Really groundbreaking work from the World Sax Quartet – one of the first, and best, all-horn ensembles! The strength of the album definitely hangs on the backgrounds of the players – Julius Hemphill, Hamiet Bluiett, Oliver Lake, and David Murray – all already key reedmen in left field jazz, with a sense of sound and identity that makes each part of the group as strong as its whole – a great trading of musical minds, spirits, and sounds. Instrumentation includes alto, tenor, baritone, clarinet, soprano sax, and bass clarinet – and titles include "Sundance", "Pillars Latino", "Suite Music", "Sound Light", "Connections", and "Fast Life". CD

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 records, this one explodes with a raw power that's really amazing – heavy drums from Brooks, driving a collective of righteous musicians that really stretch out in the free space of the recording! The lineup shifts a bit from track to track, but there's a cohesive spirit to the record that comes from Brooks' bold spirit – a joyous, soulful, post-Coltrane sort of energy – let loose in the lead, to guide the talents of players who include John Stubblefield on tenor, Sonny Fortune on alto, Olu Dara and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpets, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone sax, Joe Bonner on piano, and Reggie Workman on bass. Eddie Jefferson makes an appearance on two tracks – singing much hipper than on any of his better-known recordings of the period – and titles include "The Last Prophet", "M'Jumbe", "Eboness", "The Smart Set", and "Eboness (Kwanza)". CD

Duo recordings of original compositions by Coryell and Keane, with titles that include "Brazilia", "La Pluie", "A Piece For Larry", "At The Airport", "Waltz No 6", "Just Like Being Born", "Logical Solution", "Warm Weather", "Patty's Song", and "Lines". LP, Vinyl record album

Arista Freedom release of 2 different sessions by Julius Hemphill – one from 1975, with Arthur Blythe, Hamiet Bluiett, and Abdul Wadud; the other from 1972, with Bluiett, Wadud, and Baikida Carroll. The 1972 session's a bit more interesting, and was recorded in St. Louis by Oliver Sain (of all people!). It's one long track entitled "The Hard Blues", and has an excellent mix of styles, emotions, and voices – with all the players getting in some beautiful solo moments. The 1975 session's not too bad either, but it's just a little too self-consciously out, and lacks the warmth of the other piece. LP, Vinyl record album

Charles Mingus at Carnegie Hall – but playing here with relaxed and intimate feel that's not what you might expect from the staid setting! The original album features two long tracks – both done in more of a jam session mode than any other Charles Mingus recordings we can think of. Both numbers are Ellington classics – "C Jam Blues" and "Perdido" – showcasing Mingus' late fascination with the Duke, but in a way that still preserves all of the modern inventions of his own earlier work. As on much of the best Mingus albums from the time, there's a real focus on the strengths of the soloists here – players who include Roland Kirk on tenor and stritch, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone, Jon Faddis on trumpet, John Handy on alto and tenor, Charles McPherson on alto, and Don Pullen on piano – all of whom really play with some sharp edges and bold notes! This great expanded version features more very long tracks – over 70 minutes of unreleased music, with versions of "Celia", "Big Alice", "Fables Of Faubus", and "Peggy's Blue Skylight" – as well as Mingus' introduction of the music. CD

One of the hippest, tightest sessions ever recorded by drummer Sunny Murray – a large group set recorded with his Untouchable Factor group – a great ensemble that includes Frank Foster on soprano sax, Oliver Lake and Arthur Blythe on alto saxes, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone, Don Pullen on piano, and Cecil McBee and Fred Hopkins on bass! The sound is somewhat straighter than Murray's free jazz of a few years before – almost in the mode that Foster was exploring with some of his large ensembles of the 70s – a platform for righteous jazz expression, but in a way that's still tied together strongly with a sense of rhythm. Other players on the group include the enigmatic Youseff Yancy on a host of instruments, including theremin – plus the under-recorded Monette Sudler on guitar. Some tracks are a bit more outside than others – and titles include "Past Perfect Tense", "One Down & One Up", "Applebluff", "Apple Cores", and "New York Maze". LP, Vinyl record album

