... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Nothing innocent about this record – because the groove is hard and heavy, wild and trippy – a really heady brew of funky jazz and more psychedelic influences – all recorded with some weird sounds in the background too! The album's a great one from Japanese groove pioneer Takeshi Inomata – and it's almost a fusion of earlier 60s funky band jazz with some of the more tripped-out modes of the jazz rock era. Vamping rhythms and full-on organs are undercut by wiggy guitar parts and soaring organ lines – all augmented by spoken Japanese passages, sound effects, and production styles that abstract out some instruments into very unusual modes. There's plenty of soulful and funky moments throughout – and titles include "The Death Of Janis", "Child & I", "Blue", "Alone", and "Go For Nothing". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best sessions that Al Cohn ever cut – done with a small group setting, a rare privilege for Al, who was so often lost in a larger group! Cohn's tenor is right out front, and the rest of the players include Frank Rehak, Hank Jones, Milt Hinton, and Osie Johnson. Cohn contributes the original tunes "Be Loose", "Good Ol Blues", and "Abstract Of You" – and the rest of the tracks include "We Three", "Idaho", "When Day Is Done", and "Blue Lou". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool take on the music of Thelonious Monk – a set that's far more abstract and offbeat than any of Monk's original recordings – but in a way that the composer might have appreciated, had he lived until the 21st Century! Mast clearly really loves these tunes, and knows them inside and out – and he splits them down the middle and feels free to take them in any way he wants – sometimes angular jazz, sometimes, much more freewheeling and electronic – but almost always with some acoustic instrumentation at play. Musicians include Gavin Templeton on alto and baritone, Jonah Levine on trombone, and Dan Rosenboom on trumpet – and Tim Conley handles guitar, bass, keyboards, and rhythms. Titles include "Evidence", "Epistrophy", "Well You Needn't", "Blue Monk", "Oska T", "Nutty", "Straight No Chaser", and "Friday The 13th". CD

A very cool album put out by the Muzak corporation to promote their world-wide takeover of all sonic spaces! It seems strange that Muzak would actually produce a record – but we're happy they did, as the cover has a cool abstract painting, some great notes, and a few photos of Muzak musicians and scientists at work! Tracks include "The Happening" by Sid Bass, "Amy's Theme" by Phil Bodner, "Where's The Melody" by George Siravo, "Sunday Will Never Be The Same" by Charles Grean, and "It Must Be Him" by Dave Terry. Wild! LP, Vinyl record album

A wealth of great work from Chico Hamilton in the 50s! First up is the self-titled Chico Hamilton Quintet album – Pacific Jazz 1225 – not to be confused with other similar-titled Chico Hamilton albums at the time! This one sports an abstract painting on the cover, and was recorded in 1956 at the Forum Theater in Los Angeles – not live, but using the space as a very open-sounding studio – with really amazing results! The lineup features Hamilton on drums, Paul Horn on alto and tenor sax and clarinet, John Pisano on guitar, Fred Katz on cello and Carson Smith on bass – kind of a second-generation of Hamilton's group, with Horn taking over wonderfully from Buddy Collette, and playing with even more sensitivity than before. The work's very much in Hamilton's best sprightly chamber jazz mode – with some great originals that include "Chanel #5", "Beanstalk", "Mr. Jo Jones", and "Reflections" – plus Hamilton-ized versions of "Satin Doll", "Caravan", "Soft Winds", "Siete-Cuatro", "I Know", and "Lillian". Next up are 3 more tracks recorded in LA for the Stars Of Jazz TV show – "Blue Sands", "The Ghost", and "The Morning After". These are followed by 5 more by the Hamilton Quintet from The Sweet Smell Of Success film – "Cheek To Chico", "Susan", "Sidney's Theme", "Jonalah", and "Goodbye Baby". Last up are 2 of the rarest cuts – "Show Me" and "I'm A Funny Dame" – both pulled from a compilation called Jazz Swings Broadway. CD

Greg Foat and Gigi Masin served up some great keyboards together on their Dolphin album – and here, they sound maybe even more amazing as they play live in the studio – working with bass from Tom Herbert and drums from Moses Boyd – as they stretch out on four long tracks presented in a variety of different sounds! Foat plays a fair bit of acoustic piano on the record – different than usual – but also adds in some electronics too – while Gigi is on Fender Rhodes, but also uses some programs to abstract his sound at times, creating all these cool colors and tones that are really unique for such an intimate live performance! Titles include "Sabena", "Three Piece Suite", "Viento Calido", and "Jubilation". LP, Vinyl record album

