One of the hippest funky jazz combos of the 70s – stepping out here in their amazing debut for Cobblestone records! Catalyst had a groove that was unlike most of their contemporaries – a sound that was often jazzier than some of the tighter funk artists on labels like Kudu or Prestige, with some deeply spiritual leanings in the solos – but also a style that was still pretty tight and focused, not as far out as some of the headier groups on the Strata East label. There's loads of great choppy rhythms and tight-edged grooves on the record – thanks to Fender Rhodes from Eddie Green, reeds from Odeon Pope, bass from Al Johnson, and drums and percussion from Sherman Ferguson. Skip Drinkwater produced the session at Sigma Sound, and it's definitely got some of his hallmark appreciation of rhythm in the mix – on titles that include "Ain't It The Truth", "New Found Truths", "East", "Catalyst Is Coming", "Jabali", and "Salaam". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff by this fantastic funky fusion outfit that included Billy Hart on percussion, Eddie Green on electric piano, and Odeon Pope on tenor and flute. The real highlight, though, is Pat Gleason on arp, who adds a lot of cool dark moody touches to the group's fusiony playing. The whole record's a stellar mix of soul jazz and edgey electric playing, and it's far and above one of the best albums ever to be released on Muse. It's also one of the hardest to find, too, and this is one of the rare few copies we've ever seen! Tracks include "Celestial Bodies", "Got To Be There", "Uzuri", and "Perception". LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Bryan Carter. CD

A great one from bassist Henry Franklin – a player best known for his Black Jazz recordings of the mid 70s, but who here delivers a session that's every bit as tasty as those, and perhaps a bit more sophisticated! His group on the records includes some excellent west coast spiritual players – like the great Charles Owens on soprano and tenor sax, and the oft-overlooked but excellent pianist Dwight Dickerson – in a lineup that also includes Kenneth Climax on guitar, Jerry Rush on trumpet, All Hall on trombone, and Sonship on drums and percussion. The overall sound on the record is more Strata East spiritual than Black Jazz funky – and the writing and playing are very strong throughout. Titles include "Cosmos Dwellers", "Prime Mover", "Tribal Dance", and "Eric's Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best albums ever from Japanese pianist Masabumi Kikuchi – a set that continues his development as a wonderfully expressive player on his instrument, but one that also opens up with a bit more bite at times, too – thanks to the presence of some sharp-edged contemporaries! The group's a sextet – with contributions from Hideyuki Kikuchi on alto, Akio Nishimura on tenor, and Tetuso Fushimi on trumpet – all musicians who can lay back in a soulbop groove if needed, but also come on with a bit more fire, too – almost working in a spiritual fusion mode on a few tracks, then balancing things out nicely at other times. Masabumi plays some very cool electric harpsichord on the Sadao Watanabe tune "If I Said The Sky Was Falling" – and other titles include "Matrix", "Green Dolphin Street", "In Fourth Way", and "Little Aby". LP, Vinyl record album

A very unusual session for Carmen McRae – a live recording that features only her vocals and piano, on spare readings of a number of sophisticated songs that ably demonstrate the class and care she was bringing to her work at the time! The approach is quite different from some of the smoother, more soul-based records that McRae was cutting in the 70s – a very laidback, late nite sort of date that takes us right back to Carmen's earliest years on record – but with a 60s' worth of hipness thrown into the mix. She's still got some sense of poise on the tunes, but also brings up a slightly earthy undercurrent at points too – a relaxed, mature vibe that really fits the intimacy of the record. Titles include "The Last Time For Love", "More Than You Know", "I Can't Escape From You", "I Could Have Told You", "Please Be Kind", and "Supper Time". LP, Vinyl record album

A warm set of groovers from Flip Nunez – a San Francisco-based pianist with a great Latin tinge, working here in a fantastic setting that makes for one of his greatest recordings! The album was recorded in SF in 1976, and it's got the laidback groove of some of the best sides coming from the area at the time – a sweet blend of fusion, Latin, and modal jazz grooving. Nunez plays electric piano, clavinet, piano, and organ – and a few tracks feature his vocals, which have a confident style that's somewhere between Mark Murphy and Tony Benett (in his jazzier mode.) The centerpiece of the album is a long mellow-grooving version of "See You Later", a tune that Flip wrote, and which has been covered on a number of other jazz dance classics over the years – but the album's filled with great tunes, like "D'ju Like Me", "This Time For Good", "Why Did You Come Into My Life", and "Mr Cool", a sweet little funky tune! LP, Vinyl record album

Funky keyboard work from Frank Strazzeri – a player who's really stretching out here in the 70s, with a massively cosmic vibe you'd never have guessed from his earlier work! Strazzeri had recorded and played heavily around the LA scene by the time of this mid 70s release – but most of his other work was a bit restrained, and hardly as wonderfully soulful as this! Frank's working here on moog and electric piano – in a group that includes Sam Most on tenor, Bobby Shew on trumpet, and Don Alias on percussion – grooving with Frank in a gently funky way that's got a heck of a lot of soul, and which makes for some nice extended tunes. Titles include "After The Rain", "Rush Hour", "Philadelphia Flyer", "Cloudburst", and "The Third Eye". LP, Vinyl record album

