One of the most righteous albums of jazz ever recorded – a brilliant blend of soulful and avant garde styles, backed up by a chorus of voices that have a really soulful sound! The album's the second recorded for Blue Note by the Ghetto Music ensemble of trumpeter Eddie Gale – a lesser-known talent who recorded previously with Cecil Taylor, but who made a turn away from modernism at the end of the 60s, in order to express himself at a level that he felt was more clearly grounded in the people. The result of that effort is sheer brilliance – an album that sounds like nothing else you can imagine. Part of the style shares the energy of similar vocal/jazz projects by Max Roach and Billy Harper, but Gale's conception of the music is much more dynamic, and very carefully rooted in song structures – with a sound that's as powerful today as it was when it was recorded! Titles include "Ghetto Love Night", "Song Of Will", "Ghetto Summertime", "Black Rhythm Happening", and "Look At Teyonda". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing work from Robert Glasper – a set that makes us fall in love with his music even more than before – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given that we've loved him for years! Glasper's working here in his collaborative Black Radio format – but at a level that's even more perfected than the initial album of this project – a really groundbreaking blend of live jazz instrumentation and underground soul inspiration – served up by Robert's core quartet, with help from a whole host of wonderful guest singers! Glasper alone is worth the price of admission – Fender Rhodes and piano lines that are completely sublime, in that flowing groove that's only gotten better with age – and the combo also features wicked bass from Derrick Hodge, sax and flute from Casey Benjamin, and some damn funky drums from Mark Colenburg – who proves that you don't need any drum loops or samples to make music this great. The singers are the icing on the cake – a lineup that includes Faith Evans, Dwele, Jill Scott, Common, Lupe Fiasco, Lalah Hathaway, Norah Jones, and others – on titles that include "Calls", "Worries", "I Stand Alone", "What Are We Doing", "Trust", "Yet To Find", "You Own Me", "Somebody Else", "Persevere", and "Let It Ride". Deluxe edition features some great bonus material – including "I Don't Even Care" with Macy Gray and Jean Grae, "You're My Everything" with Bilal and Jazmine Sullivan, "Big Girl Body" with Eric Roberson, and "Lovely Day" with a bit of vocals from Bill Withers. CD

Insanely wonderful music from Andrew Hill – a lean, stripped-down session that has Hill working at his firey best – in a space that's somewhere between the "new thing" recordings of Jackie McLean, and the brooding brilliance of Andrew's later Smokestack session! The group here has some key figures fleshing out the sound – a young Joe Henderson, blowing tenor with a very edgey quality – the very versatile Richard Davis on bass – and the great Roy Haynes on drums, very much at his most fluid interpretation of rhythm! The whole set's pretty darn great – one of the more mindblowing Blue Notes you'll ever hope to buy – and tracks include "Pumpkin", "Subterfuge", "Cantarnos", and "McNeil Island". CD features 2 bonus tracks too – alternate takes of 2 tracks on the album. CD

Derrick Gardner on trumpet and flugelhorn, Kirk MacDonald on tenor saxophone, Virginia MacDonald on clarinet, Brian Dickinson on piano, Lorne Lofsky on guitar, Neil Swainson on bass, and Bernd Reiter on drums. CD

One of the most righteous albums of jazz ever recorded – a brilliant blend of soulful and avant garde styles, backed up by a chorus of voices that have a really soulful sound! The album's the second recorded for Blue Note by the Ghetto Music ensemble of trumpeter Eddie Gale – a lesser-known talent who recorded previously with Cecil Taylor, but who made a turn away from modernism at the end of the 60s, in order to express himself at a level that he felt was more clearly grounded in the people. The result of that effort is sheer brilliance – an album that sounds like nothing else you can imagine. Part of the style shares the energy of similar vocal/jazz projects by Max Roach and Billy Harper, but Gale's conception of the music is much more dynamic, and very carefully rooted in song structures – with a sound that's as powerful today as it was when it was recorded! Titles include "Ghetto Love Night", "Song Of Will", "Ghetto Summertime", "Black Rhythm Happening", and "Look At Teyonda". CD

