There (DJ Nickel 1998 Remix)", "Endlessly (Tascam 8-Track Reel To Reel Demo)", "A Soft Kiss (For Waking Up) (Home Cassette Tape Demo)", "Goddess On A Hiway (1989 Home Cassette Tape Demo)", "Night On Panther Mountain (Unreleased Mix)" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The great Brian Auger reaches way back into his catalog here – and brings together both classic cuts from his earliest years playing Hammond on the UK scene, and some unissued material that appears here for the first time ever! The set's maybe most noteworthy for featuring Auger in some more R&B-styled cuts – including versions of "Walkin" and "I See A Man Downstairs" that have Sonny Boy Williamson joining Auger's Trinity combo – and two cuts by the early combo Steampacket, versions of "Watch Your Step" and "Sidewinder"! Yet the set's nice and long, and features plenty more great cuts too – all with killer keyboard work from Brian, on titles that include "Straight Ahead", "Freedom Jazz Dance (live)", "Straight Ahead", "A Better Land", "Red Beans & Rice (live)", "Save Me (live)", "Light My Fire", "Indian Rope Man", "Jeannine", "Poinciana", "Total Eclipse", "Fill Your Head With Laughter", "Planet Earth Calling", and "Splatch". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool album from the Italian branch of RCA Records – and a set that features a host of artists from other nations who briefly stopped over in Italy, and recorded some of these gems for the label! There's a core energy to the set, which balances contributions from a few key artists, mostly from America – and for jazz fans alone, the set is noteworthy for two tracks that have trumpeter Chet Baker blowing with orchestrations from a young Ennio Morricone – "So Che Ti Perdero" and "Il Mio Domani"! And there's plenty of other great bits too – singer Helen Merrill working with maestro Armando Trovajoli on "Nessuno Al Mondo" and "Estate" – plus Perez Prado on "Guaglione" and "Arrivederci Roma", Antonio Prieto on "Papa" and "Baciami", and even some very cool cuts from young poppers Paul Anka and Neil Sedaka. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best Dave Brubeck albums from later years – and one of the hippest! The record is noteworthy for its pairing of Anthony Braxton and Lee Konitz – the former a rising star at the time, influenced strongly by the latter in his roots – showcased here in some rare moments of Braxton straight-aheadness! Brubeck's contribution is heard most strongly on the album's extended trio "Jimmy Van Huesen Medley" – played by Dave with Jack Six on bass and Alan Dawson on drums. But we're most partial to the saxophone tunes – Konitz playing a spare duet with Brubeck on "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", soloing with the group on "Like Someone In Love", duetting with Braxton on "All The Things You Are" – and stepping back to let Anthony play with Dave on a version of "In Your Own Sweet Way". Really great stuff throughout – and a unique Brubeck moment! LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A gem of a session from the European expatriot scene of the postwar years – not really a tribute to Cannonball Adderley, but a rare meeting of Bud Powell and Don Byas in the studio, produced by Cannonball in Paris in 1961! The record has a tremendous amount of fire and focus – especially on the part of Powell, who could sometimes falter in a European setting – and although Byas' horn might seem a contrasting choice for Bud, he really burns with a lot of energy here – arcing, soaring, and turning with lines that show that his talents hadn't dimmed at all out of the American limelight. As always with his few productions from the time, Cannonball shows a great deal of sensitivity and patience with the players – probably a key factor of the success of the set. Also noteworthy is the rest of the group – which includes Idrees Sulieman on trumpet, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. Titles include "Jeannine", "Just One Of Those Things", "All The Things You Are", "I Remember Clifford", and "Jackie My Little Cat". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure zombie film, but one with a great trio of talents in the music! Most noteworthy here are the legendary Goblin – still very much at the top of their game, and working in that mode that has them taking leaner prog energy down to the sparer sound of the John Carpenter generation – with lots of great keyboards and guitar lines in the process! There's also some wonderful work from Gianni Dell'Orso, who turns in a number of more percussive tracks on the record – these spare, almost tribal numbers that really fit the spirit of the "cannibal" expectations you might have in the title! Gianni also handles a few more electric tracks. Titles include a few variations on "Virus" – plus "Diamanti Rossi", "L'Alba Dei Morti Viventi", "Connexion", "Zombi", "Quiet Drops", and "Whity". (Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Sunday, April 21. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Saturday, April 20. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on April 21 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal set of work from the Blue Note scene of the 60s – a record that's not just noteworthy for its role in helping return tenorist Dexter Gordon to the spotlight, but also for the fantastic work of pianist Sonny Clark in the quartet! Sonny's in wonderful form throughout – and seems to be even more relaxed and inventive than in the company of some of the other horn players he'd work with on Blue Note – and that's saying a lot, given the company he would keep! Gordon's solos are confident and mature, but deeply personal too – and the rest of the group features Butch Warren on bass and the great Billy Higgins on drums – a percussionist whose sense of looseness and imagination really matches that of Dex. Titles include "Where Are You", "Three O'Clock In The Morning", "Cheese Cake", "Second Balcony Jump", and "Love For Sale". LP, Vinyl record album

