Jazz — Coming Soon 
A wealth of jazz in many styles -- bop, hardbop, soul jazz, spiritual, rare groove, modal, improvised music, funk, free jazz, fusion, avant garde, and trad!
Just Added!
Louis Moholo
Spirits RejoiceOgun/OTOroku (UK), 1978. (reissue)
LP ... About September 25, 2019
One of the strongest 70s statements from ex-Blue Notes drummer Louis Moholo – recorded in the company of fellow expatriots and UK avant jazzers that include Johnny Dyani, Evan Parker, Kenny Wheeler, Nick Evans, Radu Malfatti, and Harry Miller. The album shifts easily between strongly ... LP, Vinyl record album
Jutta Hipp
Jutta Hipp With Zoot SimsBlue Note, 1956. (reissue)
LP ... On October 11, 2019
A wonderful pairing of this German pianist and American tenor star Zoot Sims – and an album that may well be the greatest that Jutta Hipp ever cut! Hipp was one of the rising stars of the German postwar jazz scene in the 50s – and although she issued other American albums in the decade ... LP, Vinyl record album
Herbie Hancock
Inventions & DimensionsBlue Note, 1963. (reissue)
LP ... On October 11, 2019
A really unique little record from Herbie Hancock – one that's almost completely improvised over Latin percussion! The setup is quite spare – and quite different than Herbie's other Blue Note work – and the group features improvised backgrounds by bassist Paul Chambers and 2 ... LP, Vinyl record album
Joe Henderson
In N OutBlue Note, 1964. (reissue)
LP ... On October 11, 2019
A stone killer from the early Blue Note years of tenorist Joe Henderson – a key example of why the label had so much faith in him right from the start, and why Henderson's horn was quite different than so many other players of the 60s! There's a sharp edge here, but there's also a soulful ... LP, Vinyl record album
Weldon Irvine
Sinbad (180 gram pressing)RCA/Music On Vinyl (UK), 1976. (reissue)
LP ... About September 20, 2019
Weldon Irvine's last album for a major label – and a key set that marks the debut of the legendary Don Blackman! Irvine's still very much in charge of the session, but Blackman's emerging here with the strength that would show up on his later soul sessions – singing lead vocals on some ... LP, Vinyl record album
JJ Johnson
JJ Johnson In Sweden 1957Marshmallow (Japan), 1957.
LP ... About September 1, 2019
... LP, Vinyl record album
Eric Dolphy
Uppsala Concert Vol 2Marshmallow (Japan), 1961.
LP ... About September 1, 2019
An especially rare live set from Eric Dolphy – recorded on an early trip to Sweden in 1961, and featuring some especially long tunes that really let him open up! Dolphy's working here with a local trio for backup – Rony Johansson on piano, Kurt Lindgren on bass, and Rune Carlsson on ... LP, Vinyl record album
Toshiyuki Miyama & His New Herd
Nio & Pigeon (2019 Japan Record Day release)Columbia (Japan), 1972. (reissue)
LP ... On November 2, 2019
Toshiyuki Miyama really makes the New Herd cook with this cool 70s session – a smoker of a large group date, and one with a great mix of funky rhythms and complicated instrumentation! The set's got a feel that's as exotic as its cover, yet comes across with a solid, soulful punch throughout ... LP, Vinyl record album
Makoto Terashita
Great Harvest (2019 Japan Record Day release)Union (Japan), 1978. (reissue)
LP ... On November 2, 2019
A great harvest of sounds from Japanese pianist Makoto Terashita – a set that also features strong contributions from Bob Berg on tenor, who comes in at a few key spots to really deepen the sound! The core of the record features Terashita working with his trio – Errol Walters on bass ... LP, Vinyl record album
Buddy Collette
PolynesiaMusic & Sound/Trunk (UK), Late 50s. (reissue)
LP ... About September 27, 2019
A unique, rare, and wonderful album from reedman Buddy Collette – and a set that has him mixing jazz with some sweet exotica touches! The group features Gerald Wilson on trumpet, Justin DiTullo on cello, and either Al Viola or Billy Bean on guitar – and the tracks are mostly originals ... LP, Vinyl record album
James Carter
James Carter Organ Trio – Live From Newport JazzBlue Note,
CD ... On August 30, 2019
... CD
Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie
Bird & Diz (Verve)Verve, Early 50s. (reissue)
LP ... On September 20, 2019
A classic meeting of two giants from the early years of bop – altoist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie – brought together here in a session that Norman Granz would later list as one of the truest realizations of his vision for recording jazz music! Parker's sharp lines are ... LP, Vinyl record album
David Sanchez
CaribMelaza/Ropeadope, 2019.
