A hell of a record – and one that's not just noteworthy for being one of the rare few sessions as a leader from pianist Dolo Coker – but also for the sideman work by Art Pepper and Blue Mitchell! The pairing of Mitchell and Pepper is an unusual one, but it works wonderfully here – as Art's got a crisp, soulful tone on both alto and his newly-acquired tenor, and Mitchell blows in a real back-to-basics hardbop mode that's much more similar to his Blue Note work than his other electric sessions of the mid 70s! Yet Coker's also a cooker too – and his deft phrasing and soulful currents really make the session move – set fire by the work of Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Frank Butler on drums. Titles include "Roots 4FB", "Mr Yohe", "Tale Of Two Cities", "Jumping Jacks", and "Gone Again". CD features the bonus track "Round Midnight". CD

A hell of a record – and one that's not just noteworthy for being one of the rare few sessions as a leader from pianist Dolo Coker – but also for the sideman work by Art Pepper and Blue Mitchell! The pairing of Mitchell and Pepper is an unusual one, but it works wonderfully here – as Art's got a crisp, soulful tone on both alto and his newly-acquired tenor, and Mitchell blows in a real back-to-basics hardbop mode that's much more similar to his Blue Note work than his other electric sessions of the mid 70s! Yet Coker's also a cooker too – and his deft phrasing and soulful currents really make the session move – set fire by the work of Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Frank Butler on drums. Titles include "Roots 4FB", "Mr Yohe", "Tale Of Two Cities", "Jumping Jacks", and "Gone Again". CD

A hell of a record – and one that's not just noteworthy for being one of the rare few sessions as a leader from pianist Dolo Coker – but also for the sideman work by Art Pepper and Blue Mitchell! The pairing of Mitchell and Pepper is an unusual one, but it works wonderfully here – as Art's got a crisp, soulful tone on both alto and his newly-acquired tenor, and Mitchell blows in a real back-to-basics hardbop mode that's much more similar to his Blue Note work than his other electric sessions of the mid 70s! Yet Coker's also a cooker too – and his deft phrasing and soulful currents really make the session move – set fire by the work of Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Frank Butler on drums. Titles include "Roots 4FB", "Mr Yohe", "Tale Of Two Cities", "Jumping Jacks", and "Gone Again". CD features the bonus track "Round Midnight". CD

One of the great lost 70s sides on the Xanadu label – and a nice set of bop material from west coast pianist Dolo Coker. Coker had a brief resurgence in the mid 70s, thanks to records like this, and he's grouped nicely with Harold Land on tenor, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Frank Butler on drums. The tracks are long, with a distinct focus on Coker's hard-handed piano style. Titles include "Smack Up", "Dolo", "Affair In Havana", and "Field Day". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

We never tire of the saxophone work of Sonny Criss – and this mid 70s gem is a perfect example of his brilliance! Sonny's sound on alto here is completely his own – raspily, soulful style that's really unique – and which draws strongly from Criss' rich life experience, including his years away from music (he'd been retired for most of the 70s before the time of this album.) The group's laidback and open – with Dolo Coker on piano, Ray Crawford on guitar, Larry Gales on bass, and Jimmy Smith on drums – a group that's all well with Criss on his journey – but also lets him sparkle brightly in the lead. Titles include the extended track "Isle Of Celia", plus "This Is For Benny", "Blues In My Heart", and "Crisscraft". CD

We never tire of the saxophone work of Sonny Criss – and this mid 70s gem is a perfect example of his brilliance! Sonny's sound on alto here is completely his own – raspily, soulful style that's really unique – and which draws strongly from Criss' rich life experience, including his years away from music (he'd been retired for most of the 70s before the time of this album.) The group's laidback and open – with Dolo Coker on piano, Ray Crawford on guitar, Larry Gales on bass, and Jimmy Smith on drums – a group that's all well with Criss on his journey – but also lets him sparkle brightly in the lead. Titles include the extended track "Isle Of Celia", plus "This Is For Benny", "Blues In My Heart", and "Crisscraft". CD features 2 bonus tracks – an alternate of "Blues In My Heart", and "All The Things You Are". CD

