Fantastic – and one of Mingus' greatest albums ever! This one ranks right up with The Clown and Pithecantropus Erectus for sheer raw power and emotion – and Mingus' writing here is incredibly tight, giving soloists like Charlie Mariano, Jaki Byard, Richard Williams, and Jerome Richardson a real workout. The set's an extended suite of tracks with sort of a semi-ballet form. Don't let this fool you into thinking that the work's some sort of semi-classical snoozer, though – as Mingus uses the structure to hit some brilliant raw emotion, and the "dance" part of the piece gives the work a tight rhythmic form, pushing the soloists into raw urgent grooves, of a nature that never show up on Mingus' other work from the time. Titles include "Trio & Group Dancers", "Solo Dancer", "Group & Solo Dance", and "Duet Solo Dancers". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing small group work from saxophonist David Murray – and a body of material that really shows the reedman coming into his own! The Black Saint/Soul Note label was one of the first to really show faith in Murray – and allow him to step from the underground into the limelight of global jazz – working with key players who helped him really find his voice, and show the world that he was a saxophonist who could be freely creative one minute, then damn soulful the next! All albums in the set are classics from this amazing run in Murray's career – and some might argue that they represent a high point in his talents as well – wonderfully expressive sessions that feature players that include Fred Hopkins, Richard Davis, Ray Drummond, or Reggie Workman on bass; Dave Burrell, Sonelius Smith, or John Hicks on piano; Sunny Murray, Joe Chambers, Ed Blackwell, or Steve McCall on drums. The set features 7 full albums, all with original artwork – Sweet Lovely, Morning Song, I Want To Talk About You, The Hill, A Sanctuary Within, Body & Soul, and Windward Passages. CD

An incredible batch of work – the complete Black Saint/Soul Note recordings of George Russell – easily his greatest uninteruppted stretch of albums ever! Some of the material here is from the late 60s – owned by George and licensed to Soul Note – and the rest was done for the label, almost as an expansion of the ideas that Russell first explored in the earlier period. Together, the records make for an amazing batch of music – much more experimental and far-reaching than George's better-known US sides of the 50s and early 60s – really taking off in the freedoms of the European scene, with help from an array of European and American avant players! The 9CD set features mini-LP sleeve versions of albums that include Electronic Sonata For Souls Loved By Nature 1980, Othello Ballet Suite/Electronic Organ Sonata No 1, Vertical Form, Listen To The Silence, Trip To Prillarguri, Electronic Sonata For Souls Loved By Nature 1968, New York Big Band, Essence Of George Russell, and Live In An American Time Spiral. CD

Amazing music from trombonist George Lewis – five different albums that each show a different side of his talents! First up is Shadowgraph 5 – a great early Black Saint, and a key example of the way the AACM spirit thrived overseas, thanks to the efforts of labels like this! The work is quite serious and experimental – almost compositional in nature, and definitely heading towards the AACM promise of "Great Black Music" – and other players include Roscoe Mitchell on saxes, Leroy Jenkins on violin, Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, Douglas Ewart on bass clarinet and other reeds, and Abdul Wadud on cello. One track even has Lewis playing the Moog in addition to trombone and tuba! Imaginary Suite is a duet with Douglas Ewart – and features Lewis both on trombone and electronics – and even his trombone at times is "electronically modified", making it a really cool-sounding instrument. Ewart plays a bit of percussion – plus bass clarinet and flute – and often hits some electronically-sensitive sounds with his reeds, making the album a really compelling interplay between acoustic and electric elements. Homage to Charlie Parker is hardly the bebop outing you might expect from the title, and instead a set of complicated work that's heavily in the AACM tradition! Side one features "Blues" – an investigation of older blues harmonics, but done in a very freeform, experimental way – with tenor trombone from Lewis, piano from Anthony Davis, bass clarinet from Doug Ewart, and moog from Richard Teitelbaum. Change Of Season is a killer tribute to the music of Herbie Nichols – played by a committed batch of modernists who are clearly inspired by his genius – including Misha Mengelberg on piano, Steve Lacy on soprano sax, and Han Bennink on drums. The set's completed by Dutch Masters – Lewis' last album for the label, done with a compelling lineup that includes Misha Mengelberg on piano, Steve Lacy on soprano sax, Ernst Reyseger on bass, and Han Bennink on drums – but in a style that's very different than the previous Change Of Season album. CD

Fantastic – and one of Mingus' greatest albums ever! This one ranks right up with The Clown and Pithecantropus Erectus for sheer raw power and emotion – and Mingus' writing here is incredibly tight, giving soloists like Charlie Mariano, Jaki Byard, Richard Williams, and Jerome Richardson a real workout. The set's an extended suite of tracks with sort of a semi-ballet form. Don't let this fool you into thinking that the work's some sort of semi-classical snoozer, though – as Mingus uses the structure to hit some brilliant raw emotion, and the "dance" part of the piece gives the work a tight rhythmic form, pushing the soloists into raw urgent grooves, of a nature that never show up on Mingus' other work from the time. Titles include "Trio & Group Dancers", "Solo Dancer", "Group & Solo Dance", and "Duet Solo Dancers". Quite hard to find on the original vinyl, too – which is why we're extra-excited to have it on CD! CD

Fantastic – and one of Mingus' greatest albums ever! This one ranks right up with The Clown and Pithecantropus Erectus for sheer raw power and emotion – and Mingus' writing here is incredibly tight, giving soloists like Charlie Mariano, Jaki Byard, Richard Williams, and Jerome Richardson a real workout. The set's an extended suite of tracks with sort of a semi-ballet form. Don't let this fool you into thinking that the work's some sort of semi-classical snoozer, though – as Mingus uses the structure to hit some brilliant raw emotion, and the "dance" part of the piece gives the work a tight rhythmic form, pushing the soloists into raw urgent grooves, of a nature that never show up on Mingus' other work from the time. Titles include "Trio & Group Dancers", "Solo Dancer", "Group & Solo Dance", and "Duet Solo Dancers". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic run of work from pianist Mal Waldron – an artist who was already years ahead of his time when he broke on the scene in the 50s, but never got a chance to fully explore all of his many musical ideas until he formed a strong partnership with the Black Saint/Soul Note label in the 80s! This huge set features 11 different albums, each one a slight variation on Waldron's talents – all records that are packaged here in individual record-style covers – so that you get a CD version of the albums as they originally appeared on the market. Most of these are more intimate recordings – and the set includes one solo album, two duets each with David Friesen and Steve Lacy, albums with singers Judi Silvano, Tiziana Ghiglioni, and Kim Parker – a quartet date with Anthony Braxton, and another with Chico Freeman – and also one more trio album. Includes the full albums Up & Down, Update, Sometimes I'm Blue, Sempre Amore, Dedication, Our Colline's A Treasure, I'll Be Around, Six Monk's Compositions, Communique, Riding A Zephyr, and Remembering Mal. CD

