A beautiful record – although one that's tinged with a touch of sadness, given the setting. In what was becoming an unfortunate tradition in their later years, the remaining members of the legendary South African jazz group The Blue Notes join together to mourn the passing of one of their original bandmembers – the great bassist Johnny Dyani, a player whose sound had a key influence on both African and European jazz scenes of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. The group for this session is reduced to Chris McGregor on piano, Louis Moholo on bass, and Dudu Pukwana on alto and soprano saxes – working together in a beautiful session of tunes that hearken back to the rhythms of the group's roots – while still allowing some of the freer interplay that they discovered in later years. McGregor's piano is especially nice – tinged with sadness and appropriate blue notes – providing a nice undercurrent to the solo work of Pukwana. Titles include "Funk Dem Dudu", "Eyomzi", "Blues For Nick", and "Monks & Mbizo". CD

Maybe one of the most hard-burning performances ever recorded by this legendary South African jazz combo – a set dedicated to trumpeter Mongezi Feza, a key member of the group who'd passed away just a short time before the recording! The session was done in London, right after all four remaining members had come together for a memorial for Mongezi – and throughout the set, you can feel the raw emotion that's driving the performance – bold, freewheeling and very expressive sounds from the lineup of Dudu Pukwana on alto sax, Chris McGregor on piano, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums – all players who pick up extra percussion and vocalize at points – almost in the tradition of the AACM, but more emotive too. The set features a double-length performance, titled "Blue Notes For Mongezi" – divided into four movements. CD

A much-needed look at the early sound of The Blue Notes – a performance right before they left South Africa, and with a nicely different sound than some of their later London performances issued on the Ogun label! The group here are already very much in their own sound and spirit, but with less of the free improvisation of the 70s – more some of the rhythmic modes you'd know from other South African jazz of the period, but mixed with the kind of complexity you'd hear in a Charles Mingus record – all sorts of of amazing arrangements that are peppered with really wonderful solos from the members of the sextet! The lineup is different than the quartet and quintet dates of the following decade – with tenor saxophonist Nick Moyake working alongside Dudu Pukwana on alto, Mongezi Feza on trumpet, Chris McGregor on piano, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Luis Moholo on drums. The set features a range of great modern jazz compositions by the players – including "Coming Home", "Two For Sandi", "Dorkay House", "B My Dear", "Vortex Special", and "Now". CD

A post-Philly International album from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, but one that still keeps their groove very much intact – thanks to instrumental help from Norman Harris, Ron Baker, Vince Montana, Earl Young, and a host of other Sigma Sound talents! Although recorded in the early 80s, the set's actually got a stripped-down quality that really reminds us of the earliest days of Philly International – kind of a back-to-basics approach that really works well for The Blue Notes, at a time when so many other groups might have been tempted to push off into clunkier territory. We might miss Teddy Pendergrass a bit in the lead, but the vocals are still totally top-shelf – very much in the best group soul mode of the time – and titles include "Hang On In There", "Come Go With Me", "Ain't That Love", "Tell Me Why", "I'm In Love With You", and "Have I Told You I Love You Today". CD

Tracks include "The Love I Lost (Part I)", "If You Don't Know Me By Now", "Wake Up Everybody (Part I)", "Satisfaction Guaranteed (Or Your Love Back)", and "Bad Luck (Part I)". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

One of our favorite all-time vocal groups – even if they did sell a bazillion records during the 70s! Of course, we have to give the lion's share of the credit to Teddy Pendergrass – whose darkly warm vocals pushed most of the group's tracks over the top, and forever set a new standard for male vocals in soul music. Teddy's singing strong and clear on this 15 track set of hits by the group – a nice batch that includes some of their best mellow material, and more than enough of their strident hits, the sort that still show up day and day again on oldies stations, with no complaints from us! Titles include "The Love I Lost", "If You Don't Know Me By Now", "Yesterday I Had The Blues", "Keep On Lovin You", "Tell The World How I Feel About Cha Baby", "Everybody's Talkin", and the sublime "I Miss You", done in the full 8 minute version. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal live work from this legendary group – a late 70s concert recorded in London, and one that shows just how much the Blue Notes had grown after leaving behind their South African scene! The combo is a quartet here – the mighty Chris McGregor on piano, Dudu Pukwana on alto, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums – playing in this mode that moves their earlier rhythmic progressions into much more freewheeling and spiritual territory – a showcase for some of the most striking work we've ever heard from Pukwana on record – at a level that marks him as still one of the most vibrant players on both the British and South African scenes of the decade. Everyone else is wonderful too, and the recording quality does some amazing things with the bass of Dyani – on titles that include "Ilizwi", "Abelusi", "Amadoda", "Nomsenge", "Ithi-Gqi", "Mhegebe", "Maje" and "We Nduna". CD reissue features additional material from the same performance! CD