Great later work from Sonny Criss – very much in the format of his late 60s work for Prestige, but with an approach that's perhaps a bit more open-ended overall! The vibe here is laidback and soulful – Sonny blowing alto sax in that wonderful, all-his-own sort of tone – a sound that's almost tenor-like in phrasing, but with a crisp alto quality that's completely sublime! The group's a batch of familiar associates, all of whom lay back wonderfully in the rhythms – Dolo Coker on piano, Larry Gales on bass, and Jimmie Smith on drums. There's a solidness here that few other players can match – and titles include the original numbers "The Dreamer" and "The First One" – plus "El Tiante", "All The Things You Are", and "Out Of Nowhere". CD

Art's blowing with a quiet intensity here – not as far out as you might expect from the title, but with that crisp genius that still graced all of his records from the time! The album features a quartet with Dolo Coker on piano, Jimmy Bond on bass, and Frank Butler on drums – working in a format that gives Art center stage, blowing with a slightly raspy tone that still always sends chills up our spine! There's a maturity here that we really like – that later Contemporary mode that has Pepper breaking things down a bit more than usual, and showing a bit more humanity in his horn. Titles include "Too Close For Comfort", "Gone With The Wind", "Long Ago & Far Away", and "I Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

Art's blowing with a quiet intensity here – not as far out as you might expect from the title, but with that crisp genius that still graced all of his records from the time! The album features a quartet with Dolo Coker on piano, Jimmy Bond on bass, and Frank Butler on drums – working in a format that gives Art center stage, blowing with a slightly raspy tone that still always sends chills up our spine! There's a maturity here that we really like – that later Contemporary mode that has Pepper breaking things down a bit more than usual, and showing a bit more humanity in his horn. Titles include "Too Close For Comfort", "Gone With The Wind", "Long Ago & Far Away", and "I Love You". CD also features the bonus track "Five Points". CD

An excellent set of recordings from a unique moment for the Xanadu Records label – an imprint that was carrying the torch of the Prestige label style well into the 70s – also run by that label's old head, Don Schlitten! The tracks here were all recorded live in Dakar – by a tight quintet that features some of the best Xanadu players at the time – both Al Cohn and Billy Mitchell on tenor, plus Dolo Coker on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Frank Butler on drums. Mitchell is especially wonderful – an excellent soloist who was often lost in larger groups throughout his career, but who really got the chance to shine in the bigger, more open space of the small group sides. Both he and Cohn blow at some of their best levels for the performances – and titles include "Night Flight To Dakar", "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying", "Blues Up & Down", "Sweet Senegelese Brown", "Robbins Nest", "Blues In The Closet", "Easy Living", and "The King". CD

We never tire of the saxophone work of Sonny Criss – and this mid 70s gem is a perfect example of his brilliance! Sonny's sound on alto here is completely his own – raspily, soulful style that's really unique – and which draws strongly from Criss' rich life experience, including his years away from music (he'd been retired for most of the 70s before the time of this album.) The group's laidback and open – with Dolo Coker on piano, Ray Crawford on guitar, Larry Gales on bass, and Jimmy Smith on drums – a group that's all well with Criss on his journey – but also lets him sparkle brightly in the lead. Titles include the extended track "Isle Of Celia", plus "This Is For Benny", "Blues In My Heart", and "Crisscraft". LP, Vinyl record album

Great later work from Sonny Criss – very much in the format of his late 60s work for Prestige, but with an approach that's perhaps a bit more open-ended overall! The vibe here is laidback and soulful – Sonny blowing alto sax in that wonderful, all-his-own sort of tone – a sound that's almost tenor-like in phrasing, but with a crisp alto quality that's completely sublime! The group's a batch of familiar associates, all of whom lay back wonderfully in the rhythms – Dolo Coker on piano, Larry Gales on bass, and Jimmie Smith on drums. There's a solidness here that few other players can match – and titles include the original numbers "The Dreamer" and "The First One" – plus "El Tiante", "All The Things You Are", and "Out Of Nowhere". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album by Dexter Gordon – his first after a number of years spent without recording in the late 50s, and one that marked a real return to serious growth as a player during the 60s! The album takes the same approach as Dexter's soon to be recorded Blue Note classics – putting the tenorman in the company of some excellent sidemen – but the group's a bit larger too, with added horns from Richard Boon on trombone and Martin Banks on trumpet – in addition to rhythm from the trio of Dolo Coker on piano, Charles Green on bass, and Lawrence Marable on drums. There's some nice head arrangements that open up to some well-crafted tenor lines from Dex – and the set's got an extra-special feature in that it was produced by Cannonball Adderly as part of his "overlooked talents" series for Jazzland. Hard to believe that Gordon would qualify for that distinction at the time – especially given his rise a few years later! Titles include "Affair In Havana", "Field Day", "Jodi", "Home Run", and "Dolo". LP, Vinyl record album

