An obscure moment in June Christy's career, but a great one too – a rare later recording, done many years after her time at Capitol Records – in a laidback setting with a hip group of west coast players! June's voice definitely shows a bit of age, but she's still head and shoulders above most jazz singers of her generation – mixing subtle feeling and darkness together beautifully, in a way that makes for a wonderfully moody record! Lou Levy leads the group on piano, and other players include Bob Cooper on tenor and flute, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Jack Sheldon on trumpet – although the horns don't seem to appear on all the tracks on the date. Titles include "The Trouble With Hello Is Goodbye", "My Shining Hour", "Once Upon A Summertime", "Show Me", "Willow Weep For Me", "Everything Must Change", and "Autumn Serenade". CD

A tremendous early album from this west coast tenorist – really breaking out here in a smaller group setting than usual! Coop plays tenor, in a group with Victor Feldman on vibes, Loy Levy on piano, Frank Rosolino on tormbone, and Mel Lewis on drums! LP, Vinyl record album

A hard-swinging session that's much hipper than you might guess from the "hi fi" or "west coast" in the title – recorded with none of the cliches that both tags might make you think – and instead a well-crafted set of solos from the mighty Richie Kamuca! Back in the 50s, Kamuca really had a tremendous tone – one that was often buried in larger groups, but occasionally got to take the solo spotlight on gems like this – stepping out with a raspy, almost gritty undercurrent – a sense of deeper soul in the sound that was uncommon for the west coast scene, and which we might almost compare to the similar qualities of a young Charlie Mariano on the alto sax. Although the group here is fairly largeish – with Bill Holman on baritone sax, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Conte Candoli on trumpet, and Vince Guaraldi on piano – Kamuca's clearly the main solo star, and is set up nicely in some subtle arrangements by Holman. Titles include "Linger Awhile", "Star Eyes", "Stella By Starlight", "Blue Jazz", and "Way Down Under". CD

One of the few sessions ever cut as a leader by LA drummer Stan Levey – as tight a set of west coast bop as you'll ever find on the Bethlehem label – recorded with a really cooking sextet that includes Conte Candoli on trumpet, Richie Kamuca on tenor, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Sonny Clark on piano – getting his start on wax here before his more famous Blue Note sessions in New York! The presence of Clark really gives the set a great deal of energy – of the sort that Sonny brought to his other key west coast contributions of the time – and both Kamuca and Rosolino serve up some especially sharp solos. Tracks are mostly all over five minutes long – and titles include "Hit That Thing", "Tiny's Tune", "Blues At Sunrise", "Grand Stan", and "Angel Cake". CD

70s issue of the mid 50s recording from Levey, a nice little bit of bop from LA – featuring drummer Stan Levey at the head of a sextet that includes Dexter Gordon, Conte Candoli, Frank Rosolino, Lou Levy, and Leroy Vinnegar. Tracks are harder than the usual Bethlehem LA set, thanks to the bite of Gordon's tenor, and most tracks run for longer than five minutes, giving the players more space than usual to solo. Titles include "Diggin For Diz", "Ruby My Dear", "Tune Up", "Stanley The Steamer", and "This Time The Drum's On Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool record! The album's sort of an American tribute to the emerging French sex goddess Brigitte Bardot – one that features a gatefold cover with a wraparound photo of Brigitte, and some nice images on the inside. Music on the set is by Pete Rugolo – the master arranger who'd worked with June Christy, Stan Kenton, and others – and although Bardot doesn't sing or even make an appearance on the set, Pete does more than enough of a good job of conjuring up her presence with a good selection of jazzy tunes. Players include Pete Candoli and Jack Sheldon on trumpets, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Paul Horn and Bud Shank on reeds, and Laurindo Almeida on guitar. Gloria Wood sings on one track – and titles include "Arsenic Blues", "Paris BB", "Jeff's Blues", "Mambo Bardot", "A T'Aimer", and "The Night Heaven Fell". LP, Vinyl record album

Bop modes, updated strongly for the 70s – and played by a hip group of older players who really know how to cook! Supersax is led by Med Flory on alto, who also did the arrangements – and works here with great reed help from Warne Marsh and Jay Migliori on tenor, Joe Lopes on alto, and Jack Nimitz on baritone – plus soaring sounds from Conte Candoli and Blue Mitchell on trumpets, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Lou Levy on piano – all of whom really help the reed players find their groove! Charts are large, as is the ensemble, but there's a nice sense of individual personalities too – even when all the saxophonists are taking a solo together at once. Titles include "Shaw Nuff", "Drifting On A Reed", "Oop Bop Sh'Bam", "Now's The Time", and "The Song Is You". LP, Vinyl record album