LP ... About August 30, 2019
David Sanchez kicks off the album's liner notes with a great discussion on the African diaspora and its influence on music – one that's always been strongly felt in David's recordings, but which seems to come through even more strongly here! The record's definitely jazz, but borrows lots of ... LP, Vinyl record album
Hozan Yamamoto & Sharps & Flats
Beautiful Bamboo FluteVictor/Mr Bongo (UK), 1971. (reissue)
LP ... About September 13, 2019
One of the coolest albums ever cut by Japanese wood flute player Hozan Yamamoto – a set that has him working with very groovy backings from the Sharps & Flats ensemble – who almost give the whole thing an MPS label blending of funky jazz and world music sounds! The approach is ... LP, Vinyl record album
Upcoming Releases
Phrydderichs Phaelda
Bruchstuecke (180 gram pressing)Notes On A Journey (Germany), 1981.
LP ... About August 20, 2019
... LP, Vinyl record album
Ensemble Al-Salaam
SojournerStrata East/P-Vine (Japan), 1974. (reissue)
LP ... About August 20, 2019
Sublime spiritual jazz from Strata East – one of the label's rarest recordings, and one of its hippest too! The set has an incredibly righteous feel – a blend of keyboards, saxes, guitar, percussion, and vocals that steps off with a very deep feel – one that's heavy on the best ... LP, Vinyl record album
Lyman Woodard Organization
Live At JJ's Lounge 1974P-Vine (Japan), 1974.
LP ... About August 20, 2019
A rare live performance from the legendary Lyman Woodard Organization – captured here at the height of their powers in the 70s! The Organization has a really unique approach to their groove – one that starts in jazz, but moves quickly into funk – with a spirit that you'd find in ... LP, Vinyl record album
Susan Alcorn/
Invitation To A Dream (180 gram pressing)
Astral Spirits, 2019.
LP ... About August 23, 2019
... LP, Vinyl record album
Art Ensemble Of Chicago
We Are On The Edge – 50th Anniversary Celebration (4LP set)PI Recordings/Erased Tapes, 2019.
LP ... On August 23, 2019
A tremendous tribute to the legendary Art Ensemble Of Chicago – a group who work here with only two of their surviving members, but with help from a constellation of jazz musicians inspired by their music! The group here is large, and includes AACM members and other younger talents – a ... LP, Vinyl record album
McCoy Tyner
InceptionImpulse, 1962. (reissue)
LP ... On August 23, 2019
A very early date as a leader by McCoy Tyner – cut at a time when he was making big waves in the John Coltrane Quartet, but also sounding plenty darn great on his own! The group here's a trio – with Coltrane associates Art Davis on bass and Elvin Jones on drums – and the warm ... LP, Vinyl record album
Archie Shepp
Fire MusicImpulse, 1965. (reissue)
LP ... On August 23, 2019
Fantastic stuff – easily one of Archie Shepp's greatest albums, and certainly one of the pivotal points of 60s avant garde jazz! The album features Shepp leading a crack "new thing" line up that includes Ted Curson on trumpet, Marion Brown on alto, Joe Chambers on drums, Reggie ... LP, Vinyl record album
Sonny Rollins
Sonny Rollins On Impulse!Impulse, 1965. (reissue)
LP ... On August 23, 2019
A tremendous little album from Sonny Rollins – one of his most sharp-edged sessions of the mid 60s, and a bold departure from some of his previous work for RCA! The album has a crackling sense of energy that more than lives up to the exclamation point in the title – a starker quality ... LP, Vinyl record album
Charles Mingus
Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus MingusImpulse, 1963. (reissue)
LP ... On August 23, 2019
The title's exploding with Mingus, and the album is too – a completely classic effort for Impulse Records that's easily one of Charles' best of the 60s! Things are reigned in somewhat from the Mingus years at Atlantic or Candid, but the sound is still great – almost more focused than ... LP, Vinyl record album
Dizzy Gillespie
Swing Low, Sweet CadillacImpulse, 1967. (reissue)
LP ... On August 23, 2019
A brilliant album of Latiny grooves from Diz! The record takes off from the soulful/modal mood of the early 60s groups with Lalo Schifrin and Kenny Barron – and features a young Mike Longo crafting some fantastic lines on piano, stretched out over tight rhythms on electric bass and drums, ... LP, Vinyl record album
Roy Haynes Quartet
Out Of The AfternoonImpulse, 1962. (reissue)
LP ... On August 23, 2019
