Charlie Haden has made many wonderful albums over the years, in many different formats, both large and small – but this set holds a really special place in our heart, as it's got this close-up and intimate approach that really shows the world what a special musician Haden can be! Each track on the album is a duet – one with Ornette Coleman on alto, one with Keith Jarrett on piano, one with Alice Coltrane on harp, and the last with Paul Motian on drums – on long tracks that feature some really magical interplay between the musicians. The spare format is an extremely wonderful showcase for Haden's expressive bass work – and the intimacy of the tracks is different from some of the ECM recordings made during the same stretch – as the feel here is less a muted exploration of sound than it is a deeply personal interaction with some of the best talents of his generation. Tracks include "Ellen David", "For Turiya", "OC", and "For A Free Portugal". CD

Bassist Charlie Haden in a really wonderful mode – stepping out here in a set of spare duets, each with a different hip player on each of the album's four long tracks – a masterful setting not just for his own work as an improviser, but also for the collaborative spirit that's always made Charlie such a great musical player! The vibe is similar to his Closeness album, but maybe a bit more relaxed and open – and the set has many wonderful moments – as Don Cherry plays trumpet and flutes on "Out Of Focus", Archie Shepp plays tenor on "Shepp's Way", Hampton Hawes plays piano on "Turnaround", and Ornette Coleman plays trumpet on the beautiful title track "Golden Number". CD

A live trio side recorded at the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, in July 1989, with Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell. 8 numbers in all: "The Sphinx", "Art Deco", "Happy House", "Lonely Woman", "Mopti", "The Blessing", "When Will The Blues Leave" and "Law Years". CD

A beautiful duo outing from bassist Charlie Haden and Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba – recorded at the Blue Note in Toyko in 2005 – finally given a much deserved release on Impulse after languishing unheard for a decade! It's a great little set, Haden laying down a stoic rhythm and providing lots of room for his partner to provide sweet piano melodies. Includes Haden's own wonderful piece "Sandino" and Rubalcaba's own "Transparence", plus the lovely, though melancholy-touched "Solamente Una Vez (You Belong To My Heart)", "En La Orilla Del Mundo (The Edge Of The World)", a nice long take on "My Love And I" and Ornette Coleman's "When Will The Blues Leave". CD

Beautiful duets between guitarist Jim Hall and bassist Charlie Haden – recorded here in a previously-unissued live date from 1990 – with sublime sound throughout! Both players really open up when given the right sort of space – and find wonderful harmony together here – ways of brilliantly augmenting the strengths of each other, while also allowing for plenty of individual expression as well. The tracks are all quite long, and the record has this mellifluous quality that makes it a real standout in the catalog of both artists – a great reminder of Haden at his most intimate, and one of a handful of important duo recordings from Hall. Titles include "Down From Antigua", "First Song", "Turnaround", "Bemsha Swing", "In The Moment", "Skylark", and "Big Blues". CD

Missouri has never sounded so beautiful before – and, in some ways, maybe neither have guitarist Pat Metheny and bassist Charlie Haden! The album's a real standout for both musicians during this time in their career – almost a back to basics with the kind of sound that they really put forth in the 70s, especially on ECM – with these subtle, simple, almost painterly progressions that are completely mesmerizing – even though they always understate their presence. Tunes are from a variety of sources – and include great reworkings of "Cinema Paradiso", "Two For The Road", "The Moon Song", "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress", and "Precious Jewel" – plus the originals "Waltz For Ruth", "Our Spanish Love Song", "First Song", "Message To A Friend", and "Tears Of Rain". CD

Features Ernie Watts on tenor, Alan Broadbent on piano, and Lawrence Marable on drums – with a string orchestra conducted by Broadbent. CD

Beautiful work from bassist Charlie Haden and his Quartet West – a lovely look back at the styles and chanteuses of the 50s & 60s noirish jazz – with some lush strings accompaniment and guest vocalists including Cassandra Wilson, Melody Gardot, Norah Jones, Ruth Cameron and Diana Krall! It's the kind of thing that could come of hokey without a genuine love if the material in the mix, and the Haden & co. pull it off wonderfully. The quartet players include Ernie Watts on tenor, Alan Broadbent on piano and Rodney Green on drums. Includes "If I'm Lucky" with Melody Gardot, "Sophisticated Lady", "Today I Am A Man", "Ill Wind" with Norah Jones, "My Love And I" with Cassandra Wilson, "Theme From 'Markham'", "Angel Faces", "Goodbye" with Diana Krall, "Wahoo" and more. CD

