Strut (UK),
Features work from some groundbreaking talents on the contemporary London scene – including Bex Burch (Vula Viel), Sarathy Korwar, Dan "Danalogue" Leavers (Soccer96, The Comet Is Coming), Al MacSween (Maisha), and Tamar Osborn (Collocutor).
Strut (UK),
Features work from some groundbreaking talents on the contemporary London scene – including Bex Burch (Vula Viel), Sarathy Korwar, Dan "Danalogue" Leavers (Soccer96, The Comet Is Coming), Al MacSween (Maisha), and Tamar Osborn (Collocutor).
Blue Note, 2022. 2LP
The "poet" in the title is very well-put here – as vibist Joel Ross continues to mature into one of the most distinctive artists in contemporary jazz – not just a unique player on his chosen instrument of the vibes, but also a leader who can take a session like this and really ...
Anti, 2022.
High Pulp have always been one of those groups that are nicely hard to define – but this time around, they seem to be coming across with a jazzier vibe than ever before – and a new sort of musical sophistication that really has their music falling into place! The Seattle combo's always ...
Verve, 1968. Gatefold (reissue)
Bill Evans' first famous appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival – a great 60s trio session, with Eddie Gomez on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums! The tunes are mostly relatively familiar ones, but the ensemble on the set gives them a freer and more lyrical feel than you might expect ...
Honey Pie, 1959. (reissue)
...
Steeplechase (Denmark),
...
Everland (Austria), Early 70s. 3LPs
A trio of early 70s LPs from Klaus Weiss & Niagara – in a 3CD set! First up is the 1971 self-titled debut – a pretty astonishing set of heavy, hypnotic drums and percussion. It features just 2 long jams, "Sangandongo" and "Malanga" and it's pretty much an all ...
Everland (Austria), (reissue)
...
Polydor/Everland (Austria), 1972.
Heavy percussion galore – and one of the seminal early 70s classics from the Niagara combo of German drummer Klaus Weiss! The sound here is far more percussive than even on the group's more famous album for Liberty – and in addition to Weiss' work on the drum kit, the album also ...
United Artists/Everland (Austria), 1972. (reissue)
A legendary bit of heavy funk from Germany – served up by a cool combo led by drummer Klaus Weiss! The lineup here includes fuzzy guitar, electric piano, and lots of heavy percussion – all served up in a way that's jamming, but a lot more straightforwardly funky than some of the group's ...
United Artists/Everland (Austria), 1971.
An early gem from jazz drummer Klaus Weiss & Niagara – a pretty astonishing set of heavy, hypnotic drums and percussion! It features just 2 long jams, "Sangandongo" and "Malanga" and it's pretty much an all percussion affair! The A-side is "Sangandongo", and ...
Perception/Octave (Japan), 1973.
A wonderful bit of spiritual soul jazz! This sweet little record was recorded out of the same energy that produced Larry Young's Lawrence of Newark LP for Perception Records, and it's a strange session by Tyrone Washington – a young player from the Newark scene who'd previously cut a ...
Perception/Octave (Japan), 1973.
Incredible stuff from the jazz underground of Newark! This is one of the rarest albums ever recorded by jazz organist Larry Young – cut for the tiny Perception label during the early 70s, and featuring some of the cream of the New Jersey jazz underground. The album's got playing that ...
Perception/Octave (Japan), 1971.
Really fantastic work from Dizzy Gillespie – proof that of all the original boppers, he was maybe the one who really continued to experiment over the years – as he comes across here with a great blend of electric funk and jazz! The whole album has a sly sweet funky sound that's part ...
Perception/Octave (Japan), 1970.
Stunning funk from the great Dizzy Gillespie – light years away from his early bop recordings! The album's a slammin batch of 70s instrumentals – Dizzy's trumpet firmly in the lead over electric backings that have more than a bit of funk in them. The bass is the main driving factor of ...
Frasco/Universal (Japan), 1976.
...
Frasco/Universal (Japan), 1976.
Hidefumi Toki is easily one of our favorite Japanese players from the 70s – an excellent alto saxophonist who always comes across with a sense of soul that's even deeper than his instrument! Toki has a way of putting together a session that's totally great – relaxed and open, with a ...
Frasco/Universal (Japan), 1975.
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 ...
Philips/Universal (Japan), 1975.
Lovely work from this overlooked Japanese pianist – a really great player who hits some warmly soulful grooves in this mid 70s set! The album features Kunihiko Sugano's trio working with an extra percussionist – a player who doesn't step in much, but who manages to bring a special sort ...
Philips/Universal (Japan), 1973.
One of the most soulful sessions we've ever heard from Japanese pianist Masabumi Kikuchi – a brilliant quintet outing that features some really great work on tenor and soprano sax! Kikuchi's piano is usually enough to grab our attention, but the album's got a great added bonus in the ...
