A fantastic performance from this legendary Eastern European jazz group – one of the first to really get international attention, thanks to the strength of their new ideas and compositional skills – and also thanks to the lead vibes in the group from the great Bosko Petrovic! The set's a live performance, recorded on the group's 25th anniversary – supposedly with longtime supporter John Lewis (of MJQ fame) in attendance. But even without all that history, there's plenty to love here – really tremendous work from a group who never fully got the attention they deserved – even though Petrovic continued to be a key force in moving jazz forward as sort of a "secret hero" over the decades. The rest of the group features Davor Kajfes on piano, Miljenko Prohaska on bass, and Sivije Glojnaric on drums – and the set is filled with wonderful tunes that include "Valse For Jazz Mama", "Intima", "Ornaments", "Eftertanke", and their classic "With Pain I Was Born". CD

A righteous set from reedman Karl Martin Almqvist – blowing both tenor and soprano here in a quartet that also includes some really fantastic piano from Nduduzo Makhathini – a player we love on his own records too! As you might expect if you know Makhathini, there's some strong South African jazz elements in the mix – and a richness of piano tone that's wonderful, and only deepened by the bass of Magne Thormodsaeter – a player we don't know at all, but whose sense of tone and timing round out the whole album wonderfully! Ayanda Sikade plays drums – another great player from the South African scene – and titles include "Nordic Light"," Ababhemu", "Blauzac", "Reconciliation", "Ukubuyisana", and "Eva Johanna". CD

Three very rare slices of work from the great Albert Ayler – all of them pretty darn mindblowing! The set begins with Ayler's appearance at the 1967 Newport Jazz Festival – a set that must have been a shock to audience members who'd seen some of the more staid work at the event – as Ayler really lets loose on alto, tenor, and soprano sax – working with a very freely improvising quartet that includes Michel Samson on violin, Bill Folwell on bass, and Milford Graves on drums – really going to town on the titles "Japan/Universal Indians", "Our Prayer", and "Truth Is Marching In/Omega". Next is a single track that was recorded at the funeral of John Coltrane – a spiritual blend of "Love Cry/Truth Is Marching In/Our Prayer" – blown by Ayler on tenor, with Don Ayler on trumpet, Richard Davis on bass, and Milford Graves on drums. The last track is the earliest on the set – and very early for recorded Albert Ayler as well – a captivating performance recorded in Copenhagen in 1962 – as Ayler's tenor joins the work of the Cecil Taylor trio – with Taylor on piano, Jimmy Lyons on alto, and Sunny Murray on drums – as the group soar on a 21 minute reading of "Four". CD

A lost treasure on the legendary Palm Records label – that famous French avant jazz imprint owned by pianist Jef Gilson, and which issued some of the most creative albums on the scene in the 70s! This set is maybe one of the most obscure – a record that's noteworthy not only for important early work from later composer Butch Morris on cornet, but also for the really unusual interplay between the musicians – a quartet that features Jean Charles Capon on cello, Philippe Mate on tenor, and Serge Rahoerson on drums! There's a loose, open feel going on – but a vibe that's different than some other piano-less groups of this nature – maybe in part because Capon seems to have a lot of presence with his cello, almost directing the proceedings at times – and also because the layering of elements always seems to have an inherent structure, even when relatively free. Titles include "Complainte", "Mode De Fa/Salegy Drums Solo", "Orly Ivato", "Blues For Guy Labory", and "Spanish Cake Walk". CD

An album that really lives up to its title – as the record sets out to prove to the world that Isaiah Collier is one of the most almighty talents on the saxophone in recent years! The album has a spiritual majesty that tops even the previous album with the Chosen Few group – as in addition to work from the quartet that includes Julian Davis Reid on piano, Jeremiah Hunt on bass, and Michael Shekwoaga Ode on drums – the group adds in extra instrumentation, light strings, and added horns at times too – all of which push the music into territory that's right up there with Nimbus or Strata East back in the glory days! Collier is a true jazz visionary, and his message here is bold and brilliant – given some key support from older Chicago legends who include saxophonist Ari Brown on one track, and vocalist Dee Alexander on another – getting maybe one of her most beautiful showcases ever on record. Titles include "Love", "Compassion", "Duality Suite", "The Almighty", and "Perspective (Peace & Love)". CD

Emmeluth is alto saxophonist Signe Emmeluth – a player with a very unusual ear for timing and rhythms, as you'll hear in this completely unique set! The record has a vibe that's very hard to describe in words – maybe partly some of the experimentation of the 80s New York downtown scene, but mixed with more subtle moments as well – played as instrumental jazz, but with a boundless sense of imagination and exploration in a variety of different sonic textures. Signe blows alto at the head of a quartet – with Karl Bjora on guitar, Christian Balvig on piano, and Ole Mofjell on drums – all musicians who have a sense of invention that's as strong as the leader – on titles that include "Flickering", "Parallel", "I Hear Nonsense", "Are You Cross", "Zelda", and "Shaking Tail Feathers". CD

