One of two rare albums recorded by organist Jimmy Caravan in the 60s – a really great talent on the Hammond, and a player with a really clean, lean, and groovy sound! Jimmy's style here borrows a lot from the Capitol jazz scene of players like Howard Roberts or Henry Cain – an approach to organ jazz that's a bit more stripped down and less gritty than that of labels like Blue Note or Prestige – and one that uses the cleaner sound to bring even more rhythm into the mix, letting the organ leap around the tunes in a groovily playful way! Caravan's got a great sound throughout, and although the other players aren't listed, the album's got a nice small combo sound all the way through. Titles include "Off A Brass Monkey", "Equinox", "UFO", "Cyclops", and a groovy version of "Hey Jude". CD

Easily the most hard-hitting of Blue Note's 2LP Lighthouse Live series from the early 70s – and a record that really lets Elvin Jones and his group stretch out and play! The setting is a perfect one for Jones – given the boundless energy already present on his studio sessions for Blue Note at the time – really fierce work that goes beyond even his classic Coltrane performances – pushing the limits in a sweet blend of rhythm and reeds! The group here is Elvin's razor-edge combo from the early 70s – the one that features Gene Perla on fat funky bass, and both Steve Grossman and Dave Liebman playing choppy reeds along with the grooves – really amazing hornmen at this point in their career, blowing here with interplay that's simply fantastic! Jones' leadership both draws from his years with Coltrane, yet also takes the music to key new levels – increasing the energy without blowing the top off, and creating a vivid new groove that so many others would try to cop later in the 70s – but never do this well. Titles on this second volume include "New Breed", "My Ship", and "Sweet Mama". CD

Jackie McLean cut some of his best bop sessions for Blue Note – and this is one of them! The record is amazingly precise, and features Jackie as the sole horn soloist in a group with Walter Bishop on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – a crack rhythm combo that give McLean plenty of room to blow on his searing alto sax. Tracks stream along with an amazing ease – and Jackie's perfectly-placed solos are right on the money every time! The set list includes a lot of standards, but they're done with that warm soulful approach that makes you hardly care about the source of the material – and instead focus on Jackie's amazing talents as an improviser! Titles include "What's New", "I Love You", "Let's Face The Music And Dance", and "Stable Mates". CD

Jackie McLean cut some of his best bop sessions for Blue Note – and this is one of them! The record is amazingly precise, and features Jackie as the sole horn soloist in a group with Walter Bishop on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – a crack rhythm combo that give McLean plenty of room to blow on his searing alto sax. Tracks stream along with an amazing ease – and Jackie's perfectly-placed solos are right on the money every time! The set list includes a lot of standards, but they're done with that warm soulful approach that makes you hardly care about the source of the material – and instead focus on Jackie's amazing talents as an improviser! Titles include "What's New", "I Love You", "Let's Face The Music And Dance", and "Stable Mates". CD

Jackie McLean cut some of his best bop sessions for Blue Note – and this is one of them! The record is amazingly precise, and features Jackie as the sole horn soloist in a group with Walter Bishop on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – a crack rhythm combo that give McLean plenty of room to blow on his searing alto sax. Tracks stream along with an amazing ease – and Jackie's perfectly-placed solos are right on the money every time! The set list includes a lot of standards, but they're done with that warm soulful approach that makes you hardly care about the source of the material – and instead focus on Jackie's amazing talents as an improviser! Titles include "What's New", "I Love You", "Let's Face The Music And Dance", and "Stable Mates". CD

Jackie McLean cut some of his best bop sessions for Blue Note – and this is one of them! The record is amazingly precise, and features Jackie as the sole horn soloist in a group with Walter Bishop on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – a crack rhythm combo that give McLean plenty of room to blow on his searing alto sax. Tracks stream along with an amazing ease – and Jackie's perfectly-placed solos are right on the money every time! The set list includes a lot of standards, but they're done with that warm soulful approach that makes you hardly care about the source of the material – and instead focus on Jackie's amazing talents as an improviser! Titles include "What's New", "I Love You", "Let's Face The Music And Dance", and "Stable Mates". 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

