Includes six full albums – plus a bonus disc of previously unreleased material! CD

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Kurt Elling turns his talents towards the music of the Brill Building – completely transforming a host of pop and soul classics in the process! The songs are familiar, but the music's got all the careful balance of some of Elling's best records in recent years – definitely jazz all the way through, with sparkling arrangements that really work beautifully with Kurt's unique vocals – in ways that push these tunes way past their roots, and show how strongly Elling can bring new feelings out of a song – even with numbers that are much more iconic than his usual fare. Titles include "So Far Away", "Shoppin For Clothes", "A House Is Not A Home", "Pleasant Valley Sunday", "On Broadway", "Come Fly With Me", and "You Send Me". CD

Great 70s trio work from the master of electric jazz guitar tone – working here with Ray Brown on bass and Hank Jones on piano – a cool drum-less group that really lets you get to hear Tal at work! LP, Vinyl record album

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Foster plays tenor and soprano, Wess is on flute and tenor, with Kenny Barron on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Marvin "Smitty" Smith on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best later moments from the great Stan Getz – a set we might even place on the same level as his 60s work for Verve – and certainly at the same par as his records in the 70s for Columbia! Yet this set is quite different than that latter batch – as it has Getz really going back to basics – hitting an open, flowing vibe that shows all the best elements he picked up from 60s changes – including bossa, traces of Coltrane, and more – but delivered with a wonderfully understated style throughout. The tracks are long, and have a magnificent flow – and Getz works with a great quartet that includes Lou Levy on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums. Titles include a sublime reading of Luiz Eca's "The Dolphin", plus "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes", "Joy Spring", "A Time For Love", and "Close Enough For Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Benny Golson's one of those players who never lets us down – and here, into his 80th year in on the planet, the man's still burning strongly and soulfully! The set's got a very solid, put-together sort of sound – the quality that's always made us seek out Golson albums of any vintage, amazed at the depth of feeling and richness of creativity that Benny can bring to even a simple sort of date. This one's definitely a cut above, though – self-produced by Golson, and featuring a lineup with Eddie Henderson on trumpet and flugelhorn, Steve Davis on trombone, Mike LeDonne on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Carl Allen on drums – all rock-solid players who help Benny flesh out his sound beautifully here, reaching some nice sensitive points at times, then sliding back into warmly soulful grooves. Al Jarreau guests with vocals on a version of "Whisper Not" – and other titles include "Verdi's Voice", "Uptown Afterburn", "Gypsy Jingle Jangle", "From Dream To Dream", "Grove's Groove", "L'Adieu", and "Love Me In A Special Way". CD

Circles features Hall on guitar, Don Thompson on piano and bass, and Terry Clarke on drums. All Across The City reunites Hall and Clarke and adds Gil Goldstein on keys and Steve La Spina on drums. CD

A quintet session with twin tenors Scott Hamilton and Harry Allen. The rest of the group includes John Bunch on piano, Dennis Irwin on bass, and Chuck Riggs on drums. CD

Scott Hamilton on tenor saxophone, Jake Hanna on drums & Dave McKenna on piano. CD

The "plus one" on the set is Stanley Turrentine – who really warms up the sound nicely! Titles include "Gene's Lament", "Misty", "Uptown Sop", and "Yours Is My Heart Alone". CD

Gene Harris on piano, Jack McDuff on organ, Ron Eschete on guitar, Luther Hughes on bass, and Paul Humphrey on drums. CD

A collection of Concord Records cuts from pianist Gene Harris – a great overview of his time at a label who really let him come back into his own! At Concord, Harris really redefined the way he hit the piano – going back to an all-acoustic mode that recalled his roots in the Three Sounds, but often with a bit more of the funky punch he picked up while stretching out in the 70s! There's plenty of gutbuckety soul jazz piano tracks here – titles that include "Uptown Sop", "Old Funky Gene's", "Blues For Jezebel", "Listen Here", "Put It Where You Want It", "Ode To Billy Joe", and "Sidewinder". CD