Searing, soulful energy from this overlooked Japanese combo of the 70s – a crack quartet led by drummer Ryojiro Furusawa, working here with some great guest work on trombone from Shigeharu Mukai! The tunes are often very simple, but with a groove that's totally great – a bit of a modal vibe at times, and some spiritual jazz undercurrents at others – really making the record feel like some lost Strata East album, thanks to electric piano lines from Toshiyuki Daitoku and some tenor and soprano sax from Tomoki Takahashi. Most tunes are long, and very openly grooving – and titles include "Yellow Cherry", "You Wanna Rain", "For Heavens Sake", "Snake Walk", and "Acoustic Chicken". CD

Guitar genius Grant Green is definitely feelin the spirit here – as he mixes his lean 60s style with a host of traditional numbers from the spiritual canon – at a level that provided a whole new sense of soul at the time! There was plenty of music influenced by gospel during the decade – but here, Green makes the link a lot more explicit – taking traditional themes and turning them into jazz instrumentals – with the help of a lean quartet that features Herbie Hancock on piano, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all working with a feel that's a lot more like the Grant Green/Sonny Clark material than some of Grant's more organ or tenor-assisted albums! Garvin Masseaux provides a bit of extra percussion on tambourine – and titles include "Go Down Moses", "Just A Closer Walk With Thee", "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child", and "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen". CD

A landmark bit of Brazilian from Europe – and a sweet groover from guitarist Agustin Pereyra Lucena! The set was recorded in Oslo, but it's got the warm sound of a Brazilian jazz set from the time – with Agustin on acoustic guitar and percussion – backed by a quartet that features bass, sax, flute, and piano. The sound's kind of an extension of the Baden Powell groove of the early 70s – but with a deeper, more contemplative approach at times – and Lucena sounds equally great on the mellower tracks as he does on the album's standout groovers! Includes the killer cut "La Rana", a remake of Joao Donato's "The Frog" – plus the tracks "Tema Barroco", "Pra Que Chorar", "3 Horas Da Manha", and "Encuentro De Sombras". CD

A wonderful later album from 50s cool jazz saxophonist Warne Marsh – one that really has an incredible focus on his tone! With his combination of a warm full tone and cool post-Tristano phrasing, Marsh has one of the most singular voices on the tenor, and one of our favorites! This mid 70s recording has him heading up a quartet playing modern bop, with Lou Levy on piano and Jake Hanna & Fred Atwood providing the pulse underneath. Unlike a lot of other players, Marsh didn't slow down or lose it in later years and his concept sounds as fresh in these later recordings as it does on his classic sides with Konitz & Tristano. The group shines on the Tristano number "317 East 32nd" and Konitz's "Subconscious-Lee" and there's some Warsh & Levy originals too, like "Lunarcy" & "Background Music". CD fatures some alternate takes of the track "On Purpose", "A Time For Love", and "I Have A Good One For You". CD

A seminal session from Roscoe Mitchell – beautiful work recorded for the small Nessa label, and a real testament to the fragile beauty of his music! Some of the tracks are solo, and others feature Roscoe in shifting groups with other AACM players – a duet with bassist Malachi Favors, another with reedman Anthony Braxton, a trio with Muhal Richard Abrams on piano and George Lewis on trombone, and a quartet with Joseph Harman, Henry Threadgill, and Wallace McMillan. The sound's about as haunting as you can get for the AACM in the 70s – sensitive sounds, complex tones, and a rich approach to creative music that goes far beyond jazz – a really stark contrast to the styles of New York or European avant players from the same period! Titles include "Off Five Dark Six", "A1 Tal 2LA", "Nonaah", "Sing", "Chant", "Ericka", and "Tahquemenon". CD

Diego Rivera's a hell of a tenorist – and he plays a bit of soprano too – packing a heck of a lot into just a little bit of space, almost with the mix of hardbop and soul jazz we'd hear from 60s favorites like Benny Golson or Jerome Richardson! As with both of those artists, Rivera's got a way of making his presence known right from the start – but then never needs to overstate himself – as his playing is always right on the money, with just the right notes along the way – supported here by a crack quartet that features Helen Sung on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Donald Edwards on drums – plus trumpet from Etienne Charles on three of the album's twelve tracks. Many tunes are originals by Diego – just the right material for his balance of expression – and titles include "Indigenous", "Sombras Del Pasado", "Secret Life Of Plants", "Melina Maria", "BLM Plaza", "Shir Lashalom", and "Purpose". CD