Three albums from reedman Arthur Blythe – served up in one nicely-priced set! Retroflection is a great showcase for the alto talents of Arthur Blythe – a set that's maybe a bit more stripped-down than some of his bigger label albums of the 80s, but in a way that really lets you focus on his strength of tone and phrasing! The group's a quartet, working in an open live setting – John Hicks on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Bobby Battle on drums – and while all players certainly know how to go inside, they keep things swinging and relatively straight at the core – while Blythe waxes beautifully on the alto, with these sharp edges that mix nicely with more lyrical moments. Titles include "Jana's Delight", "JB Blues", "Lenox Avenue Breakdown", "Faceless Woman", and "Peacemaker". Calling Card is a great little record from Arthur Blythe – mostly straight ahead, but pretty darn freewheeling too – thanks to a selection of long tracks that really let him open up on alto sax! The setting is a quartet – nicely put-together with John Hicks on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Bobby Battle on drums – a rhythm trio who do equally well on the album's spiritual tracks and its more soulful groovers. The performance was recorded live, but with a nice degree of intimacy, especially on Blythe's horn – and titles include "Hip Dripper", "Naima's Love Song", "As Of Yet", "Blue Blues", "Break Tune", and "Elaborations". On Hipmotism, there's a really hypnotic blend of sounds – the always-strong alto work of Arthur Blythe, whose solos are a key part of the strength of the set – matched with a super-strong lineup that includes Hamiet Bluiett on baritone sax, Kelvin Bell on guitar, Gust William Tsilis on vibes, Arto Tuncboyaci on percussion, and Famoudou Don Moye on drums! There's a slight crackle of electricity at times, but never in a way that dampens the soul, especially that of a leader – and while earlier efforts of this sort might have gotten mired in too much criss-crossing of modes, this set comes off perfectly – a fresh entry in Blythe's wonderfully storied career. Titles include "Miss Eugie", "Hipmotism", "My Son Ra", "Bush Baby", "Dear Dessa", "Cousin Sidney", "Shadows", and "Dance Benita Dance". CD

One of the richest albums we've ever heard from saxophonist James Carter – and one of the sparest too, given that he only blows solo throughout the entire album! We're much more used to hearing Carter on tenor sax – and usually in the company of a small combo, where his classic tone has created great albums for many years. Yet here, he's blowing baritone throughout, and with this open style that still manages to swing nicely without any other backing – a balance between jazz tradition and open improvisation that makes the record so wonderful! There's definitely moments here that resonate with solo work by Hamiet Bluiett or David Murray, but Carter has an approach that's very much his own. Most titles are originals – and tunes include "Shipyard Ramble", "UN", "Ming", "Life Phases Take 2", "Nemesis", "Prince Lasha", and "Stepping Into Beauty". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the warmest, most earthy albums we've ever heard from avant percussionist Andrew Cyrille – a set done with his Haitian Fascination group, and one that definitely lives up to that name! There's lots of percussion on the date – played by Cyrille and Frisner Augustin, mixed with these deep, round basslines from Lisle Atkinson – amidst which dances acoustic guitar from Alix Pascal, almost with a bossa inspiration – and the whole thing's topped off with deeply soulful work on baritone sax by Hamiet Bluiett! The album's got all the freely creative energy of Cyrille and Bluiett's best from years back, but also has a more open, earnest feel too – really wonderful stuff, on original cuts that include "Route Des Freres", "Spirit Music", "Sankofa", "Ti Kawol", "Mais", "C'mon Baby", and "Marinet". CD

One of the most striking Don Pullen albums of the 80s – a beautifully open session that has the pianist co-leading a version of the 360 Experience group of drummer Beaver Harris – with an excellent lineup that also features Ricky Ford on tenor sax, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone, and Buster Williams on bass! The mix of players is unusual, and the sound here is as well – a record that easily steps between freer moments and more tuneful passages – imbued with the creative spirit of the loft jazz generation, but also taken a step further too – possibly via the album's production work by Hal Willner. There's some truly majestic moments on the album – and the whole thing is a great demonstration of the way that the farther fringes of the jazz universe were finding even more focused expression in the 80s – during a time when records like this really helped give musicians a great outlet for their new ideas. The set begins with the very long "Goree", which has additional work by Candido on percussion – and other tracks include "Land Of The Pharoahs", "Double Arc Jake", and "Newcomer". CD

