An unusual Dave Brubeck set from the start of the 60s – surprisingly on Fantasy, given his Columbia fame of the time – and with a slightly different lineup that features the great Bill Smith on clarinet! Smith's got a cool modern sound that's not unlike Jimmy Giuffre – icy but expressive too, and both a great fit for the band because and apart from their usual work with Paul Desmond! Eugene Wright's still on bass, and Joe Morello plays some wonderfully time-kept drums – on titles that include "The Piper", "Frisco Fog", "Lydian Line", "Ballade", "One For The Kids", "Catch Me If You Can", and "Peace Brother". LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of tracks from one of Dave Brubeck's most inventive periods – that time when he was playing with time changes and rhythms on albums like Time Out, Time In, and other Columbia sets with his classic quartet with Paul Desmond! Titles include "Take Five", "Blue Rondo A La Turk", "Unsquare Dance", "Countdown", "It's A Raggy Waltz", "Bluette", "Cassandra", "Maori Blues", "Unisphere", and "Blue Shadows In The Street". LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

An early version of the quartet – with Paul Desmond on alto, Bob Bates on bass, and Joe Dodge on drums. Titles include "Audrey", "Jeepers Creepers", "Stompin For Mili", "A Fine Romance", and "Brother Can You Spare A Dime". LP, Vinyl record album

Great live work from the Dave Brubeck Quartet – a batch of recordings from Boston's legendary Storyville night club! The lineup features Dave on keys and the mighty Paul Desmond on alto sax – already stepping out here with a clear, crisp tone that's simply beautiful – a style that's a surprisingly nice match for the Boston scene of the 50s, which was budding similar altoists like Charlie Mariano and Boots Mussulli – recorded here with bass by Bob Bates, and drums by Joe Dodge. Tracks are relatively long, and titles include "Back Bay Blues", "When You're Smiling", "Here Lies Love", and "Gone With The Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

The classic group with Paul Desmond on alto – playing nicely on long tracks that include "Watusi Drums", "Tangerine", "Wonderful Copenhagen", and "The Wright Groove". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet live set from Dave Brubeck's early years on Columbia Records – recorded in New York, but with all the calculated cool and modern tones Brubeck first forged in the San Francisco scene of the 50s! Paul Desmond's on board on alto sax – really getting a lot of space to stretch out on the album's extended performances, with a haunting, floating tone that really sends us. Remaining members include Bob Bates on bass, and Joe Dodge on drums – and tracks include "Lover", "Love Walked In", "The Duke", "Little Girl Blue", and "Fare Thee Well Annabelle". LP, Vinyl record album

The Dave Brubeck Quartet goes to college – a pretty good place for the combo, considering how many fans they had on campus in the 50s! The sound here is never too academic for the setting, though – just the same sort of Brubeck groove first forged in the small clubs in San Francisco – played beautifully by an incarnation of the quartet that includes Paul Desmond on alto sax, Bob Bates on bass, and Joe Dodge on drums. The long, bluesy "Balcony Rock" is a real gem, with some standout work by Desmond that reminds us that he could be a great improvisor in an extended format – and other tracks include "Out Of Nowhere, "Le Souk", "The Song Is You", "Don't Worry Bout Me", and "Take The A Train". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Brubeck is reunited with tenorist David Van Kriedt, a key member of his early quintet, which first started making waves in San Francisco during the late 40s. The rest of the group includes Paul Desmond on alto, Joe Morello on drums, and Norm Bates on bass – and it's interesting to hear Brubeck writing for a 2-horn frontline, after having such familiarity with his single-horn famous quartet of the late 50s. Titles include "Darien Mode", "Pieta", "Leo's Place", and "Shouts". CD