One of the greatest modern moments on Blue Note – ever! From the cover, to the compositions, to the playing on the set – the whole album crackles with an unbelievable fire that was hardly ever matched again. A young Sam Rivers leads a quartet that includes Jaki Byard on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Anthony Williams on drums – coming together in a sound that's got lots of sharp edges, yet which also beats with an undeniably swinging heart. Rivers blows incredibly on the session – held in check by the rhythm section, and never getting too free (or sloppy, as on some later sides) – and instead hitting these hard tones that really push the envelope of 60s jazz without rewriting the rules entirely. Brilliant all the way through, with tracks that include "Beatrice", "Ellipsis", "Cyclic Episode", and "Downstairs Blues Upstairs". CD

Guitarist Sal Salvador made few albums as a leader during his day – but all of them are a treat, especially this one! The set's a mid 50s outing that features Sal's guitar in a quartet with Eddie Costa on piano and vibes – and grooving in a lightly swinging style that has some traces of east coast chamber jazz of the time, but which also displays Salvador's unique fascination with tone, sound, shape, and color! Salvador has a way of approaching the electric guitar that's like few other players in jazz – sometimes coming on full swing, other times laying back and letting the strings and their sounds shape the progression of tunes on the set. Titles include "Salaman", "I Love You", "Handful Of Stars", "Frivolous Sal", "Tangerine", "You Could Swing For That", and "All The Things You Are". CD

Brilliant work from groundbreaking pianist McCoy Tyner – an album that has him firmly stepping out of the shadow of his old boss John Coltrane – and really taking off with a new level of spiritual jazz expression that Tyner's scene helped to foster in the 70s! The group on the set is a quartet with Bobby Hutcherson on vibes – and the mixture of Hutcherson's vibes and Tyner's piano is extremely compelling – stretching out in long, rhythmic, modal lines that dance and light the groove no matter what the tune! The rest of the group features Herbie Lewis on bass and Freddie Waits on drums – and titles include the great original compositions "African Village", "May Street", and "Little Madimba". CD

Italian alto player Massimo Urbani is in some tremendous company here – working with a quartet that features Ron Burton on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums – a lineup who really make the album a standout in his career! The group's got a soulful swing that really brings out the best in Urbani's tone – allowing him to be free, but never too out – and keeping a strong sense of rhythm in most of the tracks – one that almost approaches soul jazz on the best numbers, thanks to the excellent work of Burton and Brown together – a really wonderful pair! Titles include "Tender Song", "Solar", "Diddy For Biddy", and "Rip The Ripper". CD

A brilliant album by Hozan Yamamoto – a flute player with a great ear for mixing traditional sounds and modern jazz! The set's a suite of sorts – performed by a cool quartet with Yamamoto on bamboo flute, plus Masabumi Kikuchi on piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and Hiroshi Murakami on drums – all with a rich sense of poetry and feeling, that newly expressive sound that Japanese jazz hit as the 70s approached! Yamamoto's flute work alone is worth the price of admission – but alongside Kikuchi's well-timed (and toned) piano lines, and Peacock's roundly sensitive bass, the instrument is even more brilliant – heard on tracks that include "Silver World", "Stone Garden Of Ryoan Temple", "A Heavy Shower", and "Sawanose". CD

