A beautiful book on the dancehall scene in Jamaica – one that's done in a different style than some of the other Soul Jazz books – which are often focused more on album cover art! This book's got a very different approach – and is more an art book with photos of the dancehall scene in Jamaica, as well as lots of detailed information – including a history of Jamaican dance culture, bios of artists, and more information. Beth Lesser has already given us other great writings on reggae, and she really knows her stuff – and her care here is apparent, and a great complement to the hundreds of photos included within! And don't worry, there's still some pictures of records – but the book also offers up a lot lot more. Over 200 pages, oversize, and full color throughout – and this new edition also includes a fresh introduction from Duro Olowu, and more material than the original volume! Book

Rare material from John Coltrane – tracks that were done for Bethlehem Records at a time when he was just rising up as a leader, and still contributed work as a sideman! The album features Trane playing tenor on only four of the album's eight tracks – making it kind of surprising that they used his name in the title – but the album is a lesser-known batch of large group recordings that offer an interesting early chapter in his career! The main force behind the album is arranger Harry Tubbs – possibly not a name that's as sexy as John Coltrane, hence the billing – but a worthy leader for the date, given the quality of the music. Many of the other players here are small combo heroes who can also shine brightly in bigger groups – such as Donald Byrd and Art Farmer on trumpets, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Al Cohn on baritone sax, Eddie Costa on piano and vibes, and Oscar Pettiford on bass – plus Rolf Kuhn, making an early American appearance on clarinet. Coltrane gets in some nice, but short moments on the date – but the bigger charm is the full ensemble work – on titles that include "She Didn't Say Yes", "Turtle Walk", "At Home With The Blues", "Seabreeze", and "Love & The Weather". CD

Jerri Winters gets some hip backings here – thanks to help from the Al Belletto Sextet, who almost share the star spotlight on the record as much as Jerri! The combo are perhaps best known for their 50s work on Capitol, but they sound equally great here – stepping out with a tight sound that must have made them a great act to catch live in a club! And in addition to the combo's instrumentation – which includes alto sax, piano, trombone, and trumpet – the group also harmonize a bit behind Jerri's vocals – supporting her with a sound that's sort of a groovy 50s update on the older 40s mode of matching a female lead with a male harmony group. Don't let all this praise of the Belletto group take away from Winters, though – because she steps out strongly too – and really makes the album sparkle with a personal take on some lesser-remembered standards. Titles include "In Other Words", "Crazy In The Night", "Kind Of Moody", "Ridin On The Moon", "Dark Shadows", "Sometimes I'm Happy", and "It's Always You". CD

An excellent LP that brings together a dozen tracks from some of Chris' lesser-known recordings for the Bethlehem label – originally released as eps and early 10" LPs. Backing on the set is by The Ellis Larkins Trio, The Vinnie Burke Quartet, The Ralph Sharon combo, and Sy Oliver's orchestra – and the set features tracks that include "All About Ronnie", "In Other Words", "A Good Man Is A Seldom Thing", "I Hear Music", "Out Of This World", and "Lush Life". CD

Rare material from John Coltrane – tracks that were done for Bethlehem Records at a time when he was just rising up as a leader, and still contributed work as a sideman! The album features Trane playing tenor on only four of the album's eight tracks – making it kind of surprising that they used his name in the title – but the album is a lesser-known batch of large group recordings that offer an interesting early chapter in his career! The main force behind the album is arranger Harry Tubbs – possibly not a name that's as sexy as John Coltrane, hence the billing – but a worthy leader for the date, given the quality of the music. Many of the other players here are small combo heroes who can also shine brightly in bigger groups – such as Donald Byrd and Art Farmer on trumpets, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Al Cohn on baritone sax, Eddie Costa on piano and vibes, and Oscar Pettiford on bass – plus Rolf Kuhn, making an early American appearance on clarinet. Coltrane gets in some nice, but short moments on the date – but the bigger charm is the full ensemble work – on titles that include "She Didn't Say Yes", "Turtle Walk", "At Home With The Blues", "Seabreeze", and "Love & The Weather". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent LP that brings together a dozen tracks from some of Chris' lesser-known recordings for the Bethlehem label – originally released as eps and early 10" LPs. Backing on the set is by The Ellis Larkins Trio, The Vinnie Burke Quartet, The Ralph Sharon combo, and Sy Oliver's orchestra – and the set features tracks that include "All About Ronnie", "In Other Words", "A Good Man Is A Seldom Thing", "I Hear Music", "Out Of This World", and "Lush Life". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent LP that brings together a dozen tracks from some of Chris Connor's lesser-known recordings for the Bethlehem label – originally released as eps and early 10" LPs. Backing on the set is by The Ellis Larkins Trio, The Vinnie Burke Quartet, The Ralph Sharon combo, and Sy Oliver's orchestra – and the set features tracks that include "All About Ronnie", "In Other Words", "A Good Man Is A Seldom Thing", "I Hear Music", "Out Of This World", and "Lush Life". Chris herself is singing in that moody, icy style that we love so much – sounding especially nice on the sparer tunes, which seem to wallow in lost love and distant longing. CD