A seminal session from the St Louis scene of the early 70s – one that was humming nearly as much as Chicago was with the AACM at the time! As with the larger organization in the Windy City, St Louis had the Black Artists Group – of which Julius Hemphill was a key member, forming fresh new ideas in improvisatory jazz with players who went onto have an undeniable impact on the global scene as well. This album's one of the standout recordings of the Black Artists era at its best – a record produced by Hemphill, but equally balanced between his own alto and flute, the trumpet of Baikida Carroll, cello of Abdul Wadud, and drums of Phillip Wilson – plus a bit of added baritone from Haimet Bluiett. The rhythms are quite open, but there's also a nice sense of structure to the record too – a bridge between spiritual and free jazz that prefaces the impact that both Hemphill and Bluiett would have on the New York loft jazz generation. Titles include "Dogon AD", "Rites", and "The Painter". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal session from the St Louis scene of the early 70s – one that was humming nearly as much as Chicago was with the AACM at the time! As with the larger organization in the Windy City, St Louis had the Black Artists Group – of which Julius Hemphill was a key member, forming fresh new ideas in improvisatory jazz with players who went onto have an undeniable impact on the global scene as well. This album's one of the standout recordings of the Black Artists era at its best – a record produced by Hemphill, but equally balanced between his own alto and flute, the trumpet of Baikida Carroll, cello of Abdul Wadud, and drums of Phillip Wilson – plus a bit of added baritone from Haimet Bluiett. The rhythms are quite open, but there's also a nice sense of structure to the record too – a bridge between spiritual and free jazz that prefaces the impact that both Hemphill and Bluiett would have on the New York loft jazz generation. Titles include "Dogon AD", "Rites", and "The Painter". Great reissue too – in a gatefold LP-styled cover, with bonus insert notes, including the artwork from the original 1972 pressing on Hemphill's Mbari label! CD also features a bonus track – "Hard Blues" from Hemphill's Coon Business album! CD

Early work from alto genius Bobby Watson – recording here with the Horizon Quintet, a hip group of spiritual soul jazz players that includes Curtis Lundy, Mulgrew Miller, Hamiet Bluiett, and Marvin Smitty Smith. The session takes up the soul jazz torch of 70s work by artists like Woody Shaw, Clifford Jordan, and Cedar Walton – with a mix of modal structures in the rhythms, augmented by searching solos, and just the right amount of hardbop energy. Tracks are mostly all long originals – and titles include "Premonition", "Wheel Within A Wheel", "From East To West", and "Point The Finger". CD

One of the best later albums by French tenor genius Barney Wilen – a true gem that's far better than the title might indicate! The tunes, as you might guess, are all themes from French films – stretching back to the late 50s jazz/new wave days, when Wilen recorded on a few brilliant soundtracks with Miles Davis and Art Blakey – and moving forward into later years to include a few great tunes from the 60s French scene. The group on the set is Mal Waldron's excellent trio with Stafford James on bass and Eddie Moore on drums – the three of them rounding out the tunes with a strong degree of soul, and lots of open notes and space, which lets Wilen do some incredible work on both tenor and soprano saxes. Tunes are all quite long, and really depart from the original structures – and titles include "Un Homme Et Une Femme", "Les Parapluies De Cherbourg", "Manha De Carnaval", "No Problem", and "Julien Dans L'Ascenseur". CD

A tremendous look at one of the coolest jazz labels of all time – and one that has an especially strong focus on the more spiritual side of its music! The paired Black Saint and Soul Note labels came along from the Italian scene right at a time when so many other American companies were shutting their doors – former spiritual jazz powerhouses like Strata East, Impulse, and Black Jazz were moving beyond the music, or disappearing entirely – which made the role of Black Saint/Soul Note such a crucial one! The company came into the game at a time of boundless creativity in American jazz – and really captured a post-Coltrane generation that was brimming over with fire and new ideas, but just needed a place to find expression – which it did at the label, who recorded dozens of albums in the space of less than a decade, nearly all of which have gone onto become classics over the years. And while there's a side of the label that's much more free jazz and avant garde, the cuts here reflect a Black Saint/Soul Note that's just slightly inside – tunes that are still freewheeling, but also have a rhythmic core – and the kinds of open, soaring solos that were first inspired in the 60s generation of Coltrane and Shepp. The choice of cuts is great – similar to the others in the If Music series – and titles include "Mr Seven" by M'Booom, "Joycie Girl" by Don Pullen with Sam Rivers, "Il Giro Del Giorno In 80 Mondi" by Enrico Rava, "Oasis" by Hamiet Bluiett, "Confessin" by John Stubblefield, "Joobubie" by George Adams & Dannie Richmond, "Verde Que Eu Te Quero Ver" by Rava String Band, "Down Home In New York" by Archie Shepp, "BK" by Air, and "The Nagual Julian" by Billy Bang Sextet. LP, Vinyl record album