Some of our favorite albums ever from pianist Muhal Richard Abrams – an amazing run of eight records for the Black Saint/Soul Note label – rich in fresh colors, tones, and new musical ideas! There's a sensitivity to some of these records that you don't always get with Abrams – a personal feeling that brings in a much-needed warmth to his complex compositional forms – often in collaboration with other players on the Chicago scene, but also with a wider range of avant players, especially from New York – where Abrams would have a great influence in the 80s. The lineup of musicians here is wonderful – a virtual who's-who of the jazz left at the time, at least from an American perspective – with performances from George Lewis, Roscoe Mitchell, Amina Myers, Thurman Barker, Baikida Carroll, Andrew Cyrille, Craig Harris, Stanton Davis, Marty Erlich, Dick Griffin, Cecil Bridgewater, Fred Hopkins, Dierdre Murray, and so many others. The set features 8 full albums, each in a tiny LP-styled sleeve – and titles include Siphumonesty, Mama & Daddy, Blues Forever, Rejoicing With The Light, View From Within, Hearinga Suite, Blu Blu Blu, and Think All Focus One. CD

Some of the greatest albums ever from tenorist George Adams – packaged together here in a sweet set that also features the CDs in tiny LP-styled covers! Much of the music here was done in collaboration with fellow members of Charles Mingus' group – three albums with pianist Don Pullen, and all with drummer Dannie Richmond – players who are very simpatico with Adams' vibe, as they all together find rich new ground after the passing of Mingus. There's a soulful swing to most of the records – that way that Adams and Pullen had of being sharply creative, yet still rooted in straighter jazz modes too – balancing both impulses perfectly, especially over the progression of albums in this set. The package includes tiny LP-styled reproductions of the records Don't Lose Control, Hand To Hand, Gentleman's Agreement, and Live At The Village Vanguard Volumes 1 & 2. CD

Three full albums – all presented in cool mini LP-styled sleeves! First up is The 5th Power – one of the best sessions as a leader ever cut by Lester Bowie – and one of the few to really share the warmth and imagination of his work with the Art Ensemble! The session features Bowie on trumpet, Arthur Blyteh on alto, Amina Myers on piano and voice, Malachi Favors on bass, and Phillip Wilson on drums – working in a set of modes that replicates the sparer and more creative passages of Art Ensemble work of the early 70s. Some of the tunes are introspective, some are freer, and one number features a gospelly approach. Titles include "The 5th Power", "God Has Smiled On Me", "Sardegna Amore", and "BBB". Next are two albums that feature Bowie in The Leaders – the first of which is Out Here Like This – a great set by The Leaders, a group that's made up of players who are normally leaders on their own, but who work together here with the great spirit of a group! The lineup features Lester Bowie on trumpet, Arthur Blythe on alto, Chico Freeman on tenor and soprano sax, Kirk Lightsey on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Don Moye on percussion – and the tracks are longish, overall – and shift easily between the straighter and more outside proclivities of the players on the set – making for a well-rounded album that showcases the mainstream aspects of the American avant scene of the time. Titles include "Donkey Dust", "Portraits", "Felicite", "Loves I Once Knew", and "Zero". Unforseen Blessings is one of the strongest albums from the Leaders sextet – an ensemble that features 6 of America's best left-of-center players of the time – all of them leaders of their own groups, putting aside ego to come together beautifully here! The set features Lester Bowie on trumpet, Arthur Blythe on alto, Chico Freeman on tenor and soprano, Kirk Lightsey on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Don Moye on percussion – all jamming to a set of original tunes that vary between longer numbers and shorter bits that are interspersed between the tracks – a balance that further underscores the creativity of the players. Titles include "Lucia", "Now A Moment", "Heaven Dance", "Peacemaker", "The Search", "Lightish", and "Sun Percussion Six". CD

Some of our favorite work on the legendary Black Saint/Soul Note label – a wonderful set of recordings that really allowed percussionist Andrew Cyrille a chance to express himself freely! Cyrille had been making music on record for almost two decades before he reached this stretch in his careery – but with these albums he really gets a chance to present his music at the height of its expression – in a range of settings and groupings that really get at the wide range of Andrew's skills on drums and percussion. Highlights include a very spiritual session with the Manolo group – David S Ware on tenor and Ted Daniel on trumpet; a set of duets with altoist Jimmy Lyons, a partner of Cyrille in the Cecil Taylor group; a trio date with Jeanne Lee on vocals and Lyons on alto; a trio tribute to Art Blakey; and another recording with Daniel and pianist Sonelius Smith. Every record's a gem, and the set presents them each with original artwork – in a box that includes the albums Metamusicians' Stomp, Nuba, Something In Return, Special People, The Navigator, X Man, and Good To Go. CD

Seminal work from trumpeter Dave Douglas – a half dozen albums recorded for the Black Saint/Soul Note labels, all of which show his depth and diversity – some with Douglas as a leader, some as a key player in other groups! Even at the start, Douglas showed a tremendous ability to step out into new settings and explore new ideas – which he certainly does on the albums in this set – each of which represents a different facet of his abilities, in ways that together make the package one hell of a collection! Albums include Parallel Worlds, which features a quartet with Mark Feldman on violin and Mark Dresser on bass; Force Green, led by bassist Mark Dresser, and featuring very interesting work on voice by Theo Bleckman; Bounce, a record by the John Lindberg Ensemble – led by bassist Lindberg, and also featuring saxes from Larry Ochs, and great drums from Ed Thigpen; Rova's 1995 recording of John Coltrane's Ascension, with three tenor saxes, two altos, two trumpets, two bassists, piano, and drums; Convergence, which features a group with Fedman on violin and Erik Friedlander on cello; and Dave Douglas Five, which has a quintet with Mark Feldman on violin, Erik Friedlander on cello, Drew Dress on bass, and Michael Sarin on drums. 6 albums in all – all in tiny LP-styled sleeves. CD

