Very cool work from percussionist Bobby Christian – a set that's a bit of jazz, and a bit of bachelor pad – the latter of which you might have guessed from the cover! LP, Vinyl record album

A very groovy set of short vibes-based instrumentals – played by Chicago jazzman Bobby Christian, a great player who did a fair bit of studio work in the city (including some for the Gus Giordano dance studio series), but who rarely ever got to record much on his own. The cuts are all short and pop/jazz sounding – with a self professed "tuned-in, turned-on" sound – and titles include "Boogaloo", "Mooganga", "To Whom May We Turn", and groovy covers of "Sunny" and "Games People Play". LP, Vinyl record album

A relatively mellow recent effort from Bobby Hutcherson – one that has him playing both vibes and marimba, and going for a laidback style that allows plenty of spaces for tonal colors and shades of sound! The group's a quintet, with Kenny Garrett on alto, Geri Allen on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Al Foster on drums – and in a way, the album's kind of a link between Hutcherson's inside work of the Landmark years, and some of his more exploratory work of the late 70s. Titles include "The Coaster", "Candle", "Tres Palabras", "Delilah", "Who's Got You", and "Pomponio". CD

A huge overview of work from one of the hippest large group leaders in France at the end of the 50s – the mighty Christian Chevallier, who was almost to the Parisian scene what Quincy Jones was to the American one! Chevallier has a great way of building a larger group out of really strong individual voices – using key jazz musicians on almost all the tracks here – players who include Roger Guerin on trumpet, Benny Vasseur and Billy Byers on trombones, Bobby Jaspar and Jean Louis Cheautemps on tenors, Armand Migiani on alto and baritone, Michel Hausser and Fats Said on vibes, Pierre Michelot on bass, and even Kenny Clarke on drums on a few great tracks! The set begins with a famous soundtrack done in collaboration with Martial Solal for a film by Jean Pierre Melville – then moves into a great range of jazz material from assorted albums and EP releases from the late 50s and early 60s. The set feature a great EP with Kenny Clarke, a Madison record, a date with Bilbert Becaud, and assorted other releases – a total of 75 tracks in all! CD

Beautifully soulful work from drummer Victor Lewis – and a record that introduced the world to the tremendous tenor talents of Seamus Blake! The set's got a relaxed, flowing vibe that reminds us a lot of some of Lewis' collaborations with Bobby Watson – although Blake's tenor tone gives the record a deeper twist overall – set up beautifully alongside piano from Eduardo Simon and bass from Christian McBride, and also featuring a bit of trumpet and flugelhorn from Eddie Henderson – although honestly, Blake's the real standout horn talent on this date. Lewis wrote most of the tunes himself – somewhat poetic numbers, but with a lot of soul and swing – and titles include "The Loss Of A Moment", "Know It Today Know It Tomorrow", "Between Two Worlds", "The Truce", and "If You Only Knew Me". CD

A classic bit of percussion madness from RCA – featuring conductor Dick Schory at the head of the "biggest battery of percussion west of Cape Canaveral"! The set was recorded in Chicago, and includes local studio talents like Bobby Christian and Johnny Frigo, as well as Schory himself. Titles include "Baia", "Holiday In A Hurry", "Duel On The Skins", and "Typee". LP, Vinyl record album

On Golden Hair Gil Evans on piano and electric piano, Laurent Cugny on keyboards, Philippe Sellam on alto saxophone, Pierre-Olivier Govin on alto saxophone and flute, Denis Barbier on flute, alto flute and piccolo flute, Bernard Francois on French horn, Bobby Rangell on alto and soprano saxophone and flute, Andy Sheppard and Charles Schneider on tenor saxophone, Gilles Salommez on trombone, Christian Martinez, Francois Chassagnite, and Stephane Belmondo on trumpet, Didier Havet and Philippe Legris on tuba, Lionel Benhamou on guitar, Benoit De Mesmay on keyboards, Dominique Di Piazza on electric bass, Stephane Huchard on drums, and Stephane HuchardMarilyn Mazur and Xavier Desandre Navarre on percussion. CD