Well, the Three Sounds have always been more soulful than modern – and about the only thing "modern" about this pre-Blue Note release is the abstract painting on the cover! But that doesn't stop the record from being a great little batch of soul jazz piano tunes, played by Gene Harris and the early version of the Sounds that included bassist Andrew Simpkins and drummer Bill Dowdy. Titles include "Rat Down Front", "Mr Lucky", "Let's Dance", "Elbows & Armpits", and "There's Something Nice About The Rain". CD

The Three Sounds have always been more soulful than modern – and about the only thing "modern" about this pre-Blue Note release is the abstract painting on the cover! But that doesn't stop the record from being a great little batch of soul jazz piano tunes, played by Gene Harris and the early version of the Sounds that included bassist Andrew Simpkins and drummer Bill Dowdy. Titles include "Rat Down Front", "Mr Lucky", "Let's Dance", "Elbows & Armpits", and "There's Something Nice About The Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the albums Meet Oliver Nelson, Taking Care Of Business, Screamin' The Blues, Soul Battle, Blues & The Abstract Blues, Straight Ahead, Main Stem, and Afro-American Sketches. CD

Oliver Nelson's follow-up to his classic Blues & The Abstract Truth session for Impulse – and like that one, a tremendous little album – filled with deep tones and wonderful colors in sound! The group here's a bit larger than before – an ensemble that includes Phil Woods on alto, Ben Webster on tenor, Thad Jones on trumpet, Pepper Adams on baritone, Roger Kellaway on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Grady Tate on drums. The album includes some superb original compositions by Nelson – just the kind of overlooked jazz numbers that make the set great – and as with most of his arrangements from the time, there's a perfect balance between group force and intimate solo space! Titles include "The Critic's Choice", "Blues & The Abstract Truth", "One For Bob", and 2 versions of Dave Brubeck's "Theme From Mr. Broadway". Also included are two bonus tracks- "One For Phil" and "Night Lights". CD

Oliver Nelson's follow-up to his classic Blues & The Abstract Truth session for Impulse – and like that one, a tremendous little album – filled with deep tones and wonderful colors in sound! The group here's a bit larger than before – an ensemble that includes Phil Woods on alto, Ben Webster on tenor, Thad Jones on trumpet, Pepper Adams on baritone, Roger Kellaway on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Grady Tate on drums. The album includes some superb original compositions by Nelson – just the kind of overlooked jazz numbers that make the set great – and as with most of his arrangements from the time, there's a perfect balance between group force and intimate solo space! Titles include "The Critic's Choice", "Blues & The Abstract Truth", "One For Bob", and 2 versions of Dave Brubeck's "Theme From Mr. Broadway". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool package – one that brings together a classic album, plus another disc of even more rare material! LP 1 features Blues & The Abstract Truth – one of the all-time classics of early 60s mainstream jazz – and a beautiful record that showcases writing and arranging talents of Oliver Nelson! Nelson had been bumping around a variety of sessions before this one – as a leader, sideman, and arranger – but it was with this album that his true talents really unfolded – sparkling with a depth of imagination and expression that marked him as one of the greatest artists in 60s American jazz! The group on the set is an all-star sextet – featuring Paul Chambers, Eric Dolphy, Bill Evans, Roy Haynes, and Freddie Hubbard – a disparate group of players who manage to come together with Nelson and find a unique voice that's rarely been duplicated again! The album features 6 fantastic compositions by Nelson, including "Stolen Moments", "Hoe Down", and "Yearnin". LP 2 features material from the Sound Pieces sessions – just the small group sides, with two previously unreleased tracks appearing here. The group features Oliver Nelson on soprano sax – plus Steve Kuhn on piano, Ron Carter bass, and Grady Tate on drums. Kuhn's piano brings a nice modern edge that works perfectly with the soprano – and titles include "Patterns", "Shadow Of Your Smile", and "Elegy For A Duck" – plus the unissued "Straight No Chaser" and "Example 78". LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just "abstractions" – as the set's a very focused batch of some of the larger ideas that John Lewis had about jazz – explored beautifully here away from the Modern Jazz Quartet! The album has Lewis working with frequent partner – and fellow third stream conceptualist – Gunther Schuller – and also features great guest work from Ornette Coleman on alto, Joe Wilder on trumpet, Jim Hall on guitar, and Scott LaFaro on bass – all very different talents at the forefront of jazz at the time, helping bring a wider range of voices than you might normally get on a John Lewis project. Titles include "Abstraction", "Variants On A Theme of Thelonious Monk", and "Piece For Guitar & Strings". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the more obscure reissues to come out on the great Rearward imprint – but an excellent lost session of piano jazz, recorded in Milan in 1969! Pianist Oscar Rocchi has a sweet soulful approach to the piano, with a tone that's almost slightly funky at times – partly in reflection to the strong bass work by Cornelio Dattoli, and tight drumming by Gianni Cazzola. The record almost reminds us of some of the excellent 70s Japanese trio recordings by American pianists – and the whole set has a nice warm quality that you wouldn't expect from a record titled Abstraction! Includes a version of Edu Lobo's "Cancao Do Amanhecer", plus "FBM Blues", "Moment Of Joy", "Ivory Isle", and "Remember Coltrane". CD

