Oracle/Jazzaggression (Finland), 1979. (reissue)
An incredible album from the Chicago jazz underground of the 70s – one of a handful of rare albums cut by Paris Smith – a very under-discovered talent of his generation! Paris plays vibes, and has this incredible ear for unusual colors and tones – and for very fresh rhythmic ...
Far Out (UK), 2018. (reissue)
Really mindblowing work from legendary drummer Ivan "Mamao" Conti – a key part of Azymuth through that group's many years – and still going strong here as a solo artist on his own! The album's almost a 21st Century realization of the sound that Azymuth was going for back in ...
Three Blind Mice/Sony (Japan), 1974. (reissue)
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 ...
Three Blind Mice/Sony (Japan), 1973. (reissue)
A landmark album from the Japanese fusion scene of the 70s – a killer set of tracks recorded by bassist Teruo Nakamura, with help from a host of American soul jazz luminaries! The album's easily one of Nakamura's most sought-after sets – and for good reason too, as the cuts are long ...
Three Blind Mice/Sony (Japan), 1974. (reissue)
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 ...
Three Blind Mice/Sony (Japan), 1974.
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 ...
Three Blind Mice/Sony (Japan), 1973.
A landmark album from the Japanese fusion scene of the 70s – a killer set of tracks recorded by bassist Teruo Nakamura, with help from a host of American soul jazz luminaries! The album's easily one of Nakamura's most sought-after sets – and for good reason too, as the cuts are long ...
Three Blind Mice/Sony (Japan), 1974.
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 ...
Victor (Japan), 1969. (reissue)
A sublime set from late 60s Japan – featuring piano and vibes at the lead, plus bits of flute and some nicely snapping percussion! The feel here is flowing, graceful, and creative – definitely modern in its orientation, but never too far outside – and always concerned with the ...
Columbia/Holy Basil (Italy),
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RCA/Endless Happiness (Italy), 1971. (reissue)
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About February 28, 2025
In the early 70s, pianist Chris McGregor was one of the leading lights of the British jazz scene – an expatriot South African living in London, whose work with the legendary group The Blue Notes was steeped in an African rhythmic traditions! This seminal work from 1971 shows how much ...
Victory (Italy), (reissue)
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About February 28, 2025
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Night Time Stories, 2LP
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Pablo/Craft, 1973. (reissue)
Solo guitar by Joe Pass – a beautiful little album that's a perfect showcase for the new sensitivity in his music during his years at Pablo records! The Joe Pass heard here is light years away from the guitar player who made a few gimmicky records a decade before – and this album has ...
Riverside/Craft, 1960. (reissue)
They're not kidding with the title of this one – because although the record was only Wes Montgomery's second album as a leader, he was already making plenty of waves with the sound of his guitar! The session lines Wes up with the very tight rhythm team of Tommy Flanagan on piano, Percy ...
Mainstream/We Want Sounds (UK), Early 1970s. (reissue)
Drummer Roy Haynes works here with an ensemble that's definitely as hip as the title promises – a really righteous group that makes the album one of Roy's most spiritual records ever! Haynes was always a drummer who was really a cut above, even back at the start – but here, he really ...
TLAK, 1971.
A gem of a record from the key years when the British scene was effortlessly mixing up jazz and rock – and coming up with music that was a lot more sophisticated, cool, and groovy than you'd ever guess from the term "jazz rock"! The group's a core effort from vibist Frank Ricotti ...
Vault, Late 1960s. (reissue)
Beautiful LP by this under recorded LA reed player. Don't get him mixed up with trumpeter Jimmy Owens, who had a lot more LPs as a leader, because Charles Owens made very few recordings, and this session from the late 60's is one of his masterpieces. Owens wrote and arranged most of the material, ...
King (Japan), 1985.
One of our favorite Japanese jazz players of all time – still sounding wonderful on this date from the mid 80s! Akira Miyazawa's easily the most soulful tenorist to come out of the Japanese scene of the 60s – and here, he works with a free, open approach to his horn that almost reminds ...
Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffalo
Okinawa
King (Japan), Late 70s.
A groovy little record from the Count Buffalos group – an ensemble we know mostly for their heavier funk of the early 70s and late 60s – but who here step out in a clubbier mode with some sweet touches of disco! The group's still a jazz one at its core – but they've also added in ...
King (Japan), 1961.
Toshiko Akioshi makes a trip back to the Japanese jazz scene in the early 60s – for this great little session that has her meeting up with "old pals" from previous years – including Sadao Watanabe on alto sax, Akira Miyazawa on tenor, and Hideo Shiraki on drums! The reunion ...
