A totally wonderful little record – a jazz set with a bit of a Latin vibe – part electric, thanks to some great Fender Rhodes – which is mixed with percussion and a really well-crafted horn section! The tracks are long, and very jazzy – put together with a style that's laidback, but tight at the same time – in a group led by trumpeter Rahdy Montero, with electric piano from Amuni Nacer, tenor from Michael Lawrence, trombone from Tim Sessions, and plenty of percussion too! Titles include a fantastic version of "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" – plus "Mambo Ajeno", "Planeta Pimienta", and "Extasis". LP, Vinyl record album

Warm and wonderful work from Phyllis Hyman – a set that's a lot more mainstream soul than her music of a few years before, but one that still shows a strong commitment to the more complicated styles of her roots! The sound here is full and proud – a nice extension of the work that Hyman did with Norman Connors, and not nearly as much in a disco mode as it might be, given the time of the release. And although many of the tracks are somewhat upbeat, they've got a bit more complication in the rhythms than conventional club – thanks to the presence of jazz players who include Herbie Hancock, Monty Alexander, Azar Lawrence, and others. The best production on the record is by T Life, and the team of Skip Scarborough and Larry Alexander – and titles include "Kiss You All Over", "Living Inside Your Love", "Soon Come Again", "Here's That Rainy Day", "Lookin For A Lovin", and "Be Careful (How You Treat My Love)". LP, Vinyl record album

The mighty Mulatu Astatke has given us lots of amazing music over the years – key records both home in Ethiopia and here in the US – yet this performance may well be one of his most special, as it unites the legendary musician with a host of giants from the American scene – all in a one-off performance that finally gave Mulatu his due! The leader handles vibes at the helm of an all-star group that includes Bennie Maupin on flute and soprano sax, Azar Lawrence on tenor, and Phil Ranelin on trombone – all spiritual jazz giants of the 70s who only further expand the genius of Mulatu's music – in the company of some younger musicians who include Miguel Atwood Ferguson on violin and Brandon Coleman on electric piano and organ. The whole thing is very much in keeping with the best Mulatu classics from back in the day, but also pushes things forward wonderfully too, with a lot more jazz in the mix – on titles that include "Yekermo Sew", "The Radcliffe", "Kasalefkut Hulu", "I Faram Gami", "Yekatit", "Mulatu", and "Ebo Lala". LP, Vinyl record album

That's "Heath", not "health" – as you might think the title's misspelled – as in Jimmy Heath, who arranged most of the numbers on the set! Heath's contribution is a good one too – as it helps Baker create one of his most tightly-wrapped albums of the time, a well-blown session recorded here with a group that includes Art Pepper on alto, Phil Urso on tenor, Carl Perkins on piano, and Lawrence Marable on drums. The presence of Urso is especially appreciated – as his sharper, deeper tone really brings a wider sound to the album than some of Chet's other dates of the time – especially when combined with the excellent sound of Pepper! Titles include "CTA", "For Minors Only", "For Miles & Miles", and "Resonant Emotions". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare material that was originally recorded in 1972 by organist Larry Young – some of his most outside material ever, and done with a bunch of young musicians who wail on all of these weird electronic instruments! The set's way wilder even than any of Young's albums that were issued at the time – including the classics with his group Fuel, or even his Lawrence of Newark album – and the album's got loads of wild, very noisy synth sounds and crazy percussion! The tunes come across as sheets and sheets of white noise – with Larry's organ going all over the place in freewheeling solos and groovy rhythm lines. Young plays Hammond, and other instrumentation includes Joe Gallivan on synth, percussion, drums, and steel guitar; Nicholas on guitar synth, ring modulator, hi-tension wires, wind, rain, and thunder (!); and Jimmy Molneiri on drums and percussion. Titles include "Love Cry", "Ancient Place"," Angels Wing", "Peace", and "Great Medicine Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

