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Exact matches: 9
Exact matches1
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
ESPBack Rappin' (voc, dub, acapella)/Ready To Rock N Roll (voc) ... 12-inch
Select, 1987. Near Mint- ... $1.99 2.99
... 12-inch, Vinyl record
(White label promo in a Select sleeve.)

Exact matches2
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Drew Youngs ESPHeartbeat ... LP
Drew Youngs ESP, 1983. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
... LP, Vinyl record album

Exact matches3
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Miles DavisESP ... CD
Columbia, 1965. Used ... $2.99
An album of dark and subtle beauty – and still one of our favorite Miles Davis albums of all time! The set's not as earth-shattering as some of Davis' other work of the 60s, but that's why we like it so much – because the emerging genius of the group with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Williams is held in a really special place here – one that ruminates quietly on space and soul, while Davis majestically directs tones and colors that he'd never gotten in a small group format before! Titles include the amazing "Iris", one of Miles' most haunting themes – plus "Little One", "RJ", "ESP", "Mood", and "Agitation". CD
(Columbia Jazz Contemporary Masters pressing.)

Exact matches4
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Miles DavisESP ... CD
Columbia, 1965. Used ... $2.99
An album of dark and subtle beauty – and still one of our favorite Miles Davis albums of all time! The set's not as earth-shattering as some of Davis' other work of the 60s, but that's why we like it so much – because the emerging genius of the group with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Williams is held in a really special place here – one that ruminates quietly on space and soul, while Davis majestically directs tones and colors that he'd never gotten in a small group format before! Titles include the amazing "Iris", one of Miles' most haunting themes – plus "Little One", "RJ", "ESP", "Mood", and "Agitation". CD
(Remastered edition.)
Also available ESP ... CD 5.99

Exact matches5
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Miles DavisESP ... CD
Columbia, 1965. New Copy ... $5.99 9.99
An album of dark and subtle beauty – and still one of our favorite Miles Davis albums of all time! The set's not as earth-shattering as some of Davis' other work of the 60s, but that's why we like it so much – because the emerging genius of the group with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Williams is held in a really special place here – one that ruminates quietly on space and soul, while Davis majestically directs tones and colors that he'd never gotten in a small group format before! Titles include the amazing "Iris", one of Miles' most haunting themes – plus "Little One", "RJ", "ESP", "Mood", and "Agitation". CD
Also available ESP ... CD 2.99

Exact matches6
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Deee-LiteESP (ouijee extended mix, yee yee radio mix) ... Cassette
Elektra, 1990. Used ... $13.99
... Cassette
(Still sealed!)

Exact matches7
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ VariousESP Sampler – ESP 1051 ... LP
ESP, Mid 60s. Very Good+ ... Out Of Stock
Very cool stuff – and a fittingly cool collection of work from the great ESP label! If you've never seen one of their samplers before, they're sort of a mad mix of many different styles – putting together tracks in short little blips, filtered out of longer original ones on albums, into a cool collage of sounds and moods – that includes material by Marion Brown, Sunny Murray, New York Art Quartet, The Fugs, Henry Grimes, Albert Ayler, Pearls Before Swine, Pharoah Sanders, and many others! This album features a number of great bits from records we've never seen, mixed together with some more classic moments, all packaged in a cool cover. Includes bits from "East Village Other" by Ishamael Reed, "The Lovebook Record" by Andrei Vozenensky, "Movement Soul" from a record of traditional recordings, "Ni Kantu En Esperanto" from an Esperanto recording, "The Coach With Six Insides" from a musical based on Finnegan's Wake, "Assemblage" by Gunter Hampel, "East Village Other" by Allen Ginsberg, "Call Me Burroughs" by William S Burroughs, "Zitro" by James Zitro, "Of Love & War" by Randy Burns, and lots more by some of the usual suspects. LP, Vinyl record album
(In the black and white cover. Includes insert. The back cover and insert have lots of notes in pen & pencil. Cover has light wear.)

Exact matches8
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Bee GeesESP ... LP
Warner, 1987. Very Good ... Out Of Stock
... LP, Vinyl record album

Exact matches9
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Miles DavisESP ... LP
Columbia, 1965. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
An album of dark and subtle beauty – and still one of our favorite Miles Davis albums of all time! The set's not as earth-shattering as some of Davis' other work of the 60s, but that's why we like it so much – because the emerging genius of the group with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Williams is held in a really special place here – one that ruminates quietly on space and soul, while Davis majestically directs tones and colors that he'd never gotten in a small group format before! Titles include the amazing "Iris", one of Miles' most haunting themes – plus "Little One", "RJ", "ESP", "Mood", and "Agitation". LP, Vinyl record album
Also available
ESP ... CD 5.99
ESP ... CD 2.99
 
Close matches: 70
Close matches10
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Albert AylerBells/Prophecy ... CD
ESP/ZYX (Germany), 1964/1965. Used ... $8.99
A double-length set that brings together 2 key early live sets by Albert Ayler – both recorded on the New York scene of the mid 60s! Bells was an unusual one-sided record that featured only 20 minutes of music, performed with an intensity that hardly leaves room for complaints about the shortness of the album! The single track "Bells" was performed at Town Hall by Ayler with a group that includes Donald Ayler on trumpet, Charles Tyler on alto sax, Lewis Worrell on bass, and Sunny Murray on percussion – all coming together in a raw, real sense of freedom – beautifully explored here without ever getting too overindulgent. The tune may well be one of the greatest illustrations of the ESP format at its best – as Ayler and company never stray too far, but carve out some incredibly imaginative space through their starkly-blown horn solos! Prophecy is longer – a full album that was recorded live in 1964 at the Cellar Cafe in New York, but not issued by ESP until years later, after Ayler's untimely early death. The performance is a trio outing – with Ayler's tenor alongside the bass of Gary Peacock and drums of Sunny Murray – all freely skirting around each other's space on the date, in a way that allows Ayler to take the bold lead with his sharp-toned solos, but which also allows for free interplay between the bass and percussion. Ayler's tone and wide swaths of sound are simply amazing – and titles include two variations on "Ghosts", plus "Spirits", "Prophecy", and "Wizard". CD
(Out of print.)

Close matches11
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Albert AylerBells/Prophecy (with bonus tracks) ... CD
ESP, 1964/1965. Used 2 CDs ... $14.99
A double-length set that brings together 2 key early live sets by Albert Ayler – both recorded on the New York scene of the mid 60s! Bells was an unusual one-sided record that featured only 20 minutes of music, performed with an intensity that hardly leaves room for complaints about the shortness of the album! The single track "Bells" was performed at Town Hall by Ayler with a group that includes Donald Ayler on trumpet, Charles Tyler on alto sax, Lewis Worrell on bass, and Sunny Murray on percussion – all coming together in a raw, real sense of freedom – beautifully explored here without ever getting too overindulgent. The tune may well be one of the greatest illustrations of the ESP format at its best – as Ayler and company never stray too far, but carve out some incredibly imaginative space through their starkly-blown horn solos! Prophecy is longer – a full album that was recorded live in 1964 at the Cellar Cafe in New York, but not issued by ESP until years later, after Ayler's untimely early death. The performance is a trio outing – with Ayler's tenor alongside the bass of Gary Peacock and drums of Sunny Murray – all freely skirting around each other's space on the date, in a way that allows Ayler to take the bold lead with his sharp-toned solos, but which also allows for free interplay between the bass and percussion. Ayler's tone and wide swaths of sound are simply amazing – and titles include two variations on "Ghosts", plus "Spirits", "Prophecy", and "Wizard". And then, if that's not enough, the 2CD package also features more material from the Prophecy sessions – 6 more tracks originally issued on the Albert Smiles With Sunny album – with titles that include "Saints", "Children", "Ghosts", "Spirits", and "Wizard" – all in different versions. CD

Close matches12
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Albert AylerHilversum Session ... CD
Osmosis/ESP, 1964. Used ... $9.99
A beautifully packaged reissue of this rare set from 1964 – an early example of the genius of Albert Ayler, recorded in The Netherlands for a small audience in a Dutch radio studio! The setting is a wonderful one – a mix of the live freedoms that would really let Ayler stretch out – especially when playing overseas – but recorded with the clarity of some of his studio albums for ESP – that sharp-edged sound that really highlights the groundbreaking style of his playing! The rest of the group here is equally great – and the quartet features Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums – the latter of whom is almost completely freed up from rhythm at some points. Titles include "Angels", "CAC", "Infant Happiness", and "No Name". Also includes a bonus fold-out poster with a painting of Ayler! CD
(2007 pressing.)

Close matches13
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Albert AylerLive On The Riviera ... CD
ESP, 1970. Used ... $9.99
A previously unreleased live performance by Albert Ayler – recorded in France in 1970 for the Maeght Foundation, but not the same material that was issued on the better-known Shandar albums! This concert predates those, and is a unique later outing that's strongly in the spirit of some of Ayler's earliest work for ESP – with longer tracks that serve mostly as a vehicle for Albert's own exploratory passages on tenor and soprano sax! The group's a quartet, with Steve Tintweiss on bass, Allen Blairman on drums, and Mary Maria on soprano sax and a bit of voice – but the way the concert's recorded, Ayler's tone is most strongly upfront in the mix, and seems to dominate most numbers. Titles include "Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe", "Birth Of Mirth", "Masonic Inborn", "Oh Love Of Life", "Heart Love", and "Island Harvest". CD
(Out of print, punch through barcode.)

Close matches14
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Albert AylerNew York Eye & Ear Control ... CD
ESP, 1964. New Copy ... $12.99 15.99
Seminal ESP work from Albert Ayler – a unique session done as a soundtrack to a short (and weird!) film from experimental director Michael Snow! The lineup is a bit different than some of Ayler's other ESP albums – and features Don Cherry on trumpet and cornet, John Tchicai on alto, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums. At times, the record's got a bit of a "new thing" vibe – a bit more spacious and sonic than some of Ayler's other material – but at other times, it burns with an intensity that's almost harder and freer than any of Albert's trio dates of the 60s. The album features 2 long tracks – "AY" and "ITT" – plus the shorter "Don's Dawn". CD
(50th Anniversary Edition!)

Close matches15
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Albert AylerSpirits Rejoice (remastered edition) ... CD
ESP, 1965. Used ... $9.99
A seminal Albert Ayler session from the 60s – recorded at the legendary Judson Hall with an incredible sound! There's a bold, righteous feel to this record that possibly even tops other Ayler classics for ESP – and the spacious setting makes the notes echo, rebound, and come back together with searing intensity throughout. The group features Ayler on tenor, brother Don on trumpet, Charles Tyler on alto, Sunny Murray on drums, and both Henry Grimes and Gary Peacock on basses – using a unique two-bass approach that only further emphasizes the unique qualities of the record. Call Cobbs plays a bit of harpsichord too – and tracks include "Sprits Rejoice", "Holy Family", "Angels", and "Prophet". CD

Close matches16
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Albert AylerSpiritual Unity (LP sleeve edition) ... CD
ESP/Get Back (Italy), 1964. Used ... $4.99 6.99
A landmark recording – Albert Ayler's first album for the ESP label, and a record that hit the jazz world like a bullet! Spiritual Unity sets the stage for a format that would become huge in the European avant scene of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and even today – the sax-driven power-trio, tenor against bass and drums, working freely with less rhythmic constraints than before, searching for new sounds and new modes of expression, working through changes in a style first proposed by Sonny Rollins, but taken to new intensity by the New York underground of the 60s. That sound is summed up here perfectly by Ayler, Gary Peacock, and Sunny Murray – working together with an edgey brilliance, on classic tracks that include "Ghosts: First Variation", "Ghosts: Second Variation", "The Wizard", and "Spirits". CD
(1998 LP sleeve edition. Cover has some wear.)