A groundbreaking record that forever changed the course for male soul music in the 70s – a set that has the young Teddy Pendergrass fronting the Blue Notes with a sound that's completely sublime – a mix of rough and smooth, personal and polished – which really pushed the music forward strongly for generations! The strength of the record really comes through in these amazing long tracks that have Teddy speaking, then singing – "I Miss You" and "Be For Real" – delivering a message of mature, masculine power – very much in keeping with the new values that Philly International were putting forth. The whole album's great, though – a sophisticated soul masterpiece, with the tracks "Ebony Woman", "Yesterday I Had The Blues", and "Let It Be You". LP, Vinyl record album

Teddy Pendergrass and crew get a bit more political than on earlier releases, and adopt the righteous bubbling soul groove that had put the O'Jays over the top a few years earlier – with incredible results! The title cut – "Wake Up Everybody" – would prove to be a great example of the political Philly International hit formula applied to socially conscious themes, but the record probably scored even bigger with the club crossover hit "Don't Leave Me This Way". Other tracks include "Keep On Lovin You", "Tell The World How I Feel About Cha Baby", "I'm Searching For A Love", and "You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good" – the latter two of which also feature female vocals by Sharon Paige. Bobby Martin, Norman Harris, and Ronnie Baker did the arrangements – and this was Teddy's last LP with the group. LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

One of our favorite all-time vocal groups – even if they did sell a bazillion records during the 70s! Of course, we have to give the lion's share of the credit to Teddy Pendergrass – whose darkly warm vocals pushed most of the group's tracks over the top, and forever set a new standard for male vocals in soul music. Teddy's singing strong and clear on this 10 track set of hits by the group – a nice batch that includes some of their best mellow material, and more than enough of their strident hits, the sort that still show up day and day again on oldies stations, with no complaints from us! Titles include "The Love I Lost", "If You Don't Know Me By Now", "Yesterday I Had The Blues", "Tell The World How I Feel About Cha Baby", "I'm Weak For You", and the sublime "Be For Real". CD

A post-Philly International album from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, but one that still keeps their groove very much intact – thanks to instrumental help from Norman Harris, Ron Baker, Vince Montana, Earl Young, and a host of other Sigma Sound talents! Although recorded in the early 80s, the set's actually got a stripped-down quality that really reminds us of the earliest days of Philly International – kind of a back-to-basics approach that really works well for The Blue Notes, at a time when so many other groups might have been tempted to push off into clunkier territory. We might miss Teddy Pendergrass a bit in the lead, but the vocals are still totally top-shelf – very much in the best group soul mode of the time – and titles include "Hang On In There", "Come Go With Me", "Ain't That Love", "Tell Me Why", "I'm In Love With You", and "Have I Told You I Love You Today". LP, Vinyl record album

Surprisingly great post-Philly International work from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – recorded at a time when the group had actually let a female singer into their ranks! Sharon Paige is the lady here – and she creates a nice sense of interplay with the male singers in the group – that sort of back and forth that you might find in some of Al Hudson's work with One Way, or in a variety of other funky club acts who were rising in the mainstream at the time. Harold Melvin produced, and there's some definite late Philly moments in the tracks "Prayin" and "Baby I'm Back" – but the greatest charm of the album possibly comes from tracks that change things up a bit, including "I Should Be Your Lover", "Tonight's The Night", and "Your Love Is Taking Me On A Journey". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Later work by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – but proof that the sound of a great group will never die! The record was cut for the small Philly World label, but it's got plenty of elements that really echo the best Philly elements of the glory years – snapping groovers that provide a solid midtempo style for the vocals to soar from – and some warm ballads that are filled with that beautiful glow that the group had from the Teddy P years onwards! Titles include "Time Be My Lover", "Don't Give Me Up", "I Can't Let You Go", "What We Both Need", "I Really Love You", and "Today's Your Lucky Day". CD

