Tracks include "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Dinah", "Bye And Bye", "Yellow Fire", "Dippermouth Blues", "Bud Billiken", and "If I Had You". CD

Some of the earliest work as a leader from the great Willis Jackson – a tenorist known to most for his work on Prestige Records in the 60s, but who first began as a key crossover figure between postwar jazz and R&B! The music here definitely captures Jackson in that mode – great small combo sets recorded for the Apollo label up in Harlem – presented here with cuts that were originally issued as 78rpm singles, plus other unissued titles too – all making for a great overview of these early years! Most numbers were recorded under Jackson's own name – in a combo with Andrew Ford on trumpet, Bill Doggett on piano, and Booty Wood on trombone – but there's also a few done with vocalist Eddie Mack. The set features 16 tracks in all – and titles include "Blow Jackson Blow", "More Blues At Midnight", "Later For The Gator", "Chuck's Chuckles", "On My Own", "Dance Of The Lady Bug", and "Call Of The Gators". CD

Features Eddie Johnson on tenor – with John Young on piano, Eddie DeHaas on bass, and George Hughes on drums! CD

Pianist Wynton Kelly recorded for some of the key labels in jazz during his too-short life – a list that includes both Blue Note and Verve, as well as the smaller Vee Jay imprint – yet this session, which was his final, came out after his early passing on Chicago's Delmark label – at a time when it was crucial that Kelly's name was kept alive in the record racks. The group here takes the proceedings almost back to those excellent Kelly dates for Vee Jay at the start of the 60s – thanks to work from Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums – and the tunes have that easygoing, soulful vibe that Wynton did so well. Titles include "Castilian Waltz", "Say A Little Prayer For Me", "House Of Cards", "Yesterday", "Watch What Happens", and "When Love Slips Away". CD

A searing quartet set – with Lockwood on guitar and vocals, plus Louis Myers on second guitar, Dave Myers on bass, and Fred Below on drums! CD

Incredible rare work from Magic Sam – a set recorded at his home in Chicago during the late 60s, and which has Sam coming across maybe more like a soul singer than ever before! The setting is very lean – just Sam on electric guitar and vocals – and it's that laidback approach that really lets the magic flow forth – these incredible vocals that could have easily been turned towards deep soul, if Sam wanted to record for Atlantic – and maybe even more powerful here without any other studio support at all! And sure, the approach is different than the better-known Magic Sam albums – but it's also a fantastic illustration of his mighty talents, as you'll hear on titles that include "I Can't Quit You Baby", "You're So Fine", "That's Why I'm Crying", "I'm So Glad", "Baby You Torture My Soul", "What Have I Done Wrong", and "Give Me Time". CD

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An overlooked soul jazz treasure from the early 90s – the debut as a leader by saxophonist Zane Massey, and still possibly his greatest record to date! Massey's the son of jazz composer/trumpeter Cal Massey – and the vibe here is similar to that of his father's best music – sophisticated, but never too heady – done with a nicely understated quality, yet still quite possessed of its own musical vision. Massey's got a great tone on his tenor here – sharp, but never too bitten – and the instrumentation features only saxophone, bass, and drums – in a style that reminds us a bit of the freedoms of Sonny Rollins in the late 50s, yet also with a consciousness of the 60s ESP and 70s loft jazz generations. Massey hits some incredibly soulful moments here – at a level that was hardly being recorded this well at the time – and titles include "Nu Kingdom", "Trickle Down Economics", "Message From Trane", "Through The Eyes Of A Child", "Assunta", "Walk Right In", and "Ms Magic". CD

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One of the most spiritual albums to come from the young AACM movement in Chicago – a session that's somewhat equal in expression to some of the best post-Coltrane work on Impulse Records! Maurice McIntyre plays here with a sound that's already fully formed – an approach to the tenor that's as searingly human as that of Pharoah Sanders or Albert Ayler – but which is also played with a sharpness at times that recalls a young Marion Brown. The rest of the group is equally well-matched – a tremendous array of talent from the Chicago scene, with Malachi Favors on bass, Thurman Barker and Ajaramu on drums, Leo Smith on trumpet and flugelhorn, John Stubblefield on soprano sax, and Amina Claudine Myers on piano. George Hines vocalizes a bit on a few tracks – singing in a spiritual tone that's somewhat like Leon Thomas, but much freer and more abstract – and the album beautifully balances shorter musical statements with a fuller suite on side two – showing the deeper, more ambitious expressions that were starting to well up in the AACM. Titles include the tremendous "Humility In The Light Of Creator", plus "Hexagon", "Kcab Emoh", "Pluto Calling", "Life Force", and "Suite – Ensemble Fate". CD also features a bonus version of the title track! CD