A latin leaning collaboration between bassist Charlie Haden and pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, which also features Joe Lovano on tenor and Miguel Zenon on alto! CD

Andre Jaume on tenor sax and bass clarinet, Charlie Haden on bass, and Olivier Clerc on drums. CD

Alto sax and all around jazz legend Lee Konitz playing with a great group of players – drummer Paul Motian, double bassist Charlie Haden and pianist Brad Helhdau – captured live at New York's fabled Birdland, in December of 2009! There's really no need to qualify assessments of Konitz's performance with a note about his age, he simply sounds terrific here on a set that's fairly easygoing in approach, but still quite dexterous! Includes fresh, unique takes on "Loverman", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Solar", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "You Stepped Out Of A Dream" and "Oleo". CD

A sweet trio session with Charlie Haden on bass and Bill Higgins on drums. Titles include "The Calling", "Tears Inside", "Lonely Woman", and "Rejoicing". CD

One of the greatest records ever from Japanese drummer Masahiko Togashi – a rare European session that features the talents of Don Cherry on trumpet and Charlie Haden on bass! The session's one of Cherry's most compelling performances from the time – a really loose and free date that could have easily been recorded a decade before – yet which also seems to have that new sense of warmth and spiritualism that Don brought to his best experiments in the 70s. And Togashi really brings this spiritual, soulful quality to the proceedings – using percussion in earthy and subtle ways that really let Haden's basslines come forward too! Titles include "Rain", "Song Of Soil", "June", "Oasis", and "Words Of Wind (parts 1 & 2)". CD

Denny Zeitlin on piano and Charlie Haden on bass. CD

One of the greatest records that Charlie Haden ever did, and a record that stands as sort of a bookend to his Liberation Music album on Impulse. As with that record, he's got a large group on here, and also like that one, he's playing a batch of tracks that have a definite political bent. Players include Don Cherry, Carla Bley, Dewey Redman, Paul Motian, Jim Pepper, and Michael Mantler; and tracks include "Ballad Of The Fallen", "Too Late", "La Pasionaria", and "The People United Will Never Be Defeated". The sound's a little bit less harsh than his Impulse recording, but it's no less impassioned, and the record's a very emotional batch of music. CD

With Alan Broadbent on piano. CD

Sensitive bass/guitar duets – Charlie Haden on the former, Antonio Forcione on the latter – both playing acoustic, and recorded in a wonderfully gentle space – with all the high-end sound quality we've come to expect from the Naim label! The album's a great reminder of Haden's perfect ear for color and tone – even amidst some of Forcione's more freewheeling flourishes – and titles include "Nocturne", "For Turiya", "La Pasionaria", "Snow", "Silence", and "Anna". CD

The last Liberation Music Orchestra effort from the great Charlie Haden – offered up here in a set that brings together two live performances from a time when he was still on the planet, plus three more songs by the group on their own – working under the guidance of longtime musical partner Carla Bley! The set begins with a beautiful reworking of Miles Davis' "Blue In Green" – redone here by Haden and the group as a masterpiece of color and tone – and the record closes with a version of Haden's "Song For The Whales", both recorded with Charlie and the group in 2011. In between are three more new performances, post-Haden – the beautiful titles "Time Life/Silent Spring", and "Utviklingssang" – all of which really live up to that long legacy of amazing colors and tones that the group did so well. The two different slices of music come together beautifully, and make for a surprisingly unified set in the end. CD

Charlie Haden and Hank Jones reunite as a duo – working through a set of songs with spiritual sources, in ways that really seem to unlock the warmest elements of both players! Jones is no stranger to this sort of mode, especially in later years – and his gentle, spacious touch on the keys of the piano is a real change from some of the heavier modes you might have heard when these tunes were played along with a choir. But the real revelation is possibly Haden – who hits some of his most evocative, sentimental sounds in years – a great reminder of the ways that he could always paint such a pretty picture with his basslines when he wanted. Titles include "Deep River", "The Old Rugged Cross", "Down By The Riverside", "Going Home", "Blessed Assurance", "Come Sunday", and "Nearer My God To Thee". CD