An amazing legacy in music from Mike Cooper – a British musician who started out in the world of folk blues, but never ended up moving towards some of the rockish modes of his contemporaries – instead finding his very own sort of special space in the freedom allowed by the Dawn Records label! The set begins with the very spare Oh Really – a set that has Mike Cooper mostly on guitar and vocals, in a style that's part Piedmont, part Delta blues – but also given a more folksy spin, and graced with Cooper's unusual vocals – almost making the whole thing feel like a spare acoustic version of Canned Heat territory – with titles that include "Maggie Campbell", "Saturday Blues", "Electric Chair", "Crow Jane", and "You're Gonna Be Sorry". Do I Know you is a record that follows up with a sound that's maybe a bit fuller than Mike Cooper's debut, but still relatively spare – with Mike on acoustic guitar and slide guitar, Harry Miller on bass (really great bass, by the way!), and Poor Little Anne on a bit of vocals. Miller brings these deep tones to the record that really transform things – and titles include "Do I Know You", "Start Of A Journey", "First Song", "Theme In C", and "The Link". Trout Steel is a beautiful set from the British scene at the start of the 70s – a record that's got a fairly folksy tone, but lots of jazzy currents as well! The set was issued on the seminal Dawn Records label – and really shows that imprint's commitment to the left side of the spectrum – as Mike Cooper's vocals and acoustic guitar come into play with more guitar from Stefan Grossman – plus alto sax from Mike Osborne, tenor and soprano from Alan Skidmore, piano from John Taylor, and bass from the late Harry Miller – all key players on the UK avant jazz scene of the time! The mix of these players with Cooper's core inspiration is not unlike some of the most progressive material coming from Island Records – or, even better, the special jazzy moments on records by Tim Buckley or Tim Hardin – company that Cooper could very easily keep, given the strength of his songwriting. Titles include "Don't Talk Too Fast", "On My Way", "Hope You See", "Weeping Rose", "Trout Steel", "I've Got Mine", "That's How", and "Pharoah's March". Places I Know blends Cooper's acoustic guitar and rootsy vocals with some very compelling arrangements from Mike Gibbs – the British jazz talent who was already known for his larger ensemble creations at the time, but who works here in these really subtle ways – to inflect Cooper's core inspirations with just some slight instrumental colors, tones, and phrases on most numbers – while Cooper brings in the core Machine Gun Co group on a few more. The result is a record that's way more than familiar folk – and arguably a lot hipper than most of the British acid folk of the time, too – on titles that include "Night Journey", "Paper & Smoke", "Country Water", "Time To Time", "Goodbye Blues Goodbye", and "Places I Know". The Machine Gun Co album is a partner record to Places I Know – recorded in the same sessions, but with tracks that are longer, and even more openly expressive – all with backings from the sweet Machine Gun Co quartet, a group with some especially nice electric piano from Alan Cook! Heavy use of that instrument really works against some of the folksier elements in Cooper's music – with these blocks of warm sound and color that really illuminate the tunes, and almost unlock a new level in the vocals. Cooper plays a bit of electric guitar at times – and titles include "So Glad That I Found You", "Lady Anne", "Midnight Words", and "Song For Abigail". CD also features songs from singles – "Your Lovely Ways (parts 1 & 2)", "Time In Hand", and "Schaabisch Hall". CD

Amazing stuff – and work that will have you changing your opinion about Chick Corea! Around 1970, Corea was part of a groundbreaking group called Circle – an amazing avant quartet that featured his own piano next to the reeds of Anthony Braxton, bass of Dave Holland, and drums of Barry Altschul – a really groundbreaking group, one who was able to tie together so many new strands of jazz – even though they only were around for a few short years! Circle are one of those groups who always gets talked about, but who left behind almost no recorded legacy – which is why this set of recordings from 1970 is so important to an understanding of Corea and Braxton's career. The double length set features three sides worth of Circle material – including "Quartet Piece 1, 2, & 3", and the shorter "Percussion Piece". The 4th side of the set features the trio of Corea, Holland, and Altschul performing the haunting "Drone". CD

One of the greatest Bobby Hutcherson albums for Blue Note – a classic session recorded in quartet form, with a style that seems to set a whole new standard for the vibes in modern jazz! The group here is sublime – Herbie Hancock on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – all working with Bobby in cool, blocky chords, with a sound that lies somewhere on the road to "out", but has more of a swing than Hutcherson's "new thing" recordings! The balance is a perfect one – exciting and fresh, but still always soulfully grooving – and titles include a sublime version of Herbie's "Maiden Voyage" – plus originals by Hutcherson that include "The Omen", "Aquarian Moon", "Rojo", and "Head Start". CD

Three albums in one package! First up is TTT – a great later date from tenor genius JR Monterose – a set that's deceptively simple at the outset, but which has JR playing with all of those wonderfully sharp lines and well-chosen phrases of earlier years! Monterose is a real unsung talent on his instrument – a player who never went too far out on most recordings, but managed to pack an incredible amount of ideas into each solo – a bit like Sonny Rollins at his most inventive, but with a raspier tone that's got to be heard to be fully appreciated. This set features Monterose continuing his genius in a live setting – working in a Danish club in 1988 with a quartet that includes Hod O'Brien on piano, Guffy Pallesen on bass, and Jesper Elen on drums. The titles are all familiar ones, but the solos are the sort of thing that make you fully appreciate jazz at its best – the kind of phrasing, timing, and tone that true giants like Monterose bring to their best work. Tracks include "All The Things You Are", "What's New", "Central Park West", "Airegin", and "You Don't Know What Love Is". Next is Alive In Amsterdam – some of the rawest work ever from this under-recorded tenor genius – a late 60s Dutch set that's very different than both the famous blue album by JR Monterose, and his later comeback material too! Here, the bulk of the record is just JR on tenor with percussion accompaniment – the drums of Han Bennink on side one, then added percussion from three other players alongside Bennink on side two – while JR switches to a very cool electrified, amplified version of the tenor! His tone and texture are wonderful right from the start – as he and Bennink deliver fantastic duet performances of "I Remember Clifford" and "Sonnymoon For Two" – before joining with the other percussionists on the extended "Reborn" on side two – a very well-titled number, given JR's sound! Last is Body & Soul – an extremely rare set – recorded in 1970 in Holland, and featuring the tenor of JR Monterose in quintet with Jon Eardley on trumpet, Rien De Graaff on piano, Henk Haverhoek on bass, and Pierre Courbois on drums. The set's a key lost chapter in the career of this enigmatic tenor player – as it's got a sound that reaches back to his few hardbop recordings from the 50s, but also shows that Monterose had grown a lot as a soloist in the past decade, inserting a lot more freeness to his style, possibly an influence from 60s modernists like Coltrane or Ayler. The Dutch rhythm of the set works quite well for the nature of the materials – and Courbois' drums are especially compelling, nicely held back here from some of their more over-the-top tendencies, but adding in a lot of complicated fills and rhythmic changes underneath the sax solos. Titles include "Short Bridge", "Old Folks", "For Hank", "Just Blues", and "Body & Soul". CD