The Supersax ensemble takes on the classic concept of Charlie Parker with strings – really sticking true to the groundbreaking spirit of the original experiments, while also bringing things forward a bit with their wonderful multi-horn approach! The group features lead alto from Med Flory, plus tenor from Warne Marsh and Jay Migliori, additional alto from Joe Lopes, trumpet from Conte Candoli, and trombone from Frank Rosolino – the latter two of whom really get in some nice solos of their own! Strings are well-scored – with the kind of subtle swing of the old days, and an occasional solo from Bobby Bruce on violin – and titles include "April In Paris", "All The Things You Are", "Cool Blues", "Kim", "Ornithology", "If I Should Lose You", and "Sign Off". CD

A real cooker from Georgie Auld's years on Mercury – a record that comes across with some "hi fi" dynamics, but which also features a strongly swinging group overall! Auld's playing here with Frank Rosolino, Ray Linn, and Maynard Ferguson – and the mode's a bit like some of Ferguson's albums for Mercury in the same stretch – shorter tracks but with strongly voiced solos, especially on Auld's saxophone – which hangs nicely here between two eras of jazz in its phrasing. Titles include "In The Land Of Hi Fi", "Dinah", "Tippin In", "I May Be Wrong", "Swingin In The Moore Park", and "For You". LP, Vinyl record album

An expanded edition of an earlier 10" LP – featuring a group led by bassist Max Bennett, one that includes Charlie Mariano on alto, Stan Levy on drums, Claude Williamson on piano, and Frank Rosolino on trombone! Helen Carr makes a vocal appearance on a track or two, and the album's got a nicely rich style that pushes it past simple expectations – really cooking with a mean Mariano solo one minute, and laying back for a mellower vocal passage the next – all proof that Bennett was one of the cooler leaders of his time, and it's a damn shame he didn't make more records like this! Titles include "Rubberneck", "Just Max", "They Say", "TK", "Do You Know Why", and "I'll Never Smile Again". LP, Vinyl record album

A great reissue of one of the few albums ever cut as a leader by crack drummer Charlie Persip, though you might miss that as it's issued here under Conte Candoli and Lee Morgan's names! Morgan and Candoli share the front line on only two tracks, and the set was originally issued as one of Howard Rumsey's "Lighthouse Series" sides of the 50s – but it's a lot harder-driving and more energy-filled than most of the other Lighthouse-related sides coming out of LA at the time. Half the record features Persip's group – a set of east coasters that includes Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, and Wynton Kelly – and the other part features some of the players from that ensemble mixing it up with Candoli, drummer Stan Levey and other LA talents that include Frank Rosolino, Bob Cooper, and others. In all, the album's a great meeting of east and west coast hardbop styles – with short driving tracks that include "Reggie Of Chester", "Celedia", "Moto", "The Champ", and "Wildwood". CD

A treasure trove of west coast jazz work from the mid 50s – one that features a number of unusual sessions! First off, the set includes 4 tracks that were initially recorded under the leadership of Shorty Rogers, most likely for RCA – and featuring players that include Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, Jimmy Giuffre, and Pete Jolly – on titles that include the Giuffre originals "Safari", "Ballade", and "Scarf Dance". Next up are 15 tracks from the rare Best From The West 10" jazz LPs for Blue Note – originally billed as a "blindfold test" under the supervision of Leonard Feather, and some of the label's only west coast jazz sessions of the 50s! The musicians on the original record were not named – probably because of contractual reasons – but artists include Conte Candoli, Jimmy Giuffre, Charlie Mariano, Howard Roberts, Marty Paich, and others – all coming together with a fresh, clean sound that's very much in the spirit of some of the best west coast work for labels like Pacific Jazz or Capitol at the time! This CD reissue includes both of the original 10" albums on one set – along with much-needed notes on the players. Titles include "Santa Anita", "Culver City", "Burbank Bounce", "Arcadia", "Here's Pete", "Santa Monica", and "Blindfold Test No 1". The set then features 9 more tracks from sine 1957 sessions produced by Howard Lucraft, also done as a study in West Coast jazz – featuring compositions by Lucraft that include "Smog A La Mode", "Jazz For Gene", "Larrisa", and "California Zephyr – played by 3 different groups of players that include Bud Shank, Conte Candoli, Stu Williamson, Frank Rosolino, Charlie Mariano, and Buddy Collette. Last up are 4 more tunes from a 1955 session that features Stu Williamson, Herb Geller, Jack Montrose, and Bob Gordon – on tracks that include "Id", "I'm Forever Counting Geigers", and "Skip To Me Loot". 38 tracks in all – with full notes on the sessions and players! CD