Close matches17
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ John BlumNine Rivers ... CD
ESP, 2023. Used ... $9.99
Really stunning work from John Blum – one of his few efforts as a lead act, and one that has us wondering why he hasn't given the world a lot more tremendous albums like this! Blum's got this way of attacking the piano that's definitely in the school of Cecil Taylor, an old mentor – yet the recording also has this way of working the sound of the room into the blend of the work on the keys of the piano – this kind of echoey brilliance that almost seems to absorb some sonic ideals of avant composition as much as it does explode with the energy of free improvisation! Titles the set features nine tracks in all – each numbered "River" selections. CD

Close matches18
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Don CherryLive At Cafe Montmartre 1966 (with bonus DVD) ... CD
ESP, 1966. Used CD/DVD ... $16.99
A rare slice of work from trumpeter Don Cherry – music that's every bit as forward-thinking as his three classic 60s albums on Blue Note! The session is a live one, but the sound is quite strong – recorded up-close, and with great focus on Cherry's incredible horn work – as well as the efforts of the rest of the group, which includes Gato Barbieri on tenor, Karl Berger on vibes, Bo Stief on bass, and Aldo Romano on drums. There's a definite "new thing" vibe going on here – a style that's similar to some of Archie Shepp's work of the period, or that of some of Cherry's Blue Note contemporaries. Tracks are all long, and titles include "Complete Communion", "Neopolitan Suite", "Cocktail Piece", and "Free Improvisation Music Now". CD
(Out of print, with bonus DVD sampler of ESP titles.)

Close matches19
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
FugsFugs II ... LP
ESP, 1966. Very Good+ ... $24.99
Their second album – a mad masterpiece of hippie freakout from Ed Sanders, Tulip Kupferberg, and the rest – with tracks that include "Group Grope", "Dirty Old Man", "Coming Down", "Virgin Forest", "Kill For Peace", and "Frenzy". LP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo pressing with 5th Avenue address – a nice copy!)
Also available Fugs Second Album – With Additional Live & Studio Tracks From The Early Fugs ... CD 6.99

Close matches20
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
FugsVirgin Fugs ... LP
ESP, Mid 60s. Near Mint- ... $24.99
Incredible early recordings by The Fugs – a set that captures the group at a time when they still had tremendous power and potential! The sessions were originally done for Folkways, then later sold to ESP – and the spare, earthy Folkways approach is perfect for the group, capturing them in a setting that's more of a happening than an actual recording session – a freewheeling hippie-esque party that's perfect for the protest and politics of the songs. Instrumentation includes a lot of hand-held percussion – maracas, tambourine, etc – and the Holy Modal Rounders join the group on some songs as well. Titles include "Saran Wrap", "We're The Fugs", "Caca Rocka", "My Bed Is Getting Crowded", "New Amphetamine Shriek", and "CIA Man". LP, Vinyl record album
(Later stereo pressing with ESP label on Side A/white label on Side B, in a 55 St NY cover. Cover has light wear and aging.)

Close matches21
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Guillermo Gregorio2 Trios ... CD
ESP, 2023. New Copy ... $12.99 14.99
The title's no lie, as reedman Guillermo Gregorio plays here in two different trios – each of whom get space in different halves of the set! The first half features Gregorio on clarinet next to some very cool vibes from Carrie Biolo, and cello from Fred Lonberg-Holm – a lineup that has this amazing sense of sound, especially when the vibes ring out with a more dynamic cascading energy than the clarinet and cello – as if both of the other players have given Biolo plenty of space to shine on her own! The second trio features cello as well – played by Nicholas Jozwiak – next to Gregorio's work on standard clarinet, and Ivan Barenboim on contralto clarinet. The tunes from that group have a very strong focus on interplay between the two clarinets – fluttering around, almost as birds in the sky – while the cello provides a nice grounding. Titles include "Tres", "Cosa Rara", "Degrees Of Iconicity", "Fourth Piece", "NPA", and "Out Of The Other Notes". CD

Close matches22
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Holy Modal RoundersIndian War Whoop ... LP
ESP, 1967. Very Good+ ... $38.99
Some of the most tripped-out music ever from The Holy Modal Rounders – and that's saying a lot, given the nature of the group! This unique early album on ESP features two side-long tracks – both of which are mini-suites of sort, and filled with odd sounds, weird themes, and a strange mixture of hippie instrumentation and sci-fi experimentation! The group for the record is a quartet – with the core combo of Peter Stampfel on violin and vocals and Steve Weber on guitar, augmented by playwright Sam Shephard on drums and Lee Crabtree on piano and organ – plus extra vocals from the trio of Antonia, Barbara, & Wendy. The music is in the best free-thinking style of other rock on the ESP label in the 60s – and titles include "Jimmy & Crash Survey The Universe" and "The Second-Hand Watch". LP, Vinyl record album
(60s yellow label pressing – a nice copy.)
Also available Indian War Whoop (2LP pressing – with bonus tracks & download) ... LP 28.99

Close matches23
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Holy Modal RoundersIndian War Whoop (2LP pressing – with bonus tracks & download) ... LP
ESP/Don Giovanni, 1967. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)... $28.99 39.99
Some of the most tripped-out music ever from The Holy Modal Rounders – and that's saying a lot, given the nature of the group! This unique early album on ESP features two side-long tracks – both of which are mini-suites of sort, and filled with odd sounds, weird themes, and a strange mixture of hippie instrumentation and sci-fi experimentation! The group for the record is a quartet – with the core combo of Peter Stampfel on violin and vocals and Steve Weber on guitar, augmented by playwright Sam Shephard on drums and Lee Crabtree on piano and organ – plus extra vocals from the trio of Antonia, Barbara, & Wendy. The music is in the best free-thinking style of other rock on the ESP label in the 60s – and titles include "Jimmy & Crash Survey The Universe" and "The Second-Hand Watch". LP2 features Live In 1965 – Some of the earliest music ever from The Holy Modal Rounders – a rare live performance from 1965, recorded at the Chess Mate nightclub in Detroit, and featuring only the duo of Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber! The music here is a bit more folksy and a bit less trippy than some of the Rounders' later recordings, but it still shows a decidedly left-field approach – not just in the subjects of the tunes, but also in the way the guitar, banjo, and fiddle are used – almost as additional voices at times, instead of conventional folk instrumentation. Titles include "Crowley Waltz", "Black Eyed Suzy", "My Mind Capsized", "Fishin Blues", "Rum Mountain", "Random Canyon", "Skin Game", "Indian War Whoop", and "Flop Eared Mule". LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Indian War Whoop ... LP 38.99

Close matches24
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Allen Lowe & The Constant Sorrow OrchestraIn The Dark (3CD set) ... CD
ESP, 2023. New Copy 3CD ... $19.99 32.99
A surprisingly redemptive set of work – given that it's inspired by a time in the life of tenorist Allen Lowe when he was hardly able to sleep at all! The massive 3CD package works as this beautiful suite of tracks united by unexpected twists and turns along the way – very much woven together through complicated reed lines by players who include Lowe on tenor, Aaron Johnson on alto and clarinet, Ken Peplowski on clarinet, and Lisa Parrott on baritone – balanced by work from Kellin Hannas on trumpet and Brian Simontacchi on trombone. The horns engage in a way that stretches back to late 50s modern, but with more avant soloing throughout. Titles include "Poem For Eric Dolphy", "In The Jungles", "Junkie Rumble", "Hiding From A Riff", "Out To Brunch", "What Are We Doing", and "Blues For Old Jews". CD

Close matches25
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
New York Art QuartetNew York Art Quartet ... CD
ESP, 1964. Used ... $11.99 14.99
One of our favorite albums ever on the legendary ESP label – and a key session in the best "new thing" mode of the 60s! The New York Art Quartet were a short lived collaboration between trombonist Roswell Rudd, saxophonist John Tchicai, bassist Lewis Worrell, and percussionist Milford Graves – but their legacy in this one album is almost greater than that of other combos who recorded more frequently at the time. The sound is similar to the best "spacious" groups of the new thing years – such as the Archie Shepp/Bill Dixon work, or some of the looser sides by the New York Contemporary Five – a group that featured Shepp and Tchicai. Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka) makes a key guest appearance on the title "Black Dada Nihilismus" – reciting his writings alongside the group's somber instrumental musings – and other titles include "Short", "Rosmosis", and "No 6". CD
(Remastered digipak pressing.)

Close matches26
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Charlie ParkerBroadcast Performances – 1948 to 1949 – Vol 2 ... LP
ESP, 1948/1949. Near Mint- ... $14.99
Rare Charlie Parker material – including a 1948 Royal Roost performance with Miles Davis on trumpet and Tadd Dameron on piano – and a 1949 Roost performances with Kenny Dorham on trumpet and Al Haig on piano. LP, Vinyl record album
(Italian Base pressing.)

Close matches27
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Pearls Before SwineBalaklava ... LP
ESP, 1968. Very Good+ ... $29.99
The second album by Tom Rapp's legendary group Pearls Before Swine – and a haunting batch of tracks that is far and away one of our favorite rock albums of the 60s! The style of the music is incredible – a dark blend of rock and folk, with slight avant influences, in a style that's influenced countless groups in later years, most famously some of the British acts on 4AD. Rapp's vision and vocals are instantly captivating – sad and moody but never self-pitying, with a sound that's as striking as the production of the album's jagged musical backings. Includes the tracks "Translucent Carriages", "I Saw the World", "Lepers and Roses", and a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne". LP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing. Includes insert. Cover has a tiny top seam split and looks great overall!)

Close matches28
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Pearls Before SwineOne Nation Underground (LP sleeve edition) ... CD
ESP/Get Back (Italy), 1967. Used ... $11.99 14.99
The incredible debut from Pearls Before Swine – a group who were a bit late to the New York folk party of the 60s – but at a level that really helped them evolve past the rest of their scene! The album's sometimes a bit overlooked – as it came out on the mostly-jazz ESP label – but it's a mindblowing treasure from the year of 1967, and one of the most forward-thinking albums of the time! The group begin with folk constructions, but really take off quickly with some trippier elements too – especially when they mix organ, vibes, or electronics with more familiar guitar and mandolin. Singer Tom Rapp maybe has a slight touch of Dylan in his approach, but he's already up there as his own man – and we love Rapp so much, we'd place him in the same heady territory as Tim Buckley, Tim Hardin, or Leonard Cohen – all of whose work is a good match for the energy here. There's a wonderfully dark quality to this album that gives it a timeless feel – strains of avant instrumentation underneath the gentler sound of Rapp's voice, and an undying sadness that's matched by the feel of songs like "Another Time", "Playmate", "Drop Out", "Ballad To An Amber Lady", "Miss Morse", "I Shall Not Care", and "Morning Song". CD
(Out of print, limited numbered edition. Sleeve has some light wear.)

