One of the few albums to ever feature trombonist Lawrence Brown as a leader – with Ralph Burns backings on some tunes, and some other small group numbers with Sam Taylor on tenor! LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible material from the lean, revamped Basie band of the 50s – tracks that appeared on a variety of 7" EP and 10" LP releases – plus material from the albums Basie Jazz, Count Basie Dance Session Vols 1 & 2, Basie, Count Basie Swings & Joe Williams Sings, The Count, The Swinging Count, Basie Rides Again, The Greatest, Paradise Squat, Al Hibbler Sings Love Songs, April In Paris, One O'Clock Jump, and Hall Of Fame. CD

One of the few albums to ever feature trombonist Lawrence Brown as a leader – with Ralph Burns backings on some tunes, and some other small group numbers with Sam Taylor on tenor! CD

A seminal bit of Latin jazz from the early 50s – Machito's first "Afro Cuban Jazz Suite", written by Chico O'Farrill, and packaged here in the original 10" LP on Mercury, complete with the David Stone Martin cover! The set features a stunning mix of jazz and Latin playing, in a manner that was to forever shape the future of both musics – with solo work by Flip Phillips and Charlie Parker, and Latin percussion by Mario Bauza, Jose Mangual, Candido, and Machito. The writing and playing is superb, and Chico O'Farrill arranged the whole thing with an energy level matching his best early work! LP, Vinyl record album

An early collaboration between Count Basie and Norman Granz – and a real cooker too! Granz shows some great foresight here – grabbing Basie at a time when his group was just getting its groove back, and really learning how to hit a more modern sound! The set includes some great tenor sax work from Eddie Lockjaw Davis and Paul Quinichette –and titles include "Sure Thing", "Jive At Five", "Every Tub", and "New Basie Blues". In a great David Stone Martin cover too! LP, Vinyl record album

A repackaged version of material from Count Basie's excellent Dance Session albums for Verve – no-nonsense albums that really get at the high-grooving side of the group, and which feature the kind of compelling and catchy tunes that always made them a favorite on the dancefloor! The Count manages to play a bit of organ on the session, in the tone that we really like at the time – and arrangements are by Ernie Wilkins, Neal Hefti, Johnny Mandel, and Frank Wess – on tracks that include "Straight Life", "Soft Drink", "Cherry Point, "Plymouth Rock", "Slow But Sure", "Two For The Blues", and "Bubbles". LP, Vinyl record album

Count Basie plays the piano and Joe Williams sings in his bluesy way and they are backed by a slew of musicians who include Thad Jones on trumpet, Ben Powell on trombone, Frank Foster on tenor saxophone, Sonny Payne on drums and many, many others. Frank Foster did all of the arrangements and the tracks include Williams' "My Baby Upsets Me", "Ev'ry Day", "April In Paris", and "Please Send Me Someone To Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Williams on vocal performances of "April In Paris", "Party Blues", and "Every Day I Have The Blues" – with Count Basie backing. Also features a jam session version of "Billie's Bounce" – with Art Blakey, Charles Mingus, Tal Farlow, Zoot Sims, and others – and a solo piano take on "Lady Fair" by George Wallington. LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime alto work from Benny Carter – a masterpiece of tone and timing that shows him at the height of his powers! Carter's sound alone is enough to sell the record, and it's wonderfully recorded by Norman Granz – but the rest of the group is a good fit too, and features Oscar Peterson on piano, Barney Kessel on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Buddy Rich on drums – all of whom lay back nicely to let Benny take the lead. Titles include "Pick Yourself Up", "Imagination", "Street Scene", and "I Get A Kick Out Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest early albums from Verve – unusual material from two artists not normally associated with the label! Side one features some killer work from LA alto genius Sonny Criss – titles that include "The First One", "Calidad", "Tornado", and "Blues For The Boppers". Side two features trombonist Tommy Turk sounding really wonderful – maybe some of his best on record – on the cuts "Bye Bye Blues", "Encore", "The Beat", and "Two By Four". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual Verve date from Roy Eldridge – a sweet 10 inch album that has Roy's trumpet backed by the Oscar Peterson trio – on titles that include "Echoes Of Harlem", "When It's Sleepy Time Down South", "Somebody Loves Me", and "Willow Weep For Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic pairing of postwar trumpets – those of Dizzy Gillespie and Roy Eldridge, each given plenty of space to speak their piece here in the best Verve all-star tradition! The group's great too – with Herb Ellis on guitar, Oscar Peterson on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Louis Bellson on drums. The album's got some sweet stretched out tracks that feature the two trumpet giants really opening up! Titles include "Algo Bueno", "I Can't Get Started", "Trumpet Blues", and "Pretty Eyed Baby", which even has a bit of vocals from Roy and Diz! LP, Vinyl record album