A well-titled album from the great Benny Carter – already a giant in jazz, thanks to countless years blowing the alto sax as a leader and sideman in other groups – really opening up a fresh chapter of his career in a great run of smaller combo work in the second half of the 50s! This set's a great demonstration of the way that Carter was able to bring an older jazz experience into more modern modes in the postwar years – an edge on his horn that's still one of the most distinct voices on the alto, yet very different than Charlie Parker or other modernists who came after him – exquisitely matched here in a combo that includes Ben Webster on tenor, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Barney Kessel on guitar. Rosolino and Webster drop out on two tracks, piano is by Andre Previn or Jimmy Rowles, and the group's completed by Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Shelly Manne on drums. Titles include "Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me", "Blue Lou", "A Walkin Thing", and "Old Fashioned Love". LP, Vinyl record album

June's got rhythm, sure, but the real thing that makes her great is her dark and moody sense of melody! This album's one of June's late 50s efforts done with husband/arranger Bob Cooper – not as arch modern as some of her recordings with arranger Pete Rugolo, but still in a style that's definitely inspired by the classic work of albums like Something Cool and Off Beat. Backing is by a small group of LA jazzers – including Shelly Manne, Russ Freeman, Laurindo Almeida, Frank Rosolino, and Cooper – and titles include "My One & Only Love", "Blue Moon", "I Can Make You Love Me", "When Lights Are Low", and "Gypsy In My Soul". CD also features 4 tracks from the rare Cool School album – "Small Fry", "Looking For A Boy", "Aren't You Glad You're You", and "Baubles Bangles & Beads". CD

With Leroy Vinnegar on bass, Lawrence Marable & Stan Levey on drums, Kenny Drew & Lou Levy on piano, Dextor Gordon on tenor saxophone & Frank Rosolino on trombone. CD

A great big band indeed – a session from 1960 that has Bill Holman still sitting nicely at the top of the west coast large group format from the 50s! As with previous dates of this nature, Holman's got a way around the charts that few can match – a way of swinging the whole ensemble strongly, yet never in ways that are cloying, commercial, or cliched. All the right players find a space for expression – and the lineup includes Richie Kamuca and Bill Perkins on tenor sax, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Conte Candoli on trumpet – all players who really sparkle nicely when they step out from the larger group. Titles include "Stereoso", "Shadrack", "Quickstep", "Aura", "The Moon Is Blue", "June Is Busting Out All Over", and "Spinuet". LP, Vinyl record album

A full package of work from the mighty Bill Holman – 2CDs worth of music – including three full albums plus bonus tracks! First up is material from the 1957 Coral album The Fabulous Bill Holman – a record that's got a maturity of expression that pushes Holman way past his Kenton years! The tracks are all larger ensemble ones, arranged and partially written by Bill, and played by the group in a broad chromatic style that's very nice – certainly Kenton-esque, but with a style that's somehow a bit more personal. Players include Charlie Mariano, Herb Geller, Richie Kamuca, Conte Cantoli, Stu Williamson, and Holman himself – and titles include "Evil Eyes", "You & I", "Bright Eyes", and the extended "The Big Street" – a great 17 minute tune! Next Is In A Jazz Orbit – a set that has Holman in a great mode that bridges the large group styles of the swing years and the changes in big band sounds that would take place in the 60s – and he's almost prefacing the style of the Clarke Boland Big Band by writing charts here that pack a real punch on the ensemble passages, yet which also rely very strongly on breakaway horn solos to tear up the tunes! The strength of the players is a key factor in the success of the album – as soloists include Frank Rosolino, Jack Sheldon, Herb Geller, Richie Kamuca, and Holman himself – on titles that include "Kissin Bug", "You Go To My Head", "Far Down Below", "Aura", "Theme & Variation #2", and "No Heat". Bill Holman's Great Big Band is a session from 1960 that has Bill Holman still sitting nicely at the top of the west coast large group format from the 50s! As with previous dates of this nature, Holman's got a way around the charts that few can match – a way of swinging the whole ensemble strongly, yet never in ways that are cloying, commercial, or cliched. All the right players find a space for expression – and the lineup includes Richie Kamuca and Bill Perkins on tenor sax, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Conte Candoli on trumpet – all players who really sparkle nicely when they step out from the larger group. Titles include "Stereoso", "Shadrack", "Quickstep", "Aura", "The Moon Is Blue", "June Is Busting Out All Over", and "Spinuet". CD features 10 more bonus tracks – tunes from Holman's Kenton Presents sessions for Capitol in 1954 – octet material done with Don Fagerquist, Bob Eneveldsen, and Stu Williamson providing full brass support on trumpet and trombones – while Holman, Herb Geller, and Bob Gordon cut some broader lines themselves on saxes. Tunes are all great originals by Holman – extremely inventive in both melody and structure – with titles that include "Sparkle", "Tanglefoot", "Song Without Words", "Cousin Jack", "Back To Minors", and "Jughaid". CD

