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With Veba on "All I Ask". 12-inch, Vinyl record

A tremendous live performance from Ahmad Jamal – one that has the piano genius stretching out on some very long tracks, in a spirit that's similar to the magic he brought to his early 70s records for the Impulse label! As on those, Jamal here also plays a bit of Fender Rhodes – in the company of drummer Frank Gant and bassist Jami Nasser – both players whose sense of open flow really matches Ahmad's energy on the piano – as the tracks take off, open up, and sparkle with creative imagination throughout! The whole thing is a key addition to the small catalog of records from this moment – which include Outertimeinnerspace and Awakening – and titles include long takes on "Bogota", "Effendi", and "Manhattan Reflections". LP, Vinyl record album

Reevaluations? No need to re-evaluate any of these great late 60s and early 70s recording of Jamal with his trio, taken from someof our favorite LPs of his, including the Awakening, Tranquility, Freeflight and Outertimeinnerspace. 10 numbers in all: "Wave", "Emily", "Dolphin Dance", "Patterns", "How Insensitive", "Manhattan Reflections", "Stolen Moments", "Introduction/Bogota", 'Tranquility" and "Poinciana". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of great soundtracks from the legendary Michel Legrand – including a huge amount of never-heard work from The Picasso Summer! First up, though, is Summer Of 42 – one of Michel Legrand's greatest moments of the 70s – a sweetly romantic score that lasted a lot longer than the film it was written to accompany! The soundtrack features the haunting "Summer Of 42 Theme", also known as "The Summer Knows" – a drifting sad melody, done up here in a number of versions, and combined with some other orchestral themes written for various emotional passages in the film. Titles include "High IQ", "The Picasso Suite", "Summer Song", "Montage – But Not Full Picasso", "The Danger", and "Awakening Awareness". Picasso Summer is even more incredible – with a haunting main theme that's somewhere in the same territory as "42", but a really big range of music that extrapolates that theme with other warm melodies and the kind of perfectly balanced sensitive sounds we love so much from Legrand. The movie itself is quite obscure – an Albert Finney road trip in Europe that's almost Legrand's answer to Henry Mancini's Two For The Road – although Michel's music is often much more complex. 2CD package features the 11 track "Picasso Summer" suite, plus 23 more tracks from the soundtrack – including "Summer Song", "High IQ", "Chemin De Fer", "Pentaque", "To The Gates", "Lonely Two", "Apart", "The Cape & The Gore", "The Dancer", "Not Picasso", and "Head For Home". CD

Unreleased genius from British altoist Mike Osborne – and a set that easily matches his classic albums of the 70s! The double-length set was recorded live in the mid 70s, and is issued here for the first time – a wonderfully tight trio outing that features Osborne's alto alongside the bass of Harry Miller and drums of Tony Levin – in a mode that's decidedly Coltrane-influenced, and which has a searching, spiritual quality that's even deeper than most other British work of the time! We've never heard Osborne play with so much feeling, and Miller's basswork is wonderful too – really underscoring the sound with a full, rich quality that grounds the whole proceedings nicely – a soaring, majestic energy that's a far cry from some of the unstructured freedom from other Brit groups of the same stretch. Tremendous throughout – and with cuts that include "One For George", "Alfie", "Almost Home Kathy", "More Mike", "Ossie's Opener", "Awakening Spirit", and "Cousin Mary". CD

A really beautiful record, and one that's a bit hard to describe – but which is summed up perfectly by the "Soft Power" name of the group! The music is a mix of jazz and other instrumental modes – with some currents of keyboards and guitars that almost take us back to the hipper, more interesting instrumental corners of the UK scene in the 80s – such as a group like Dif Juz – but inflected here with more jazz soloing, and some tracks that are definitely straight jazz through and through! There's lots of great Fender Rhodes on the record, courtesy of Staffan Sodergard – and the lineup also features Lauri Vertanenen on tenor, Antti Vaukonen on alto and flute, Otto Kyrklund on guitar, and Mikale Jurmu on drums and percussion – who also vocalizes a bit in this cool wordless way with the bassit, Iiro Tulkki. Very hard to pin down, but very rewarding – with titles that include "The Water Rooms", "Final Blow", "Window Of Opportunity", "Awakening", "Brink Of Extinction", and "Orange Red Yellow". LP, Vinyl record album

