A stone cooker – and one of the best versions of Porgy & Bess recorded in a jazz format! It's a slightly-forgotten fact that at the time of the big late 50s film version of Porgy & Bess, there was a bit of trouble with the soundtrack – so the market was flooded with other versions of Gershwin's score in a hope to fill the void. This is one of the best of that bunch – a very well-done set of tunes arranged and conducted by Bill Potts, recorded with a strong set of soloists that include Al Cohn, Gene Quill, Zoot Sims, Art Farmer, Bill Evans, Charlie Shavers, Bob Brookmeyer, and Harry Edison. Tracks are the usual batch of Porgy & Bess numbers – "I Loves You Porgy", "It Ain't Necessarily So", "My Man's Gone Now", "A Woman Is A Sometimes Thing", "Summertime" – all woven together wonderfully in a rich tapestry of sound, with some particularly evocative solos. CD

A great little session of chamber-type jazz – and the only record we've ever seen by drummer Freddy Merkle. The set is very much in the manner of some of the other tightly-arranged RCA sessions from the mid 50s – with a style that's kind of "New York modern", in a similar mode to the work of Hal McKusick. Pianist Bill Potts wrote and arranged the sessions, and most tracks are relatively short, but still have strong breakaway solos. Half the material's played by a 10-tet, and the rest are played by Merkle's core quintet, with Potts on piano and Earl Swope on trombone. Titles include "Proto Cool", "Shhhh!", "DC Current", "Lunch Box", "Pernod 806", and "Pottsville, USA". CD

Features Young on tenor – with Bill Potts on piano, Norman Williams on bass, and Jim Lucht on drums. CD

First-ever issue of material recorded live by Bud in 1953 – during a performance at Club Kavakos in Washington, DC – with a trio that features Charles Mingus on bass and Roy Haynes on drums. The set's from the private collection of Bill Potts, and is reasonably well recorded for the time – featuring Bud and the trio on a selection of shorter tunes, all given the Powell touch! Titles include "Sure Thing", "Little Willie Leaps", "Somebody Loves Me", "Salt Peanuts", "Conception", and "Lullaby Of Birdland" – plus an interview with Powell from 1963! LP, Vinyl record album

A lost treasure from Lester Young – previously unreleased live material from the 50s, recorded in a style that's a fair bit different than some of his studio work of the decade! The set took place at the Patio Lounge in Washington, DC – and was recorded by Bill Potts, who is also the pianist in the group – a tight little player who almost brings in a boppish edge to the material, although one who also knows how to lay back nicely on a ballad – the latter of which are especially great here for Young. Other players include Norman Williams on bass, and Jim Lucht on drums – and titles on this volume include "A Foggy Day", "DB Blues", "Tea For Two", and "I Can't Get Started". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost treasure from Lester Young – previously unreleased live material from the 50s, recorded in a style that's a fair bit different than some of his studio work of the decade! The set took place at the Patio Lounge in Washington, DC – and was recorded by Bill Potts, who is also the pianist in the group – a tight little player who almost brings in a boppish edge to the material, although one who also knows how to lay back nicely on a ballad – the latter of which are especially great here for Young. Other players include Norman Williams on bass, and Jim Lucht on drums – and titles on this volume include "Just You Just Me", "Sometimes I'm HappY", and "Up N Adam". CD

Quincy's world is great and wide indeed – and even at this early point in his career, he was displaying a wonderful talent for bringing in bits from all sources! The album's essentially a straight jazz set, but it's got some great exotic touches that are in keeping with the "world" theme and the globe-trotting titles on the set. The group's excellent too – with players that include Sahib Shihab, Budd Johnson, Les Spann, Lee Morgan, and Phil Woods – all working through hip arrangements by Al Cohn, Bill Potts, and Ernie Wilkins. Titles include "Ghana", "Air Mail Special", "Chant Of The Weed", "Eesom", and "I Never Has Seen Snow". LP, Vinyl record album

A really classic session – one that features an all-star lineup of players who were in the Dizzy Gillespie band of the mid 50s – stepping out here in a smaller group on their own for a one-off date on the Specialty Records label! Specialty normally recorded R&B at the time, but they knock it out of the park with this one – really letting the players stretch out with lots of soulful energy – in a lineup that includes the young Lee Morgan on trumpet, Al Grey on trombone, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul West on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums – plus the fantastic Billy Root on baritone – a really great player who only recorded a bit back in the day! Arrangements are nice and hip – done by Benny Golson and Roger Spotts – and titles include "About Time", "DDT", "Whisper Not", and the very long "Dishwater" – a nice uptempo workout, Dizzy style! CD