A wonderful showcase for the arranging talents of Bill Holman – one that steps off with a more straightforward and swinging style than some of his work of the time for the Stan Kenton group! Holman here is in a great mode that bridges the large group styles of the swing years and the changes in big band sounds that would take place in the 60s – and he's almost prefacing the style of the Clarke Boland Big Band by writing charts here that pack a real punch on the ensemble passages, yet which also rely very strongly on breakaway horn solos to tear up the tunes! The strength of the players is a key factor in the success of the album – as soloists include Frank Rosolino, Jack Sheldon, Herb Geller, Richie Kamuca, and Holman himself – on titles that include "Kissin Bug", "You Go To My Head", "Far Down Below", "Aura", "Theme & Variation #2", and "No Heat". CD

Beautiful modernist work from Kenton – one of the first albums to cull his genius together as a whole, filled with the kind of tracks that perfectly sum up his unique approach at the time! If you've ever wondered what makes Kenton so great, this is the album to begin with – as it's filled with fantastic original tunes that provide a shimmering solo showcase for work of players like Lee Konitz, Frank Rosolino, and Bill Holman. Titles include "23 N - 82 W", "Young Blood", "Improvisation", and the haunting "Invention For Guitar And Trumpet", which features Sal Salvador and a young Maynard Ferguson. CD adds 4 bonus tracks to the original 10" LP. CD

A nice little bit of bop from LA – a tightly-crafted mid 50s date for the Bethlehem label – featuring drummer Stan Levey at the head of a great group of horn players! The album features some standout work from Dexter Gordon on tenor – making a rare appearance here as a sideman – and the frontline of the sextet also features Conte Candoli on trumpet and Frank Rosolino on trombone – both well-matched players, especially at this point in their careers. The group's completed by Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Lou Levy on piano – and there's a bit more bite on some tracks than the usual Bethlehem set. Titles include "Diggin For Diz", "Ruby My Dear", "Tune Up", "Stanley The Steamer", and "This Time The Drum's On Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant early work from Charlie Mariano – key proof of his genius, and one of the main albums we'd recommend by him! The album has Charlie coming of his years in the Boston scene – boppish at some level, but blowing with a raspy soulfulness that really opens up his horn into new territory – not Charlie Parker, not Lee Konitz, but a whole new space and sound of expression for the alto sax! The group features Stu Williamson on trumpet and Frank Rosolino on trombone – both players who bring a slight west coast feel to the record, but never in too-cool ways that dampen Mariano's sound! Titles include "Green Walls", "Chloe", "Manteca", "S'Nice", "You Go To My Head", and "Give A Little Whistle". LP, Vinyl record album

Wicked work from saxophonist Don Menza – really stretching out here in a massively beautiful 70s session for Catalyst Records! Menza was a heck of a player, but one who mostly kept things pretty close to the chest – yet on this album, he blows with a soulful, flowing tone that's simply impeccable – gently gliding along electric rhythms with a really mellow feel! The album unfolds like the petals of some hip 70s flower – gently opening up from tune to tune, peeling back layer upon layer of soulful sound – as Menza blows on tenor, soprano, and flute – with a group that includes Alan Broadbent on piano and electric keys, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Paulinho and Claudio Slon on percussion. All tracks are original, and titles include "Samba De Rollins", "Magnolia Rose", "Ballad Of The Matador", and "Groove Blues". Features a full bonus CD of alternate tracks from the session – plus the unissued titles "Bones Blues", "Intrigue", and "Spanish Boots". CD