The start of an amazing new chapter in the career of Robert Glasper – one that would soon set the tone for a number of other records to come! This set features loads of Glasper's enigmatic piano lines – those fluid, elliptical sounds that are always filled with plenty of soul and imagination – matched here with guest vocals from a host of key talents – including Erykah Badu, Lalah Hathaway, Musiq Soulchild, Meshell Ndegeocello, Bilal, and Lupe Fiasco! The blend is surprisingly wonderful – not a sell out at all, but a way for Glasper's music to reach a rich new level of expression – as the vocals really help the instrumental elements come alive – and unlock this side of Robert's potential that was always lurking in the background. One of the best musical moments from Blue Note at the time – with titles that include "Always Shine", "Move Love", "Ah Yeah", "Lift Off", "Afro Blue", "Cherish The Day", "Black Radio", and "Letter To Hermione". CD

The start of an amazing new chapter in the career of Robert Glasper – one that would soon set the tone for a number of other records to come! This set features loads of Glasper's enigmatic piano lines – those fluid, elliptical sounds that are always filled with plenty of soul and imagination – matched here with guest vocals from a host of key talents – including Erykah Badu, Lalah Hathaway, Musiq Soulchild, Meshell Ndegeocello, Bilal, and Lupe Fiasco! The blend is surprisingly wonderful – not a sell out at all, but a way for Glasper's music to reach a rich new level of expression – as the vocals really help the instrumental elements come alive – and unlock this side of Robert's potential that was always lurking in the background. One of the best musical moments from Blue Note at the time – with titles that include "Always Shine", "Move Love", "Ah Yeah", "Lift Off", "Afro Blue", "Cherish The Day", "Black Radio", and "Letter To Hermione". CD

The start of an amazing new chapter in the career of Robert Glasper – one that would soon set the tone for a number of other records to come! This set features loads of Glasper's enigmatic piano lines – those fluid, elliptical sounds that are always filled with plenty of soul and imagination – matched here with guest vocals from a host of key talents – including Erykah Badu, Lalah Hathaway, Musiq Soulchild, Meshell Ndegeocello, Bilal, and Lupe Fiasco! The blend is surprisingly wonderful – not a sell out at all, but a way for Glasper's music to reach a rich new level of expression – as the vocals really help the instrumental elements come alive – and unlock this side of Robert's potential that was always lurking in the background. One of the best musical moments from Blue Note at the time – with titles that include "Always Shine", "Move Love", "Ah Yeah", "Lift Off", "Afro Blue", "Cherish The Day", "Black Radio", and "Letter To Hermione". Deluxe edition features great bonus material – the cuts "Twice", "Love Supreme", and "Fever" – plus the full work of the Recovered Remix EP – including "The Consequences Of Jealousy (Georgia Anne Muldrow's sassy geemix)", "Letter To Hermoine (Robert Glasper and Jewels rmx)", "Dillalude #2", "Twice (?uestlove's twice baked rmx)", "Black Radio (Pete Rock rmx)", and "Afro Blue (9th Wonder's blue light basement rmx)". LP, Vinyl record album

Insanely wonderful music from Andrew Hill – a lean, stripped-down session that has Hill working at his firey best – in a space that's somewhere between the "new thing" recordings of Jackie McLean, and the brooding brilliance of Andrew's later Smokestack session! The group here has some key figures fleshing out the sound – a young Joe Henderson, blowing tenor with a very edgey quality – the very versatile Richard Davis on bass – and the great Roy Haynes on drums, very much at his most fluid interpretation of rhythm! The whole set's pretty darn great – one of the more mindblowing Blue Notes you'll ever hope to buy – and tracks include "Pumpkin", "Subterfuge", "Cantarnos", and "McNeil Island". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work from Oscar Pettiford – a reissue of his last sessions, originally released on Jazzland, and recorded in Copenhagen in 1959 and 1960. Players include Allan Botchinsky on trumpet, Jan Johansson on piano, Erik Nordstrom on tenor, and Luis Hjulmand on vibes. Despite the introduction of European ringers to the set, and despite the posthumous collection of sessions, the album's actually one of Pettiford's strongest, and certainly one of the best to show his ever-growing commitment as a modernist during the 50s. The album includes loads of original tunes – including "Blue Brothers", "Two Little Pearls", "Laverne Walk", "Why Not? That's What!", and "My Little Cello". LP, Vinyl record album