Some of the greatest work ever recorded by reedman Oliver Lake – all packaged together in one great set! The package shows Lake really maturing both as a player and as a group leader – working with a range of contemporaries to move his sound past the loft jazz modes of the 70s, but still with all the deep spirit of collaboration that always made his contributions to jazz so important. The first few albums are key standouts in the Black Saint catalog, and the later titles are great surprises from some years when folks might have taken Lake for granted, but he was still always able to pull out some new modes of expression. Players on the sessions include Michael Gregory Jackson, Fred Hopkins, Baikida Carroll, Donald Smith, Pheeroan Ak Laff, Russell Gunn, Charles Eubanks, Reggie Workman, and Andrew Cyrille – and the set features 7 full albums, all with original artwork – Holding Together, Orphet, Clevont Fitzhubert, Expandable Language, Edge-ing, Dedicated To Dolphy, and A New Organization. CD

Fantastic – and one of Mingus' greatest albums ever! This one ranks right up with The Clown and Pithecantropus Erectus for sheer raw power and emotion – and Mingus' writing here is incredibly tight, giving soloists like Charlie Mariano, Jaki Byard, Richard Williams, and Jerome Richardson a real workout. The set's an extended suite of tracks with sort of a semi-ballet form. Don't let this fool you into thinking that the work's some sort of semi-classical snoozer, though – as Mingus uses the structure to hit some brilliant raw emotion, and the "dance" part of the piece gives the work a tight rhythmic form, pushing the soloists into raw urgent grooves, of a nature that never show up on Mingus' other work from the time. Titles include "Trio & Group Dancers", "Solo Dancer", "Group & Solo Dance", and "Duet Solo Dancers". CD

Tenor sax and bass clarinet player's excellent series of Octet efforts for Black Saint in the 80s – a run of brilliant albums with lineups featuring Henry Threadgill, Olu Dara, Butch Morris, George Lewis, Anthony Davis, Bobby Bradford, Hugh Ragin, James Spaulding and other great players – 5 albums in a CD box set in the Complete Remastered Recordings On Black Saint & Soul Note series! It includes the Ming album from 1980, Home from '82, Murray's Steps (released in '83), New Life from '87 and Hope Scope from '91 – each in a cardboard sleeve with the original album art and each remastered. CD

Music from a hugely productive period in the life of saxophonist David Murray – so much so that this is the third volume of his wonderful recordings for the Black Saint/Soul Note label – and there's no dip at all in the quality of the music! Murray was awash in new ideas at this time – and the label gave him freedom to try out so many different formats for his music – which allowed David to really deliver on the promise he first brought to jazz during the New York loft jazz years of the 70s. Albums include The Healers – a beautiful set of duets with pianist Randy Weston; Live At Sweet Basil Vols 1 & 2 – which features Murray's ultra-hip large ensemble, with Steve Coleman, Craig Harris, Olu Darla, Baikida Carroll, Butch Morris, and Fred Hopkins; Children – an unusual date with James Blood Ulmer on guitar and Don Pullen on piano; Interboogieology – which features Butch Morris on cornet and Johnny Dyani on bass; and the Southern Bell album by the Clarinet Summit – which features Murray, Alvin Batiste, John Carter, and Jimmy Hamilton. Each album comes packaged in a tiny LP-styled sleeve, too! CD

Beautiful work from David Murray – a set that's perhaps a bit less polished than some of his other recent albums, but one that more than makes up for that with a richly soulful sound! The group has a loose, freewheeling feel at points – and Murray seems to ride their spirit strongly with some great tones on his tenor – those instantly-compelling sounds that first made his work grab us so many decades back, but which don't always show up in recent years. Murray plays bass clarinet too, but it's his tenor work that we really love here – and the quartet features Lafayette Gilchrist on piano, Jaribu Shahid on bass, and Hamid Drake on drums. Most tracks are quite long, and filled with beautifully-spun solos – creative, rhythmic, and filled with life! Titles include "Dirty Laundry", "Banished", "Sacred Ground", "Murray's Steps", and "Waltz Again". CD

Pure brilliance from Don Pullen – arguably some of the best recordings ever made by the adventurous pianist – packaged here together in one incredible collection! Pullen was already a key force in the American underground by the time of these recordings – but really took everything to the next level with the Black Saint/Soul Note label – finding a way to focus his energy, and really realize his musical vision like never before – and, in a way, hitting heights that he might never hit later in his career either! Each album here is a treasure on its own – and together, the set is a hell of a package – one that features Pullen's piano in the company of players like Chico Freeman, Joseph Jarman, or Sam Rivers on reeds; Olu Dara on trumpet; Fred Hopkins on bass; Bobby Battle on drums; and Don Moye on percussion – as well as two great records that feature Don alone at the piano. The set features the albums Capricorn Rising, Healing Force, Warriors, Milano Strut, The Magic Triangle, Evidence Of Things Unseen, and The Sixth Sense – all of them great! CD

