Tracks include "Fantastic Rhythm" and "Let Nature Take Its Course", unabridged versions of "Chelsea Bridge" and "Pretty Girl", and Strayhorn's 1942 arrangements of "Something To Live For". CD

Albert Beltman and Hans Meijdam on alto saxophone, Nils Van Haften on baritone saxophone, Ab Schaap and Toon Roos on tenor saxophone, Hans-Jorg Vink, Ilja Reijngoud, and Martijn Sohier on trombone, Erik Veldkamp, Mike Booth, Peter van Soest, and Ruud Breuls on trumpet, Ack van Rooijen on flugelhorn, John Ruocco on clarinet, Rob Van Bavel on piano, Frans Van Der Hoeven on bass, and Erik Ineke on drums. CD

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A fantastic document of a very cool group – one that we're not sure recorded any albums at the time, but who played on Dutch radio, with a lineup that featured some of the hippest cats on the scene at the time! The vibe is a bit like the work of Ruud Bos or Boy's Big Band – a very modern take on large ensemble material – full of life, color, and inventive phrasing – carried off by key soloists who include Ferdinand Povel on tenor, Frans Elsen on piano, Piet Noordijk on alto, Eddie Engels on trumpet, Frans Elsen on guitar, and Herman Schoonderwalt on alto and clarinet! The work is superbly recorded, and the set resonates strongly with the hippest large group material on Saba/MPS at the end of the 60s – very different than the sound of such a group just a few years before, with original material throughout, penned by members of the ensemble. Titles include "Last Moment", "Bluesy Joe", "Hobby Music", "Our Time", "Perka", "Bright Moment", "The Challenger", and "Twenty Four & More". CD

A rare jazz treasure from the European scene of the early 70s – killer material from a wealth of American artists and local talents – all done as special sessions for Dutch radio, and never issued to the public on record! Despite the radio origins of the music, the sound here is tremendous – easily on a par with the best MPS sessions of the time – which is no surprise, given that many of the artists here worked in similar circles! The first half of the set features the trio of pianist Louis Van Dyke augmented with guests who include Mark Murphy, Helen Merrill, Eddie Jefferson, Toots Thielemans, Herb Geller, and Dave Pike – all stepping out into the spotlight while Van Dyke's combo backs them up with lively grooves that are often heavy on bossa influences! The second half features larger orchestrations from The Metropole Orchestra – a soaring big band who groove wonderfully, often in support of vocals from Murphy or Greetje Kauffeld, but also featuring instrumental solos from European players Ack Van Rooyen, Piet Nordijk, Ferdinand Povel, and others. The whole set is worth it alone for the vocals of Murphy – because the record easily stands as some of his best work ever from this decade – and given how great Mark was at the time, that's really saying a lot! Small group titles include "Children Of The Sun", "So What", "Love Sick", "Sao Paulo", "Con Alma", "Seventh Day", and "Falling In Love With Love" – and bigger group numbers include "Out Of This World", "My Shining Hour", "Let's Fall In Love", "Get Happy", "I'll Wind", "This Time The Dream's On Me", "Paper Moon", "One For My Baby", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", and "That Old Black Magic". 37 tracks in all! CD

Overlooked later genius from Gato Barbieri – a trio of albums served up in one nicely priced package! Gato Para Los Amigos is some of Barbieri's best work of the 80s – an excellent live set from 1981 that's kind of a return to the drawn-out intensity of his years at Impulse! The group's got a good mixture of percussion, keyboards, and guitar – and the tracks on the set are mostly Latin-tinged numbers that offer a perfect foil for Gato's soulful and exploratory blowing – those haunting long lines we first fell in love with on his records for Impulse and Flying Dutchman! Titles include "Bolivia", "Carnavalito", "Brazil", "Viva Emiliano Zapata", and "Latino America". Que Pasa is a surprisingly nice late 90s effort from Gato Barbieri – at the time, his first new album in over a decade – and a set put together with a nicely contemporary feel with help from keyboardist Philippe Saisse! Saisse produced the set, and he really gives the record some of the warmly soulful moments of his own great music – an approach that's somewhat deeper than smooth jazz, and which makes more than enough space for Gato's well-blown saxophone solos. There's a bit of backing vocals on the set, and the approach here is definitely soul-based – but it's got a solid bottom that hearkens back to some of Gato's best R&B-inspired work of the 70s. Titles include "Mystica", "Dancing With Dolphins", "Straight Into The Sunrise", "Indonesia", "The Woman I Remember", and "Cause We've Ended As Lovers". Che Corazon is one of Gato Barbieri's most ambitious albums – a record that mixes core jazzy grooving with some larger orchestral parts – but all at a level that still moves along nicely! Sweet keyboards glide alongside Gato's reed lines – which come out strongly in the lead, with that sharp-cutting sense of soul that we've always loved so much. The overall sound is smoother than the early days, but no less soulful – and titles include a great remake of Marvin Gaye's "I Want You", plus "Eclipse", "The Woman On The Lake", "1812", "Encounter", and "Sweet Glenda". CD