Teddy Pendergrass and crew get a bit more political than on earlier releases, and adopt the righteous bubbling soul groove that had put the O'Jays over the top a few years earlier – with incredible results! The title cut – "Wake Up Everybody" – would prove to be a great example of the political Philly International hit formula applied to socially conscious themes, but the record probably scored even bigger with the club crossover hit "Don't Leave Me This Way". Other tracks include "Keep On Lovin You", "Tell The World How I Feel About Cha Baby", "I'm Searching For A Love", and "You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good" – the latter two of which also feature female vocals by Sharon Paige. Bobby Martin, Norman Harris, and Ronnie Baker did the arrangements – and this was Teddy's last LP with the group. CD

A much-needed look at the early sound of The Blue Notes – a performance right before they left South Africa, and with a nicely different sound than some of their later London performances issued on the Ogun label! The group here are already very much in their own sound and spirit, but with less of the free improvisation of the 70s – more some of the rhythmic modes you'd know from other South African jazz of the period, but mixed with the kind of complexity you'd hear in a Charles Mingus record – all sorts of of amazing arrangements that are peppered with really wonderful solos from the members of the sextet! The lineup is different than the quartet and quintet dates of the following decade – with tenor saxophonist Nick Moyake working alongside Dudu Pukwana on alto, Mongezi Feza on trumpet, Chris McGregor on piano, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Luis Moholo on drums. The set features a range of great modern jazz compositions by the players – including "Coming Home", "Two For Sandi", "Dorkay House", "B My Dear", "Vortex Special", and "Now". CD

A pair of 70s gems from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes! Black & Blue is classic Philly soul from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – a killer batch of studio tracks, despite the live image of the group on the cover! The album's got a slightly more expansive feel than some of the other Teddy Pendergrass-era albums by The Blue Notes – almost a mini-symphony of soul, and one that takes arrangements from Bobby Martin, Norman Harris, and Vince Montana – and wraps the vocals up in a soaring, righteous sort of feel! The rougher, more personal Teddy Pendergrass style of I Miss You is folded a bit more into the harmonies of the rest of the group here – and the result is a powerful wave of soul that pushes The Blue Notes right to the top of the pack. The album features classics like "The Love I Lost" and "Is There A Place For Me" – plus other nice material like "Concentrate On Me", "It All Depends On You", and "I'm Weak For You". On Wake Up Everybody, Teddy Pendergrass and crew get a bit more political than on earlier releases, and adopt the righteous bubbling soul groove that had put the O'Jays over the top a few years earlier – with incredible results! The title cut – "Wake Up Everybody" – would prove to be a great example of the political Philly International hit formula applied to socially conscious themes, but the record probably scored even bigger with the club crossover hit "Don't Leave Me This Way". Other tracks include "Keep On Lovin You", "Tell The World How I Feel About Cha Baby", "I'm Searching For A Love", and "You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good" – the latter two of which also feature female vocals by Sharon Paige. Bobby Martin, Norman Harris, and Ronnie Baker did the arrangements – and this was Teddy's last LP with the group. CD

The stunning second volume in this amazing series – put together by Blue Note in the UK during the 90s, but with a fantastic look at the hipper side of soul in the whole family of labels in the Capitol/EMI family during the late 70s and early 80s! There's loads of rare groove, boogie, and modern soul gems on the set – and titles include "It's a Pleasure" by Sheree Brown, "Before You Break My Heart" by Gene Dunlap, "Inside My Love" by Minnie Riperton, "Beggar For the Blues" by Patti Drew, "Tidal Wave" by Ronnie Laws, "Theme for Relana" by Gene Harris, "Nightfall" by Stradavarious, and "Sunshower" by Alphonse Mouzon – plus two totally rare funk tracks: "Expressway to Your Heart" by Margo Thunder, and "Windy C" by 100% Pure Poison. CD