Reedman Alan Wakeman may not be the biggest name in British jazz, but he works here with all-star lineups on both performances – really showcasing his unique vision as a leader, which is emphasized by the strength of the musicians in the group! At some level, these octet recordings are somewhere in the territory of Mike Gibbs or early Mike Westbrook – very fresh approaches to larger group material, with a mix of modern elements and breakout solos amidst a greater, more composed whole – almost a Charles Mingus vibe at times! Wakeman blows both tenor and clarinet – and the 1969 performances include work from Alan Skidmore on tenor and flute, Mike Osborne on alto and clarinet, Paul Rutherford and Paul Nieman on trombones, John Taylor on piano, Lindsay Cooper on bass, and Paul Lytton on drums – as well as percussion and gongs from most players too. The 1979 sessions have a different lineup – with Skidmore and Art Themen on tenor next to Wakeman's tenor and soprano sax – plus trumpet from Henry Lowther, trombone from Paul Rutherford, piano from Gordon Beck, bass from Chris Lawrence, and drums from Nigel Morris. Titles include "Chaturanga", "Manhattan Variation", "Vienna", "Kingside Breakthrough", "Dreams", "Forever", and "Merry Go Round". LP, Vinyl record album

Spiritual sounds from the source – a host of incredible tracks from a time when jazz was really opening up into new dimensions – as players stepped forward in a wave of strong post-Coltrane energy to really push the music into the skies! The music here can be seen as a blueprint for generations to come – styles that are now getting new fame in the hands of Kamasi Washington and some of his contemporaries, but which flowered first in recordings like these – pulled from the early 70s vaults of Prestige, Milestone, and Muse Records – and brought together here in a really wonderful collection! Tracks are all nice and long, and the set showcases an older generation of jazz musicians really flowering at the time – balanced perfectly between a sense of freedom and a spiritual soul – on titles that include "Celestial Blues" by Gary Bartz NTU Troop, "Let Us Go To Higher Heights" by Carlos Garnett, "The Almoravid" by Joe Chambers, "Brown Eyes" by Charles Earland, "Warriors Of Peace" by Azar Lawrence, "Aftermath" by Oliver Nelson, "Josie Black" by Hampton Hawes, "Let It Take Your Mind" by Bayete Umbra Zindiko, "Fire" by Joe Henderson and Alice Coltrane, and "The Free Slave" by Roy Brooks. LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful entry in this excellent series – one that initially helped identify a really special strand in postwar music – then continue to provide rare and unique examples with new volumes like this! The music isn't really mambo or Latin at all – but the rhythms here are more sophisticated and modern than more blues-oriented work of the time – and pulled from a fantastic moment when things were really mixing up in the new indie recording scene of the postwar years! Bits of jazz, early soul, and other touches make these tunes really shine – all lively numbers that include both group material and solo singers too – in a killer set list that includes "Wanda" by The Heartbreakers, "You're So Good Looking" by Otis Smith, "Heartaches & Troubles" by Mr Bo, "Song Of Sadar" by Lawrence Peel & The Filatones, "Buddha's Boogie" by Dukes Of Rhythm, "Calvalry" by Marie Knight & Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Evil One" by The Dundees, "Love For Sale" by Helene Polite, "Oscalypso" by Oscar Pettiford, "Mambo Blues" by Effie Smith, "Big Mary's" by Titus Turner, "Caldonia" by Monchito, "Ali Baba's Boogie" by Preston Love, "Canveral Rock" by The Blasts, "I Want You To Be My Baby Mambo" by The Royals, "Girl Of My Dream" by Frank Butler, and "My Beat Is 125th Street" by Eunice Davis. LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to believe that given Duke Ellington's presence at the start of the 60s, there would be an unknown session from the time – but the discovery of this material in the 70s made for another great chapter in the Duke's career during the classic Columbia years! The material here is played by a sweet small group that includes Ray Nance on coronet, Lawrence Brown on Trombone, Johnny Hodges on alto sax, Harry Carney on baritone, Aaron Bell on bass, and Sam Woodward on drums – all working in a format that almost feels a bit more relaxed and intimate than other Columbia sessions – although not with the rough edges you might expect from a lost date. Tracks include "Everything But You", "Black Beauty", "Something To Live For" "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing", "Mighty Like The Blues", and "Dual Highway". LP, Vinyl record album

Sonny Criss plays Cole Porter – and the results are way greater than the sum of the parts – even though those parts are already pretty darn great! Criss' alto sax has a superb tone at this time – razor-sharp, and nicely crisp – yet still filled with warmth that sets it apart from some of his more modern contemporaries – a beautiful balance that really illuminates these tunes, and has you thinking of them as fresh Criss compositions, not older Porter standards. The instrumentation is quite fresh, too – thanks to the addition of Larry Bunker on vibes, which is a really nice surprise – and piano by Sonny Clark and Jimmy Bunn. The great Lawrence Marable plays drums – and titles include "I Love You", "Easy To Love", "Night & Day", and "Love For Sale". LP, Vinyl record album

