A sampling of Verve's hippest pianists of the early 50s! LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Begin In The Beguine", "Caravan", "All The Things You Are", "Get Happy", "The Shout", "Tea For Two", "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams", "Elegie", "If I Had You", "I Got Rhythm", "Sweet Lorraine", "Memories Of You", "It Had To Be You", "This Can't Be Love", "Have You Met Miss Jones", "Dark Eyes", "I Thought About You", "Too Marvelous For Words", "Stompin' At The Savoy", "I'll Never Be The Same", "Where Or When", "Humoresque", "Body & Soul", and "I Cried For You". CD

Fantastic material from pianist Art Tatum – a musician who's usually captured solo or in trio modes, but who's working here on some fantastic 50s sessions produced by Norman Granz – very much in a Verve style, with all-star players on board throughout – artists who include Benny Carter, Lionel Hampton, Buddy Rich, Barney Kessel, Ben Webster, Buddy DeFranco, Louis Bellson, and Roy Eldridge! CD

"Genius" is right – because Art Tatum's touch on the keys of the piano here is completely sublime – a style unto itself, with almost a near equal balance between melody and rhythm – and a speed that's almost pyrotechnic, but never too over the top! A fantastic early moment for Verve! CD

Tracks include "Blue Skies", "If I Had You", "Caravan", "Begin The Beguine", "Someone To Watch Over Me", and "She's Funny That Way" – 17 tracks in all. CD

A tremendous collection of work by Art Tatum – maybe even THE collection of work by Art Tatum – complete and unedited "Piano Discoveries" sessions recorded in a private home by Ray Heindorf in Hollywood late in his career, but at a time when he was even more inventive than ever! LP, Vinyl record album

Recorded at the Crescendo, with titles that include "It's Only A Paper Moon", "Just A Gigolo", "On The Sunny Side Of The Street", "Mean To Me", "Body & Soul", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of rare late albums from Bud Powell – back to back in a single set! Strictly Confidential is a really unusual set of recordings from pianist Bud Powell – tracks recorded in his overseas home, solo – a setting that puts the keyboard magic of Powell in a similar sound to that of Art Tatum, who'd recorded in such a way the decade before! At some level, these might be the most compelling recordings that Bud made at the time – as there's an intimacy that's wonderful, and an inherent swing that makes you realize how much Powell was always driving the group – even when he was working with top-shelf drummers and bassists. Plus, the solo mode maybe also opens up a current of humanity past the Bud's skills on the keys – which makes the whole record all that much more powerful. Titles include "Deep Night", "Strictly Confidental", "Wahoo", "Deep Inside", "My Devotion", "Conception", and "Ruby My Dear". Essen Jazz Festival All Stars is a great recording from the 1960 Essen Jazz Festival in Germany – one that has bassist Oscar Pettiford playing with Bud Powell and drummer Kenny Clarke (all of whom were living abroad at the time), and being joined by Coleman Hawkins on a few tracks. On the trio sides, although Powell's strong piano is out front, Pettiford still gets a lot of room to solo in warm round swells. The Hawk sides are our favorites, though, because we love the great tenor player at this point in his career, when he was playing in a way that was deceptively easy, but which was filled with all of these incredible surprises. The tracks on this LP are no exception, and the Hawk flies high high high on "All The Things You Are", "Yesterdays", and "Stuffy". CD

Fantastic material from the legendary Sun Ra – groundbreaking solo piano material, which shows a completely different side of his genius away from his work with the Arkestra! The package presents all volumes of Ra's seminal sides from 1966 – including a third volume, which has never been released at all – making for the most comprehensive package to ever document this side of his work in a more intimate manner! There's a sensitivity to these tracks that's really amazing – still moments of freedom that reflect Ra's connection to the avant garde of the time – but also echoes of Art Tatum and other stylists who influenced his initial vision in the early days – interwoven with his own sense of cosmic creation, in ways that are similar to his later solo projects – but which didn't often show up in other Saturn material of the time. Some tracks are altered standards, but many others are really great originals – and titles include the unreleased "Soundscapes", "The Eternal Tomorrow", "The Changing Wind", "World Island Festival", "Today Is Not Yesterday", "How Am I To Know", and "Yesterdays" – plus "Caloundronius", "Perspective Prismis Of Is", "Solar Boats", "The Ninth Eye", "Space Towers", "Cognition", "The Galaxy Way", "The Alter Destiny", and "Blue Differentials". CD

Fantastic material from the legendary Sun Ra – groundbreaking solo piano material, which shows a completely different side of his genius away from his work with the Arkestra! The package presents all volumes of Ra's seminal sides from 1966 – including a third volume, which has never been released at all – making for the most comprehensive package to ever document this side of his work in a more intimate manner! There's a sensitivity to these tracks that's really amazing – still moments of freedom that reflect Ra's connection to the avant garde of the time – but also echoes of Art Tatum and other stylists who influenced his initial vision in the early days – interwoven with his own sense of cosmic creation, in ways that are similar to his later solo projects – but which didn't often show up in other Saturn material of the time. Some tracks are altered standards, but many others are really great originals – and titles include the unreleased "Soundscapes", "The Eternal Tomorrow", "The Changing Wind", "World Island Festival", "Today Is Not Yesterday", "How Am I To Know", and "Yesterdays" – plus "Caloundronius", "Perspective Prismis Of Is", "Solar Boats", "The Ninth Eye", "Space Towers", "Cognition", "The Galaxy Way", "The Alter Destiny", and "Blue Differentials". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive collection of classic jazz– includes Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Fats Waller, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, Art Tatum, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, and many others! LP, Vinyl record album