A relatively small slice of the long and storied career of tenorist Archie Shepp – but a great one too, and a set of records that marks some of Shepp's more spiritual modes at the time! The package might well be worth it alone for the classic Sea Of Faces – a great little set from Archie Shepp – one of his strongest of the 70s, and a real return to the kind of spiritual jamming he was doing at the end of his time with Impulse Records! The album's well-known for it's great track "Song For Mozambique" – a spare and righteous number that features Bunny Fox singing in a sweet spiritual mode, while Charles Greenlee and Shepp recite chants over the jamming grooves of the band. Fox also sings on the mellow and soulful "I Know Bout The Life", and the Shepp group picks up a straight but hard mode on Cal Massey's great track "Lookin For Someone To Love". The extended jammer "Hipnosis" takes up all of side one – and it's a great little groover that builds nicely with a comping rhythm, yet which gives the band some nice room to solo in an exploratory fashion. Down Home New York is an overlooked killer from Archie Shepp – a set that almost recalls some of the spiritual moments of his later Impulse work, and which definitely has him moving past some of the straighter sounds of this period in his career! Things are never too outside or free, but there's a balance with straightness that's really great – so that when the rhythms are gentle, Archie might really take off in an edgey solo – or when the grooves have more force, he might hang inside with a soulful core energy, holding the whole group together. There's some great use of electric bass on the date – played by Saheb Sarbib – and other players include Charles McGhee on trumpet, Ken Warner on piano, and Marvin Smitty Smith on drums. Players vocalize a bit at times – in an older Shepp way – and titles include "Down Home New York", "May 16th", "Down Home New York", "Straight Street", and "The 4th World". Little Red Moon features some nicely spiritual currents too – with a group that includes Enrico Rava on trumpet – on titles that include "Naima", "Impromptu", "Whisper Not", and "Little Red Moon". California Meeting is a live set from the west coast – featuring some very long tracks with George Cables on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Eddie Marshall on drums – plus bluesman Royal Blue on one track too. All four albums come in a box, in tiny recor-style sleeves! CD

Five later albums from trumpeter Kenny Wheeler – each presented in a tiny record-style sleeve, and packaged together in a sweet box set! First up is Flutter By Butterfly – warmly expressive work from trumpeter Kenny Wheeler – a set that's got the same depth of tone as his work for other labels, but which has a bit of a different feel as well. The record has maybe a bit more bite – not necessarily on Wheeler's trumpet or flugelhorn, the latter of which still retains its wonderfully airy sound – but instead on the overall conception, which makes careful but creative use of other group members – especially John Taylor on piano and Dave Holland on bass, as well as Billy Elgart on drums, and Stan Sulzmann on soprano, tenor, and flute. All tunes are originals by Wheeler, and really lovely ones at that – and titles include "Gigolo", "The Little Fella", "Miold Man", "We Salute The Night", and "Everybody's Song But My Own". Welcome has Kenny Wheeler working in a group with Claudio Fasoli on reeds – in a piano-less group that also includes Jean-Francois Jenny Clark on bass and Daniel Humair on drums – on titles that include "If Only", "Invisible Sound", "Epic", and "Oblivion". All The More is a dark quartet side that features the great John Taylor on piano – alongside Furio DiCastri on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums! Taylor really brings out some moody moments alongside Kenny Wheeler's trumpet – and titles include "Phrase One", "Summer Night", "All The More", and "Kind Of Bill". Tales features a quartet with Paolino Della Porta, Stefano Battaglia, and Bill Elgart – on tracks that include "Night Breath", "Lullaby For Ugo", "A Place To Sing", and "Mbira". Last up is Guest – a record that features a larger group – the European Music Orchestra, conducted by Claudio Fasoli – with solos from Kenny Wheeler and Aldo Romano. Titles include "The Sweet Yakity Waltz", "Lyrical Touch", "Horizons", "Alex & Tom", and "WW". CD

The Art Ensemble team of Jarman and Moye join with South African bass legend Johnny Dyani in this fantastic set of tracks that's easily some of the best work any of the players recorded during the 70s! The album's got all the free interplay of the classic Art Ensemble work, with some of the edge that Dyani and fellow Blue Notes were bringing to their work in London during the early 70s – wrapped up in a spirituality that unifies the disparate instrumentation and moods of the records. Titles include "Ginger Song", "Black Paladins", "Ode to Wilbur Ware", and "Mama Marimba" – as well as a great reworking of Kalaparusha's "Humility In The Light Of The Creator". CD

A fantastic record – and one of the warmest, most soulful sets we've ever heard from Muhal Richard Abrams! The album features Muhal's piano alongside the bass of Malachi Favors – a really unique duo outing that unlocks a whole new side of both players, especially Favors, who really seems to have a presence here that's different than usual – a bubbling, effervescent sense of soul that really buoys up the whole record, and helps Abrams hit these beautifully lyrical tones on the piano. We can't recommend this one highly enough, and the tracks include "W.W. (Dedicated to Wilbur Ware)", "JG", "Way Way Way Down Yonder", "Unity", and "Two Over One". LP, Vinyl record album

A tribute to Ed Blackwell, and one that features the legendary drummer himself – as part of the excellent Old & New Dreams from the 80s! The work was recorded during a Blackwell tribute festival in 1987 – and the group features Don Cherry on trumpet, Dewey Redman on tenor, and Charlie Haden on bass – all players who, like Blackwell, worked with Ornette Coleman – coming across here with a sharp-edged sound that has lots of Coleman-like touches! There's no piano in the group, and the rhythms are very forceful – almost a bolder presence than usual from Blackwell, which really drives the horns along nicely. Titles include versions of Coleman's "Happy House", "Law Years", and "Street Woman" – plus "Togo" and "Dewey's Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

A groundbreaking ensemble – akin to the World Saxophone Quartet, and no doubt inspired by their experiments at the same time. The difference, though, is the range of experience of the players – as the group features David Murray, Jimmy Hamilton, Alvin Batiste, and John Carter, all playing b-flat or bass clarinets. No other accompaniment is featured, and titles include "Fluffy's Blues", "Beat Box", "Perdido", and "Southern Bells". LP, Vinyl record album

A compelling collaboration between percussionist Andrew Cyrille, vocalist Jeanne Lee, and alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons – one of the freer sessions on the Black Saint label, and one of the most striking as well! Cyrille handles a wide range of percussion – and also a few whistles too – and he really sets the tone with his open, expressive approach to his instruments – almost more melodic at points than rhythmic, with echoes of African roots that come through more strongly than on some of his other albums. Lee's vocals are nicely understated, as always – and she also delivers a bit of recitation as well – and Lyons' raspy tone really helps to further deepen the soul of the set. Most numbers are pretty spare, and titles include "Nuba 1", "Cornbread Picnic (Maize)", "The One Before Zero", "JJ & A", "In These Last Days", "Sorry", and "Nuba 2". CD