Drummer Roy Haynes always brings something great to the table for any album he does as a leader – and this record is no exception! Here, the "added something" is the presence of Roland Kirk on reeds – offered a key early chance to express his most modern ideas in the freedom ... LP, Vinyl record album
Hiromasa Suzuki
By The Red StreamColumbia (Japan), 1973. (reissue)
LP ... About August 28, 2019
Soaring keyboards from Hiromasa Suzuki – stretched out on some longer tracks than usual, with beautiful electric elements over some great large arrangements! Suzuki plays a fair bit of electric piano on the set – and is working here with some fairly dramatic larger ensemble sounds that ... LP, Vinyl record album
Motohiko Hino
Motohiko Hino First AlbumTakt/Columbia (Japan), 1970. (reissue)
LP ... About August 28, 2019
One of the greatest Japanese jazz drummers breaks out in his first album as a leader! Hino had played drums in the modernist bop group of (brother?) Terumasa Hino during the late 60s – but this set is the first that really lets his unique vision shine through. The album features Hino ... LP, Vinyl record album
Michel Legrand & Stephane Grappelli
Legrand/Polydor/Universal (Japan), 1992.
CD ... About August 28, 2019
A beautiful pairing of Michel Legrand and Stephane Grappelli – two of France's most sensitive jazz musicians ever, sounding really wonderful here in the company of each other! The set features Grappelli's violin and Legrand's lead piano – amidst some larger orchestrations put together ... CD
Michel Legrand With Ray Brown & Shelly Manne
At Shelly's Manne-HoleVerve (Japan), 1968.
CD ... About August 28, 2019
A nice little live set – recorded at Shelly Manne's club in LA, and one that features a trio with Michel Legrand on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums – all playing together on a combination of improvisational, original tunes and some more familiar ones! The ... CD
Michel Legrand
Michel Legrand Big BandVerve (Japan), 1995.
CD ... About August 28, 2019
A recent set of jazz tracks from the fantastic French soundtrack genius Michel Legrand! The album has Legrand on piano and a bit of vocals – leading a large ensemble that features trumpets, trombones, saxes, and a bit of electric bass in the rhythm section. The overall effect is quite full-o ... CD
Michel Legrand
Paris Jazz PianoPhilips/Universal (Japan), 1959.
CD ... About August 28, 2019
Some of the greatest jazz work ever recorded by Michel Legrand! Although Legrand's always been known for his sweet soundtrack work and his famous easy listening sides – he's also a heck of a jazz pianist, and here in this rare 1959 session, he works in a trio format that puts him right up ... CD
David Sanchez
CaribMelaza/Ropeadope, 2019.
LP ... About August 30, 2019
David Sanchez kicks off the album's liner notes with a great discussion on the African diaspora and its influence on music – one that's always been strongly felt in David's recordings, but which seems to come through even more strongly here! The record's definitely jazz, but borrows lots of ... LP, Vinyl record album
James Carter
James Carter Organ Trio – Live From Newport JazzBlue Note,
CD ... On August 30, 2019
... CD
Vince Guaraldi
It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie BrownCraft, 1966.
LP ... On August 30, 2019
The third soundtrack that Vince Guaraldi did for The Peanuts TV specials – and maybe the best so far! There's a depth to the music that's wonderful – as Vince's combo works alongside some occasional larger orchestrations by John Scott Trotter, which are still arranged by Guaraldi ... LP, Vinyl record album
Gohkan Surer Quartet
Chimera EPRocafort (UK),
LP ... About August 31, 2019
... LP, Vinyl record album
JJ Johnson
JJ Johnson In Sweden 1957Marshmallow (Japan), 1957.
LP ... About September 1, 2019
... LP, Vinyl record album
Eric Dolphy
Uppsala Concert Vol 2Marshmallow (Japan), 1961.
LP ... About September 1, 2019
An especially rare live set from Eric Dolphy – recorded on an early trip to Sweden in 1961, and featuring some especially long tunes that really let him open up! Dolphy's working here with a local trio for backup – Rony Johansson on piano, Kurt Lindgren on bass, and Rune Carlsson on ... LP, Vinyl record album
Miles Davis
Live In Paris – 1960Return To Analog (Canada), 1960. 2LP
LP ... About September 1, 2019
Rare session with Sonny Stitt on vinyl for the first time! LP, Vinyl record album
Kunimitsu Inaba & Sadanori Nakamure
ConversationThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1975.