Overlooked genius from the Dutch jazz scene of the postwar years – a set of small combo dates that feature trumpeter Rob Pronk, including two groups led by American players too! Pronk's got a tone that's clear, but never too clean – maybe the focused brightness of the young Howard McGhee, mixed with some of the richer feeling of the young Kenny Dorham – almost always matched here by great tenor work, which makes the tracks an equally strong delight! Players include Harry Verbecke, Toon Van Vilet, and Ruud Brink on tenor sax – plus Herman Schoonderwalt on alto, Rob Madna on piano, Ack Van Rooyen and Jerry Van Rooyen on trumpets, and Ruud Pronk and Cees Slinger on drums – and the set then also features an unusual twist – as Pronk steps over to piano, and works in one group with Ake Persson and Frank Rosolino on trombones, and another with Zoot Sims on tenor. There's a huge amount of music here to discover – and the presentation and recording quality is superb – on titles that include "Latecomer", "Four Roses", "Jack's Wax", "Blue Monk", "Funkerin", "Tune", "Sassy", "Minor", "Corner Pocket", and "Monotones". CD

A lively little set done strongly in a Basie mode – as you might guess from the title! Buddy's on drums, but the real maestro here is Marty Paich – who handled the arrangements, and most likely brought together the batch of west coast jazzers who inhabit the group – including Pete Condoli on trumpet, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Bob Enevoldsen on valve trombone, Bob Cooper on tenor, Buddy Collette on flute and baritone, and Jimmy Rowles on piano. The set's less Buddy-like than it is Marty-ish – and the grooves here have that very fluid Paich approach throughout – but recast slightly to reflect the strong Basie/Hefti groove of the 50s. Titles include "Shorty George", "Ain't It The Truth", "9:20 Special", "Jump For Me", "Blues For Basie", and "Blue & Sentimental". CD

A wonderful album of Latin grooves from Shorty! The record is one of his best, and features a whopping array of percussionists – including Carlos Vidal, Modesto Duran, and Mike Pacheco all coming into play with Shorty's west coast style of arrangements, tweaked greatly here to pick up an Afro Cuban sound. Players include Bud Shank, Bill Holman, Frank Rosolino, Herb Geller, and Bob Cooper – and the album is very similar to Perez Prado's Voodoo Suite album, which was also recorded for RCA around the same time. Includes the cuts "Un Poco Loco", "Manteca", "Viva Puente", and the extended suite "Wuayacanjanga". CD

A wonderful album of Latin grooves from Shorty! The record is one of his best, and features a whopping array of percussionists – including Carlos Vidal, Modesto Duran, and Mike Pacheco all coming into play with Shorty's west coast style of arrangements, tweaked greatly here to pick up an Afro Cuban sound. Players include Bud Shank, Bill Holman, Frank Rosolino, Herb Geller, and Bob Cooper – and the album is very similar to Perez Prado's Voodoo Suite album, which was also recorded for RCA around the same time. Includes the cuts "Un Poco Loco", "Manteca", "Viva Puente", and the extended suite "Wuayacanjanga". CD

An unusual album from the west coast scene of the 60s – recorded under the name of the Lighthouse All Stars, but featuring arrangements and compositions by Bob Cooper – who was the real driving force behind the set. Conte Candoli's in the group on trumpet – and other players include Buddy Colette and Bud Shank on alto and flute, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Victor Feldman on vibes and percussion, Stan Levey on drums, and Cooper himself on tenor. The overall sound is relatively tightly constrained, in a "jazz suite" mode – but there's plenty of room for solo space on the set, and Cooper's writing is as fluid as his ability is strong to bring these players together as conductor. The set's got a really great feel that gets way past some of the more academic west coast work of its sort – with a lot more soul than you'd expect. Titles include "Rain Blues", "Genesis (pt II)", "Architectonics", "Directional Suite", and "The Worker". LP, Vinyl record album

Personnel include Zoot Sims on tenor sax, Oscar Brashear on trumpet, Ross Tompkins on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, Nik Ceroli on Drums, and Frank Rosolino on trombone. LP, Vinyl record album