Brubeck is reunited with tenorist David Van Kriedt, a key member of his early quintet, which first started making waves in San Francisco during the late 40s. The rest of the group includes Paul Desmond on alto, Joe Morello on drums, and Norm Bates on bass – and it's interesting to hear Brubeck writing for a 2-horn frontline, after having such familiarity with his single-horn famous quartet of the late 50s. Titles include "Darien Mode", "Pieta", "Leo's Place", and "Shouts". LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A set of special guest appearances with Brubeck – including Gerry Mulligan, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Leonard Bernstein, Tony Bennett, Jimmy Rushing, Louis Armstrong, and Carmen McRae! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most obscure of Brubeck's Columbia modern sessions – and one of the best! Side one features more "time" oriented tunes played with the Quartet that included Paul Desmond, Eugene Wright, and Joe Morello – but side two features the extended "Elementals" work, written for the quartet with jazz orchestra conducted by Rayburn Wright. Desmond's alto is fantastic on that track – floating, eerie, and quite sophisticatedly swinging – and the others ("Cable Car", "Iberia", "Shim Wha", and "Unisphere") are all strong examples of the quartet's simple genius. LP, Vinyl record album

Like Dave Brubeck's legendary Time Out set? Try this one – a great record that takes off from the concept of the first, but which goes in some very fresh new directions – using the same great group with Paul Desmond on alto, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums! Dave's still working out some nutty time signatures here – but apart from the science, the thing that really makes the record cook is Desmond's alto – icy, edgey, floating, and always a treat – almost even more amazing in the space of some of these offbeat numbers. Titles include "Maori Blues", "Far More Drums", "Bluetee", "Far More Blue", and "It's A Raggy Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

Easily the crowning moment of genius for the legendary Dave Brubeck Quartet – the moment when all things came together magically, and the group somehow elevated themselves to a whole new level in jazz! At the time of the set, Brubeck, Paul Desmond, and the rest had already been making plenty of waves with their creative yet swinging approaches to modern jazz – heard on a number of successful albums for Fantasy and Columbia in the 50s. But with this record, they really knocked one out of the park – blending Desmond's cool alto, Brubeck's unusual piano phrasing, Joe Morello's melodic drum work, and Eugene Wright's pulsating bass into a waltzing, almost modal groove that crossed over to many camps at the time! The classics "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo Ala Turk" were both hits on their own – but all titles are great, and include "Kathy's Waltz", "Strange Medow Lark", "Everybody's Jumpin", and "Pick Up Sticks". CD

Kind of a meeting of two different generations of Dave Brubeck – as the group here features Paul Desmond's alto sax, a key force in Dave's early recordings – and the baritone sax of Gerry Mulligan, a player who'd worked often with Brubeck in the late 60s and early 70s! The blend of horns is really amazing, and the live recording really moves past other obvious Brubeck modes – showing Dave's whole new conception after the breakup of the original quartet – and his willingness to open into new rhythms, and even freer modes of expression. Mulligan's baritone is wonderfully powerful – coming across here with a depth that we'd hardly have expected a few years before – and rhythm is from Jack Six on bass and Alan Dawson on drums, both players who also add to the transformation of the Brubeck groove. Titles include "Koto Song", "Unfinished Woman", "Truth", "Take Five", and "Rotterdam Blues". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

An unusual Dave Brubeck group – still with Paul Desmond on alto, but also featuring Herb Barman on drums, and Fred Dutton on bass and a bit of bassoon! LP, Vinyl record album

A great entry in the ever-diverse catalog of guitarist Larry Coryell in the 70s – a set that has him both returning to Vanguard Records, and to more electric modes than on a few previous records – and also working with the sons of Dave Brubeck in a nicely tight mode! The album's maybe a bit more of a conventional jazz outing than Coryell at the start of the decade – given the Darius, Chris, and Dan Brubeck play acoustic piano, bass, and drums, respectively – but Larry's always changing up the rhythms and tones in these really great ways, and getting some nice inspiration from the percussion of Ray Mantilla, who's also in the group. Titles include "Mediterranean Sundance Entre Dos Aguas", "Sweet Shuffle", "Return", "Rue Gregoire Du Tour", and "Three Mile Island". CD