A record that's every bit as cool as its cover – and one of the strongest Blue Note sessions from Hammond organ legend Big John Patton! The tracks are long, and have a great loping rhythm – a groove that Patton creates by using the bass pedals alongside the drums of Ben Dixon – a player who really helps John break past more familiar Hammond modes – and helps establish that unique sound that really made the organist one of the strongest 60s players on his instrument! The rest of the combo is fantastic too – with Fred Jackson on tenor, Grant Green on guitar, Richard Williams on trumpet – the last of whom is a real surprise, if you only know his work with Charles Mingus. The tracks are nice and long, and have a good balance between soulful roots and more modern intentions – on titles that include "Just 3/4", "The Way I Feel", "Jerry", "The Rock", and "Davene". CD

Funky pianist Gene Harris had spent most of the 60s playing in a standard trio format with his group The Three Sounds – but by the time of this live set, the group was evolving into a monster jazz funk combo, and Harris was getting beautifully heavy handed in his approach to rhythm. This live set was recorded by Blue Note in 1970, but for some reason it was left unreleased until the mid-90s – a decision that's really a mystery when you hear how funky some of the tracks are! Black Jazz bassist Henry Franklin is part of Harris' combo at the time, and the drummer is the nice tight Carl Burnett. The set includes some excellent versions of Monk Higgins tracks like "Funky Pullett" and "Sittin' Duck" – and Higgins also produced the whole thing for Blue Note. Very nice, and another great session we're glad was dug out of the vaults! CD

Easily the most hard-hitting of Blue Note's 2LP Lighthouse Live series from the early 70s – and a record that really lets Elvin Jones and his group stretch out and play! The setting is a perfect one for Jones – given the boundless energy already present on his studio sessions for Blue Note at the time – really fierce work that goes beyond even his classic Coltrane performances – pushing the limits in a sweet blend of rhythm and reeds! The group here is Elvin's razor-edge combo from the early 70s – the one that features Gene Perla on fat funky bass, and both Steve Grossman and Dave Liebman playing choppy reeds along with the grooves – really amazing hornmen at this point in their career, blowing here with interplay that's simply fantastic! Jones' leadership both draws from his years with Coltrane, yet also takes the music to key new levels – increasing the energy without blowing the top off, and creating a vivid new groove that so many others would try to cop later in the 70s – but never do this well. Titles on this first volume include "Fancy Free", "Sambra", and "The Children Save The Children". CD

Easily the most hard-hitting of Blue Note's 2LP Lighthouse Live series from the early 70s – and a record that really lets Elvin Jones and his group stretch out and play! The setting is a perfect one for Jones – given the boundless energy already present on his studio sessions for Blue Note at the time – really fierce work that goes beyond even his classic Coltrane performances – pushing the limits in a sweet blend of rhythm and reeds! The group here is Elvin's razor-edge combo from the early 70s – the one that features Gene Perla on fat funky bass, and both Steve Grossman and Dave Liebman playing choppy reeds along with the grooves – really amazing hornmen at this point in their career, blowing here with interplay that's simply fantastic! Jones' leadership both draws from his years with Coltrane, yet also takes the music to key new levels – increasing the energy without blowing the top off, and creating a vivid new groove that so many others would try to cop later in the 70s – but never do this well. Titles on this second volume include "New Breed", "My Ship", and "Sweet Mama". CD

Jackie McLean cut some of his best bop sessions for Blue Note – and this is one of them! The record is amazingly precise, and features Jackie as the sole horn soloist in a group with Walter Bishop on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – a crack rhythm combo that give McLean plenty of room to blow on his searing alto sax. Tracks stream along with an amazing ease – and Jackie's perfectly-placed solos are right on the money every time! The set list includes a lot of standards, but they're done with that warm soulful approach that makes you hardly care about the source of the material – and instead focus on Jackie's amazing talents as an improviser! Titles include "What's New", "I Love You", "Let's Face The Music And Dance", and "Stable Mates". CD

Great jazzy grooves from this hip Italian combo – a late 90s precursor to the current club jazz scene! The group's got a classic Blue Note sound – mixing up soul jazz and modal grooves with some very tight playing and a strong commitment to a classic sound. The horn players are all great – and include Fabrizio Bosso on trumpet, Gianluca Petrella on trombone, and Rosario Giuliani on alto sax – all great names from the Italian scene. The rhythm section's pretty darn nice, too – with piano from Pietro Lussu – and the tracks have a hard groove that reminds us of classic lines by Art Blakey from the early 60s! The set's a tribute to the classic Italian hard bop combo of Gianni Basso and Oscar Valdambrini – and the album includes some of that group's great original compositions, like "Look Out", "Young Man", "Time Was", "Lothar", "Before Ten O'Clock", and "Bob's Buddy". CD