One of the greatest modern moments on Blue Note – ever! From the cover, to the compositions, to the playing on the set – the whole album crackles with an unbelievable fire that was hardly ever matched again. A young Sam Rivers leads a quartet that includes Jaki Byard on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Anthony Williams on drums – coming together in a sound that's got lots of sharp edges, yet which also beats with an undeniably swinging heart. Rivers blows incredibly on the session – held in check by the rhythm section, and never getting too free (or sloppy, as on some later sides) – and instead hitting these hard tones that really push the envelope of 60s jazz without rewriting the rules entirely. Brilliant all the way through, with tracks that include "Beatrice", "Ellipsis", "Cyclic Episode", and "Downstairs Blues Upstairs". Plus, the original album is expanded by 4 bonus tracks – alternate takes of "Downstairs Blues Upstairs" and "Luminous Monolith". CD

Four great albums from reedman Arthur Blythe – all together in one collection! First up is Lenox Avenue Breakdown – a stunning Columbia Records debut from Blythe! At the time of the date, Blythe had already spent years working in the jazz undergrounds on both coasts – developing a searing sound on alto sax that's perfect for the focused structure of this album – almost a tone poem of sorts, offering up a portrait of the Harlem scene that was a key part of Arthur's life at the time. The sounds are sharp, but also have a sense of energy that really holds them together – guiding the players through long readings of well-penned tunes by Blythe that are filled with loads of energy and life! Players include James Newton on flute, James Blood Ulmer on guitar, Bob Stewart on tuba, Cecil McBee on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and Guillermo Franco on percussion – and titles include "Odessa", "Slidin Through", "Down San Diego Way", and "Lenox Avenue Breakdown". In The Tradition is a gem – as the set represents the modern musician taking on a host of older jazz currents, while carving things out with his own special sort of soul! Half the tunes are familiar favorites, the other half originals – and Blythe moves far past his avant roots, to showcase his deep understanding of so many different shades of jazz – blowing alto beautifully throughout, in a very hip quartet that features Stanley Cowell on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Steve McCall on drums! Titles include great takes on "Naima", "Jitterbug Waltz", "Caravan", and "In A Sentimental Mood" – plus the originals "Break Tune" and "Hip Dipper". Illusions is maybe the boldest of Arthur Blythe's albums for Columbia Records – as the set bristles with newly creative energy right from the start, and provides a great showcase for some of the criss-crossings of styles and rhythms that were taking place on the New York scene at the time! The lineup alone announces something special – a cool combination of James Blood Ulmer on guitar, John Hicks on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, Abdul Wadud on cello, Bob Stewart on tuba, and Steve McCall on drums – working together in some slight variations at times, often with these angular edges that are perfectly sharpened by Arthur's amazing work on alto sax. The music's never too free, but quite outside for a major label at the time – balanced out so that it's never overindulgent at all. Titles include "Bush Baby", "Miss Nancy", "My Son Ra", and "Carespin With Mamie". Blythe Spirit is a set that showcases the never-ending growth and imagination of reedman Arthur Blythe during this fruitful period of his career – and his ability to effortlessly blend together different elements in his music – especially sides of the New York loft jazz scene, and the Chicago-based AACM! The tunes are beautiful – mostly originals, and showing a richer spirituality than even a year before – while still working in that compellingly rhythmic mode that Arthur was hitting during these years – in a lineup that features Blythe on alto, Abdul Wadud on cello, Kelvyn Bell on guitar, Steve McCall and Bobby Battle on drums, John Hicks on piano, Amina Claudine Myers on organ, and Fred Hopkins on bass. The mix of electric and acoustic elements is fantastic – very fresh, even all these many years later – and titles include "Misty", "Spirits In The Field", "Just A Closer Walk With Thee", "Reverence", and "Contemplation". CD