A trio of great albums from Babe Ruth – plus bonus tracks too! First up is First Base – the debut of a group so great and so groovy, they ended up having a huge influence on the early sound of hip hop – thanks to a wonderfully funky sound at the core of their progressive rock groove! Babe Ruth have this rhythmic impulse that's really amazing – a way of working bass, drums, and percussion together with qualities that go way past just prog rock noodling – and have this focus that really fits the lead vocals and guitar of Alan Shacklock, who also handled all the arrangements for this mighty debut too! Titles include their classic cut "The Mexican" – a famous sample cut from way back, with nice use of acoustic guitar and a Morricone riff too – plus versions of Zappa's "King Kong" and Jesse Winchester's "Black Dog" – and the originals "Wells Fargo", "The Runaways", and "Joker". Next is Amar Caballero, an album with a horse on the cover, and a sound that's maybe even more soulful than the first mighty outing by Babe Ruth – quite a lot, given the strength of that debut! Female singer Jenny Haan seems to have an even greater presence here – working some nice currents of color through the group's great ability to riff, groove, and sometimes step into more acoustic modes – all while holding onto one of the hippest currents going in the Harvest Records scene – and one of the most unique as well! There's plenty of surprises throughout – and in addition to great cuts like "Broken Cloud", "Gimme Some Leg", "We Are Holding On", "Amar Caballo", and "Doctor Love" – the group also turn in a nicely offbeat remake of "Cool Jerk" too! Last up is the self-titled Babe Ruth, a set that really stands as a testament to their many musical influences! There's few groups who could ever hope to wrap together influences from Stax Records, Ennio Morricone, and Curtis Mayfield – and whole the whole thing could ever turn out well – but the mighty Babe Ruth do exactly that, and still find time for some of their own unique grooves as well! The group are every bit as groovy here as on their previous records – mixing fuzzy guitars, well-crafted rhythms, and a nicely compressed version of prog into an amazingly fresh sound that still delights all these many years later – thanks to well-crafted vocals from Jenny Haan, and sharp arrangements from Alan Shacklock, whose guitars and sense of wit really keeps the whole thing moving nicely. Shacklock penned most of the original tunes here – like "Dancer", "Somebody's Nobody", "Jack O'Lantern", and "The Dutchess Of Orleans" – and the group also turn in nice remakes of "Fistful Of Dollars", "We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue", and "Private Number". 3CD set features bonus tracks – "Wells Fargo (single)", "Theme From A Few Dollars More", "Ain't That Livin", "If Heaven's On Beauty's Side", and "Private Number (single)" – plus a big booklet of notes. CD

William Bell was one of the first great soul singers to record for the legendary Stax Records in Memphis – an artist who really helped set the tone for deep soul singles to come from the likes of Otis Redding and Johnnie Taylor – and one whose early work is still some of the best he ever gave us! This well-done package brings together all of Bell's first 14 singles for the label, both a-sides and b-sides – standing together as a testament to all the greatness the singer brought to the fray right from the start – as Stax not only found a way to record him so much differently than he would have been handled in other spots, but also matured along with Bell to keep on creating fresh magic as the 60s moved on! As always with Ace/Kent, the presentation is wonderful – a detailed set of notes that matches the wonderful set list – which includes "Formula Of Love", "Just As I Thought", "Whatcha Gonna Do", "I Told You So", "Don't Stop Now", "Crying All By Myself", "I'll Show You", "Monkeying Around", "Ain't Got No Girl", "Every Man Oughta Have A Woman", "Never Like This Before", "Marching Off To War", "Soldier's Goodbye", "One Plus One", "Eloise", "You're Such A Sweet Thing", "Don't Make Something Out Of Nothing", and his great farewell to Otis Redding, "Tribute To A King". CD