Four incredible albums from the young Georgie Fame – plus a bonus CD of rare material, bonus tracks on all CDs, and 18 previously unreleased tracks – all in a box set with a 48 page book, 5 postcards, and a poster too! First up is Rhythm & Blues At The Flamingo – blistering early work from a young Georgie Fame – a set that definitely lives up to the Rhythm & Blues in the title! The set was recorded live at London's hip Flamingo club – and Georgie and The Blue Flames are very much in command of the crowd – burning with the intensity of a American small organ combo, especially the early 60s variety that often played equal parts soul jazz and R&B! Georgie's on the Hammond, and also sings with a rough-edged style that's plenty soulful, and incredibly appealing – a mode that oozes charisma, but never sounds fake or forced. Titles include "Do The Dog", "Eso Beso", "Work Song", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Shop Around", "Humpty Dumpty", and "You Can't Sit Down". Fame At Last is a brilliant mix of jazz, soul, and R&B – all filtered through a mod sort of London freshness, as early proof that the city could always take some great things from our own musical roots, and feed it back to us with a whole new flavor! Georgie's no copycat here, though – and the sound is instantly Fame-like – a style that's really not the sort that any Americans were doing at the time, and certainly never this well. Hard-burning Hammond colors most of the tunes here – played with a tightly vamping quality – but it's Georgie's charmingly crackling vocals that really win us over! Titles include "Gimme That Wine", "Pink Champagne", "Monkeying Around", "Green Onions", "Let The Sunshine In", "Get On The Right Track Baby", "I'm In The Mood For Love", and "I Love The Life I Live". Sweet Things is a definite sweet thing from Georgie Fame – a record that has him filling in his sound even more than before, with tremendously soulful results! The backings here are bigger than before – a bit tooled in an American soul mode, but still with that beautifully raspy Georgie Fame touch – lots of jazzy inflections on the vocals, and a way of handling a tune, even a familiar one, and really working it on his own level. Hammond still fills in most of the tunes, but other instrumentation includes some nice African percussion from Speedy Acquaye, saxes from Pete Coe, and some nice bold drums from John Mitchell. These come out to the forefront on the classic funky tune "Music Talk" – and still sound great on other numbers that include "The World Is Round", "Last Night", "Dr Kitch", "My Girl", "Ride Your Pony", and "Sweet Thing". Sound Venture is one of the jazziest early albums from Georgie Fame – a set that has him singing with the big band of Harry South, at a level that's a lot more complicated than some of his other work with The Blue Flames! The style here still has that mod 60s London feel, but it also has some deeper inflections as well – modes borrowed a bit from Jon Hendricks or Mose Allison, yet served up with even greater complexity – at a level that really points towards the tremendous growth Fame would unleash over the next few years. Members of the group include Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Tony Coe, Dick Morrisey, Kenny Wheeler, and many other key Brit jazz figures of the time – and titles include "Three Blind Mice", "Dawn Yawn", "Feed Me", "Lovey Dovey", "Lil Darlin", "Lil Pony", "I Am Missing You", and "Many Happy Returns". CD5 is Bend A Little – a package with 20 unusual titles – demos, rare tracks, and outtakes – including unreleased tracks, IBC recordings, and even two German tracks too! Plus, each individual CD comes with bonus tracks – 40 bonus tracks, in addition to the 20 more titles on the Bend A Little set – a huge amount of material! CD

Great early material from Hank Mobley – a record that's practically a Jazz Messengers album, given the lineup – and which comes across with the fire and power of that classic group at their start! Mobley's tenor is set tightly in a combo that includes Horace Silver on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – just like an early Jazz Messengers group, but without trumpet – and really kicking strongly on the rhythm tip. Mobley's tenor gets some great focus out front – amazing lines that already show the young Hank as one of the freshest tenor voices of his generation. Titles include "Hank's Prank", "Walkin The Fence", "Just Coolin", and "Avila & Tequila". CD

