An early Verve album by Japanese pianist Toshiko Akioshi – recorded during her 50s years in the US, with a heavy boppish sound that's quite different than her later work! At the time, Toshiko was a strong disciple of Bud Powell – and there's a lot of Powell's fluid frenetic playing in her work – recorded on the first eight tracks with a quartet that includes Herb Ellis on guitar, in sessions from 1953, and recorded on the last four tracks live at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1957 with her trio that includes Gene Cherico on bass and a young Jake Hanna on drums. Twelve tracks in all, with titles that include "Shadrack", "Gone With The Wind", "Toshiko's Blues", "Squatty Roo", "Laura", "Between Me & Myself", "Lover", and "Blues For Toshiko". CD

With Trummy Young on trombone, Dave McRae on clarinet, Billy Kyle on piano, George Barnes on guitar, Mort Herbert on bass, Barrett Deems on drums, and Nickie Tagg on organ; with choir directed by Sy Oliver. CD

Louis Armstrong on trumpet & vocal with Yank Lawson on trumpet, Jack Teagarden & Trummy Young on trombone, Barney Bigard & Edmond Hall on clarinet, George Dorsey & Hilton Jefferson on alto saxophone, Bud Freeman, Seldon Powell & Lucky Thompson on tenor saxophone, Dave McRae on baritone saxophone, bass clarinet & bass saxophone, Dick Cary, Earl Hines & Billy Kyle on piano, Everett Barksdal & George Barnes on guitar, Squire Gersh & Arvell Shaw on bass, Sid Catlett, Cozy Cole, Barrett Deems & Kenny John on drums & Velma Middleton on vocals. CD

Very hip work from a young Jimmy Heath – a relative newcomer to the scene at this point, but breaking out with a firm conception and tone, exercised strongly here in a set of large group arrangements worked out in collaboration with Tom McIntosh. McIntosh's work in this format is well known from albums by Dizzy and James Moody – and as with those records, this one has an edgey quality that really keeps the music fresh, and which provides a good foil for solos by Heath, McIntosh, Pat Patrick, and Cannonball Adderley. Titles include "Big P", "Mona's Mood", "Nails", and "The Picture Of Heath". CD

Very hip work from a young Jimmy Heath – a relative newcomer to the scene at this point, but breaking out with a firm conception and tone, exercised strongly here in a set of large group arrangements worked out in collaboration with Tom McIntosh. McIntosh's work in this format is well known from albums by Dizzy and James Moody – and as with those records, this one has an edgey quality that really keeps the music fresh, and which provides a good foil for solos by Heath, McIntosh, Pat Patrick, and Cannonball Adderley. Titles include "Big P", "Mona's Mood", "Nails", and "The Picture Of Heath". CD features the bonus track "Nails", in an alternate take! CD

Milt Jackson on vibraphone – working with a strong group of younger players that includes Joshua Redman on tenor, Jesse Davis on alto, Benny Green on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums. CD

A famous album – and for good reason too! The set's something of a landmark in spiritual jazz from the 60s – and it features a classic live performance from Charles Lloyd, recorded at the Monterey Jazz Festival – almost as a distillation and popularization of ideas that were brewing in the music of John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, and others! The group here features a young Keith Jarrett on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – all flowing magnificently with Lloyd's work on tenor and flute – in an open-ended groove that draws on modal rhythms for inspiration, and which features solos that stretch out, but never go "outside"! The classic performances of "Forest Flower" takes up all of side one – with a dreamy drifting quality that has Jarrett at his best – and side two features a version of his "Sorcery", plus McBee's "Song Of Her", and a version of "East Of The Sun". CD

A famous album – but for good reason! The set's something of a landmark in spiritual jazz from the 60s – and it features a classic live performance from Charles Lloyd, recorded at the Monterey Jazz Festival – almost as a distillation and popularization of ideas that were brewing in the music of John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, and others! The group here features a young Keith Jarrett on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – all flowing magnificently with Lloyd's work on tenor and flute – in an open-ended groove that draws on modal rhythms for inspiration, and which features solos that stretch out, but never go "outside"! The classic performances of "Forest Flower" takes up all of side one – with a dreamy drifting quality that has Jarrett at his best – and side two features a version of his "Sorcery", plus McBee's "Song Of Her", and a version of "East Of The Sun". Soundtrack features a similar line-up with Lloyd on tenor and flute, Keith Jarrett on piano, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – adding Ron McClure in place of Cecil McBee on bass. Titles include "Forest Flower 69", "Pre-Dawn", "Sombrero Sam", and "Voice In The Night". CD

One of the last great records by Charles Mingus – a set of extremely compelling original compositions, played by a fresh group of younger players, plus a few older masters! The record's got a fire and sense of emotion that's missing from a number of other 70s Mingus sessions – and it's one of the few later albums we'd easily rank right up there with his late 50s and early 60s classics! Orchestrations were partially arranged and conducted with help from Sy Johnson – and soloists include James Moody and Bobby Jones on tenor, Charles McPherson on alto, Snookie Young and Lonnie Hillyer on trumpet, and Roland Hanna on piano. Titles include "The Shoes Of The Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers", "Adagio Ma Non Troppo", "The Chill of Death", and "The I Of Hurricane Sue". CD features the bonus track "Taurus In The Arena Of Life". CD

Nestico plays with big band, with featured soloists including Eugene Amaro, Ed Bickert, Guido Basso, Jimmy Dale, Dave Young, Jerry Toth, Dave Woods, Ian McDougall, Jerry Johnson, and Bruce Harvey. CD

Rare work by Hammond organ giant Big John Patton – recorded in 1968, but never issued until 1995, and even then, only briefly! The record features Patton at his finest – stretching out from his basic soul jazz roots, into a more searching use of the organ that's undoubtedly influenced by Larry Young's work at the same time. The record features great work by Harold Alexander on flute and tenor, plus trumpet by Vincent McEwan, drums by George Brown, and added conga by Richard Landrum. The groove is somewhere between 60s soul jazz and modal – and the tracks are long, with that heavy Patton swing! Title sinclude "B&J", "Boogaloo Boogie", "Milk & Honey", "Shoutin But No Poutin", and "Spirit". CD

Houston Person really sounds great in this later date for Muse Records – definitely the older lion in the title, surrounded by a younger pride of players who really make the record swing! The set's got a rock-solid rhythm section with Benny Green on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Winard Harper on drums – that kind of in the pocket combo that was often the driving force of a Person-produced Muse Records session like this. Philip Harper's also in the frontline on trumpet, sparkling nicely next to the tenor – and the tunes have a relatively laidback feel, and a rich sound that hardly shows the date of the record at all. Titles include "Dig", "Dear Heart", "Sweet Love", "Like Someone In Love", and "Captain Hook". CD

An excellent overview of the early Wallace Roney work for Muse Records – brilliant sessions that helped Roney redefine the sound of the trumpet for a whole new generation! Roney's sound was one of the boldest, brightest on the label – and on records like this he really shines – working with an array of like-minded young lions who include Ravi Coltrane, Donald Brown, Antoine Roney, Christian McBride, and Cindy Blackman – on titles that include "Blue In Green", "Obsession", "Daahoud", "Lost", "For Duke", "Donna Lee", and "Love For Sale". CD

Includes work with Larry Young, Ron Carter, Jack Bruce, John McLaughlin, Ted Dunbar, and others. Tracks include "Emergency", "Vashkar", "Sangria For Three", "Right On", "Allah Be Praised", "There Comes A Time", "Some Hip Drum Sh*t", "Mom & Dad", and "You Make It Easy" – 25 tracks total. CD

Nice covers from Brix E Smith, Hypnolovewheel, Spirit Of The West, Windwalker, Young Fresh Fellows, Papa Sprain & Butterfly Child, Sarah McLachlan, Julian Jones, The Posies, Black Sox, and more. CD