Classic Norman Granz swing session, with Roy Eldridge on flugelhorn, Alvin Stoller on drums, and John Simmons on bass. Tatum's up front, with some good laidback solos. The LP has a number of short cuts "Night and Day", "This Can't Be Love", "I Won't Dance", and "Moon Song". Nice David Stone Martin cover too! LP, Vinyl record album

Classic Jam Session work from Norman Granz – featuring a group with Stan Getz, Harry Edison, Wardell Gray, Benny Carter, Willie Smith, Buddy De Franco, Count Basie, and Freddie Green – on two long tracks, "Oh Lady Be Good" and "Blues For The Count". The session's got a number of interesting aspects – Basie plays organ, Getz is a bit harder than usual, and Willie Smith sounds great, as always, in one of his rare appearances from the time. LP, Vinyl record album

Great Verve material from Lionel Hampton – and like most of his sides for the label, a set that offers small combo grooving in a very stretched out setting! The album only features four long tracks – and Hampton's vibes are set up nicely with a trio that includes Oscar Peterson on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Buddy Rich on drums. Titles include "Always", "Air Mail Special", "Soft Winds", and "S'Wonderful" – all nice and long! LP, Vinyl record album

Great Verve material from Lionel Hampton – and like most of his sides for the label, a set that offers small combo grooving in a very stretched out setting! Hampton's vibes are set up nicely with a trio that includes Oscar Peterson on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Buddy Rich on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

One of these excellent early 50s albums that Hamp cut for Verve – most of which feature him like this, stretching out a lot more than in the early days, working with a small combo of top-line players that each get plenty of room to solo. Players include Buddy Rich, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, and Buddy De Franco – and titles include "Je Ne Se Pas", "Sunny Side Of The Street", and a very long version of "Flying Home". LP, Vinyl record album

Not really a recital in the "live" sense, in that the album's a studio session – but a great batch of classic Verve sides by Billie Holiday! The care and quality of the record definitely demonstrate that the Verve years are some of Holiday's best – and for the session, Norman Granz has backed up Billie with a great batch of musicians – including Charlie Shavers on trumpet, Flip Philips on tenor, Barney Kessel on guitar, and Oscar Peterson on piano. Tracks include "Remember", "Yesterdays", "He's Funny That Way", "Stormy Weather", "My Man", and "Lover Come Back To Me" – and the cover has a portrait of Billie by David Stone Martin! CD

Not really a recital in the "live" sense, in that the album's a studio session – but a great batch of classic Verve sides by Billie Holiday! The care and quality of the record definitely demonstrate that the Verve years are some of Holiday's best – and for the session, Norman Granz has backed up Billie with a great batch of musicians – including Charlie Shavers on trumpet, Flip Philips on tenor, Barney Kessel on guitar, and Oscar Peterson on piano. Tracks include "Remember", "Yesterdays", "He's Funny That Way", "Stormy Weather", "My Man", and "Lover Come Back To Me" – and the cover has a portrait of Billie by David Stone Martin! CD