Lester Bowie's no pretender here – as he really sounds great as a leader on his own, away from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – really finding his voice in music, and dipping into a full range of styles and expressions! Bowie's keen wit and sensitivity both come into play here – and the album's a bit more open and free than his Brass Fantasy years – almost hearkening back to elements of his St Louis scene, but with a bit more dynamism overall. Other players include Hamiet Bluiett on baritone, Donald Smith on piano and organ, Fred Williams on bass, and Phillip Wilson on drums – and both David Peatson and Fontella Bass sing on the extended track "The Great Pretender", which spans a good chunk of the album's first half. Other titles include "It's Howdy Doody Time", "Rose Drop", "Rios Negros", and "Oh How The Ghost Sings". LP, Vinyl record album

Kahil El'Zabar on percussion, Hamiet Bluiett on reeds, and Billy Bang on violin. CD

Gil Evans on piano, Chris Hunter on alto and soprano saxophone and flute, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone saxophone, clarinet and bass clarinet, Mark Egan on bass, Danny Gottlieb on drums, Johnny Coles on flugelhorn, John Clark on horn and French horn, Hiram Bullock on guitar, Gil Goldstein and Peter Levin on synthesizer, Bill Evans on tenor and soprano saxophone and flute, Dave Bargeron and Dave Tucker on trombone, and Lew Soloff, Miles Evans, and Shunzo O'No on trumpet. CD

Gil Evans on piano, Chris Hunter on alto and soprano saxophone and flute, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone saxophone, clarinet and bass clarinet, Bill Evans on soprano and tenor saxophone and flute, Dave Tucker on bass trombone, Johnny Coles on flugelhorn, John Clark on French horn and hornette, Gil Goldstein and Peter Levin on synthesizer, Dave Bargeron on trombone, Lew Soloff, Miles Evans, and Shunzo O'no on trumpet, Hiram Bullock on guitar, Mark Egan on bass, and Danny Gottlieb on drums. CD

One of the most striking Don Pullen albums of the 80s – a beautifully open session that has the pianist co-leading a version of the 360 Experience group of drummer Beaver Harris – with an excellent lineup that also features Ricky Ford on tenor sax, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone, and Buster Williams on bass! The mix of players is unusual, and the sound here is as well – a record that easily steps between freer moments and more tuneful passages – imbued with the creative spirit of the loft jazz generation, but also taken a step further too – possibly via the album's production work by Hal Willner. There's some truly majestic moments on the album – and the whole thing is a great demonstration of the way that the farther fringes of the jazz universe were finding even more focused expression in the 80s – during a time when records like this really helped give musicians a great outlet for their new ideas. The set begins with the very long "Goree", which has additional work by Candido on percussion – and other tracks include "Land Of The Pharoahs", "Double Arc Jake", and "Newcomer". CD

2 different sessions by Julius Hemphill – one from 1975, with Arthur Blythe, Hamiet Bluiett, and Abdul Wadud; the other from 1972, with Bluiett, Wadud, and Baikida Carroll. The 1972 session's a bit more interesting, and was recorded in St. Louis by Oliver Sain (of all people!). It's one long track entitled "The Hard Blues", and has an excellent mix of styles, emotions, and voices – with all the players getting in some beautiful solo moments. The 1975 session's not too bad either, but it's just a little too self-consciously out, and lacks the warmth of the other piece. Other tracks include "Skin 2", "Lyric", "Reflections", and "Skin One". CD