EmArcy/Universal (Japan), 1972.
A brilliant pairing of piano talents – and a record that also features some incredible horn work from Billy Harper and Hannibal Marvin Peterson too! Masabumi Kikuchi plays electric piano throughout – working with a large Evans-led ensemble that also includes Harper on tenor and flute, ...
Far East/Universal (Japan), 1971.
The first album recorded by Kazumi Watanabe, the Japanese guitarist whose firey style would go onto play a big part in the growth of that country's jazz scene during the 70s! This album's quite different from the later smoother work from Kaz – a pretty intense set, and it features Watanabe ...
Philips/Universal (Japan), 1971.
A set that definitely lives up to the poetry promised in its title – with none of the too-clean sounds you might guess from its hand-washing reference either! The album's one of the freest, most organic sessions we've heard from pianist Masabumi Kikuchi – almost improvised at points, ...
Philips/Universal (Japan), 1970.
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 ...
Philips/Universal (Japan), 1970.
Masabumi Kikuchi plays some really great electric piano here – often using the album with loud, bold tones that lie somewhere between Joe Zawinul's work with Cannonball Adderley and Miles Davis! The album's an extremely sweet electric side from the Japanese keyboardist – and it also ...
Philips/Universal (Japan), 1970.
A really landmark album from the Japanese scene at the start of the 70s – one of the key records in which musicians like Takeru Muraoka were helping to discover something new and unique – a fantastic hybrid of modal jazz, freer solo moments, and some nice electric touches on keyboards ...
Philips/Universal (Japan), 1970.
A key example of why the Japanese scene was so great at the start of the 70s – really mindblowing work from keyboardist Masabumi Kikuchi, and every bit as wonderful as some of our favorite American sides from the time! Kikuchi acoustic piano with a warmly soulful sensitivity – ...
Express/Universal (Japan), Early 70s.
The debut album of the legendary pianist Masahiko Sato – with Yasuo Arakawa on bass and Masahiko Togashi on drums! All titles are originals – save for an unusual version of "Michelle"!
Polydor/Universal (Japan), 1965.
A beautiful early album from Sadao Watanabe – a Polydor session recorded before some of his better-known albums for Takt/Columbia, but done with a similar mix of soul jazz and bossa influences! Watanabe's horn has really sharpened up from his already-great earlier sides – and he's ...
Three Blind Mice/Craftman (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/Craftman (Japan), 1974. (reissue)
LP ...
About May 25, 2022
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/Craftman (Japan), 1973. (reissue)
LP ...
About May 25, 2022
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 ...
Three Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1975. (reissue)
LP ...
About May 25, 2022
A sweet little piano trio set from Yama & Jiro – that's Tsuyoshi Yamamoto on piano and Tetsujiro Obara on drums – joined here by Akira Daiyoshi on some mighty warm bass! The set's got that wonderful open, laidback vibe you sometimes get on these Three Blind Mice sessions from the ...
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio
Misty
Three Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1974. (reissue)
LP ...
About May 25, 2022
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 ...
Three Blind Mice/Craftman (Japan), 1974. (reissue)
LP ...
About May 25, 2022
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 ...
British Progressive Jazz (UK),
...
Saturn/Modern Harmonic, 1982.
An obscure live set, recorded at the Squat Theater in New York, in 1982! The group is smallish – with John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and flute, and Danny Ray Thompson on baritone and flute – plus a bit of vocals from June Tyson. Tracks include the long "Ra To The ...
Flying Dutchman/BGP (UK), 1974. Gatefold (reissue)
A real gem from Lonnie Liston Smith's early years in the studio – and a record that's perhaps a bit more "cosmic" than it is "funk" – but that's why we like it so much! The session has Lonnie stretching out a bit more than usual – borrowing some of the ...
Criss Cross/Anagram, 1994. 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
A quintet session from tenor player Mark Turner – with Kurt Rosenwinkel on guitar, Brad Mehldau on piano, Larry Grenadier on bass, and Jorge Rossy on drums – plus guest tenors Seamus Blake and Terence Dean. Tracks are mostly originals from Turner and other members of the group.
Death Is Not The End,
...
Blue Note, 1972. (reissue)
One of the all-time keyboard classics of the 70s – a completely different album than any other set from pianist Ronnie Foster – done with this laidback, open-ended groove that was years ahead of its time! The album's in some ways a blueprint for some of our favorite jazz-based hip hop ...
Blue Note, 1969. (reissue)
An incredible record – the kind of album that no fan of funky jazz should be without! This album is far and away one of the greatest ever cut by Brother Jack McDuff – and it's a baroquely complicated batch of funky jazz cuts that's still light years ahead of any other record! The ...
Black Fire/Strut (UK), 1977.