A hell of a record from the LA scene of the mid 70s – recorded by a quartet of musicians who'd gotten their start during the early bop years of the city, and who kept the flame burning brightly with great records like this! The set's noteworthy not just for a rare appearance as a leader by tight drummer Frank Butler, but also for some tremendous tenor from Jack Montrose – a musician who sounds even more powerful and expressive here than on his records from the 50s – with an open tone, and plenty of space to display a sense of imagination on his solos that he never had before! The great Dolo Coker helps keep things swinging on piano, and Monty Budwig turns out some very powerful work on bass – on titles that include the long title track "The Stepper", plus "Au Prive", "Urbane", and "Captain Kidd". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the mellower albums on the Nilva label – a session of guitar work from John Collins, a player we don't know that well, but who has a really beautiful sound on the set! The album's Collins' first (only?) album as a leader – and it features him soloing in a pretty spare setting on most numbers – working either with a trio that features Jimmy Woode on bass and Alvin Queen on drums, a duo with bassist John Heard, another trio with Heard and trumpeter Harry Edison, and even solo on one track – always with a tone that's great, and a sound that's clean, clear, and creative. One longer track – a version of "All The Things You Are" – features a quintet with Dolo Coker on piano, plus Edison, Woode, and Queen – and other titles include "Nature Boy", "Dearly Beloved", "I've Grown Accustomed To Your Face", and "Come Rain Or Come Shine". LP, Vinyl record album

Junior's definitely cooking on this session – working with trumpeter Blue Mitchell at a time when both players were members of the Horace Silver Quintet – but in a groove that's somewhat different than the Silver sound overall! Junior Cook's tenor really is tremendous on the record – played with a sharp, raspy tone that's almost deeper than his work with Horace Silver – a cutting quality that almost reminds us of Clifford Jordan at his best. Mitchell's great too – really spurred on by this sound, and finding some new notes in the setting – and other players on the date include Gene Taylor on bass and Roy Brooks on drums, both from the Silver group – plus piano from either Ronnie Matthews or Dolo Coker, each of whom handle half of the set. Matthews is especially great – a real treat at this early point in his career – and titles on the set include the sublime "Mzar", plus "Blue Farouq", "Sweet Cakes", "Turbo Village", "Field Day", and "Pleasure Bent". CD

The sweet and the raw – the trumpet of Harry Sweets Edison and the tenor of Eddie Lockjaw Davis – brought together here in a standout small group session for Pablo! The set's got an unusual element in that it features some electric bass from Harvey Newmark – who plays in an otherwise acoustic setting, but gives the tunes maybe this light little bounce – a hint of funk at times, with a rolling element that makes the whole thing a bit different than just a rehash of the old days. Also noteworthy is pianist Dolo Coker, who plays mostly acoustic piano – with that pointed tone that was always such a unique approach – and who also handles a bit of Fender Rhodes, but in a completely different way. Even when Newmark's playing acoustic bass, he's still got a great round tone that really drives the set – and the group's completed by the excellent Jimmie Smith on drums. Titles include "Simply Sweets", "Feelings", "Opus Funk", "Lax", "Miz Kitty's Blues", and "One For The Count". CD

The sweet and the raw – the trumpet of Harry Sweets Edison and the tenor of Eddie Lockjaw Davis – brought together here in a standout small group session for Pablo! The set's got an unusual element in that it features some electric bass from Harvey Newmark – who plays in an otherwise acoustic setting, but gives the tunes maybe this light little bounce – a hint of funk at times, with a rolling element that makes the whole thing a bit different than just a rehash of the old days. Also noteworthy is pianist Dolo Coker, who plays mostly acoustic piano – with that pointed tone that was always such a unique approach – and who also handles a bit of Fender Rhodes, but in a completely different way. Even when Newmark's playing acoustic bass, he's still got a great round tone that really drives the set – and the group's completed by the excellent Jimmie Smith on drums. Titles include "Simply Sweets", "Feelings", "Opus Funk", "Lax", "Miz Kitty's Blues", and "One For The Count". LP, Vinyl record album