Nemperor/Big Pink (South Korea), 1979.
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Moved By Sound (UK),
Features work from Julius Hemphill, Abdul Wadud, and Pheeroan AkLaff!
Moved By Sound (UK),
Features work from Julius Hemphill, Abdul Wadud, and Pheeroan AkLaff!
Mad About Records (Portugal), (reissue)
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Three Blind Mice/Sony (Japan), Mid 70s. 2LP Gatefold
A great overview of work on the legendary Three Blind Mice label from 70s Japan – a crucial imprint that gave exposure to the new generation of Japanese jazz musicians who were forging a fresh sort of ideas apart from their counterparts in the US! Three Blind Mice was always a label that was ...
Powerhouse (Germany), 2025.
(Quantities limited!)
Somethin Cool (Japan),
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Somethin Cool (Japan),
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P-Vine (Japan), 2010s.
Incredible variations on the most famous theme ever penned by spiritual Japanese pianist Fumio Itabashi – tracks that were mostly recorded in the past 20 years, and which feature a singer working alongside Itabashi's beautiful long lines on piano! Make no mistake, this isn't jazz vocal work ...
Trad Vibe (France), 1979.
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Don Cherry/Krzysztof Penderecki
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Intuition, 1971.
One of the most successful jazz-meets-modern classical albums we've ever heard – thanks largely to the supreme talents of Don Cherry! Cherry leads the large New Eternal Rhythm Orchestra – which includes a large lineup of European free jazz musicians, with Peter Brotzmann, Tomasz Stanko ...
Brain/Made In Germany (Germany), 1977. 2CD
One of the few jazz albums ever issued on the legendary Brain label – an amazing outing that features performances by Cecil Taylor and Friedrich Gulda on piano, John Surman on reeds, Stu Martin on drums, Barre Phillips on bass, and Ursula Anders on voice.
Black Jazz/Real Gone, 1972. (reissue)
Plenty of spirit, and plenty of soul – a 70s classic from organist Doug Carn, and a record that took his instrument, and jazz in general, to a whole new level for the decade! Carn's got this burning, righteous quality on his keys – a vibe that certainly owes something to Larry Young, ...
Black Jazz/Real Gone, 1971.
A stone classic on the Black Jazz label – and one of the most unique guitar albums ever! We're not sure what the title meant originally – but over the past few decades, it's come to stand for some heavy heavy guitar work from the legendary Calvin Keys – a record that's really ...
International Anthem,
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International Anthem,
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International Anthem,
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ECM (Germany), 1973. (reissue)
Beautiful solo piano work from Paul Bley – spare, stark, and almost lovely – and a real contrast to some of his more aggressive experiments of the late 60s. The Bley here has almost a hint of sadness and longing, especially on the numbers that have him revisiting tunes he'd done on ...
Blue Note, 1967. (reissue)
One of those rare treasures that was recorded by Blue Note in the 60s, but not issued at the time – a great late Hank Mobley set from 1967 that only saw the light of day in 1980! The album's got Hank really opening things up – using some of those more inventive rhythms and articulate ...
Milestone/Craft, 1973. (reissue)
Fantastic electric work from the great Joe Henderson – one of his most free-wheeling sets for Milestone, and one of his best as well! The album's got a much more open, fluid groove than some of Joe's earlier electric sets – one that has Henderson working through longer tunes that ...
Verve, 1964. (reissue)
A beautiful dreamy album that's quite different from the classic Getz/Gilberto collaboration – but which also shares much of that set's lyrical beauty! This album was recorded live, in 1964, when Stan Getz was playing with his quartet that included Gary Burton on vibes – an incredible ...
Pacific Jazz/Blue Note, 1961. (reissue)
One of the best Curtis Amy records for Pacific Jazz – and an album that really has him stretching out, hitting some of the more openly soulful modes that would develop further in the 60s! The set's a partnership with drummer Frank Butler, who himself is a pretty hip cat – and together, ...
Jazz Room (UK), (reissue)
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Steeplechase (Denmark),
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Janus/Goodtime, 1974. (reissue)
Harvey's certainly got a sound you can feel – super-fuzzy guitar, played with a heavy sound that's similar to some of Dennis Coffey's best work – but a bit more trippy! For this outing, Harvey's backed by the Pure Food & Drug Act on many of the cuts, and they give him a nice tight ...
Stunt (Denmark), 2024.
CD ...
About March 7, 2025
Alvin Queen is one of the few old school drummers who seems to keep on giving up greatness, year after year – maybe recording more these days than he ever did back during his early, classic stretch – and proving that at that level, he's become as strong of an overseas leader as the ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1972.