With Charlie Haden on bass and Paul Motian on drums. CD

Spare, stretched-out work from tenorist Joe Henderson – one of his hippest recordings of the 80s, and a great live date recorded with just bass and drums for accompaniment! Henderson's horn is heard in great company with the bass of Charlie Haden and drums of Al Foster – both players who really know what to do with the extra time allotted them in the extended setting of the record – making the set a great showcase not just for Joe's raspy tone on tenor, but for their own beyond-rhythm talents as well! The whole thing's great – easygoing and open, but with a really dark edge – and titles include "Ask Me Now", "Serenity", "Beatrice", and "Invitation". This great "complete" version features more material too – titles that include "Visa", "All The Things You Are", and "Rue Chaptal/Royal Roost". CD

An all-star trio – with Gonzalo Rubalcaba on piano, with Charlie Haden on bass, and Paul Motian on drums! CD

Really wonderful early work from Keith Jarrett – a spiritually-driven session that's free from the cliches of his later work! The album's a spectacular group effort – one that has Jarrett playing piano, percussion, and sax – in an ensemble that also includes Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden, Paul Motian, and Guilherme Franco. There's a lightly percussive sound underneath most of the tracks – spare, organic, almost earthy – as the tunes open up and flower over a long passage of time – gently stretching out in that beautiful post-Coltrane Impulse spiritual approach to jazz of the early to mid 70s. Great stuff throughout, and with 3 long tracks that include "Great Bird", "Prayer", and "Death & The Flower". CD

Keith Jarrett hits some of the styles of his later ECM years – working here on both piano, soprano sax, and percussion – in a quartet with Dewey Redman on tenor sax and percussion, Charlie Haden on bass, and Paul Motian on drums and percussion. The first half features the long "Eyes Of The Heart" – followed by a long encore performance – as the set was recorded live! CD

Dark and moody work from Keith Jarrett – a record that builds strongly off his ensemble feeling of the Impulse years, but which also seems to carry a bit more of the introspective vibe he was building up in some of his more stripped down solo recordings! The group's still a great one here – with Dewey Redman on reeds, Charlie Haden on bass, Paul Motian on drums, and Guilhermo Franco on percussion – and the tunes, although long and somewhat free, still show Jarrett's great ear for a lyrical melody – carried off wonderfully without cliche, and still with more sharp edges than you might expect. Titles include "Rotation", "Everything That Lives Laments", "Flame", and "Mysteries". CD

Features Keith Jarrett on piano and soprano sax, Dewey Redman on tenor, Charlie Haden on bass, and Paul Motian on drums. CD

Joe Lovano blows tenor, soprano, alto, and wood flute – with Judi Silvano on voice, Tim Hagans on trumpet, Kenny Werner on piano, Steve Swallow on electric bass, Charlie Haden on acoustic bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums! CD

At the height of his success, Pat tries to prove to the world that he's still got cred – and hooks up with Ornette, Charlie Haden, and Denardo Coleman for a little bit of harmelodic jamming. Thing is, we actually liked the slick stuff better! Titles include "Mob Job", "Video Games", "Song X Duo", and "Long Time No See". CD

A great statement as a leader from drummer Paul Motian – a player that none would have expected to be hitting this territory in the decade before – the start of a great run of records that continued his break from more familiar rhythmic territory! The record's got a very strong ECM vibe, but also maybe a bit more bite, too – as the bass work of Charlie Haden is balanced by sharper sounds from Carlos Ward on alto sax – who really gets plenty of space to dominate the proceedings, with this open soulfulness that really adds a lot to the record. The set's also got twin guitars from Paul Metzke and Sam Brown, which makes for a great approach – especially as Brown moves between acoustic and electric. Titles include a beautiful reading of Haden's "Song For Che" – plus "Victoria", "Tuesday Ends Saturday", "War Orphans", and "Sod House". CD

Features Joshua Redman on tenor, Pat Metheny on guitar, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums! CD