Although recorded early in the career of Muhal Richard Abrams, this brilliant LP shows the pianist/composer turning away from the stock jazz and studio work of earlier years – to develop into one of the richest talents to rise from the Chicago avant underground of the 60s! At the time of the recording, Abrams was the president of the recently-founded AACM – and for the session, he's surrounded himself with some of the best young talents from Chicago, including Thurman Barker, Anthony Braxton, Leroy Jenkins, and Maurice McIntyre – all of whom help to create a complicated web of colors, shapes, and sounds, that prove that the youthful energy of the underground scene was more than capable of crafting sophisticated modernist documents. The album features three long works – "Levels & Degrees Of Light", "The Bird Song", and "My Thoughts Are My Future". CD

Gritty live work from twin tenor giants Gene Ammons and Dexter Gordon – recorded in an open-ended style that's a bit like some of Gordon's famous early work on the Central Avenue scene in LA, or Ammons' famous live "battles" with Sonny Stitt! The date was recorded in Chicago at the North Park Hotel – with sound that's a bit more "live" than some of the other Prestige sessions at the time – and an unusual lineup that features local players Jodie Christian and John Young on piano, Cleveland Eaton on bass, and Steve McCall on drums. The lovely Vi Redd makes a vocal appearance on the track "Lonesome Lover Blues" – and other titles include "The Chase", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", and "The Happy Blues" – all nice and long! CD also features 2 extra tracks, both long – "Wee Dot" and an extended "Ballad Medley". CD

A key early appearance on record by Sonny Rollins – recorded here with Miles Davis and Jackie McLean in the landmark Dig session! The album's the stuff that 50s bop dreams are made of – a session that has up-and-coming modernists working in the new freedom of the long playing record, in a way that allows them to break past the shorter, more urgent sound of the 78rpm single! Rollins is young, but a surprisingly strong voice on the set – and Jackie McLean's alto is incredibly sharp at this point, with strong hints of the genius to come later in the decade. The rest of the lineup includes Walter Bishop on piano, Tommy Potter on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – and tracks include Miles' classic version of "It's Only A Paper Moon", plus "Denial", "Out Of The Blue", "Dig", and "Bluing". CD features 2 bonus tracks. CD

A really formative album – not just as part of the key second chapter of alto genius Lou Donaldson, but also as the start of a huge generation of jazz funk grooves to come! The key element here is drummer Idris Muhammad – working in the group of Donaldson, but under his birth name of Leo Morris – and still already graced with that fantastic sense of rhythm that has him stretching out the beats, and creating grooves that would push the 60s soul jazz generation into more electric funk modes in the decade to come! The record's a perfect bridge between the two generations – with long tracks that draw plenty from Idris' drums and Lou's alto – plus work from Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Lonnie Smith on organ, and the young George Benson on guitar – still hard and soulful, in that style he had been using in the 60s group of organist Jack McDuff. If you know the heavily sampled side of Lou Donaldson's work, you'll know the greatness you're getting here – on cuts that include "Dapper Dan", "Midnight Creeper", "Bag Of Jewels", and "Love Power". CD

Insanely wonderful music from Andrew Hill – a lean, stripped-down session that has Hill working at his firey best – in a space that's somewhere between the "new thing" recordings of Jackie McLean, and the brooding brilliance of Andrew's later Smokestack session! The group here has some key figures fleshing out the sound – a young Joe Henderson, blowing tenor with a very edgey quality – the very versatile Richard Davis on bass – and the great Roy Haynes on drums, very much at his most fluid interpretation of rhythm! The whole set's pretty darn great – one of the more mindblowing Blue Notes you'll ever hope to buy – and tracks include "Pumpkin", "Subterfuge", "Cantarnos", and "McNeil Island". CD

A seminal "new thing" session from pianist Andrew Hill, and one of the greatest performances ever from a young Bobby Hutcherson! The record features a stunning quartet that includes Hill on piano, Hutcherson on vibes, and Richard Davis and Elvin Jones on rhythm – coming together with the stark, raw energy that made the key Blue Note modern sides from this time so great. Hutcherson hits these amazing tones on the vibes, similar to those that he uses on some of the Jackie McLean albums from the same time – and those tones work perfectly with Hill's fractured piano lines. Titles are all originals by Hill, including "Alfred", "Reconciliation", "Siete Ocho", "Yokada Yokada", and "Flea Flop". CD features a bonus alternate of "Yokada Yokada". CD

One of the first albums to really show Blue Mitchell's genius as a leader – recorded past the more formulaic bop modes of some of his other Riverside sessions, and handled with a lyrical edge that really gets at the best aspects of his playing. Of course, part of the reason for this is that Blue's in the company of some of his Horace Silver bandmates – including drummer Roy Brooks, tenorist Junior Cook, and bassist Gene Taylor – but even more than that, the presence of a young Cedar Walton on piano really makes the set sparkle, as does the choice of some extremely strong material – such as "The Cup Bearers" and "Capers", both written by that young and glowing jazz compositional lumiary, Tom McIntosh, and the tunes "Turquoise, written by Walton, and "Dingbat Blues", written by Charles Davis. Forgive the long sentence, but the quality of this one's best expressed in a single breath! CD

A great lost album by John Patton – recorded in 1970, but not ever issued until 1995! The record was most likely held back because it's one of the funky organist's most far-reaching – a stunning batch of modal tracks that moves way past the usual organ sound, and much more into Larry Young-ish territory. A young James Blood Ulmer is on guitar, and the great (and underrecorded) Marvin Cabell plays flute, soprano, and tenor sax. Really great stuff – and most likely material that will disappear again for another 25 years! Titles include "The Mandingo", "Bloodyun", "Memphis", "Steno", and a cover of Wayne Shorter's "Footprints". Includes the bonus tracks "Man From Tanganyika", "Cissy Strut", "Dragon Slayer", "Buddy Boy", "2J" & "Sweet Pea". CD

Two Pharoah Sanders classics – back to back on a single CD! Tauhid is one of the first moments of genius from a young Pharoah Sanders – a set that builds on the energy of John Coltrane's Love Supreme generation – but takes it in a much more expansive direction! The album's got a sense of majesty that's years ahead of its time – righteous, positive, spiritual jazz that flows out with a timeless power, and a quality that almost out-Coltrane's Coltrane! All tracks are long, expressive, and freely flowing – building with a very organic sense of energy – totally free from any gimmicks or cliche. Players include Dave Burrell on piano, Henry Grimes on bass, and Sonny Sharrock on guitar – and Pharoah plays alto, tenor, and piccolo – and even vocalizes a bit. The album begins with the amazing "Upper & Lower Egypt" – which is a perfect illustration of the two sides of Pharoah's genius – free/out & spiritual/modal – and other titles include "Japan", and "Capricorn Rising". Jewels Of Thought is a wonderful reunion of Pharoah Sanders and vocalist Leon Thomas – and a set that captures a lot of the same energy as the pair's previous record – Karma! Thomas' vocals are in wonderful form for the set – stretching out soulfully on the extended classic "Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah" – a title that has much of the same grace and power as "The Creator Has A Master Plan. The rest of the players on the date include Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, Richard Davis and Cecil McBee on basses, and Idris Muhammad and Roy Haynes on drums – and unusually enough, each of the double bassists and drummers gets their own channel of sound to work with! The other long track on the album is the extended "Sun In Aquarius" – which is a bit more outside, but still pretty great! CD