Amazing! This is one of the coolest sets we've seen in years – and everything about it is fantastic, from the package right down to the triple-length set of music! The set features rare unreleased recordings from Raymond Scott's legendary Manhattan Research electronic music studios – originally set up in 1946, and home to some of Scott's landmark early work on non-acoustic music during the 50s and 60s. Far from being the sort of turgid, dark knob-twiddling that computer music later became in the academy, Scott's early experiments are filled with a sense of whimsy and joy – exported directly from his early cartoon-based work, and applied in a fantastic way to his evolving musical inventions! The LP edition comes in three separate sleeves, plus a great 8 page booklet of notes, in a brilliant graphic style that complements the package even further! Don't forget the music, though – because it's totally fantastic – and kind of reminds us of bits of Jon Appleton's Syntonic Menagerie, Pierre Henry's early Musique Concrete, and later punk-era DIY electronics. That doesn't even come close to pinning it down, though – and with 3 LPs worth of material, the scope of the work is amazing! LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's maybe one of the most tuneful, lyrical we've ever heard from guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel – and that may have a lot to do with the wonderful help in the trio from Scott Colley on bass and Brian Blade on drums! The tunes still have some of the abstract qualities of Muthspiel's other work, and certainly continue his very distinct exploration of color and tone – but there's this sparkle, almost a sense of joy about most of the numbers – very present when things are grooving and moving fast, but also really there in a sense of subtle bounce when they're a bit more mellow. The quality's a bit hard to describe, but it's there right from the start, and holds up beautifully throughout – on titles that include "Wondering", "Angular Blues", "Everything I Love", "Kanon In 6/8", "I'll Remember April", "Ride", and "Camino". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark recording – one of a handful of early documents of the avant garde LA scene, featuring a nimble quartet headed up by the inventive frontline of John Carter on reeds and Bobby Bradford on trumpet, over the fluid rhythm team of Tom Williamson on bass and Chicago expatriate Bruz Freeman on drums! Carter and Bradford's energetic approach followed its own line of development, much in the way that other small cells of improvisers were developing their own take on the "new thing" in the post-Coltrane/Coleman environment of the late 60s and early 70s throughout the country. The compositions unfold in a way that implies both multi-linear improvisation and composed events, but blurs the line between the two, all the while played with a great deal of fire and few of the intellectual abstractions of other free players! Titles include "The Sunday Afternoon Jazz Blues Society", "The Eye Of The Storm", "Loneliness", and "Encounter". LP, Vinyl record album

Overlooked gems from this key reedman on the Brit modern scene of the 60s – two rare albums in a single package! First up is Movement – one of the most obscure albums recorded by Joe Harriott – leading light of the British avant scene in the 60s – and one of the best, too! The album features Harriott working with a quintet that includes Shake Keane on trumpet, Pat Smythe on piano, Bobby Orr on drums, and Coleridge Goode on bass – playing in territory that's somewhat in the neighborhood of his Abstract and Free Form albums, but also a bit more inside, with more of a focus on swinging, hard-hitting jazz. The rhythms are often quite tight and soulful, and although the album's touched with lots of angular moments – both in the solos and backings – the overall sound is wonderfully grooving and tremendously captivating! The album's got that perfect blend of modern, modal, and soul that make the best Brit jazz albums from the mid 60s so wonderful – and the set list includes original tunes such as "Movement", "Spaces", "Blues On Blues", "Revival", "Beams", and "Count Twelve". High Spirits is pretty unique – a set of takes on tunes that come from a musical show, but recast strongly as soulful sides for the Harriott combo! Pianist Pat Smythe re-arranged all tracks in the set – and really gives them a new sort of energy – opening them up for lots of solo work on his own piano, plus alto from Harriott, and some beautiful trumpet lines from the great Shake Keane – a player who always sounds great next to Joe. The rest of the group features Coleridge Goode on bass and Bobby Orr on drums – and titles include "Home Sweet Heaven", "Something Tells Me", "Go Into Your Trance", "I Know Your Heart", and "Was She Prettier Than I". CD