Susan Alcorn has certainly become one of the most striking jazz musicians in recent years – and one of the few artists to ever use pedal steel in the context of free improvisation and more avant sounds! Yet here, Alcorn is also working in territory that has a bit more structure – using her Septeto Del Sur group, on tunes that have a beautifully evocative vibe! The project is maybe to Alcorn's more avant work what Charlie Haden's Liberation Music group was to his – as Susan works alongside the guitar of Luis Alvarez, charango of Francisco Araya, flute and quena of Rodrigo Bobadilla, cuatro and drums of Claudio Araya, and violin of Danka Villaneuva – all players who help Alcorn expand on concepts borrowed from Chilean folk music, and turned into modern instrumental experiments – as warmer themes mix with bolder improvised moments. Titles include "El Derecho De Vivir En Paz", "Suite Para Todos", "Mercedes Sosa", and the three part "Cantos" suite. CD

A huge chapter of work from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – one that not only includes their own albums for the ECM label, but also related solo and side projects too! The set begins with four Art Ensemble albums – Nice Guys, Full Force, Urban Bushman, and The Third Decade – all of which came out as a statement of the group's strengths in the late 70s and early 80s – their first mainstream appearance after a few years of being very underground, and material that helped set a whole new standard for avant jazz expression in the generation to come! Next is the fantastic album Divine Love, by trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith – not necessarily an Art Ensemble album, but one that does feature great work from trumpeter Leo Smith – plus trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, bassist Charlie Haden, and vibist Bobby Naughton. Next are four albums by Lester Bowie – two smaller group, and two with his Brass Fantasy ensemble – the records The Great Pretender, All The Magic/The One & Only, I Only Have Eyes For You, and Avant Pop. Then, after Bowie's early passing, the Art Ensemble recorded their beautiful Tribute To Lester – as a trio lineup with Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors, and Don Moye. Mitchell takes the helm next – on a surprisingly big flurry of projects for ECM – records that often show a deeper compositional strand in his music – on records that include Nine To Get Ready, Composition/Improvisation, Far Side, Bells For The South Side, and Boustrophedon – the last of which was led by Evan Parker, with Mitchell in the Transatlantic Art Ensemble. Last up are three records by drummer Jack DeJohnette for ECM – New Directions and New Directions In Europe, both featuring a group with Lester Bowie on trumpet – and Made In Chicago, which features Roscoe Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, and Muhal Ricard Abrams. Recordings were made between 1978 and 2015 – and comes in a box set with a big booklet of notes! CD

With Terry Adams, Alan Braufman, John Clark, Michael Mantler, Roswell Rudd, D Sharpe, Bob Stewart, Steve Swallow, and Gary Windo. Special guests on this set are Charlie Haden and Eugene Chadbourne. CD

One of our favorite Ornette Coleman albums of the post-Atlantic 60s years – a set that still hangs onto some of the bold rhythmic conception of his previous records, but also points the way towards his freer jazz modes to come! The group's a trio – with really tremendous work from Charlie Haden on bass, able to match Coleman's energy with effortless ease, and really getting a lot of room to leave his mark on the music – plus the very young (10!) Denardo Coleman, who plays drums here with this stark, simple style that's not only completely unique, but which also leaves a lot of open room left for Haden and Ornette to really stretch out. Ornette plays his usual alto, plus trumpet and violin – and titles include "Good Old Days", "The Empty Foxhole", "Zig Zag", and "Freeway Express". CD

Set of material from the mid 80's – one featuring Ornette reunited with his classic quartet of Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Billy Higgins; the other with his Prime Time group that included Bern Nix, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, and Denardo Coleman. The whole set's a "30 Years Of Harmelodic Music" tribute, and includes the tracks "Space Church", "In All Languages", "Latin Genetics", "Peace Warriors", "Music News", and "Feet Music". Some tracks are done by both bands, and are a good illustration of how Ornette's style had grown in the 30 year period. CD

A really incredible performance from Ornette Coleman – recorded in Italy in 1968, and featuring a unique lineup that includes Ed Blackwell on drums, plus the dual basses of Charlie Haden and David Izenzon! The two-bass lineup gives the set an amazingly tight edge – with one player bowing the instrument, and the other playing rhythm – in a way that bounces magically over the drums of Ed Blackwell, making for a rhythmic spirit that's missing from a lot of Ornette's other work from the time! There's still a sense of sound texture and exploration here that matches some of the Blue Note late 60s recordings – but the overall feel is a bit more focused, and (dare we say it?) more rhythmically swinging! Titles include long takes on "Lonely Woman", "Monsieur Le Prince", "Forgotten Children", "Tutti", "Three Wisemen & The Saint", "New York", and "Buddah Blues". CD