Volumes 1-3 in Tompkins Square's masterful compilations of both rare vintage and the deepest modern acoustic guitar folk experimental instrumentals – in a single package that's a perfect intro to the series if you're like us and late to get in on it! The material is in the Takoma Records realm of adventurous, genre melding (or skirting) greatness – stunning stuff that blends older recordings by masters both iconic and obscure, newer recordings by pivotal figures, and modern work by younger artists that are just as awe inspiring, and the mix of old and new is seamless! Volume 1 includes "Imaginational Anthem" by Max Ochs, "Bouba's Bounce" by Brad Barr, "White Mule III" by Jack Rose, "Untitled" by Sandy Bull, "O Holy Night" by John Fahey and more. Volume 2 includes "River Of Heaven By James Blackshaw, "Future Shot At Life" by Peter Lang, "Leaving The Apple" by Michael Chapman and more. Volume 3 includes "Zocalo" by Richard Crandell, "Sleep Architecture" by Greg Davis, "Goblins" by George Stavis, "Texarkana 1971" by Shawn David McMillen and much more. CD

The musical legacy of saxophonist Marion Brown knows no bounds – and although he gave the world some key studio records that helped define his role in the late 60s and early 70s, his live performances on this planet were an equally important demonstration of the righteous power he brought to his music! This rare 1969 concert from Germany is a key addition to that legacy of important Brown performances – and features the alto saxophonist in a very cool group with Ed Kroeger on trombone, blowing all these soulful lines next to Brown's alto – very spiritual throughout, at a level that really makes us which we knew more about his work. There's no piano in the group at all – just excellent bass from Sigi Busch, and drums from a young AACM hero Steve McCall – on titles that include "Ode To Coltrane", "Mary Ann", "Juba Lee", "Study For Four Instruments", "Modus Rhythmicus", and "Exhibition". CD

Very unusual work by Coltrane – sessions that feature his classic quartet playing in front of larger orchestra backings conducted by Eric Dolphy! The tracks feature Trane leading a group young modernists through a set of larger arranged charts, woven tightly together in a soulful spiritual groove that's similar to some of Max Roach's projects like this from the same time. Players include Booker Little, Eric Dolphy, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Reggie Workman, and Julius Watkins – and this 2CD set features all of the material that was issued on the first album, plus other tracks that came out during the 70s. There's a total of 8 cuts in all – and titles include "Song Of The Underground Railroad", "Blues Minor", "Africa", "The Damned Don't Cry", and "Greensleeves". CD

A set titled after a Beatles hit of the 60s, but one that's got a lot more depth than that – as the record is a landmark moment in the development of organ/guitar jazz at the time – a set that features the key pairing of guitarist Grant Green and Hammond modernist Larry Young! As with other records from the duo, there's a sense of rhythmic progression and tonal inflection here that's quite different than more standard soul jazz of the time – a complexity that also comes from the drum work of Elvin Jones, and which is topped by the soulful expressions of Hank Mobley on tenor – the last member of this all-star quartet! The whole thing's great – based around loose, free rhythms – and featuring searching solos that also still remain nicely swinging and in the pocket! Titles include "Corcovado", "Stella By Starlight", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", and "At Long Last Love". CD

Insanely wonderful music from Andrew Hill – a lean, stripped-down session that has Hill working at his firey best – in a space that's somewhere between the "new thing" recordings of Jackie McLean, and the brooding brilliance of Andrew's later Smokestack session! The group here has some key figures fleshing out the sound – a young Joe Henderson, blowing tenor with a very edgey quality – the very versatile Richard Davis on bass – and the great Roy Haynes on drums, very much at his most fluid interpretation of rhythm! The whole set's pretty darn great – one of the more mindblowing Blue Notes you'll ever hope to buy – and tracks include "Pumpkin", "Subterfuge", "Cantarnos", and "McNeil Island". CD features 2 bonus tracks too – alternate takes of 2 tracks on the album. CD

A seminal "new thing" session from pianist Andrew Hill, and one of the greatest performances ever from a young Bobby Hutcherson! The record features a stunning quartet that includes Hill on piano, Hutcherson on vibes, and Richard Davis and Elvin Jones on rhythm – coming together with the stark, raw energy that made the key Blue Note modern sides from this time so great. Hutcherson hits these amazing tones on the vibes, similar to those that he uses on some of the Jackie McLean albums from the same time – and those tones work perfectly with Hill's fractured piano lines. Titles are all originals by Hill, including "Alfred", "Reconciliation", "Yokada Yokada", and "Flea Flop". CD

A seminal "new thing" session from pianist Andrew Hill, and one of the greatest performances ever from a young Bobby Hutcherson! The record features a stunning quartet that includes Hill on piano, Hutcherson on vibes, and Richard Davis and Elvin Jones on rhythm – coming together with the stark, raw energy that made the key Blue Note modern sides from this time so great. Hutcherson hits these amazing tones on the vibes, similar to those that he uses on some of the Jackie McLean albums from the same time – and those tones work perfectly with Hill's fractured piano lines. Titles are all originals by Hill, including "Alfred", "Reconciliation", "Yokada Yokada", and "Flea Flop". CD

A pivotal album for Waylon Jennings – the record where he really found the new direction that would finally get him the fame he deserved – delivered in a way that's free from all the later cliches, and which also ties Waylon pretty strongly to the hipper currents of the underground – especially that point where singer/songwriter genius intersected with country! The production is his own, and vastly different than the late 60s records – even though we love those to death too – and that magical Jennings vocal approach does fantastic things to tunes by Steve Young, Mickey Newbury, Kris Kristofferson, and others! Titles include the fantastic "Lonesome Onry & Mean", plus "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues", "Freedom To Stay", "Lay It Down", "You Can Have Her", "Pretend I Never Happened", "San Francisco Mabel Joy", "Sandy Sends Her Best", and a great take on "Me &Bobby McGee". CD includes 3 previously unreleased tracks: "Laid Back Country", "The Last One To Leave Seattle" and "Big, Big Love". CD

Two great sets from reedman Charles Lloyd! Dream Weaver really pushes forward all the experiments he'd begun in the Chico Hamilton group – and shows a bold move forward for rhythms in 60s jazz! The tracks are long, and spiral out wonderfully – but in ways that are different than those used by other creators of the time – like Eric Dolphy or John Coltrane. Even though leading the group on tenor and flute, Lloyd's got a real sense of rhythm to his playing – echoes of the Hamilton group – but set loose with a stellar quartet of younger players – including Keith Jarrett on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – all perfect choices for inventive music like this! The standout cut is the amazing "Sombrero Sam", a tight little groover that we never tire of – and one that has Jarrett sounding much more in the pocket than you'd ever imagine – and other tracks include "Dream Weaver", "Autumn Sequence", and "Bird Flight". Love-In features a classic batch of modal grooves from Charles Lloyd – recorded during the height of his mind-expanding years, with his famous quartet that included Keith Jarrett on piano and Jack DeJohnette on drums! The tracks are long and magical, done with that spiritual spiraling sound that Lloyd was wowing the hippies with at the time – and considering that this set was recorded live at the Fillmore, there were an awful lot of hippies present to be wowed! But the set's also got a charm that lives long past its time – thanks to an expansive vision from Lloyd on flute and tenor, and from Jarrett on piano too. Titles include "Sunday Morning", "Love-in", "Tribal Dance", and "Temple Bells". CD

Possibly one of the best-remembered albums by John Mayall's legendary Blues Breakers combo – thanks to vocals and guitar from a young Eric Clapton! Clapton at this point is way fresher than in later years – not prone to cliches, and still coming across with a raw, edgey power that is drenched in American blues tradition. Mayall's great too – wailing on harmonica, organ, and piano – and other members of the core group include John McVie on bass and Hughie Flint on drums – augmented by contributions from UK jazzers John Almond on baritone sax and Alan Skidmore on tenor. Titles include "All Your Love", "Little Girl", "Key To Love", "Parchman Farm", "Have You Heard", "It Ain't Right", and "Steppin Out". CD