One of the most spiritual albums to come from the young AACM movement in Chicago – a session that's somewhat equal in expression to some of the best post-Coltrane work on Impulse Records! Maurice McIntyre plays here with a sound that's already fully formed – an approach to the tenor that's as searingly human as that of Pharoah Sanders or Albert Ayler – but which is also played with a sharpness at times that recalls a young Marion Brown. The rest of the group is equally well-matched – a tremendous array of talent from the Chicago scene, with Malachi Favors on bass, Thurman Barker and Ajaramu on drums, Leo Smith on trumpet and flugelhorn, John Stubblefield on soprano sax, and Amina Claudine Myers on piano. George Hines vocalizes a bit on a few tracks – singing in a spiritual tone that's somewhat like Leon Thomas, but much freer and more abstract – and the album beautifully balances shorter musical statements with a fuller suite on side two – showing the deeper, more ambitious expressions that were starting to well up in the AACM. Titles include the tremendous "Humility In The Light Of Creator", plus "Hexagon", "Kcab Emoh", "Pluto Calling", "Life Force", and "Suite – Ensemble Fate". CD also features a bonus version of the title track! CD

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Something of a "lost" album from Sun Ra – material initially intended as his second album for Transition records in the 50s, but not issued until a decade later when Delmark Records was first putting the Chicago underground on the map! The sound here steps out nicely from the first Transition session – and Ra is already a bit bolder, not just in his structure of the songs, but in the way he handles his piano – with some darker notes and tones, more exotic phrasing, and even some very early use of electric piano – already with the haunting qualities that would show up more strongly in the Saturn years. Every member of the group is wonderful too – each with their own voice, spoken strongly and freely – in a lineup that includes Art Hoyle and Dave Young on trumpets, Julian Priester on trombone, Pat Patrick on alto and baritone sax, John Gilmore on tenor, Charles Davis on baritone, Victor Sproles on bass, William Cochran on drums, and Jim Herndon on tympani and timbali. Titles include "El Is A Sound Of Joy", "Overtones Of China", "Ankh", "Two Tones", "Saturn", "Reflections In Blue", and "Planet Earth". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "As You Once Were" and "Dreams Come True" – with vocals by Clyde Williams. CD

Something of a "lost" album from Sun Ra – material initially intended as his second album for Transition records in the 50s, but not issued until a decade later when Delmark Records was first putting the Chicago underground on the map! The sound here steps out nicely from the first Transition session – and Ra is already a bit bolder, not just in his structure of the songs, but in the way he handles his piano – with some darker notes and tones, more exotic phrasing, and even some very early use of electric piano – already with the haunting qualities that would show up more strongly in the Saturn years. Every member of the group is wonderful too – each with their own voice, spoken strongly and freely – in a lineup that includes Art Hoyle and Dave Young on trumpets, Julian Priester on trombone, Pat Patrick on alto and baritone sax, John Gilmore on tenor, Charles Davis on baritone, Victor Sproles on bass, William Cochran on drums, and Jim Herndon on tympani and timbali. Titles include "El Is A Sound Of Joy", "Overtones Of China", "Ankh", "Two Tones", "Saturn", "Reflections In Blue", and "Planet Earth". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "As You Once Were" and "Dreams Come True" – with vocals by Clyde Williams. CD

Sun Ra's first album as a leader – originally issued on the Transition label, but presented here in its better-known incarnation by Delmark Records! Even at this early point, Ra had a sound unlike any of his contemporaries – large group and modern, but not in a way that showed any similarities to work going on in New York or LA – a voice that was all his own, and already quite boldly stated, even in these early years! The format might be somewhat familiar – an ensemble with horns and rhythm – but the overall execution really starts to open up as the album moves on – with odd phrasings, timings, and unusual moments that live up to all the promise you might expect from Ra. Even Mingus and some of his better-known contemporaries weren't heading in these directions in the mid 50s – and the record is a proud showcase of the freedoms that players were often accorded in the less-trafficked Chicago scene of the time. Horns include Art Hoyle & Dave Young on trumpets, John Gilmore on tenor sax, Pat Patrick on baritone, Julian Priester on trombone, and James Scales on alto sax – and rhythm includes Jim Herndon on tympani, Robert Barry on drums, Wilbur Green on electric bass, and a young Richard Evans on acoustic bass! Titles include "Brainville", "Call For All Demons", "Transition", "Lullaby For Realville", "Street Named Hell", "New Horizons", "Fall Off The Long", "Possession", and "Future". This CD reissue is really well-done too – with pages of writings by Ra, including some poetry! Also features the bonus track "Swing A Little Taste". CD

Includes two tracks with Albert Collins. CD

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An album recorded for the Delmark label, but one that follows strongly from the style of Prestige Records in the 60s – particularly those great sessions that featured saxophonist Sonny Stitt blowing next to a Hammond! In this case, the Hammond is handled by the great Don Patterson, who played with Sonny in the 60s – in a trio that also has the great Billy James on drums – a player whose loose, open style really works great with the magic Patterson touch on the keys! The tracks are a bit shorter than some of the longer jams on Don's albums of the 60s, but still equally nice. Stitt plays tenor and alto – and titles include "Funny", "Honey", "Blues For JJ", "Night Has A Thousand Eyes", and "Samba De Orfeo". CD features a previously unissued alternate of "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes". CD

A contemporary group, but one who play with a definite old school vibe – both in the style of their gritty blues, and even in the instruments and studio equipment they use! The vintage gear makes for a nicely raspy approach to the music – one that really helps give the record an edge you might not expect. Studebaker John sings, plays guitar and harmonica, and titles include "Cold Black Night", "Wicked Soul", "Shake It Down Now", "She's All Right", "Mississippi To Chicago", and "Mojo Hand". CD