Beautifully soulful work from drummer Victor Lewis – and a record that introduced the world to the tremendous tenor talents of Seamus Blake! The set's got a relaxed, flowing vibe that reminds us a lot of some of Lewis' collaborations with Bobby Watson – although Blake's tenor tone gives the record a deeper twist overall – set up beautifully alongside piano from Eduardo Simon and bass from Christian McBride, and also featuring a bit of trumpet and flugelhorn from Eddie Henderson – although honestly, Blake's the real standout horn talent on this date. Lewis wrote most of the tunes himself – somewhat poetic numbers, but with a lot of soul and swing – and titles include "The Loss Of A Moment", "Know It Today Know It Tomorrow", "Between Two Worlds", "The Truce", and "If You Only Knew Me". CD

An exceptional album from Willie Williams – a vastly under-rated tenor player of the past few decades! Willie works in the same territory as Bobby Watson and Ralph Moore – a post-70s mode of soul jazz, inflected by hardbop roots, but often opening up with a freer sense of space and exploration. This album's one of Willie's greatest – a collection of open-minded tunes recorded with a quartet that includes Geoff Keezer on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums – all working in a style that shows that soul jazz is alive and well in the 90s – taking off in a direction clearly inspired by the excellent Clifford Jordan/Cedar Walton work of years before, but with an easy going sound all their own! Titles include "Afternoon In Africa", "After All This Time", "Leapin & Weepin", "Song For Me", and "Spirit Willie". CD

A well-done overview of some of the best recordings by trumpeter Roger Guerin – one of the most important players on his instrument in Paris during the postwar years – and one of the few to regularly interact with important soloists from overseas! This set brings together Guerin in both dates as a leader, and as a key guest with others – pulled from a section of rare 10" and 7" releases, plus a few full album recordings as well – all bundled together here in a package that really lets Roger's trumpet talents shine! There's a huge range of material here – and the set begins with a few tracks from a session with James Moody on alto in 1961, a few more from a date with guitarist Jimmy Raney in 1954 – then moves into a quartet date with Martial Solal in 1956 and one with pianist Christian Chevailier during that same year. The set has four great tracks with a 1958 date co-led with the great Benny Golson on tenor, with Bobby Timmons on piano in the group – then ends with one track with Michel Hausser on vibes and Martial Solal on piano. The book includes detailed notes on all the sessions – and titles include "Bootsie", "Vline", "Chet", "Mythe", "Blues March", "I Remember Clifford", "Not Serious", "Ca Turne", "Night & Day", "Deep Purple", and "Sweet Feeling". CD

A beautiful early 70s psych folk set from the angelic vocal and songwriting duo of Pat Gefell and Jo D Andrews – their Refuge album for Ovation in 1973 – highlighted by their gorgeous vocals, but committed with lovely, lightly soaring arrangements! Save for a solid cover of the Elton John/Bernie Taupin penned "Sixty Years On", Gefell and Andrews wrote the songs here, and it's remarkably strong stuff! The duo vocals and harmonies are especially sweet. The Chicago-based production wisely leaves ample space in the arrangements for them to sort of loosely, emotively embellish with their voices – with string arrangements by co-producer George Andrews and an impressive roster of session players including bassist Phil Upchurch, drummer Don Simmons and percussionist Bobby Christian. Includes "Jenny", "Voice In The Wind", "To A Flame", "Tomorrow Is A Long Time", "Refuge", "Song For Craig", "A Light Is Shining", "Feel The Spirit" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Genius early work from Kris Kristofferson – four great albums in a single package, with SACD mastering too! First up is The Silver Tongued Devil & I – a masterful tribute to the genius of Kris Kristofferson, and a record that perfectly illustrates that unique place he held in music at the start of the 70s! The album's Kris' second, and has maybe a more unified vibe than his debut – filled with original material that has that open, honest quality that Kristofferson brought to country music – and which also had a surprisingly strong impact on mainstream rock and singer/songwriter material too! There's both a frankness of feeling and sharpness of wit that make the whole thing wonderful – and the album's overflowing with original gems that include "Jody & The Kid", "Billy Dee", "Loving Her Was Easier", "The Taker", "When I Loved Her", "The Pilgrim Chapter 33" and "Epitaph" – plus a great reading of the Bobby Bare/Billy Joe Shaver tune "Good Christian Soldier". Border Lord is a wonderful album, and one that's full of lesser-known gems from Kris Kristofferson – from a time when he'd started sharing his songs with other singers first, and started to hold back all the good stuff for himself! The album's got help from some country music studio greats, but it's clearly Kristofferson's show, right from the start – overflowing with tunes that get delivery from Kris that nobody else can match – with a special understanding of the choice of words, balance of wit, and depth of feeling that makes him so great on record. Titles include "Burden Of Freedom", "Border Lord", "When She's Wrong", "Kiss The World Goodbye", "Getting By High & Strange", "Somebody Nobody Knows", and "Josie". Jesus Was A Capricorn is one of those records in which Kris Kristofferson takes on the 70s, and comes up with a sound and style that's completely his own – even when working within the mainstream of the time! His label, Monument, could do plenty of hokey stuff – and even arranger Bill Justis wasn't always the hippest of cats – nor producer Fred Foster. Yet working here, they all rise to the occasion under the majesty of the man's music – a soaring batch of original tunes, of that special sort that Kris was always keeping to himself after his early years writing hits for others. Titles include "Why Me", "Give It Time To Be Tender", "It Sure Was Love", "Nobody Wins", "Enough For You", and the title cut "Jesus Was A Capricorn", owed to John Prine! Spooky Lady's Sideshow is a record that has Kris Kristofferson loosening up his mix of styles slightly, almost a nod back to his debut – but all in a way that only seems to bring an even greater range of feeling to his songwriting! Kristofferson maybe looks a bit more casual and laidback on the cover than some previous sets, but he's still got all the sharpness of delivery that makes him so great, and which really matches his magical words – on titles that include "Broken Freedom Song", "Star Spangled Bummer", "Smile At Me Again", "I May Smoke Too Much", "Stairway To The Bottom", and "Rescue Mission". CD