Stitt remembers Bird? How could he ever forget him – given the fact that as an alto saxophonist, Stitt always had to work hard to avoid any comparisons! Seriously, though, this is a nice set of boppish material that moves past the usual Charlie Parker tribute – and in fact, none of the tracks are by Bird – and Sonny blows both tenor and alto – in a great group with Frank Rosolino on trombone, Dolo Coker on piano, Allen Jackson on bass, and Clarence Johnston on drums. Forget the Charlie Parker reference in the title, and lay back and enjoy the tunes "Watch What Happens", "Waltz For Diane", "Streamlined Stanley", and "I Remember Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

Mel Torme takes on the sound of Broadway at the start of the 60s – but he does so in a very groovy way, thanks to hip backings from the amazing Marty Paich! The style here is as swinging and jazzy as the work that Mel and Marty cut together on the Bethlehem label in the late 50s – and the tracks have a nice sort of groove, and an overall lean feel – a sound that takes the music far from its Broadway roots! Players include Art Pepper on alto, Stu Williamson on trumpet, Bill Perkins on tenor, and Frank Rosolino on trombone – all bringing a nice sense of themselves to the set. Titles include "Lonely Town", "Whatever Lola Wants", "Old Devil Moon", "Hello Young Lovers", "Too Close For Comfort", and "Just In Time". LP, Vinyl record album

The intensity of this group keeps on growing with each release – and this one is a blinding array of influences, tributes, and incredibly tight musicianship. The recording differs from earlier ones in that it's got a strongly pronounced guitar, played by Jeb Bishop, who also doubles on trombone. Vandermark is flawless, as usual, and his reed work alone is worth the price of admission. And with tracks dedicated to the likes of Glen Spearmann, Jack Montrose, Frank Rosolino, John Carter, and Curtis Counce – how could you miss? CD

June's got rhythm, sure, but the real thing that makes her great is her dark and moody sense of melody! This album's one of June's late 50s efforts done with husband/arranger Bob Cooper – not as arch modern as some of her work with Pete Rugolo, but still in a style that's definitely inspired by that classic work. Backing is by a small group of LA jazzers – including Shelly Manne, Russ Freeman, Laurindo Almeida, Frank Rosolino, and Cooper – and titles include "My One & Only Love", "Blue Moon", "I Can Make You Love Me", "When Lights Are Low", and "Gypsy In My Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant early work from Charlie Mariano – key proof of his genius, and one of the main albums we'd recommend by him! The album has Charlie coming of his years in the Boston scene – boppish at some level, but blowing with a raspy soulfulness that really opens up his horn into new territory – not Charlie Parker, not Lee Konitz, but a whole new space and sound of expression for the alto sax! There's a deftness here that's undeniable – but the album also has a sense of soul and personality that goes way deeper than simply sharp soloing – a quality that easily puts Charlie up there next to Lou Donaldson and Sonny Stitt in the 50s! The CD features work from dates recorded in Hollywood in 1953 and 1955 – all for Bethlehem (under the titles Charlie Mariano Plays and Sapphire, by Stu Williamson) – with 5 tracks that feature a core group with Stu Williamson on trumpet, Claude Williamson on piano, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Max Bennett on bass, and Stan Levey on drums – then 13 more that drop out either Rosolino or Stu for quintet formation. Titles include "Green Walls", "Chloe", "S'Nice", "You Go To My Head", "Slugger", "Just Max", "TK", "Rubberneck", "Jeepers Creepers", and "Strike Up The Band". CD

Wonderful TV soundtrack work from Skip Martin – who's really giving Henry Mancini a run for his money in the crime jazz department! Martin's score for the Mike Hammer show here is totally great – penned with a range of styles that run from swinging to sentimental – all handled by a top-shelf crew of west coast jazz players that includes Ted Nash on flute and alto, Richie Kamuca on tenor, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Bud Shank on alto, Don Fagerquist and Pete Candoli on trumpet, and Pete Jolly on piano. Titles include "Bad Guys", "Coffee House", "Like Mike", "Summer Mood", "Corn Pone Woman", and "Riff Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

With Tom Ranier on keyboards, synthesizers, soprano and tenor saxophone, and flutes; Peter Woodford on guitar; David Parlato on bass; Bart Hall drums; Frank Rosolino on trombone; Laudir DeOliveira on congas and percussion; and Pattie Brooks and Petsye Powell on vocals. Titles include "Good For You", "She's Lonely", "What You Need", "I Love You Dawn", and "Lost In The Shuffle". LP, Vinyl record album

