Great work as a leader from Don Braden – a set that was one of his last before moving onto bigger-label fame, and one that's very firmly rooted in the soul jazz underground! Don's got a really classic sound on his tenor – blowing with focus, poise, and a hell of a lot of soul – at times taking us back to older Houston Person records from a few decades before, but also burning with more fire too – especially on the numbers that leap strongly forward with some great rhythms from Kevin Hays on piano, Joris Teepe on bass, and Cecil Brooks III on drums. Brooks produced the set, keeping all edges sharp – and titles include "The Break", "Hillside", "A Blue Spree", "Have You Met Miss Jones", "Landing Zone", "Nightline", and "Amsterdam Jam". CD

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Don Braden on tenor, Tom Harrell on trumpet and flugelhorn, Benny Green on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Carl Allen on drums. CD

Don Braden on tenor sax and flute – with Scott Wendholt on trumpet and flugelhorn, Steve Wilson on alto, Noah Bless on trombone, Darrell Grant on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Carl Allen on drums. CD

Don Braden on tenor saxophone, flute, and alto flute – with Miki Hayama and Art Hirahara on piano, Kenny Davis on bass, Jeremy Warren on drums, and Kahlil Kwame Bell on percussion. CD

A surprising organ/tenor gem from the 90s – and a really standout set in the career of Don Braden! The set's on a major label, but it's got a soulfully produced groove that makes it feel like some of the best soul jazz on the Muse imprint – really open and flowing, with a sound that shows that the New Jersey sound was alive and well into the 90s! Braden's on tenor, working alongside some guest tenor by David Newman – and the rest of the group features organ by either Jack McDuff or Larry Goldings – plus trumpet by Tom Harrell, guitar by Russell Malone, and some super-solid drum work by either Cecil Brooks or Winard Harper. Titles include "Walkin The Dog", "Brighter Days", "Cousin Esau", "Twister", "Belief", "Organic", and "Saving All My Love For You". CD

Don Braden on tenor sax, Tom Harrell on trumpet and flugelhorn, Steve Turre on trombone, Benny Green on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Carl Allen on drums. CD

Features tenor Don Braden working in a few different quartet and trio formations – musicians include Darrell Grant on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Cecil Brooks III on drums. CD

Don Braden on saxophone – with Tim Hagans on trumpet, Kenny Werner on piano, Larry Grenadier on bass, and Billy Hart on drums. CD

Features Tom Harrell on trumpet and flugelhorn, Don Braden and Joe Lovano on tenor saxophone Gary Smulyan on bass clarinet, Rob Botti on oboe, Steve Turre on trombone, Kenny Werner on piano, Larry Grenadier on bass, and Billy Hart on drums. CD

A nice little live set from Freddie – open and free, with a soulfully-blown spirit that reminds us of his best live recordings of the 60s! The group's a quintet with some especially strong work from Don Braden on tenor and Ronnie Matthews on piano – and the tracks all stretch out at lengths that go well past the 10 minute mark – allowing Hubbard, Braden, and Matthews to really hit some great moments in their solo work. Titles include "Dear John", "All Blues", "God Bless The Child", and a really strong take on Cedar Walton's "Bolivia"! CD

Stephen Scott on piano – leading a group that features Ron Carter on bass and Elvin Jones on drums – plus Terell Stafford on trumpet, Don Braden on tenor, ann Bob Stewart on tuba. CD

Drummer Cecil Brooks III leads a tight New York soul jazz combo through a set of tracks that remind us a lot of his strong work for Muse Records in years past. The group features Don Braden on tenor and John Hicks on piano – and Hicks gets a fair bit of space to work out on a few of the album's gentler numbers, offset nicely by some of the angular numbers composed by Brooks. Titles include "Swamp Run", "Sweet Summer Breeze", "Dreamy", "The Voice Of The Saxophone", "Yvette", "Hill District", and "Spontaneous Percussion". CD

Hardly the sort of music you'd hear in the car from most folks on the road – and a beautiful batch of soul jazz numbers from pianist Donald Brown! The album's got a beautiful balance between sharp-edged tunes and warmer ones – a way of stepping back and forth through a solid, soulful space that Brown fills up beautifully with a range of expressions on the piano. Some tunes have a mellow glow, others a more modern approach – and the players here are all ones who can easily match that energy – Don Braden on tenor and flute, Steve Wilson on alto and soprano sax, Steve Nelson on vibes, and Bill Mobley on trumpet and flugelhorn. Harold Mabern makes a surprising vocal appearance on one track – and titles include "Car Tunes", "Theme For My Father", "Blues For Brother Jerome", "Mr Felgeyrolles", "Being With You", and "There Is A Rose In Spanish Harlem". CD

Mellow magic from Betty – one of her first "comeback" albums for Verve, and an excellent set of tunes that still keeps the same feel as her 80s work on her own label. The group on most tunes is a trio – with Benny Green on piano, Michael Bowie on bass, and Winard Harper on drums – but some tracks feature additional tenor from Don Braden, blowing soulfully next to Betty's incredible voice. Tunes skip around with imagination and a sense of soul in places where you'd never expect it – and titles include "Look What I Got", "The Man I Love", "That Sunday That Summer", "All I Got", and "Just Like The Movies". LP, Vinyl record album

Guitarist Peter Hand with Don Braden on saxophone and flute. CD

With Peter Bernstein on guitar, Kenny Washington on drums, Brian Lynch on trumpet and Don Braden on tenor sax. CD

With Chris Potter on alto, Don Braden on tenor, and David Hazeltine on piano! CD

Features Cyrus Chestnut and Larry Willis on piano, Joe Locke on vibes, and Don Braden on saxophone. CD

Features Don Braden on tenor sax. CD

Mellow magic from Betty – one of her first "comeback" albums for Verve, and an excellent set of tunes that still keeps the same feel as her 80s work on her own label. The group on most tunes is a trio – with Benny Green on piano, Michael Bowie on bass, and Winard Harper on drums – but some tracks feature additional tenor from Don Braden, blowing soulfully next to Betty's incredible voice. Tunes skip around with imagination and a sense of soul in places where you'd never expect it – and titles include "Look What I Got", "The Man I Love", "That Sunday That Summer", "All I Got", and "Just Like The Movies". CD