CD ... About September 4, 2019
Great duets – just guitar and bass! CD
George Otsuka
Go OnThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1972.
CD ... About September 4, 2019
Excellent work from Japanese drummer George Otsuka – a set that has him stepping away from his previous piano trio modes, and really making some greater magic with a larger group! The combo here is a quintet – filled with bright young players that include Shunzo Ono on trumpet and ... CD
Masayuki Takayanagi Second Concept
Cool JoJoThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1980.
CD ... About September 4, 2019
Guitarist Masayuki "Jojo" Takayanagi takes things back to basics with his Second Concept here – playing in a style that's straighter and more swinging than some of his avant work of the 70s – yet at a level that's equally compelling too! Given that he went outside a heck of a ... CD
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto
In CrowdThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1975.
CD ... About September 4, 2019
The title's a reference to a famous Ramsey Lewis live album of the 60s – one that's echoed nicely here by the trio of pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto! Like Ramsey's group of the decade before, Tsuyoshi's has a very even balance between piano, bass, and drums – with strong, soulful work by ... CD
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto
Midnight SunThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1978.
CD ... About September 4, 2019
One of the most sensitively soulful records of the 70s from pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto – a set that still has him working in a trio format, but which also has a slightly more mellow feel overall – with some especially great work from the leader on the ballads! Yamamoto's style is ... CD
Takao Uematsu
DebutThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1971.
CD ... About September 4, 2019
A great debut from Japanese tenorist Takao Uematsu – a player who blows here with a wonderful sense of tone right from the start – almost an inherent sense of spiritualism that he still manages bring to tunes with a straight ahead swing! The approach is a bit like Archie Shepp in that ... CD
Motohiko Hino Quartet + 1
Ryuhyo – Sailing IceThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1976.
CD ... About September 4, 2019
A record with a really beautiful title – and a sound that definitely lives up to the "Sailing Ice" on the cover! The music is very much in the best post-Coltrane mode – played by a group led by the great Japanese drummer Motohiko Hino, and featuring Mabumi Yamaguchi on tenor ... CD
Kunihiko Sugano Trio + 1
Love Is A Many Splendored ThingThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1974.
CD ... About September 4, 2019
Love is a many splendored thing – and so is the mighty piano work of Kunihiko Sugano – a great Japanese player from the 70s, but one who never got much exposure on our shores at the time! This live album really shows Sugano at his best – balancing a talent for flowing, lyrical ... CD
Isao Suzuki
Blow UpThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1973.
CD ... About September 4, 2019
A really great little set from Japanese bassist Isao Suzuki – a rare player who goes way way past traditional modes of his chosen instrument, into richly creative territory that rivals the 70s experiments of Ron Carter! Like Carter, Suzuki's never content to just let the bass be a source in ... CD
Stanley Turrentine
Hustlin' (180 gram pressing)Blue Note, 1964. (reissue)
LP ... On September 6, 2019
One of Stanley Turrentine's few organ-based sessions for Blue Note – recorded in the company of his wife Shirley Scott, a real cooker on the Hammond who holds it down masterfully here – and great band that's filled out by Kenny Burrell on guitar, Bob Cranshaw on bass and Otis Finch on ... LP, Vinyl record album
Donald Byrd
Chant (180 gram pressing)Blue Note, 1961. (reissue)
LP ... On September 6, 2019
A Donald Byrd treasure – and an album that was almost left in the vaults by Blue Note, until they briefly released it at the end of the 70s! The cover and title are a bit unfamiliar, but the music is right up there with Byrd's classic sessions with baritonist Pepper Adams – a great ... LP, Vinyl record album
Hugo Heredia
Mananita PamperaCote D'Azur/Jazz Room (UK), 1976. (reissue)
LP ... About September 6, 2019
Fantastic work from this groundbreaking reedman – an incredibly rhythmic fusion of roots and jazz, with Hugo Heredia on tenor, alto, soprano sax, flutes, and percussion – and the great Horace Parlan on piano, with Peter Frei on bass, Peter Schmidlin on drums, and Ivanir Mandrake Do ... LP, Vinyl record album
Ashley Henry
Beautiful Vinyl HunterSony (UK),
LP ... About September 6, 2019
... LP, Vinyl record album
Miles Davis
RubberbandRhino, 1985. 2LP
LP ... On September 6, 2019
Post-Columbia, previously unreleased Miles Davis! LP, Vinyl record album
Miles Davis
RubberbandRhino, 1985.