A trio of albums from this great modern piano giant! Progressive is excellent work from pianist Don Friedman – a set that's definitely progressive, but which also has a heck of a lot of warmth too – that fantastic balance of new ideas and lyricism that made Friedman one of the freshest pianists to emerge in the 60s, and which continued strongly through the course of later records like this! The trio features Frank Luther on bass and Billy Hart on drums – both players who can move openly with Friedman, yet keep things swinging too – a balance that's maybe not instantly heard on record – in ways that are better than we could ever hope to put in words. Titles include "Billie's Bounce", "Stella By Starlight", "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", "Moment's Notice", "I Remember You", and "All The Things You Are". Invitation is a set that's filled with standards, but really opened up in that amazing way we've come to expect from the great pianist Don Friedman! The record's maybe a bit down to earth in its overall setting than some of Don's other dates from the 70s, but right from the start, Friedman finds a way to leave his mark on the tunes – working with excellent bass from George Mraz, and drums from Ronnie Bedford – the latter of whom is a great drummer who brings a surprising crackle to the record at times! Titles include great versions of "Invitation" and "Little Boat" – plus "You Go To My Head", "It Could Happen To You", "Gone With The Wind", and "I Can't Get Started". On The Composer, Don Friedman's acting as a composer as well, and is set up in a nicely different setting! The album features a core group with Martin Wind on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums, augmented by a string quartet who bring a wonderful sense of flavor to the music – opening up all the fantastic colors and tones in Don's tunes – almost amplifying his wonderful work on the piano, and never getting in the way of the jazz aspect of the record at all! The feel is very different than a "with strings" session – almost as if there's an extra paintbrush in Friedman's toolbox – and on a few tracks, the group is also joined by the baritone sax of Gary Smulyan, who further deepens the colors of the record. Titles include "Summer's End", "Friday Morning", "Waltz For Marilyn", "Red Sky Waltz", "Delayed Gratification", and "Memory Of Scotty". CD

Amazing music from Jimmy Giuffre – and a much-needed document of this under-recorded time in his career! The 2CD set brings together two different live performances – each done two years after his groundbreaking Free Fall album for Columbia, and with a sound that's even more far-reaching than that classic set! The Giuffre heard here is extremely free on his reeds – especially clarinet, which is blown at a level that prefaces countless European free jazz work to come – with an incredible range of sounds, colors, and tones. Giuffre also plays tenor – with more bite and soul than ever before – almost at an ESP sort of level – and the accompaniment on both sessions is very loose and free, too – with Joe Chambers on drums on both concerts – working with Richard Davis on bass on a trio set, and with a quartet that includes Don Friedman on piano and Barre Phillips on bass. The whole thing is mindblowing – a chapter of this amazing musician's career that demands to be heard – and stands as even more of a revelation than other Giuffre releases in recent years. Titles include "Cry Want", "Syncopate", "Drive", "Angles", "Quadrangle", "Crossroads", and "Three Bars In One". CD

Two CTI label gems from vibist Milt Jackson – back to back on a single CD! Sunflower is proof that Milt Jackson was easily the hippest member of the Modern Jazz Quartet – and one of the few who could really open up into different sounds away from that combo! This sweet 70s set for CTI is totally great – a whole new chapter for Jackson's vibes, and a real re-setting of the soulful modes he'd explored as a leader in the 60s. There's a wonderfully warm and chromatic feel to the set from the start – as Milt's vibes are set in fuller arrangements from Don Sebesky – with added instrumentation from Herbie Hancock on electric piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Phil Bodner on reeds. The highlight of the album is a nice long take on "People Make The World Go Round", but it's all pretty sweet, and other titles include nice versions of "Sunflower" and "What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life" – and Jackson's own "SKJ" and "For Someone I Love". Goodbye is classic work from vibist Milt Jackson – opening up his bag a lot for the 70s, in a way that makes for some wonderfully casual grooves! The album's not as moodily funky as some of Jackson's other CTI records, but it is a nice batch of laidback tunes played with a distinctly soulful edge – handled by a group that features Cedar Walton on piano, Hubert Laws on flute, Ron Carter bass, Steve Gadd drums – and some guest trumpet from Freddie Hubbard on the track "SKJ". Other titles include "Opus De Funk", "Detour Ahead","Goodbye", and "Old Devil Moon". CD