Hip, breezy, and wonderful! Irene Kral's a good vocalist, but she's never been one of our favorites – until we heard this album! The record's a totally hip batch of jazzy tracks with a 70s approach to the kind of underground songwriter styles used in the 60s by artists like Jackie & Roy or Bob Dorough. No surprise that Kral sings some tracks by cronies of those singers – like Tommy Wolf, Fran Landesman, and Dave Frishberg. Backing's by an acoustic quartet that features Alan Broadbent on piano and Emil Richards on vibes and percussion – and tracks include "Small Day Tomorrow", "Some Time Ago", "It's Nice Weather For Ducks", "Experiment", and "Wheelers & Dealers". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those great 60s sessions that Helen Merrill cut in Tokyo – with backing from Takeshi Inomata annd his West Liners group! Titles includes "September In The Rain", "Goodbye", "Round Midnight", "Autumn In New York", "Two Sleepy People", "Autumn Leaves", and "No Other Love". LP, Vinyl record album

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A hip west coast set from Ahmad Jamal – recorded up in British Columbia with a quintet lineup – all in a sound that's even more spacious and free-flowing than some of his Impulse albums from the same stretch! The group features the mighty Calvin Keys on guitar, plus John Heard on bass, Frank Gant on drums, and Seldon Newton on congas – and although Jamal only plays acoustic piano, there's a very open, soaring quality to the work that certainly shows his growing understanding of the Fender Rhodes, and how its approach might influence the sound of acoustic keys. All tracks are nice and long, and titles include "Effendi", "Poinciana", "Folklore", and "Bellows". LP, Vinyl record album

Hip, breezy, and wonderful – a totally hip batch of jazzy tracks with a 70s approach to the kind of underground songwriter styles used in the 60s by artists like Jackie & Roy or Bob Dorough. No surprise that Kral sings some tracks by cronies of those singers – like Tommy Wolf, Fran Landesman, and Dave Frishberg. Backing's by an acoustic quartet that features Alan Broadbent on piano and Emil Richards on vibes and percussion – and tracks include "Small Day Tomorrow", "Some Time Ago", "It's Nice Weather For Ducks", "Experiment", and "Wheelers & Dealers". CD

Wicked work from saxophonist Don Menza – really stretching out here in a massively beautiful 70s session for Catalyst Records! Menza was a heck of a player, but one who mostly kept things pretty close to the chest – yet on this album, he blows with a soulful, flowing tone that's simply impeccable – gently gliding along electric rhythms with a really mellow feel! The album unfolds like the petals of some hip 70s flower – gently opening up from tune to tune, peeling back layer upon layer of soulful sound – as Menza blows on tenor, soprano, and flute – with a group that includes Alan Broadbent on piano and electric keys, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Paulinho and Claudio Slon on percussion. All tracks are original, and titles include "Samba De Rollins", "Magnolia Rose", "Ballad Of The Matador", and "Groove Blues". Features a full bonus CD of alternate tracks from the session – plus the unissued titles "Bones Blues", "Intrigue", and "Spanish Boots". CD

Helen sings, Teddy swings, and the album's a great little session from Merrill's key years recording in Japan! There's a simple, unadorned quality to the record that's really great – a mode that Helen wasn't even using back in her earlier years in the US, and which almost helps her recapture a past that had slipped away before its time. Wilson's trio here features Larry Ridley on bass and Lenny McBrowne on drums – and his backing is sensitive and mellow, often letting Helen take center stage with her vocals. Titles include "Summertime", "I Only Have Eyes For You", "I Cover The Waterfront", "I Must Have That Man", "Embraceable You", and "East Of The Sun". Three numbers also feature Ridley and McBrowne replaced by Japanese players. LP, Vinyl record album

Stitt remembers Bird? How could he ever forget him – given the fact that as an alto saxophonist, Stitt always had to work hard to avoid any comparisons! Seriously, though, this is a nice set of boppish material that moves past the usual Charlie Parker tribute – and in fact, none of the tracks are by Bird – and Sonny blows both tenor and alto – in a great group with Frank Rosolino on trombone, Dolo Coker on piano, Allen Jackson on bass, and Clarence Johnston on drums. Forget the Charlie Parker reference in the title, and lay back and enjoy the tunes "Watch What Happens", "Waltz For Diane", "Streamlined Stanley", and "I Remember Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Fred Hersch and Erik Friedlander performing "Tango Bittersweet", plus Kevin Oldham's "Concerto For Piano" and Calvin Hampton's "Variations On Amazing Grace". CD