CD ... On September 6, 2019
Post-Columbia, previously unreleased Miles Davis! CD
Hozan Yamamoto & Sharps & Flats
Beautiful Bamboo FluteVictor/Mr Bongo (UK), 1971. (reissue)
LP ... About September 13, 2019
One of the coolest albums ever cut by Japanese wood flute player Hozan Yamamoto – a set that has him working with very groovy backings from the Sharps & Flats ensemble – who almost give the whole thing an MPS label blending of funky jazz and world music sounds! The approach is ... LP, Vinyl record album
Kenny Dorham
Una MasBlue Note, 1963. (reissue)
LP ... On September 13, 2019
An excellent groover from Kenny Dorham – possibly one of his best ever albums for Blue Note – a record that shows how much he was pushing past his bop roots in his later years! The tracks are extremely long, and done with a complexity in rhythms that mixes Latin elements with hardbop ... LP, Vinyl record album
Freddie Hubbard
Hub-TonesBlue Note, 1962. (reissue)
LP ... On September 13, 2019
An album with a classic modernist cover image – and one that's also got the same sort of sound to match – brilliant early work from trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, who's really coming into his own as a leader with this date! Freddie's really finding a voice here – a sharper edge than ... LP, Vinyl record album
Art Blakey
IndestructibleBlue Note, 1964. (reissue)
LP ... On September 13, 2019
A killer pounding session from Blakey! The record was recorded during Blakey's bright flash of genius in 1964, when the Jazz Messengers were briefly revisited by Lee Morgan and Wayne Shorter, with the added horn of Curtis Fuller to add new colors to the group. Cedar Walton's on piano, and his ... LP, Vinyl record album
Nat Birchall
Storyteller – A Musical Tribute To Yusef LateefJazzman (UK), (pic cover)
CD ... About September 13, 2019
... CD
Nat Birchall
Storyteller – A Musical Tribute To Yusef LateefJazzman (UK), (pic cover)
LP ... About September 13, 2019
... LP, Vinyl record album
Brad Mehldau
Live In Tokyo (3LP 180 gram pressing)Nonesuch/Run Out Groove, 2004. 3LP
LP ... On September 13, 2019
... LP, Vinyl record album
Maokoto Tarashita & Harold Land
TopologyBBE (UK), (reissue)
LP ... On September 13, 2019
... LP, Vinyl record album
Sokratis Votskos Quartet
Sketching The UnknownJazzman (UK), (pic cover)
LP ... About September 15, 2019
... LP, Vinyl record album
Sokratis Votskos Quartet
Sketching The UnknownJazzman (UK), (pic cover)
CD ... About September 15, 2019
... CD
Weldon Irvine
Sinbad (180 gram pressing)RCA/Music On Vinyl (UK), 1976. (reissue)
LP ... About September 20, 2019
Weldon Irvine's last album for a major label – and a key set that marks the debut of the legendary Don Blackman! Irvine's still very much in charge of the session, but Blackman's emerging here with the strength that would show up on his later soul sessions – singing lead vocals on some ... LP, Vinyl record album
Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie
Bird & Diz (Verve)Verve, Early 50s. (reissue)
LP ... On September 20, 2019
A classic meeting of two giants from the early years of bop – altoist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie – brought together here in a session that Norman Granz would later list as one of the truest realizations of his vision for recording jazz music! Parker's sharp lines are ... LP, Vinyl record album
Konstrukt & Ken Vandermark
Kozmik BazaarKarl (UK),
LP ... About September 20, 2019
... LP, Vinyl record album
Lloyd McNeill
ElegiaBaobab/Soul Jazz (UK), 1980. (reissue)
LP ... About September 21, 2019
One of the great albums recorded by Lloyd McNeill in the 70's, and a beautiful batch of soul jazz tracks with McNeill's flute in the lead. The group contains Dom Salvador on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Nana Vasconcelos on percussion – and although the record's a bit more subdued than ... LP, Vinyl record album
Lloyd McNeill
ElegiaBaobab/Soul Jazz (UK), 1980.