An RCA classic from Shorty – one that features an expanded version of his Giants group, running through some of the best compositions of Richard Rogers! The gimmick of the twin Rogers in the title notwithstanding, the album's a pretty tight little set – as Shorty's leading an all-star group that includes Pete & Conte Candoli, Frank Rosolino, Jack Montrose, Bill Holman, Pete Jolly, and Pepper Adams – all of whom are great company in this session of tight arrangements. Shorty still gives the best players enough solo space to keep things interesting – and the real charm of the record is the way that familiar tunes are transformed by the swinging arrangements and surprisingly nice solo moments. Titles include "I've Got Five Dollars", "A Ship Without A Sail", "Mimi", "Ten Cents A Dance", "The Girl Friend", "On A Desert Island With Thee", and "I Could Write A Book". LP, Vinyl record album

A great album that has arranger Pete Rugolo working with some of the bigger tunes from the Stan Kenton band – all in a tribute to the time when Pete was Stan's number one arranger, and a key force behind the success of the group! The groove is a mixture of west coast cool and sharper modern touches – played by a very Kentonish batch of players – including Bob Cooper and Dave Pell on tenor sax, Bud Shake and Harry Klee on flute and alto, Milt Bernhart and Frank Rosolino on trombones, Buddy Childers and Don Fagerquist on trumpets, Howard Roberts on guitar, Red Callender on tuba, Claude Williamson on piano, and Shelly Manne on drums. The tunes are nearly all Kenton originals – save for a few co-composed by Rugolo and Kenton – and titles include "Capitol Punishment", "Eager Beaver", "Painted Rhythm", "Concerto For Doghouse", "Minor Riff", and "Opus In Pastels". LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous work from Howard Rumsey's early Lighthouse group – and a great example of why they were such a great act at the time! The "solo spotlight" in the title is extremely apt here – as each of the album's tracks features a standout performance by group members who emerge from the larger ensemble beautifully – all players who were in the larger backings on other numbers, but who really sparkle brilliantly on their solos. Soloists include Frank Rosolino on trombone, Richie Kamuca on tenor, Stan Levey on drums, Conte Candoli on trumpet, Bob Enevoldsen on valve trombone, Bob Cooper on tenor, and Bud Shank on alto. Titles are all plenty fresh originals – and include "Funny Frank", "Claude", "Coop", "Stan", "S&B", and "Bud". LP, Vinyl record album

Two MPS gems from this unusual 70s ensemble – back to back on the same CD! Chasin The Bird features classic bop modes, updated strongly for the 70s – and played by a hip group of older players who really know how to cook! Supersax is led by Med Flory on alto, who also did the arrangements – and works here with great reed help from Warne Marsh and Jay Migliori on tenor, Joe Lopes on alto, and Jack Nimitz on baritone – plus soaring sounds from Conte Candoli and Blue Mitchell on trumpets, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Lou Levy on piano – all of whom really help the reed players find their groove! Charts are large, as is the ensemble, but there's a nice sense of individual personalities too – even when all the saxophonists are taking a solo together at once. Titles include "Shaw Nuff", "Drifting On A Reed", "Oop Bop Sh'Bam", "Now's The Time", and "The Song Is You". Dynamite is a looser, more free-swinging album than usual for Supersax – one that still has the group working with some key contributions from west coast jazz luminaries, but in a vibe that's almost more small combo than larger ensemble! The tracks here include a fair bit of Bud Powell and Charlie Parker numbers, but the arrangements are mighty fresh – open, and swinging with some hipper 70s touches, thanks to rhythms from a trio that features Lou Levy on piano, Fred Atwood on bass, and John Dentz on drums – players that are never locked into a strict bop mode. As with other Supersax albums, there's a brace of reed players working together at the front – Lanny Morgan on alto, Jack Nimitz on baritone, and both Jay Migliori and Don Menza on tenors – coming together as one voice on the solos, and getting some key help from Conte Candoli on trumpet and Frank Rosolino on trombone. Titles include "The Fruit", "Bambu", "Blues For Alice", "Tempus Fugit", "Parker's Mood", and a surprising, but great take on Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Wave". CD

Music from Chris Connor, Jimmy Knepper, Frank Rosolino, Charlie Mariano, Herbie Harper, Mel Torme, Terry Morel, Stu Williamson, Red Mitchell, Betty Blake, Bob Hardaway, Joe Derise, Hank D'Amico, and more. CD