Close matches29
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Sun RaHeliocentric Worlds Of Sun Ra Vol 1 (180 gram pressing) ... LP
ESP, 1965. New Copy (reissue)... $24.99 26.99
A seminal set from Sun Ra – even if it's one of his few 60s albums not on the Saturn label! The set was done for ESP during the glory days of that avant powerhouse – a perfect match, given the Arkestra's relocation to New York, and the label's ability to reach out to big new audiences for exciting music – a fact that certainly made this album one of the most widely-circulated Ra albums for many years to come. The group here works in formation that holds up strongly with the Saturn sides – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto, Teddy Nance on trombone, Chris Capers on trumpet, Danny Davis on flute and alto, and Ra on piano, bass marimba, and some especially nice electronic celeste! Things get quite out at points – freer almost than other Arkestra sides of the time – and titles include "Outer Nothingness", "Other Worlds", "Nebulae", "Dancing In the Sun", "The Cosmos", and "Of Heavenly Things". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches30
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Sun RaHeliocentric Worlds Of Sun Ra Vol 2 (180 gram pressing) ... LP
ESP, 1965. New Copy (reissue)... $24.99 26.99
The second set of Heliocentric tracks that Ra recorded for ESP, with a freer feel than the first volume, and a bit more avant-oriented work overall. Ra and the group play a lot of percussion – and Ra himself is on tuned bongos, piano, and clavioline, which has a very nice spooky sound! The reed work on the album is by Robert Cummings, John Gilmore, Pat Patrick, and Marshall Allen – with bass by Ronnie Boykin and percussion by Roger Blank. Tracks include "Cosmic Chaos", "House of Beauty", and "The Sun Myth". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches31
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Mark Reboul/Roberta Piket/Billy MintzSeven Pieces/About An Hour/Saxophone, Piano, Drums ... CD
ESP, 2004/2023. Used ... $7.99
Recorded in 2004 with Mark Reboul on saxophone, Roberta Piket on piano, and Billy Mintz on drums. CD

Close matches32
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Sea EnsembleWe Move Together ... CD
ESP/Get Back (Italy), 1974. Used ... $8.99
An obscure late ESP session featuring Don Rafael Garrett and Zusann Fasteau Garrett in a set of duets on percussion, bass, clarinet, and voice. The sound's a bit hippy dippy in parts, with a vibe that's kind of groovy and optimistic – but at other times, the playing is nice and spare, with a good east coast avant sound, in that mid 70s loft jazz mode. Titles include "Wave Hands Like Clouds", "Stork Cools Its Wings", and "Snake Creeps Down". CD
(Out of print.)

Close matches33
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Matthew Shipp TrioCircular Temple ... CD
Infinite Zero/ESP, 1992. New Copy ... $12.99 14.99
A really important early album from this groundbreaking pianist – a set that initially got plenty of exposure at the time, thanks to its placement on the Infinite Zero label – even though Matthew Shipp's piano work was very far from the mainstream! The trio here is tremendous – and the work of William Parker on bass is especially wonderful, as is the subtle drum handling of Whit Dickey – as the group perform lne long suite of tracks that flow together in haunting patterns of criss crossing lines that describe seem to really bring a sense of spirituality back to the world of improvising music in the early 90s! CD
Also available Circular Temple ... LP 23.99

Close matches34
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Matthew Shipp TrioCircular Temple ... LP
Infinite Zero/ESP, 1992. New Copy ... $23.99 26.99
A really important early album from this groundbreaking pianist – a set that initially got plenty of exposure at the time, thanks to its placement on the Infinite Zero label – even though Matthew Shipp's piano work was very far from the mainstream! The trio here is tremendous – and the work of William Parker on bass is especially wonderful, as is the subtle drum handling of Whit Dickey – as the group perform lne long suite of tracks that flow together in haunting patterns of criss crossing lines that describe seem to really bring a sense of spirituality back to the world of improvising music in the early 90s! LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Circular Temple ... CD 12.99

Close matches35
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Noah HowardNoah Howard Quartet To At Judson Hall – Revisited (Noah Howard Quartet/At Judson Hall) ... CD
ESP/Hat Art (Switzerland), 1966. New Copy ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
A pair of rare albums from reedman Noah Howard – back to back in a single set! First up is the Noah Howard Quartet album from 1966 – one of the most obscure albums on the ESP label in the 60s – and a brilliant early chapter in the career of reedman Noah Howard! Howard is maybe best known for his contributions to the European scene from the end of the 60s into the 70s – but here, he's already a stunning giant on the New York scene – blowing alto with a sound that's very much all his own, and which makes his performance here as both a soloist and leader a key part of the early ESP label legacy. The group is piano-less – a unique ensemble with Ric Colbeck on trumpet, Scotty Holt on bass, and Dave Grant on percussion – all unknown players, but great partners for Howard on the record – on titles that include "Henry's Street", "Apotheosis", "Apotheosis Extension I", and "And About Love". At Judson Hall features a brilliant live performance from the young Noah Howard – working here at a level that's very much on the most spiritual side of the ESP label spectrum, and which also shows the new level of inventive group structures that were coming into play on the New York scene at the time! The record's got a sense of soulful structure and individual freedom that's a bit like the classics of Archie Shepp at the time – as Howard blows alto alongside trumpeter Ric Colbeck, an unusual player who was also on his quartet studio session for the label. A young Dave Burrell makes a great appearance on piano, alongside the bass of Sirone, cello of Catherine Norris, and percussion of Bobby Kapp – as the group make their way through two side-long tracks, "This Place Called Earth" and "Homage To Coltrane". CD

Close matches36
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✨✧ Sun RaCollege Tour Vol 1 – The Complete Nothing Is ... CD
ESP, 1966. Used 2 CDs ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
An expanded version of the material that originally appeared on the Nothing Is album – stretched out here into a 2CD set that features loads of extra unreleased cuts from the recordings! The core album is one of the best non-Saturn Sun Ra albums of the 60s – material recorded live on a tour of New York colleges in 1966, and very much in a spirit that captures the Arkestra at their best! Longer tracks are juxtaposed nicely with shorter ones – in a way that has the group running very outside one minute, yet stepping soulfully back to the center the next – never schizophrenicly, but in a mode that really displays the full range of energy pulsing in the group. Interesting instrumentation on the set includes Ra on clavoline, plus Carl Nimrod on the beautiful-sounding "sun horn" – and other players include Marshall Allen on alto, John Gilmore on tenor, Pat Patrick on baritone, and James Jacson on log drum and flute. This 2CD version features both a first and second set, with even a bit of material from a soundcheck, too – a total of 25 titles that include "Theme Of The Star Gazers #2", "Is Is Eternal", "The Exotic Forest #2", "Space Aura", "Velvet", "Dancing Shadows", "Next Stop Mars", "Outerspaceways", "Shadow World", and "Sun Ra and His Band From Outer Space". CD

Close matches37
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✨✧ Mat Walerian/Matthew Shipp/Hamid DrakeJungle – Live at Okuden ... CD
ESP, 2016. Used 2CD ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
A new recording for the legendary ESP label – and one that definitely continues in the best tradition of their avant jazz sides from the 60s and 70s! The music here features the lineup of reedman Mat Walerian, pianist Matthew Shipp, and drummer Hamid Drake – coming together in space that's often open, and quite spiritual – maybe directed a bit more in the spirit of Walerian's style, in a way that makes for some especially compelling sounds from Shipp! Mat plays alto, bass clarinet, soprano clarinet, and flute – thinner reed lines that often demand some more sensitive sounds from Shipp's piano – although he can also be a bit bold at times, too – and Drake, as always, is the perfect accompanist no matter what direction the music takes – unfolding in a double-length live performance, with tracks that include "Ultimate Insurance", "Shrine", "Teleport", "Gentle Giants", "Gate", "Coach On Da Mic", "Tiger", "Sit Back Relax & Watch", and "Good Trip Is A Safe Trip". CD

Close matches38
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✨✧ Byron Allen TrioByron Allen Trio ... CD
ESP/ZYX (Germany), 1965. Used ... Out Of Stock
Beautifully free alto work from Byron Allen – a player who really shines brightly on this rare session for ESP Records – one of the few ever cut under his own name! Allen's got a style that's right up there with the 60s best from Ornette Coleman or Marion Brown – able to move with a fluidity that's breathless, even amidst rhythms that are very loose and open – as the trio here works in a style that almost echoes some of the harmelodic modes of Coleman, but which eventually pushes farther towards the freedoms of other artists on ESP! The set has some wonderful bass from Maceo Gilchrist, whose round, rolling tones really make the album sparkle – as do the punctuated drums of Ted Robinson. Titles include "Today's Blues Tomorrow", "Time Is Past", "Three Steps In The Right Direction", and "Decision For The Cole-Man". CD
(Spine has a cutout notch, artwork has some age spots.)

Close matches39
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✨✧ Ronnie BoykinsWill Come Is Now (aka Ronnie Boykins) ... CD
ESP, 1975. Used ... Out Of Stock
A rare non-Sun Ra session from bassist Ronnie Boykins! Boykins was one of Ra's most long-term players – a key part of the Arkestra for many years – but on this album, he hits a totally different sound –and one that's somewhat spiritual as well! The group's got a great sax-heavy sound that comes from a trio of reedmen – Monty Waters, Joe Ferguson, and James Vass – handling alto, tenor, soprano, and flute between them – often in a tight line at the head, then breaking out into some wonderfully personal solos – played with such feeling that almost makes us think that Boykins was a much more sensitive musician than he ever got the chance to be with Sun Ra. The tunes have a really beautiful sense of structure and soul – and the reedmen explode beautifully with their work, alongside a remaining lineup that features Daoud Haroom on trombone, Art Lewis on percussion, and George Avaloz on congas. Titles include "Tipping On Heels", "The Third I", "The Will Come, Is Now", "Starlight At The Wonder Inn", and "Demon's Dance". CD
(2009 digipak pressing.)

Close matches40
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✨✧ Don CherryLive At Cafe Montmartre 1966 Vol 3 ... CD
ESP, 1966. Used ... Out Of Stock
The third and final volume of Don Cherry's great performance at Cafe Montmartre from 1966 – and work that's even more far-reaching than the first two volumes! The album features two extended tracks – versions of "Complete Communion" and "Remembrance" – done in ways that mix core themes with freer solo moments, almost in a mini suite-like form! Players include Cherry on pocket trumpet, Karl Berger on vibes, Gato Barbieri on tenor, Alto Romano on drums, and Bo Stief on bass – and the music is right up there with Cherry's seminal 60s sides for Blue Note – every bit as bold and righteous as that material. CD
(Out of print.)