A spooky space age fantasy put together by electronic music Joel Vandroogenbroeck as a sound library project – done right around the early years of his famous group Brainticket, but with a much more abstract quality overall! The tunes are sometimes groovy, but mostly fall on that darker side of the sound library spectrum – all sorts of cool elements rumbling down at the bottom of the sonic palette, mixed with some higher-soaring electronics and keyboards – yet all at a level that really fits the dark-tinged image on the cover! Titles include "Riflessione Introspettiva", "Hertz Blues", "Risonanze Estaiche", "Curva Di Energia", "Angolazione Acustiche", "Eco Cosmico", and "Ricerca Di Sintonia". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic Art Pepper album – from his best period! The album's one of those smaller-label, mid 50s gems that Art cut in LA during some of his "troubled years" – all sessions that are great musically, but which are often overshadowed by some of Pepper's more famous work for bigger, more enduring labels. If you're at all a fan of Pepper, though, don't pass this one up – because the album's got a razor-sharp edge that's really wonderful – a keen exploration of tone that we'd rank right up there with a rare few Pepper albums of the time – and which is carried off here with an approach that's disarmingly easy-going, but very carefully placed on every note. Marty Paich's the real leader of the group on piano – even though we think Art's the star of the set – and bass is by Buddy Clark, and drums by Frank Capp. Titles include "Abstract Art", "All The Things You Are", "Marty's Blues", and "Pitfall". CD

Classic jazz for the 21st century – a treasure trove of tunes from Verve Records, all remixed for the modern dancefloor! The set's the second in Verve's Remixed series – and unlike the first, which focused mostly on vocal numbers, this one throws in some instrumental killers that are among some of our favorite in the catalog! The overall groove is much more expanded from the first session – way past the standard of floating vocals, keys, and beats – into a realm of abstract jazz that really gets at the heart of the project! 14 tracks in all – with "Manteca" by Dizzy Gillespie remixed by Funky Lowlives, "Here's That Rainy Day" by Astrud Gilberto remixed by Koop, "Naima's Love Song" by Betty Carter remixed by DJ Spinna, "Fried Neckbones & Some Home Fries" by Willie Bobo remixed by Dan The Automator, "Soul Sauce" by Cal Tjader remixed by Fila Brasillia, "Do What You Wanna" by Ramsey Lewis remixed by Mr Scruff, "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair" by Nina Simone remixed by Jaffa, "Mama" by Hugh Masekela remixed by Metro Area, "Whatever Lola Wants" by Sarah Vaughan remixed by Gotan Project, "Blues For Brother George Jackson" by Archie Shepp remixed by Mondo Grosso, and "Brother Where Are You" by Oscar Brown Jr remixed by Matthew Herbert. CD

One of THE classic Zoot Sims small group recordings of the 50s – recorded with a quintet lineup that includes some great valve trombone work from Bob Brookmeyer! The overall sound isn't nearly as modern as you'd expect from the title (and in fact the cover, which has Zoot sitting in front of an abstract statue, kind of grimacing, might even be taken to imply that the "modern" in the name is a bit of a joke!) But given that Brookmeyer's phrasing is fresh and inventive, and that Sims could easily be moved into some challenging territory with the right players, the set's certainly got a quality that ranks it up there with the best of its contemporaries – no matter how you define the term "modern"! Other players include John Williams, Milt Hinton, and Gus Johnson – and titles include "September In The Rain", "Down At The Loft", "Our Pad", "One To Blow On", and "Dark Clouds". CD features 2 bonus cuts – "When The Blues Come On" and "Buried Gold". CD