Amazing early work from the mighty Paul Horn – a record cut during a time when he was a damn good musician with a keen sensibility for modernist modal jazz! On this excellent date from 1960, Horn plays both flute and alto sax in a wonderful group – a combo with vibes from Emil Richards, bass from Jimmy Bond, piano from Paul Moer, and drums from Billy Higgins – all players with a very fluid, open sense of rhythm – one that makes the date dance and sparkle throughout! There's a pulsating energy here that almost predates the MPS/Saba sound of the decade to come – and in addition to Horn's imaginative solos, which are much more soulful here than before, the record also features some sharp-edged chromatics from Richards on vibes, and almost melodic drums from Higgins. The album's one of our all-time favorites – and titles include "Something Blue", "Half & Half", "Mr Bond", "Dun Dunnee", and "Tall Polynesian". CD

A great session from 1959 – one that features John Coltrane playing tenor in a combo that's billed as being led by altoist Cannonball Adderley – but which is really more of a Miles Davis combo, without Miles! The set was recorded in Chicago when both were stopping through the city with Miles Davis' combo at the time – and since the rhythm section includes Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – the album's essentially a Kind Of Blue-era Miles album, recorded without Miles on trumpet, and grooving in a slightly more soul-based Adderley mode! Given the presence of Coltrane, there's a bit less of the gutbuckety soul jazz that Cannon was cutting in his own Quintet – but that's more than ok with us, as the Coltrane solos more than make up for that difference! The set's got 2 great originals by Coltrane – "The Sleeper" and "Grand Central" – plus the cuts "Wabash" and "Limehouse Blues". CD

One of the greatest albums ever from Lorez Alexandria – an ultra-hip singer who recorded for Impulse and King, but who sounds especially wonderful on this rare date for Chess Records! The album's got a groove that definitely lives up to its title – a jazzy, bouncy sort of rhythm that's definitely "for swingers only", and which is a nice contrast to overdone torch or standard jazz vocal modes. Alexandria's singing is completely sublime – quite fluid, yet with a soulful depth that's really amazing – and her backing combo is equally hip – a group led by John Young on piano, and also featuring George Eskridge on guitar, Jimmy Garrison on bass, Phil Thomas on drums, and Ronald Wilson on flute and tenor – an obscure player whose reed work really makes the album sparkle! The song choices are great too – a mix of some under-recorded gems and a few blue-toned classics – all redone amazingly by Lorez with a sound that's quite unique. Titles include her classic Argo reading of "Baltimore Oriole", which begins with an amazing drum/bass passage that's worth the price of the album alone – and other tracks include "The End Of A Love Affair", "Baltimore Oriole", "All Or Nothing At All", "Mother Earth", "Love Look Away", and "Traveling Down A Lonely Road". CD

An amazing little soundtrack – written in mid 60s Peru by jazz pianist Jaime Delgado Aparicio, but easily on a par with some of the best American or Italian scores from the time! The music's got a really wonderful feel throughout – jazz at the core, but with touches of spy soundtrack scoring and some of the lighter, more comedic modes of the Italian scene. Delgado uses a core combo with heavy piano, percussion, and some great trumpet and tenor – almost with the tightness of the Basso-Valdambrini group – but he also expands the sound with bits of strings and some fuller orchestrations, used to shade in some amazing colors that roll, dip, and turn with the beautiful grooves penned for the set. The whole thing's tremendous, with equally great production that creates some odd twists and turns that further keep things interesting as the album rolls on. Titles include "Elm Embajador Y Yo", "Sexy Surf", "Llegando A La Capital", "Isometria", "Todo El Mundo Me Persigue", "Lucha En El Mar", and "La Arana". Added to the soundtrack is Jamie's 1964 album – Jaime Delgado Aparicio Y Su Trio – a crackling bit of piano jazz from the Peruvian scene of the 60s – and a record that's somewhere between the best of Horace Silver on Blue Note, and some of the Brazilian bossa trios of the time! There's a strong sense of rhythm throughout – round, rolling basslines punctuated by great work on the drum kit – all topped by beautifully lyrical lines from Delgado Aparicio on piano – filled with color, light, and life throughout – and soloing with a depth that's rare for such a young player! Titles include a great version of Horace Silver's "Sayonara Blues", plus "The Climate", "Autumn Leaves", "Walkin", and "Blue Daniel". CD