Close matches41
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✨✧ Lowell DavidsonLowell Davidson Trio ... CD
ESP, 1965. Used ... Out Of Stock
One of the most obscure 60s jazz sessions on ESP – a really free outing from pianist Lowell Davidson, working here in a trio that includes Gary Peacock on bass and Milford Graves on drums! Davidson's approach to the keys is quite far out, especially for the time – very much in the mode of Cecil Taylor, but possibly even more open-ended than Taylor's work up to this point. He doesn't get lost in the open spaces, though, thanks in no small part to the intuitiveness of his players. Really wonderful stuff that's loose, angular and engrossing all the way! Tracks are all longish originals – and titles include "L", "Ad Hoc", "Strong Tears", "Stately 1", and "Dunce". CD
(2008 digipak pressing.)

Close matches42
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ GodzGodz 2 ... LP
ESP, 1967. Very Good+ ... Out Of Stock
The second album from this legendary group – one of the few rock acts to record for the avant jazz powerhouse ESP Records – with titles that include "Soon The Moon", "Squeek", "Radar Eyes", "Travelin Salesman", and "Permanent Green Light". LP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing – in great shape! Cover has a few inches of masking tape on the top seam, but is very nice overall.)

Close matches43
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✨✧ GodzThird Testament ... LP
ESP, 1968. Very Good+ ... Out Of Stock
The third album from one of the few rock bands to ever record for ESP Records – with titles that include "ABC", "Ruby Red", "First Multitude", "Neet Street", and "Womban". LP, Vinyl record album
(Nice original pressing!)

Close matches44
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✨✧ Milford GravesMilford Graves Percussion Ensemble With Sunny Morgan ... CD
ESP/ZYX (Germany), 1965. Used ... Out Of Stock
A classic album of avant percussion – even if the title's a bit misleading! The Milford Graves Percussion Ensemble is mostly just Milford Graves himself, playing on drums, bells, gongs, and shakers – joined on this early album by Sunny Morgan, who also plays drums and bells on the set – working with Graves in a spiritual exploration of space and sound that predates some of the AACM recordings by a few years, and which shows ESP to be one of the most groundbreaking jazz imprints of the 60s! Tracks have a fairly hard hitting approach, and titles include "Nothing", "Nothing 13", "Nothing 5-7", and "Nothing 19". CD

Close matches45
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✨✧ Har-You Percussion GroupHar-You Percussion Group ... CD
ESP/CuBop, 1995. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
A legendary bit of Latin from the New York scene of the 60s – recorded by a host of youthful players working under the direction of percussionist Montego Joe! The group's name is a contraction of "Harlem Youth" – a program in which all players participated, as part of an effort to get kids involved in music uptown – spearheaded by Montego Joe, whose guidance in the set is greatly appreciated! There's a strong Latin Soul vibe running through the set – but one that's different than Joe's other work, a bit more rootsy at times, given all the percussion in the lineup – but warmed up nicely with bits of guitar, trumpet, and alto sax. The album's filled with great groovers – including the classic "Welcome To The Party", and the amazing "Oua-Train" jazz cut, which has a slightly spiritual feel. Other tracks include "Feed Me Good", "Barrets Bag", "Tico", "Ngoma", and "Santa Cruz". CD

Close matches46
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✨✧ Jerry MooreLife Is A Constant Journey Home ... LP
ESP, 1967. Very Good+ ... Out Of Stock
An amazingly soulful set of folk tunes from the late 60s – the only album we've ever seen from singer Jerry Moore, and a real rarity from the ESP label! Moore's got a style that's somewhere between Terry Callier and Tim Buckley – earthy and acoustic one minute, but stepping out with some hipper rock-influenced touches the next – in a style that makes the album way more than just a conventional folk set. There's a strong political undercurrent to many of the tunes – and Moore is backed by a quartet that includes Eric Gale on electric guitar and Ralph McDonald on percussion. Titles include "Ballad Of Birmingham", "Drugged", "This Is My Time", "Let Go Reach Out", and "Anti Bellum Sermon". LP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing! Cover has a small scratch in one spot, and back has a small stain – but is nice overall.)

Close matches47
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✨✧ Sunny MurraySunny Murray (with bonus interview) ... CD
ESP, 1966. Used ... Out Of Stock
One of the greatest albums on ESP – and a darkly-tinged document that points strongly towards the future of jazz at the end of the 60s! The album's one of the most focused of the early ESP years – and it features drummer Sunny Murray stepping out strongly as a leader – working with players who include Jacques Coursil on trumpet, Byard Lancaster and Jack Graham on alto saxes, and Alan Silva on bass – all with an intensity that prefaces some of the players' later freedoms on the French scene at the end of the decade, and modes to come during the loft jazz years of the 70s! The horns are never too free, and they come together in a flurry of sharp edges that reminds us a bit of sound structures in Archie Shepp's work at the time – but almost more organic and open overall. Titles include "Phase 1234", "Hilariously", "Angels & Devils", and "Giblet". Plus, the CD also features over 30 minutes of bonus interview material! CD

Close matches48
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✨✧ Sun RaHeliocentric Worlds Of Sun Ra Vol 1 (LP sleeve edition) ... CD
ESP (Italy), 1965. Used ... Out Of Stock
A seminal set from Sun Ra – even if it's one of his few 60s albums not on the Saturn label! The set was done for ESP during the glory days of that avant powerhouse – a perfect match, given the Arkestra's relocation to New York, and the label's ability to reach out to big new audiences for exciting music – a fact that certainly made this album one of the most widely-circulated Ra albums for many years to come. The group here works in formation that holds up strongly with the Saturn sides – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto, Teddy Nance on trombone, Chris Capers on trumpet, Danny Davis on flute and alto, and Ra on piano, bass marimba, and some especially nice electronic celeste! Things get quite out at points – freer almost than other Arkestra sides of the time – and titles include "Outer Nothingness", "Other Worlds", "Nebulae", "Dancing In the Sun", "The Cosmos", and "Of Heavenly Things". CD

Close matches49
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✨✧ Sun RaHeliocentric Worlds Of Sun Ra Vol 3 – The Lost Tapes ... CD
ESP, 1965. Used ... Out Of Stock
Previously unissued work by Sun Ra – tracks recorded during the sessions for his Heliocentric Worlds 2 album for ESP, but lost to the sands of time for nearly 40 years! Like that previous album, this one features a smaller version of the Arkestra than usual – an octet that has Ra working with core hornmen Pat Patrick, John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Walter Miller, and Robert Cummings – supported by a rhythm section that includes Ronnie Boykins on bass and Roger Blank on percussion. Apart from a lot of added percussion by various members of the group, the instrumentation overall is relatively straightforward – even if Ra's compositions are not. The set kicks off with the 17 minute "Intercosmosis" – a relatively free, stretched-out tune – then is followed by shorter numbers that travel along darker, more introspective pathways. These titles include "World Worlds", "Interplanetary Travelers", "Mythology Metamorphosis", and "Heliocentric Worlds". CD
(Out of print.)

Close matches50
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✨✧ Rova Saxophone QuartetCircumference of Reason ... CD
ESP, 2021. Used ... Out Of Stock
Beautiful sounds from Rova Sax Quartet – a group who virtually invented their format in the 70s, and are still very much masters of the game! The thing about Rova, is that they're never using an all-sax lineup as a gimmick – and although some horns occasionally served more rhythmic ends, the sound is often more concerned with the interplay of tones and textures – delivered by the superb lineup of Bruce Ackley on soprano and tenor, Steve Adams on alto and sopranino, Larry Ochs on tenor, and Jon Raskin on baritone. Titles include "NC 17", "The Enumeration", "Extrapolation Of The Inevitable", and "The Circumference Of Reason". CD

Close matches51
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✨✧ Charles TylerEastern Man Alone (German pressing) ... CD
ESP/ZYX (Germany), 1967. Used ... Out Of Stock
An incredible album by avant saxophonist Charles Tyler – and one of his most unique albums ever! Tyler's playing here in a wild setting – alto sax mixed with three stringed instruments, one cello and two basses – which makes for a very unusual sound. The album's got a deep, dark soul – very different sounding than other records on ESP at the time – and it also stretches out with some cosmic influences that don't always show up in Tyler's later work. The whole thing's brilliantly beautiful – with a blend of sounds that's unlike anything else we can describe, and which has always made the album one of our favorites in the ESP catalog. Cuts include "Le-Roi", "Cha-Lacy's Out East", and "Eastern". CD
(Out of print.)

Close matches52
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✨✧ Marzette WattsMarzette Watts ... CD
ESP (Italy), 1966. Used ... Out Of Stock
A vision of the future of avant garde jazz – recorded in 1966, and one of the most groundbreaking titles on the legendary ESP label! Saxophonist Marzette Watts is a player who hardly ever gets his due – but was part of the key new wave of younger players on the east coast scene of the 60s – fitting well in a lineage of Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp, and other important forces in avant jazz at the time. This album's one of the few he ever recorded – along with an important session for Savoy – and is mindblowing right from the start – a fresh blend of new thing ideas with the freer, looser modes of the ESP scene – handled perfectly by a well-chosen group that features Byard Lancaster on alto and flute, Clifford Thornton on trombone and cornet, Sonny Sharrock on guitar, Karl Berger on vibes, Juni Booth and Henry Grimes on bass, and JC Moses on drums. Watts plays tenor, soprano, and bass clarinet – and titles include "Backdrop For Urban Revolution", "Ia", and "Geno". CD

Close matches53
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✨✧ Byron Allen TrioByron Allen Trio ... CD
Calibre/ESP (Netherlands), 1965. Used ... Out Of Stock
Beautifully free alto work from Byron Allen – a player who really shines brightly on this rare session for ESP Records – one of the few ever cut under his own name! Allen's got a style that's right up there with the 60s best from Ornette Coleman or Marion Brown – able to move with a fluidity that's breathless, even amidst rhythms that are very loose and open – as the trio here works in a style that almost echoes some of the harmelodic modes of Coleman, but which eventually pushes farther towards the freedoms of other artists on ESP! The set has some wonderful bass from Maceo Gilchrist, whose round, rolling tones really make the album sparkle – as do the punctuated drums of Ted Robinson. Titles include "Today's Blues Tomorrow", "Time Is Past", "Three Steps In The Right Direction", and "Decision For The Cole-Man". CD