Incredible work by Oneness Of Juju – a lost third LP, recorded in the late 70s, but never issued until years later! The album has the group tightening it up a bit from the first two records – picking up some funky influences that are more than welcome to our ears – doses of ...
Concentric/Perfect Toy (Germany), 1964. (reissue)
An incredible treasure from a lost vocal jazz genius – the little-known Bobby Cole, every bit as great a singer as he was a songwriter, very unusual for the time! Bobby was probably best remembered as the house pianist at Jillys, but at the time of this 1964 recording, he was poised to ...
Tony Lavorgna & The St Thomas Jazz Quartet
Chameleon
Antelope Records/Jazz Room (UK), 1982. (reissue)
An obscure one – but with some great funky jazz moments! The album features the work of The St. Thomas Jazz Quartet – a group that might conjure up images of the Carribean, but who were really just a great soul jazz combo from Cleveland. David Thomas plays some excellent Hammond B-3 ...
Smoke Sessions, 2022.
...
Ancient Archive Of Sound (UK), 2022.
...
Futura/Souffle Continu (France), 1971. (reissue)
...
Futura/Souffle Continu (France), 1970. (reissue)
Surprisingly sensitive work from French pianist Francois Tusques – a player we often know from much more bombastic sessions, captured here in a beautiful solo date recorded at his home! Tusques is still extremely creative here – lots of the modern elements that always make his music so ...
Jazz Refreshed (UK), 2022. 2LP
...
Village, 2008.
CD ...
About June 1, 2022
A set that's way more than just the roots and branches of LA jazz – as it also points the way towards a fantastic future in the city's spiritual underground – uniting older and younger players, and unfurling the kind of energy that's really helped to transform things in the 21st Century ...
Black Cat (Italy), Early 70s.
...
Ra/Mad About Records (Portugal), 1974.
The first album from Chicago trumpeter Malachi Thomspon – and the hippest, too! The set was recorded in 1974 – much earlier than anything we've seen from Malachi on record – and it's got a vibe that would be right at home in the Strata East universe – especially in the way ...
MPS (Germany), 1975. (reissue)
LP ...
About June 1, 2022
One of the trippiest records ever led by a clarinetist – a hip funky fusion outing that's right up there with better-known MPS dates of the time! Rolf Kuhn's in the lead on clarinet, but it's the rest of the group who really get things going here – a powerful Euro fusion lineup that ...
MPS (Germany), 1979. (reissue)
LP ...
About June 1, 2022
A really full, fantastic set from the great Rolf Kuhn – a late 70s session that has him working with a pretty large group overall, but in a tight fusion mode that's got lots of sharp edges! The work's not nearly as jamming as you might expect from the title – and Kuhn allows plenty of ...
MPS (Germany), Gatefold (reissue)
LP ...
About June 1, 2022
...
MPS (Germany), 1980. (reissue)
LP ...
About June 1, 2022
...
MPS (Germany),
LP ...
About June 1, 2022
...
MPS (Germany), 2022.
CD ...
About June 1, 2022
...
Jamal/P-Vine (Japan), 1970.
A sweetly funky little set from Sonny Stitt – one of his hippest albums ever, and a rare date cut for Ahmad Jamal's short-lived record label! The sound here is a great combination of the late 60s tone that Sonny forged on other east coast indies – and some of the hipper, more open ...
Nodlew/P-Vine (Japan), 1973.
One of the most beautiful records to come out of the early 70s – a tremendous indie effort from a young Weldon Irvine! Irvine put this album together as sort of a musical "time capsule" of his generation – an effort to capture the era's thoughts, feelings, and emotions ...
Nodlew/P-Vine (Japan), 1972.
Landmark early work from the legendary Weldon Irvine – recorded way back when he was first coming to fame with Nina Simone, but done as an obscure indie effort for his tiny Nodlew label! The set's a wicked batch of keyboard-heavy funk – at a level that's similar to some of the best ...
PS Productions/Made In Germany (Germany), 1980.
...
Trilyte/Mississippi, 1971. (reissue)
Spiritual sounds and a heck of a lot more – served up by Ndiko Xaba, an expatriate South African musician who was working in Oakland at the time of this record – fusing together the roots of his homeland with some wonderfully free and open American jazz styles! At times, there's a bit ...
Atlantic/Real Gone, 1968. (reissue)
Fantastic stuff, and a record that was virtually the blueprint for spiritual soul jazz in the 70s! Although Max Roach first rose to fame during the bop years, by the time of this set he'd really stretched out a lot – moving past initial righteous projects in the Civil Rights era, to even ...
Atlantic/Modern Harmonic, 1965. (reissue)
A stone classic from Roland Kirk – and a record that beautifully balances his modern ideas and playful energy – as you might guess from the title! While posing as the "whistleman", Roland's also pushing the boundaries of jazz a few steps forward too – not just in modern ...