CD ... About September 21, 2019
One of the great albums recorded by Lloyd McNeill in the 70's, and a beautiful batch of soul jazz tracks with McNeill's flute in the lead. The group contains Dom Salvador on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Nana Vasconcelos on percussion – and although the record's a bit more subdued than ... CD
Louis Moholo
Spirits RejoiceOgun/OTOroku (UK), 1978. (reissue)
LP ... About September 25, 2019
One of the strongest 70s statements from ex-Blue Notes drummer Louis Moholo – recorded in the company of fellow expatriots and UK avant jazzers that include Johnny Dyani, Evan Parker, Kenny Wheeler, Nick Evans, Radu Malfatti, and Harry Miller. The album shifts easily between strongly ... LP, Vinyl record album
Horace Tapscott & The Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra
Why Don't You Listen – Live At LACMA 1998Dark Tree (France), 1998.
LP ... About September 25, 2019
An amazing record from pianist Horace Tapscott – maybe one of his most ambitious projects ever, and a set that stands head and shoulders next to his classic work for the Nimbus label! As with some of those records, this set features his large Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra – performing ... LP, Vinyl record album
Pharoah Sanders
Moon ChildTidal Waves, 1989. (reissue)
LP ... About September 27, 2019
Beautiful late 80s work from Pharoah – a wonderfully uncomplicated session that still has a great degree of soul! The album was recorded in Paris, with a quintet that includes William Henderson on acoustic piano, Stafford James on bass, Eddie Moore on drums, and Cheikh Tidiane Fale on ... LP, Vinyl record album
Buddy Collette
PolynesiaMusic & Sound/Trunk (UK), Late 50s. (reissue)
LP ... About September 27, 2019
A unique, rare, and wonderful album from reedman Buddy Collette – and a set that has him mixing jazz with some sweet exotica touches! The group features Gerald Wilson on trumpet, Justin DiTullo on cello, and either Al Viola or Billy Bean on guitar – and the tracks are mostly originals ... LP, Vinyl record album
John Coltrane
Blue World (Le Chat Danse Le Sac)Verve,
LP ... On September 27, 2019
... LP, Vinyl record album
Tubby Hayes
Complete Fontana Albums 1961 to 1969 (12CD set)Fontana/Universal (UK), 1960s. 12CDs
CD ... About September 27, 2019
... CD
Petter Eldh & Koma Saxo
Koma Saxo (red vinyl pressing)WeJazz (Finland),
LP ... About October 4, 2019
Features work by Jonas Kullhammar! LP, Vinyl record album
Petter Eldh & Koma Saxo
Koma SaxoWeJazz (Finland),
CD ... About October 4, 2019
Features work by Jonas Kullhammar! CD
Masayuki Takayanagi
Lonely WomanThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1982.
CD ... About October 9, 2019
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 ... CD
Takashi Mizuhashi
Live In 5 Days In Jazz 1974 – When A Man Loves A WomanThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1974.
CD ... About October 9, 2019
A mighty soulful set from the group of bassist Takahashi Mizuhashi – served up in a really strong range of sounds that are spun out over the album's very long tracks! The set begins with a soulful rendition of "When A Man Loves A Woman", but then soars into freer jazz territory at ... CD
Sunao Wada
Coco's BluesThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1972.
CD ... About October 9, 2019
A cooking little record from Japanese guitarist Sunao Wada – one with plenty of offbeat touches! Like many of the albums on the Three Blind Mice label from the time, this one's a bit hard to peg – because the moods and styles shift a bit from track to track, and there's an openly ... CD
Yoshio Otomo
Moon RayThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1977.
CD ... About October 9, 2019
Beautiful alto from Yoshio Otmo – a player who brings an old school style of soul to his horn, but who also works here in the leaner, more modern mode of the Three Blind Mice label! The title track starts the album off with a wonderful sense of bite – a brilliant take on "Moon ... CD
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto
Star DustThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1977.
CD ... About October 9, 2019
Japanese pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto pays tribute to the late Erroll Garner, by working in an expanded format that brings a bit of strings into support the core work of his trio! The setting is quite different than some of Yamamoto's other albums of the time, and makes for a surprisingly nice change ... CD
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto
Midnight SugarThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1974.
CD ... About October 9, 2019
The midnight sugar here comes from pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto – who's playing with a soulful, bluesy sort of style – one that reminds us a bit of Ray Bryant back in the 60s, but which also comes across here with a fair bit of lighter, lyrical touches as well! As with other Three Blind ... CD
Masaru Imada
Green CaterpillarThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1975.