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A great little record – not only for the early trumpet work of Ira Sullivan, but also for the presence of tenorist Nicky Hill – an under-recorded legend from the Chicago scene of the 50s! The set features Sullivan in extremely tight bop formation – working on longer tracks that represent some of his greatest work on record – studio sides, but done with the sense of on-the-fly imagination of his landmark live dates. Hill's a great partner on this date – a player whose edge and timing really makes things bristle, and a reminder that Chicago had a lot of great jazz to offer the world back in the day! Rhythm is by Jodie Christian on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and Wilbur Campbell on drums – and titles include "Nicky's Tune #3", "Wilbur's Tune #2", "My Secret Love", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "Nicky's Tune #2", and "Mock & Roll Blues". CD

A great little record – not only for the early trumpet work of Ira Sullivan, but also for the presence of tenorist Nicky Hill – an under-recorded legend from the Chicago scene of the 50s! The set features Sullivan in extremely tight bop formation – working on longer tracks that represent some of his greatest work on record – studio sides, but done with the sense of on-the-fly imagination of his landmark live dates. Hill's a great partner on this date – a player whose edge and timing really makes things bristle, and a reminder that Chicago had a lot of great jazz to offer the world back in the day! Rhythm is by Jodie Christian on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and Wilbur Campbell on drums – and titles include "Nicky's Tune #3", "Wilbur's Tune #2", "My Secret Love", "When Sunny Gets Blue", "Nicky's Tune #2", and "Mock & Roll Blues". CD

A great little record – not only for the early trumpet work of Ira Sullivan, but also for the presence of tenorist Nicky Hill – an under-recorded legend from the Chicago scene of the 50s! The set features Sullivan in extremely tight bop formation – working on longer tracks that represent some of his greatest work on record – studio sides, but done with the sense of on-the-fly imagination of his landmark live dates. Hill's a great partner on this date – a player whose edge and timing really makes things bristle, and a reminder that Chicago had a lot of great jazz to offer the world back in the day! Rhythm is by Jodie Christian on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and Wilbur Campbell on drums – and titles include "Nicky's Tune #3", "Wilbur's Tune", "My Secret Love", "When Sunny Gets Blue", and "Nicky's Tune #2". LP, Vinyl record album

Malachi Thompson always has a great ear for the saxophonist in his groups – and that's definitely the case here, as the record sparkles as much from the tenor of Carter Jefferson and alto of Joe Ford, as it does from Malachi's trumpet! The three horns rise together wonderfully – Ford plays a bit of soprano, as well – and the session has a vibe that's very different than others recorded at the time – maybe more in the soulful blend of styles you would have found on a 70s session for a label like Muse. The rest of the group features Kirk Brown on piano, Harrison Bankhead on bass, Nasar Abadey on drums, and Richard Lawrence on congas – and titles include a great reading of the Billy Harper gem "Croquet Ballet", plus "In Walked John", "Lucky Seven", "Drown In My Own Tears", and "Mystic Trumpet Man". CD

Features work from Eric Schneider on tenor and alto on a few tracks – and trumpet from Art Hoyle on another! CD

With Vinson on vocals and alto, Hal Singer on tenor, Jay McShann on piano, T-Bone Walker on guitar, Jackie Sampson on bass, and Paul Gunther on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual setting for the legendary T Bone Walker – one of those fantastic records he made while hanging out on the French scene in the late 60s and early 70s – a time when he was able to work in a crossroads of styles that really opened up his sound! That's definitely the case here – as although Walker is very much his strong self on guitar and vocals, he's backed by a wonderfully unusual group – one that features French jazz legend George Arvanitas on piano, delivering some surprisingly bluesy lines – and which also includes tenor sax from the great Hal Singer, another musician who was really able to bridge worlds on the Parisian scene! George's fantastic bassman Jacky Samson is at the core, helping the groove – and titles include "Leaving You Behind", "I Hate To See You Go", "Ain't That Cold Baby", "Late Blues", and "Someone Is Going To Mistreat You". CD

One of the few records ever from Chicago trumpeter Frank Walton – and a sweet-stepping bit of soul jazz with some nice funky undercurrents! The group's mostly acoustic, but has a bit of electricity in the keyboards and bass – making for a few tracks that emerge with rounded and warm tones that pus the album almost in the direction of some of the best indie soul jazz work on Muse at the time. Walton's trumpet is in the lead, alongside alto by Henry Threadgill (making a rare "straight" appearance!), piano by Jodie Christian, and soprano and tenor sax by Ari Brown. A few tunes have some jagged moments that show the AACM leanings of some of the group's members, but overall the sound is relativey straight and soulful. Includes the spacey "Shorter's Vibes", plus "Safari", "Change Of Mode", and "Waltz Of The Prophets". CD

A very early chapter in the career of the great Dinah Washington – a series of sessions she cut for Apollo Records in the mid 50s, right before she would soon rise to fame on Mercury – and material that's every bit as interesting for the players involved as it is for Dinah's vocals themselves! If you know Washington, you'll know that she's hardly a mellow mama – and her work here is a great combination of jazz with some currents of blues – given strong support by a combo that includes Lucky Thompson on piano, Milt Jackson on vibes, and a young Charles Mingus on bass! Other players include the more obscure Karl George on trumpet, Jewel Grant on alto, and Gene Porter on alto and baritone – on titles that include "My Lovin Papa", "No Voot No Boot", "Pacific Coast Blues", "Blues For A Day", "Rich Man's Blues", "My Voot Is Really Vout", and "Walking Blues". CD