Gene Harris on piano, Scott Hamilton on tenor saxophone, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Harold Jones on drums. CD

Keyon Harrold continues his rise from standard jazz into the realm of soulful superstar – working here with a great array of guests, and also creating a sound that's a fantastic blend of his own work on trumpet and some larger currents of soul and R&B! At some level, the record's almost Harrold's equivalent of the Black Radio projects from pianist Robert Glasper – and maybe no surprise, Glasper's in the lineup of guests here – alongside Laura Mvula, PJ Morton, Common, Jean Baylor, and others – all participants who find just the right spot in the music, yet leave plenty of room for Keyon to blow some solos in a way that mark his role as the visionary leader of the proceedings. Titles include "Beautiful Day", "Well Walk Now", "Don't Lie", "Foreverland", "Find Your Peace", "Gotta Go", "Pictures", and "The Intellectual". CD

Keyon Harrold continues his rise from standard jazz into the realm of soulful superstar – working here with a great array of guests, and also creating a sound that's a fantastic blend of his own work on trumpet and some larger currents of soul and R&B! At some level, the record's almost Harrold's equivalent of the Black Radio projects from pianist Robert Glasper – and maybe no surprise, Glasper's in the lineup of guests here – alongside Laura Mvula, PJ Morton, Common, Jean Baylor, and others – all participants who find just the right spot in the music, yet leave plenty of room for Keyon to blow some solos in a way that mark his role as the visionary leader of the proceedings. Titles include "Beautiful Day", "Well Walk Now", "Don't Lie", "Foreverland", "Find Your Peace", "Gotta Go", "Pictures", and "The Intellectual". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Joe Henderson albums of the 70s – a suite of tracks dedicated to the four elements – and served up with some great accompaniment from Alice Coltrane! The style here is a wonderful mix of Coltrane's spirituality and Henderson's down-to-earth soulfulness – in a style that recalls some of the best moments on Coltrane's sublime Ptah The El Daoud album – a set in which Henderson's tenor was a key part. At times, Joe blows with a bit of Coltrane-like searching – but at others, he's bringing up more of a rhythmic pulse that really gives Alice a great focus – using her piano, harp, and harmonium alongside bass by Charlie Haden, violin from Michael White, and percussion from Ndugu Chancler and Baba Daru Oshu. Titles are named after the four elements – "Fire", "Air", "Water", and "Earth". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Red Holloway on tenor and alto, Clark Terry on trumpet, Gerald Wiggins on piano, Phil Upchurch on guitar, Richard Reid on bass, and Paul Humphrey on drums! CD

Hank Jones on piano, Ken Peplowski on alto saxophone and clarinet, Dave Holland on bass, and Keith Copeland on drums. CD

On Rockin In Rhythm joined by Ray Brown on bass and Jimmie Smith on Drums, on Lazy Afternoon Dave Holland on bass, Keith Copeland on drums and Ken Peplowski on clarinet and alto saxophone. CD

With Mudell Lowe on guitar, Monty Budwig on bass, and Nick Ceroli on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A heady set from these two longtime funk legends – Eric Krasno on guitar and Stanton Moore on drums – working in a tight trio that also features Eric Finland on Hammond, Wurlitzer, and Mellotron – all in a sharply soulful groove that definitely lives up to the legacy of both players! Krasno has a nicely sharp edge at times, which really rings out wonderfully in the lean setting – and although the trio get a few guest visits from Cory Henry, Branford Marsalis, and Robert Randolph, we like them best on their own. Titles include "Stay High", "Lost Cause", "Fever", "Nobody's Baby", "Carried Away", "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free", and "A Natural Woman". CD

With Laurindo Almeida on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, Bud Shank on alto, and Jeff Hamilton on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

The first Concord album by this great group that features Laurindo Almeida, Ray Brown, Shelly Manne, and Bud Shank! LP, Vinyl record album