A collection of Ornette Coleman albums from the end of the 60s – work from two key albums, plus some interesting bonus material too! First up is the album Ornette At 12 – a set that features two generations of Ornette Coleman – making incredible music here together! The album's a freewheeling late 60s outing from the senior Ornette – who plays alto, violin, and trumpet here – working with his young son Ornette D Coleman on drums, just 12 years old at the time – but a surprisingly strong free jazz player overall! Heavyweight help comes from Dewey Redman on tenor – really tremendous here, with energy that's up there with Albert Ayler or Archie Shepp at their 60s best – plus Charlie Haden on bass, really coming strongly back into the music at this point in his career. The album's quite free overall – similar to some of Coleman's Blue Note work of the period – and titles include "COD", "Rainbows", "New York", and "Bells and Chimes". Next is Crisis – a record that bursts out with a sound that definitely lives up to its striking title – as Ornette Coleman explores the new frontiers of experimental jazz with one of his great groups from the end of the 60s! The album's got the intensity of the best ESP sessions of the period, but also shows the richer sonic elements that Coleman can bring to the proceedings – that way of mixing sharp edges with surprising currents – delivered by an all-star group that features Ornette on alto and violin, Don Cherry on trumpet and flute, Dewey Redman on tenor and clarinet, Charlie Haden on bass, and the young Ornette D Coleman on drums. It's especially amazing to hear Haden and Cherry take on such different roles than in the Ornette material of the early 60s – and also realize a wider vision for the music, on tunes that include a great version of Haden's "Song For Che", plus "Broken Shadows", "Trouble In The East", and "Space Jungle". The last two tracks are maybe the most unusual – originally issued only as a promo 7" single by Impulse Records, with the tunes "Man On The Moon" and "Growing Up" – recorded with a group that features Cherry on trumpet, Redman on tenor, Haden on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums – plus electronics from Emmanuel Ghent on one track! CD

An album that certainly lives up to the promise of its title – as it's filled with amazing instrumentation, groundbreaking compositions, and a sound in jazz that few ears could imagine at the time! The groove here is extremely modal – all instruments rolling along on the same rhythmic pulse, with drums, bass, trumpet, and alto sax incredibly intertwined! Ornette's really got an edge on his instrument – cutting even more deeply here than the clipped, punctuated cornet work of Don Cherry – and the rhythm team of Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins are simply amazing – not just keeping up with the energy of Ornette, but also really helping facilitate it as well! Titles include the haunting "Lonely Woman", plus "Peace", "Chronology", and "Focus on Sanity". CD features the bonus tracks "Just For You" and "The Monk & The Nun". CD

Arguably the most classic Alice Coltrane album on Impulse – and a strong group effort that features some great work from Pharoah Sanders! Coltrane leads two different small combos on the record – both with Sanders on saxes, plus either Cecil McBee or Charlie Haden on bass, and Rashied Ali on drums – plus assorted percussion from Tulsi and Majid Shabazz, and some really enigmatic work on oud by Vishnu Wood! Tracks are long and drawn out, and open with the beauty of a field of flowers meeting the dawn – as Alice plays with a sound that's gentle and poetic, but which also has some wonderfully dark undertones. Titles include "Stopover Bombay", "Isis & Osiris", "Shiva-Loka", and "Journey In Satchidananda". CD

A beautiful meeting of two major talents from the left end of jazz – recorded in the early 60's when both were working for Atlantic! Despite the "avant garde" title, this set is straighter than you'd expect – very much in the spirit of Coltrane's work for the label, but with perhaps some of the more angular styles that Cherry was laying down with Ornette Coleman at the time. The session has Coltrane joining Ornette's group of Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Ed Blackwell – save for a few numbers that feature Percy Heath on bass instead of Haden. The set includes great readings of Ornette's "The Blessing", "The Invisible", and "Focus On Sanity", and Coltrane plays both soprano sax and tenor! CD