A noteworthy session from pianist Hampton Hawes – a rare quartet session from the 50s (at a time when Hawes was mostly working in trios) – and also a three volume set of releases, all recorded in the space of a single night! The album is truly an All Night Session – as the material here was recorded during the night of November 12 and early morning hours of November 13, 1956 – with an unusual group that features Hawes on piano, Red Mitchell on bass, Bruz Freeman on drums, and Jim Hall on guitar! Hall's ringing tones are a perfect partner for Hawes' light approach to the keys – and the relaxed, extended nature of the recording has both players really opening up on some of the album's longish tracks. Titles on this volume include "Blues #4", "Blues #3", and "Do Nothin Till You Hear From Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge 80s moment for the Isley Brothers empire – a set that has Ernie and Marvin Isley stepping away from the main group with Chris Jasper – to reinvent their sound for the 80s! The record still has all the slinky soul and upbeat funk of the Isley material from the late 70s – but also pushes the groove in a slightly different way – often using leaner arrangements that are focused on beats, basslines, and keyboards – which only seem to make the warm vocals of the trio sound even more seductive in the end! There's that subtle sense of majesty that the group always had in their music at their height – an influence that might well come from the presence of Jasper – and the album's noteworthy for the wonderful "Caravan Of Love", a soulful spiritual tune that's kind of to 80s soul what The Impressions "People Get Ready" was to 60s soul! The album's got a good mellow harmony sound, and other titles include "Liberation", "I Can Hardly Wait", "Insatiable Woman", and "If You Believe In Love". LP, Vinyl record album

No bebop here, despite what you might guess from the title – and instead an album of much freer lines and wider musical vision, captured with Keith Jarrett's famous group of the 70s! Jarrett plays a bit of soprano sax alongside his piano, and the rest of the quartet features Dewey Redman on tenor and musette, Charlie Haden on bass, and Paul Motian on drums and percussion – all in a mode that's somewhat quieter and not as earthy as their early 70s sides together, but still filled with the great sense of interplay that made the group a noteworthy one. Titles include "Pyramids Moving", "Mushi Mushi", "Silence", "Gotta Get Some Sleep", and "Blackberry Winter". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's noteworthy not just for the presence of alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, and for the leadership of baritonist Gerry Mulligan – but a record that also features the great Chet Baker on trumpet, working here as part of a trio of musicians who were really helping transform the sound of jazz in the early 50s! And maybe most noteworthy in the set is the lack of any piano at all – a strategy of Mulligan's at the time, but used in a way that also echoes some of Lee's sublime quartet sessions of the mid 50s too – and a nice setting for Chet, as he has plenty of space to open up and craft those magical notes of his youth! The rest of the group features Larry Bunker on drums, and either Carson Smith or Joe Mondragon on bass – and material was recorded partly live, and partly in the studio – with titles that include "Broadway", "Sextet", "Almost Like Being In Love", "Too Marvelous For Words", "Lover Man", "I'll Remember April", and "All The Things You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

A bit of an obscure session, but the first of John Lewis' works for a larger jazz orchestra – recorded with a lineup that includes larger strings and woodwinds next to rhythm backing by Percy Heath and Connie Kay of the MJQ! The tracks are all longer originals arranged by Lewis – except for one track orchestrated by Gunther Schuller – and the album's especially noteworthy for its extensive solo work by British baritone saxophonist Ronnie Ross, a player who's been one of the great under-discovered sides of the European scene of the late 50s and 1960s for years – and who really steps out here in some wonderful moments. The only other major soloist on the set is flute player Gerry Weinkopf – who provides a nice lighter tone next to that of Ross. Titles include "Midsommer", "The Queen's Fancy", "Cortege", "Three Windows", "England's Carol", and "Two Degrees East Three Degrees West". LP, Vinyl record album

No, Moms isn't storming the United Nations – but she is caught live here, in a 1960 performance at the Uptown Theatre in Philly. The material isn't has hard and heavy as later stuff, but her spirit and fire is still there, and the album's noteworthy in that it's an early attempt by Chess to move into the live comedy market. LP, Vinyl record album

A lost relic of the Black Artist Group – a St Louis collective of musicians, dancers, and poets who had a similar mission as other associations in other cities at the time, like the AACM in Chicago. The album's noteworthy in that it features some very early (and excellent!) work by Oliver Lake, who composed most of the musical backings on the record. Ajule is the main poet on the album – and other instrumentation includes trumpet, cello, and percussion in addition to Lake's saxes. Titles include "Echos", "A Little Tom Is A Dangerous Thing", "Rent Man", "Trane Songs", and "Sweet Street Song". LP, Vinyl record album