A storming second album from Dave Weld – a contemporary figure on the Chicago blues scene, and one who's often joined on vocals by female singer Monica Myhre! The presence of Monica makes the record almost feel more like a collaborative ensemble outing – still blues, but with some old school soul elements – kind of a blues fusion with older Memphis or southern modes at times – and less the traditional Chicago blues you might expect. Part of that also comes from a larger horn section on a few numbers – who flesh out the sound. The album also features Bobby Rush on guest harmonica – and titles include "Slip Into A Dream", "Tremble", "Walk On Down", "Sweet Rockin Soul", "Looking For A Man", "May Be Right May Be Wrong", and "20% Alcohol". CD

Some of the first recordings ever from Chicago legend Junior Wells – made for the small States label in the Windy City, many years before Wells exploded out with much greater national fame! The music here has Junior stepping into the same early electric space that Chess Records was cutting at the time – and given the presence of Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, and Willie Dixon on some of these sides – the group's also not far off either! Wells is the main star throughout, though – alternating bold young vocals and razor-sharp harmonica lines – in the company of players who include Louis Myers, Elmore James, and Muddy Waters on guitar, Johnnie Jones and Otis Spann on piano, Willie Dixon on bass, and Odie Payne on drums. Titles include "Hoodoo Man", "Tomorrow Night", "Eagle Rock", "Junior's Wail", "Throw This Poor Dog A Bone", "So All Alone", "Blues Hit Big Town", and "Lovin Blues". CD features six previously unissued tracks! CD

Junior Wells was already a rising star when he cut this album for Delmark in the mid 70s – but the session's got a great back to basics vibe, one that's dedicated to Junior's home turf at Theresa's Tavern on the south side! The groove is great – with twin guitar work, by Sammy Lawhorn in one channel, and Phillip Guy in another – creating this feel as if you're sitting in the small club, hearing the guitarists trade licks back and forth while Junior sings and really wails on harmonica! Other players are great Chicago talents too – and include AC Reed on tenor, Charles Miles on alto, and Johnny Walker on organ and piano. Titles include "The Train I Ride", "What My Mama Told Me", "Key To The Highway", "Watch Me Move", "Someday Baby", "You Gotta Love Her With Feeling", and "Junior's Thing". CD features the unissued bonus track "Goin Down Slow". CD

The incredible mid 60s album from blues singer and harp blower Junior Wells and his Chicago Blues Band with Buddy Guy! This is a most pivotal set in which Junior & his players don't sound as if they're trying to imbue blues tradition with urban grit and electricity – it simply seems to happen naturally, and you can really imagine when you hear this how it blue the minds of so many Brit and American rock & blues fellows who would come the recast the style with their own life and experiences, and pretty much take over popular music with it. Titles include "Snatch It Back & Hold It", "In The Wee Wee Hours", "Hey Lawdy Mama", "Hoodoo Man Blues", "Yonder Wall", and "Chitlin Con Carne". LP, Vinyl record album

The incredible mid 60s album from blues singer and harp blower Junior Wells and his Chicago Blues Band with Buddy Guy! This is a most pivotal set in which Junior & his players don't sound as if they're trying to imbue blues tradition with urban grit and electricity – it simply seems to happen naturally, and you can really imagine when you hear this how it blue the minds of so many Brit and American rock & blues fellows who would come the recast the style with their own life and experiences, and pretty much take over popular music with it. Titles include "Snatch It Back & Hold It", "In The Wee Wee Hours", "Hey Lawdy Mama", "Hoodoo Man Blues", "Yonder Wall", and "Chitlin Con Carne". Great expanded digipak version too – with some rare bonus alternate takes and studio patter too! CD

Features Wheeler on vocals and harmonica! CD

Corey Wilkes on trumpet and flugelhorn – leading a group that features Junius Paul on bass, plus guest vocals from Dee Alexander. CD

A near-lost bit of work from Chicago pianist John Young – better known for his work on Argo, but sounding great in this moody 60s session – recorded in Chicago with a familiar lineup that includes Victor Sproles on bass and Phil Thomas on drums. Young's got a nice rhythmic approach to the keys that's a bit similar to the early Lewis style of the time – yet which also sparks with those modern touches that could also come at surprising moments from the Chicago piano crew of the period. Titles include "I Don't Wanna Be Kissed", "Bones", "Cubana Chant", "In Love In Vain", "Serenata", "Baby Doll", "Circus", and When I Fall In Love". CD features 3 bonus alternate takes too! CD

Features music by Jimmy Forrest, Teddy Brannon, Cozy Eggleston, Tab Smith, Jimmy Coe, Doc Sausage, Fred Jackson, Chris Woods, Fats Noel, and Paul Bascomb. CD

Rare material from the Apollo label, recorded in Harlem with vocalists Willie Bryant and Doc Pomus. Features Taft Jordan on trumpet, Leonard Feather on piano, and Tab Smith on alto. CD