A sublime combination of strings from this unique Chicago trio – an group that features Tomeka Reid on cello, Mazz Swift on violin, and Silvia Bolognesi on bass – all coming together in modes that differ nicely from previous string trios in avant jazz! The players aren't afraid to draw on more melodic elements of their instruments when needed, but almost always offset that quality with some sharper or more experimental elements too – sometimes not in a noisy way, but just to open up their instruments to a range of very fresh possibilities – and hardly at all like any "strings" jazz you might expect! Dee Alexander sings guest vocals on the beautiful track "Not Living In Fear" – and all other selections are instrumental, with titles that include "Terrortoma", "Leaving Livorno", "Transiti", "Requiem For Charlie Haden", "Last Night's Vacation", and "Cantiere Orlando". CD

A totally wonderful album from the young Keith Jarrett – and a set that's different than most of the pianist's other well-known modes – not his solo improvisations, not his successful trio material, and not even his more outside quartet modes of the 70s – but instead this incredible criss-crossing of sounds that really stands apart from most of his other records! The album features Keith on piano and soprano sax – an instrument he played more early on – in open, freewheeling tracks that often mix tuneful passages with more rhythmic pulsations – handled with a core group that includes Charlie Haden on bass and Paul Motian on drums, working with guitar from Sam Brown, tenor from Dewey Redman, percussion from Airto, and some larger string and brass arrangements too! Jarrett also plays electric piano at times, and the album has some of the lyricism of Treasure Island, but with a very different vibe – spun out beautifully over the space of the double-length set. Titles include "Take Me Back", "Expectations", "Vision", "Common Mama", "The Magician In You", "Sundance", "Nomads", and "Bring Back The Time When". CD

A wonderful illustration of the inherent sense of beauty in Keith Jarrett's early work – an approach to piano that was simple, straightforward, and marked by a ringing sense of tone that's evident in the very first note of the set! Jarrett here isn't trying to break any rules in jazz piano, nor is he trying to go out of his way to make the world known of his presence – and instead, he's got a simple, subtle approach to the keys that's filled with tenderness and gentle tones – but not in a way that's hokey or overly sentimental. There's certainly echoes here of 60s work by Steve Kuhn, and of earlier records by Vince Guaraldi – but Jarrett also hints at a bold power underneath that seems likely to break out at every turn. The album's a live recording, with Charlie Haden on bass and Paul Motian on drums – and titles include "A Moment For Tears", "Pout's Over", "My Back Pages", "Pretty Ballad", "Moving Soon", "Old Rag", and "Dedicated To You". CD

Keith Jarrett on piano, soprano sax, bass recorder, celeste, and drums – with Dewey Redman on tenor sax and percussion, Charlie Haden on bass, and Paul Motion on drums and percussion. CD

Features Pat Metheny with Jaco Pastourus, Charlie Haden, Jack DeJohnette, Dewey Redman, Mike Brecker, Eberhard Weber, Lyle Mays, Nana Vasconcelos, and others. Tracks include "Unity Village", "Open", "Oasis", and "Sirabhorn" CD

An excellent 70s side from Art Pepper – recorded with a West Coast rhythm section that includes Hampton Hawes, Charlie Haden, and Shelly Manne! The trio all play here with a remarkable intensity, given the date of the session – and although the production's got that later, crisper Contemporary tone, it still lets Art's horn come through beautifully! Pepper's singular voice and beautiful phrasing are still intact, and the quartet cooks nicely on half a dozen numbers, mostly Pepper originals – "Ophelia", "Here's That Rainy Day", "What Laurie Likes", "Mr Yohe, "Lost Life", and "Samba Mom-Mom". CD features 1 bonus track! CD

Enrico Pieranunzi on piano – with Kenny Wheeler on trumpet, Chris Potter on sax, Charlie Haden on bass, and Paul Motian on drums. Includes themes from "I Vitelloni", "Amarcord", "La Dolce Vita", "La Strada", and "Le Notti Di Cabiria". CD

There's nothing too dreamy here – as Joshua Redman takes on the energy of the Old & New Dreams that featured his father, Dewey Redman – an excellent late 70s ensemble filled with members of Ornette Coleman groups, working in a very Ornette-like mode! The style is similar here – no piano at all, and a quartet that features Ron Miles on cornet, Scott Colley on bass, and Brian Blade on drums – exploding with energy that criss-crosses the rhythmic and melodic roles of all players – which might well make for one of the liveliest Joshua Redman albums in years. Miles is wonderful in the setting, and Colley and Blade are right on the money – and titles include the originals "The Rest", "Haze & Aspirations", "New Year", "It's Not The Same", "Blues For Charlie", and "Unanimity" – plus versions of Charlie Haden's "Playing" and Ornette's "Comme Il Faut". CD