Writer Paul Steinbeck has already given us a great book on the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – but this time around, he looks at the larger scene from which they came, the groundbreaking AACM moment in jazz, which emerged in Chicago in the late 60s! Steinbeck provides some cultural and historical context, but also focuses in on key recordings that helped to define the special genius of AACM musicians and their united vision – with an approach that's build around different records on a chapter by chapter basis – even leading up to a few more recent recordings that show the continuing influence and growth of the organization. Along the way, Steinbeck provides some musical notations and deeper analysis of the sounds from his perspective as a musicologist – very illuminating to us, as we tend to have much more of a visceral response to these records – a lineup that includes Air Time by Air, Levels & Degrees Of Light by Muhal Richard Abrams, Sound by Roscoe Mitchell, Voyager by George Lewis, Nonaah by Roscoe Mitchell, Composition 76 by Anthony Braxton, Ten Freedom Summers by Wadada Leo Smith, and Mandorla Awakening II by Nicole Mitchell. The hardcover book features many charts and scores throughout – and is a total of 272 pages in length. Book

Another blistering treasure trove of Canadian reggae! You heard us right, this batch of deep and heavy roots comes all the way from Toronto, and though it may be geographically isolated from the Caribbean, the vibes are deeply rooted foundation rock, not unlike some of the other astoundingly great material the folks at Light In The Attic have reissued. Jerry Brown's Summer Records imprint churned out no small number of tremendous reggae cuts, as this excellent compilation documents, working with West Indian ex-pats, visiting luminaries and local talent, too! The tracks run the gamut from bright and crisp to murky smoked out but it's all unbelievably great and will open your eyes to a whole new scene in the same way that the refreshing Jamaica Toronto set did! 15 tracks in all, including "Love Makes The World Go Round", "Warrior" and "Jah Jah Live Forever" by Johnny Osbourne, "Sufferer" and "Awakening" by Earth, Roots & Water, "Run Them A Run" by Willi Williams, "Reach My Destiny" by Noel Ellis, "Dreadlock Lady" by Jerry Brown, "Come Together" by Bobby Gaynair and Earth, Roots & Water, and "Mankind" by Adrian Homer Miller and Earth, Roots & Water. Plus as a bonus, there's a DVD layer on the CD, with 20 minutes of excellent archival footage of Jerry Brown and his artists in the studio and at the dance! CD

A legendary album on the Black Fire label from the 70s – a set that features Ghanaian percussionist Oykerama Asante working in the same American mix of funk and spiritual jazz as his labelmates Oneness Of Juju! The set was recorded in the same stretch as the best work from that legendary group, but never came out on LP at the time – and only saw a CD release in the 90s – quite a shame, as the great Plunky Nakabinde plays reeds on the album, and also helps give the whole thing a vibe that's sharp, right on the money, and does a fantastic job of blending Asante's percussion with some wider musical ideas. Oykerama is previously known for his work in the group Hedzoleh Soundz – and there's a similar genre-crossing vibe going on here – as you'll discover on cuts that include "Sabi", "Follow Me", "Asanta Sana", "Never Fly Away From The Funk", "Play A Sweet Rhythm On Them Drums", "Mother Africa", "Kazi's Awakening", and "To The Ancestors". CD

It's been way too long since the last 4 Hero album – but it's definitely been worth the wait, as they're even more focused and fabulous than before! There's a real "instant classic" feel to this record – the kind of feeling that folks must have got when first buying Rotary Connection albums in the late 60s, or Herbie Hancock fusion sides in the 70s – a jaw-dropping sense of perfection and invention from the very first notes, rolling forward into a set of tunes that delight the ears at each new twist and turn! There's both a sense of classic composition and freeform creation going on here – one that respects the past, but grabs its hand strongly for a bold journey into the future! The rhythms are amazing, the keyboards incredible, and there's none of the cliches here that mar the music of so many others inspired by 4 Hero's work of years back. One of the key factors to success is a strongly song-based approach – served up with vocals from Carina Andersson, Lady Alma, Darien Brockington, Bembe Segue, Talita Long, Face, Kaidi Tatham, Ursula Rucker, Jody Watley, and even Larry Mizell! Tracks include "The Awakening", "Sophia", "Superwoman", "Look Inside", "Sink Or Swim", "Play With The Changes", "Give In", "Something In The Way", "Morning Child", "Take My Time", and "Stoke Up The Fire". US version features 15 tracks in all. CD