CD ... About October 9, 2019
A great little record from the Japanese scene of the 70s – a set that not only shows the great blend of acoustic and electric styles that was happening at the time, but which also really illustrates the inventive approach of the Three Blind Mice label at their best! The vibe here is very ... CD
Isao Suzuki
Blue CityThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1974.
CD ... About October 9, 2019
A wonderful little set from Japanese bassist Isao Suzuki – one that has him playing both acoustic bass and cello, mixing up the instrumentation in a really cool way! Suzuki was really one of the most inventive bassists of his generation of Japanese jazz – able to shift styles and ... CD
Jutta Hipp
Jutta Hipp With Zoot SimsBlue Note, 1956. (reissue)
LP ... On October 11, 2019
A wonderful pairing of this German pianist and American tenor star Zoot Sims – and an album that may well be the greatest that Jutta Hipp ever cut! Hipp was one of the rising stars of the German postwar jazz scene in the 50s – and although she issued other American albums in the decade ... LP, Vinyl record album
Herbie Hancock
Inventions & DimensionsBlue Note, 1963. (reissue)
LP ... On October 11, 2019
A really unique little record from Herbie Hancock – one that's almost completely improvised over Latin percussion! The setup is quite spare – and quite different than Herbie's other Blue Note work – and the group features improvised backgrounds by bassist Paul Chambers and 2 ... LP, Vinyl record album
Joe Henderson
In N OutBlue Note, 1964. (reissue)
LP ... On October 11, 2019
A stone killer from the early Blue Note years of tenorist Joe Henderson – a key example of why the label had so much faith in him right from the start, and why Henderson's horn was quite different than so many other players of the 60s! There's a sharp edge here, but there's also a soulful ... LP, Vinyl record album
Toshiyuki Miyama & His New Herd
Nio & Pigeon (2019 Japan Record Day release)Columbia (Japan), 1972. (reissue)
LP ... On November 2, 2019
Toshiyuki Miyama really makes the New Herd cook with this cool 70s session – a smoker of a large group date, and one with a great mix of funky rhythms and complicated instrumentation! The set's got a feel that's as exotic as its cover, yet comes across with a solid, soulful punch throughout ... LP, Vinyl record album
Makoto Terashita
Great Harvest (2019 Japan Record Day release)Union (Japan), 1978. (reissue)
LP ... On November 2, 2019
A great harvest of sounds from Japanese pianist Makoto Terashita – a set that also features strong contributions from Bob Berg on tenor, who comes in at a few key spots to really deepen the sound! The core of the record features Terashita working with his trio – Errol Walters on bass ... LP, Vinyl record album
Takahashi Miyasaka
Animal's GardenBBE (UK), (reissue)
LP ... About November 5, 2019
... LP, Vinyl record album
Rob Mazurek
Psychotropic Electric Eel Dreams IVAstral Spirits, 2019.
CD ... About August 16, 2019
... CD
Koji Moriyama with the Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio
Night & DayThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1975.
CD ... About August 7, 2019 (delayed)
A real swinger of a record – one that features vocals and conga work by Koji Moriyama, with backing by the piano trio of Tsuyoshi Yamamoto! Given that Yamamoto's style is usually a bit more spare and laidback, it's nice to hear him grooving in a setting like this – as Moriyama's a ... CD
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto
SummertimeThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1976.
CD ... About August 7, 2019 (delayed)
Great work from one of the most dynamic Japanese pianists of the 70s – a player who's straighter than some of his contemporaries, but also has a very soulful swing as well! Tsuyoshi Yamamoto really opens up in a live setting – and concert dates like this represent some of his best work ... CD
Terumasa Hino
LiveThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1973.
CD ... About August 7, 2019 (delayed)
One of the boldest and most powerful 70s albums we've heard from trumpeter Terumasa Hino – a live date that rivals the sharp edges and strong lines of his similar album for Enja at the time! The tracks here are all quite long, and mostly show a freely exploratory Hino – one who's far ... CD
Hiroshi Fukumura
Morning FlightThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1973.
CD ... About August 7, 2019 (delayed)
Genius work from Japanese trombonist Hiroshi Fukumura – working here at the helm of a twin-trombone group that also features the talents of Shigeharu Mukai – in a style that's filled with soul and free-thinking imagination! The two players work together beautifully here – ... CD
Kosuke Mine
MineThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1970.