A great live date from this ultra-hip combo – one that has them really settling in to their new home at Blue Note, by taking on a host of classics from the label – along with key tracks of their own composition as well! The sound here is even more wonderful than on some of their studio sets – almost a bit more earthy, and human – given the spontaneity of the concert performance, especially in the rhythm section. Fabrizio Bosso's trumpet and flugelhorn are right out front, matched proudly by the tenor of Daniele Scannapieco – and rhythm is from Luca Mannutza on piano, Pietro Ciancaglini on bass, and Lorenzo Tucci on drums. Titles include great versions of "Adams Apple", "Passion Dance", and "Inception" – plus "Five For Fun", "On The Way Home", and "Pandaguru". CD

A searing set of recordings from Cyril Davies – originally the harmonica player in the early group of Alexis Korner, but working here at the head of his own group – singing as well, next to additional vocals from Long John Baldry! The set brings together rare BBC and Hullabaloo recordings by the combo – which also features guitar from Geoff Bradford, and both organ and piano from Keith Scott – a tight combo who really make the group jump as they turn out out mod blues remakes of a host of American tunes – plus a few other surprises along the way! CD features 28 tracks in all – and titles include "Country Line Special", "Good Understanding", "Leave My Woman Alone", "My Babe", "Careless Love", "On A Monday", "Harmonica Breakdown", "Preaching The Blues", "Money's Getting Cheaper", "I'm Ready", and "Chicago Calling". CD

Keyboardist Julius Brockington really takes off here – in a style that's not quite funk, not quite jazz – and which has some of the unique sophisticated changes that Gene Harris was bringing to his Blue Note records in the mid 70s! Like Gene, Julius already has a strong background on the keys – and here, he's able to open up and create all sorts of new rhythms in his music – working on organ, piano, and even a bit of Arp – in a combo that features Steve Turner on alto and flute, Jim Wilson on trumpet, and Garry Langston on guitar! The vibe is great – sophisticated, but funky too – and very unusual compared to other albums of the time. All the material is original – and titles include "Gettin' Into It", "Lost Tribe", "Jaded Jackie", and "In the Back of the Churchyard". CD

One of the best records ever cut by funky sax man Joe Farrell! The album's got a stripped down, choppy groove – virtually the blueprint for later 70s funk of this type, and played perfectly by Farrell and a very hip quartet lineup! Players include Joe on soprano and tenor sax, Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Stanley Clarke on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – playing with a very angular sense of rhythm that really dives the record! The record's got a tight combo sound that's far more energetic than most CTI jazz from the time – and titles include the great cut "Great Gorge", which has a tight modal sample groove, plus "Times Lie", "Bass Folk Song", and "Moon Germs". CD

Heavy funk from Jimmy McGriff – a monster set of grooves that ranks with his best of the late 60s! The tracks are short and sock-hard – Jimmy wailing on Hammond, over rhythms that have plenty of sharp edges, and lots of nice drum work – all recorded in a mode that's a heck of a lot rawer than some of his other records! The album brings together all the rough power of Jimmy's years at Sue Records with the funkier grooves of his 70s work – and features a killer combo that includes tenor from Fats Theus, alto from Danny Turner, trumpet from Blue Mitchell, guitar from Thornel Schwartz, and drums from both Mel Lewis and Grady Tate. Titles include "The Worm", "Blue Juice", "Lock It Up", "Think", "Heavyweight", and "Girl Talk". CD

One of the few Blue Note albums with a bossa groove – and a great one too! The record features soulful tenor star Ike Quebec blowing in front of Brazilian-styled rhythms laid out by a combo that includes Kenny Burrell on guitar, and a duo of Latin percussionists! Willie Bobo plays drums on the session, and the cuts have a short groovy feel, with a sax-heavy lead, in a similar style to Stan Getz's bossa work on Verve – but much more soulful overall, and with a nicely rougher feel on the rhythms. Really great stuff, and with titles that include "Loie", "Goin Home", "Favela", "Blue Samba", and "Shu Shu". CD

One of the few Blue Note albums with a bossa groove – and a great one too! The record features soulful tenor star Ike Quebec blowing in front of Brazilian-styled rhythms laid out by a combo that includes Kenny Burrell on guitar, and a duo of Latin percussionists! Willie Bobo plays drums on the session, and the cuts have a short groovy feel, with a sax-heavy lead, in a similar style to Stan Getz's bossa work on Verve – but much more soulful overall, and with a nicely rougher feel on the rhythms. Really great stuff, and with titles that include "Loie", "Goin Home", "Favela", "Blue Samba", and "Shu Shu". CD also features 3 bonus alternate takes – of "Loie", "Shu Shu", and "Favela". CD