Landmark work from Sun Ra – a rare 1964 performance that features some very early work from Pharoah Sanders, a good deal of which is appearing here for the first time ever! The material was recorded at Judson Hall – and marks a great large venue performance by the Arkestra on the New York scene. Ra and the group recorded the set on New Year's Eve, 1964 – at a time when John Gilmore had left the Arkestra to work with Art Blakey – leaving Pharoah Sanders to come and take his place on tenor. Also noteworthy is the presence of Black Harold (Harold Murray) on flute – blowing with a dark edge alongside other group members who include Al Evans on trumpet, Teddy Nance on trombone, Marshal Allen on alto sax, Pat Patrick on baritone sax, and both Alan Silva and Ronnie Boykins on bass. The performance starts with a relatively fierce sound, but then moves into some beautifully lyrical moments – and titles include "Gods On A Safari", "The World Shadow", "Rocket Number Nine", "The Voice Of Pan", "Dawn Over Israel", and "Space Mates". LP, Vinyl record album

The earliest album ever to be issued under the Globe Unity label – a very early project headed up by the mighty pianist Alexander Von Schlippenbach – and a record that's noteworthy for the first album to feature the work of Peter Brotzmann and Peter Kowald! Right from the start, the vibe is completely in line with the highest ideals of the improvising orchestra – Schlippenbach directing the group and playing piano – in a large lineup that also features Brotzmann on alto, Manfred Schoof on cornet, Gerd Dudek on tenor, Willem Breuker on baritone, Gunter Hampel on bass clarinet, Karl Berger on vibes, and Peter Kowald and Buschi Niebergall on basses, one in each channel! And alongside these free jazz heavyweights, the album also sports the amazing rhythm duo of future prog rock giants Jaki Liebezeit and Mani Neumeier – both working here at a level that matches the free improvisations of the others – on two side-long tracks, titled "Globe Unity" and "Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime album by one of our favorite talents in 60s jazz – pianist Jack Wilson, making his second Blue Note appearance here amidst a group of other more likely label players that include Lee Morgan on trumpet, Jackie McLean on alto, and Billy Higgins on drums! Despite the presence of those superstars, though, the album's still very much Wilson's own – featuring 4 tracks penned and played in his modally soulful vision, plus a great version of one tune by Frank Strozier – a player we'd find to be a very good companion to Wilson's style! The group's also noteworthy in that it features some excellent work from trombonist Garnett Brown – a player with a deeply soulful approach that adds in new dimensions to the tunes, and offsets the lightly lyrical touch of Wilson on the keys. The whole set's great – and titles include "Do It", "On Children", "Easterly Winds", "Nirvana", and "Frank's Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

Kind of a gimmicky session, but a great one nonetheless! It was Leonard Feather who first thought of rounding up all the "Jones" in jazz he could find, bringing them together for this unique date for the Period label – but fortunately, the quality of the work and strength of the players goes way past the goofy strategy of the date! The record's an especially great chance to hear Thad Jones in small group mode – blowing with that sweet, warm tone that we love in his Blue Note work, captured here in a slightly more informal setting. Also noteworthy is the piano of Jimmy Jones, the drums of Jo Jones, and the flugelhorn playing of Quincy Jones, who appears on 3 of the album's 9 tracks. Titles include "No Other Love", "The Jones Bash", "Jones Beach", "You've Changed", "Montego Bay", and "Salute To The Blue Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

You gotta love the confidence in Blakey's title for this one – because even in the late 70s, over 20 years since starting the Jazz Messengers, he was still very much in his prime! The album has him working with a wonderful group that includes Bobby Watson, Curtis Fuller, David Schnitter, and James Williams – plus percussionist Ray Mantilla, added in on a few tracks to give the set a slightly fuller sound. Tracks are long, dynamic, and gorgeous – really stepping out with the warmth and imagination that Blakey never let die during his career – but which seemed to be burning as brightly during this stretch as it was during the few really noteworthy points of earlier years. The set features wonderful early readings of Watson tunes "Time Will Tell" and "To See Her Face" – plus "Kamal", "Jody", "Hawkman", "People Who Laugh", "Ronnie's A Dynamite Lady", and "1978". LP, Vinyl record album

Two excellent Bryant sets, recorded for Prestige, though he's more well known for his Cadet sides. The first disc of the set is a very striking album – one of Bryant's most noteworthy of the time! The album features Ray playing solo piano – quite unusual for the period, as most piano jazz records, especially his, were at least cut in a trio format. Ray's wonderfully unfettered here – hitting grooves with a level of expression and sophistication that far surpasses most of his other records. The intimate time on the keys never gets hokey or overindulgent – but it does let Ray open up and show a side that we've rarely heard on wax. Titles include "Stocking Feet", "Blues #3", "Joy", "Me & The Blues", and "My Blues". The Ray Bryant Trio is another wonderful early side, featuring Ike Isaacs and Specs Wright in a trio alongside Bryant, performing sparkling renditions of standards and a couple originals, that are still infused with his bluesy groove. Titles include "Golden Earrings", "Angel Eyes", "Blues Changes", "Splittin'", "Django", "The Thrill Is Gone", "Daahoud" and "Sonar". LP, Vinyl record album