Groovin is right – as you'll hear on this tasty rare set that soulful tenor legend Illinois Jacquet recorded with a smallish group for Verve! Other players include Matthew Gee on trombone, Cecil Payne on baritone, Ra Acea on piano, and brother Russell Jacquet on trumpet – and the tracks are short, but with lively moments from Illinois, in the mature vein he was hitting at the time. Tunes include "Groovin", "Little Jeff", "R U One?", "On Your Toes", and "Mean To Me". Nice nice David Stone Martin cover, too! LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from Krupa's trio that featured Charlie Ventura on bass and Marty Napoleon on piano – a really wide-open combo with a surprisingly inventive sound! LP, Vinyl record album

Nice, tight, simple, and swinging! All players are hitting a good later stride here, set in unrestricted small group company on the occasion of the film release of the Benny Goodman story. Verve was able to get the players to go past the stock stuff they did for the film, and recreate some of the magic of the older smaller group live sets. Titles include "Airmail Special", "Avalon", "I Got Rhythm", and "Blues For Benny". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning cubop work from Machito – with searing tenor from Flip Phillips, and soaring alto from Charlie Parker! LP, Vinyl record album

One of Anita's first albums for Norman Granz – a beautiful 10" LP that features a great cover by David Stone Martin, and some strong sides that take her out of the swing years, into the 50s! Most of the tracks on the set were previously issued as singles, and collected here as an LP – and titles include "Rock N Roll Blues", "No Soap No Hope Blues", "Strawberry Moon", "Lullaby Of The Leaves", and "Love For Sale". LP, Vinyl record album

A sampling of nice Verve stuff from the 50's, and includes "Easy Going Bounce" by Johnny Hodges, "Bloomdido" by Charlie Parker, "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart" by Al Hibbler, "Pot Luck" by Stan Getz, and "Port Of Rico" by Illinois Jacquet. LP, Vinyl record album

Really unusual large group work from bassist Ray Brown – already a key small combo player in the Verve Records universe, and here exploring some of the larger ideas in his music! The set features arrangements from Marty Paich – and players include Herb Geller on alto, Jimmy Giuffre on tenor, Pete Candoli on trumpet, and Herb Ellis on guitar – all working in a way that still allows Brown to get plenty of exposure, right up front in the mix! Brown is totally exposed on the haunting "Solo For Unaccompanied Bass" – and other titles include "Little Toe", "Alone Together", "Blues for Sylvia", and "All Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

Features work from Oscar Peterson on piano and Jo Jones on drums – and titles include "Love For Sale", "Dale's Wail", "Oscar's Arrangement", "Echoes Of Harlem", and "Feeling A Draft". LP, Vinyl record album

Groundbreaking Latin Jazz – and an essential 2LP set! The album brings together classic work for Norman Granz' Verve and Clef labels in the cubop mode – including Dizzy Gillespie's Manteca Suite, Machito's Afro-Cuban Suite, titles by Chico O'Farrill, and others recorded in 1949 and arranged by Rene Hernandez. Players include Machito, Charlie Parker, Diz, Mario Bauza, Eddie Bert, Flip Phillips, Chano Pozo, and Jos Mangual – and the quality of the work unifies the sessions wonderfully, even though they were recorded separately over a 5 year period. LP, Vinyl record album

Pretty, as in pretty darn great – a really unique early session that just features the bass of Ray Brown next to the piano of Oscar Peterson! LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible document of a key genre in 50s jazz on record – the jam session tradition, recorded beautifully for Verve records by the legendary Norman Granz! The idea of a jam session was nothing new at the time, of course, but it was mostly a live phenomenon – known to players from concerts and club dates, or presented on vinyl by Granz, in his celebrated Jazz At The Philharmonic sessions. These dates mark a move into the studio by Granz – one that captures the same sort of energy and unique pairings of musicians that went down in the live sessions, with the added benefit of studio technology to make the work sound even clearer, and more intimate. The 5CD set brings together all 9 Jam Session albums – packaged beautifully in a slipcase with original album cover art, and a full 72 page booklet on the musicians, sessions, and titles included. Players include nearly everyone who might have worked for Verve in the 50s – Benny Carter, Charlie Parker, Johnny Hodges, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Buddy DeFranco, and countless others – and titles include "Jam Blues", "Funky Blues", "Apple Jam", "Blues For The Count", "Jamming For Clef", "Rose Room", "Blue Lou", and "Lullaby In Rhythm" – all in very long versions! CD