One of the first bold statements to come from Chicago's AACM underground of the 60s – a tremendous debut effort from the young Roscoe Mitchell! The album's got a "sense of the new" feel that's as gripping as anything recorded by ESP or Impulse around the same time – a rule-breaking, freely-creative approach to jazz that builds strongly off the changes already wrought by Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, and Archie Shepp! The format is somewhat like the Art Ensemble Of Chicago at times – with measured horn work from Mitchell on alto, clarinet, and recorder, Maurice McIntyre on tenor, Lester Bowie on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Lester Lashley on trombone (as well as a bit of cello). Some tracks – like the brilliant "Sound" – offer a slow-building exploration of tones and textures – while others, like the blues-joke "Little Suite", or the harmelodic "Ornette", show a wry sense of humor that would become a Chicago avant hallmark as the years went on! CD also features bonus alternate takes of "Sound" and "Ornette". CD

Rare work by Hammond organ giant Big John Patton – recorded in 1968, but never issued until 1995, and even then, only briefly! The record features Patton at his finest – stretching out from his basic soul jazz roots, into a more searching use of the organ that's undoubtedly influenced by Larry Young's work at the same time. The record features great work by Harold Alexander on flute and tenor, plus trumpet by Vincent McEwan, drums by George Brown, and added conga by Richard Landrum. The groove is somewhere between 60s soul jazz and modal – and the tracks are long, with that heavy Patton swing! Title sinclude "B&J", "Boogaloo Boogie", "Milk & Honey", "Shoutin But No Poutin", and "Spirit". CD

A brilliantly bubbling session from Hammond genius John Patton – and a set that serves as a real link between the gutbucket soul of his early years, and some of the fresher phrasing he was beginning to explore at Blue Note! Patton's lines on the keys are a wonderful thing to behold (and behear!) – as they're both rhythmic, but extremely fluid and exploratory – more conceived around some of the new ideas on tenor at the time, and pushing forward roughly into the same territory as Larry Young – but with more of Patton's rootsy soul still intact. Junior Cook is in the group on most tracks on tenor – sounding quite fresh himself in this context as he leaps around with new energy – and the rest of the group features Jimmy Ponder on guitar and Clifford Jarvis on drums. The cuts are all originals, further proof of Patton's genius through his writing – and titles include "String Bean", "I Want To Go Home", "Dirty Fingers", and "Daddy James". CD

A startling meeting of two generations of tenor sax – recorded during one of Sonny Rollins' best periods on record, but featuring some even more amazing work from Coleman Hawkins! The album's proof that in his later years, Hawkins was a modernist who could match wits with the best players of the 60s – and blowing here with Rollins, there's an equal amount of freshness and intensity shared by both players, old and young. The backing group is equally modern too – with Paul Bley on piano, Henry Grimes on bass, and Roy McCurdy on drums – who together spur both Hawk and Sonny into solos that never fail to amaze! Tracks include "At McKies", "All The Things You Are", "Summertime", and "Yesterdays". CD

One of the best albums ever cut by American expatriot female organist Rhoda Scott, and a tight batch of organ/drums duets with fellow expatriot Kenny Clarke. Rhoda's got a beautiful style here that's sort of a mix of Larry Young's far reaching chord approach, mixed with Charles Earland's soulfulness, and a bit of Jack McDuff's early bluesy touch. She dominates the whole scene, with no other soloists, and handles the task beautifully. The LP includes some nice originals – like "Bitter-Street" and "Toe Jam" – plus a handful of groovy standards like "Out Of Nowhere", "On Green Dolphin Street", and "Speak Low". CD

2 of Woody Shaw's greatest albums – recorded 10 years apart, and forming a fantastic CD collection! Cassandranite features fantastic early work by Woody Shaw – an album originally recorded in 1965, when Shaw was part of a core soul jazz underground that was slowly forming an answer to the "new thing" movement of the mid 60s. The session was self-produced – and not only features some killer playing by Shaw, but contains a number of other wonderful touches. Larry Young plays piano (not organ) on two tracks; Herbie Hancock is on another 3; George Cables plays electric on the last track, which also includes Harold Vick; Joe Henderson plays tenor throughout; and the great Joe Chambers is on drums. The set is filled with fantastic modal originals, all along the lines of Shaw's "Moontrane" composition – and titles include "Baloo Baloo", "Three Muses", "Tetragon", and "Cassandranite". Love Dance is equally great – spiritual, soulful, and filled with some nice modal grooving! The group's one of the best he ever worked with on Muse – with Billy Harper on tenor, plus Rene McLean, Steve Turre, Joe Bonner, and Cecil McBee – and the approach reminds us of some of the work on Strata East from the same time. The highlight of the record is the cut "Sunbath", which was done in a more famous jazz dance version by singer Joyce Hurley – but Shaw's version has a very similar groove. Harper makes many of the other tracks shine brilliantly, and titles include "Love Dance", "Obsequious", and Harper's own beautiful composition "Soulfully I Love You". CD

Startling! This album is one of two that a young Tony Williams cut for Blue Note, back when he was just hitting the age of 20, and when he was already blowing the minds of masters like Jackie McLean (who first hired him) and Miles Davis (who stole him from Jackie for his own group!) with an approach to drumming that was freed from usual time constraints. Williams conception was so unique, other young modernists – like the album's Wayne Shorter and Sam Rivers on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, and Gary Peacock on bass – quickly benefited from his presence, as you'll hear in this amazing session that sounds very little like any other Blue Note release. Williams wrote all of the tracks, but the style is much freer than any sense of composition might imply – and the group is shaken up differently from track to track. Titles include "From Before", "Echo", and "Extras". CD

A 10th Anniversary performance by the Chicago Tentet – a wonderful group that's become the fruitful union of saxophonist Peter Brotzmann with a younger generation of players who were working heavily on the Chicago scene at the time! Back when the group first started, it was something of an experiment – but over the following decade, the ensemble won great attention for their playing, and for good reason too – considering the solo contributions of players like Ken Vandermark and Mats Gustafsson on reeds, Joe McPhee on trumpet and tenor, Johannes Bauer on trombone, Kent Kessler on bass, and Paal Nilssen Love on drums – all working under the visionary leadership of Peter Brotzmann! The tracks are all somewhat long and open-ended – almost more spacious than on other Chicago Tentet records, with a freely improvised feel. Titles include "Ten By Ten", "Little By Little", and "Step By Step". CD