Genius in one of its purest forms! Paul Desmond's alto sax was honed to perfection by the time of these recordings – worked out through fame in the Dave Brubeck Quartet years of the late 50s and early 60s, but also relaxed in a confidence that makes these sides completely majestic, and utterly fantastic! Desmond's tone and approach are languid – but in a way that's incredibly compelling: notes just floating out of the horn, almost effortlessly, seeming not to come from Desmond himself, but to him, gathered together by his warmth and good wit, honed in further by the spare and gentle guitar work of the great Jim Hall – and heard in the company of Gerry Mulligan on one album too! The package is great – with mini LP-styled cover reproductions of 60s RCA classics that include Desmond Blue, Take Ten, Bossa Antigua, Glad To Be Unhappy, Easy Living, and Two Of A Mind – with a booklet of notes, too. CD

That's "Take Ten", not "Take Five" – a great title cut that echoes Paul Desmond's previous work with Dave Brubeck – but which then gives way quickly to some sweet bossa-styled grooves done with guitar from Jim Hall! The album's one of the strongest of the Hall/Desmond collaborations for RCA – A sublime showcase not just for Paul's impeccable alto, but also for the amazing tones and chromes that fly freely from the strings of Jim's guitar! Both players are set up with just a bit of gentle backing – light percussion from Connie Kay, and a bit of bass from Gene Cherico or Gene Wright. The whole thing's a well-conceived study in economy, as the two players craft sly and subtle lines around spare drum and bass backings – slowly hanging sound in space to weave a rich web of sound that's as compelling as it seems to be effortless! Titles include "Take Ten", "El Prince", "Embarcadero", "Samba De Orfeu", "Theme From Black Orpheus", and "Alone Together". LP, Vinyl record album

That's "Take Ten", not "Take Five" – a great title cut that echoes Paul Desmond's previous work with Dave Brubeck – but which then gives way quickly to some sweet bossa-styled grooves done with guitar from Jim Hall! The album's one of the strongest of the Hall/Desmond collaborations for RCA – A sublime showcase not just for Paul's impeccable alto, but also for the amazing tones and chromes that fly freely from the strings of Jim's guitar! Both players are set up with just a bit of gentle backing – light percussion from Connie Kay, and a bit of bass from Gene Cherico or Gene Wright. The whole thing's a well-conceived study in economy, as the two players craft sly and subtle lines around spare drum and bass backings – slowly hanging sound in space to weave a rich web of sound that's as compelling as it seems to be effortless! Titles include "Take Ten", "El Prince", "Embarcadero", "Samba De Orfeu", "Theme From Black Orpheus", and "Alone Together". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius in one of its purest forms! Paul Desmond's alto sax was honed to perfection by the time of these recordings – worked out through fame in the Dave Brubeck Quartet years of the late 50s and early 60s, but also relaxed in a confidence that makes these sides completely majestic, and utterly fantastic! Desmond's tone and approach are languid – but in a way that's incredibly compelling: notes just floating out of the horn, almost effortlessly, seeming not to come from Desmond himself, but to him, gathered together by his warmth and good wit, honed in further by the spare and gentle guitar work of the great Jim Hall. This package is the finest tribute we could think of to their brilliant work together – a wonderfully-done 5CD set, with a lovely slipcase and book, done in a way that retains the structure of the original albums, yet also adds in bonus tracks. There's a whopping 55 cuts in all – and every single one of them's a gem! CD

A great pairing of two of the coolest jazz talents of the 50s – icy-cool altoist Paul Desmond and warm-toned baritonist Gerry Mulligan! The group here continues the pianoless tradition of some of Mulligan's work of the decade – leaving plenty of room for amazing interplay between the horns, and a rare chance to hear Desmond away from the instrument – especially considering his work with Brubeck – blowing here in an airy, willowy tone that's totally great. Other players include Joe Benjamin on bass and Dave Bailey on drums – and titles include "Blues In Time", "Standstill", "Line For Lyons", and "Fall Out". CD includes bonus tracks – "Tea For Two", "Wintersong", and "Lover". CD