Basie's working here with his New Testament Band – a new orchestra formed in 1952, after working briefly with an octet earlier in the year. The set documents the group's initial recordings for Verve/Clef – all recorded between January and December in 1952. Players include Joe Newman, Charlie Shavers, Benny Powell, Ernie Wilkins, Paul Quinichette, Marshall Royal, and Eddie Lockjaw Davis – and titles include "Jive At Five", "No Name", "Bread", "New Basie Blues", "Why Not", "Blee Blop Blues", "Cash Box", "Bootsie", "Hob Nail Boogie", and "Paradise Squat". LP, Vinyl record album

Easy-going Verve swing at its best – the kind of small group session that let a player like Harry "Sweets" Edison shine in a way that he didn't always get to do in a larger group! For this set, Edison's joined by Ben Webster on tenor sax, Barney Kessel on guitar, Jimmy Rowles on piano, Alvin Stoller on drums and Joe Mondragon on bass – in a format that features tunes that are a bit shorter than on some of the other Verve swing sides of the time, but still very much with a relaxed and open-ended feel. Titles include several Edison originals – including "Hollering At The Watkins", "Used To Be Basie", "Studio Call", "Opus 711", "K.M. Blues", and "Walkin With Sweets". LP, Vinyl record album

Collects sextet and trio sides for Mercury and Clef, plus three rare overseas sessions recorded for JVC/Victor in Japan! CD

Sextet and trio sides recorded for Clef alongside Ben Webster, Bill Harris, Teddy Wilson, Charlie Shavers, and Eddie Shu! CD

The genius of Bird and strings is hard to describe – an edgey aproach that really goes far past most other "jazz with strings" projects, not a ballad-driven one, but a tensely strained one that brings out some of Parker's best soloing, almost in a moody soundtrack-type way. The tracks are a lot freer and less bop-driven than some of Bird's normal work, and it's incredible to hear him soloing with such complexity – even more proof of the genius he clearly exhibited in relation to his contemporaries. Titles include "Just Friends", "Easy To Love", "East Of The Sun", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "April In Paris", and "Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic 50s collection of Verve material by Charlie Parker – and one of those records that will definitely help you understand his genius right from the start! The lineup here is slightly large – wonderful arrangements by Joe Lipman that are a bit orchestral, with strings as well – but never used in styles that get in the way of Charlie Parker's solidly smoking alto sax! In fact, the music is a key example of just what makes Bird so different – as he's right out front, taking off in all his own directions – showing that although part of a group, a musician of his caliber can also take flight in ways that few jazz musicians would have imagined a few years before. The set features incredible readings of the tunes "Temptation", "Lover", "Stella By Starlight", "Dancing In The Dark", and "Laura". LP, Vinyl record album

Collects material recorded between 1944 and 1950 for labels including Savoy, Roost, Duke, Musicraft, Prestige, Blue Note, and Clef – 86 tracks total. CD

Great small combo work from these two pre-bop jazz giants – a quintet with Roy Eldridge on trumpet, Benny Carter on alto, Bruce MacDonald on piano, John Simmons on bass, and Alvin Stoller on drums! LP, Vinyl record album