CD ... About August 7, 2019 (delayed)
Early work from this tremendous Japanese saxophonist – working here on both alto and soprano sax, in styles that are sharply angular, but also quite warm and soulful! Kosuke Mine's got a quality that's a bit like Joe Henderson at the same time – obviously informed by earlier hardbop, ... CD
Hidefumi Toki
TokiThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1975.
CD ... About August 7, 2019 (delayed)
Deeply personal work from Japanese saxophonist Hidefumi Toki – a player who manages accomplish a great deal in a fairly stripped down setting – filling spare space with gentle notes on alto and soprano sax, often delivered with a nicely raspy tone! The group here is a quartet – ... CD
Isao Suzuki Quartet + 2
Orang-utanThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1975.
CD ... About August 7, 2019 (delayed)
A very compelling set from Japanese bassist Isao Suzuki – one that draws on the electric traditions being forged at the time by artists like Miles and Joe Henderson – but which is also graced by the warm lyricism that was running through other Japanese jazz sessions of the 70s! Suzuki ... CD
Masayuki Takayanagi
Ginparis SessionThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1963.
CD ... About August 7, 2019 (delayed)
Rare early 60s recordings from the Japanese scene – issued here in a 70s album on Three Blind Mice, and with a depth and complexity that's a fair bit like some of the more modern work on that label! The tracks here are all quite long – and feature interplay between the bass and drums ... CD
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio
MistyThree Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1974.
CD ... About August 7, 2019 (delayed)
Not "Misty" in an Errol Garner sense – although Tsuyoshi Yamamoto serves up his own version of the tune here – and instead a hip set from the Three Blind Mice scene of the 70s, with a very open, freewheeling approach to piano trio work! Yamamoto's a bit straighter than some ... CD
Somethin Cool (Japan), 1966.
CD ... About August 7, 2019 (delayed)
A beautiful live performance from Bill Evans – captured here in a mid 60s stretch when he was really opening up, and hitting a new sort of flow – thanks in part to a budding relationship with the great bassist Eddie Gomez! Gomez is a key part of the album's strength here – ... CD
Metropolitan Jazz Octet with Dee Alexander
Too Hot For WordsDelmark,
CD ... About August 5, 2019 (delayed)
... CD
Johnny Griffith
Geneva ConnectionGeneva/Mad About Records (Portugal), 1974. (reissue)
LP ... About July 26, 2019 (delayed)
A very very cool record – an unusual take on the music to The Connection – that hip early 60s play that featured a more famous version of the soundtrack on Blue Note Records! This version's much more obscure – part of a "localization" that occurred when the play would ... LP, Vinyl record album
David Axelrod
Seriously DeepPolygram/Get On Down, 1975. (reissue)
LP ... About July 26, 2019 (delayed)
An amazing slice of music from the legendary David Axelrod – quite different than his better-known sides for Capitol and Reprise Records – and plenty darn funky overall! Axelrod is at his studio best here – stepping off the funky jazz modes he produced for Cannonball Adderley, ... LP, Vinyl record album
Reggie Andrews & The Fellowship
Mystic BeautyHME/Mad About Records (Portugal), Late 60s. (reissue)
LP ... About July 25, 2019 (delayed)
A stunning set of modal soul jazz from the LA underground of the 60s – the only album we've ever seen by pianist J Reginald Andrews – and an earthy set that's filled with great tracks! The overall approach is piano and percussion plus horn bits – with Andrews on the keys, playing ... LP, Vinyl record album
Franz Koglmann Septet
Fruits Of SolitudeHat Art/Ezz-Thetics (Switzerland),
CD ... About July 1, 2019 (delayed)
... CD
Jimmy Giuffre
Graz Live 1961Hat Art/Ezz-Thetics (Switzerland), 1961.
CD ... About July 1, 2019 (delayed)
... CD
Cal Massey
Blues To Coltrane (180 gram pressing)Candid/Pure Pleasure (UK), 1961.
LP ... About June 20, 2019 (delayed)
The only session as a leader from trumpeter Cal Massey – a big influence on soulful modernism in the 60s, but an artist who showed up more in the liner notes for records than he did in the studio! The record's a really unique one – and a set that crackles with the best sort of ... LP, Vinyl record album
Osamu Kitajima
Justin HeathcliffEverland (Netherlands), (reissue)
LP ... About June 15, 2019 (delayed)
... LP, Vinyl record album
Saxophone Summit (Liebman/
Street Talk
Enja (Germany),
CD ... About May 20, 2019 (delayed)
... CD