A great documentation of this rare live set from 1940 – one of the best slices of Ellington from the time! Johnny Hodges on alto sax, Duke Ellington on piano, Harry Carney on baritone sax & clarinet, Jimmy Blanton on bass, Otto Hardwick on alto sax & clarinet, Barney Bigard on tenor sax & clarinet, Sonny Greer on drums, Freddy Guy on guitar & whistle, Ben Webster on tenor sax, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown & Tricky Sam Nanton on trombones, Rex Stewart & Wallace Jones on trumpets, Ray Nance on trumpet, vibes & vocals & Herb Jeffries & Ivie Anderson on vocals. LP, Vinyl record album

A bundle of soul from Freddie Hubbard – one that has him blowing beautifully over full arrangements from Bert DeCoteux – the 70s super-soul maestro who really brings a new sound to Hubbard's music! The style's a bit smoother than other Freddie albums of the time, but still really great – a wonderful plenty of his well-timed, well-punctuated work on trumpet with warm grooves supplied by Bert – filled with instrumentation that includes David T Walker on guitar, Ernie Watts on sax and flute, Azar Lawrence on tenor, David Garfield on keyboards, and even Dorothy Ashby on flute. Titles include "Portrait Of Jenny", "Rainy Day Song", "Bundle Of Joy", "From Now On", "From Behind", and "Rahsaan". LP, Vinyl record album

Tonu Naissoo might not be the best-known player on our shores, but the Estonian pianist is a legend over in his part of Europe – with a well-deserved reputation that's only furthered by this wonderful album! Naissoo's a master of tone and timing – working here with this lyrical swing that's completely fantastic – and given great encouragement through the work of Taavo Remmel on bass and Ahto Abner on drums – both players who've worked with Tonu for years, which you can really hear in the way they work together. The recording quality is superb – very much up three with the best of the Sawano label – and titles include "Coffee Cold", "Very Early", "Light My Fire", "Through The Fire", "Lament", "Train Of Thought", "Come Back To Me", and a nice take on "Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent bit of early 60s soulbop – and one of two rare albums ever cut by the obscure female alto player Vi Redd, one of the few women sax players of her generation to get recorded! The album's got an easygoing groove that's mighty nice – a touch of R&B at times, but not nearly as much as you'd hear on Redd's other record for Atlantic – thanks to a sensitive jazz-based presentation by a group that also features a young Roy Ayers on vibes, making his first-ever appearance on record! Other players include Herb Ellis on guitar and Russ Freeman on piano – plus Kansas Lawrence on trumpet, who's clearly a bigger-name player working under another name. Vi sings on the record, in addition to playing alto sax – in this laidback way that's a bit like Trudy Pitts – and although the record's billed as a tribute to Charlie Parker, it's got a lot more going on than that! Tracks include "Summertime", "Old Folks", "Just Friends", "Now's The Time", "Anthropology", and "Cool Blues Perhaps". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite a rare vocal jazz session – recorded for the short lived Jazz West label, which was one of the hippest LA imprints of the 50s! Jane Fielding's a pretty decent singer – with kind of a Chris Connor-ish style about her – but the real charm is from Kenny Drew's work as a pianist and arranger, both of which push the session past the usual sleepiness of a Bethlehem or Mode vocal jazz album from the time. Kenny's group features Joe Maini on alto, Ted Efantis on tenor, Lawrence Marable on drums, and either Leroy Vinnegar or Paul Chambers on bass. Titles include "Embers Glow", "Our Waltz", "Right Boy For Me", "Key Largo", "Make The Man Love Me", and "Round Midnight". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Joe Henderson's greatest albums ever – a real treasure from his electric years at Milestone Records, and a set that showed he really had a lot more to offer for the scene of the 70s! The sound here is quite different than Joe's earlier work for Blue Note – a style that's sometimes soaring, sometimes mellow – but always moving forward with a tremendously fluid approach to the tenor sax. Joe's sense of phrasing and timing is impeccable – quite subtle at times, with these dark notes that hang beautifully in air on the ballads – and some sharper-edged qualities that really burst out strongly on the more upbeat tunes. The group's a great one too – and features Herbie Hancock on both acoustic and electric piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – plus additional trumpet by Mike Lawrence on 2 tracks. Titles include "Black Narcissus", "Isotope", "Afro-Centric", "Forsight & Afterthought", and "Power to The People". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Joe Henderson's greatest albums ever – a real treasure from his electric years at Milestone Records, and a set that showed he really had a lot more to offer for the scene of the 70s! The sound here is quite different than Joe's earlier work for Blue Note – a style that's sometimes soaring, sometimes mellow – but always moving forward with a tremendously fluid approach to the tenor sax. Joe's sense of phrasing and timing is impeccable – quite subtle at times, with these dark notes that hang beautifully in air on the ballads – and some sharper-edged qualities that really burst out strongly on the more upbeat tunes. The group's a great one too – and features Herbie Hancock on both acoustic and electric piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – plus additional trumpet by Mike Lawrence on 2 tracks. Titles include "Black Narcissus", "Isotope", "Afro-Centric", "Forsight & Afterthought", and "Power to The People". LP, Vinyl record album