Nice David Stone Martin cover! LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Forget the gospel part in their name, because The Clefs rock as hard as any doo wop group, and can lay down a harmony ballad with the best of any R&B group from the east coast. This stellar album on Savoy has incredibly strong harmonies, and lots of lead vocals out front with the sort of deep R&B vocal stylings that make you buy Bobby Blue Bland LPs. Tracks include "Steal Away", "Rise Up And Walk", "Why", "Open Our Eyes", "Big Wheel", and "Roll Billows Roll". Gosh, if we could find more of this kind of stuff, we'd start a gospel section! LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Xzibit And King Yellowman. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Featuring Governor And Prolific. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Sure, everyone knows The Cleftones' "Heart & Soul", because they've heard it a million times on oldies stations, and had to plunk it out on the piano to infinity when they were kids – but this nice CD brings together 2 of their rare albums for the Gee label, with a total of 24 cuts that go way past the hits. Some of the tracks feature the group singing cuts that were made famous by other groups, all nicely redone with the group's unique male/female harmony style. Tracks include "Glory Of Love", "Earth Angel", "Deed I Do", "Time Is Running Out On Our Love", "Please Say You Want Me", "Shadows On The Very Last Row", "Hey Babe", and "Leave My Woman Alone". CD

Sure, everyone knows The Cleftones' "Heart & Soul", because they've heard it a million times on oldies stations, and had to plunk it out on the piano to infinity when they were kids – but this nice CD brings together 2 of their rare albums for the Gee label, with a total of 24 cuts that go way past the hits. Some of the tracks feature the group singing cuts that were made famous by other groups, all nicely redone with the group's unique male/female harmony style. Tracks include "Glory Of Love", "Earth Angel", "Deed I Do", "Time Is Running Out On Our Love", "Please Say You Want Me", "Shadows On The Very Last Row", "Hey Babe", and "Leave My Woman Alone". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

18 cuts of their pop doo wop stuff recorded for the Gee label in the late 50's. Cuts include "She's So Fine", "Lover Boy", "Little Girl of Mine", "You Baby You", and "String Around My Heart" – plus more obscure material like "Neki Hokey", "Beginners At Love", and "How Do You Feel". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

The record that really broke The Fugees out of the box – not their debut, but the album where everything really came together – especially the fantastic mix of vocals and MC work that Lauryn Hill brought to the group! The album was a key bridge between hip hop and soul back in the day – of the sort that made R&B bend to the needs of hip hop – and not the more commercial other way around. And, the record's even got Wyclef and Pras sounding pretty great too – on titles that include the classic remake of "Killing Me Softly" – plus "How Many MC's", "Ready or Not", "The Score", "Family Business", "Zealots", "Fu-Gee-La", and "No Woman No Cry". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of 80s albums from piano genius Ramsey Lewis – all brought together in a single package! First up is Les Fleurs – a bit later than Ramsey Lewis' classic electric sides for Columbia Records in the 70s, but still a pretty great little album – and one that mixes mellow grooves on Fender Rhodes with a nice dose of acoustic piano – in a style that's a bit like Rodney Franklin at the time, but considerably warmer and sweeter overall! The core trio backs Ramsey on acoustic bass and drums – but there's plenty of extra bits added in throughout, including a bit of sax from Ronnie Laws, and some overall arrangements and additional keys from Tom Tom 84 – who really helps keep a sophisticated Chicago vibe in place – almost a ghost of Charles Stepney, lurking nicely in the background. Titles include remakes of "Reasons", "Les Fleurs", and "Super Woman" – plus the tracks "Physical", "With A Gentle Touch", and "Essence Of Love". Fantasy is a sweet 80s set that has Ramsey Lewis showing the world that he's still one of the reigning master of the keyboard – as he opens up here with a whole bunch of keys from that decade, at a level that marks a strong new chapter from his electric work of the 70s! Lewis works alongside additional keyboardists Morris Butch Stewart and Lonnie Graves – and at times, even the rhythms are electric too – influenced by both R&B and hip hop at times, similar to Herbie Hancock electric experiments of the time – but with more of that soulful vibe that we love from Ramsey! There's a bit of vocals on the record – courtesy of Stewart, Maurice White, Brenda Mitchell, Josie Aiello, and Alice Sanderson Echols – on titles that include "Les Clefs De Mon Coeur", "It's Gonna Change", "Victim Of A Broken Heart", "Slow Dancin", "Ram Jam", "This Ain't No Fantasy", "Part Of Me", and "The Quest". Keys To The City is a late 80s effort that still has the piano genius very much at the top of his game – tight, but never in the sleepier territory of some of the smooth jazz artists who were coming into the scene! Ramsey's on piano both electric and acoustic – getting more keyboard help from Larry Dunn, who also handles arrangements – with musicians who include Don Myrick on saxes, Roland Bautista on guitar, and Maurice White on percussion – the last of whom is a key influence here, as it's clear that Lewis is holding onto that great balance of jazz and soul that he furthered in his work with White and Earth Wind & Fire in the 70s. Titles include "Keys To The City", "7/11", "Strangers", "My Love Will Lead You Home", "You're Falling In Love", "Shamballa", and "Love & Understanding". CD