Man, it's like a talent bomb exploded! This set's stuffed with work by some of the greatest jazz funk players of the early 70s – Johnny Hammond, Bob James, Deodato, George Benson, Joe Farrell, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington Jr, Hubert Laws, and others – all ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1972.
Man, it's like a talent bomb exploded! This set's stuffed with work by some of the greatest jazz funk players of the early 70s – Johnny Hammond, Bob James, Deodato, George Benson, Joe Farrell, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington Jr, Hubert Laws, and others – all ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1972.
Man, it's like a talent bomb exploded! This set's stuffed with work by some of the greatest jazz funk players of the early 70s – Johnny Hammond, Bob James, Deodato, George Benson, Joe Farrell, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington Jr, Hubert Laws, and others – all ...
Salvation/King (Japan), 1974.
An amazing bit of jazz funk from Johnny Hammond – and one of his greatest LPs! This is the first album that Johnny recorded with Larry Mizell, cut right before the pair of them went onto do the landmark Gears album. While this one never became as famous as Gears, it's got some fantastic ...
Kudu/King (Japan), 1973.
Massive work from Johnny Hammond – stretching out here in some totally jamming grooves that really transform his style for the 70s! The sound here is a lot hipper and tighter than some of Hammond's more rough-edged soul jazz of the 60s – a groove that's a great precursor to his more ...
Kudu/King (Japan), 1972.
One of the best of Johnny Hammond's albums for Kudu! The arrangements are by Pee Wee Ellis – yes, THAT Pee Wee Ellis, the guy who played alto for James Brown! Ellis gives the record a slightly different feel than other Kudu arrangers (like Bob James) might have, and the usual slow building ...
Kudu/King (Japan), 1971.
Excellent Kudu work from one of the greatest organists of the 70s – a player who really stretched out and opened up his groove during the decade! Johnny Hammond was also known as Johnny Hammond Smith back in the 60s – but by the time of his legendary run at Kudu/CTI, he'd hit a much ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1971.
A massive groover from the great Johnny Hammond – the famous 60s organist from the soul jazz scene, getting a whole new sound for the 70s here on the CTI label! Johnny was always one of those players who was ready to try something new – and the open, extended format of the label really ...
Kudu/King (Japan), 1975.
A great little Kudu set from guitarist Joe Beck – a player who's sounding a lot tighter here than some of his odd psychedelic experiments of the 60s – but still pretty darn great overall! The style is smooth, as you'd expect from Kudu, but Joe's still got plenty of edges in his guitar ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1975.
Nothing canned here – as the sound, style, and groove of the record is as fresh and freaky as the classic image on the cover! The riffing rhythms get going right from the start – some amazing lines from a rhythm combo that includes Joe Beck on guitar, Herb Bushler on bass, Jim Madison ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1974.
Massive music from funky reedman Joe Farrell – quite possibly our favorite of his legendary 70s run for CTI – and that's saying a lot, given how great those records are! There's a lean, edgey groove to the set that's totally great – a lot more bite than usual for CTI, thanks to ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1973.
Killer CTI work from Joe Farrell – with grooves so sharp you could cut your trousers on them! Farrell's angular reed style is in perfect form here – grooving with a small group that includes Herbie Hancock on piano, Joe Beck on guitar, Steve Gadd on drums, and Don Alias on percussion ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1972.
One of the best records ever cut by funky sax man Joe Farrell! The album's got a stripped down, choppy groove – virtually the blueprint for later 70s funk of this type, and played perfectly by Farrell and a very hip quartet lineup! Players include Joe on soprano and tenor sax, Herbie ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1971.
A killer set from Joe Farrell – one of the 70s greatest reed players, and an always-exciting talent who was one of the first artists to really use the extended CTI format to break into a whole new level! The set's a drawn-out quintet side, with Chick Corea on electric piano, Buster Williams ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1975.
Unusual work from the great George Benson – a wonderful session that was recorded by CTI during George's classic years for the label – but issued only briefly a number of years later, and slightly lost amongst the rest of his catalog! The material's great, though – and has George ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1975.
An unusual assortment of work from the great George Benson – pulled together from other sessions for CTI Records – featuring one studio track, and four more live numbers! The studio tune is George's take on the Stax Records classic "Hold On I'm Coming" – which Benson ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1976.
Sweet CTI grooving from George Benson – one of his hardest-hitting albums of the time! In a way, the record returns George to his early years at CTI – particularly the album Beyond The Blue Horizon – as the set's got a stripped down smaller group, working in a tight blend of ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1976.