Heady stuff from trombonist George Lewis – hardly the bebop outing you might expect from the title, and instead a set of complicated work that's heavily in the AACM tradition! Side one features "Blues" – an investigation of older blues harmonics, but done in a very freeform, experimental way – with tenor trombone from Lewis, piano from Anthony Davis, bass clarinet from Doug Ewart, and moog from Richard Teitelbaum. "Homage To Charles Parker" is an equally open sort of track – very spare and textural at times, which provides a beautiful showcase for Lewis' trombone! CD

A free-thinking and spiritual session from Italian bassist Marcello Melis – recorded right at the height of his late 70s powers! The album's a richly collaborative effort – one that draws strongly from contributions by players who include Lester Bowie and Enrico Rava on trumpets, George Lewis and Gary Valente on trombones, Don Pullen on piano, and Nana Vasconcelos and Don Moye on percussion. Fred Hopkins adds on some extra bass next to Melis – and the album also features great vocals from both Sheila Jordan and Jeanne Lee. The tracks are all quite long and collaborative – and build sound out of space through the careful use of each player – allowing their voices to rise together in power, then breaking out beautifully with different thematic moments. Titles include "Before The Lights Go On", "Struggle To Be", and "Free To Dance". CD

Henry Threadgill on alto and tenor, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Pheeroan Aklaff on percussion – plus vocals from Cassandra Wilson! CD

Sensitive solo work from Don Pullen – just the kind of record that demonstrates why he was one of the few free players of his generation who could also grab a bit slice of mainstream ears as well! Some moments on the set are quite unbridled, but never without a sense of structure – kind of a soulful undercurrent that really balances out nicely with Pullen's bolder notes – and which creates a strong bridge to some of the mellower, more introspective moments that round out the record wonderfully – almost with a Jaki Byard-like sense of timelessness. Titles include "Evidence Of Things Unseen", "Victory Dance", "In The Beginning", "Perseverance", and "Rejoice". CD

Billy Bang on violin, James Emery on guitars, and John Lindberg on bass. Titles include "Texas Koto Blues", "Seven Vice", "One For Frankfurt TV", and "Ground Work". CD

Featuring Bruce Ackley on soprano and tenor sax, Jon Raskin on baritone and alto sax, Steve Adams on alto and sopranino sax, and Larry Ochs tenor and sopranino sax. CD

When the album starts with a heavy drumbreak, you know you're in different territory than usual for Henry Threadgill – yet that's always also the appeal of his music, that we never know what to expect! Drummer Gene Lake cooks up the set right from the start, but a key part of the sound is also from the twin electric guitar work of Brandon Ross and Masujaa on guitars – both players who create these intertwining chromatic elements that are really beautiful, in a bass-less group that's balanced out by deep end work on two tubas, handled by Marcus Rojas and Edwin Rodriguez! The pace changes quickly as the album moves on – into territory that's more spare, and more filled with the kind of tonal, color-based explorations that Threadgill does so well. The leader blows alto and flute, Curtis Fowlkes is also in the group on trombone – and titles include "Exacto", "In The Ring", "Hope A Hope A", "Bee Dee Aff", "Drivin You Slow & Crazy", and "First Church Of This". CD

With Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, and David Murray on a multitude of saxophones, clarinets – even a bit of flute. Titles include "Ming", "David's Tune", "I Heard That", "Quinn Chapel AME Church", "Affairs Of The Heart", and "Little Samba". CD

Really groundbreaking work from the World Sax Quartet – one of the first, and best, all-horn ensembles! The strength of the album definitely hangs on the backgrounds of the players – Julius Hemphill, Hamiet Bluiett, Oliver Lake, and David Murray – all already key reedmen in left field jazz, with a sense of sound and identity that makes each part of the group as strong as its whole – a great trading of musical minds, spirits, and sounds. Instrumentation includes alto, tenor, baritone, clarinet, soprano sax, and bass clarinet – and titles include "Sundance", "Pillars Latino", "Suite Music", "Sound Light", "Connections", and "Fast Life". CD

Anthony Braxton plays a host of horns on this powerful mid 80s set – a batch of numbers all based around his unique imagistic compositions! Braxton's reeds include alto, tenor, sopranino, and C melody sax – plus clarinet and flute as well – and other quartet members include David Rosenboom on piano, Mark Dresser on bass, and Gerry Hemingway on drums. The music is quite angular at most points – with sharp tones that are kind of a further extension of a Monk/Lacy vibe, stretched into occasional free moments as well. Titles include "Composition No 131", "Composition No 88 (+ 108C)", "Composition No 124 (+ 108D +96)", "Composition No 122 (+ 108 +96)", and "Composition No 101 (+ 31 + 86 + 30)" – with accompanying graphics for each! LP, Vinyl record album

With Warren Smith on percussion. CD

Anthony Braxton's reeds are matched here by some wonderful piano here from Marilyn Crispell – who certainly brings lots of her own voice into play with the Braxton compositions on the set! Crispell's piano gives the album a slightly different feel than some of Anthony's other work of the period – almost more fragile in some passages, but more forceful in others – still sharply modern throughout, but a bit less cerebral too. Other quartet members include John Lindberg on bass and Gerry Hemmingway on percussion – and Braxton plays flute, clarinet, alto, soprano, and C melody sax. Titles are all those weird drawings done to illustrate Braxton's music – with tracks that include "Composition No 110D", "Composition No 116", "Composition No 115", "Composition No 114 (+108A)", and "Composition No 110C". CD

A real treat – as Braxton plays work by Monk, blowing alto in a clean, clear, angular mode that echoes with a bit of Lacy, and shows some slight traces of Konitz as well. The group's a quartet – with Mal Waldon on piano, Bill Osborne on drums, and Buell Neidlinger making a surprising appearance on bass. Titles include "Brilliant Corners", "Played Twice", "Skippy", and "Ask Me Now". CD