One of the greatest albums ever from trombonist Roswell Rudd – an early Impulse Records session, cut right at a time when Rudd was a crucial part of the New York "new thing" scene in the 60s! The album's almost more of an ESP session from its lineup – which includes Giuseppi Logan on flute and bass clarinet, Robin Kenyatta on alto sax, Charlie Haden and Lewis Worrell on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums – yet the overall feel of the record has more of the control and sense of vision we've come to love on Impulse – the mix of structure and freedom you might find in crucial 60s recordings by Marion Brown or Archie Shepp on the label – particularly the latter's Fire Music generation! Titles include "Respects", "Satan's Dance", "Everywhere", and "Yankee No How". CD

A pretty darn beautiful album of solo guitar tracks – recorded in 1982 by Japanese musician Masayuki Takayanagi, and featuring only electric guitar, played with a spare raspy edge – recorded in a rough style that's quite unusual for a Japanese jazz session of the time! However, it's this style of recording that really brings out the best of the album – as the complicated stylings of Takayanagi ring out with a much more honest sound than you'd expect on an album of this nature – reminding us more of earlier work by Lee Konitz collaborator Billy Bauer than most of the late 70s guitar heroes from Japan! The sound is beautiful throughout – and titles include a version of Charlie Haden's "Song For Che", a reading of Lennie Tristano's "Lennie's Pennies", and a great version of Ornette's "Lonely Woman". CD

The complete Columbia Records studio sessions from pianist Denny Zeitlin – and a package that features a fair bit of unreleased material too – not just alternate takes, but loads of fresh new tunes recorded at the time – appearing here for the first time ever! Zeitlin's a hell of a pianist, especially during these years – a really fresh 60s talent who works with a sound that's both warmly lyrical and somewhat modern – stylistically rooted in Bill Evans' inspiration, but clearly his own man by the time of these recordings! Denny's never fully gotten his due, and reissues over the years have been spare – so this package is not only a much-needed look as his mighty talents, but also a key discovery of 12 previously unreleased numbers. Players include Charlie Haden, Cecil McBee, and Joe Halpin on bass – and Freddie Waits, Oliver Johnson, and Jerry Granelli on drums. Titles include "Blue Phoenix", "Spring Is Here", "Western Thing", "Slipstream", "Later", "Labyrinth", "The Journey Home", "Carole's Garden", "Skippying", "Carnival", "Dormammu", "Living Alone", "Night & Day", "Maiden Voyage", "Nica's Tempo", "Cathexis", and "Repeat". CD

Ray Anderson on trombone and vocals, Charlie Haden on double bass, Ed Blackwell on drums, and Simon Nabotov on piano. CD

A fantastic and ambitious project that's in the best tradition of the Jazz Composers Orchestra – a set that features music by Carla Bley and words by Paul Haines – in an extended set that mixes avant jazz instrumentation with spoken passages by a surprising lineup of voices – including Bley, Jack Bruce, Don Cherry, Jeanne Lee, and even Linda Ronstadt! Musicians are the cream of the crop of the international avant scene at the time – and include Roswell Rudd on trombone, Gato Barbieri on tenor, Perry Robinson on clarinet, Carla Bley on organ, Don Preston on moog, Michael Mantler on ring modulated piano, Paul Motian on drums, Charlie Haden on bass, John McLaughlin on guitar, and many others – too numerous to mention here! CD

A quintet session with Jack Dejohnette on drums, Charlie Haden on bass, Kenny Kirkland on keys, Path Metheny on guitar, and Brecker on tenor sax. CD

Mindblowing music from the great Don Cherry – quite a statement, given how much fantastic sounds Cherry had already given us by this point in his career! In the years before this set, Don had worked in some very free, avant modes – and also explored a fair bit of global styles too – yet this set has this great electric vibe – one that mixes the freedom of Cherry's trumpet with spacey instrumentation and really great production – almost even funky at points! Players include Ricky Cherry on electric and acoustic piano, Charlie Haden on bass, Billy Higgins on drums, and Frank Lowe on tenor – and one cut has Bunchie Fox on electric bongos and Verna Gillis on voice. All tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Degi Degi", "Brown Rice", "Malkauns", and "Chenrezig". CD

