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Afterglow is a bit of a strange word to use in the title here – as it implies that the main even is long over, and things are getting mellow – when it's clear that the trio of Yosuke Yamashita are just beginning to set things on fire! The set begins with a mindblowing side-long version of Albert Ayler's classic "Ghosts" – using the tune with even more freewheeling improvisation than Ayler himself might have done back in the day – while Yosuke goes completely mad on piano, and tears up all 88 keys with an amazing sense of energy – matched by richly soulful blowing from Akira Sakata on alto, and equally great drums from Shohota Koyama. An original tune follows, the great "Banslikana" – also a side long, and with a hauntingly lyrical quality in the main theme, which is again exploded by the performance. CD

A west coast psychedelic classic from the legendary Merrell Fankhauser – one of his earliest moments on record, and a perfect blend of his earlier garage rock modes and latter trippier styles! The tunes are short and wonderfully tuneful – produced at Gold Star studios, with a simple, straightforward style that makes all the deftness of the songwriting come through even more – an approach that, although supposedly steeped in Pacific Ocean inspiration, almost feels more like that great moment when some UK groups of the mid 60s were tripping out, but not too much. Titles include "Lost In The City", "Your Painted Lives", "In A Minute Not Too Soon", "A Visit With Ashiya", "The Big Gray Sky", and "Rich Man's Fable". CD

Titles include "Blood On The Rooftops", "Wot Gorilla", "Afterglow", "In That Quiet Earth", "Your Own Special Way", "All In A Mouse's Night", and "Eleventh Earl Of Mar". CD

Titles include "Blood On The Rooftops", "Wot Gorilla", "Afterglow", "In That Quiet Earth", "Your Own Special Way", "All In A Mouse's Night", and "Eleventh Earl Of Mar". LP, Vinyl record album

A jazz vocal set, but one that offers up a very different version of the format – as the dark vision of pianist Tord Gustavsen is shaped here by singer Simin Tander – who can move between sweet moments, poetic passages, and some much moodier moments! The tunes include a fair bit of numbers from both traditional and global sources, but the presentation is very modern, and very effective – with Gustavsen setting the scene on piano, plus a bit of bass and electronics, and very gentle, spare drums from Jarle Vespestad – while Tander lets the songs slowly flower, seeding lyrics amidst the piano notes – with a gentle blending of voice and instrumentation that's not unlike some of the spare sessions that Karin Krog cut with John Surman, although with a style here that's very much its own. Titles include "Sweet Melting", "A Castle In Heaven", "Imagine The Fog Disappearing", "I See You", "Your Grief", and "Sweet Morning Afterglow". LP, Vinyl record album

Pianist Walter Lang brings all his own compositions to this beautiful trio set – a record of understated genius that's handled with a really beautiful approach to recording! Lang's tunes are complex, but never in a way that's cold – and although he clearly can really work his way around the keyboard, he also does so in ways that aren't showy or overdone – really just these light painterly strokes in sound at times, given gentle groove through the work of Thomas Markusson on bass and Sebastian Merk on drums. Titles include "Still Gone", "Dawn Song", "Precious Love", "I Wonder", "Translucent Red", and "Afterglow". LP, Vinyl record album

You might not recognize the group's name, but you'll definitely know the three leaders – pianist Brad Mehldau, tenorist Mark Turner, and guitarist Peter Bernstein – coming together here in a session that's a real standout in the catalogs of all three musicians! Brad Mehldau somehow seems to have more of an edge, Mark Turner is warmer than usual, and Peter Bernstein makes his guitar ring out with bold colors and tones that really seem to hold the whole thing together! Remaining quintet members include Larry Grenadier on bass and Leon Parker on drums – both players who deserve equal billing with the M, T, and B – and titles include two takes on the great Jackie McLean tune "Little Melonae" – plus a version of Wayne Shorter's "Limbo, Horace Silver's "Peace", and the original tunes "Afterglow", "Phatasm", and "Belief". CD

A mellow mainstream fusion classic from the 70s – one that paired the gentle guitar of Earl Klugh with the sweet keyboards of Bob James – in a set that's filled with plenty of warm and laidback touches! The mode here takes off some of the darker edges from James' earlier sound, and softens it nicely with Klugh's colorful approach to the guitar – a slightly tropical mode at times, and one that dances breezily along with help from Ralph MacDonald, Ron Carter, Harvey Mason, and Gary King. Titles include the lovely "Mallorca", plus "I'll Never See You Smile Again", "Kari", "The Afterglow", "Love Lips", and "Winding River". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Blood On The Rooftops", "Wot Gorilla", "Afterglow", "In That Quiet Earth", "Your Own Special Way", "All In A Mouse's Night", and "Eleventh Earl Of Mar". CD