A jazz funk masterpiece, and THE record by the legendary Don Blackman – the only one issued under his own name for many many years, and a famous little set that's been sampled endlessly over the years, and for good reason! The vibe here is one that's barely been matched again – a blend of 70s fusion, bassy funk, and even tighter riffing – all put together with a greater depth and sense of soul than most other records of its type. Blackman's a GRP contemporary of Bernard Wright, Tom Browne, and Weldon Irvine – and there's bits of all their sound in the work here, but somehow Don does it even better – hitting these grooves, notes, and lines that seem to fall from the heavens – and which still stand as some of the hippest music of his generation. A record to file proudly next to your copies of Ramp and James Mason – and like those gems, the kind of record that only happens once in an artists career! Titles include "You Ain't Hip", "Yabba Dabba Do", "Heart's Desire", "Deaf Hook Up Connection", "Never Miss A Thing", and "Holding You Loving You", and "Since You Been Away So Long". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Bobby Blue Bland's best albums ever – a stunning mix of blues and soul that's the kind of killer stuff that will make you a fan of his forever! There's no beating Bland at this point in his career – and the record is one of the finest illustrations of the power he brought to his work, subtly balancing a sense of class with rootsier down-hominess that few other singers could ever handle so well. That blend allowed Bobby to reach out to way more audiences than most of his contemporaries – and it's still equally powerful today – and the album's arrangements by Joe Scott are impeccable, with a slight touch of jazz that we totally love. The album includes classics like "That's The Way Love Is", "Call On Me", "Cry Lover Cry", "Care For Me", "Bobby's Blues", and "Honky Tonk". CD reissue is wonderful – with full listings of dates and personnel for the tunes, wonderful mastering, and pages of great notes and images! CD

Two classic Capitol albums by Serge Chaloff on one CD – both of them great together! Blue Serge is a classic Capitol jazz session, and one that pairs Boston baritone player Serge Chaloff with an LA rhythm section that has Sonny Clark on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The album's a perfect example of Chaloff's legendary (and short-lived) talents on the baritone – and listening to it, you'll hear how Chaloff was one of the few players ever to get such a rich tone and fluid style out of the instrument. Titles include "How About You?", "Handful Of Stars", "The Goof & I", "Susie's Blues", and "All The Things You Are". Boston Blow Up is one of a number produced by Stan Kenton for Capitol at the time, but it's far from the cooler jazz outings of other "Kenton Presents" sessions – a real Boston Blow up that has Serge standing starkly out front on the baritone, hitting some tremendous notes that show a command and dexterity on his instrument that few other players could match! Also noteworthy is the presence of the great Boots Mussulli on alto sax – a sharp-edge player with a lot of Charlie Mariano touches, and an artist who's rarely heard in a setting so stripped-down as this. Other artists include Herb Pomeroy on trumpet, Ray Santisi on piano, and Jimmy Zitano on drums – and titles include the original numbers "Kip", "Unison", "Bob The Robin", and "Sergical" – plus versions of "What's New", "Yesterday's Gardenias", and Jaki Byard's "Diane's Melody". CD

Pivotal work from trumpeter Freddie Hubbard – eleven full albums recorded by the young jazzman as a leader, together showing a really incredible scope of his talents in just a few short years in the studio! The Blue Note albums here already show an incredible evolution – from initial hardbop crackle at the best level of the label, to a slight shift into new thing territory that marks a more experimental side of Freddie's work that would take off later in the 60s. There's also two Impulse Records releases in the package – the completely sublime sextet outing of The Artistry Of Freddie Hubbard – a great date with Curtis Fuller on trombone, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and John Gilmore on tenor – making a rare appearance in the studio away from the Sun Ra Arkestra! The other Impulse album is titled Body & Soul – and has Hubbard amidst a larger group of modernists on most tracks, with these incredible Wayne Shorter arrangements – then in a small group with shorter on tenor and Eric Dolphy on alto and flute. Blue Note albums include Breaking Point, Blue Spirits, Open Sesame, Going Up, Hub Cap, Ready For Freddie, Hub Tones, and Here To Stay – with players who include Tina Brooks, Jimmy Heath, and Wayne Shorter on tenors; McCoy Tyner, Cedar Walton, and Herbie Hancock on pianos; Paul Chambers, Sam Jones, and Reggie Workman on basses; and James Spaulding making a key early appearance on alto and flute. 70 long tracks in all – and a very detailed booklet of notes with rare photos! CD