Great lost work from Ornette Coleman – material recorded in New York and LA during the years 1959 through 1961 – never issued at the time, but pulled together in this wonderful package at the start of the 70s! Although not recorded as an official album, the record stands easily with the best Ornette had to offer at Atlantic Records – and all tracks here have that sense of sharpness, rhythm, and timing that made the Coleman combo one of the most exciting of the time. Players include Ornette on alto throughout, plus Don Cherry on trumpet and pocket trumpet, Ed Blackwell and Billy Higgins on drums, and Charlie Haden (mostly), Scott LaFaro, and Jimmy Garrison on bass. All tracks are originals by Ornette – and titles include "Moon Inhabitants", "The Fifth of Beethoven", "Circle with a Hole In the Middle", and "The Alchemy of Scott La Faro", featuring the great late bassist, Scott La Faro! The CD includes the bonus tracks "Music Always" and "Brings Goodness". CD

One of our favorite albums of all time from the legendary saxophonist Ornette Coleman – an essential showcase for his early harmelodic concepts, but with a vibe that's maybe more pulsatingly rhythmic than on other albums from the time! Ornette plays his incredible plastic alto sax, which has a bracing sound that really gives the record a sense of urgency – and the rest of the quartet features Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – working here with a lively dancing sound on the kit, one that works perfectly for Ornette's jaunty compositions. The chopped-up modal groove is in full effect here – making the record a treasure trove of angular, highly rhythmic numbers that are easily some of Coleman's best-remembered tunes! Titles include the surprisingly modal classics "Ramblin" and "Una Muy Bonita" – performed in original early versions – plus "Free", "The Face Of The Bass", "Bird Food", and "Change Of The Century". CD

One of Ornette Coleman's best recordings from the 70s – and like his other album for Columbia, quite a change from the freewheeling sounds he was blowing over at Blue Note! The style here is a bit more high concept, but in a good way – with all the edges that Coleman had developed from the late 50s onward, brought into tighter focus for the Columbia setting – given a bit more complexity, although still with plenty of room for freedom – and played both with a smaller combo, and a slightly larger group. The mix of players is as striking as the sounds on the record – and includes Coleman on alto, trumpet, and violin – plus Dewey Redman on tenor, Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Bobby Bradford on trumpet, Jim Hall on guitar, Cedar Walton on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins and Ed Blackwell on drums. Asha Puthli sings a bit on the larger ensemble tracks – making a rare appearance here before her 70s soul career in Germany – and titles include "What Reason Could I Give", "Street Woman", "The Jungle Is A Skycraper", and "All My Life". 2CD set also features all the material from the Broken Shadows album as well – plus 3 previously unissued bonus tracks. Other titles include "Happy House", "Elizabeth", "Good Girl Blues", "Broken Shadows", "Rubber Gloves", and "Written Word". CD

One of our favorite Ornette Coleman albums of the post-Atlantic 60s years – a set that still hangs onto some of the bold rhythmic conception of his previous records, but also points the way towards his freer jazz modes to come! The group's a trio – with really tremendous work from Charlie Haden on bass, able to match Coleman's energy with effortless ease, and really getting a lot of room to leave his mark on the music – plus the very young (10!) Denardo Coleman, who plays drums here with this stark, simple style that's not only completely unique, but which also leaves a lot of open room left for Haden and Ornette to really stretch out. Ornette plays his usual alto, plus trumpet and violin – and titles include "Good Old Days", "The Empty Foxhole", "Zig Zag", and "Freeway Express". CD

A beautiful meeting of two major talents from the left end of jazz – recorded in the early 60's when both were working for Atlantic! Despite the "avant garde" title, this set is straighter than you'd expect – very much in the spirit of Coltrane's work for the label, but with perhaps some of the more angular styles that Cherry was laying down with Ornette Coleman at the time. The session has Coltrane joining Ornette's group of Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Ed Blackwell – save for a few numbers that feature Percy Heath on bass instead of Haden. The set includes great readings of Ornette's "The Blessing", "The Invisible", and "Focus On Sanity", and Coltrane plays both soprano sax and tenor! CD