The Texas tenor legend soars again – in three great albums from his later years! Funky Butt is strong later work by tenor sax legend Arnett Cobb – in a quartet session cut in New York in January of 1980 – sounding fresh and revitalized one of his final studio dates! Funky Butt actually isn't a left turn into a funk sound Cobb, but it is a pretty darn great showcase for his rich, full sounding and playful tenor approach – not too out of character from his work in the late 50s on Prestige. He's backed by a great group that includes Ray Drummond on bass, Derek Smith on piano and Ronnie Bedford on drums. It's got a few fairly stomping numbers, particularly the opener "Jumpin' At The Woodside" and their energetic take on "I Got Rhythm" – and the whole set is terrific – with the bluesy Cobb-composed title track, plus "September In The Rain", "Isfahan", "Georgia On My Mind" and "Satin Doll". Wild Man From Texas is a great overseas set from tenor giant Arnett Cobb – a set done after a bit of a late 60s comeback on Prestige Records, and one that takes him back into even grittier territory overall! The great Milt Buckner is on the set on organ and a bit of vibes – and the record also features work from Eddie Chamblee on tenor, Buster Cooper on trombone, Wallace Davenport on trumpet, and Earl Warren on alto – players of a generation who really resonate well with Arnett's lead! Titles include "Where Or When", "Ghost Of A Chance", "Smooth Sailing", "Dutch Kitchen Bounce", and "Flying Home No 2". Again is a set that has the tenor of Arnett Cobb reunited with the Hammond of Milt Buckner – but in an unusual quartet that also features Clarence Gatemouth Brown on guitar! Brown's presence definitely brings out some bluesier currents at times, and the tunes also get plenty of that raw, raspy tenor treatment that Cobb can do so well – on tunes that include "Cobb's Boogie", "Deep Purple", "Cobb's Blues", "Light Like That", and "Willow Weep For Me". CD

With Cobb and Lafitte on tenor, Roland Hanna on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Eddie Locke on drums performing "On Green Dolphin Street", "Climb Every Mountain", "I Got Rhythm", "Jumpin At The Woodside", and the Cobb originals "Blues Abrupt" and "Go Red Go". LP, Vinyl record album

With Jimmy Leary on bass and Panana Francis on drums. CD

Recorded live in Orange on July 12, 1974. LP, Vinyl record album

Three full albums from tenorist Illinois Jacquet – served up in a single set! First up are the two volumes of Illinois Jacquet with Wild Bill Davis – a nice lean set from this legendary tenorist – one that features his raw, raspy tone in the company of early Hammond organ giant Wild Bill Davis! Both players get plenty of room here to open up and shine – in a group with the drums of Al Bartee, on soulful takes on tunes that include "Blue & Sentimental", "Blues For New Orleans", "No Sweat", "Just A Sittin & A Rockin", "It Don't Mean A Thing", "Pamela's Blues", "Misty", "The Man I Love", "What Am I Here For", and "All Of Me". Nice Jazz 1978 is a great set of performances recorded live in France in the late 70s! The tracks are long, open, and relaxed – and really seem to bring out the best in Jacquet's horn – as he's paired with the tenor of Eddie Lockjaw Davis on three tracks, the tenor of Paul Bascomb on another, and the trumpet of Clark Terry on one more – while working with help from either Hank Jones or Roland Hanna on piano. Our three favorite tracks are the ones with Davis – which almost have a reworked version of the groove that Eddie cut with Johnny Griffin on a number of records – but overall, the material is all pretty great, and is a strong showcase for the Jacquet raspy sound. Titles include "Lean Baby", "Blues From NO", "Mop Mop", "Cotton Tail", "Blues From Louisiana", and "Robbin's Nest". CD