One of the few Blue Note albums with a bossa groove – and a great one too! The record features soulful tenor star Ike Quebec blowing in front of Brazilian-styled rhythms laid out by a combo that includes Kenny Burrell on guitar, and a duo of Latin percussionists! Willie Bobo plays drums on the session, and the cuts have a short groovy feel, with a sax-heavy lead, in a similar style to Stan Getz's bossa work on Verve – but much more soulful overall, and with a nicely rougher feel on the rhythms. Really great stuff, and with titles that include "Loie", "Goin Home", "Favela", "Blue Samba", and "Shu Shu". CD also features 3 bonus alternate takes – of "Loie", "Shu Shu", and "Favela". CD

Lonnie Smith's a long way from his Blue Note years here – but the sound is still plenty darn great, thanks to some fuller arrangements from the great Brad Baker – of B Baker Chocolate Company fame! The whole thing's quite electric – with Lonnie on Fender Rhodes and other keyboards on most tracks, and rhythms that bring in bits of strings amidst the smaller jazz combo vamping – a blend that's smoothly soulful, but still more than funky enough to please our ears. Lonnie even sings a bit on the record, too – in this slightly-spacey quality that has echoes of Stevie Wonder – but the main focus overall is on his keyboards, which step out nicely over the backings. Titles include "Keep On Lovin", "What I Want", "No Tears Tomorrow", "Sizzle Stick", "Lean Meat", and "Filet O Sole". CD

Lonnie Smith's a long way from his Blue Note years here – but the sound is still plenty darn great, thanks to some fuller arrangements from the great Brad Baker – of B Baker Chocolate Company fame! The whole thing's quite electric – with Lonnie on Fender Rhodes and other keyboards on most tracks, and rhythms that bring in bits of strings amidst the smaller jazz combo vamping – a blend that's smoothly soulful, but still more than funky enough to please our ears. Lonnie even sings a bit on the record, too – in this slightly-spacey quality that has echoes of Stevie Wonder – but the main focus overall is on his keyboards, which step out nicely over the backings. Titles include "Keep On Lovin", "What I Want", "No Tears Tomorrow", "Sizzle Stick", "Lean Meat", and "Filet O Sole". CD

A mighty big party from tenor giant Arnett Cobb – a player who always blew strongly in other settings, but really hit his height on these albums for Prestige! The record is a perfect mix of Cobb's bluesy roots and a more sophisticated modern jazz setting – with support from a crack rhythm combo of Ray Bryant on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – plus the special addition of Ray Barretto on congas, who brings in this rolling kick that definitely opens things up to the party atmosphere in the title – even when things are mellow! Most numbers have a open, soulfully blowing feel – and titles include "Slow Poke", "Lonesome Road", "Party Time", and "Blues In the Closet". CD

A much-needed look at the Dutch jazz scene in the 50s and 60s – a spot in Europe that was turning out some really fantastic modern material – at a level that's every bit as great as better-known work coming from France, Germany, and Scandinavia at the time! Many of the players here quickly became giants who would dominate on the Dutch scene for years to come – and even at this early point, their work is wonderful – occasionally graced with guest work from American players, but already more than great enough on its own – and filled with a mix of sharp rhythms, new ideas, and impeccable instrumentation throughout. As with other Sdban titles, the presentation is wonderful – not just a great set list, but an overall feel that makes the package as hefty as the music inside. Titles include "Four On Six" by Kwartet Martin Verlinden, "So Why" by Kwartet Leo Meyer, "Amsterdam Blues" by Diamond Five, "Lady Elisabeth" by Tony Vos Quartet, "Blues For Eddy" by Red & Brown Brothers, "Sem" by Frans Elsen, "Relaxin With Rhythme" by The Rhythme All Stars, "Mensen Van Morgen" by Herman Schoonderwalt, "Wives & Lovers" by Rita Reys & Oliver Nelson, "Comin Home Baby" by Trio Tony Vos, "Sing Sing Sing" by Leddy Wessel with Jack Van Poll, "Blues Minor" by Boys Big Band, and "Afro Blues" by Herbie Mann with Wessel Ilcken Combo. CD