Close matches54
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✨✧ Albert AylerBells/Prophecy ... CD
ESP/Get Back (Italy), 1964/1965. Used ... Out Of Stock
A double-length set that brings together 2 key early live sets by Albert Ayler – both recorded on the New York scene of the mid 60s! Bells was an unusual one-sided record that featured only 20 minutes of music, performed with an intensity that hardly leaves room for complaints about the shortness of the album! The single track "Bells" was performed at Town Hall by Ayler with a group that includes Donald Ayler on trumpet, Charles Tyler on alto sax, Lewis Worrell on bass, and Sunny Murray on percussion – all coming together in a raw, real sense of freedom – beautifully explored here without ever getting too overindulgent. The tune may well be one of the greatest illustrations of the ESP format at its best – as Ayler and company never stray too far, but carve out some incredibly imaginative space through their starkly-blown horn solos! Prophecy is longer – a full album that was recorded live in 1964 at the Cellar Cafe in New York, but not issued by ESP until years later, after Ayler's untimely early death. The performance is a trio outing – with Ayler's tenor alongside the bass of Gary Peacock and drums of Sunny Murray – all freely skirting around each other's space on the date, in a way that allows Ayler to take the bold lead with his sharp-toned solos, but which also allows for free interplay between the bass and percussion. Ayler's tone and wide swaths of sound are simply amazing – and titles include two variations on "Ghosts", plus "Spirits", "Prophecy", and "Wizard". CD
Also available Bells/Prophecy ... CD 8.99

Close matches55
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✨✧ Albert AylerComplete Live At Slug's Saloon Recordings ... CD
Lonehill/ESP (Spain), 1966. Used ... Out Of Stock
The complete recordings from Albert Ayler's 1966 ESP set at Slugs Nightclub – located in his home turf of the East Village, a very fervent setting for avant jazz at the time! The material has a feel that's a lot like Ayler's studio recordings for ESP, but the tracks are longer overall, and feature a bit more interplay between the group members at times – individual solo space that's occasionally a bit more pronounced, running back into some tighter energies from the rest of the group. Ayler's blowing with a lineup that includes his brother Donald Ayler on trumpet, Lewis Worrell on bass, Michel Sampson on violin, and a very young Ronald Shannon Jackson on drums and percussion – and titles include "Truth Is Marching On", "Bells", "Ghosts", and "Our Prayer". CD

Close matches56
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Albert AylerLive At Slug's Saloon, Vol 1 ... CD
ESP/ZYX (Germany), 1966. Used ... Out Of Stock
The first volume of Ayler's classic set at Slugs from 1966. Ayler's leading a quintet with brother Donald on trumpet, Michel Sampson on violin, Lewis Worrell on bass, and Ron Jackson on percussion. The music is open-ended & free flowing, but keeps coming back to themes from Ayler's classics "Truth Is Marching In" and "Our Prayer". Great stuff, and one of the best live recordings of his work. CD

Close matches57
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✨✧ Albert AylerSpirits Rejoice ... LP
ESP, 1965. Very Good+ ... Out Of Stock
A seminal Albert Ayler session from the 60s – recorded at the legendary Judson Hall with an incredible sound! There's a bold, righteous feel to this record that possibly even tops other Ayler classics for ESP – and the spacious setting makes the notes echo, rebound, and come back together with searing intensity throughout. The group features Ayler on tenor, brother Don on trumpet, Charles Tyler on alto, Sunny Murray on drums, and both Henry Grimes and Gary Peacock on basses – using a unique two-bass approach that only further emphasizes the unique qualities of the record. Call Cobbs plays a bit of harpsichord too – and tracks include "Sprits Rejoice", "Holy Family", "Angels", and "Prophet". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches58
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✨✧ Albert AylerSpiritual Unity ... CD
ESP/ZYX (Germany), 1964. Used ... Out Of Stock
A landmark recording – Albert Ayler's first album for the ESP label, and a record that hit the jazz world like a bullet! Spiritual Unity sets the stage for a format that would become huge in the European avant scene of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and even today – the sax-driven power-trio, tenor against bass and drums, working freely with less rhythmic constraints than before, searching for new sounds and new modes of expression, working through changes in a style first proposed by Sonny Rollins, but taken to new intensity by the New York underground of the 60s. That sound is summed up here perfectly by Ayler, Gary Peacock, and Sunny Murray – working together with an edgey brilliance, on classic tracks that include "Ghosts: First Variation", "Ghosts: Second Variation", "The Wizard", and "Spirits". CD
Also available Spiritual Unity (LP sleeve edition) ... CD 4.99

Close matches59
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Albert AylerSpiritual Unity (180 gram vinyl) ... LP
ESP, 1964. New Copy (reissue)... Out Of Stock
A landmark recording – Albert Ayler's first album for the ESP label, and a record that hit the jazz world like a bullet! Spiritual Unity sets the stage for a format that would become huge in the European avant scene of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and even today – the sax-driven power-trio, tenor against bass and drums, working freely with less rhythmic constraints than before, searching for new sounds and new modes of expression, working through changes in a style first proposed by Sonny Rollins, but taken to new intensity by the New York underground of the 60s. That sound is summed up here perfectly by Ayler, Gary Peacock, and Sunny Murray – working together with an edgey brilliance, on classic tracks that include "Ghosts: First Variation", "Ghosts: Second Variation", "The Wizard", and "Spirits". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches60
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Oscar Brown Jr & Maggie BrownWe're Live ... CD
Magpie/ESP, 2001. Used ... Out Of Stock
One of the last albums ever from the legendary Oscar Brown Jr – a set that features the famous vocalist working with daughter Maggie Brown – in a setting that's one of the most jazz-based that Oscar's used in years! Backing us by a hip small combo – and Oscar brings a hell of a lot of personality to the tunes – those soulful inflections we've always loved in his lyrics, augmented by some spoken bits from time to time – and matched with a very deep, spiritual jazz approach from Maggie! The set's a great one – filled with great memories from Brown's many years in music – and many numbers feature this really great creative interplay, as other singers come into the group with the spirit of instrumental voices in a small combo. Titles include "Bird Chase", "Midnight", "All Blues", "Strongman", "Insight", "Young Jazz", "My Little Maggie", and "Brown Baby". CD

Close matches61
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Milford GravesMilford Graves Percussion Ensemble With Sunny Morgan ... CD
ESP, 1965. Used ... Out Of Stock
A classic album of avant percussion – even if the title's a bit misleading! The Milford Graves Percussion Ensemble is mostly just Milford Graves himself, playing on drums, bells, gongs, and shakers – joined on this early album by Sunny Morgan, who also plays drums and bells on the set – working with Graves in a spiritual exploration of space and sound that predates some of the AACM recordings by a few years, and which shows ESP to be one of the most groundbreaking jazz imprints of the 60s! Tracks have a fairly hard hitting approach, and titles include "Nothing", "Nothing 13", "Nothing 5-7", and "Nothing 19". CD

Close matches62
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✨✧ Billie HolidayLady Lives ... LP
ESP, Late 40s/Early 50s. Very Good Gatefold ... Out Of Stock
A collection of rare broadcast performances from 1949 to 1952 – all of which are issued here for the first time! Titles include "My Man", "He's Funny That Way", "Billie's Blues", "Lover Man", and "Tenderly". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches63
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✨✧ Norman Howard & Joe PhillipsBurn Baby Burn ... CD
ESP, 1968. Used ... Out Of Stock
A lost treasure from the 60s vaults of ESP Records – a session that's easily as great as any of the better-known dates issued by the label decades ago! The CD features unheard recordings from trumpeter Norman Howard, who worked early with Albert Ayler, and altoist Joe Phillips – both relatively obscure talents who graced the 60s avant scene briefly, but are very under-represented on record. The session's a quartet date – with Howard and Phillips out front in the lead, soloing together in classic ESP freedom – supported by loose rhythms from bassist Walter Cliff and percussionist Corney Millsap. There's a starkness here that reminds us a bit of some of the Charles Tyler or Sonny Murray albums on ESP – and titles include "Time & Units", "NxJx", "Haunted", "Burn Baby Burn", "Bug Out", and "The Sound From There". CD

Close matches64
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✨✧ Last ExitIron Path ... CD
ESP, 1988. Used ... Out Of Stock
With Bill Laswell on bass, Peter Brotzmann on sax, Sonny sharrock on guitar, and Ronald Shannon Jackson on drums. CD

Close matches65
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✨✧ New York Art QuartetNew York Art Quartet Revisited (New York Art Quartet/Mohawk) ... CD
ESP/Hat Art (Switzerland), 1965. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
A pair of amazing records from a legendary group – one who didn't record much, but who really shaped the sound of the avant garde in the 60s! First up is the self-titled New York Art Quartet, one of our favorite albums ever on the legendary ESP label – and a key session in the best "new thing" mode of the 60s! The New York Art Quartet were a short lived collaboration between trombonist Roswell Rudd, saxophonist John Tchicai, bassist Lewis Worrell, and percussionist Milford Graves – but their legacy in this one album is almost greater than that of other combos who recorded more frequently at the time. The sound is similar to the best "spacious" groups of the new thing years – such as the Archie Shepp/Bill Dixon work, or some of the looser sides by the New York Contemporary Five – a group that featured Shepp and Tchicai. Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka) makes a key guest appearance on the title "Black Dada Nihilismus" – reciting his writings alongside the group's somber instrumental musings – and other titles include "Short", "Rosmosis", and "No 6". The album Mohawk is next – rare and brilliant work from this amazing group – a lineup that features Roswell Rudd on trombone, John Tchicai on alto, Reggie Workman on bass, and Milford Graves on drums and percussion – a combo who are best known for their one LP on ESP, but also sounding equally great on this rare European-only album! The record has a wonderfully creative approach – still in the energetic mode of the New York scene of the 60s, but also with the more introspective style that would come into play more in the 70s loft scene. Players handle a variety of instruments – almost in an AACM mode – and titles include "Mohawk", "Banging On The White House Door", "Rufus 3rd", and "No 6". CD

Close matches66
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✨✧ Sun RaHeliocentric Worlds Of Sun Ra (3CD set) ... CD
ESP, 1965. Used 3 CDs ... Out Of Stock
Key Sun Ra albums for ESP records – the Heliocentrics World trifecta – in a 3CD set! The work here is a bit more intense than usual – almost cerebral at times, with very contemplative passages on percussion and reeds, offset by strong piano lines from Ra – all in a mode that marks a sharp break from earlier Saturn albums. Volume One finds the group working in an interstellar formation that holds up strongly with the Saturn sides – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto, Teddy Nance on trombone, Chris Capers on trumpet, Danny Davis on flute and alto, and Ra on piano, bass marimba, and some especially nice electronic celeste! Things get quite out at points – freer almost than other Arkestra sides of the time – and titles include "Outer Nothingness", "Other Worlds", "Nebulae", "Dancing In the Sun", "The Cosmos", and "Of Heavenly Things". Volume Two has a freer feel than the first volume, and a bit more avant-oriented work overall. Ra and the group play a lot of percussion – and Ra himself is on tuned bongos, piano, and clavioline, which has a very nice spooky sound! The reed work on the album is by Robert Cummings, John Gilmore, Pat Patrick, and Marshall Allen – with bass by Ronnie Boykin and percussion by Roger Blank. Tracks include "Cosmic Chaos", "House of Beauty", and "The Sun Myth". Volume Three features tracks recorded during the sessions for Volume Two, but it was lost to the sands of time for nearly 40 years! Like that previous album, this one features a smaller version of the Arkestra than usual – an octet that has Ra working with core hornmen Pat Patrick, John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Walter Miller, and Robert Cummings – supported by a rhythm section that includes Ronnie Boykins on bass and Roger Blank on percussion. Apart from a lot of added percussion by various members of the group, the instrumentation overall is relatively straightforward – even if Ra's compositions are not. The set kicks off with the 17 minute "Intercosmosis" – a relatively free, stretched-out tune – then is followed by shorter numbers that travel along darker, more introspective pathways. These titles include "World Worlds", "Interplanetary Travelers", "Mythology Metamorphosis", and "Heliocentric Worlds". CD