Features Andre Persiany on piano, Roland Lobligeois on bass, and Oliver Jackson on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual setting for the legendary T Bone Walker – one of those fantastic records he made while hanging out on the French scene in the late 60s and early 70s – a time when he was able to work in a crossroads of styles that really opened up his sound! That's definitely the case here – as although Walker is very much his strong self on guitar and vocals, he's backed by a wonderfully unusual group – one that features French jazz legend George Arvanitas on piano, delivering some surprisingly bluesy lines – and which also includes tenor sax from the great Hal Singer, another musician who was really able to bridge worlds on the Parisian scene! George's fantastic bassman Jacky Samson is at the core, helping the groove – and titles include "Leaving You Behind", "I Hate To See You Go", "Ain't That Cold Baby", "Late Blues", and "Someone Is Going To Mistreat You". CD

With Arnett Cobb on tenor, Ray Bryant on piano, John Duke on bass, and JC Heard on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A spiritual soul jazz supergroup – featuring some of our favorite players of the Strata East 70s scene! This obscure recording was made in the mid 80s, but it's got the feel of the best 70s work by Harper, Fortune, and Cowell – a richly expressive session built around original compositions, and long modal playing in a Love Supreme tradition! The group's a quintet featuring Sonny Fortune on alto, Billy Harper on tenor, Stanley Cowell on piano, Billy Hart on drums, and Reggie Workman on bass – most of whom, minus Fortune, played together on a similar session (called Such Great Friends – not to be confused with this one!) a few years earlier. The feel of the album's like some of Harper's best from the 70s – very open, but never too free, with lots of stretching, yearning passages from the rhythm section – making for a perfect platform for the solos of Harper and Fortune. Titles include "Equipoise", "East Harlem Nostalgia", "Insight", "Awakening", and "Is It Not True Simply Because You Cannot Believe It". CD

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Late work from the great Lloyd Glenn – better known for his R&B material on the postwar scene in LA! The set features a quartet with Tiny Grimes on guitar, and Panama Francis on drums! CD

Al Grey, Claude Gousset, and Xavier Chambon on trombone, Arnett Cobb, Hal Singer, and Jimmy Forrest on tenor saxophone, Michel Attenoux on alto saxophone, Ray Bryant and Tommy Flanagan on piano, Stan Hunter on organ, Clarence Brown on guitar, John Duke on bass, and Bobby Durham and JC Heard on drums. CD

One of the best soul jazz sides on the Black & Blue label – a great late 60s session from trumpeter Johnny Letman – one of a number of older American ex-patriots in Paris! Although Letman worked with Horace Henderson, Basie, and Cab Calloway, he really didn't make many recordings as a leader – but he really shines on this laidback session – blowing in a mellow and open-ended way that reminds us of some of the Prestige/Swingville sides of the early 60s. The group here includes Hal Singer on tenor, Tiny Grimes on guitar, and Milt Bucker on piano and organ – and titles include "Funky Day In Paris", "Po Man's Blues", and "On A Persian Market". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Sunnyland Slim, Jimmy Dawkins, Otis Rush, Big Voice Odom, Lonnie Brooks, Little Mack Simmons, Hubert Sumlin, Luther Johnson, and Mighty Joe Young. CD

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A beautiful little record from Sun Ra and the orchestra – and a set that really lives up to its evocative cover and title! The album features Ra on "intergalactic space organ" – an instrument that may well be a conventional version of the organ, but which is handled with some haunting, very spacey solos that spin out beautifully often setting the scene while the rest of the Arkestra comes in and adds in great solos over the extended reading of the title tune. The lineup includes John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and flute, Danny Thompson on baritone and flute, Pat Patrick on baritone, and Kwami Hadi on trumpet – and June Tyson sings a bit on the record as well. Titles include "Black Man", "In A Blue Mood", and "Universe In Blue" (parts 1 & 2). CD