A trio of classics from Steve Khan – all brought together in a single package! First up is Tightrope – beautiful fusion from guitarist Steve Khan – one of those great 70s players who could play things tight, yet still keep an edge! The album's got a well-produced groove – the same sort of soulful undercurrent you'd get in other Columbia fusion sets of the period – yet Khan's guitar has a bit more rasp than most, less of the sanded-down, clean-toned notes that you'd get from some of his contemporaries. Bob James produced, and you can certainly hear his ear on some of the keyboard parts – especially the sweet Fender Rhodes, handled by both James and Don Grolnick. Titles include "Some Punk Funk", "Darlin Darlin Baby", "The Big Ones", "Star Chamber", "Tightrope", and "Soft Summer Breeze". Next up is Blue Man – a sweet 70s fusion set from guitarist Steve Khan! The set's got that best Columbia Records groove from the time – a sound that could easily cross over to fusion fans on both sides of the tracks – those who dig soulful undercurrents, thanks to the album's keyboards from Don Grolnick – and those who might like a bit more rockish-lines, thanks to Khan's raspy edge on his guitar. Things never get too jamming, and there's a nice sense of space that definitely helps keep the soul of the record intact – on tracks that include "Some Downtime", "Daily Bulls", "Daily Valley", and "The Little Ones". Arrows is the last in a classic trilogy of late 70s fusion albums that Steve Khan cut for Columbia records – and a set that really has him bringing his sound together in a wonderful way! Khan was working with Steely Dan on the Gaucho album at the time of the recordings – testified by Donald Fagan's notes to the record – and he really seems to have picked up their large overall musical vision, that way of making things perfect, but never in a slick style – working here with other fusion giants who include Don Grolnick on Fender Rhodes, Michael Brecker on tenor and soprano sax, and Randy Brecker on trumpet – plus lots of great drums from Steve Gadd. Titles include the extended "City Suite", plus "Candles", "Daily Village", "Calling", and "Some Arrows". CD

Guitarist Alan Kwan plays here with a range of easy-rolling colors on his instrument – this mix of individual notes and wider chromatic flows that make Kwan a very distinct player throughout! The music also has this nice undercurrent of edge – never too strong, but delivered with a lot of subtle energy from Fabian Alamazon on piano, Linda May Oh on bass, and Johnathan Blake on drums – plus saxophonist Dayna Stephens, who appears on two of the album's seven tracks! Asll titles are originals by Kwan, and tracks include "Petrichor", "Montauk", "Tread Softly", "Hold True", "Central Escalators", and "When Will I See You Again". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best of the early 60s comeback albums by the legendary bop trumpeter Howard McGhee – and a record that really has the player finding a whole new groove in his music! At this point, Maggie's got a fantastic tone that was missing from his earlier records, filled with pain and raw emotion – but also measured with a maturity that gives his solos an incredible sense of economy that delivers a whole hell of a lot with just a few simple notes – a balance that comes through beautifully here, maybe even more so than on any other record by Howard from the time! He's playing here in a great group that includes Roland Alexander on tenor, Bennie Green on trombone, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Pepper Adams on baritone – and tracks include "Dusty Blue", "Groovin High", "Cottage For Sale", "Flyin Colors", and "With Malice Towards None". CD