One of the all-time classics of early 60s mainstream jazz – and a beautiful record that showcases writing and arranging talents of Oliver Nelson! Nelson had been bumping around a variety of sessions before this one – as a leader, sideman, and arranger – but it was with this album that his true talents really unfolded – sparkling with a depth of imagination and expression that marked him as one of the greatest artists in 60s American jazz! The group on the set is an all-star sextet – featuring Paul Chambers, Eric Dolphy, Bill Evans, Roy Haynes, and Freddie Hubbard – a disparate group of players who manage to come together with Nelson and find a unique voice that's rarely been duplicated again! The album features 6 fantastic compositions by Nelson, including "Stolen Moments", "Hoe Down", and "Yearnin". A fantastic record – and one that you can't go wrong with! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the all-time classics of early 60s mainstream jazz – and a beautiful record that showcases writing and arranging talents of Oliver Nelson! Nelson had been bumping around a variety of sessions before this one – as a leader, sideman, and arranger – but it was with this album that his true talents really unfolded – sparkling with a depth of imagination and expression that marked him as one of the greatest artists in 60s American jazz! The group on the set is an all-star sextet – featuring Paul Chambers, Eric Dolphy, Bill Evans, Roy Haynes, and Freddie Hubbard – a disparate group of players who manage to come together with Nelson and find a unique voice that's rarely been duplicated again! The album features 6 fantastic compositions by Nelson, including "Stolen Moments", "Hoe Down", and "Yearnin". A fantastic record – and one that you can't go wrong with! CD

One of the all-time classics of early 60s mainstream jazz – and a beautiful record that showcases writing and arranging talents of Oliver Nelson! Nelson had been bumping around a variety of sessions before this one – as a leader, sideman, and arranger – but it was with this album that his true talents really unfolded – sparkling with a depth of imagination and expression that marked him as one of the greatest artists in 60s American jazz! The group on the set is an all-star sextet – featuring Paul Chambers, Eric Dolphy, Bill Evans, Roy Haynes, and Freddie Hubbard – a disparate group of players who manage to come together with Nelson and find a unique voice that's rarely been duplicated again! The album features 6 fantastic compositions by Nelson, including "Stolen Moments", "Hoe Down", and "Yearnin". A fantastic record – and one that you can't go wrong with! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the all-time classics of early 60s mainstream jazz – and a beautiful record that showcases writing and arranging talents of Oliver Nelson! Nelson had been bumping around a variety of sessions before this one – as a leader, sideman, and arranger – but it was with this album that his true talents really unfolded – sparkling with a depth of imagination and expression that marked him as one of the greatest artists in 60s American jazz! The group on the set is an all-star sextet – featuring Paul Chambers, Eric Dolphy, Bill Evans, Roy Haynes, and Freddie Hubbard – a disparate group of players who manage to come together with Nelson and find a unique voice that's rarely been duplicated again! The album features 6 fantastic compositions by Nelson, including "Stolen Moments", "Hoe Down", and "Yearnin". A fantastic record – and one that you can't go wrong with! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the all-time classics of early 60s mainstream jazz – and a beautiful record that showcases writing and arranging talents of Oliver Nelson! Nelson had been bumping around a variety of sessions before this one – as a leader, sideman, and arranger – but it was with this album that his true talents really unfolded – sparkling with a depth of imagination and expression that marked him as one of the greatest artists in 60s American jazz! The group on the set is an all-star sextet – featuring Paul Chambers, Eric Dolphy, Bill Evans, Roy Haynes, and Freddie Hubbard – a disparate group of players who manage to come together with Nelson and find a unique voice that's rarely been duplicated again! The album features 6 fantastic compositions by Nelson, including "Stolen Moments", "Hoe Down", and "Yearnin". A fantastic record – and one that you can't go wrong with! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the all-time classics of early 60's mainstream jazz – and a beautiful record that showcases writing and arranging talents of Oliver Nelson! Nelson had been bumping around a variety of sessions before this one – as a leader, sideman, and arranger – but it was with this album that his true talents really unfolded – sparkling with a depth of imagination and expression that marked him as one of the greatest artists in 60s American jazz! The group on the set is an all-star sextet – featuring Paul Chambers, Eric Dolphy, Bill Evans, Roy Haynes, and Freddie Hubbard – a disparate group of players who manage to come together with Nelson and find a unique voice that's rarely been duplicated again! The album features 6 fantastic compositions by Nelson, including "Stolen Moments", "Hoe Down", and "Yearnin". A fantastic record – and one that you can't go wrong with! CD