The Jazzman label hits a whole new level of brilliance – as they turn their funk-trained crate digging skills to the world of spiritual jazz! The collection's an amazing batch of ultra-rare tunes – tracks that take inspiration from the John Coltrane/Archie Shepp work on Impulse Records in the 60s, then run with those roots in bold new directions – soaring, spiritual aims in jazz that reach for new freedoms, but never lapse into the totally-outside modes of free jazz! Instead, there's a really great balance here between structure and struggle – as many tunes often have a good rhythmic pulse, usually modal and soulful, then let the horn solos stretch out more in their own sounds and directions. The mix is amazing, as is the selection of tunes – rare numbers pulled mostly from American independent jazz releases of the 60s and 70s – most of which are as obscure as the funky 45s we normally get from Jazzman. As with the label's US funk compilations, there's full notes on all the music – a heck of a lot of detail on these artists – and tracks on the set include "Paul's Ark" by Morris Wilson Beau Bailey Quintet, "Ayo Ayo Nene" by Mor Thiam, "Nomusa" by Ndikho Xaba & The Natives, "The Afrikan In Winter" by The Positive Force, "Neveen" by Salah Ragab, "Ja Mil" by Hastings Street Jazz Experience, "Be There" by Leon Gardner, "Psych City" by Ohio Penitentiary 511 Jazz Ensemble, "Introduction" by James Tatum Trio Plus, and "No Jive" by Frank Derrick Total Experience. US pressing has 2 bonus tracks – "All Prasies To Allah (parts 1 & 2 edit)" by Lightmen Plus One, and "Bada Que Bash" by PE Hewitt Jazz Ensemble. CD

A treasure trove of funk and soul from one heck of a great little label – Columbus, Ohio's short-lived Capsoul imprint – only around for 5 years in the 70s, but home to a great flurry of indie singles! We first caught onto the label's brilliance with their funky classics "Hot Grits" by Elijah & The Ebonies and "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" by Bill Moss – but as this set wonderfully demonstrates, the label's got a heck of a lot more to offer – and all of it great! The label's brilliance has been masterfully unearthed by the crate-digging team at Numero Records – who've brought together 20 of the best Capsoul singles in a beautiful package that really tells the story of the tiny imprint, getting at the details and struggles that faced independent soul in the marketplace of the 70s. Way more than just a set of old singles, the set's a rich document of indie soul in one of the near-forgotten corners of the Midwest – filled with great tunes that may well have you booking the next flight you can find to Columbus! Titles include "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" by Bill Moss, "Pure Soul" by Elijah & The Ebonies, "Without Love" by Ronnie Taylor, "You're All I Need To Make It" by Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum, & Durr, "Hot Grits" by Elijah & The Ebonies, "Too Far Gone" by Four Mints, "I Want To Be Ready" by Kook Blues, "Go On Fool" by Marion Black, and "Number One" by Bill Moss. Updated version features new mastering and additional notes – plus the bonus track "All I Need To Make It" by The Capsoul Group. LP, Vinyl record album

The Jazzman label hits a whole new level of brilliance – as they turn their funk-trained crate digging skills to the world of spiritual jazz! The collection's an amazing batch of ultra-rare tunes – tracks that take inspiration from the John Coltrane/Archie Shepp work on Impulse Records in the 60s, then run with those roots in bold new directions – soaring, spiritual aims in jazz that reach for new freedoms, but never lapse into the totally-outside modes of free jazz! Instead, there's a really great balance here between structure and struggle – as many tunes often have a good rhythmic pulse, usually modal and soulful, then let the horn solos stretch out more in their own sounds and directions. The mix is amazing, as is the selection of tunes – rare numbers pulled mostly from American independent jazz releases of the 60s and 70s – most of which are as obscure as the funky 45s we normally get from Jazzman. As with the label's US funk compilations, there's full notes on all the music – a heck of a lot of detail on these artists – and tracks on the set include "Paul's Ark" by Morris Wilson Beau Bailey Quintet, "Ayo Ayo Nene" by Mor Thiam, "Nomusa" by Ndikho Xaba & The Natives, "The Afrikan In Winter" by The Positive Force, "Neveen" by Salah Ragab, "Ja Mil" by Hastings Street Jazz Experience, "Be There" by Leon Gardner, "Psych City" by Ohio Penitentiary 511 Jazz Ensemble, "Introduction" by James Tatum Trio Plus, and "No Jive" by Frank Derrick Total Experience. CD