One of the coolest Christmas albums we've ever heard – and maybe one of the coolest sets ever from this legendary soul instrumental project from Chicago! The Soulful Strings are already great on other albums, but they really blow us away here with the way they completely transform familiar tunes – using the impeccable arrangements of the great Richard Evans, and a host of hot strings from Dorothy Ashby on harp, Cleveland Eaton on bass, and Phil Upchurch on guitar – plus a bit of hip vibes from Bobby Christian as well! And Evans' style here really outdoes itself – and hits a similar level to the best Charles Stepney material on Cadet at the same time – making for amazing sounds on titles that include "Little Drummer Boy", "Snowfall", "Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairy", "Sleigh Ride", and "Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers". Way more than a Christmas record – and actually one we'll happily play all year long! CD

A great array of bug-related tunes from the glory days of the 45rpm single – mostly rock numbers, but with some cool instrumental, soul, and exotica tracks thrown into the mix as well! The package is one of the weirdest of the many great themed compilations we've stocked from Bear Family records – and is different than some of the more monster-oriented collections that come out every year for the Halloween season – as the work here is definitely filled with references to spiders, flies, and other six-legged critters – as you'll dig on cuts that include "Hornet's Nest" by Curtis Knight, "Tarantula" by Bruce Gist & The Invaders, "Black Widow" by The Nobles, "The Fly" by Chubby Checker, "Tsetse Fly" by Martin Denny, "Get Away Fly" by Buddy Lucas, "Lady Bug" by Chet Poison Ivey, "The Wedding Of The Bugs" by Moon Mullican, "Tarantula" by The Storms, "The Web" by Abie Available Baker, "Little Cricket" by The Royal Teens, "Tarantula" by The Tarantulas, "Fly Trouble" by Hank Williams, "The Spider & The Fly" by Bobby Christian, "Beatle Bug" by Link Davis, and "The Bug" by the Swing Kings. CD

2525 is the lasting classic from the team of Denny Zager & Rick Evans – a pair who might have been more folksy popsingers a few years before, but who stand out here in a compelling blend of groovier modes! The title track to the album's their massive hit – an odd end-of-decade musing on the future – and other tracks here often follow in a similar blend of full orchestrations and tighter rhythms, underneath both solo vocals and chorus trading from the pair. There's a few rootsier moments – almost a country pop influence – and orchestrations are by Bobby Christian. Titles include "In The Year 2525", "I Remember Heide", "Fred", "Cary Lynn Javes", "Less Than Tomorrow", "Fred", "Taxi Man", and "In The Land Of Green". LP, Vinyl record album