Landmark pre-bop recordings – with early small combo work from Charlie Christian, and some great Dizzy Gillespie tracks recorded with Don Byas on tenor, Thelonious Monk on piano, and Kenny Clarke on drums! LP, Vinyl record album

Great material from the birth of bebop – with Charlie Christian on guitar, Thelonious Monk on piano, Don Byas on tenor, and Kenny Clarke on drums! CD

The roots of bebop! During the early 40s, sets held in Harlem nightclubs, especially the famous Minton's, were seminal to the development of bebop – and you'll hear exactly what we mean on this album! The set features material recorded by Jerry Newman at Minton's and Monroe's up in Harlem – sessions that include players like Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Christian, Thelonious Monk, Hot Lips Page, Kenny Clarke, and Don Byas. The players run through a batch of material that might be called small-combo swing – but the style of the solos shows a lot of bebop, as well as a strong penchant for new ideas. Titles include "Lips Flips", "Swing to Bop", "Guy's Got To Go", "Kerouac", and "Stardust". LP, Vinyl record album

The roots of bebop! During the early 40s, sets held in Harlem nightclubs, especially the famous Minton's, were seminal to the development of bebop – and you'll hear exactly what we mean on this long lost super tough to find 10". The set features material recorded by Jerry Newman at Minton's and Monroe's Uptown House up in Harlem – sessions that include players like Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Christian, and Don Byas. The players run through a batch of material that might be called small-combo swing – but the style of the solos shows a lot of bebop, as well as a strong penchant for new ideas. Titles include "On With Charley Christian", "Up On Teddy's Hill", "Guy's Got To Go", "Kerouac", and "Stardust". LP, Vinyl record album

The birth of modern jazz guitar – seminal sides recorded by Charlie Christian, working in small group format with Benny Goodman in the '40's. Christian's tone on the instrument is fantastic – and even though the style of the tracks is more in the swing era mode, there's a direct line between his playing and later work by Grant Green and other 60s jazz guitar giants. 16 tracks in all, including "Six Appeal", "Waiting For Benny", "Seven Come Eleven", "Airmail Special", "Breakfast Feud", and "Wholly Cats". CD

With Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Fletcher Henderson, Jerry Jerome, Frankie Hines, Nick Fatool, Count Basie, Georgie Auld & others. CD

Seminal early work from guitarist Charlie Christian – tracks that really preface the development of bop in the 40s – recorded at the birthplace of that movement, the legendary Minton's Playhouse in Harlem! Christian's sense of tone and timing is amazing – even sharper and bolder than his already-famous work with Benny Goodman, laid out here with a deftness that really paves the way for the kind of fast-thinking, fast-moving creativity of bop – in a combo that also includes Thelonious Monk on piano and Kenny Clarke on drums! There's still a bit of older swing style guitar work at points, but Christian's command of single-note lines is definitely bop-like riffing too. LP, Vinyl record album

Small group genius from one of the first major players of jazz guitar – electrified Charlie Christian, working here in the Benny Goodman Sextet, and in his own combo too! LP, Vinyl record album

Notable sidemen include Buck Clayton on trumpet, Count Basie on piano, and Jo Jones on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

The roots of bebop! During the early 40s, sets held in Harlem nightclubs, especially the famous Minton's, were seminal to the development of bebop – and you'll hear exactly what we mean on this long overdue CD reissue. The set features material recorded by Jerry Newman at Minton's and Monroe's up in Harlem – sessions that include players like Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Christian, Thelonious Monk, Hot Lips Page, Kenny Clarke, and Don Byas. The players run through a batch of material that might be called small-combo swing – but the style of the solos shows a lot of bebop, as well as a strong penchant for new ideas. Titles include "Lips Flips", "Swing to Bop", "Guy's Got To Go", "Kerouac", and "Stardust". CD

Featuring Lester Young and Count Basie. CD

Tracks include "Stardust", "Flying Home", "Sheik Of Araby", "Breakfast Feud", "Shivers", "On The Alamo", "These Foolish Things", and "I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby" – 18 tracks total. CD

Herb Ellis pays homage to one of the first great jazz guitarists – the legendary Charlie Christian, certainly one of the first true soulful talents to emerge on the instrument! The set's one of Ellis' nicer ones for Verve – and although it mentions Christian in the title, there's nothing outdated or old-timey about the sound of the record! Herb's lean lines on the guitar come through nice and clear – in a group that features Frank Strazzari on piano, Chuck Berghofer on bass, and Kenny Hume on drums – as well as Harry Babasin on cello, playing some nicely plucked notes that sound beautiful alongside the guitar! Tracks are relatively short, and titles include "Everything's Pat", "Workin' With The Truth", "Cherry Kijafa", and "Karin". LP, Vinyl record album