Nat King Cole as a leader and a sideman – incredible material from 1936-1946 – featuring the King Cole Trio, side work with Eddie Cole's Solid Swingers, Dexter Gordon, The Keynoters and The Lester Young Trio! There's a number of great tunes here with Nat singing, but also a whole bunch of recordings that shine a light on his impeccable work as a group piano player of the finest caliber, working as Nat King Cole and under some funny pseudonyms while he was recording hits for Capitol! Packaged stunningly, even by Hip-O Select Standards – essentially housing the CDs in a hardcover book of 31-pages with an essay by David Ritz, 7 3/8" square package with detailed session notes, and beautifully reproduced art work from original 78s and 10-inch LPs! Disc one features 17 tracks by the King Cole Trio with Nat singing and at the piano, with Oscar Moore on guitar and and Wesley Prince on bass: "Sweet Lorraine", "This Side Up", "Babs", "Scotchin' With The Soda", "Slow Down", "Hit That Jive, Jack" and more. Disc one also includes 5 tracks with Eddie Cole's Solid Swingers, with Nat on piano, Eddie Cole on bass, Kenneth Roane on trumpet, Tommy Thompson on saxes and Jimmy Adams on drums:" Honey Hush" (with Eddie on vocals) plus an alternate take, "Thunder", "Stompin' At The Panama" and "(Bedtime) Sleep, Baby Sleep". Last up on disc one, four tracks by the Keynoters with Willie Smith on alto, Nat as Lord Calvert on piano, Red Callender on bass and Jackie Mills on drums: "The Way You Look Tonight", "My Old Flame" and more. Disc 2 is comprised of Jazz At The Philharmonic: Los Angeles, July 1944, with collective personal including Nat as Shorty Nadine on piano and singing on "Sweet Lorraine", Shorty Sherlock on trumpet, JJ Johnson on trombone, Illinois Jacquet and Jack McVea on tenor, Red Callender on bass, Lee Young on drums, and Carolyn Richards singing on "The Man I Love". Other titles include "Blues", "Tea For Two", "Rosetta", "Bugle Call Rag", "Oh, Lady, Be Good!" and more. Disc 3 starts with 1943/44 material by Dexter Gordon's group featuring Nat on piano, Sweets Edison on trumpet, Gordon on tenor, Red Callender or Johnny Miller on bass and Clifford Owens on drums: "I've Found A New Baby", "I Blowed And Gone" and more. That's followed by Lester Young Trio material of similar vintage with Nat as Aye Guy on piano, Young on Tenor and Buddy Rich on drums: "I Cover The Water Front", "The Man I Love", "Peg Of My Heart" and more. Last, but not least, Keynoters alternate takes including "The You You Look Tonight", "Airiness A La Nat" and "I can't Believe That You're In Love With Me". CD

4 long tracks with plenty of room to roam around – a perfect setting for a young John Coltrane to demonstrate his distinctly different approach to the tenor sax! The album's one of Trane's key classics for Prestige – a quartet side that features backing by the trio of Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – very open, and uniquely creative – especially in some of the more surprising moments! Titles include a great version of Jackie McLean's "Little Melonae", plus "Rise N Shine", "If There Is Someone Lovelier Than You", and "I See Your Face Before Me". CD

A key early appearance on record by Sonny Rollins – recorded here with Miles Davis and Jackie McLean in the landmark Dig session! The album's the stuff that 50s bop dreams are made of – a session that has up-and-coming modernists working in the new freedom of the long playing record, in a way that allows them to break past the shorter, more urgent sound of the 78rpm single! Rollins is young, but a surprisingly strong voice on the set – and Jackie McLean's alto is incredibly sharp at this point, with strong hints of the genius to come later in the decade. The rest of the lineup includes Walter Bishop on piano, Tommy Potter on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – and tracks include Miles' classic version of "It's Only A Paper Moon", plus "Denial", "Out Of The Blue", "Dig", and "Bluing". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – "Conception" and "My Old Flame". CD

A great CD that combines most of the material on Art's two albums for Argo – Art (1960) and Perception (1961). Art is a beautiful album of understated brilliance – one of Farmer's early shifts into the sublime, an easily blown batch of trumpet tracks played with trio backing by Tommy Flanagan, Tommy Williams, and Albert Heath. The tracks are all in the four to five minute range, with Art crafting lyrically soulful lines over the top. Titles include "Who Cares", "Out Of The Past", "Younger Than Springtime", "That Ole Devil Called Love", and "Goodbye Old Girl". Perception is similar, an amazingly beautiful set of tracks from Art – playing with superb accompaniment from a young Harold Mabern, in a laidback quartet format that really lets Art open up! Art's playing is fresh and creative throughout – never over the top, with that subtle genius that he was bringing to his work in the 60s – and the choice of material includes Tom McIntosh's great composition "The Day After", plus Art's "Punsu" and "Kayin". One track from each album has been omitted to fit the material on one CD (which is BS, by the way, as the CD is only 64 minutes long!) – but if you can stand having the incomplete versions of the albums, this is a great deal for some rare material! CD

Two trumpets, and plenty of soul – one of those wonderful late 50s Prestige Records blowing sessions that really let individual players have lots of the right sort of space to find their own voice alongside each other! Byrd and Farmer are both young here, and mighty sharp in their sounds – already quite distinct from each other in phrasing, and a great choice as soloists to illuminate in a setting like this. The rest of the group features Jackie McLean on alto – getting in some great solos too – plus Barry Harris on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and the great Art Taylor on drums. Byrd's bite is a great counterpart to the lyricism of Farmer – and titles include "Contour", "Round Midnight", "The Third", and "Dig". CD

Tremendous trumpets from Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw – a real standout from the mid 80s revival years of Blue Note – and a perfect setting for both players! The tracks are long, but tight too – with just the right balance of solo voices from Hubbard and Shaw – and excellent additional work on alto and flute from a young Kenny Garrett! The rhythms have a fluid feel that are especially great for Hubbard's approach – and are handled by Mulgrew Miller on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Carl Allen on drums. Titles include "Desert Moonlight", "Lotus Blossum", "Hub-Tones", "Lament For Booker", and "Boperation". CD

2 excellent early albums from overlooked saxophone genius Eric Kloss! Grits & Gravy is a really incredible little set – with a varied approach that we love! About half the record has Kloss blowing with a quartet that includes Jaki Byard on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Alan Dawson on drums – going for a style that's more towards the soulful end of Byard's modern approach – and featuring some incredibly well-crafted alto solos for his young age. The other half of the album features a strange but cool larger group – one with Teddy Charles on vibes, Billy Butler on guitar, and even some female backing vocals! The approach on these sides is like that on some of the George Braith and Freddie McCoy sides for Prestige – a great blend of groovy and funky, with a soulful undercurrent that's really sent home by Kloss' solos! A stunning album with a really unique blend of sounds – and titles that include "Repeat", "Grits & Gravy", "Gentle One", "Slow Hot Wind", and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". First Class Kloss catches the young saxophone genius at a perfect point in his career, right when he was stretching out from the organ jazz roots of his first few records, but in a way that's not as noodly as in some of his later recordings. The group's incredibly hip – with Jimmy Owens, Cedar Walton, Leroy Vinnegar, and Alan Dawson – and the record bounces with that soulful pre-funk mode that crept into only the best of the Prestige sides of the late 60s. Titles include "African Cookbook", "Chittlins Con Carne", "Comin Home Baby", and "The Chasin Game". 16 tracks in all, including one previously unissued track – "Psychedelicatessen Rag". CD

A really beautiful record from vibist Joe Locke – and maybe his most dynamic album in years! The set's got Joe working in a particularly angular mode – carving out these wonderful lines of sound with core rhythms from the trio of Robert Rodriguez on piano, Terreon Gully on drums, and Ricky Rodriguez on bass – all younger players who provide a very fresh setting for Locke's vibes! Joe's still got all the warmth of his recent records, but also has a bit more edge, too – which we like a lot – and this quality seems to come out especially strong alongside some of the guests – who include Rosario Giuliani on alto and soprano sax and Donny McCaslin on tenor. Titles include "For Jesse Mountain", "Love Is Letting Go", "Love Is A Pendulum", "Love Is The Tide", and "Variation On Wisdom". CD

Possibly one of the best-remembered albums by John Mayall's legendary Blues Breakers combo – thanks to vocals and guitar from a young Eric Clapton! Clapton at this point is way fresher than in later years – not prone to cliches, and still coming across with a raw, edgey power that is drenched in American blues tradition. Mayall's great too – wailing on harmonica, organ, and piano – and other members of the core group include John McVie on bass and Hughie Flint on drums – augmented by contributions from UK jazzers John Almond on baritone sax and Alan Skidmore on tenor. Titles include "All Your Love", "Little Girl", "Key To Love", "Parchman Farm", "Have You Heard", "It Ain't Right", and "Steppin Out". Plus, the 2CD set features a huge amount of bonus tracks – including the additional 1969 stereo mixes for the album (main album presented in mono), and a full bonus disc of live tracks from BBC Saturday Club Sessions and The Flamingo Club – plus singles on the Pye, Immediate, and Purdah labels! 19 tracks on disc 2 – a good number previously unreleased! CD