A pair of soul jazz guitar gems from the legendary Boogaloo Joe Jones – back to back on a single CD! First up is the first-ever album from one of our favorite jazz guitarists ever – the mighty Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones – the man who helped funky guitar find a whole new place in jazz with his albums for Prestige Records! This set's the first in that legendary run – and has Joe working in a style that's maybe a big straighter than in later years – but still more than wild enough to earn the "psychedelic" tag in the title! The record begins with some quartet tracks that really have Joe taking off – in a group with Ron Carter on bass, Ben Dixon on drums, and Richard Landrum on congas – then the set moves into some Hammond-based material with Limerick Knowles on organ, plus Alexander Witherspoon on electric bass and Bud Kelly on drums – obscure players overall, but who bring a nice edge to the record. Most of the cuts are covers, but the sound's nice and groovy, and Boogaloo Joe, as usual, is a great soloist – on titles that include "There Is A Mountain", "The Mindbender", "Games", "Sticks & Stones", and "Right Now". On My Fire, Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones steps forward strongly on his second set for Prestige Records – working with a nicely unified combo that includes the great Harold Mabern on piano, plus a bit of electric piano too – alongside tight rhythms from Peck Morrison on bass, Bill English on drums, and Richard Landrum on conga – all in a mode that's a mix of 60s soul jazz, and some of the wilder styles that Jones would pick up even more in a few records. A few tracks are nice and long, which allows for good solo space – and titles include "Light My Fire", "Time After Time", "Ivan the Terrible", "Take All", and "For Big Hal". CD

The legendary improvising pianist Alexander Von Schlippenbach makes a great appearance here with the quartet of drummer Oliver Steidle – a player with whom he'd worked in Globe Unity, but in a very different style here! The music is spun out on three long live improvisations – very striking contributions from Schlippenbach on piano, but matched by some equally powerful work from Rudi Mahall on bass clarinet, Henrik Walsdorff on alto, and Jan Roder on bass – all working under the leadership of Steidle. As you might expect, these instruments come together in ways that are very different than mainstream jazz – the piano hardly affects the reed interplay of Walsdorff and Mahall as it would in a conventional group – and the bass of Roder is often in a space that's very different than usual too. Titles include "So", "Sok", and "Soko". CD

A set recorded very early in the career of drummer Terri Lyne Carrington – an album that's tight, and full of fantastic work from both the leader and the all-star quartet on the date! Terri's already amazing on drums – shining through here in a more soaring, familiar jazz mode than on some of her later dates – unadorned, and with a great ear for both arrangements and work as a leader – guiding a group that features superb work from Kenny Barron on piano, George Coleman on tenor, and Buster Williams on bass. Sonny Carrington plays guest tenor on "Sonnymoon For Two" – and other cuts include "La Bonita", "St Thomas", "Seven Steps To Heaven", and "What Is This Thing Called Love". CD

A record with a very bleak sort of cover image, but a wonderfully warm sound within – strongly resonant quartet work that features great vibes from Kinta Hamada, plus Takeshi Inomata on drums, Kinta Hamada on vibes, Naoki Nishi on piano, and Kenichi Uchiyama on bass! With a lineup like that, you might expect a bit of a Modern Jazz Quartet approach – but these guys have moved way past that, and are instead in the warmer, more expressive territory opened up by the Japanese piano scene of the 70s – working in a well-recorded format that sparkles with plenty of warmth and relaxed imagination. Most tracks are nice and long, and titles include "CTA", "Adjustment", "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set", "That Old Black Magic", and "Angel Eyes". CD

Brilliant work from Austrian saxophonist Hans Koller – one of his most striking sessions of the 60s, and an incredibly rare one too! The material here was originally recorded for a sound library session, but is 60s modern jazz at its best – with Koller on tenor, working in a quartet that includes Fritz Pauer on piano. Most tunes have an angular, rhythmic sort of feel – dancing out in a groove that's often missing from some of Koller's other work – in a style that seems to really push him on his solos, getting the most out of his incredible tone and phrasing, without succumbing to any sort of overdone experimentalism. Titles include "Mingus Privat", "Hommage A Soulages", "Ruth", "Call Me Eric", "Ronnie & Anne", and "Don't Forget Oscar". CD

Saxophonist James Brandon Lewis just keeps getting deeper and deeper with each new release – very different than the artist who first emerged a number of records back, and one with a strong ability to explore the farther sides of the jazz spectrum! That's definitely the case here – as Lewis plays tenor at the head of a quartet with Aruan Ortiz on piano, Brad Jones on bass, and Chad Taylor on drums – a lineup who are more than fluid enough to move with the ideas that flow effortlessly both from the compositional pen of the leader, and his well-crafted, very personal lines on tenor sax! The tunes vary in length, which further deepens the individuality of the set – and titles include "Helix", "Per 1", "Breaking Code", "An Anguish Departed", "Loverly", "Molecular", "Cesaire", and "A Lotus Speaks". CD

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". CD features bonus tracks – a version of "Lover Man" with clarinet, the tune "Johnny's Blues", and three more alternate takes from the album! CD