Very cool work from Peggy Lee – mostly with arrangements by Benny Golson, and done in a really wonderful style for the 70s! The work's every bit as mature as her other Capitol sides from the time, but it's also got a bit more confidence too – a style that somehow offsets the melancholy of these years with a subtle positive sensibility too, possibly from Golson's presence. Titles include a great version of "Passenger Of The Rain" – the title track to Francis Lai's soundtrack for Le Passager De La Pluie – and other tracks include "Make It With You", "The Long & Winding Road", "That's What Living is All About", "You'll Remember Me", "I've Never Been So Happy In My Life", and "One More Ride On The Merry Go Round". LP, Vinyl record album

Charles Mingus at Carnegie Hall – but playing here with relaxed and intimate feel that's not what you might expect from the staid setting! The album features 2 long tracks – both done in more of a jam session mode than any other Charles Mingus recordings we can think of. Both numbers are Ellington classics – "C Jam Blues" and "Perdido" – showcasing Mingus' late fascination with the Duke, but in a way that still preserves all of the modern inventions of his own earlier work. As on much of the best Mingus albums from the time, there's a real focus on the strengths of the soloists here – players who include Roland Kirk on tenor and stritch, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone, Jon Faddis on trumpet, John Handy on alto and tenor, Charles McPherson on alto, and Don Pullen on piano – all of whom really play with some sharp edges and bold notes! CD

Charles Mingus at Carnegie Hall – but playing here with relaxed and intimate feel that's not what you might expect from the staid setting! The album features 2 long tracks – both done in more of a jam session mode than any other Charles Mingus recordings we can think of. Both numbers are Ellington classics – "C Jam Blues" and "Perdido" – showcasing Mingus' late fascination with the Duke, but in a way that still preserves all of the modern inventions of his own earlier work. As on much of the best Mingus albums from the time, there's a real focus on the strengths of the soloists here – players who include Roland Kirk on tenor and stritch, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone, Jon Faddis on trumpet, John Handy on alto and tenor, Charles McPherson on alto, and Don Pullen on piano – all of whom really play with some sharp edges and bold notes! LP, Vinyl record album

A rare meeting of two jazz generations – as trumpeter Cat Anderson joins the small combo of Charles Mingus for some very firey performances! The set's quite an unusual one – recorded live at the Philharmonie Berlin in 1972 – with a combo that includes both Anderson and Joseph Gardner on trumpet, Hamiet Bluiett on reeds, John Forster on piano, and Roy Brooks on drums – all with a searing sense of freedom that's unusual, even for Mingus albums of the time! Side one features the burning "Celia" – an older Mingus tune, but reworked here as a stunning vehicle for extended soloing – sometimes quite out, depending on the player. Side two features "Perdido", a familiar number, to be sure – but one that's opened up strongly by the group and their long-flowing solo styles – especially in the middle, which breaks down to almost free jazz entirely! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest, tightest sessions ever recorded by drummer Sunny Murray – a large group set recorded with his Untouchable Factor group – a great ensemble that includes Frank Foster on soprano sax, Oliver Lake and Arthur Blythe on alto saxes, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone, Don Pullen on piano, and Cecil McBee and Fred Hopkins on bass! The sound is somewhat straighter than Murray's free jazz of a few years before – almost in the mode that Foster was exploring with some of his large ensembles of the 70s – a platform for righteous jazz expression, but in a way that's still tied together strongly with a sense of rhythm. Other players on the group include the enigmatic Youseff Yancy on a host of instruments, including theremin – plus the under-recorded Monette Sudler on guitar. Some tracks are a bit more outside than others – and titles include "Past Perfect Tense", "One Down & One Up", "Applebluff", "Apple Cores", and "New York Maze". LP, Vinyl record album

Bold tones from the Music Revelation Ensemble – a group that's heavy on guitar work from James Blood Ulmer, but which also features some great guest reeds from Arthur Blythe, Sam Rivers, and Hamiett Bluiett! The core trio features Amin Ali on electric bass and Cornell Rochester on drums – moving in somewhat harmelodic formation – echoing Ulmer's styles of the decade before, but perhaps pushing his sound with a more forceful feel, possibly to showcase his crossing over to bigger audiences at the time. But the real charm here is the reed work – contributions that include alto from Blythe, baritone from Bluiett, and either soprano, tenor, or flute from Rivers – players that are heard separately from track to track, but who really help bring a deeper sense of spirit to the record. Titles include "The Dawn", "Mankind", "Purity", "Abundance", "In Time", and "Non-Believer". CD