In Chicago, the cult of Bird fanatics probably lived harder than in other cities – and in the few decades after Charlie Parker's death, the city was host to annual Bird Memorial concerts during the month of August. This obscure 2LP set on Cadet does a good job of documenting the energy and comraderie that went into those sessions – as it captures tunes from four different performances during the series, all recorded at Chicago's North Park Hotel. Players include Dexter Gordon, Howard McGhee, Vi Redd, Lee Konitz, Art Hoyle, Von Freeman, Jodie Christian, Roy Haynes, Muhal Richard Abrams, Eddie Jefferson, and Kenny Dorham – and the set's a great crossection of players – from the bop to the less obvious Parker-philes – in a strong illustration of Bird's still-consistent influence even at the end of the 60s. Titles include "Ornithology", "Yardbird Suite", "Disappointed", "Parker's Mood", "Now's The Time", and "Billie's Bounce". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes early recordings with Teddy Wilson, Charlie Christian, and Red Allen – plus a mid-90s session featuring Dick Hyman and Bucky Pizzarelli. CD

A big dive into the indie jazz scene of the 50s – served up here in a great batch of rare tracks! The first half of the set is especially nice – as it looks at work that was originally issued on the groundbreaking Debut Records label – initially formed by Charles Mingus and Max Roach, and very unique in that it was one of the first artist-owned jazz labels in the US! The set also features a handful of work from other small indies of the period – Period Records, Esoteric, and Seeco – and the whole thing is a nice slice of work away from the world of Blue Note and Prestige – with titles that include "The Man I Love" by Ada Moore, "Serenade In Blue" by Charles Mingus, "Bijou" by Ralph Burns, "Pennies From Heaven" by Al Haig with Stan Getz, "I'll Remember April" by Thad Jones, "The Pendulum Of Falcon's Lair" by Oscar Pettiford, "Ruby My Dear (take 2)" by Kenny Dorham, "How High The Moon" by Roy Eldridge & Flip Phillips, "Swing To Bop" by Charlie Christian with Thelonious Monk, "Ornithology" by Charlie Parker, "Perdido" by The Quintet, "Nature Boy" by Miles Davis, "Peace Of Mind" by Hazel Scott, and "Embraceable You" by Bud Powell. CD

Rare material from 78s and singles – plus tracks from the full albums Swing Into Spring, Charlie Christian With The Benny Goodman Sextet & Orchestra, Benny Goodman Presents Eddie Sauter Arrangements, Swing Time, Swing With Benny Goodman In High Fidelity, Solid Gold Instrumental Hits, and Clarinet A La King – as well as lots of tracks from the Un-Heard Benny Goodman and Alternate Goodman releases – as well as tracks from the Playboy Jazz Allstars album. 177 tracks in all! CD

The first album in a brilliant run of work that Barney Kessel did for Contemporary Records in the 1950s – material that forever went onto shape the sound of jazz guitar, and which stands right up there with some of the best of his generation! In a way, the Kessel heard here is even fresher than in later years – as he's playing in a small group mode that breaks down new territory for his instrument – often with reeds from Bud Shank or Buddy Collette – in styles that have some of the slight spaciousness of the Chico Hamilton group, but a bit more straight swing overall. Other players include Arnold Ross or Claude Williamson on piano, Harry Babasin or Red Mitchell on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums – and the full length album compiles material from earlier 10" LP releases on Contemporary, plus a few more tracks – to make a full set of 12 songs that include "Easy Like", "Bernardo", "Vicky's Dream", "Salute To Charlie Christian", and "North Of The Border". CD features 2 bonus tracks. CD

Beautiful sounds from Japanese guitarist Sunao Wada – a player who's rich in tones and colors here, and not just the blue ones mentioned in the title! There's an open flow to the record that's really wonderful – maybe the maturity of the Wes Montgomery sound of the late 60s, but set up in an earlier sort of style – with Hammond from Ushio Sakai, bass from Mitsuaki Furuno, and drums from Arihide Kurata – all given the impeccable production touches you'd expect from the Three Blind Mice label! Takao Uematsu adds a bit of tenor to the record, and titles include "Now See How You Are", "Blues World", "Falling In Love With Love", and "Blues For Charlie Christian". CD

Way more than just a bop-heavy set – a landmark record that shows a side of the Chicago scene that hardly ever made it on record! In the years after Charlie Parker passed away, tributes to his greatness were a very common thing in local jazz scenes across the US. This is a prime example of that tradition, but way more than that, it's also a killer Chicago jazz session from the old days – featuring trumpeter Ira Sullivan at his best, along with some great local players that include tenorist Nicky Hill, pianist Jodie Christian, and bassist (Raphael) Don Garrett. The music is what you'd expect – loving renditions of Bird standards like "Klacktoveedesesteene" and "Love Letters" – but there's also a lot more going on underneath, and the album's as much a Charlie Parker tribute as it is a batch of bop and soul jazz numbers with a good underground feel. Titles include "Si Si", "Inchworm", "Milestones", "Sketches", "Fly Me To The Moon", and "Shaw Nuff" – and this 2CD reissue adds a heck of a lot more material to the original album – for a total of 15 tracks in all! CD