Key moments in the career of Charles Mingus – all recorded during the crucial years of 1964 and 1965, and featuring the first-time release of a fair bit of live material too! The set represents the first full presentation of recordings that have appeared piecemeal on a handful of obscure releases – self-released records from Mingus himself – Town Hall, My Favorite Quintet, and Music Written For Monterey – all really expanded here with the full recordings of the tracks, and unreleased titles provided from the original tapes! Mingus was really on fire during these years – severed from most of his bigger label associations, and freely working on some of his most inventive ideas with various smaller groups of players – all fresh young talents who were key interpreters of Charles' ideas – including Johnny Coles and Lonnie Hillyer on trumpet, Jimmy Owens on trumpet and flugelhorn, Charles McPherson on alto sax, Clifford Jordan on tenor, Jaki Byard on piano, Eric Dolphy on alto, flute, and bass clarinet. The stalwart Dannie Richmond is on drums, and the sides represent some of Dolphy's last, and most important recordings on the planet – recordings done at Town Hall and in Amsterdam in April of 1964 – in addition to live material at Monterey in 1964 and 1965, in Minneapolis in May of 1965. Tracks are all quite long – some pushing the half-hour timing – and as with the best live Mingus, there's variations here that go way past any studio readings – really incredible solo flights that are still beautifully integrated with the ideas of the main group. Titles include "So Long Eric", "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress Then Blue Silk", "Mingus Piano Solo", "Bird Preamble", "Themeless Blues", "Copa City Titty", "A Lonely Day In Selma", "Cocktails For Two", "Praying With Eric", "Parkeriana", "ATFW", "Meditations On A Pair Of Wire Cutters", and "Meditations On Integration". 7CDs, limited edition, and with a great book of notes too! CD

A smashing set of work from drummer Louis Moholo – a set that shows that after all these years, he's still a richly creative talent on his instrument! The album has Louis duetting with pianist Alexander Hawkins – a younger player who'd caught his ear a few years before, and who turns out to be a perfect partner for the record – graced with just the right kind of free-thinking, yet spiritual elements as Moholo's own music – able to stretch out strongly with a lot of freedom, yet never lose sight of the overarching goal! The tracks are all long and open – and almost recall some of the interplay between Moholo and Chris McGregor in years back – especially some of the freer work on the 70s London scene. The album's a beautiful extension of the Ogun Records tradition – and titles include "Lakutshon Ilanga", "Hear Our Hearts", "Heavy Manners", "Amaxesha Osizi", "If I Should Lose You", "Pure Vision", and "Catch You On The Rebound". CD

A real breakout set from the young Joshua Redman – the kind of record that made some mighty big ripples in the jazz world at the time – and which ended up in more record collections than we can count – and for good reason, too! The group's a rock-solid quartet – with Redman on tenor, Brad Mehldau on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Brian Blade on drums – and titles include "Sweet Sorrow", "Chill", "Rejoice", "Faith", "Alone In The Morning", "Mischief", "Dialogue", "The Oneness Of Two (In Three)", "Past In The Present", "Obsession", and "Headin' Home". CD

A 2 CD live set from the legendary Gil Scott-Heron – captured sometime in the 80s, featuring some of his legendary righteous jazz funk numbers in the 70s, plus some of his lesser-known, even more pointedly political numbers from the 80s! The arrangements are clean, and very jazzy on this set – with many of the numbers stretching to epic length, complete with Gil's between song spoken word bits intact. The group that includes Ron Holloway on tenor sax, Kim Jordan on keys and backing vocals, Rodney Young on drums and Larry McDonald on percussion. Tracks include "Washington DC", "Winter In America", "Is That Jazz?", "Blue Collar", "Johannesburg", "Three Miles Down", "Gun", "Save The Children", "Angel Dust", "Shut 'Em Down", "B Move", "The Bottle" and more! CD

Very hip piano trio work – the first 2 Columbia albums by Denny Zeitlin, a young fresh talent in the 60s, with an approach that was lyrical, slightly modern, and a bit soulful. This is especially the case on the Cathexis album, which features a great rhythm section of Cecil McBee on bass and Freddy Waits on drums. Carnival is a bit more free flowing – with Charlie Haden doing some great bass, making a rare small group appearance here. Most tunes are originals by Zeitlin – and titles include "Stonehenge", "Cathexis", "Repeat", "I Thou", "After The War", "Carnival", and "Carole's Garden". CD

A fantastic look at the righteous current of energy that swept through American music at the end of the 60s – that huge wave of knowledge and political inspiration that still stands as one of our favorite moments in jazz and soul! The Civil Rights generation had gotten some things accomplished, but not everything – and a new wave of action arose in various scenes of the underground – not just pushing the musical formats past anything that had happened before, but also doing so with a strong message of pride and empowerment! This collection surveys some of the best tracks of that moment – and also provides a great batch of historical notes to put the whole thing in context – done in collaboration with the book of the same name, but equally great as a soundtrack and document on its own. The package is overflowing with Dusty Groove classics – and titles include "Sweet Songs" by Sarah Webster Fabio, "Surtal Ihklas" by Doug Carn, "Vibes From The Tribe" by Phil Ranelin, "Desert Fairy Princess" by Horace Tapscott & The Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, "Sounds From The Bush" by The Mandingo Griot Society with Don Cherry, "Is It Too Late" by Duke Edwards & The Young Ones, "Strong Men" by David McKnight, "Black Narcissus" by Joe Henderson, "Malcolm X" by Phil Cohran & The Artistic Heritage Ensemble, "Mother Of The Future" by Carlos Garnett, "Red Black & Green" by Roy Ayers, "African Rhythms" by Oneness Of Juju, and "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by Gil Scott-Heron. CD

A really early nugget from the Detroit jazz scene of the 50s – and a record that marks a key moment for players who would soon become huge on a variety of different labels! The group here features a very young Donald Byrd on trumpet, with Yusef Lateef on tenor, Barry Harris on piano, Alvin Jackson on bass, and Frank Gant on drums – plus Bernard McKinney blowing euphonium – an instrument he would use on a number of other important recordings over the years to really deepen their sound. The date was originally issued by the Transition label, and very quickly disappeared when they quickly closed up show – brought back over the years in a few variations by Delmark, to keep the memory of this moment alive. Tracks include "Yusef", "Parisian Thoroughfare", "Blues", "Dancing In The Dark", and "Tortion Level". CD

Quite a different album than usual for John Coltrane, but a classic one too – and a set that has the great one exploring his ideas in a set of longer tracks recorded with an expanded jazz orchestra! The format's hardly the mainstream big band of the time – as Coltrane's filled the group with very hip players – including Booker Little, Freddie Hubbard, Julian Priester, and Eric Dolphy – in addition to usual compatriots who include McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman, and Elvin Jones. The tunes have a soaring, modal sort of pulse – one that's filled with color and light from the addition of the other horn players, but which still has plenty of space for extended, exploratory solos. Coltrane plays both tenor and soprano sax – and titles include the legendary 16 minute track "Africa", a classic reading of "Greensleeves", redone here as a modal searching spiritual track, and "Blues Minor". With Vol 2 the tracks feature Trane leading a group young modernists through a set of larger arranged charts, woven tightly together in a soulful spiritual groove that's similar to some of Max Roach's projects like this from the same time. Players include Booker Little, Eric Dolphy, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Reggie Workman, and Julius Watkins – and the album includes an alternate version of "Africa", plus "Greensleeves" and "Song Of The Underground Railroad". CD