Features Greg Osby, Steve Coleman, Chico Freeman, and Hamiet Bluiett on reeds – plus Joseph Bowie on trombone, Baikida Carroll and Ralph Alessi on trumpet, and others. CD

Reedman John Stubblefield made some of his best records as a leader for Enja – and this is definitely one of them! The set has Stubblefield coming across with maturity and focus that you might not have found a few years before – that kind of ebullient, soulful style that some of his best contemporaries were hitting in the late 80s – new modes of expression that were maybe less righteous than previous years, but a lot more powerful in their positive energy and subtle sense of care! John plays both tenor and soprano sax with this easygoing, soulful vibe – and the group also includes Hamiet Bluiett on baritone, Mulgrew Miller on piano, Charnett Moffett on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums – a well-matched lineup, as all players are at similar points in their musical conceptions. Stubblefield plays a bit of keyboards on one last track, but even that comes across well – with almost a Lonnie Liston Smith vibe – and titles include "Remembrance", "For Those Who Didn't Know", "Montauk", "The Wanderer", and "Going Home". CD

Live and lively work from the World Sax Quartet – a perfect illustration of the group's unique powers, recorded in concert at BAM, a very welcome setting for their creative energy! The album's one of our favorite ever by the group – as it has the players coming together perfectly – really knowing each others strengths, and forging a rich new sound out of their unique combinations of horns – truly one of the most inspiring jazz inventions of the 80s! As on other albums, the lineup features Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, and David Murray on a variety of saxes – and titles include "One/Waltz/Time", "Great Peace", "Kind'a Up", "Paper Works", "Open Air (For Tommy)" and "Georgia Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous interplay on saxes from this ultra-hip combo – a legendary lineup that features David Murray, Oliver Lake, Hamiet Bluiett, and Julius Hemphill – all blowing hard on a variety of saxes! The sound here is possibly a bit more free at times than some of the quartet's other 80s albums – less trying to come up with a straighter jazz groove from a batch of horns, and instead more willing to let all the players soar out and express themselves freely. Many tracks definitely still have a sense of structure, but there's also a bit of a different feel here that we really like. Titles include "Steppin", "Bordertown", "Funny Paper", "Stick", "Hattie Wall", "My First Winter", and "Touchic". LP, Vinyl record album

With Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, and David Murray – on titles that include "Ming", "David's Tune", "I Heard That", "Quinn Chapel AME Church", "Affairs Of The Heart", and "Little Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

A deep dive into the catalog of the legendary Soul Note label – the Italian imprint that became a huge host to American jazz musicians in the late 70s onwards – a company that helped to evolve both spiritual and loft jazz modes, and continue the legacy of free-thinking expression that was begun in the shadow of John Coltrane! The choice of cuts here is great – tracks that go past some of the obvious classics of the label, but which also resonate with those moments too – a well-chosen array of tracks that often focus on more rhythmic moments of the label, with strong spiritual and modal currents throughout. Titles include "Rain Shout" by Hamiet Bluiett, "Olduvai George" by Dannie Richmond, "Mwalimu" by Max Roach, "Ondas" by Nana Vasconcelos & Antonello Salis, "Aladdin's Castle" by Beaver Harris, "Hide & Go Seek" by Paul Motian, "Spirits Return" by Tony Scott, "Tribute To Bu (take 1)" by Andrew Cyrille, "Bouka" by Hamiet Bluiett, "Nagual Julian" by Billy Bang, "The Earth Spins" by Adam Rudolph, "Cubano Be Cubano Bop" by George Russell, and "Nu Tune" by Hamiet Bluiett. LP, Vinyl record album

Features James Carter and David Murray on tenor saxophone, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone sax, and Billy Bang on violin. CD