A beautiful little record from Sun Ra and the orchestra – and a set that really lives up to its evocative cover and title! The album features Ra on "intergalactic space organ" – an instrument that may well be a conventional version of the organ, but which is handled with some haunting, very spacey solos that spin out beautifully often setting the scene while the rest of the Arkestra comes in and adds in great solos over the extended reading of the title tune. The lineup includes John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and flute, Danny Thompson on baritone and flute, Pat Patrick on baritone, and Kwami Hadi on trumpet – and June Tyson sings a bit on the record as well. Titles include "Black Man", "In A Blue Mood", and "Universe In Blue" (parts 1 & 2). LP, Vinyl record album

The satin Shearing sound is in perfect form here – backed by added strings and woodwinds conducted by Billy May – and key proof that Billy could come up with some richly subtle arrangements when he wanted! Most prominent instrumentation comes from George's piano, and the group's trademark vibes, guitar, and wonderful percussion – but the backings also nicely compress some strings and reeds in ways that flesh out the sound, yet never take it over! It's almost as if Billy's just flavoring the Shearing combo sound just a bit – adding just a dose of magic to cuts that include "Dream", "Your Name Is Love", "Love's Melody", "Blue Malibu", "An Affair To Remember", and "I'll Take Romance". In Black Satin, the George Shearing Quintet – with added orchestrations – all in a blend that's got that pillow-soft sound that Shearing did so well back in the 50s! Arrangements are by George and Billy May – the latter of whom is especially subtle here, bringing things in with the best ballad mode he'd use behind Sinatra – yet tailored nicely for Shearing's use of vibes, guitar, and added Latin percussion. And as with some of George's best records, even when things are gentle, they still know how to swing – thanks to a sense of space and timing that's always a treat. Titles include "Moon Song", "The Folks Who Live On The Hill", "If I Should Lose You", "Black Satin", and "Starlight Souvenirs". CD

A beautiful early album from Cassandra Wilson – a singer who already had a really deep sound, right at the start – and definitely hit her stride with music like this! The album mixes jazzy currents with rootsier elements – some of them from a more global perspective – and the production is nicely understated, so that Wilson's strongly in the lead throughout. Titles include "Sankofa", "Black Crow", "I Can't Stand The Rain", "Children In The Night", "Hellhound On My Tail", "Come On In My Kitchen", and "Tell Me You'll Wait For Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A key part of the initial tremendous legacy of X – one of the greatest run of records that any group could ever hope for! This third set has the group honing and refining their sound even more – losing none of their roots in the LA hardcore scene, but also inflecting their sound with a complexity that none of their previous scenemates could match – a sense of musicianship that was never too polished, but always razor sharp – at a level that brought even more righteous power to their lyrics and completely unique songplay. The quartet are one of the greatest ever in rock and roll – and this album's a classic that transcends time and style – essential listening on a shortlist of the best guitar-based sounds of the late 20th century. Titles include "The Hungry Wolf", "Riding With Mary", "Under The Big Black Sun", "Blue Spark", "Because I Do", and "Motel Room In My Bed". LP, Vinyl record album