A really formative album – not just as part of the key second chapter of alto genius Lou Donaldson, but also as the start of a huge generation of jazz funk grooves to come! The key element here is drummer Idris Muhammad – working in the group of Donaldson, but under his birth name of Leo Morris – and still already graced with that fantastic sense of rhythm that has him stretching out the beats, and creating grooves that would push the 60s soul jazz generation into more electric funk modes in the decade to come! The record's a perfect bridge between the two generations – with long tracks that draw plenty from Idris' drums and Lou's alto – plus work from Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Lonnie Smith on organ, and the young George Benson on guitar – still hard and soulful, in that style he had been using in the 60s group of organist Jack McDuff. If you know the heavily sampled side of Lou Donaldson's work, you'll know the greatness you're getting here – on cuts that include "Dapper Dan", "Midnight Creeper", "Bag Of Jewels", and "Love Power". CD

One of Booker Ervin's last sessions – quite different than some of his earlier work, and a great indication of the way that he was stretching his style in the years before his untimely death. The group's a committed band of modernists, and includes a young Charles Tolliver on trumpet, plus John Hicks on piano and Lennie McBrownie on drums. The tracks are short, but they're a compelling mix of Booker's searching tenor lines with warm lyrical accompaniment. Titles include "Boo's Blues", "Franess", "Stolen Moments", "Berkshire Blues", and a great reading of "Dancing In The Dark". CD also features 4 unissued bonus tracks – 2 alternate takes of tunes on the album, plus versions of "White Christmas" and "Shiny Stockings". CD

A real lost treasure from Art Farmer – a tremendous album that hardly ever shows up in the history books, and which, to our knowledge, appears here on CD for the first time ever – plus a bonus album of earlier Farmer work with the Mundell Lowe Septet! Many Faces is a rare 1964 jazz side for the mostly-pop Scepter label – featuring Farmer at the head of a small group working with Tommy Flanagan on piano, Charles McPherson on alto, and Steve Swallow or Ron Carter alternating on bass. The album was done under the direction of Tom McIntosh – the brilliant young composer who had a magical talent for blending together modern and lyrical modes while still keeping a strong degree of soul. McIntosh contributed a few tunes to the set, as did Dennis Sandole – the nearly-forgotten trumpeter from the Philly scene of the 50s. There's a dark beauty to this session that surpasses even many other Farmer sides from the time – and titles include "Hyacinth", "Ally", "Happy Feet", "Minuet In G", and "Saucer Eyes". 1958's Porgy & Bess finds Farmer playing trumpet for guitarist Mundell Lowe's Septet on a nice set of material from Gershwin – including lesser known numbers from the original play. Players include Tony Scott on clarinet and baritone, Ben Webster on tenor and either George Duvivier or Osie Johnson on the kit. Titles include "Summertime", "Bess, You Is My Woman", "I Love You Porgy", "Redhead Woman", "There's A Boat That's Leaving Soon For New York", "It Ain't Necessarily So" and more. CD

Maybe one of the most amazing debut records of all time – not only the record that first exposed the world to Roberta Flack, but a set that heralded so many changes to come in the following decade! Flack's genius here is almost impossible to put into words – part jazz, part soul, and completely righteous from the very first note – possessed of a sense of pride and power that belie both her understated image on the front cover, and her relatively young age – and delivered with a timelessness that still makes the record as vital today as it was so many years back. The set features Flack playing piano and singing with her trio – sometimes augmented by larger arrangements by the very hip William S Fischer, but often in a setting that's very spare yet incredibly moving – instantly putting Roberta at the same level as Nina Simone, and maybe even past the territory of Aretha Franklin at the time. Titles include her seminal reading of "Compared To What" – an instant anthem for the time – plus the tracks "Angelitos Negros", "Our Ages Or Our Hearts", and "Tryin Times". CD

Possibly one of the best-remembered albums by John Mayall's legendary Blues Breakers combo – thanks to vocals and guitar from a young Eric Clapton! Clapton at this point is way fresher than in later years – not prone to cliches, and still coming across with a raw, edgey power that is drenched in American blues tradition. Mayall's great too – wailing on harmonica, organ, and piano – and other members of the core group include John McVie on bass and Hughie Flint on drums – augmented by contributions from UK jazzers John Almond on baritone sax and Alan Skidmore on tenor. Titles include "All Your Love", "Little Girl", "Key To Love", "Parchman Farm", "Have You Heard", "It Ain't Right", and "Steppin Out". CD

Flip was one of the earliest stars on the Verve/Clef/Norgran labels – a true original, with a hard swinging tenor sound that really found its place with producer Norman Granz. The pair drifted apart as the 50s wore on, but Flip's returned to Verve for this recent session – a pretty tasty outing with a traditional feel, backed by great younger players like James Carter, Benny Green, Christian McBride, and Kenny Washington. The feel of the set recalls the best relaxed swing sessions of mid 50s Verve – and Phillips' tone on the tenor is as right on the money as ever! Titles include "Where Or When", "The Mark Of Zorro", "Grand Rose", "Susan's Dream", "Flip The Whip", and "Swing Is The Thing". CD

Sublime Hammond from Johnny Smith – a pair of early albums for Riverside, back to back on a single CD! Black Coffee is one of Johnny Hammond's first albums – and a cooking little live set that really has the organist working with some early raw power! The group's a trio, but they seem to burn differently than some of the other organ combos of the time – maybe with that fluid sensibility that Johnny brought to his keys, and which would later open up in even more famous ways. The core group features Eddie McFadden on guitar and Leo Stevens on drums – but they're joined by Seldon Powell on tenor for more than half the album, who really opens things up with his tremendous playing – and shows at an early state that Johnny Hammond always knows the right way to use a horn player. Titles include "Monterey Theme", "Far Away Places", "I Remember Clifford", "He's A Real Gone Guy", and "Rufus Toofus". Mr Wonderful is a record that definitely lives up to its title – reminding us not only that Johnny Hammond Smith is one hell of an organist, but also a great leader with a really unique feel for a groove! The set's noteworthy not just for Johnny's own work on Hammond, but also for the presence of a young Houston Person – blowing tenor here in a way that's breathtaking right from the start – a bold, soulful tone that's a perfect fit for the group – which also includes trumpet from Johnny Williams and guitar from Eddie McFadden. The set includes a lot of tasty originals by Johnny – like "Cyra", "Lambert's Lounge", "Departure", and "Opus 2" – and already shows the way that Hammond was complicating his groove from that of other players of the time! CD

Really magical work from a young Denny Zeitlin – one of a few key players in the second wave of jazz piano talent in the 60s – post-Bill Evans, and equally important as artists like Steve Kuhn or Keith Jarrett! Zeitlin's got the inventive sensibilities of both of those players at their start – a new way of phrasing notes, finding fresh tones, and working with a looser approach to rhythm – handled here by the excellent duo of Cecil McBee on bass and Freddy Waits on drums! Zeitlin's also a hell of a writer, too – most tunes here are originals – and titles include "Stonehenge", "Cathexis", "I Thou", "Blue Phoenix", and "Nica's Tempo". It's no surprise that Zeitlin's continued to make compelling music all these many decades later – but he was already wonderful at the start! 2 bonus tracks – "Nica's Dream" and "Requiem For Lili". 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 seminal album from altoist Jackie McLean – and a set that serves as a key bridge between his mid 60s avant work in the "new thing" scene, and the deeper, spiritual sounds he'd play in years to come! There's a sense of balance here that grabs us right from the start – especially on the album's leadoff track "Soul" – written by Grachan Moncur, and featuring this very hip, very righteous spoken passage from Barbara Simmons – kind of a discourse on the idiom of the title! The group features key McLean associates – a young Woody Shaw on trumpet, plus Moncur on trombone, Lamont Johnson on piano, Scotty Holt on bass, and Rashied Ali on drums – and titles include "Soul", "Big Ben's Voice", "Conversion Point", and "Erdu" – plus an alternate take of "Big Ben's Voice"! CD