Lean and spacey soul – a perfect blend of the vocals of Astronne and the laidback instrumentation of LaBlue – served up in the kind of hazy, sunny tracks that remind us a lot of the contemporary LA scene! Some of the vocals are in French, but most of the set is English – and the six tracks on the EP have a great way of snaking together with a groove that's dreamy and warm – on titles that include "La Femme Du Crepuscule", "Home", "Sous La Pluie", "Keep It Smooth", "Blue", and "Lost". LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary Michel Legrand gave the world music in so many different styles and formats – jazz, soundtrack material, and even a huge legacy of vocal material too – the last of which is showcased in this great collection – which features a fair bit of more recent recordings, which stand in nice contrast to Legrand's decades of albums and singles – as proof that his musical legacy has gone on to touch generations! A number of these feature Legrand himself on arrangements, and all the tracks are his own compositions – titles that include "La Chanson De Delphone" by Clara Luciani, "Chanson Des Jumelles" by Yuri Buenaventura, "Les Moulins De Mon Coeur" by Juliette Armanet, "La Joueuese" by Philippe Katerine, "Sa Maison" by Natalie Dessay, "Ton Copain Des Jours De Pluie" by Benjamin Legrand, "Chanson D'Un Jour D'Ete" by Les Umbrellas, and "Sans Toi" by Youn Sun Nah. LP, Vinyl record album

Michel Legrand is one of our favorite composers of all time – and although the man himself passed away in 2019, his music continues to live on strongly in the hearts of countless singers and musicians he's touched over the years – including those who work together on this wonderful tribute album! The set's very different than other Legrand-related projects of this nature – as both the choice of cuts and the execution is very special – not too pop-polished, or overly sentimental – as most of the numbers here are very spare and open – almost recorded as these elegies to Michel, with beautiful reworkings of his familiar themes, often just with piano and some other light instrumentation – never sleepy, given the talents on board, but sensitively done in just the right spirit of Legrand's genius. Titles include "Windmills Of Your Mind" by Chad Lawson, "Sans Toi" by Luca D'Alberto, "Les Parapluies De Cherbourg" by Lambert, "Toujoirs Jamais" by Akira Kosemura, "Peau D'Ane" by Alban Claudin, "Chanson De Jumelles" by Joseph Schiano Di Lombo, "How Do You Keep The Music Playing" by Moux, and "Summer Of 42" by Chilly Gonzales. CD

Charles Mingus at Carnegie Hall – but playing here with relaxed and intimate feel that's not what you might expect from the staid setting! The original album features two long tracks – both done in more of a jam session mode than any other Charles Mingus recordings we can think of. Both numbers are Ellington classics – "C Jam Blues" and "Perdido" – showcasing Mingus' late fascination with the Duke, but in a way that still preserves all of the modern inventions of his own earlier work. As on much of the best Mingus albums from the time, there's a real focus on the strengths of the soloists here – players who include Roland Kirk on tenor and stritch, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone, Jon Faddis on trumpet, John Handy on alto and tenor, Charles McPherson on alto, and Don Pullen on piano – all of whom really play with some sharp edges and bold notes! This great expanded version features more very long tracks – over 70 minutes of unreleased music, with versions of "Celia", "Big Alice", "Fables Of Faubus", and "Peggy's Blue Skylight" – as well as Mingus' introduction of the music. CD

Eric Person, Oliver Lake, Hamiet Bluiett, and David Murray on a saxophones and other reed instruments – plus special guest James Spaulding on two tracks. CD

Live and lively work from the World Sax Quartet – a perfect illustration of the group's unique powers, recorded in concert at BAM, a very welcome setting for their creative energy! The album's one of our favorite ever by the group – as it has the players coming together perfectly – really knowing each others strengths, and forging a rich new sound out of their unique combinations of horns – truly one of the most inspiring jazz inventions of the 80s! As on other albums, the lineup features Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, and David Murray on a variety of saxes – and titles include "One/Waltz/Time", "Great Peace", "Kind'a Up", "Paper Works", "Open Air (For Tommy)" and "Georgia Blue". CD

One of their best ones, and a tight set of Ellington tracks that works perfectly with their multi-horn style. Oliver Lake, Julius Hemphill, Bamiet Bluiett, and David Murray split up the arrangements, and the tracks include "Lush Life", "Come Sunday", "Prelude To A Kiss", and 2 different versions of "Take The A Train". CD

Bold, brilliant horns from David Murray, Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, and Oliver Lake – on unusual versions of tunes that include "Let's Get It On", "For The Love Of Money", "Nemesis", "Night Train", "Messin With The Kid", and "Dock Of The Bay". CD