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✨✧ Sun RaHeliocentric Worlds Of Sun Ra (3CD set) ... CD
ESP, 1965. New Copy 3 CDs ... Out Of Stock
Key Sun Ra albums for ESP records – the Heliocentrics World trifecta – in a 3CD set! The work here is a bit more intense than usual – almost cerebral at times, with very contemplative passages on percussion and reeds, offset by strong piano lines from Ra – all in a mode that marks a sharp break from earlier Saturn albums. Volume One finds the group working in an interstellar formation that holds up strongly with the Saturn sides – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto, Teddy Nance on trombone, Chris Capers on trumpet, Danny Davis on flute and alto, and Ra on piano, bass marimba, and some especially nice electronic celeste! Things get quite out at points – freer almost than other Arkestra sides of the time – and titles include "Outer Nothingness", "Other Worlds", "Nebulae", "Dancing In the Sun", "The Cosmos", and "Of Heavenly Things". Volume Two has a freer feel than the first volume, and a bit more avant-oriented work overall. Ra and the group play a lot of percussion – and Ra himself is on tuned bongos, piano, and clavioline, which has a very nice spooky sound! The reed work on the album is by Robert Cummings, John Gilmore, Pat Patrick, and Marshall Allen – with bass by Ronnie Boykin and percussion by Roger Blank. Tracks include "Cosmic Chaos", "House of Beauty", and "The Sun Myth". Volume Three features tracks recorded during the sessions for Volume Two, but it was lost to the sands of time for nearly 40 years! Like that previous album, this one features a smaller version of the Arkestra than usual – an octet that has Ra working with core hornmen Pat Patrick, John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Walter Miller, and Robert Cummings – supported by a rhythm section that includes Ronnie Boykins on bass and Roger Blank on percussion. Apart from a lot of added percussion by various members of the group, the instrumentation overall is relatively straightforward – even if Ra's compositions are not. The set kicks off with the 17 minute "Intercosmosis" – a relatively free, stretched-out tune – then is followed by shorter numbers that travel along darker, more introspective pathways. These titles include "World Worlds", "Interplanetary Travelers", "Mythology Metamorphosis", and "Heliocentric Worlds". CD

Close matches68
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✨✧ Sun RaHeliocentric Worlds Of Sun Ra Vol 2 ... CD
ESP/ZYX (Germany), 1965. Used ... Out Of Stock
The second set of Heliocentric tracks that Ra recorded for ESP, with a freer feel than the first volume, and a bit more avant-oriented work overall. Ra and the group play a lot of percussion – and Ra himself is on tuned bongos, piano, and clavioline, which has a very nice spooky sound! The reed work on the album is by Robert Cummings, John Gilmore, Pat Patrick, and Marshall Allen – with bass by Ronnie Boykin and percussion by Roger Blank. Tracks include "Cosmic Chaos", "House of Beauty", and "The Sun Myth". CD
Also available Heliocentric Worlds Of Sun Ra Vol 2 (180 gram pressing) ... LP 24.99

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✨✧ Sun RaHeliocentric Worlds Of Sun Ra Vol 2 ... LP
ESP, 1966. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
The second set of Heliocentric tracks that Ra recorded for ESP, with a freer feel, and a little bit more crazy playing than the first one. Ra and the group play a lot of percussion, and reed duties are held by Robert Cummings, John Gilmore, Pat Patrick, and Marshall Allen. Ra plays tuned bongoes and clavioline, and some pretty out piano. Tracks include "Cosmic Chaos", "House of Beauty", and "The Sun Myth". LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Heliocentric Worlds Of Sun Ra Vol 2 (180 gram pressing) ... LP 24.99

Close matches70
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✨✧ Sun RaSun Ra Featuring Pharoah Sanders & Black Harold ... CD
ESP, 1964. Used ... Out Of Stock
Landmark work from Sun Ra – a rare 1964 performance that features some very early work from Pharoah Sanders, a good deal of which is appearing here for the first time ever! The material was recorded at Judson Hall, and only half the tracks came out on a rare Saturn LP – making this CD collection that first time that all 11 titles appear in their entirety. Ra and the group recorded the set on New Year's Eve, 1964 – at a time when John Gilmore had left the Arkestra to work with Art Blakey – leaving Pharoah Sanders to come and take his place on tenor. Also noteworthy is the presence of Black Harold (Harold Murray) on flute – blowing with a dark edge alongside other group members who include Al Evans on trumpet, Teddy Nance on trombone, Marshal Allen on alto sax, Pat Patrick on baritone sax, and both Alan Silva and Ronnie Boykins on bass. The performance starts with a relatively fierce sound, but then moves into some beautifully lyrical moments – and titles include "Gods On A Safari", "The New Tomorrow", "The Second Stop Is Jupiter", "Cosmic Interpretation", "The Other World", "Dawn Over Israel", and "Space Mates". CD

Close matches71
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✨✧ Frank Wright TrioFrank Wright Trio ... LP
ESP, 1965. Very Good+ ... Out Of Stock
A freewheeling workout in the classic ESP mode – tenor saxophonist Frank Wright's first album as a leader, and a majestic little session that easily stands alongside the best from Albert Ayler and Archie Shepp at the time! The format here is a bit like that of Ayler's ESP work – as Wright's hard tenor is set against the bass of Henry Grimes and the drums of Tom Price – but the difference here is that Wright's sharply-bitten, angular lines on tenor are at the forefront of the record – leaping ahead from the rest of the group and almost standing on their own as if Frank were recording solo – while still having some occasional nod to the rhythmic energy of the bass and drums! Titles include "The Moon", "Jerry", and "The Earth". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches72
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✨✧ Albert AylerNew York Eye & Ear Control (German pressing) ... CD
ESP/ZYX (Germany), 1964. Used ... Out Of Stock
Seminal ESP work from Albert Ayler – a unique session done as a soundtrack to a short (and weird!) film from experimental director Michael Snow! The lineup is a bit different than some of Ayler's other ESP albums – and features Don Cherry on trumpet and cornet, John Tchicai on alto, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums. At times, the record's got a bit of a "new thing" vibe – a bit more spacious and sonic than some of Ayler's other material – but at other times, it burns with an intensity that's almost harder and freer than any of Albert's trio dates of the 60s. The album features 2 long tracks – "AY" and "ITT" – plus the shorter "Don's Dawn". CD
Also available New York Eye & Ear Control ... CD 12.99

Close matches73
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✨✧ Albert AylerProphecy ... LP
ESP, 1964. Sealed ... Out Of Stock
Early work by Albert Ayler, recorded live in 1964 at the Cellar Cafe in New York, but not issued by ESP until years later, after his untimely early death. The performance is a trio outing – with Ayler's tenor alongside the bass of Gary Peacock and drums of Sunny Murray – all freely skirting around each other's space on the date, in a way that allows Ayler to take the bold lead with his sharp-toned solos, but which also allows for free interplay between the bass and percussion. Ayler's tone and wide swaths of sound are simply amazing – and titles include two variations on "Ghosts", plus "Spirits", "Prophecy", and "Wizard". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches74
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✨✧ John BlumNine Rivers ... CD
ESP, 2023. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
Really stunning work from John Blum – one of his few efforts as a lead act, and one that has us wondering why he hasn't given the world a lot more tremendous albums like this! Blum's got this way of attacking the piano that's definitely in the school of Cecil Taylor, an old mentor – yet the recording also has this way of working the sound of the room into the blend of the work on the keys of the piano – this kind of echoey brilliance that almost seems to absorb some sonic ideals of avant composition as much as it does explode with the energy of free improvisation! Titles the set features nine tracks in all – each numbered "River" selections. CD
Also available Nine Rivers ... CD 9.99

Close matches75
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✨✧ Ornette ColemanTown Hall 1962 ... CD
ESP/ZYX (Germany), 1962. Used ... Out Of Stock
A really unique chapter in the career of Ornette Coleman – an album that he produced by himself in 1962, away from any other label – as an effort to showcase the newly freer sounds of his music! The recording's the first in a really groundbreaking stretch for the 60s – and it was fortunately finally issued by ESP Records a few years after the recording – providing a nice link between Coleman's earlier experiments and the sound of the younger generation usually showcased by the label. The group's a trio, with a sound that's quite different than the more rhythmic modes of Coleman on Atlantic Records – a freer, less structured lineup that features percussion from Charles Moffett and bass from David Izenzon. One track also adds in a string quartet – making the record one of Coleman's first experiments with this format – and titles include a 23 minute recording of "The Ark", plus "Doughnut", "Sadness", and "Dedication To Poets and Writers". CD

Close matches76
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✨✧ Steve LacyForest & The Zoo ... CD
ESP, 1966. Used ... Out Of Stock
Steve Lacy's legendary Argentinean recording – one of his boldest moments of the early years, and the start of a long history of superb work away from the American scene! The group here is quite unusual – as players include Enrico Rava on trumpet, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums – one budding European improviser, and two key members of the Blue Notes – who'd left South Africa for the UK by the time of this release. The live performance features only two long tracks – "Forest" and "Zoo" – both played with a sense of freedom not heard before in Lacy's music, at a level that really points the way towards his explosive presence in the French and Italian scenes in years to come! CD

Close matches77
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✨✧ Pearls Before SwineBest Of Pearls Before Swine (aka One Nation Underground/Balaklava) ... LP
ESP/Adelphi, 1967/1968. Near Mint- 2LP Gatefold ... Out Of Stock
Incredible work from Pearls Before Swine – a group who were a bit late to the New York folk party of the 60s – but at a level that really helped them evolve past the rest of their scene! The group begin with folk constructions, but really take off quickly with some trippier elements too – especially when they mix organ, vibes, or electronics with more familiar guitar and mandolin. Singer Tom Rapp maybe has a slight touch of Dylan in his approach, but he's already up there as his own man – and we love Rapp so much, we'd place him in the same heady territory as Tim Buckley, Tim Hardin, or Leonard Cohen – all of whose work is a good match for the energy here. There's a wonderfully dark quality to this album that gives it a timeless feel – strains of avant instrumentation underneath the gentler sound of Rapp's voice, and an undying sadness that's matched by the feel of songs. LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches78
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✨✧ Soft RocksCurse Of Soft Rocks ... CD
ESP Institute, 2011. Used ... Out Of Stock
... CD