A modernist classic from 60s Blue Note! The album's one of Jackie McLean's greatest from the time – and one of his seminal "new thing" sessions cut with young modernists Grachan Moncur III on trombone and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes – both young players who were really finding the sharper edges of their sound at the time! Three of the four long tracks on the record were written by Moncur, and have a similar approach to his own recordings for Blue Note – moody and introspective, in a style that's as concerned with sound and space as it is jazz and rhythm – and Hutcherson's vibes are beyond compare here, with have a sinister metallic quality that he only used briefly in his early career! The whole record's a gem, and one not to pass up! Titles include "Kahlil The Prophet", "Riff Raff", and "Love & Hate". CD

Maybe the crowning achievement of drummer Makaya McCraven so far – a double-length set that stands as a huge testimony to all the many waves he's been making in jazz for the past few years! The album features four slices of live performance – recorded in New York, Chicago, LA, and London – and as with every one of his different projects, Makaya seems to bring a different voice to each live track here – recording with Brandee Younger on harp and Joel Ross on vibes in New York, Shabaka Hutchings on tenor in Chicago; Nubya Garcia on tenor and Ashley Henry on Rhodes in London; and Josh Johnson on alto, Jeff Parker on guitar, Carlos Nino on percussion, and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on violin in LA! The rhythms are as amazing as the contributions from the different soloists – and the sound of the record is maybe something we'd call post-spiritual – moving past that Coltrane-inspired mode that's been revived so well in the 21st Century, while still holding onto its best sense of energy. The whole thing is fantastic – and titles include "The Count Off", "Brighter Days Beginning", "Universal Beings", "Mantra", "Young Genius", "Holy Lands", "Wise Man Wiser Woman", "Prosperity's Fear", "Atlantic Black", "Flipped Out", "Voila", and "Suite Hans". CD

A double-length package of organ/guitar greatness – and a set that features key 60s work by Hammond hero Jack McDuff and guitarist George Benson! First up is The New Boss Guitar Of George Benson – the first album ever cut by Benson as a leader, a cooker of a soul jazz set, recorded back when George was the guitarist in Jack McDuff's classic 60s quartet! The album's almost a McDuff Quartet one – since Jack's on Hammond and Red Holloway is on tenor – but the group's slightly different too, with the surprising additions of Montego Joe on drums, and Ronnie Boykins on bass! Benson's guitar is amazing throughout – sharp-edged and played with a tightness that's quite different than most of his later work – and titles include "Shadow Dancers", "The Sweet Alice Blues", "Just Another Sunday", "Easy Living", and "Rock A Bye". Next up is Hot Barbeque – one of our all-time favorite albums from Brother Jack McDuff! The combo here is great – with a young George Benson hard-wailing on guitar, cutting lines so fast and furious it's hard to believe – especially if you only know his later work. The legendary Joe Dukes is on drums – dancing all over the place under Brother Jack's great groovy solos – and Red Holloway completes the group on tenor sax! The title track's got a rare vocal refrain – with Jack shouting out "Hot Barbeque" over the organ – and other cuts include "Briar Patch", "Hippy Dip", "601 1/2 North Poplar", and "The Three Day Thang". CD

A pivotal session from the late 60s – one that has Jackie McLean pulling things back a bit from his "new thing" period, and turning towards the spiritual soulful groove that would characterize his early 70s work! The album bristles with excitement – still very much informed by a knowledge of the space explored during Jackie's avant years, but never quite willing to go to that space – especially if it means sacrificing the soulful swing of the set! The group's filled with young soulful modernists – including Woody Shaw on trumpet, Lamont Johnson on piano, Scott Holt on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – and Jackie himself seems to be working out a whole new phase of his career with each new track – showing that even when he was at his "new thing" best, he was still ready to move on! Tremendous stuff, and one of our favorite Blue Notes from the time – and one of the most soulful too! Titles include "Floogeh", "Message From Trane", "Toyland", and "Boo Ann's Grind". CD

It certainly was time – time for Jackie McLean to break out of his older bop mode, and hit a whole new level of playing with a tight group of "new thing" compatriots like Herbie Hancock on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Charles Tolliver on trumpet! The record isn't as totally "out there" as some of his other ones from this period, but it's a seminal release in Jackie's modernist period – and it's one of the hardest to find from the era. Filled with warmly wonderful original compositions like "Revillot", "Snuff", "Truth", and "Das Dat" – the record is unpacked and remodeled nicely by the trio of young players, aided by Jackie's moody alto, and given a great spin by Roy Haynes on drums. Striking cover, too – with a huge field of exclamation points! CD

Long-blowing late 50s work from Jackie McLean – one of his standout sets as a leader from the pre-Blue Note years! The album features McLean in two different settings – really opening up on side one with a sextet that includes Curtis Fuller on trombone, Webster Young on trumpet, Gil Coggins on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – in two long takes of "A Long Drink Of The Blues", which features Jackie on both alto and tenor! Side two is a bit tighter, with Jackie heading up a quartet that includes Mal Waldron on piano, Art Phipps on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – on tunes that include "I Cover The Waterfront", "These Foolish Things", and "Embraceable You". CD

George Benson's first LP for Columbia – a hard, heavy, soul jazz slammer that bears no resemblance to his overproduced work of the 70s! The album's a real cooker – recorded hot on the heels of Benson's classic work on Prestige with the Jack McDuff group, and sounding a lot like McDuff's hard wailing organ jazz of the same time. George is working with a group that features a young Lonnie Smith on organ, plus Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Ronnie Cuber on sax, and Charlie Persip on drums – all tightly coming together, and jamming hard on the album's short cooking tracks. Tracks include "Clockwise", "Jaguar", "Hello Birdie", and "Bullfight". This is the earlier version of the CD – without the bonus tracks on the later reissue. CD

George Benson's first LP for Columbia – a hard, heavy, soul jazz slammer that bears no resemblance to his overproduced work of the 70s! The album's a real cooker – recorded hot on the heels of Benson's classic work on Prestige with the Jack McDuff group, and sounding a lot like McDuff's hard wailing organ jazz of the same time. George is working with a group that features a young Lonnie Smith on organ, plus Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Ronnie Cuber on sax, and Charlie Persip on drums – all tightly coming together, and jamming hard on the album's short cooking tracks. Tracks include "Clockwise", "Jaguar", "Hello Birdie", and "Bullfight". Plus, the CD adds five bonus tracks, including "Sideman", "Minor Chant", and the previously unreleased "J.H. Bossa Nova" and "Clockwise (Alternate Take)". CD

Features Howard McGhee on trumpet, Trummy Young on trombone, Sonny Criss on alto, and Wardell Gray and Dexter Gordon on tenor. CD

A fantastic mid 60s album from Grant Green – but one that never got its due originally, because it was unreleased at the time – and didn't come out until a Japanese version in the late 70s! Despite that oddly long gap, Matador is truly one Grant's best ever records – a really inventive session that goes way past his standard soul jazz roots – and which really shows the guitarist stretching out towards future styles of jazz! The session's a spare quartet date – with Green's guitar playing modal grooves over rhythm by by his incredible combo – with Bob Cranshaw on bass, Elvin Jones on drums and the incomparable McCoy Tyner on piano – blocking out bold changes that really drive the record strongly. Cuts are long, and there's a freewheeling quality to the material that's only ever matched by some of the Grant Green/Larry Young sessions from the same time – especially the Street Of Dreams Record. Titles include "Matador", "Bedouin", Green Jeans", and a killer version of "My Favorite Things", done in a very Coltrane-esque style. CD