With Laurindo Almeida on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, Bud Shank on alto, and Shelly Manne on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning live set from Tania Maria – recorded with her Viva Brazil combo in a mode that's very similar to her classic recordings from 70s France! The sound here is great – Tania on keyboards and vocals, with backing only from bass, drums, and percussion – a spare framework that allows Tania to groove in a free and breezy way over the album's long tracks. The result is an instant classic – one of Tania's best records in years, and a delight throughout, especially if you dig her older albums! Titles include "Granada", "Quase", "Funky Tamborim", "Florzinha", "E Carnaval", and "Valen". CD

Includes bonus disc of other Specialty artists. CD

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Includes the songs "Don't Get Aound Much Anymore", "The Waltz You Knew Was Blue", "Jobim Medley", "Crazy Rhythm", " Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You", "(Back Home Again In) Indiana/Donna Lee", "The Back Beat", and "Rockin' In Rhythm". CD

With Ron McCroby on "puccolo" and clarinet, Sam Most on flute, Bill Mays on piano, Bob Magnusson on bass, and Jeff Hamilton on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Features three tracks with both Brother Jack McDuff and Joey DeFrancesco on organ! CD

Dave McKenna on piano, Gray Sargent on guitar, Monty Budwig on bass, and Jimmie Smith on drums. CD

The tenor of Scott Hamilton, piano of Dave McKenna, and drums of Jake Hanna! CD

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Even at this early point in their career, the Modern Jazz Quartet were plenty proud of their relation to and reception in Paris – almost rubbing their international fame in the faces of other American combos with the title and cover of this record! The set's still got the quartet at their crisp early best – before any of the sometimes too academic or too serious tones of later sides – and tracks are mostly shortish, ringing out with especially nice vibes from Milt Jackson. Titles include an early reading of the title cut "Concorde", plus an extended "Gershwin Medley", and the tracks "All Of You", "I'll Remember April", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", and "Ralph's New Blues". CD

A lot nicer than you might think – very well-conceived, with some originals by Mulligan, too! Titles include "Gone", "Soft Lights & Sweet Music", "Noblesse", and "Ghosts". CD

A warm and wonderful collaboration between Brazilian legend Milton Nascimento and soul jazz genius Esperanza Spaulding – working together in a setting that maybe gives us the best album from Milton in many years! Nascimento's always kept those fantastic vocals that first made his late 60s and early 70s recordings so tremendous – but on some albums in recent decades, the approach hasn't always suited him the best – something that's corrected here by Esperanza, who brings in a style of backing that's very much like her own music, but which also has some of that subtle majesty that really helps Milton hit his heights. Press for the album brags about some famous guests – like Paul Simon and Dianne Reeves – but the best energy of the record comes from the pair at the helm. Titles include "Earth Song", "When You Dream", "Wings For The Thought Bird", "Morro Velho", "When You Dream", and "Get It By Now". CD

Features Joe Newman on trumpet, Joe Wilder on trumpet and flugelhorn, Hank Jones on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Marvin Smith on drums. Tracks include "The Midget", "Duet", "Here's That Rainy Day", "Secret Love", and "You've Changed". CD

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With Remo Palmier on guitar, Lou Levy on keys, Ray Brown on bass, and Jake Hanna on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Even at this late date in his career, Poncho's still cooking on congas – with a tight band that features David Torres, Tony Banda, Jose Papo Rodriguez, and others, backing him up on this burning session of soulful Latin grooves, plus he's brought in a few ringers like Terrence Blanchard, Joey DeFrancesco and the Ortiz Brothers. Tracks include "Oye Lo", "Venga A Bailar Bailadores", "Haitian Lady", "Fania Funque (Co Co)", "Bodacious Q", "Asi Asi" and "Rumba De Po-tiz". CD

Duets with guitarist Jim Hall, pianist Hank Jones, and vocalists Mel Torme, Carmen McRae, and Ernestine Anderson. CD