Close matches79
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✨✧ Lester YoungNewly Discovered Performances Vol 1 ... LP
ESP, 1948/1974. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
Mid 70s issue of some rare sides by Lester Young – recorded as live broadcasts from the Royal Roost in 1948. The group on the set features Ted Kelly on trombone, Freddie Jefferson on piano, Roy Haynes on drums, and Jessie Drakes on trumpet, and you can hear a bit of Symphony Sid introducing the band. One other track features Allen Eager, Hank Jones, Kai Winding, and Ella Fitzgerald – and tracks include "Be Bop Boogie", "Lester Leaps In", "Just You Just Me", "I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance", and "I Cover The Waterfront". LP, Vinyl record album
 
Possible matches: 114
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AmalgamPrayer For Peace ... LP
Transatlantic/Trading Places (UK), 1969. New Copy (reissue)... $25.99 28.99
A landmark set from the freer side of the British jazz scene at the end of the 60s – a relatively open-ended session cut by alto saxophonist Trevor Watts with his Amalgam trio – a great group that features John Stevens on drums and Jeff Clyne on bass (although Barry Guy also sits in on bass for one of the tunes!) The sound here is somewhere between the original trio formation of the ESP groups of the mid 60s and the more freely expressive groups of the FMP years – but is also touched with a good deal of that sense of sadness and depth of emotion that colored some of the best modern British jazz sessions of the period. Watt's work on alto is incredible throughout – dominating the record more than most players we could imagine on the instrument in such a setting – and titles include "Tales Of Sadness", "Judy's Smile I", "Judy's Smile II", and "Prayer For Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

Possible matches81
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Albert Ayler1964 Prophecy Revisited ... CD
Hat Hut (Switzerland), 1964. Used ... $18.99
An expanded, remastered version of the album Prophecy – early work by Albert Ayler, recorded live in 1964 at the Cellar Cafe in New York, but not issued by ESP until years later, after his untimely early death. The performance is a trio outing – with Ayler's tenor alongside the bass of Gary Peacock and drums of Sunny Murray – all freely skirting around each other's space on the date, in a way that allows Ayler to take the bold lead with his sharp-toned solos, but which also allows for free interplay between the bass and percussion. Ayler's tone and wide swaths of sound are simply amazing – and titles include two variations on "Ghosts", plus "Spirits", "Prophecy", and "Wizard". Newly remastered version of the full concert – with 10 tracks in all! CD
(Out of print and sealed.)

Possible matches82
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Albert AylerLa Cave Live – Cleveland 1966 Revisited ... CD
Hat Art (Switzerland), 1966. New Copy 2CD ... $18.99 22.99
The first-ever full and proper reissue of this lost Albert Ayler concert from 1966 – recorded over two days in his hometown of Cleveland, but with an array of key compatriots from the New York scene! The performance is like finding a new ESP album that you didn't know existed – but one that's much longer than the others, too – really revelatory performances from Ayler on tenor, with Donald Ayler on trumpet, Michel Samson on violin, Mutawef Shaheed on bass, and a young Ronald Shannon Jackson on drums – plus added tenor from the great Frank Wright on most of the tracks on the set – adding this majestic fullness to the sound, really furthering that anthemic power that Ayler's music can have when it's this wonderful! Most of the material was recorded on April 17 (and includes Wright), and a few more tracks were recorded on the 16th – over two hours of barely-heard music, with titles that include "Our Prayer/Spirits Rejoice", "Spirits", "Zion Hill", "Untitled/The Truth Is Marching In", "DC", "Ghosts", "Spiritual Bells", and "Prophet/Ghosts/Spiritual Bells". CD

Possible matches83
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Albert AylerLive In Greenwich Village – The Complete Impulse Recordings ... CD
Impulse, 1966. Used 2 CDs ... $14.99 19.99
Essential stuff! This 2 CD set includes the entirety of Albert Ayler's Live In Greenwich Village album – plus a huge amount of previously unreleased live material, played by the Ayler group in New York, during 1966 and 1967. Ayler's brother Don is on trumpet, and other players include Joel Freedman, George Steele, Bill Fowell, Beaver Harris, Sunny Murray, Alan Silva, and Henry Grimes. The tracks have the same intensity of Ayler's ESP work – and many tunes are quite long, very free and open. Titles include "Light In Darkness", "Divine Peacemaker", "Angels", "Omega Is The Alpha", "Universal Thoughts", "Change Has Come", "Infinite Spirit", and "Spiritual Rebirth". 14 tracks in all – and one of the most important slices of Ayler's career! CD
(1998 digipak pressing.)

Possible matches84
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Albert AylerLorrach/Paris 1966 ... CD
Hat Hut (Switzerland), 1966. Used ... $24.99
A crucial European performance by Albert Ayler in the mid 60s – one that wasn't issued until many years after the recording, but which has become one of the sharpest pictures of his genius at the time! The vibe here is different than the Ayler albums for ESP – still very much in the same territory, but with this approach that's really reaching out with a deeply spiritual consciousness – an energy to embrace the whole history of jazz, both very old and very new – and re-form its entire ideology into a richly personal expression. Ayler's tremendous on tenor, but Don Ayler is often equally great on trumpet – and the unusual group features Michel Samson on violin, William Fowell on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums. Titles include really unique readings of "Bells", "Prophet", "Our Prayer/Spirits Rejoice", "Ghosts", "Truth Is Marching In", and "Spiritual Rebirth/Light In Darkness/Infinite Spirit". CD

Possible matches85
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Albert AylerLove Cry ... CD
Impulse/GRP, 1968. Used ... $5.99
Brilliant late work from spiritual saxophone genius Albert Ayler – one of his last truly great albums! The session has none of the jazz-meets-other music feel of some of the other Impulse albums – and is more in the straight expressive style of the ESP recordings. Tracks are more reined in here – with some short themes that are almost a distillation of the freedom Ayler had been expressing for a few years, summed up beautifully in tunes that have a plaintive cry, filled with as much soul and love as Ayler could muster into his horn! Players include Donald Ayler on trumpet, Cal Cobbs on harpsichord, Alan Silva on bass, and Milford Graves on drums – and titles include "Zion Hill", "Love Flower", "Love Cry", "Ghosts", "Omega", and "Dancing Flowers". CD also includes some extra bonus material! CD
(Out of print 1991 pressing with a punch through the booklet.)

Possible matches86
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Albert AylerLove Cry (180 gram pressing) ... LP
Impulse, 1968. New Copy Gatefold (reissue)... $27.99 29.99
Brilliant late work from spiritual saxophone genius Albert Ayler – one of his last truly great albums! The session has none of the jazz-meets-other music feel of some of the other Impulse albums – and is more in the straight expressive style of the ESP recordings. Tracks are more reined in here – with some short themes that are almost a distillation of the freedom Ayler had been expressing for a few years, summed up beautifully in tunes that have a plaintive cry, filled with as much soul and love as Ayler could muster into his horn! Players include Donald Ayler on trumpet, Cal Cobbs on harpsichord, Alan Silva on bass, and Milford Graves on drums – and titles include "Zion Hill", "Love Flower", "Love Cry", "Ghosts", "Omega", and "Dancing Flowers". LP, Vinyl record album
(Part of the excellent Verve By Request series!)

Possible matches87
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Albert AylerReevaluations – The Impulse Years ... LP
Impulse, Late 60s. Near Mint- 2LP Gatefold ... $29.99
A great collection of Albert Ayler's late work for Impulse – some of his most unusual sides ever cut to wax, and very different from his work on labels like ESP. The general feel is one of searching – as Ayler works in a number of different modes to try to reach new audiences, and hit new sounds. Some of these modes don't always work, but there's a rich emotional honesty to most of the album that keeps things extremely interesting, whatever the format. Titles include "Again Comes The Rising Of The Sun", "For John Coltrane", "Water Music", "Oh! Love Of Life", "Love Cry", "Drudgery", "New Ghosts", and "Holy Ghost". Includes a number of tracks that haven't been in print for years! LP, Vinyl record album
(A nice copy! Cover has a small cutout hole in the corner.)

Possible matches88
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Albert AylerRevelations – The Complete ORTF 1970 Fondation Maeght Recordings (4CD set) ... CD
INA/Anagram, 1970. New Copy 4CD ... $44.99 49.99
An incredible revamping of some of the most important material recorded by Albert Ayler in the years before his too-soon death – a package that adds in over two hours of new music to the original three volume Fondation Maeght recordings – which were usually issued in low-budget packages without the care that this set receives! Ayler is fantastic here – very spiritual, and bridging the gap between his early material for ESP and his later work on Impulse – less of the experiments of the studio sets of those later years, and more of the searing longform improvisation that he could deliver at his best! The group features wonderful work from Mary Parks (Mary Maria) on soprano sax, plus Call Cobbs on piano, Steve Tintweiss on bass, and Allen Blairman on drums – and Parks delivers a sublime vocal on a version of "Music Is the Healing Voice Of The Universe". Ayler blows both tenor and soprano – and the set features a whopping 29 tracks, recorded on July 25 and 27 in 1970 – titles that include "Spirits Rejoice", "Thank God For Women", "Revelations", "Holy Family", "A Man Is Like A Tree", "Zion Hill", "Truth Is Marching In", "Love Cry", "Ghsots", "Speaking In Tongues", "Heart Love", "Island Harvest", "Masonic Inborn", and a few versions of "Revelations". CD

Possible matches89
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Albert AylerVibrations ... CD
Arista Freedom/Black Lion (Germany), 1964. Used ... $14.99
A seminal early moment from the legendary Albert Ayler – an important session recorded overseas in Copenhagen – where enthusiasm for Ayler's music caught fire more strongly than in the US! The group's got an edge that's maybe even sharper than some of Ayler's ESP material, but no less powerful – with Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums – working through tremendous readings of six Ayler classics that include "Ghosts", "Children", "Holy Spirit", "Vibrations" and "Mothers". A wonderful precursor to the ESP years – and equally great! CD
(Out of print.)