A funky Carolina combo who are dressed like a bunch of spacemen and superheroes on the back cover – and who work here with a sound that definitely matches that vibe! The groove here is from that moment when P-Funk had influenced the scene in a big way, but left it to local groups like this to come up with their own unique approach – which Midnight Blue definitely do in a groove that's got plenty of wicked basslines at the bottom, and two very soulful female singers on the top – all served up in a lean, funky style that can go head to head with the best on the Ohio scene at the time! The set brings together all the group's rare tracks, and marks the first-ever full length release of their music – along with detailed notes on their history as well. Titles include "So Fine", "Feel It & Groove Together", "Coolin Out (club)", "Enjoy With Me (12" inst)", "Dealin With Reality", "I Who Have Nothing (voc)", "Because Of You", "Enjoy With Me (12" voc)", and "Tell Him". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice hardbop from Blue Mitchell! He's heading up a quintet with Benny Golson, and Golson brings a tightness to the session that's missing from some of Blue's other Riverside albums. Art Blakey's on drums, and the bass position's held by either Sam Jones or Paul Chambers, both of which make for a nice solid bottom when paired with Blakey's playing. The record's got a great Golson compositon called "Blues On My Mind", plus "Boomerang", "Sweet Cakes", and "Missing You". CD

An image that conjures up the delight we experience every time we drop a needle on a record – kicking back and letting our mind drift away to the music! And sure, maybe we're not as likely to drop the cover on the floor as this guy – we are record collectors after all – but we certainly share his sense of bliss as the musical notes stream out of the speaker! As with our Dot Dash design, this one's an upgrade from our previous shirts – 100% ring-spun cotton, well fitted, crew neck, and super-soft! Clothing

An image that conjures up the delight we experience every time we drop a needle on a record – kicking back and letting our mind drift away to the music! And sure, maybe we're not as likely to drop the cover on the floor as this guy – we are record collectors after all – but we certainly share his sense of bliss as the musical notes stream out of the speaker! As with our Dot Dash design, this one's an upgrade from our previous shirts – 100% ring-spun cotton, well fitted, crew neck, and super-soft! Clothing

An image that conjures up the delight we experience every time we drop a needle on a record – kicking back and letting our mind drift away to the music! And sure, maybe we're not as likely to drop the cover on the floor as this guy – we are record collectors after all – but we certainly share his sense of bliss as the musical notes stream out of the speaker! As with our Dot Dash design, this one's an upgrade from our previous shirts – 100% ring-spun cotton, well fitted, crew neck, and super-soft! Clothing

An image that conjures up the delight we experience every time we drop a needle on a record – kicking back and letting our mind drift away to the music! And sure, maybe we're not as likely to drop the cover on the floor as this guy – we are record collectors after all – but we certainly share his sense of bliss as the musical notes stream out of the speaker! As with our Dot Dash design, this one's an upgrade from our previous shirts – 100% ring-spun cotton, well fitted, crew neck, and super-soft! Clothing

An image that conjures up the delight we experience every time we drop a needle on a record – kicking back and letting our mind drift away to the music! And sure, maybe we're not as likely to drop the cover on the floor as this guy – we are record collectors after all – but we certainly share his sense of bliss as the musical notes stream out of the speaker! As with our Dot Dash design, this one's an upgrade from our previous shirts – 100% ring-spun cotton, well fitted, crew neck, and super-soft! Clothing

An image that conjures up the delight we experience every time we drop a needle on a record – kicking back and letting our mind drift away to the music! And sure, maybe we're not as likely to drop the cover on the floor as this guy – we are record collectors after all – but we certainly share his sense of bliss as the musical notes stream out of the speaker! As with our Dot Dash design, this one's an upgrade from our previous shirts – 100% ring-spun cotton, well fitted, crew neck, and super-soft! Clothing

An image that conjures up the delight we experience every time we drop a needle on a record – kicking back and letting our mind drift away to the music! And sure, maybe we're not as likely to drop the cover on the floor as this guy – we are record collectors after all – but we certainly share his sense of bliss as the musical notes stream out of the speaker! Clothing

An image that conjures up the delight we experience every time we drop a needle on a record – kicking back and letting our mind drift away to the music! And sure, maybe we're not as likely to drop the cover on the floor as this guy – we are record collectors after all – but we certainly share his sense of bliss as the musical notes stream out of the speaker! Clothing

An image that conjures up the delight we experience every time we drop a needle on a record – kicking back and letting our mind drift away to the music! And sure, maybe we're not as likely to drop the cover on the floor as this guy – we are record collectors after all – but we certainly share his sense of bliss as the musical notes stream out of the speaker! Clothing