A tribute to Ed Blackwell, and one that features the legendary drummer himself – as part of the excellent Old & New Dreams from the 80s! The work was recorded during a Blackwell tribute festival in 1987 – and the group features Don Cherry on trumpet, Dewey Redman on tenor, and Charlie Haden on bass – all players who, like Blackwell, worked with Ornette Coleman – coming across here with a sharp-edged sound that has lots of Coleman-like touches! There's no piano in the group, and the rhythms are very forceful – almost a bolder presence than usual from Blackwell, which really drives the horns along nicely. Titles include versions of Coleman's "Happy House", "Law Years", and "Street Woman" – plus "Togo" and "Dewey's Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

An all-sax group – one that features Tim Berne on alto, Marty Erlich on alto and soprano, James Carter on tenor, Andrew White on tenor, and Fred Ho on baritone! CD

Rare French jazz from the late 50s and early 60s – previously issued only as 7" eps, and finally properly issued for the first time! The standout material here is by Sonny Criss – pulled from 2 different eps issued in 1963, recorded when he'd dropped out of the LA scene, and was rejuvenating his talents on the Paris scene of the early 60s. Criss' tone is fantastic here – slowly grooving on soulful small group numbers with either Georges Arvanitas or Henri Renaud on piano, plus a bit of guitar by Rene Thomas. Titles on the Criss set include "Early & Later (parts 1 & 2)", "Mighty Low", "Black Coffee", and "Don't Blame Me". Also included on the CD are 3 tracks by a quartet that includes alto sax player Hubert Fol and pianist Rene Utreger – swinging mightly on three tunes: "A Fine Romance", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", and "You Go To My Head". Last up are 4 tracks from the Michel De Villers octet – featuring Fol on alto and Geo Daly on vibes. Titles include "Penitas De Amor", "Cat On The Stairs", and "These Foolish Things". CD

The legendary Rinder & Lewis team headed up this Frenchy effort by the pop disco group Saint Tropez. The centerpiece is the album's cover of Serge Gainsbourg's classic "Je T'Aime", redone here with a distinct 70s feel, and a groove that's just right for the dancefloor. Other tunes include "Coeur A Coeur", "On Rien A Perdre", and "La Symphonie Africaine". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual double-length album for Jimmy McGriff – released during his funkier years at the Groove Merchant label, but with a gritty sort of sound that takes us back to his first few records on Sue in the 60s! The "blues" in the title is definitely well-chosen – as the tracks here are long, lean, and drawn out – blues-drenched soul jazz played by a small combo that includes Larry Frazier on guitar, Rudy Johnson on tenor, and Saint Jenkins on drums – plus Gerry Jemmott on electric bass, adding a bit more vamp to the background than usual. There's a very earthy feel to most numbers – almost improvised jams at times, at least on the tracks that are credited to McGriff as the writer. Titles include "Blue Groove (parts 1 & 2)", "Blues For A Broken Down Funky Old Bus", "Bahama", "Mack The Knife", "Harp-er", "Mocha", "Hey Mrs Jones", "Amen", and "Penthouse Serenade". CD

Forget the hokey pun in the title, as the album's a sharp-edged set that has way more going on than that bad wit might imply – a brilliant record that has the same sort of post-loft vibe as some of the best Black Saint/Soul Note sessions from the time! The group here features players who worked on many of those records too – the mighty Billy Bang on violin, sounding incredible, and so different than generations of others touching that instrument in jazz – sharp, soulful, and almost "blown" more like a saxophone! Frank Lowe's tenor follows with a similarly bold voice – and the group features very urgent work on bass from Rafael Garrett and drums from Dennis Charles. Titles include great readings of Jackie McLean's "Little Melonae" and Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" – plus the tracks "Loweology", "Ballad With One L", and "Blood On The Cross". LP, Vinyl record album

Forget the hokey pun in the title, as the album's a sharp-edged set that has way more going on than that bad wit might imply – a brilliant record that has the same sort of post-loft vibe as some of the best Black Saint/Soul Note sessions from the time! The group here features players who worked on many of those records too – the mighty Billy Bang on violin, sounding incredible, and so different than generations of others touching that instrument in jazz – sharp, soulful, and almost "blown" more like a saxophone! Frank Lowe's tenor follows with a similarly bold voice – and the group features very urgent work on bass from Rafael Garrett and drums from Dennis Charles. Titles include great readings of Jackie McLean's "Little Melonae" and Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" – plus the tracks "Loweology", "Ballad With One L", and "Blood On The Cross". CD features some rare bonus tracks from the same sessions, appearing here for the first time ever – "Pent Up Suite", "I Mean You", "Suite For Gamma (parts 1 & 2)", and "Mr Syms". CD

Includes the songs "Love Is A Dangerous Necessity", "Noon Night", "Tonight At Noon", "Eclipse", "Invisible Lady", "Passions Of A Woman Loved", "Sweet Sucker", "Dance", "Devil Woman","Love's Fury", and "The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady". CD

William Parker's a player who always adds a lot to an improvisation session, but he's also a hell of a composer, and a visionary leader too – able to work in these large concepts and musical ideas that seem to come off better than most similar work by any of his contemporaries! There's a sense of power and vision to this record that recalls some of the most ambitious projects on Soul Note/Black Saint from the start of the 80s – an ability to mix improvisation with richer shades and group movements – as Parker directs a lineup that includes reeds from Rob Brown, Ori Kaplan, Charles Waters, and Darryl Foster – and trombones from Steve Swell and Alex Lodico, trumpet from Roy Campbell and Richard Rodriguez, and a bit of vocals from Leena Conquest. The performance has a majesty that takes us back to the Arkestra at their best – but the poetic power of the music is also all Parker's own as well. Titles include "Meditation For Two Voices", "Raincoat In The River", "Painter's Celebration", "Mountain/Maintain", and "Anast Crossing The Lake Of Light". CD