A really early nugget from the Detroit jazz scene of the 50s – and a record that marks a key moment for players who would soon become huge on a variety of different labels! The group here features a very young Donald Byrd on trumpet, with Yusef Lateef on tenor, Barry Harris on piano, Alvin Jackson on bass, and Frank Gant on drums – plus Bernard McKinney blowing euphonium – an instrument he would use on a number of other important recordings over the years to really deepen their sound. The date was originally issued by the Transition label, and very quickly disappeared when they quickly closed up show – brought back over the years in a few variations by Delmark, to keep the memory of this moment alive. Tracks include "Yusef", "Parisian Thoroughfare", "Blues", "Dancing In The Dark", and "Tortion Level". CD

Jim Cooper on vibraphone, Ira Sullivan on tenor sax, Bob Dogan on piano, Dan DeLorenzo on bass, Charlie Braugham on drums and Alejo Povenda on percussion. CD

Features Jimmy Dawkins on guitar – and on vocals on one track – alongside Big Voice Odom on main vocals, Otis Rush on guitar, Sonny Thompson on piano, and Jim Conley on tenor sax! LP, Vinyl record album

They don't call Jimmy Dawkins "fast fingers" for nothing – and the first few minutes of the record are definitely testament to his mighty power on the guitar! The instrument is electric, and recorded with this sense of powerful echo that easily has Dawkins blowing away some of the UK blues rockers who were starting to get into the game at the time – as do his vocals, which we'd put head to head with some of the giants who took this mode and ran with it through the arena rock scene of the 70s! Yet throughout, it's the guitar that's especially amazing – completely confident and masterful, even though this was Jimmy's first album – with nice lean support from Eddie Shaw on tenor, Lafayette Leake on piano and organ, and Mighty Joe Young on second guitar. Titles include "Little Angel Child", "Night Rock", "Triple Trebles", "It Serves Me Right To Suffer", "Breaking Down", "I Don't Know What Love Is", and "I Wonder Why". CD features two bonus tracks – "Sad & Blues" and "Back Home Blues". CD

Corey Dennison's making one of his trademark growls of expression on the cover – a gritty grimace that seems to come from down deep inside and really inflect his music with a surprising amount of soul! Dennison's a midwestern bluesman, but has roots in the south – which really come through on this record – both in the swamp-styled way he inflects his guitar, and the soulful currents he brings to his vocals – an approach that's often as unabashed as blue-eyed southerners from the past, like Tony Joe White or Wayne Cochran. Corey's more blues-based overall, but still has that wide range we love in both of those artists – and titles are all originals, and include "She's No Good", "Room To Breathe", "The Deacon", "Getcha Pull", "Tugboat Blues", and "Good Enuff". CD

Sleepy John Estes was rediscovered in 1962, and made a key journey to Europe a few years later – captured here with a lean sound that's maybe even more haunting than some of his famous early records! The set just features Estes on guitar and vocals, with Hammie Nixon on harmonica and jug – and the sound of Nixon's harmonica is completely fantastic – very eerie and spooky, as if the wind is howling through the backdrop behind Estes while he performs – furthering the edge of the whole thing with a really wonderful sound! A tremendous example of 60s rural blues revival work at its best – on titles that include "Airplane Blues", "Who's Been Tellin You", "Denmark Blues", "I'm A Tearing Little Daddy", "Drop Down Mama", "Easin Back To Tennessee", and "Needmore Blues". CD features two bonus tracks – "Blues For JFK", and an alternate of "I'm A Tearing Little Daddy" CD

Seminal material from the St Louis scene at the end of the 50s – and a record that's every bit as noteworthy for the tenor work of leader Jimmy Forrest as it is for an early appearance of the great Grant Green on guitar! Green was still working in the area at the time – a few years later, Lou Donaldson would pull him to New York – and although he and Forrest would soon get national placement on bigger labels (Blue Note and Prestige, respectively) – this early date is a great chapter from the start of their careers! The rest of the group is equally interesting – a very young Elvin Jones on drums, the great Harold Mabern on piano, and Gene Ramey on bass – and the vibe here is very much in the Prestige Records mode from the start of the soul jazz years. Titles include "Sunkenfoal", "Laura", "Myra", "Caravan", and "All The Gin Is Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal material from the St Louis scene at the end of the 50s – and a record that's every bit as noteworthy for the tenor work of leader Jimmy Forrest as it is for an early appearance of the great Grant Green on guitar! Green was still working in the area at the time – a few years later, Lou Donaldson would pull him to New York – and although he and Forrest would soon get national placement on bigger labels (Blue Note and Prestige, respectively) – this early date is a great chapter from the start of their careers! The rest of the group is equally interesting – a very young Elvin Jones on drums, the great Harold Mabern on piano, and Gene Ramey on bass – and the vibe here is very much in the Prestige Records mode from the start of the soul jazz years. Titles include "Sunkenfoal", "Laura", "Myra", "Caravan", and "All The Gin Is Gone". CD features the bonus track "You Go To My Head". CD