Possible matches90
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✨✧ Albert AylerVibrations (aka Ghosts) ... LP
Arista Freedom, 1964/1975. Near Mint- ... Just Sold Out!
A seminal early moment from the legendary Albert Ayler – an important session recorded overseas in Copenhagen – where enthusiasm for Ayler's music caught fire more strongly than in the US! The group's got an edge that's maybe even sharper than some of Ayler's ESP material, but no less powerful – with Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums – working through tremendous readings of six Ayler classics that include "Ghosts", "Children", "Holy Spirit", "Vibrations" and "Mothers". A wonderful precursor to the ESP years – and equally great! LP, Vinyl record album

Possible matches91
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✨✧ Albert Ayler with Don CherryEuropean Recordings Autumn 1964 Revisited ... CD
Ezz-Thetics/Hat Hut (Switzerland), 1964. Used 2CD ... $12.99
A huge 2CD set – one that features important European work that saxophonist Albert Ayler recorded with trumpeter Don Cherry! CD1 brings together six tracks from Albert Ayler's Hilversum Radio sessions from 1964 – plus an additional three tracks recorded in Denmark a few months earlier! The first six titles are a famous performance by a famous group set loose on a European tour in 1964 – Ayler on tenor, Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murry on drums – recorded in The Netherlands for a small audience in a Dutch radio studio! The setting is a wonderful one – a mix of the live freedoms that would really let Ayler stretch out – especially when playing overseas – but recorded with the clarity of some of his studio albums for ESP – that sharp-edged sound that really highlights the groundbreaking style of his playing! The rest of the group here is equally great, and Murray is completely freed up from rhythm at points, to fly beautifully with the rest – on titles that include "Angels", "CAC", "Infant Happiness", "Ghosts", and "No Name". The same group performs on the final three tracks – recorded in Copenhagen for Danish Radio, with an equally great level of clarity – on "Saints", "Spirits", and "Vibrations". The interplay between Ayler and Cherry is especially great – echoing the latter's material with Ornette Coleman, but with a different sort of edge! CD2 features amazing live material from 1964 – work that was recorded at the Club Montmartre in Copenhagen, right around the same time that Albert Ayler recorded his album for Debut Records – and a set that has his quartet in even more firey formation overall! The tracks are long, and Ayler is completely unbridled – at a level that really shows not only how much of a leader he was to the American avant underground, but what an inspiration he was to the European free scene too – who could only help but take a big cue from his work here on tenor! The group also features equally wonderful work from Don Cherry on cornet – sounding quite different than when with Ornette Coleman – plus bass from Gary Peacock, whose dark tones really set the mood – and drums from Sunny Murray, who is also at an explosive point in his career. The material is remastered wonderfully, with permission from Albert Ayler's estate – and titles include "Mothers", "Saints", "Vibrations", Spirits", "Children", and a shorter "Spirits". CD
Also available European Recordings Autumn 1964 Revisited ... CD 18.99

Possible matches92
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Albert Ayler with Don CherryEuropean Recordings Autumn 1964 Revisited ... CD
Ezz-Thetics/Hat Hut (Switzerland), 1964. New Copy 2CD ... $18.99
A huge 2CD set – one that features important European work that saxophonist Albert Ayler recorded with trumpeter Don Cherry! CD1 brings together six tracks from Albert Ayler's Hilversum Radio sessions from 1964 – plus an additional three tracks recorded in Denmark a few months earlier! The first six titles are a famous performance by a famous group set loose on a European tour in 1964 – Ayler on tenor, Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murry on drums – recorded in The Netherlands for a small audience in a Dutch radio studio! The setting is a wonderful one – a mix of the live freedoms that would really let Ayler stretch out – especially when playing overseas – but recorded with the clarity of some of his studio albums for ESP – that sharp-edged sound that really highlights the groundbreaking style of his playing! The rest of the group here is equally great, and Murray is completely freed up from rhythm at points, to fly beautifully with the rest – on titles that include "Angels", "CAC", "Infant Happiness", "Ghosts", and "No Name". The same group performs on the final three tracks – recorded in Copenhagen for Danish Radio, with an equally great level of clarity – on "Saints", "Spirits", and "Vibrations". The interplay between Ayler and Cherry is especially great – echoing the latter's material with Ornette Coleman, but with a different sort of edge! CD2 features amazing live material from 1964 – work that was recorded at the Club Montmartre in Copenhagen, right around the same time that Albert Ayler recorded his album for Debut Records – and a set that has his quartet in even more firey formation overall! The tracks are long, and Ayler is completely unbridled – at a level that really shows not only how much of a leader he was to the American avant underground, but what an inspiration he was to the European free scene too – who could only help but take a big cue from his work here on tenor! The group also features equally wonderful work from Don Cherry on cornet – sounding quite different than when with Ornette Coleman – plus bass from Gary Peacock, whose dark tones really set the mood – and drums from Sunny Murray, who is also at an explosive point in his career. The material is remastered wonderfully, with permission from Albert Ayler's estate – and titles include "Mothers", "Saints", "Vibrations", Spirits", "Children", and a shorter "Spirits". CD
Also available European Recordings Autumn 1964 Revisited ... CD 12.99

Possible matches93
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David BoykinVictory Honor & Glory – David Boykin Live In Concert ... CD
Sonic Healing Ministries, 2001. New Copy ... $6.99 8.99
A raw, live set from Chicago saxophonist David Boykin – but a great little record that really reminds us of a classic 60s session on ESP! Boykin's reeds are wonderful throughout – filled with the depth of soul we might expect from Kalaparusha or Albert Ayler – and set up here in an open-ended trio with Josh Abrams on bass and Andre Beasley on drums. The tracks are all quite longish and free – but never sloppy or overindulgent – held together with a tremendous focus and presence in Boykin's horn! Titles include "Victory Honor & Glory", "Conundrum", "Big & Fine", "The King", and "Meditation For Momma Long". CD
(CDR release – direct from the artist!)

Possible matches94
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Sandy BullDemolition Derby ... LP
Vanguard, 1972. Very Good+ ... $29.99
A great little album of tripped-out folk rock by Sandy Bull, with more of a funky and jazzy edge than you'd expect. Bull plays most of the instruments on the album – including guitar and percussion, which dominate the set, plus a bit of electric instrumentation on the groovier tracks. The set's got some great open-ended numbers that take the experimental folk sound of the late 60s, and filter it through an ESP-like approach to hippy rock – with bits of modalism that make the numbers hold together nicely, and groove where you wouldn't expect them to! Titles include "Sweet Baby Jumper", "Gotta Be Juicy", "Carnival Jump", "Chesseburger", and "Easy Does It". LP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing! Cover has very light wear, and a cutout hole in one corner – but this is a nice clean copy.)

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✨✧ Don CherryWhere Is Brooklyn (180 gram pressing) ... LP
Blue Note, 1966. New Copy ... $25.99 27.99
Easily one of the most powerful albums ever cut by Don Cherry – a searing set of tracks done for Blue Note in the late 60s – and featuring some tremendous tenor work by Pharoah Sanders! There's a tightness and level of energy here that surpasses even Cherry's other excellent Blue Note sessions – a rawness that recalls the style forged often on key ESP albums of the 60s, but honed here into a slightly tighter mode. Sanders' horn is especially well-placed in the set – and pushes Cherry past the spacier notes of other recordings, in a way that unlocks fire from the years with Ornette – but which opens up into a much freer groove. The rest of the group includes Henry Grimes on bass and Ed Blackwell on drums – both a perfect match for the quartet – and titles include the 17 minute "Unite", plus "There Is A Bomb", "Awake Nu", "Taste Maker", and "The Thing". LP, Vinyl record album
(Part of the Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series!)

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Don CherryWhere Is Brooklyn (UHQCD pressing) ... CD
Blue Note (Japan), 1966. New Copy ... $18.99 22.99 About May 22, 2024
Easily one of the most powerful albums ever cut by Don Cherry – a searing set of tracks done for Blue Note in the late 60s – and featuring some tremendous tenor work by Pharoah Sanders! There's a tightness and level of energy here that surpasses even Cherry's other excellent Blue Note sessions – a rawness that recalls the style forged often on key ESP albums of the 60s, but honed here into a slightly tighter mode. Sanders' horn is especially well-placed in the set – and pushes Cherry past the spacier notes of other recordings, in a way that unlocks fire from the years with Ornette – but which opens up into a much freer groove. The rest of the group includes Henry Grimes on bass and Ed Blackwell on drums – both a perfect match for the quartet – and titles include the 17 minute "Unite", plus "There Is A Bomb", "Awake Nu", "Taste Maker", and "The Thing". CD
Also available Where Is Brooklyn (180 gram pressing) ... LP 25.99

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CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Miles DavisBest Of Miles Davis (Columbia) ... CD
Columbia/Legacy, Late 50s/1960s. Used ... $1.99
Includes "Someday My Prince Will Come", "Round Midnight", "So What", "Seven Steps To Heaven", "I Loves You Porgy", "Milestones", "My Ship", "ESP", "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down", "Time After Time" and "In A Silent Way". CD
(2002 remastered edition with a punch through the barcode.)

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✨✧ Deee-LiteWorld Clique (2CD expanded edition) ... CD
Elektra/Cherry Pop (UK), 1990. New Copy 2 CDs ... $16.99 23.99
There's never been a better bit of throwback dancefloor fodder ever! Sure, these guys were blaring out of every cheap radio at the time, and it was just about impossible to walk into a shopping mall without hearing "Groove Is In The Heart" for about 5 years after the album came out – but to us, that was a great thing, and the record represents one of the high points in pop music of the past few decades. Thanks to some skillful sampling by Towa Tei, the group were grounded in a rich history of funk, house, disco, soul, and Brazilian influences – all of which they managed to blend with a postmodern perfection that other groups could only ever dream of! The big hits are certainly very familiar, but the whole album's a delight – and tracks include "Who Was That?", "Smile On", "Try Me On . . . I'm Very You", "World Clique", "ESP", and "Good Beat". This great expanded 2CD edition includes a full CD of remixes, too – 26 tracks in 2CDs! Given that the weird mixes and extrapolations of tunes by the group were such a big part of their larger sound, the extra material really helps get a full picture of the album's greatness! CD

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Peter ErskinePeter Erskine ... CD
Contemporary/OJC, 1982. Used ... $11.99
A great bit of soulful fusion from drummer Peter Erskine – one of the few albums he made as a leader of this nature, even though his playing graced lots of other wonderful records at the time! The approach here is tight, but never too much so – smooth, but never slick – a warmly electric groove that's really a lot more in a mid-70s sort of style than you'd expect from the early 80s date of the album. Other players here are all well-suited for the set – and include Randy Brecker on trumpet, Michael Brecker on tenor, Bob Mintzer on tenor, Don Grolnick on electric piano, Eddie Gomez on bass, Don Alias on percussion, and Mike Mainieri on vibes – and titles include "Leroy Street", "In Statu Nascendi", "All's Well That Ends", "My Ship", and "ESP". CD
(Out of print, case has a cutout notch through the spine.)

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CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Kim FowleyInternational Heroes ... LP
Capitol, 1973. Very Good+ ... $24.99
One of Kim Fowley's best records as an artist – and way up there in greatness with some of the best he produced for everyone else, too! '73's International Heroes was Kim's second album for Capitol Records, and unlike the strange, underground rock vibe on his first Capitol effort, this one has a far more ambitious production aesthetic. It's a cool mix of trashy and rambunctious rockers, with more adventurous acoustic instrumentation at times. Kim's vocals are as great here as they'd ever be – not nearly as gruff as on I'm Bad – and sweetened even more here by some groovy backing vocals. We REALLY love this record! Includes "International Heroes", "ESP Reader", "Ugly Stories About Rock Stars And The War", "I Hate You", "Born Dancer", "World Wide Love", "Dancing All Nite" and more. LP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing. Includes printed inner sleeve. Vinyl is great – but the cover has wide clear tape on all seams, ring & surface wear.)
 
 
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