A really great pairing – and a rare non-Brubeck Paul Desmond session from the 50s! Gerry Mulligan and Desmond weave laidback lines around each other, working here in a pianoless quartet that features Dave Bailey on drums and Joe Benjamin on bass – very much a Mulligan-inspired approach, and one that lets Desmond's alto get even more open-ended and willowy! The sound of both players is great, and titles include "Blues In Time", "Standstill", "Line For Lyons", and "Fall Out". LP, Vinyl record album

Oliver Nelson's follow-up to his classic Blues & The Abstract Truth session for Impulse – and like that one, a tremendous little album – filled with deep tones and wonderful colors in sound! The group here's a bit larger than before – an ensemble that includes Phil Woods on alto, Ben Webster on tenor, Thad Jones on trumpet, Pepper Adams on baritone, Roger Kellaway on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Grady Tate on drums. The album includes some superb original compositions by Nelson – just the kind of overlooked jazz numbers that make the set great – and as with most of his arrangements from the time, there's a perfect balance between group force and intimate solo space! Titles include "The Critic's Choice", "Blues & The Abstract Truth", "One For Bob", and 2 versions of Dave Brubeck's "Theme From Mr. Broadway". Also included are two bonus tracks- "One For Phil" and "Night Lights". CD

A very unusual album from bassist Eugene Wright – one of his few dates as a leader, despite famous work in the Dave Brubeck quartet! The set is great – with very strong work from Wright, who's maybe more soulful than usual – and recording here in New Zealand with a hip quartet that features Lew Campbell on piano, Laurie Lewis on baritone, and Don Branch on drums. The music is as creative as the Brubeck work from a rhythmic perspective, but has a deeper vibe overall – given the strong presence of the bass, the very strong baritone solos, and excellent piano from Campbell. All tunes are originals from Wright – very nice material! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best albums we've heard in years from the mighty George Cables – a set that's based around jazz icons and inspirations for Cables' music – but one that's also still quite strongly in his own voice all the way through! The trio is very well-balanced – with excellent bass from Dezron Douglas, and drums from Victor Lewis – but it's definitely George who sets the tone for each tune – ringing out with notes that are richly colorful one moment, or subtle and rhythmic the next. In addition to some Cables-penned gems that echo the title – like "Cedar Walton" and "Farewell Mulgrew" – the set also features some beautiful reworkings of standards from others' songbooks – like Bobby Hutcherson's excellent "Little B's Poem", Dave Brubeck's "The Duke", Joe Henderson's "Isotope", and Bill Evans' "Very Early". The version of "Little B's Poem" is especially nice – done in a very fresh take with almost a Latin style of rhythm! CD

Jazzwise takes a look back at the mighty Dave Brubeck, particularly his more experimental side – and there's also articles on bassist Peter Ind, guitarist Bill Frisell, and singer Jazzmeia Horn – plus more on Kit Downes, Natacha Atlas, Andy Davies, Scott Kinsey, and others! The issue also comes with a free calendar for the year 2020 – and features the critics jazz poll for best albums of 2019! Magazine

Sal Salvador pays tributes to the jazz greats of his time – Charlie Parker, Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington, and others – but also serves things up at a level that's very much his own bag too! The album's got a spare, stripped-down groove that really suits Salvador's guitar well – giving Sal plenty of room to craft these round, warm lines that are full of color and tonal depth – often with a sense of rhythm that makes things groove, even when moving slowly. The group has just the right sort of balance to fit the mood that Sal's going for – with Eddie Costa on piano and vibes, Frank Dallas on bass, and Ronnie Free on drums. Titles include "Manteca", "Ruby My Dear", "Yardbird Suite", "Cool Eyes", "Taps Miller", and "Solos For Guitar". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Erroll Garner, Benny Goodman, Buck Clayton, Woody Herman, Louis Armstrong, JJ Johnson, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Stan Getz & more. CD