An early cooker from Richard Groove Holmes – and one of the most important Hammond jazz sets to come out of the west coast at the time! At a point when most folks think the east has a lock on the instrument, Groove bursts forth here with a great hard-edged sound – proof that the LA scene didn't just go for cool jazz and the occasional hardbop date – and the start of a great run of records that would have Holmes sounding great all through the 60s! The lineup is nicely unusual, too – with guitar from Chicagoan George Freeman, then on the west coast – and a key part of Holmes' group for years – and trombone from the excellent Lawrence Tricky Lofton, a player who rarely recorded, but made some great sides with Carmell Jones. The group also features Les McCann on piano, a nice combo with the organ – plus Ben Webster on tenor and Ron Jefferson on drums. Titles include "Good Groove", "That Healin' Feelin'", "Them That's Got", and "Deep Purple". LP, Vinyl record album

A strong little record that has Doug Kershaw nicely stretching past the sound of his cajun roots – maybe in an attempt to grab some of the southern rock glory that his earlier work helped encourage! Doug's a great singer, with a nicely deep range – and he gets great production here from Chips Moman and Buddy Killen, two southern studio giants who sweeten the sound with just the right touch of larger arrangements from time to time – but mostly let Kershaw revel in the strong instrumental help he gets from giants like Bobby Emmons, Reggie Young, and Moman himself. Titles include "Willie's Shades", "The Best Years Of My Life", "Louisiana Love Song", "I Had A Good Woman But She Married Lawrence", "Tricks", and "You're Gonna Be Impressed". LP, Vinyl record album

A 70s set that brings together some nice sides from Wes and his brothers. Side one is taken from the Montgomery Brothers set, the first session to feature the group with Wes on the west coast – caught in the studio at a time when Buddy and Monk had left The Mastersounds, and recorded here with a sound that's quite similar to that group – but with a bit of a harder edge, thanks to the guitar. Side two continues in the same vein, capturing the group on a live set in Vancouver, grooving in a similar style that's a bit like some of Wes' early small group albums from the same time. The final two sides are pulled from the Groove Yard LP, another lively set that has a lot more swing than usual, and which grooves nicely on just about every cut. The drummers on the sides are Lawrence Marable, Paul Humphries and Bobby Thomas, all fitting nicely into the pocket with the Montgomerys. 15 tracks in all, including "Jeanine", "Green Dolphin Street", "Beaux Arts", "Snowfall", "Lover Man", "June In January", "Monterey Blues", "Delirium", "Back To Back", "Doujie", "Just For Now", and "Groove Yard" LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty great little live set – recorded at the Montreux Jazz fest in 1973, and featuring one of the better McCoy Tyner groups of the time! The album's a key set in McCoy's stretching out after the passing of Coltrane – a record that draws strongly from his 60s spiritual heritage, but pushes nicely into the next generation – free, but never too free, and really filled with soul and spirit throughout! A key sound of the set comes from saxophonist Azar Lawrence – who plays both soprano and tenor on the date – and rhythm in the group is from Joony Booth on bass and Alphonse Mouzon on drums, both of whom really kick things into gear. Tracks are all pretty long, and titles include Tyner's 3 part "Enlightenment Suite", plus "Presence", "Nebula" and "Walk Spirit Talk Spirit". LP, Vinyl record album