A long-overdue look at the early work of Fats Sadi – a really great player on the European scene during the postwar years, and one who's best known for his 60s material on MPS/Saba, including recordings with the Clarke Boland Big Band! Here, though, Sadi's working in earlier years, and already sounding pretty darn great – a real modernist on his instrument, and working with a great array of really wonderful players – including a fair bit of material with the great Bobby Jaspar on flute and tenor, in groups led by both Fats and Bobby on a set of different recordings! The package also features work from Jimmy Deuchar on trumpet, Rene Thomas and Jimmy Gourley on guitar, Maurice Vander on piano, Nat Peck on trombone, and Francy Boland on piano and arrangements – especially great work on one seven track batch of material in the set. As with the other historical collections like this from Fresh Sounds, the package is overflowing with notes and images – and pulls together 23 tracks from releases that include the 10" albums New Sound Of Belgium No 4, Fats Sadi's Combo, Bobby Jaspar New Jazz Vol 2, and Bobby Jaspar Quartet – and the 7" EP releases Sadi Quartet and Sadi's Vibes. Titles include "Hittin The Road", "Hegor", "Gigi's Pad", "Ridin In", "Early Wake", "Big Balcony", "Sadisme", "Ad Libitum", "Laguna Leap", "Jeux De Quartes", "Doxology", "Le Jamf", and "Karin". CD

Two 60s classics from Wayne Shorter – back to back in a single set! First up is Adams Apple, an incredible album – one of our favorite Blue Notes ever! Despite the fact that the album's a spare quartet session, the record is one of Wayne Shorter's richest – and features his gutsy young tenor soloing insanely with a rhythmically intense combo that includes Herbie Hancock on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – a wonderfully free-thinking rhythm trio! Workman's bass is especially strong, and it underpins the cuts with a throbbing pulse that takes them past any simple hardbop conventions. Every cut's a winner – and this is one album we reach for time and time again over the years! Titles include "Adam's Apple", "El Gaucho", "Footprints", and "Teru". Next is Super Nova – a bit of a hint of the 70's work by Shorter – as he plays here with a slightly larger group, and a bit of an electric sound. Sonny Sharrock and John McLaughlin play guitar, Airto plays percussion, and Maria Booker sings vocals on a rendition of "Dindi" – and this complicated larger group gives Shorter a quite different sound than some of his earlier Blue Note quartet and quintet sides. The session's got a great spiritual soul jazz undercurrent – pointing the way towards aspects of jazz in the 70s – and titles include "Super Nova", "Swee Pea", "Water Babies", and "Capricorn". CD

Beautiful live work from Soft Machine – the sort of concert setting that makes a record like this such a key addition to their studio classics from the time! The quartet are equal parts jazz and rock, as on their seminal numbered albums of the early 70s – with some mighty heavy work on drums from John Marshall, next to heady bass from Roy Babbington, Fender Rhodes and organ from Mike Ratledge, and soprano, baritone, oboe, and more electric piano from Karl Jenkins! Tracks are long, and sometimes hard-hamming, other times nicely spacious until the musicians get their hooks in – and as with live work from the group, even familiar titles are nicely transformed in the setting of the concert. Titles include "Hazard Profile", "Gesolreut Jam", "JSM", "Lefty", "EPV", "Down The Road", "Ealing Comedy", "The Soft Weed Factor", and "Stanley Stamps Gibbon Album". CD

A really wonderful shift in sound for pianist Yosuke Yamashita – material that's still as full of energy and life as some of his groundbreaking trio sessions of the 70s, but which pitch the spirit in a slightly different way! Volume one of the set has songs that are maybe a bit tighter and more composed overall, but which still bristle with the kind of brilliant energy that Yosuke can bring to the piano – as he works in a quartet with lots of excellent work on tenor from Kazunori Takeda, plus drums from Shota Koyama, and bass from Katsuo Kuninaka – the latter of which is an instrument that Yamashita didn't always use in the 70s, but which really adds a lot here. Titles include "Chattering", "One For T", "Nimufa Star", "Jugem", "K's Lullaby", and "Chattering". Volume 2 has an approach that's even more different than usual for the piano of Yamashita – a larger combo that has guitar from Kazumi Watanabe and trombone from Shigeharu Mukai – both players from more mainstream sides of the jazz spectrum, but who provide some compelling sounds next to the much more freewheeling piano work of Yosuke! The album also features tenor work from three different players, each of whom play on different tracks – Kazunori Takeda, Seiichi Nakamura, and Yasuaki Shimizu – and with bass and drums in play, the original material by Yamashita is spun differently than on other sessions, but still very much with his trademark approach. Titles include "Jugemu", "Motion Picture", "First Bridge", and "Drifting On D". CD