Jazz — Recently Added

An incredible legacy in jazz – and an overlooked one, too – a huge amount of work from vibist Bosko Petrovic, a player who was as important on his instrument in Europe as Bobby Hutcherson and Milt Jackson were in the US! In fact, both players are a great comparison – because ... CD

A host of recordings with titles you can't pronounce – but served up with a universally appealing jazz sound, thanks to the mighty vibes of Bosko Petrovic! The musician is one of the coolest players who ever worked behind the Iron Curtain – a jazz vibist in Croatia, but one whose music ... CD

One of the most unusual albums in the Three Blind Mice jazz catalog of the 70s – a set recorded by overlooked American reedman Allan Praskin, who really opens up in the Japanese setting of the record! Praskin is a player who worked strongly on the European scene for decades – mostly in ... CD

A very hip group from the contemporary Japanese scene – a large ensemble who completely remake modern big band modes with a very cerebral vibe – perfectly balancing modern impulses and swing with effortless ease! It's no surprise that the first track on the set is a Duke Ellington ... CD

Don't think "British rock", think "electric jazz" – as the set features some long, jamming instrumental workouts that are more in a heavy fusion mode overall! The group's a quintet – led by drummer Kiyoshi Tanaka, and featuring organ, guitar, bass, and some very ... CD

One of the most beautiful records we've ever heard from drummer Andrew Cyrille – a sublime set of duets with tenorist Bill McHenry, who turns out to be a wonderful musical partner! The music has that loose, open, almost melodic feel that Cyrille brought to his percussion – especially ... CD

Hidehiko "Sleepy" Matsumoto is a reedman who grabbed us strongly the first time we ever heard him play – on one of the first big band albums by Toshiko Akioshi in the 60s – and he's also one who continued to grow and refine his craft in the 70s, with an amazingly personal ... CD

Despite the "concierto" in the title, the album's a relatively stripped-down studio affair – a spacious set played by the quintet of Japanese bassist Hideto Kanai, with a lineup that features some especially great work on saxes! The tracks here are all quite long, and there's a bit ... CD

A fantastic criss-crossing of modes – free jazz, funk, big band, and fusion – all styles that were blooming big on the Japanese scene of the 70s – wrapped up and reworked here into something new entirely! The set's a live one, and features extended performances from a range of ... CD

The album's dedicated to Duke Ellington, and it features Duke Ellington tunes – but overall the set is a very personal moment from pianist Masaru Imada – maybe one of his strongest dates of the 70s! The music opens up with that beautifully creative Japanese piano trio approach of the ... CD

Hideo Ichikawa may have been one of the most inventive pianists to record for the Three Blind Mice label in the 70s – an artist whose talents are expansive both on the acoustic and electric versions of the instrument he uses here – and which also extend to a few contributions on ... CD

Cool cats, indeed – a very hip collection of jazz musicians from the Japanese scene – almost all of whom are contemporary players who haven't gotten much exposure over here on this side of the Pacific! Each track features a different group, and some players overlap here and there ... CD

An overlooked gem from the Three Blind Mice catalog of the 70s – a date that's led by pianist Kunio Ohta, but which features some excellent reed work from Masamiki Takano too! The record's got that open, creative spirit that we love from the label's best work in the decade – almost as ... CD

A funky concept album from George Duke – and one that's filled with some mighty nice grooves! Guardians Of The Light is a full-on "musical fantasy" – with the story line laid out in the liner notes, yet still a bit difficult to follow – but we can't fault him for that ... CD

Never-heard music from the legendary Erroll Garner – unissued studio recordings from the end of the 60s and the start of the 70s – brought together here to form one of the most striking albums in his catalog! Garner's perhaps a bit more intimate in these settings, and is certainly more ... CD

A killer combo from the Japanese jazz scene – one who work with the rhythmic core of the club jazz groups from years back, but who also take off with a lot more fire on their instrumentation! The tunes here often have a romping sort of rhythm – with lots of heavy acoustic bass and ... CD

One of the most meditative records we've ever heard from reedman Noah Howard – a very introspectively spiritual set that echoes the concern with mortality in the title! The group's a trio – with Justin Wiggan on electronics and Chris Mapp on bass – the former of whom creates ... LP, Vinyl record album

Gregory Tardy's turned into a reedman with a great ability for complex soundshapes – these beautiful phrasings and passages from his tenor sax – yet always delivered in a way that never fails to swing with soul! On this excellent set, Tardy and his musical associates paint these lovely ... CD

One of a number of excellent 70s recordings made by American tenorist Sal Nistico with European vibes legend Bosko Petrovic – cut in Bosko's home turf in 1977, with a sextet that also features some strong trumpet and guitar! The tracks are mostly standards, and taken in a relaxed, open pace ... CD

A double length set brings together a strong array of jazz recorded in Croatia – tracks that almost never got any circulation in the US back in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, but which really reflect the strong jazz underground on that scene at the time! Some of the tracks feature American soloists ... CD