Seminal South African work from Harari – a group who'd previously recorded as The Beaters, but changed their name after getting a new spiritual awakening while touring Zimbabwe! That new name and new spirit really fits the sound here – an even deeper incarnation of the style they forged a few years before – graced by the increasingly strong musical chops of the trio, which features Sipho Mabuse on drums, Alek Khaoli on bass, and Selby Ntuli on keyboards – all coming together in this magical musical flow that's often graced by their joined-up vocals as well! Some tunes are straightforward and funky, others take a nice long time to build and find their way – and the set also features some nice work from jazz legend Kippie Moketsi on alto sax! Titles include "Uzulu", "Musikana", "Afrogas", "Rufaro", and "Oya Kae". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredibly unique work from Panduranga Henderson – an artist who first worked as John Henderson in the group of Ray Charles, then hooked up with Alice Coltrane and had a spiritual awakening that really shaped his sound! The music here isn't at all like Charles or Coltrane – although it's informed by the same spirit as the latter – as Panduranga draws on lots of elements from Eastern thought to create the lyrics of these long songs of praise – tunes that often have currents of electro soul in the instrumentation, but which flow out in ways that have the longer-form quality you'd find in Indian vocal music. The mix is completely unique – and is surprisingly powerful, despite a relatively simple production approach. Titles include "Hari Namaste", "Hari Haraya", "Rama Tama Sri Bhagwan", and "Om Namah Shivaya". LP, Vinyl record album

A standout moment from pianist Art Lande – maybe his best-remembered date for the ECM label – in part because the record features wonderful work from Jan Garbarek on flute, soprano, and bass saxophone! The simple duet mode is a bit different here than on other ECM dates – as Lande can sometimes have a fuller approach to the keyboard, which is best echoed by Garbarek on flute – which he blows with a tone that is lean, but surprisingly biting, even when melodic. And although Jan blows other horns on the date, the record seems to be an especially great showcase for his flute – on titles that include "Waltz For A", "Quintennaisance", "Awakening Midweek", "Miss Fortune", and "Cherifen Dream Of Renate". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work by Lonnie Smith – a free-flowing album of long jazzy grooves that's kind of an extension of his Blue Note albums, touched with more of the electricity of his 70s playing! There's some killer rhythms on the album – courtesy of drummers Jamey Hudad and Ben Riley, and electric bassists Ron Carter and Ralphe Armstrong – and Lonnie's on organ grooving alongside a young Joe Lovano, who plays some killer tenor and soprano sax – and the album's got these really long, open cuts that definitely hint at the more spiritual look of the cover. Titles include the 15 minute jammer "Spirits Free", plus "Afrodesia", "Favors", "Straight To The Point", and "The Awakening". LP, Vinyl record album

Inventive percussion and amazing bass work – plus a host of other interesting elements as well – all wrapped up beautifully in this unique collaboration between Isao Suzuki and Masahiko Togashi! Both players were some of the most creative of the mainstream Japanese scene of the 70s – Togashi a drummer who'd often go out, but still maintain a sense of soul – and Suzuki a bassist who often used varations of his instrument that were a bit unusual, and which did way more than simple rhythm work! Here, Isao's working with cello, piccolo bass, and regular bass – in addition to piano and percussion – and Togashi plyas lots more percussion, and a bit of keyboards too – as both players mix up instrumentation in these sensitive shadings of sound and color that are almost a Japanese equivalent of the best ECM experiments of the 70s. Tunes are all as poetic as they sound from the titles – and titles include "A Day Of The Sun", "Birth Of Yellow Eggs", "Silvery Flash", and "Awakening Of The Fresh Green". LP, Vinyl record album

A great 90s album by Caetano Veloso – a beautiful re-awakening of his genius in the later years of his career! The sound here is as fresh, creative, and personal as on some of Veloso's best post-Tropicalia albums of the 70s – served up in a blend of spare percussion, edgey guitars, and inventive production techniques that are as simple and powerful as Veloso's wonderful vocals on the set. The songs are wonderful too – penned at a level that we haven't heard this strong since Cinema Transcendental, and with a heavenly quality that transcends language and conventional pop expectations. Titles include "Livros", "How Beautiful Could A Being Be", "Pra Ninguem", "Na Baixa Do Sapateiro", and "Manhata". CD

A tribute to Marilyn Monroe, but one that's way different than you might expect – as the music here is highly electronic, and often quite dark – served up in a mix of experimental and jazz-based modes by a very unusual Finnish group from the early 70s! The quintet features drummer Edward Vesala on percussion – with Antero Honkanen on electronics and more percussion, Teppo Hauta-aho on bass, Mikael Helasvuo on flute, and Jarmo Sermila on trumpet and organ – all instruments used in very unconventional ways, on songs that might well have sent the original Marilyn screaming from the room! Things are outside, but also quite thoughtful too – a nice mix of electric and acoustic elements used to evoke very moody, modern moments – on titles that include "Painajaisia/Nightmares", "Nuku Itku/A Doll's Cry", "Heraaminen/Awakening", "Lohdutus/Consolation", "Keskiyo/Midnight", and "Myytti Itkee Jalleen/The Myth Is Weeping Again". CD