An incredible record – far greater than we even expected! The setup is simple: King Britt and his crew remix the tapes from 2001's experimental jazz jam session by a trio of fellow Philadelphians – drummer Ahmir Thompson (The Roots), jazz bassist Christian McBride, and keyboardist Uri Caine. Britt's really blown his top here – taking the original album (great in its own right), and turning it into a set of cosmic grooves that bear almost no relation to the initial work, yet still keep its soulful heart. The depth of the project is stunning – way more than just simple remix tricks, and a whole new level of expression that shows why Philly is fast becoming the music capitol of the 21st Century. Includes work by Rob Yancey, Charlie Dark, Phillip Charles, Oba Funke, Vikter Duplaix, The Randy Weston Experience, DJ Ghe, and Britt himself – with titles that include "South Street", "Paul Edwards The Orange Line (lle lfe)", "(Re)Moved (Oba Funke Far Re-Moved dub)", "Diamond Street", "Philadelphia Experiment (rmx)", "Delaware Avenue", "Miles Hit (Rob Life mix)", "Broad & Cecil B Moore", "Brown Street", and "Groover The III (the theme to massagejawn.com)". LP, Vinyl record album

In the years after Charlie Parker passed away, tributes to his greatness were a very common thing in local jazz scenes across the US. This is a prime example of that tradition, but way more than that, it's also a killer Chicago jazz session from the old days – featuring trumpeter Ira Sullivan at his best, along with some great local players that include tenorist Nicky Hill, pianist Jodie Christian, and bassist (Raphael) Don Garrett. The music is what you'd expect – loving renditions of Bird standards like "Klacktoveedesesteene" and "Love Letters" – but there's also a lot more going on underneath, and the album's as much a Charlie Parker tribute as it is a batch of bop and soul jazz numbers with a good underground feel. LP, Vinyl record album

A great later jazz set from Toots Thielemans – recorded half in New York and half in LA – as you might guess from the title! The sound is still very much Toots' own, though – no easy nods to styles from either city in earlier years – and despite the fact that the record is on the Private Music label, which could sometimes put out snoozy new age, it's definitely a jazz date through and through – with relatively stripped down small combo instrumentation on all numbers. Players include John Scofield on guitar, Christian Mc Bride and Charlie Haden on bass, Mike Maineri on vibes, Terence Blanchard on trumpet, Lyle Mays on piano, and Peter Erskine on drums – and tracks include "In Walked Bud", "Con Alma", "Groovin High", "In Your Own Sweet Way", "Giant Steps", "Waltz For Debby", "A Child Is Born", and "Take Five". CD

A big dive into the indie jazz scene of the 50s – served up here in a great batch of rare tracks! The first half of the set is especially nice – as it looks at work that was originally issued on the groundbreaking Debut Records label – initially formed by Charles Mingus and Max Roach, and very unique in that it was one of the first artist-owned jazz labels in the US! The set also features a handful of work from other small indies of the period – Period Records, Esoteric, and Seeco – and the whole thing is a nice slice of work away from the world of Blue Note and Prestige – with titles that include "The Man I Love" by Ada Moore, "Serenade In Blue" by Charles Mingus, "Bijou" by Ralph Burns, "Pennies From Heaven" by Al Haig with Stan Getz, "I'll Remember April" by Thad Jones, "The Pendulum Of Falcon's Lair" by Oscar Pettiford, "Ruby My Dear (take 2)" by Kenny Dorham, "How High The Moon" by Roy Eldridge & Flip Phillips, "Swing To Bop" by Charlie Christian with Thelonious Monk, "Ornithology" by Charlie Parker, "Perdido" by The Quintet, "Nature Boy" by Miles Davis, "Peace Of Mind" by Hazel Scott, and "Embraceable You" by Bud Powell. CD

Half of this set features one of the most unusual Blue Note sessions from the early days – a set led by clarinetist Edmond Hall, but featuring Mead Lux Lewis on celeste! Charlie Christian also plays in the group – and the other date features Red Norvo on vibes, Carl Kress on guitar, and Teddy Wilson on piano. First LP pressing of this material – originally issued on 78s! LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the earliest recordings in the Blue Note catalog – with Edmond Hall on clarinet, alongside Charlie Christian on guitar, Teddy Wilson on piano, and others – nicely remastered here! CD

The first album in a brilliant run of work that Barney Kessel did for Contemporary Records in the 1950s – material that forever went onto shape the sound of jazz guitar, and which stands right up there with some of the best of his generation! In a way, the Kessel heard here is even fresher than in later years – as he's playing in a small group mode that breaks down new territory for his instrument – often with reeds from Bud Shank or Buddy Collette – in styles that have some of the slight spaciousness of the Chico Hamilton group, but a bit more straight swing overall. Other players include Arnold Ross or Claude Williamson on piano, Harry Babasin or Red Mitchell on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums – and the full length album compiles material from earlier 10" LP releases on Contemporary, plus a few more tracks – to make a full set of 12 songs that include "Easy Like", "Bernardo", "Vicky's Dream", "Salute To Charlie Christian", and "North Of The Border". CD features 2 bonus tracks. CD

Featuring Teddy Wilson, Count Basie, Charlie Christian, Una Mae Carlisle, Sammy Price, and Helen Humes. CD