A cooking little album from guitarist George Freeman – his first album as a leader, recorded during a brief initial period of fame at the start of the 70s! The album's got a stripped-down, very groovy feel – one that takes off from some of Freeman's 60s work with Groove Holmes – but which puts George center stage, and allows for plenty of examples of his amazing tone and phrasing on the guitar! The core group is a trio – with Sonny Burke on organ and Billy Mitchell on drums – and Freeman's more famous brother Von joins in on tenor sax on a good portion of the tracks – playing in a soul jazz mode that's arguably better than that used on his Atlantic debut, recorded right around the same time. One more track features an even more unusual lineup – with Lester Lashley on trombone, Robert Pierce on organ, and Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre on tenor, making one of his few appearances on record of this type! But the real star of the set throughout is George Freeman – playing the electric guitar with a quality that's unlike anyone else we can think of – a nitty, gritty tone that's almost a direct heir of T-Bone Walker, but a lot jazzier overall! Titles include the great funky number "Must Be Must Be", plus "Hoss", "Cough it Up", "Mama Papa Brother", "Birth Sign", "My Ship", and "My Scenery". CD

Piano blues from the legendary Curtis Jones – a Texas player who first rose to fame in the late 30s, and who here still has a way with the keys and a vocal style that nobody else can touch! It's a bit hard to put the distinctness of Jones in words, but it definitely comes through on the record – piano lines that often feel as if two different musicians are playing the instrument at the same time, mixed with these casual and confident vocals that almost feel like Curtis is also standing off to the side, making commentary on the proceedings! There's no other instrumentation on the record at all – none is needed, either – and titles include "Evil Curse Blues", "Highway 51", "Curtis Jones Boogie Woogie", "Tin Pan Alley", "Black Magic Blues", and "Lonesome Bedroom Blues". CD features two different alternate takes, too! CD

Never-issued material from the sessions for two classic Magic Sam albums – Black Magic and West Side Soul – not alternate tracks or demos, but really great material that stands strongly here as an album on its own! If you know those records, you'll now the raw power here – that fierce guitar of Sam's, that often has this sinister snakey quality – mixed with his undeniably soulful vocals, which are a perfect bridge between deep soul and Chicago blues! Players on the sessions include Eddie Shaw on tenor, Mighty Joe Young on second guitar, Shakey Jake on on harmonica, and Lafayette Leake on piano – and titles include "Lookin Good", "I Feel So Good", "Hoochie Coochie Man", "Keep On Doin What You're Doin", "Blues For Odie Payne", "Keep On Lovin Me Baby", and "That's All I Need". CD

Coronetist Rob Mazurek is one of the current leading lights in Chicago's booming underground jazz scene, and this seminal Delmark release features Mazurek's Chicago Underground Orchestra that includes other Windy City talents like guitarist Jeff Parker, drummer Chad Taylor, and bassist Chris Lopes. The album's a great peek at the kind of youthful energy and imagination that are currently turning Chicago inside out, and although it's on Delmark, it has a sound that's a lot better than most of the label's other releases. Titles include "Boiled Over", "Playground", "Jeff's New Idea", and a great reading of Herbie Hancock's "Blow Up". CD

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Overlooked spiritual jazz genius from Chicago trumpeter Malachi Thompson – a player who was making 70s-styled sessions when most folks had given up on the music! The vibe here is right between Strata East and some of the more righteous 70s sessions on Muse – and the group features superb work from tenorist Carter Jefferson, who's at the level of his Rise Of Atlantis work from back in the day – in a group that also features Albert Dailey on piano, James King on bass, Nasar Abadey on drums, and Randy Abbott on congas. Arnae Burton sings on the track "Back To The One", Leon Thomas guests on "No More Hard Times" – and other instrumental tracks include "A Rising Daystar", "Spirit Of Man", "Dhyia Malika", and "I Remember Clifford". CD features the bonus track "Dearly Beloved". CD

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Blues recorded in St Louis, but with a sound that's much more rural overall – maybe no surprise, given the countless travel by Big Joe Williams on the highways of the south! The setting is lean enough to be recorded out in the field – Big Joe on these wonderfully expressive vocals and his unique nine string guitar – with support from Ransom Knowling on bass, but at a level that really just helps the tunes get this subtle groove – really letting be the shining star up front! In keeping with the title of the record, many of the tunes have themes of travel in the south – titles that include "Overhaul Your Machine", "45 Blues", "Arkansas Woman", "Four Corners Of The World", "Down In The Bottom", and "Blues Left Texas". CD

The first-ever full length album from Big Joe Williams, despite a much longer legacy as a blues singer in the south – captured in a few different intimate settings in St Louis by the then-fledgling Delmark Records! The approach is very lean, of the sort that made the record a key statement in the folk blues revival at the end of the 50s – with Joe playing this really unique nine string guitar from two different instruments put together, and singing with this really compelling trill in his voice that marks the singer as very distinct from so many others in his generation. JD Short adds harmonica and a bit of guitar – and titles include "Mellow Peaches", "No More Whiskey", "Tailor Made Babe", "Omaha Blues", "Juanita", "Tailor Made Babe", and the interesting "Big Joe Talking" – which has Williams speaking a bit on his life! CD