A great 70s comeback album from tenorist Teddy Edwards – done after a number of years away from the studio, but with a rock-solid sound that may well be his classics from the 60s! Teddy's tone is amazing on the record – more laidback and confident than on his earlier albums, and a lot more soulful as well – stepping out right from the start with a quality that's boldly personal, and free from some of the 70s cliches that others might have attempted in a set like this. Instead, Edwards is very much his own man – and very much in charge of an excellent group that includes Conte Candoli on trumpet, Dolo Coker on piano, Ray Brown on bass, Frank Butler drums, and Jerry Steinholz conga and percussion – players who come together with this warmly soulful quality that's surprisingly more than the sum of its already-great parts. Titles include "The Blue Sombrero", "Bear Tracks", "Ritta Ditta Blues", and "Eleven Twenty Three". CD

Art's blowing with a quiet intensity here – not as far out as you might expect from the title, but with that crisp genius that still graced all of his records from the time! The album features a quartet with Dolo Coker on piano, Jimmy Bond on bass, and Frank Butler on drums – working in a format that gives Art center stage, blowing with a slightly raspy tone that still always sends chills up our spine! There's a maturity here that we really like – that later Contemporary mode that has Pepper breaking things down a bit more than usual, and showing a bit more humanity in his horn. Titles include "Too Close For Comfort", "Gone With The Wind", "Long Ago & Far Away", and "I Love You". CD also features the bonus track "Five Points". CD

Stitt remembers Bird? How could he ever forget him – given the fact that as an alto saxophonist, Stitt always had to work hard to avoid any comparisons! Seriously, though, this is a nice set of boppish material that moves past the usual Charlie Parker tribute – and in fact, none of the tracks are by Bird – and Sonny blows both tenor and alto – in a great group with Frank Rosolino on trombone, Dolo Coker on piano, Allen Jackson on bass, and Clarence Johnston on drums. Forget the Charlie Parker reference in the title, and lay back and enjoy the tunes "Watch What Happens", "Waltz For Diane", "Streamlined Stanley", and "I Remember Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

Great later work from Sonny Criss – very much in the format of his late 60s work for Prestige, but with an approach that's perhaps a bit more open-ended overall! The vibe here is laidback and soulful – Sonny blowing alto sax in that wonderful, all-his-own sort of tone – a sound that's almost tenor-like in phrasing, but with a crisp alto quality that's completely sublime! The group's a batch of familiar associates, all of whom lay back wonderfully in the rhythms – Dolo Coker on piano, Larry Gales on bass, and Jimmie Smith on drums. There's a solidness here that few other players can match – and titles include the original numbers "The Dreamer" and "The First One" – plus "El Tiante", "All The Things You Are", and "Out Of Nowhere". CD

Way more than just the promised tribute to Charlie Parker – and the group features Johnny Griffin on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, Cecil Payne on baritone, Duke Jordan on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – all directed by Don Sickler! CD

The title here is certainly well-put, as the guitar of John Ondolo is every bit as hypnotic as any of the more adventurous musicians we've loved over the years – and that would include the work of artists like Sandy Bull or Peter Walker! As with both of them, Ondolo has a way of using unusual tunings and phrasing to make the music all his own – familiar at some level, in that he recorded these singles in Kenya, in modes that were still somewhat within the norms – but with a way of handling his instrument that's completely his own, and which makes these tunes completely mesmerizing throughout! Most numbers have vocals and some slight other added instrumentation, but it's always the guitar lines that seem to ring out the strongest – on titles that include "Siri Ya Vijana", "Olalekanga", "Kenya Twist", "Ukiwa Na Bwana Bibi", "Tumshukuru Mungu", "Tucheze Selele", "Kwela Wangu", and "Safari Ya Kilimanjaro". LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just the promised tribute to Charlie Parker – and the group features Johnny Griffin on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, Cecil Payne on baritone, Duke Jordan on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – all directed by Don Sickler! CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just the promised tribute to Charlie Parker – and the group features Johnny Griffin on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, Cecil Payne on baritone, Duke Jordan on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – all directed by Don Sickler! CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album from Brazilian rock legend Raul Seixas – easily one of the most important artists to emerge after the Tropicalia generation – and a singer with a sound that's as striking as his image on the cover! The album's got an explosive blend of styles – everything from psychedelic samba to country rock to easy rock tunes – all bound together by the strong sense of presence that helped Seixas elevate to become one of Brazili's most controversial rock stars of the time, all with the kind of legacy you might expect from the cover image! The sound is great – very different than what American and Anglo groups were doing at the time, although with sly nods to their modes from time to time – and titles include the English track "How Could I Know", plus "As Minas Do Rei Salomao", "Mosca Na Sopa", "Cachorro", "Al Capone", and the strange electronic "Introducao". LP, Vinyl record album