An overlooked gem from this great pianist – one of his few dates as a leader, and maybe the boldest of them all – as the session really soars with a heck of a lot of spiritual energy! The vibe here is maybe more in the Muse Records side of the spectrum than Strata East, but that's OK with us as the whole thing really soars with all this searching, modal energy – delivered by a very cool group that features Carter Jefferson on soprano and tenor sax, Cecil McBee on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums! Cheryl Alexander sings on one track – giving the record a slightly soulful vibe. Titles include "Dues We Have To Pay", "Black Raspberry", "I Love You", "Gee Monetti", and "Autumn Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record from alto saxophonist Norman Williams – also known as The Bishop – and the first record on the mighty Theresa label too! The sound here is maybe a bit funkier than some of the other Theresa sessions of the late 70s – in part because there's some monstrous bass on the record, courtesy of Michael Formanek – who works magic alongside the keyboards and warmly-rolling rhythms – which are a perfect foil for the sharper lines that Williams brings to the record on his alto! The approach has some of the warmth and soul of the best 70s sessions on Black Jazz or Catalyst – and titles include "Trane's Paradise", "Mr Peabody", "Figure Eight", "Terry's Song", and "Ole Brown". LP, Vinyl record album

Far-reaching and incredibly soulful work from Mal Waldron and Gary Peacock! Both players are at the height of their powers here, and have a warmth and sense of interplay that makes the session one of the best they did alone or together during the time. The group's a trio, with Hiroshi Murakami added in on bass – and the overall feel is similar to some of the best Japanese trio sessions of the early 70s, with great recording, long drawn-out introspective songs, and free unbridled playing that you don't always get on American sessions by the same players. Titles include "Walking Way", "What's That", "She Walks In Beauty", and "The Heart Of The Matter". LP, Vinyl record album

Righteous jazz, but with a bit of a funky twist too – a great selection of classics from the years when 60s soul jazz was reaching out with a new sense of pride and power, and finding a way embrace all of the musical changes that were coming its way! The music here is often by artists who might have been playing straighter standards, or bluesy organ numbers a few years before – but who here are set fire by the changes of the 60s – both at a musical level, and a political one – the latter in ways that resonate strongly even in the instrumental passages on the set! The title is a reference to a famous quote by Eldridge Cleaver, used often by The Black Panthers – and the set begins with Joe Henderson's number of the same name, "If You're Not Part Of The Solution You're Part Of The Problem" – and follows with "Let's Make Peace & Stop The War" by Funk Inc, "Bitches Brew" by Eddie Jefferson, "HNIC" by Harold Vick, "Tawhid" by Johnny Lytle, "John Coltrane" by Clifford Jordan, "Celestial Bodies" by Catalyst, "Warriors Of Peace" by Azar Lawrence, "Africans Unite" by Gary Bartz NTU Troop, and "Black Feeling" by Johnny Hammond Smith. All tracks are nice and long – and the set has a great mix of spiritual ideals with a few funky currents. CD

A great collection of grooves put together by two of the hippest DJ/musicians on the London scene – one that blends old and new tracks, with work from Hugo Montenegro, Jan Hammer, Domu, Offworld, Jessica Williams, Nxs, Graham Central Station, Frankie Valentine, Catalyst, and Ian O'Brien! LP, Vinyl record album

A record of rich textures and layers – music that swings, but also swirls – thanks to work on the set from Kurt Rosenwinkel on guitar, Myron Walden on alto and bass clarinet, and Melvin Butler on tenor and soprano sax – all brewing together over the drums of Brian Blade! Pianist Jon Cowherd has a part in the colors and tones too – punctuating the proceedings, while also illuminating them too – adding his own sound to the mix, as the whole group moves together as a very cohesive whole! There's no bass at all – which further shines a light on the diversity of Blade's drumming – on titles that include "Catalysts", "Peoples Park", "Until We Meet Again", Look To The Hills", "Migration", and "Kings Highway". CD

The second full length by Capital D and Tone B Nimble as All Natural. Second Nature is jammed packed, and features the cream of the Chicago underground and other guests including JUICE, Slug, Lone Catalysts, Mr. Greenweedz and others. The no-nonsense, sturdy beats and production is the most unifying factor here – lyrically uncompromising and has an outlook as fresh as any new hip hop we've heard in a while. Tracks include "The Stick Up", "Think Again", "Chatam", "Vegetarian", "Ill Advisory", "Stellar", "Queens Get The Money", "Mr. Sexy", "Renaissance", "Godspeed", and "Future Is Now". LP, Vinyl record album

If you like that jazzy, late 80's early 90's flavor with positive lyrics and a little more movement than just head noddin, then scoop this up! Tracks include "Elevator Music", "B-Boy (We Get Shit)", "Think About" featuring J Rawls from Lone Catalysts, "Truly Unique", "Soul", "This Is Me", "Jamboree", "Dear You", "Soon Come" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A record of rich textures and layers – music that swings, but also swirls – thanks to work on the set from Kurt Rosenwinkel on guitar, Myron Walden on alto and bass clarinet, and Melvin Butler on tenor and soprano sax – all brewing together over the drums of Brian Blade! Pianist Jon Cowherd has a part in the colors and tones too – punctuating the proceedings, while also illuminating them too – adding his own sound to the mix, as the whole group moves together as a very cohesive whole! There's no bass at all – which further shines a light on the diversity of Blade's drumming – on titles that include "Catalysts", "Peoples Park", "Until We Meet Again", Look To The Hills", "Migration", and "Kings Highway". LP, Vinyl record album