Five tremendous albums from saxophone genius Art Pepper – presented here with a lot of bonus tracks too! First up is So In Love – beautiful late work from Art Pepper – one of his albums recorded for the well-done Artist House label, and a set that's maybe got a different vibe than some of his Galaxy recordings of the time! There's a rock-solid sense of soul to the record – one that comes from the work of two different rhythm trios – one that features George Cables on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a rhythm trio who keep things swinging, but never in a way that's too straight – pushing Art a bit around the edges, but letting him come right down the middle with some fantastic solos on alto – the other with Hank Jones on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Al Foster on drums. Tunes are a bit shorter than on some other albums of the period, but in a great way that really lets you focus in on Pepper's amazing sound –and titles include "Diane", "Stardust", "Blues For Blanche", and "Straight No Chaser". Artworks is a nicely focused set from the great Art Pepper – a record that features a number of familiar bop and jazz themes, but set to a more open, relaxed, and very soulful style that wonderfully reflects all the greatness of Pepper in his final years! The group on the record is nicely understated, but still very hip – George Cables on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and Art gets plenty of space to step out front and really blow these amazing solos, including one number that features just bass and drums, while Pepper blows a bit of clarinet – which we always love. All other titles feature alto sax – and titles include "Donna Lee", "Anthropology", "You Go To My Head", "Body & Soul", and "Desafinado". Next is a New York Album, but one that was oddly recorded in Burbank – and which has Art Pepper sounding very much at the top of his game! The format here is a bit like the other Artist House Pepper sessions, and those he did for the Japanese Atlas label – tight, focused, often tunes that are older jazz or bop standards – but swing with a great rhythm section, and topped with completely sublime alto solos from the leader! The quartet features Hank Jones on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Al Foster on drums – but one number is a duo between Carter and Pepper, and another features just piano and alto. Titles include "Night In Tunisia", "Lover Man", "Duo Blues", "My Friend John", and "Straight No Chaser". Stardust is a great little record from Art Pepper – four long tracks that really have him stretching out on alto – but in a way that's maybe a bit different than some of his more burning albums on the Galaxy label at the time! The group here follows from some of the previous Artist House recordings – George Cables on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a rhythm combo that's mighty nice – and which benefits from some great straight basswork from Haden, and Higgins' always compelling sense of rhythm! Titles include "My Friend John", "Stardust", and "Tin Tin Deo" – plus a reading of "In A Mellotone" that has Art on clarinet. CD5 features a full disc of Sessions material, titled as such – alternates, and unusual versions from the recording dates – and all other of the four CDs feature bonus material as well – different takes and alternates! CD

The great early double album from Tom Waits! This is peak Asylum era Waits, getting into that charismatic, drunken bluesy poet mode – essentially working live in the studio with a small audience , giving it a genuine sounding latenight cabaret vibe, and embracing his wit and style as brilliantly as he'd done to this point. Brilliant vintage Waits and a loose, yet nicely rhythmic backing combo. Titles include "Better Off Without A Wife", "Emotional Weather Report", "On A Foggy Night", "Eggs & Sausage", "Spare Parts", "Big Joe & Phantom 309", and "Putnam County". CD

A beautiful double-length package of work from drummer Louis Moholo – a 2CD set that features one record from recent years, and a key classic from the 70s! Spirits Rejoice is one of the strongest 70s statements from ex-Blue Notes drummer Moholo – recorded in the company of fellow expatriots and UK avant jazzers that include Johnny Dyani, Evan Parker, Kenny Wheeler, Nick Evans, Radu Malfatti, and Harry Miller. The album shifts easily between strongly rhythmic passages that show Moholo's roots in the South African jazz scene, and other, freer sections that also illustrate his importance in the European avant scene of the 70s – and overall, the record's got a beautifully soulful quality that guides it well through all of these moments. Titles include "Wedding Hymn", "Khanya Apho Ukhona", "Ithi Gqi", "Amaxesha Osizi", and "You Ain't Gonna Know Me". That record is followed here by 1995's Bra Louis Bra Tebs – a session with a similar style, especially in its use of African-inspired rhythms – but one that also features a different lineup, and some great use of vocals! Francine Luce sings on a number of the album's best tracks – in a style that's almost an avant-tuned approach to vocalese, and which seems to carry echoes of Norma Winstone – a voice that's dreamy one minute, challenging the next – and often used as a key instrument in the combo's lineup of tenor, alto, trumpet, piano, bass, and drums. Titles include "Utshaka", "Maybe Of Cause", "Moegoe", "Sonke", and "Lakutshona Ilanga". CD