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A tremendous tribute to the tenor talents of Paul Bascomb – pulled together here from rare 78rpm sides for United Records – including more than a few that were never issued at the time! Bascomb's got a rich and soulful tone – easily one of the best of the postwar generation, even though Paul never got the same sort of due as tenorists on big labels like King, Chess, or Savoy! The set features most of the same players on all tracks – Bascomb on tenor, Eddie Lewis on trumpet, Frank Porter and Tommy Waters on alto, and Duke Jordan on piano – and Porter sings on a few tracks too. Titles include "Mumbles Blues", "Blues & The Beat", "Black Out", "Nona", "Love's An Old Story", "Liza's Blues", and "Soul & Body". CD

Geof Bradfield on saxophone and bass clarinet, Ben Goldberg clarinets, and Dana Hall on drums. CD

One of the first solo saxophone recordings of the 60s – recorded as one of the first few sessions by a young Anthony Braxton! As the title implies, the whole album features alto sax – played freely by Braxton with a depth of creativity and sense of humanity to rival any of the previous greatness of his generation from bigger names on labels like Impulse or ESP. There's a great sense of restraint here too – not one that has Braxton on the inside of the jazz spectrum, but which keeps him focused, and never to overly-indulgent in this new sort of setting. The sounds from his alto are clearly revolutionary – even from the perspective of many decades later – and we honestly think this record still beats most of the albums of this type that have come out in the years since it was first recorded! Tunes are all dedicated to Braxton's friends and heroes, in sort of a who's-who of the avant garde – and ttles include "To Composer John Cage", "To Leroy Jenkins", "To Murray De Pillars", and "To Pianist Cecil Taylor". CD

A great album from trumpeter Roy Campbell and his Pyramid Trio – aka William Parker and Hamid Drake! Tracks include "Tazz's Dilema", "Malcolm, Martin And Mandela", "Imhotep", 'Impressions Of Yokahama", "Ethnic Stew And Brew", "Heavenly Ascending" and "Amadou Diallo". CD

Searing and soulful – with Zane Massey on tenor, Ricardo Strobert on alto and flute, Rahn Burton on piano, and Reggie Nicholson on drums! CD

They don't call Jimmy Dawkins "fast fingers" for nothing – and the first few minutes of the record are definitely testament to his mighty power on the guitar! The instrument is electric, and recorded with this sense of powerful echo that easily has Dawkins blowing away some of the UK blues rockers who were starting to get into the game at the time – as do his vocals, which we'd put head to head with some of the giants who took this mode and ran with it through the arena rock scene of the 70s! Yet throughout, it's the guitar that's especially amazing – completely confident and masterful, even though this was Jimmy's first album – with nice lean support from Eddie Shaw on tenor, Lafayette Leake on piano and organ, and Mighty Joe Young on second guitar. Titles include "Little Angel Child", "Night Rock", "Triple Trebles", "It Serves Me Right To Suffer", "Breaking Down", "I Don't Know What Love Is", and "I Wonder Why". LP, Vinyl record album

Percussionist Kahil El'Zabar leads the Ritual Trio, and the group's one of the truest extensions of the AACM spirit to still exist in Chicago. No wonder, though, as it's got Malachi Favors of the Art Ensemble on bass, as well as multi-faceted reedman Ari Brown on saxes. El'Zabar's the real core of the group, though, and his soulful approach to percussion adds in a degree of warmth that always humanizes the work of the group, pushing it past simple virtuostic improvisation. This set from 1995 still has the group going strong – and it features many strong tracks, including "Sweet Meat", "Fatsmo", " Save Your Love For Me", "Golden Sea", "Trane In Mind", and "Ornette". CD

Fantastic material captured during the moment of Sleepy John Estes' rediscovery in 1962 – a session that mostly has Sleepy on vocals and guitar, with just a bit of additional support on a few tracks! The approach is perfect for Estes – easing him back into recording at a level that's very personal, almost conversational – and the singer has this surprisingly easygoing and fluid quality on both vocals and guitar – as if he'd been in the limelight for years, instead of lost to the shifting sands of time! Support is by the harmonica of Hammie Nickson on three tracks, and the bass of Ed Wilkenson on two as well – and titles include "City Hall Blues", "Mailman Blues", "Pat Mann", "Al Rawls", "Lawyer Clark", "Working Man Blues", "Government Money", and "Martha Hardin". CD features 6 unissued bonus tracks too! CD

Great material from the sessions for Jimmy Forrest's album All The Gin Is Gone – recorded by Delmark back in their early days, and done with an underground groove that Jimmy didn't always get on record! The core group on the album features players Jimmy was working with under the leadership of Harry Edison – drummer Elvin Jones, pianist Harold Mabern, and bassist Gene Ramey – and a very young Grant Green sits in on guitar on a few of the album's best numbers. Titles include alternates of tracks from All The Gin, plus other numbers new to the set – and tracks include "Dog It", "Black Forrest", "Sunkefoal", "These Foolish Things", "You Go To My Head", "All The Gin Is Gone", and "What's New". CD also features a previously unissued take of "These Foolish Things". CD

Coleman Hawkins with Dizzy Gillespie, Leo Parker, Don Byas, Budd Johnson, Oscar Pettiford, Max Roach, Charlie Shavers, Bill Rowland, Hy White, Bobby Lord, and others. CD