A beautiful later score from the legendary Miklos Rosza – a masterpiece that draws on all of his many years in film, yet serves things up with a more subtle approach than before! There's a sense of space here that we don't always hear in Rosza – almost a pausing between the notes, creating a sense of reflection that really expands the gentle sentiment of the tunes – while still building to a bit of drama at a few key moments. Nothing here is overdone at all – and the soundtrack is a great reminder that in the serious film score world, away from the hits, the mid 70s could be a very golden period! Titles include "Providence", "Sonia Et Le Saint Suaire", "Feuillages", "Poursuite", and "Valse Crepusculaire". CD

Overlooked genius from Henry Threadgill – one of his under-exposed 80s sessions for the About Time label, and work that's every bit as great as his better-known sides for Delmark or Black Saint! The group here has a nice sense of freedom and interplay – almost a quality that hearkens back to Threadgill's roots in the AACM, thanks to strong contributions from Craig Harris on trombone, Olu Dara on trumpet, Fred Hopkins on bass, Deidre Murray on cello, and both Pheeroan Aklaff and John Betsch on percussion. The tracks are nicely arranged, but never too stiffly – and titles include "Cremation", "Black Blues", "Gateway", and "Just The Facts And Pass The Bucket". CD

Overlooked genius from Henry Threadgill – one of his under-exposed 80s sessions for the About Time label, and work that's every bit as great as his better-known sides for Delmark or Black Saint! The group here has a nice sense of freedom and interplay – almost a quality that hearkens back to Threadgill's roots in the AACM, thanks to strong contributions from Craig Harris on trombone, Olu Dara on trumpet, Fred Hopkins on bass, Deidre Murray on cello, and both Pheeroan Aklaff and John Betsch on percussion. The tracks are nicely arranged, but never too stiffly – and titles include "Cremation", "Black Blues", "Gateway", and "Just The Facts And Pass The Bucket". CD

The Vietnam war was tough on most folks in the US – but it's no secret that it was especially tough on black Americans – who were often given little choice and little chance to get out of the callup to the military action – which left a huge impression on their community for years to come! This package documents the affect of Vietnam in soul music – in ways that are both direct and more subtle, as the package blends together a number of tracks that you likely don't know at all, and others that you might have missed as being critical of the war – as there's more subtle messaging going on, a lesson that was learned during the Civil Rights era, when a mellower lyric might get more mainstream circulation – as a call to action that a change was going to come. The quality of cuts here is wonderful – as well-selected as some of the Ace/Kent collections of rare soul music on small labels – and there's definitely a few here that we're hearing for the first time, alongside other numbers that really sound great in the setting. Titles include "Fighting For My Baby" by Donald Jenkins, "Lonely Soldier" by William Bell, "Letter To A Buddie" by Joe Medwick, "I Want To Come Home For Christmas" by Marvin Gaye, "My Ship Is Coming In Tomorrow" by The Pace Setters, "Johnny" by King Hannibal, "Going On Strike" by The Emotions, "Uncle Sam" by Jimmy Hughes, "My Soldier Boy Is Coming Home" by The Shirelles, "Glad To Be Home" by Charles Smith & Jeff Cooper, "The War Is Over My Brother" by The Sensational Saints, "Home To Stay" by RB Greaves, "Stop The War" by The Impressions, "Wish You Were Here With Me" by The Fawns, "VC Blues" by Allen Orange, "Promise That You'll Wait" by Michael Lizzmore, "Men Are Getting Scarce" by Chairmen Of The Board, and "Leave Him Alone" by Stu Gardner. CD

Latin rhythms, Italian lyrics, jazzy solos, and lots more groovy touches – all coming together here in a special set of tracks that evokes the cross-cultural brilliance of London's Soho at the end of the 50s! The set's got a really unique vibe – with songs that mix electric guitars and heavy percussion, swinging vocals and rocking rhythms, jazzy scatting and weird instrumentation – all with the completely great ear for a special tune that we've come to expect from the Croydon Municipal label! If you've dug their other compilations, you'll definitely find plenty here to love – on 25 titles that include "Nicola Bossa Nova" by Bob Leaper, "Ciquo Minuti Ancora" by Peppini Di Capri, "Cappucina" by Ted Heath, "Esso Besso" by Victor Silvester, "Cha Cha Pop Pop" by Tony Scott, "Hot Toddy" by The Swe Danes, "Teenager Blues" by The Kessler Sisters, "Harry Lime Cha Cha" by Edmundo Ros, "Taboo" by Charles Blackwell, "Madison A Saint Tropez" by Tommy Kinsman, "Papa Loves Mambo" by Marino Marini, and "Mambo Inn" by The Modernes. CD

The album that changed everything for Metallica – catapulting them from patron saints of unrelentingly heavy thrash metal to reluctant (at first, anyway) mainstream superstars! The production is glossier sounding than ever before, and whether that compromised the rawer brutality of their heaviest moments is debatable to this day – but that's countered by the slow-building, epic songcraft (the shortest one is over 5 minutes long), odd, and all around ambitiously structured material. Includes "Blackened", "Eye Of The Beholder", the game-changing "One", "Harvester Of Sorrow", "To Live Is To Die", "Dyers Eve" and more. CD

Includes 26 tracks by Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Minor Threat, Gang Green, Scream, Negative Approach, YDI, Batallion Of Saints, and The Freeze. CD

Peter Guralnick has written some mighty big, career-defining books on key figures in music – but from the start, we've always loved his shorter pieces the best – the kind of work we first fell in love with in books like Sweet Soul Music and Lost Highway! And if you dig his shorter pieces, there's plenty of those here – really wonderful essays on artists in a variety of genres – penned by one of the few figures who can balance an understanding of their music with a mixture of historical detail and unabashed fandom! Guralnick's writing has gotten better and better over the years – and it's great to have it focused back on his roots – in chapters that focus on artists who include Solomon Burke, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, Merle Haggard, Allen Toussaint, Howlin Wolf, Tammy Wynette, and even the great country trucker Dick Curless! Hardcover book is 554 pages, with black and white illustrations throughout. Book