A stunning collection of work from the legendary Impulse Records catalog – a double-length set that focuses on the most spiritual side of the label! Red, green, and black are often used together as the colors of righteousness – but the orange and black of Impulse has stood strong as the standard for hip, forward-thinking jazz for decades – especially given the label's legacy of late 60s/early 70s material that's featured here strongly! A different title for the set might be "John Coltrane & His Children" – as the set begins with a key work from Trane, then moves into all these other tracks that showcase the opening spiritual side of jazz as the 60s moved on. Titles include "Sister Mamie" by Yusef Lateef, "Just Us Blues" by Elvin Jones/Jimmy Garrison Sextet, "Garvey's Ghost" by Max Roach, "The Creator Has A Master Plan (edit)" by Pharoah Sanders, "The Rights Of All" by Oliver Nelson, "Freedom Dance" by Shirley Scott, "We Shall Overcome" by Charlie Haden, "Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe" by Albert Ayler, "Lament" by Michael White, "Imani" by Dewey Redman, "Awakening" by Ahmad Jamal, "Blues For Brother George Jackson" by Archie Shepp, "Bismillahi Rrahmani Rrahim" by Marion Brown, "Blue Nile" by Alice Coltrane", and the cuts "Africa", "Alabama", "Reverend King", and "Up Gainst The Wall" by John Coltrane himself. LP, Vinyl record album

Another blistering treasure trove of Canadian reggae! You heard us right, this batch of deep and heavy roots comes all the way from Toronto, and though it may be geographically isolated from the Caribbean, the vibes are deeply rooted foundation rock, not unlike some of the other astoundingly great material the folks at Light In The Attic have reissued. Jerry Brown's Summer Records imprint churned out no small number of tremendous reggae cuts, as this excellent compilation documents, working with West Indian ex-pats, visiting luminaries and local talent, too! The tracks run the gamut from bright and crisp to murky smoked out but it's all unbelievably great and will open your eyes to a whole new scene in the same way that the refreshing Jamaica Toronto set did! 15 tracks in all, including "Love Makes The World Go Round", "Warrior" and "Jah Jah Live Forever" by Johnny Osbourne, "Sufferer" and "Awakening" by Earth, Roots & Water, "Run Them A Run" by Willi Williams, "Reach My Destiny" by Noel Ellis, "Dreadlock Lady" by Jerry Brown, "Come Together" by Bobby Gaynair and Earth, Roots & Water, and "Mankind" by Adrian Homer Miller and Earth, Roots & Water. Plus as a bonus, there's a DVD layer on the CD, with 20 minutes of excellent archival footage of Jerry Brown and his artists in the studio and at the dance! CD

Theo Parrish takes on the music of Black Jazz Records – yet somehow manages to make the whole thing come across with a cosmic groove that's all his own! By that, we don't mean that Theo's messing with the cuts – just that his mix here really highlights the more expansively electric and rhythmically angular elements of the label's classic catalog – sounds that are clearly an inspiration for a huge number of 21st Century musicians and producer – not just Parrish himself! There's a richly spiritual vibe to the whole set – and the collection is easily one of the best presentations of the Black Jazz label we've ever heard – stunning from start to finish. Cuts include "My Favorite Things" by Gene Russell, "Those Who Chant" by Walter Bishop, "Jupiter" and "Convulsions" by The Awakening, "Trance Dance" by Doug Carn, "Time & Space" by Rudolph Johnson, "Criss Cross" and "BE" by Calvin Keys, and "Blue Bossa" by Walter Bishop Jr. CD

The New Groove referred to in the title is most likely soul jazz – as Bud's in extremely soulful company, working with a combo that includes Dennis Budimir on guitar, Carmell Jones on trumpet, Gary Peacock on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. Tracks are a bit longer than usual for Shank, with less of the angular west coast touches, and more of an open-ended groove-based approach. Titles include "The Awakening", "New Groove", "White Lightnin", "Sultry Serenade", and "Liddledabllduya". LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue solo debut from Shabaka Hutchings – the London-based reed player who's been making huge waves in Comet Is Coming and Sons Of Kemet – stepping out here with an equally great musical vision of his own! The style here is more spiritual and meditative – as if Shabaka is turning inward, and working a mix of flutes and saxes in ways that are very organic and personal – often using subtle currents of sound next to his acoustic activity at the core, as he bridges a legacy of 70s expression and some of the more contemporary modes on the UK scene. Titles include "Explore Inner Space", "Call It A European Paradox", "Memories Don't Live Like People Do", "Rebirth", "Dimension Of Subtle Awareness", "Ital Is Vita", "Ritual Awakening", and "Black Meditation". LP, Vinyl record album