Some of the earliest work as a leader from the great Willis Jackson – a tenorist known to most for his work on Prestige Records in the 60s, but who first began as a key crossover figure between postwar jazz and R&B! The music here definitely captures Jackson in that mode – great small combo sets recorded for the Apollo label up in Harlem – presented here with cuts that were originally issued as 78rpm singles, plus other unissued titles too – all making for a great overview of these early years! Most numbers were recorded under Jackson's own name – in a combo with Andrew Ford on trumpet, Bill Doggett on piano, and Booty Wood on trombone – but there's also a few done with vocalist Eddie Mack. The set features 16 tracks in all – and titles include "Blow Jackson Blow", "More Blues At Midnight", "Later For The Gator", "Chuck's Chuckles", "On My Own", "Dance Of The Lady Bug", and "Call Of The Gators". CD

A crucial early statement from reedman Joseph Jarman – recording here as a leader right before his rise to fame in the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – and in the kind of setting that really marks the different spirit of the AACM of the late 60s from the rest of the American underground! Both tracks on the record are quite long – taking up a side each – and Jarman shifts between different instruments – alto, recorded, soprano sax, fife, and even bassoon – working alongside the equally deft players Charles Clark on bass and cello, and Thurman Barker on "all kinds of drums"! The spontaneous shift in the instruments and modes of expression is augmented even further on the second half of the set – which has additional work from Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, Fred Anderson and John Stubblefield on tenors, Joel Brandon on flute, and John Jackson on trumpet. Sherri Scott adds in some wonderful vocal moments – and titles include "As If It Were The Seasons/Song To Make The Sun Come Up" and "Song For Christopher". CD

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One of the most striking records so far from the mighty Rob Mazurek – a set that makes us more than glad we've been following his musical journey for the past two decades! The set's got a nicely compressed feel – one that takes some of the looser energy that's been bubbling up in recent Mazurek records, and delivers it in a tight quartet format – with Rob's sparkling cornet in the lead, amidst great piano from Angelica Sanchez, bass from Matt Lux, and drums from John Herndon! Given the wide resumes of all players, there's a really shifting sense of sound here – one that's bold one minute, introspective the next – and never falls into too-familiar jazz phrasing modes. Yet Mazurek's also really matured as a player, too – working here with a sensitivity we never would have expected years ago – captured with great clarity in the recording. Titles include "Magic Saturn", "Twister Uranus", "Spanish Venus", "Folk Song Neptune", "Primitvie Jupiter" and "Spiral Mercury". LP, Vinyl record album

Solo album with Mitchell on saxophone, little instruments, and overdubs. CD

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Overlooked work from the Chicago blues scene of the postwar years – great material from an important early electric player – but one who never got the large exposure of some of his contemporaries on Chess Records! And yet, back in the day Robert Nighthawk was as important to the development of the Chicago sound as Muddy Waters – wonderfully skilled on the strings, and a hell of a singer too – with a deep baritone that often has a bit of a link to jump blues in the way that Robert delivers his phrasing – although the sound here is definitely Chicago blues overall! All numbers are small combo sides recorded for the United Records label – and players include Roosevelt Sykes and Bob Call on piano, Ransom Knowling on bass, and Jump Jackson drums. Titles include "Brick In My Pillow", "Seventy Four", "Crying Won't Help You", "You Missed A Good Man", "Feel So Bad", "U/S Boogie", and "Maggie Campbell". CD

One of the nicest records we've heard from Jeff Parker in years – a trio date with some wonderfully rich sounds, and a great showcase for some of the more lyrical sides of his music! Parker plays in these great chromatic modes throughout – using some slight effects with his hollow-body electric, in the company of bassist Chris Lopes and drummer Chad Taylor – the latter of whom really helps make the album great, thanks to a fluid, open sense of rhythm – yet one that still always knows how to swing! There's more of a groove here than you might usually expect from Jeff, and a sensitivity too – and the album almost feels like the beginning of a rich new chapter in his career. Titles include "Mainz", "Swept Out To Sea", "Freakadelic", "Istvan", "Occidental Tourist", and "The Morning Of The 5th". CD

Sun Ra's first album as a leader – originally issued on the Transition label, but presented here in its better-known incarnation by Delmark Records! Even at this early point, Ra had a sound unlike any of his contemporaries – large group and modern, but not in a way that showed any similarities to work going on in New York or LA – a voice that was all his own, and already quite boldly stated, even in these early years! The format might be somewhat familiar – an ensemble with horns and rhythm – but the overall execution really starts to open up as the album moves on – with odd phrasings, timings, and unusual moments that live up to all the promise you might expect from Ra. Even Mingus and some of his better-known contemporaries weren't heading in these directions in the mid 50s – and the record is a proud showcase of the freedoms that players were often accorded in the less-trafficked Chicago scene of the time. Horns include Art Hoyle & Dave Young on trumpets, John Gilmore on tenor sax, Pat Patrick on baritone, Julian Priester on trombone, and James Scales on alto sax – and rhythm includes Jim Herndon on tympani, Robert Barry on drums, Wilbur Green on electric bass, and a young Richard Evans on acoustic bass! Titles include "Brainville", "Call For All Demons", "Transition", "Lullaby For Realville", "Street Named Hell", "New Horizons", "Fall Off The Long", "Possession", and "Future". LP, Vinyl record album

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