A genius pairing of two top CTI Records talents in the 70s – the sweet guitar of George Benson and the amazing reed talents of Joe Farrell – both players who recorded in very different modes for the label, and who come out here sounding even more different when working together! There's ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1975.
Sweet 70s funk from George Benson – an album that's a bit smoother than some of his earlier work, but still free from the commercial polish of his later hits! Maestro David Matthews is at the helm for this session – and most numbers have a full backing from players who include some of ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1973.
A sweet funky classic from guitar genius George Benson – and a record that features some surprising soul arrangements from Pee Wee Ellis – also known for his classic work with the James Brown Band of the late 60s! Pee Wee's got a tighter groove here than on some of George's earlier CTI ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1971.
One of the moodiest sessions on CTI from the early days – and a landmark album that took George Benson from the funky jazz scene into the upper reaches of 70s jazz. The record was put together by Don Sebesky, and it's a lot more high concept than some of George's earlier work – and ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1970.
A great early CTI session by George Benson, and one of the most stripped-down, straight-ahead funky records he did for the label! There's a sharpness here that's different than the larger feel of some of Benson 's later records – a sound that almost links back to his soul jazz roots in the ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1974.
Jackie & Roy are definitely getting bit wilder here – hitting an electric early 70s CTI mode, and really growing a lot in the process! The session has the vocal pair working with CD players who include Hubert Laws on flute, Joe Farrell on saxes, Roy Pennington on vibes, and Steve Gadd on ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1972.
An excellent 70s set by Jackie & Roy – very different than their work of the 50s and 60s, with an approach that's much more far-reaching and complicated – a style that opens up their vocal talents majestically! Gone are the simpler ditties of earlier years, and in their place are ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1982.
A great later date from CTI – proof that the label still had its magic going on well into the 80s! The session's a larger group effort headed up by Don Sebesky, and featuring key solos by Chet Baker, Jim Hall, and Hubert Laws – all of whom get plenty of room to do their thing on the ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1975.
One of Jim Hall's most compelling albums from the 70s – a mix of lightly swinging tunes and more complicated numbers, recorded with some of his best partners from earlier years! Chet Baker is on trumpet, Paul Desmond is on alto sax – and the rest of the group includes Ron Carter bass, ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1977.
A rare CTI entry from funky flute master Jeremy Steig – a musician whose style is a great fit for the label! There's more of an electric vibe here than on Steig's earlier records – but that creates a nice current of soul that really helps things take off in a nicely different way. The ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1974.
A surprisingly wonderful 70s meeting between Gerry Mulligan & Chet Baker – recorded live, with sweet electric touches from CTI – in a style that shouldn't work so well, but which really comes off great! The approach is simple – Mulligan and Baker solo in a manner that's a bit ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1974.
A surprisingly wonderful 70s meeting between Gerry Mulligan & Chet Baker – recorded live, with sweet electric touches from CTI – in a style that shouldn't work so well, but which really comes off great! The approach is simple – Mulligan and Baker solo in a manner that's a bit ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1971.
A stone classic from Kenny Burrell – a record that brought the guitarist to a whole new audience, with a wonderful sound that's a perfect summation of CTI at its best! The vibe here is perfect – spare, airy guitar lines from Burrell – playing with a freer style than usual, ...
Kudu/King (Japan), 1976.
Quite an unusual album from Grant Green – a record that's quite different than his earlier records for Blue Note, but still pretty darn great overall! Grant's working here in a large group – Kudu style – with arrangements by David Matthews, but a sound that's still pretty lean ...
Salvation/King (Japan), 1975.
A nice session by one of the most unique guitarists in jazz – all done up in a CTI style, with production and arrangements by Bob James that give the record a nice little electric finish! We always loved Gabor's guitar on his 60s recordings, and this set is one of the first to really ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1973.
Lean 70s genius from the great Gabor Szabo – a set that has him electrifying the sort of vibe he created on Impulse Records in the 60s – but all without ever sounding too slick or commercial! The group here is nice and lean – supervised by Bob James, who plays piano and organ, ...
CTI/King (Japan), 1972.
Wonderful work from guitarist Gabor Szabo – a record that really helped to shift his sound and style into the 70s! The groove here is often open and free – taking off from some of the exoticism of Gabor's 60s albums on Impulse and Skye, but with a bit more of the CTI electric groove ...
Kudu/King (Japan), 1973.
One of the most successful albums ever from guitarist Eric Gale – a laidback understated player whose mellow sound had a tremendous influence on mainstream jazz funk in the 70s! The album takes off from the late 60s CTI and Verve sessions by Wes Montgomery – and features Gale riffing ...