The frenzied piano of Carmen Cavallaro gets a nice does of Latin rhythms on this set – and the set's a great example of the way that cocktail piano and Latin were strongly linked in the New York scene of the 50s! Carmen's style here is certainly different than that of Joe Loco, Noro Morales, or others who skirted the same territory – but the difference is also not that great, and it was Cavallaro's earlier sense of drama and color that often helped inspire piano work in players who followed. The rhythms are especially great here too – not straight Latin all the time, but a nice mix of inventive and exotic touches from bass and percussion that really liven things up, and make the tunes come across with modes that are quite different than their familiar readings. Titles include "Dolores My Own", "Frenesi", "Andalucia", "Maria La-O", "Perfida", "Adios", and "Poinciana". LP, Vinyl record album

A mid-70s message from the legendary Fela Kuti – a record whose title and cover image are a commentary on the wrong directions the Nigerian elite were heading in at the time – served up here with all the fantastic frenzied grooves that Afrika 70 can deliver! "Ikoyi Blindness" begins with quick-stepping percussion and riffing guitar, then soon opens to a great keyboard part as the horns come in, and the whole thing flowers beautifully in both an instrumental and vocal level! The flipside also features the equally-great "Gba Mi Leti Ki N'Dolow" – translated as "Slap Me Make I Get Money", an attack on the way that the rich bend the system of justice to their own needs – and really set fire by Fela and the group. LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Perdi La Fe", "Caricas Cubanas", "Dolor Y Pena", "Por Un Madre", "Mulata Con Cola", "Rezo En La Noche", and "El Conde Negro". LP, Vinyl record album

Plenty of exotic themes in this lesser-known Italian western score from the 60s – bits of flute, bits of whistling, and even some vocals from I Cantori Moderni! Mellower moments are nicely juxtaposed with more dramatic ones – underscoring the mix of romance and drama that follows the story of the film. I Cantori appear on more of the former – singing somewhat quietly and sweetly, with a very warm finish – in ways that are a bit different than their other work of the time, and almost sentimental at points. Alessandro Alessandroni handles the whistles and guitar in the work – and Bruno Nicolai handles the larger orchestrations. Titles include "Tema Dolores", "Mulini A Vento", "Viaggio", "Espanto En El Corazon", "Duello", and "Fuga Dall'Ovest". LP, Vinyl record album

A contemporary record, but one that hearkens back to the glory days of the Latin diva albums of the 50s and 60s – wonderfully expressive vocals from Maria Raquel, a singer who makes her debut here, yet somehow feels as if she's been making music for many many years! The arrangements are a nicely updated version of past modes – percussion, strings, and reeds mixed with these beautifully dark-turning strings – arranged by Michael Eckroth of Orquesta Akokan, and with a modern depth that's really wonderful, and not just some sort of retro-styled approach. There's a subtle brilliance going on here that really holds us rapt – as Maria mixes boleros and cumbia numbers, on titles that include "Celos", "Juego De Dolor", "Mirame", "La Reina Del Baile", "Cumbia De La Gaita", "Ya No", "Convesion", and "Cumbia Del Presente". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning sounds from Willie Rodriguez – easily one of the hardest, heaviest leaders on the 60s scene in New York! The record is a live one, but has the focus and intensity of Willie's best studio work for Fonseca – red hot grooves that are a fusion of Willie's Puerto Rican roots with some of the best pre-salsa modes of the time – a vibe that's a lot like the Joe Cuba Sextet at their best, with blistering piano and percussion in the rhythms, and some tight trumpet soaring out over the top! There's a few mellower tracks, but most numbers are groovers – and titles include "Gua Guanco #1", "Dolor Y Pena", "La Mulata Mariana", "Dame Un Chance", "El Velorio", "Ruby", and the great "Descarga". LP, Vinyl record album

Lester Bowie, Gerald Brazel, Joseph "Mac" Gollehon, and Ravi Best on trumpet, Gary Valente and Luis Bonilla on trombone, Bob Stewart on tuba, Vincent Chancey on French horn, Vinnie Johnson on drums, Victor See Yuen on percussion, and Dean Bowman on vocals. CD