A record with maybe the sharpest edge of any of the titles in this excellent series – a set that's certainly more jazz-based than most, thanks in part to the presence of the legendary Henry Franklin on bass, and some superb work on guitar from the great Jeff Parker! Although Franklin is best known for his famous 70s albums on the Black Jazz label, he's continued to be a strong force on the west coast scene for decades, and has issued some sublime records on his own label – and this time around, it's almost as if the team of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad have stepped back a bit, and let Franklin act more as a leader than some of the other artists on previous Jazz Is Dead recordings. Tracks are long, and filled with a sense of exploration that's nicely different than some of Franklin's own records, but equally inspired – with work from other players who include Clinton Patterson on trumpet, David Urquidi on alto, Scott Mayo on tenor and flute, and Nicholas Baker on percussion. Titles include "African Sun", "Feedback", "Cafe Negro", "People's Revolution", "Karibu", "The Griot", and "Memories Lost". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful world of weird and wild tracks from the 45rpm underground – exactly the kind of unusual records that first got Lux and Ivy inspired when they were first forming The Cramps! The mix of artists here is great – there's a bit of soul, a bit of rock, a touch of exotica, and plenty other unusual styles too – and cuts are marked both with unusual instrumentation and production techniques, and just an all-out effort to have as much fun as possible in the recording studio! Titles include "Leather Jacket Cowboy" by Pepper Pots, "You Tarzan Me Jane" by Glen Willings, "Mr Cool" by The Leeds, "Sugar Diabetes" by Eddie Banks, "Voo Doo Drums" by Aki Aleong, "Lose My Mind" by Herbert Henson, "Sound Off" by Titus Turner, "Pulp Wood Charley" by Wee Willie, "Pug Nose & Pony Tail" by Wally Hughes, "Atlantis" by The Blue Bells, "Shawnee" by The Premiers, "Cave Man" by The Vibrations, "The Inebriated Surfer" by Tornadoes, and "Black Lace" by April Stevens. CD

Righteous groovers from the deep catalog of EMI – Blue Note and Capitol Records cuts from the 60s and 70s, most of which have a subtle message in the grooves! The package is one that goes a bit deeper than some of the others in this series – by bringing up older social themes that are still surprisingly relevant today, all wrapped around infectiously groovy rhythms and a fair bit of funky jazz too! Titles include "Why Am I Treated So Bad" and "The Scene" by Cannonball Adderley, "Black Pearl" by Jimmy McGriff, "Color Blind" by Maze, "Don't Call Me N_gger Whitey" by Gene Harris, "Clean Up America" by ZZ Hill, "Woman Of The Ghetto (live version)" by Marlena Shaw, "Black Rhythm Happening" by Eddie Gale, "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing" by Grant Green, "I Can't Stand It" by Lonnie Smith, "Design A Nation" by Donald Byrd, and "Say It Loud" and "If There's A Hell Below" by Lou Donaldson. CD

A beautiful name for a beautiful record – a classic set of hardbop material from John Coltrane's early years as a leader – and a session that has him working with Donald Byrd on trumpet, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums! The album's got a beautifully laidback feel that prefaces some of the Coltrane's more exploratory work on Impulse and Atlantic – but one that still also has the earthy, straight ahead feel of his best early years on Prestige – a great combination that makes the record a key moment in the early career of The Great One. Tracks are all quite long – not exactly blowing session tunes, but done with a feel that's more open than some of the other Coltrane albums of the time – and titles include "Black Pearls", "Lover Come Back To Me", and "Sweet Sapphire Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A lasting classic from Digable Planets, and a record that really helped push the bar forward for hip hop at the time – at a level that's still kept this one strong all these many years later! Digable Planets weren't the first group to bring in some influence from jazz to their work – but they definitely found the right balance here, and a way of setting things up that was real and organic, instead of maybe just a nodding reference to the past that always felt a bit out of place. The use of live instrumentation next to samples is also key to the record's sound – common now, but pretty important at the time, especially in a world of declining sample access. The trio of Butterfly, Ladybug, and Doodlebug have a wonderful way of tripping through the lyrics – and titles include "The May 4th Movement Starring Doodlebug", "Black Ego", "Dog It", "Jettin", "Borough Check", "Highing Fly", "Dial 7", "The Art Of Easing", "KBs Alley", "Graffiti", "Blowing Down", "9th Wonder", and "For Corners". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant basswork from Henry Franklin – one of the hippest cats handling his instrument on the west coast in the 70s – working here with a wicked ensemble of soulful, righteous players! Franlin's bass sets the tone of the record right from the very first note – but the album's a very collaborative effort, too – and features Oscar Brashear on trumpet, Charles Owens on tenor, Bill Henderson on soprano sax, Ndugu Chancler on drums, and Kirk Lightsey on both piano and flute! The legendary David Durrah plays piano on two tracks – his own "Waltz for "Boobuss" and "Venus Fly Trap" – and the Sisters Happiness sing vocals on the latter cut, too. Other titles include "Blue Lights", "Soft Spirit", and a version of Chick Corea's "What Was". LP, Vinyl record album