The record that really broke The Fugees out of the box – not their debut, but the album where everything really came together – especially the fantastic mix of vocals and MC work that Lauryn Hill brought to the group! The album was a key bridge between hip hop and soul back in the day – of the sort that made R&B bend to the needs of hip hop – and not the more commercial other way around. And, the record's even got Wyclef and Pras sounding pretty great too – on titles that include the classic remake of "Killing Me Softly" – plus "How Many MC's", "Ready or Not", "The Score", "Family Business", "Zealots", "Fu-Gee-La", and "No Woman No Cry". CD

A collection of older gospel-styled Christmas work – featuring a side's worth of tracks by Mahalia Jackson, plus other great bits by her contemporaries! Titles include "Silent Night", "Away In A Manger", "Hark The Herald Angels Sing", and "What Child Is This" by Mahalia Jackson, "White Christmas" by The Original Five Blind Boys, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by The Caravans, "Mary's Boy Child" by The Gospel Clefs, and "A Christmas Message" by Charles Taylor. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Private Cecil Gant, Cootie Williams & his Orchestra, Joe Turner with Pete Johnson's All-Stars, Erskine Hawkins & his Orchestra, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, the Four Clefs, Lucky Millinder & his Orchestra, Louis Jordan & his Tympany Five, Five Red Caps, Buddy Johnson & his Orchestra, Golden Gate Quartet, Joe Liggins & his Honeydrippers, and more - 26 songs in all. CD

Music from the Flamingos, Shep & the Limelites, the Robins, the Desires, the Clovers, the Teenagers, the G-Clefs, the Chantels, the Wrens, and the Chords. CD

A very strong second LP by BEP – and one that does a surprisingly great job of mixing soul-based production with more hip-hop oriented modes! Tracks include the Premier-produced "Bep Empire" (is it just us, or are most of the NuHoppers nearly always at their best when they rely on tried and true hip hop production?), "Weekends", "Get Original", "Cali To New York" featuring De La Soul, "On My Own" featuring Les Nubian & Mos Def, "Release", "Bridging The Gaps", "Go Go", "Rap Song" featuring Wyclef, "Bringing It Back", "Tell Your Mama Come", the great single "Request Line" featuring Macy Gray, and more. CD

Remix features Big Pun, Wyclef, Charli Baltimore, and Silkk the Shocker. 12-inch, Vinyl record

The record that really broke The Fugees out of the box – not their debut, but the album where everything really came together – especially the fantastic mix of vocals and MC work that Lauryn Hill brought to the group! The album was a key bridge between hip hop and soul back in the day – of the sort that made R&B bend to the needs of hip hop – and not the more commercial other way around. And, the record's even got Wyclef and Pras sounding pretty great too – on titles that include the classic remake of "Killing Me Softly" – plus "How Many MC's", "Ready or Not", "The Score", "Family Business", "Zealots", "Fu-Gee-La", and "No Woman No Cry". LP, Vinyl record album