Titles include "Juguete", "La Cocaleca", "Caracol", "Besame La Bembita", "Chica Perdona", "Maria Dolores", and "Zape Gato". LP, Vinyl record album

Miles Smiles, but his grin is a wry one – given the angular energy of the set! The album's a landmark effort from the mid 60s quintet that includes Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – all of whom work without fail to capture Davis' newly emerging approach to jazz – a style that's touched with some of the light lyricism of the late 50s, but which has much sharper edges overall – and really approaches some of the best "new thing" modes that were going down at labels like Blue Note or Impulse! Many tunes have a subtly spare quality, but nonetheless work with a tremendous amount of power – and titles include a classic version of "Freedom Jazz Dance", a haunting take on Shorter's "Footprints", and the titles "Orbits", "Circle", "Dolores", and "Gingerbread Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most consistently creative piano trios in the world today – a group who are always pushing the boundaries of their sound, strongly keeping away from familiar territory and tradition – yet always with a sense of swing and lyricism that continue to appeal to fans of more conventional jazz! EST aren't really ever that "out", but they're always stepping into unexpected space – odd sounds from the piano, noises you can't really place, and ways of blocking out a tune that are quite different than a regular trio session – but which also don't have the tricks or easy gimmicks of some of the jamband-oriented side of the jazz spectrum. Titles include "The Goldhearted Minor", "Beggar's Blanket", "Goldwrap", "Dolores In A Shoestand", "Fading Maid Postludium", and "Slipping On The Solid Ground". CD

An amazing set that documents the early years of the Zamrock scene – the funk and psych informed Afro Rock pioneered by vocalist and African guitar legend Rikki Ililonga and his group Musi-O-Tunya in Zambia from 1973 to 1976 – and compiled beautifully in this great set from Now Again/Stones Throw! It's incredible stuff that blends fuzzed out guitar psychedelia, raw rhythms and brass-heavy funky soul. Ililonga's legacy is represented strongly on the record made by the group he founded, Musi-O-Tunya – who work with electric guitar, bass, sax, western and African drums and percussion – as well as the Zambia album, credited to Rikki Illilonga, in which he sings and plays all instruments except trumpet. The set also includes his Sunshine Love album, in which he sings and plays all instruments except bass and drums – and a it's got a rawer, bluesier psych soul approach overall. The CD version compiles most tracks from those albums plus Musi-O-Tunya's Wings Of Africa LP and bonus tracks from 7-inches from the time. 31 tracks on 2 CDs and comes a great, book-bound package with extensive liner notes by Eothen Alapatt and an interview of Ililonga by Eothen. Disc one includes Musi-0-Tunya tracks "Tsegulani", "Mpondolo", "Walk And Fight", "The Sun", "Dark Sunrise", "The Wings Of Africa", "Jekete Yamankowa" (Parts 1 & 2), "Mpulula", "Smoke" and more. Disc 2 features tracks from the Rikki Ililonga cuts "Sansa Kuwa", "Sheebeen Queen", "Stop Dreaming Mr D", "The Nature Of Man", "The Queen Blues", "Working On The Wrong Thing", "Sunshine Love", "Angel Black" and more. CD

Miles Smiles, but his grin is a wry one – given the angular energy of the set! The album's a landmark effort from the mid 60s quintet that includes Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – all of whom work without fail to capture Davis' newly emerging approach to jazz – a style that's touched with some of the light lyricism of the late 50s, but which has much sharper edges overall – and really approaches some of the best "new thing" modes that were going down at labels like Blue Note or Impulse! Many tunes have a subtly spare quality, but nonetheless work with a tremendous amount of power – and titles include a classic version of "Freedom Jazz Dance", a haunting take on Shorter's "Footprints", and the titles "Orbits", "Circle", "Dolores", and "Gingerbread Boy". CD

Miles Smiles, but his grin is a wry one – given the angular energy of the set! The album's a landmark effort from the mid 60s quintet that includes Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – all of whom work without fail to capture Davis' newly emerging approach to jazz – a style that's touched with some of the light lyricism of the late 50s, but which has much sharper edges overall – and really approaches some of the best "new thing" modes that were going down at labels like Blue Note or Impulse! Many tunes have a subtly spare quality, but nonetheless work with a tremendous amount of power – and titles include a classic version of "Freedom Jazz Dance", a haunting take on Shorter's "Footprints", and the titles "Orbits", "Circle", "Dolores", and "Gingerbread Boy". CD