Remarkable modern jazz, from one of the most unique voices in the genre! Hill's piano work and compositions fall into a category of their own, working outside the limits of predominant bop sound, but not quite falling into the world of free jazz that rules the avant scene. This outstanding Mosaic box collects his seminal 60s recordings, comprising of the LPs Black Fire, Smokestack, Judgment, Point Of Departure, Andrew!, One For One, and Compulsion, plus plenty of alternate takes and some material that was issued under Sam Rivers name on the LP Involution. Sidemen include Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Kenny Dorham, Eric Dolphy, John Gilmore, Freddie Hubbard, Sam Rivers, Richard Davis, Cecil McBee, Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams and Joe Chambers. There's 52 tracks in all, spread out over 7 CDs, with titles that include "Land Of Nod", "Black Fire", "McNeil Island", "Tired Trade",Pumpkin", "Subterfuge", "Smokestack", "Ode To Von", "The Day After", "Verne", "Not So", "Flea Flop", "Siete Ocho", "Yokada, Yokada", "Reconciliation", "New Monastary", "Flight 19", "Spectrum", "Symmetry", "The Griots", "Duplicity", "Le Serpenmt Qui Danse", "Euterpe", "Erato", "Roots 'n Herbs", "Compulsion", "Premonition", "Violence" and "Desire". CD

One of the better albums by this great Chicago soul studio group – but all of them are pretty nice! The great Richard Evans is still at the head of The Strings, and the album features solo work by Charles Stepney and Lennie Druss, in a cool breezy Chess/Cadet soul jazz kind of mode. The group runs through jazz standards like "Take Five" and "Sidewinder", plus some pop and soul tracks like "Sunny", "Eight Miles High", "Lover's Concerto", and "Paint It Black". A bit funky, a bit groovy, and some nice instrumental tracks from the legendary Cadet studios! LP, Vinyl record album

A never-heard live set from the mighty Donald Byrd – recording here with live accompaniment from the Mizell Brothers – at a level that's every bit as wonderful as their work with the trumpeter in the studio! The material was originally recorded during a same series of albums that Blue Note issued with live material from Marlena Shaw, Bobby Hutcherson, and Bobbi Humphrey – and the approach here is wonderfully similar, with long tracks that really showcase a hip, creative quality that may well beat that of Byrd's studio albums of the time! There's some many wonderful elements going on in the music – Fender Rhodes from Kevin Toney, bass from Henry Franklin, and both tenor and soprano sax from Nathan Davis – a wonderful surprise in the lineup. And while Larry Mizell adds in a bit of electronics, Fonce Mizell is alongside Donald on a second trumpet – on titles that include "Kwame", "Poco Mania", "The East", "Black Byrd", and a sweet remake of the Stevie Wonder tune "You've Got It Bad Girl". CD