Never-issued solo work from the legendary Leo Nocentelli – best known as the killer guitarist in The Meters, but a completely different artist here on his own – and one who might well have taken the 70s world of soul music by storm, had this record been released! The record has a vibe that's really unique – mostly acoustic guitar, handled in territory that's a bit like Bill Withers – but with all this cool, echoey production on Leo's vocals – which puts the whole thing in trippier soul territory, ala 70s work by Allen Toussaint or Shuggie Otis! Toussaint is actually on the record, adding in a bit of keyboards – and the rest of the instrumentation is very lean, with work from fellow Nola musicians George Porter on bass, and James Black and Zibagoo Modeliste on drums. Yet throughout, the whole focus is on Nocentelli – really coming across with this fantastic vibe as a singer, as he works through original tunes that bring together acoustic soul with a swampy Louisiana vibe – all at a level that's unlike anything else we've ever heard. Titles include "You've Become A Habit", "Thinking Of The Day", "Riverfront", "I Want To Cry", "Pretty Mittie", "Give Me Back My Loving", "Till I Get There", and "Tell Me Why". CD

Never-issued solo work from the legendary Leo Nocentelli – best known as the killer guitarist in The Meters, but a completely different artist here on his own – and one who might well have taken the 70s world of soul music by storm, had this record been released! The record has a vibe that's really unique – mostly acoustic guitar, handled in territory that's a bit like Bill Withers – but with all this cool, echoey production on Leo's vocals – which puts the whole thing in trippier soul territory, ala 70s work by Allen Toussaint or Shuggie Otis! Toussaint is actually on the record, adding in a bit of keyboards – and the rest of the instrumentation is very lean, with work from fellow Nola musicians George Porter on bass, and James Black and Zibagoo Modeliste on drums. Yet throughout, the whole focus is on Nocentelli – really coming across with this fantastic vibe as a singer, as he works through original tunes that bring together acoustic soul with a swampy Louisiana vibe – all at a level that's unlike anything else we've ever heard. Titles include "You've Become A Habit", "Thinking Of The Day", "Riverfront", "I Want To Cry", "Pretty Mittie", "Give Me Back My Loving", "Till I Get There", and "Tell Me Why". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet 70s set that has the trio of Patti Labelle, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash teaming up with New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint – who brings the group some of the chunkier grooves he'd been using in his own great 70s work! The album's got a nicely romping sound throughout – a surprisingly good fit for the rockish soul of the girls – and the heavier use of guitar works really well with some of Toussaint's funky undercurrents – much more so than we'd think in a straighter setting. Titles include "Far As We Felt Like Goin'", "Slow Burn", "Cosmic Dancer", "Black Holes In The Sky", and "Messin' With My Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

A really compelling collaboration between Joe McPhee and Michael Zerang – both players who've worked together often in the past, but who seem to find a fresh new voice on this album! Things are very loose and free – and the pair perform live, improvising some amazing sounds between McPhee's alto and pocket trumpet, and Zerang's always-creative work on the regular drum kit – used here with a wide pastiche of sounds that perfectly matches Joe's post-musical tones on his instruments. The pocket trumpet is especially compelling – and titles include "Congo Square Dance/Saints & Sinners", "Rise/After The Flood", "Crescent City Lullaby", and "And Now Miss Annie The Black Queen". CD

One of the funkiest box sets we've ever seen – and amazingly issued by an American major label! The 4CD package is a treasure trove of funky work from a decade of Warner Brothers, Atlantic Records, and related labels – tunes pulled both from mainstream album releases and much more obscure 45s – all expertly collected here into a whopping batch of 91 tracks, all packaged in a cool little box with an 80 page booklet! This one goes way past some of the silly "decade" sets from Rhino, and really displays a new level of cool and connoisseurship – one that finally appreciates the rich depths of funky work at their fingertips, most of which has not been properly reissued in the US! Titles include "Almendra" by Macondo, "Goin Down" by Allen Toussaint, "Wah Wah Man" by Young Holt Unlimited, "Spinning Wheel" by Wade Marcus, "Hard Times" by Baby Huey & The Baby Sitters, "What's So Never The Dance (parts 1 & 2)" by Houseguests, "8 Days On The Road" by Howard Tate, "Getting Uptown" by United 8, "Wanoah" by Black Heat, "Let It Crawl" by Society's Bag, "Flute Thing" by Seatrain, "Try It Again" by Bobby Byrd, "Funky To The Bone" by Freddi Henchi & The Soul Setters, "Improve" by Darrow Fletcher, "Rien Ne Va Plus" by Funk Factory, "Gossip" by Cyril Neville, "Spreadin Honey" by Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, "Stoned Soul" by Artie Christopher, "Sexy Coffee Pot" by Tony Alvon & The Belaires, "Tampin" by The Rhine Oaks, "Jan Jan" by The Fabulous Counts, "Sing A Simple Song" by The Noble Knights, "It's All In Your Mind" by Soul Angels, "Funky John" by Johnny Cameron, "Don't Come Around Here Any More" by Mark Putney, "Keep On Dancing" by The Commodores, "Right On Brother (part 1)" by South Shore Commission, "Pop Popcorn Children" by Eldridge Holmes, and "The Deacon" by Brute Force. CD

Includes the songs "Summertime", "St. Louis Blues", "Blue Horizon", "Muskat Ramble", "Porto Rico", "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans", "Bechet's Fantasy", "Blame It On The Blues (Alternate Take)", "Old Stack O'Lee Blues", "I Found A New Baby", "Sister Kate", "When The Saints Go Marching In", "Basin Street Blues", "Copenhagen", "Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None Of My Jelly Roll", "Black And Blue", "All Of Me", and "Rose Of The Rio Grande (Alternate Take)". CD

An overlooked female singer/songwriter from the start of the 70s – one with a sound that's decidedly more underground than some of her contemporaries! Kathy Smith has a sound that's sometimes as sweet as some of the pop folk females of the time, yet she's backed with music that's usually a bit more personal, and almost boozy at times – kind of an intimate, late night small combo approach that's almost to her style of music what a piano trio might be to vocal jazz. That's not saying that Kathy's jazzy at all – as there's a decidedly rock feel here – but there's a mature, sophisticated vibe that's totally great – warmly expressive without sounding cliched. Titles include "End Of The World", "A Vision Of Two Saints", "Topanga", "What Nancy Knows", "Blackbird & The Pearl", "Circles Of Love", and "If I Could Touch You". CD