Atlantic/Modern Harmonic, 1972. (reissue)
Roland plays moody jazz versions of some of the biggest soul hits of the early 70's – including tracks like "What's Going On", "Mercy Mercy Me", and "Ain't No Sunshine" – plus some other nice originals which sum up his take on "blacknuss". Titles ...
Favorite (France), Late 70s/Early 80s.
...
Favorite (France), Late 70s/Early 80s.
...
Warner/Craft, 1977. 2LP (reissue)
Wonderful late work by Evans – recorded in 1977, but not issued until after his death in 1980. The session benefits from the bass work of Eddie Gomez – rich, round, and warm – a perfect accompaniment for Evans' sometimes faltering piano work at the time – and a player that ...
Warner/Craft, 1977.
Wonderful late work by Evans – recorded in 1977, but not issued until after his death in 1980. The session benefits from the bass work of Eddie Gomez – rich, round, and warm – a perfect accompaniment for Evans' sometimes faltering piano work at the time – and a player that ...
Pacific Jazz/Blue Note, 1963. (reissue)
One of the classic big band sessions cut for Pacific Jazz by LA soul jazz arranger Gerald Wilson. Nearly every track's an original, and the album includes Wilson's killer track "Viva Tirado" – a tight jazzy stepper that was covered by loads of other artists, most famously El ...
Blue Note, 1966. (reissue)
Pivotal work from Freddie Hubbard – a tight, edgey quintet side with a sound that approaches the Blue Note "new thing" sound, but which stays just this side of the fence to keep in line with Freddie's other soulful work of the 60s! The group features some great work by James ...
Blue Note, 2LP
Fantastic work from Immanuel Wilkins – only the second album from the young alto player, but a set that shows that he's clearly becoming one of the rising stars on Blue Note! Wilkins originally hails from Philly, and the record has some of that boundless creativity that we've always loved in ...
Jazz In Britain (UK), 1975.
...
Im-Hotep/P-Vine (Japan), 1973.
Amazing sounds from drummer Roy Brooks – very spiritual work that's quite a change from his straighter soul jazz of the 60s! The album's right up there with Roy's better-known (though still rare) live performance at Town Hall – or his classic Free Slave session – and like those ...
Dragon (Sweden), Early 50s.
The material that made Lars Gullin a legend – important early 50s sessions for the Metronome label in Sweden, also issued over here in the US by Emarcy – as records that really helped Gullin's fame spread quickly! The tracks really have Lars finding his own voice strongly – using ...
Dragon (Sweden), 1959/1960.
Lars Gullin at the end of the 50s – really stretching out a lot as a player, yet also still hanging onto his more boppish roots too! Bigger experiments were to come in the 60s, but here, Gullin's completely confident, completely on top of his baritone sax – blowing the instrument in ...
Jasmine (UK), Late 40s/Early 50s.
...
Vogue/We Are Busy Bodies (UK), Mid 60s. (reissue)
One of the coolest albums ever from French saxophonist Barney Wilen – a set that's legendary not only for its famous cover image, but for all the wonderful music underneath! The record's maybe the strongest to deliver on the modern promise that Wilen exhibited in his music during the 60s ...
Contemporary/Craft, 1957. (reissue)
A simple but elegant set from the west coast scene of the 50s – one that features the trio of "poll winners" Barney Kessel on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums – all coming together in tight formation for the set! There's a well-crafted mood to the record ...
Praxis/Strut (UK), 1983.
Really unique recordings from the Sun Ra Arkestra – material recorded in Egypt in 1983 – juxtaposed with sessions from percussionist Salah Ragab and the Cairo Jazz Band! The work here has much more of a "jazz meets world" sound than some of Ra's other recordings – and ...
United National/P-Vine (Japan), 1978. (reissue)
...
Bar T/P-Vine (Japan), 1978. (reissue)
Sweet funky fusion from one of the hippest drummers of the 70s – the mighty Les DeMerle, a player who's given the world plenty of samples over the years! The grooves on the set are some of Les' best – tightly snapping in a warm mix of electric and acoustic playing – with tight ...
Jazz In Britain (UK), 1970.
Some of the greatest work we've ever heard from legendary British guitarist Ray Russell – a set that was not issued to the public at the time, but recorded especially for the BBC – and with a sound that's every bit as striking as his famous albums for CBS! There's maybe a slightly more ...
East West/Ascensionale (Italy),
...
Soulmusic.com (UK), Late 80s/1990s. 3CD
...
Verve, 1965. Gatefold (reissue)
One of the best Bill Evans trio sessions on Verve – recorded with a group that features Chuck Israels on bass and Larry Bunker on drums, both perfect accompanists for Evans in his exploration of unusual rhythms and lyrical tones on the keys! Both players have a dancing quality that goes far ...