Includes the tracks "Black And Tan Fantasy", "Maroon", "Blue Serge", "Mood Indigo", "Azure", "Gal From Joes" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The Black Saint/Soul Note label provided a great home to pianist Andrew Hill in his post-Blue Note years – as you'll hear here in a cool package that features four different albums, each in tiny sleeves with their original artwork! First up is Faces Of Hope – later solo work from Andrew Hill – an Italian session with four long tracks, and a fair bit of sensitive tones throughout! The record definitely has some of Hill's tentative qualities of the period – playing that almost makes you feel like he's rediscovering the keyboard of the piano with each new track – but there's also a subtle sort of warmth as well, especially at points when Andrew relaxes into an area he's been hovering around for a few measures – relaxing just a bit, and relishing the sound. Titles include "Rob It Mohe", "Ceora", "Bayside 1", and "Bayside 2". Strange Serenade is a brooding little album from pianist Andrew Hill – played with an excellent trio that includes Alan Silva on bass and Freddie Waits on drums and percussion! Hill's angular lines on piano really direct the action of the set – often moving with a tentative quality that's pretty great – never too introspective to lose their edge, but always looking inward in search of the next step in sound – in ways that are a delight to hear Silva and Waits follow along. Tracks are all quite long, and titles include "Mist Flower", "Reunion", "Andrew", and "Strange Serenade". Verona Rag features more solo piano from Andrew Hill – done in that long-flowing mature style that he pulled out in later years – an approach that could be as warm as it was constantly creative! Titles include "Retrospect", "Afternoon In Paris", "Verona Rag", "Darn That Dream", and "Tinkering". On Shades, Andrew Hill works mostly in a trio – a great group with Rufus Reid on bass and Ben Riley on drums – but also gets some help from Clifford Jordan's tenor on a few tracks, which really makes the album stand out from other Hill dates of the time! The core group is already great – and Reid and Riley bring a slightly straighter vibe to the date, and a sound that's filled with plenty of soul – and when Jordan joins in, there's almost a classic hardbop approach going on – quite a change from usual for Andrew, and proof that he can handle just about anything that comes his way. Hill still throws out plenty of creative piano lines throughout – those deft, modern moments that are always illuminating, even amidst a straighter swing – with a tension that's not unlike his Grass Roots album. Titles include "Ball Square", "Domani", "La Verne", "Monk's Glimpse", and "Tripping". CD

Quite an unusual session for trumpeter Freddie Hubbard – a set done during his early run of albums for Blue Note, but one that's got some much darker, more modern qualities than the rest! The music here almost verges on some of the "new thing" material of the period on the label – although is not as far outside as some of the others – and the record features two different groups – both with excellent early work from James Spaulding on alto and flute, and really unique use of euphonium from Kiane Zawadi, whose depth on the instrument really explores the darker currents of sound. In addition to Freddie's trumpet work, the set also features Joe Henderson and Hank Mobley on tenors, Harold Mabern and McCoy Tyner on pianos, and Clifford Jarvis and Pete LaRoca on drums. Big Black also adds in percussion on the cuts "Cunga Black" and "Soul Surge" – and other titles include "Outer Forces", "Blue Spirits", and "Jodo". LP, Vinyl record album

2 classics from the legendary Idris Muhammad! Black Rhythm Revolution is one of the first records ever as a leader from funky drummer Idris Muhammad – a set that was cut right at the same time Idris was burning up the kit on his classic jazz funk sessions with other Prestige label players! The groove here is tight, funky, and very much in the mode that Muhammad laid down for other bigger soloists – a solid, socking sound that was the early 70s inheritance of the "Popcorn" funk groove of the late 60s. Players here are all great – and include Melvin Sparks on guitar, Harold Mabern on electric piano, and Virgil Jones on trumpet – and tracks include great covers of "Express Yourself" and "Super Bad", plus "Wander" and "Soulful Drums". Peace & Rhythms is a wonderful departure from Muhammad – and proof that he could do a lot more than just provide heavy breaks for Lou Donaldson and Melvin Sparks! This set is surprisingly spiritual and righteous at points – with a groove that's almost more like Strata East than some of Muhammad's previous work as a sideman on Blue Note and Prestige. Side one features the extended "Peace and Rhythm Suite" – a beautiful cut that's filled with searching, soaring energy – and side two includes two vocal cuts "Brother You Know You're Doing Wrong" and "I'm a Believer", both sung by Sakinah Muhammad – plus "Don't Knock My Love". Players are all great – and a nicely different lineup than the usual Prestige jazz funk gang. CD

An unmitigated blast of punk, worthy of setting the stage for the American hard core movement! While punk rock had been firmly established by the time this album came out, no one was prepared for the next level that Black Flag would take things to with this brutal, nihilistic, stripped down assault on the status quo! A classic that will stand up for ages, wit fist in the air anthems like "Rise Above", "Six Pack", "What I See", "TV Party", "Police Story", "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie", "Thirsty & Miserable", "Depression", "Padded Cell", "Damaged I", "Damaged II", "Life Of Pain", "Room 103" and "No More". LP, Vinyl record album