The great early double album from Tom Waits! This is peak Asylum era Waits, getting into that charismatic, drunken bluesy poet mode – essentially working live in the studio with a small audience , giving it a genuine sounding latenight cabaret vibe, and embracing his wit and style as brilliantly as he'd done to this point. Brilliant vintage Waits and a loose, yet nicely rhythmic backing combo. Titles include "Better Off Without A Wife", "Emotional Weather Report", "On A Foggy Night", "Eggs & Sausage", "Spare Parts", "Big Joe & Phantom 309", and "Putnam County". CD

Really compelling work from the enigmatic Dino – a set recorded with slow, slinky backings from the Montevideo Blues combo! The album's a lot less blues than you might guess from the group's name – and in a way, the approach is almost more folksy, or singer/songwriter overall – with a key focus on Dino's political lyrics, and backings that often follow along with snakey guitar and slinky rhythms. There's a raspy brilliance to the whole set – and Dino almost sounds like Uruguay's equivalent of Geraldo Vandre – a powerful, positive singer, but one who never reached a bigger audience outside his homeland. Titles include "Sentimiento", "Si Te Vas", "Montevideo Blues", "Milonga De Pelo Largo", "Para Hacer Musica Para Hacer", and "Chamarrita El Chiquero". CD reissue is as amazing as the original – with a huge booklet with notes, history, and lyrics – plus 7 more bonus tracks too! CD

Excellent work from this totally sweet west coast Latin combo – a wonderful group who mixed Latin percussion with piano and vibes – in a manner that's similar to some of Cal Tjader's best Verve work of the 60s! Some tracks also make nice use of flute or alto sax – creating a snakey feel that really adds a new dimension of light and color to the tunes. The whole set's a great blend of Latin rhythms, jazzy solo work, and some mod 60s touches – and titles include "Monkey Time", "Afro Rock", "Let My People Go", "Walk On By", "Moses", "Liberation", and "Together". CD

Seminal live work from this legendary group – a late 70s concert recorded in London, and one that shows just how much the Blue Notes had grown after leaving behind their South African scene! The combo is a quartet here – the mighty Chris McGregor on piano, Dudu Pukwana on alto, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums – playing in this mode that moves their earlier rhythmic progressions into much more freewheeling and spiritual territory – a showcase for some of the most striking work we've ever heard from Pukwana on record – at a level that marks him as still one of the most vibrant players on both the British and South African scenes of the decade. Everyone else is wonderful too, and the recording quality does some amazing things with the bass of Dyani – on titles that include "Ilizwi", "Abelusi", "Amadoda", "Nomsenge", "Ithi-Gqi", "Mhegebe", "Maje" and "We Nduna". CD reissue features additional material from the same performance! CD

Sweet jazzy grooves from this hip Italian duo – Enzo & Gianni Lo Greco, who've also recorded as Quintetto Lo Greco for Schema Records! The sound here is definitely in a Schema groove – lots of jazzy instrumentation on piano, sax, trumpet, and trombone – very much in the best 60s Italian jazz mode, but kicked up just a bit with some rhythms aimed at the dancefloor – never too over the top, and all acoustic all the way through – a club jazz groove that's perfect for anyone who also digs work on labels like DejaVu or Ricky Tick! There's a bit of vocals on the record – sung by guests Alice Ricciardi, Felix, Katharine Ruestow, Roxie Ray, and Dionne Charles – and titles include "Sam Blues", "Feelin Good", "Don't Cry", "Much More", "Broken Rose", "Iperbole", "Please Don't Go", "Sweet Love", "Changes", and "Goodbye". CD

A beautiful session from Italian trumpeter Fabrizo Bosso and saxophonist Javier Girotto – one that's filled with all the Latin Moods promised in the title! The set steps nicely off some of Bosso's other recent work for Blue Note – with a sound that's evocative, but also pretty lively too – especially given the small combo setting for the date! Bosso's trumpet and flugelhorn come into great play with Girotto's soprano and baritone sax lines – dancing beautifully over some rhythmic backings shaded in with keyboards, piano, and electric bass. The large booklet features some poetic prose that really set the scene for each tune – and although there's a bit of vocals on the record, most numbers are instrumental. Titles include "Volver", "Matias", "Pescao Blanco", "Wide Green Eyes", "Ochenta", "El Cacerolazo", "African Friends", and "Penny". CD