The full recordings of a surprisingly wonderful match – the vocals of Frank Sinatra and the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim! The first half of the CD features the full album Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim – a beautiful little album that shows a whole new side of Sinatra! Frank's a bit late on the bossa game – but the record's a wonderfully gentle batch of bossa nova tunes, performed with musical and occasional vocal accompaniment by Jobim, and larger orchestral backings by Claus Ogerman. Far more than a gimmicky fake bossa album – this is a wonderful set of tracks that show that Sinatra could still hit a gentle ballad without going as over the top as he did on some of his other Reprise work. Jobim's talent is very respected – and the record is a true blending of musical styles, in a way that does justice to both artists equally. Titles include "Change Partners", "Dindi", "Meditation", "How Insensitive", and "I Concentrate On You". Next is material from side one of Sinatra & Company – a 1969 album that reunited Frank and Jobim! Arrangements are by Deodato, and the tracks have the floating easy groove of Sinatra's album with Jobim from earlier years – and there's some great numbers like "Drinking Water", "Don't Ever Go Away", "One Note Samba", and "This Happy Madness" that feature English language versions of bossa favorites. CD also features "Off Key" and "Bonita", also cut at the 1969 sessions! CD

One of the hippest records we've ever heard from Esperanza Spalding – a set that almost feels as if she's stepping back into some of the more experimental, individual qualities that made her so different at the start! There's definitely some appealing, catchy songs here – but the record is one to definitely be taken as a whole – this really lovely tapestry of voice and music that shimmers and glistens throughout – tunes that work together as a single suite that really keeps the album sounding fantastic all the way through, in this blend of jazz and soul that comes not just from Esperanza's vocals and work on bass, but also from the piano of Leo Genovese, who co-wrote most of the material on the album. Wayne Shorter plays on one track, the record features guest vocals from Corey King and Ganavya, and the set features 13 tracks, all numerically titled "Formwela". LP, Vinyl record album

Ralph Sutton on piano. CD

Featuring Lew Tabackin on flute and tenor sax, Benny Green on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums. CD

Lew plays tenor and flute – and the group also includes Benny Green on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums! CD

With Snooky Young on trumpet, Ross Tompkins on piano, and John Collins on guitar. LP, Vinyl record album

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Music from Scott Hamilton, Carmen McRae, Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett & Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Emily Remler, Mel Torme, and others. CD

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A two album set – an early 80s studio session and a live date recorded in Tokyo – with Alexander on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, and Ray Brown on bass. Tracks include "Captain Bill", "Blues For Junior", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Sister Sadie", and "For All We Know". CD

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A mighty jazzy Christmas from the Count Basie Orchestra – already great on their own in an instrumental mode – but joined here by a few different singers, including Carmen Bradford, Ledisi, and Johnny Mathis – all of whom add a little extra sparkle to the tunes! Pianist Ellis Marsalis also gets plenty of time in the spotlight – stretching out in the lead on piano on a few tunes, in a mode that recalls Basie's vamping in years past – and titles include "Let It Snow", "It's The Holiday Season", "Good Swing Wenceslas", "Winter Wonderland", "The Christmas Song", "Sleigh Ride", "Little Drummer Boy", and "Have Yourself A Merry Christmas". CD

A heady helping of work from Booker T & The MGs – the Memphis combo who redefined the sound of instrumental soul for a whole generation! The package actually features cuts by the group picked by Elvis Costello – almost an unlikely choice for such a project, yet given the strength of the group's work, it's hard to go wrong, no matter what you pick! There's loads of great Hammond work from Booker T himself, searing guitar from Steve Cropper, and massive drums from Al Jackson – and the set features 15 burners in all – cuts that include "Time Is Tight", "Soul Clap 69", "Something", "Sunday Sermon", "Green Onions (live)", "Fuquawi", "Over Easy", "Lady Madonna", "Boot Leg", "Heads Or Tails", "Chinese Checkers", "Jellybread", and "Hip Hug Her". CD

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Dave Brubeck on piano, Jerry Bergonzi on tenor saxophone, Chris Brubeck on bass, and Butch Miles on drums. CD