An excellent set of hard samba and bossa tracks by one of Brazil's best organists! Ed always knows how to keep a groove, and he manages to do so nicely on this set of hits from the 60s – packaged up in a nice cover that has a picture of him looking pensively out at the rainforest. Includes the great groovers "O Ganso" and "The Blues Walk", plus "A Rosa", "Pergunte Ao Joao", "Centenario", "Miss Balanco", and "Carioca". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work from this great Brazilian organist – featuring a slightly different approach than usual, one that has vocals on most of the cuts, in combination with Ed's excellent piano and organ work! The album's got a groovy early 60s feel that's not exactly in the strict bossa/samba mode of some of Ed's other albums – with strains of crime jazz and pop instrumental tunes running through the mix. Features the extended "Atire A Primeira Pedra", plus "Nunca Mais", "Confissao", "T'Amier Follement", and "Pergunte Ao Joao". LP, Vinyl record album

Features John Prine, Arlo Guthrie, the Lincoln Park Pirates, Bonnie Raitt, Michael Smith, Ed Holstein, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. CD

Jazzy organ grooves from Brazil – a sweet 60s swinger that packs a heck of a punch! The album's one of the few by Primo Jr, and features a great blend of organ, percussion, vibes, vocals, and guitar – all dancing around with a groove that's similar to the best mid 60s work by Ed Lincoln, who was clearly an inspiration for this session. Grooves are in a fast bossa and samba mode, played with a nice touch of jazz – and very lively and swinging throughout! Titles include "Leila", "E Com Pimenta", "Romantic Partners", "Joao Quatrocentao", "Gira Mundo", "Balanco Do Rio", "E De Manha", and "Macas E Bananas". LP, Vinyl record album

Features John Prine, Arlo Guthrie, the Lincoln Park Pirates, Bonnie Raitt, Michael Smith, Ed Holstein, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. CD

A compilation that's way more than jazz – as it features cuts from a moment when Brazilian music was really coming into its own during the bossa nova generation, yet still had some ties to earlier styles as well – which means that in addition to the sorts of bossa tunes you'd expect, you'll also hear versions of songs by Horace Silver, Cole Porter, and George Gershwin! The selection of cuts is nice – and the record begins with some straighter jazz numbers that evolve into bossa – in a lineup that includes "Nana" by Os Cobras, "O Menino Desce O Morro" by Milton Banana, "Samba In The Perrotoquei" by Bola Sete, "I Got Rhythm" by Dick Farney, "Nica's Dream" by Sergio Mendes, "Love For Sale" by Rubens Bassini, "Copacabana" by Brazilian Jazz Quartet, "Esperanca" by Tamba Trio, "Influencia Do Jazz" by Ed Lincoln, and "O Morro Nao Tem Vez" by Joao Donato. LP, Vinyl record album

Great modern soul from Brazil – a tight little set that's got a similar vibe to some of the work that Marcos Valle and Leon Ware were doing together in the early 80s! The groove here is nice and jazzy – arranged by Lincoln Olivetti in a style that's funky, but laidback too – a warm post-disco approach that produces lots of upbeat tunes, but which state their case in a very classy way! Junior sings in Portuguese throughout, but with phrasing that almost makes for a universal sense of soul – and there's a sunny glow to the whole thing that really goes beyond the boundary of language. Titles include "Rio Sinal Verde", "Agre Doce", "Super Sensivel", "Hora H", "Via Aerea", "Pedras De Cristal", "Entrego A Deus", "Obvio", and "Copacabana Sadia". CD

One of Max's many great records from the late 50's, most of which tend to get overlooked in favor of his more experimental sessions. The group here includes Ray Bryant, Stanley Turrentine, Julian Priester, and Turrentine's great brother Tommy – and they're joined by Abbey Lincoln on vocals on a number of tracks. The set is mostly standards, and titles include "Never Let Me Go", "Namely You", "Speak Low", and "Wild Is The Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

Features "Rhapsody in Blue", "I Got Rhythm", and James P Johnson's "Yamekraw" – all performed with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. CD

One of those fantastic later albums that really had Abbey Lincoln finding a whole new sound and spirit – a style that offers up a mature take on all that righteous energy of her younger days – nicely focused, and set up here with some superb arrangements put together by Abbey herself! Lincoln's clearly got an ear for the kind of tones that suit the spirit of the tunes just right – and works here with a great lineup that features a core trio with Marc Cary on piano, plus guest work throughout the set from a variety of giants – including Steve Coleman, Oliver Lake, and Frank Morgan on alto saxes – plus Graham Haynes on cornet, Julien Lourau on tenor, and Rodney Kendrick on piano on one track. Titles include "The River", "When Autumn Sings", "Who Used To Dance", "Love Has Gone Away", "I Sing A Song", and "Love What You Doin". CD

One of those fantastic later albums that really had Abbey Lincoln finding a whole new sound and spirit – a style that offers up a mature take on all that righteous energy of her younger days – nicely focused, and set up here with some superb arrangements put together by Abbey herself! Lincoln's clearly got an ear for the kind of tones that suit the spirit of the tunes just right – and works here with a great lineup that features a core trio with Marc Cary on piano, plus guest work throughout the set from a variety of giants – including Steve Coleman, Oliver Lake, and Frank Morgan on alto saxes – plus Graham Haynes on cornet, Julien Lourau on tenor, and Rodney Kendrick on piano on one track. Titles include "The River", "When Autumn Sings", "Who Used To Dance", "Love Has Gone Away", "I Sing A Song", and "Love What You Doin". LP, Vinyl record album

Four of the more obscure RCA albums from the great Bobby Bare – all brought together here in a single set! First up is the very unusual English Countryside album – a special set that has the vocals of Bobby Bare paired with a group from the UK – Liverpool's Hillsiders, who sing with a style that's a bit folk, and a bit rock – but which takes on a very distinct country vibe amidst the RCA production of Chet Atkins! Both Bare and The Hillsiders sing solo on the record – but most of the set has them paired together, and the presence of all those voices on the tracks create a nice sense of spontaneity – maybe a hint at the more relaxed recording approach that Bobby would use on his big albums of the mid 70s! Titles include "Sweet Dreams", "Six Days On The Road", "Find Out What's Happening", "Love's Gonna Live Here", "Goin Home", "Blue Is My Lonely Room", and "I Washed My Face In The Mountain Dew". Margie's At The Lincoln Park Inn is a seminal album in the career of Bobby Bare – and the record that really has him turning from a young smiling country singer to the kind of more adult, mature talent that would really send him over the top! The album's promise of "controversial country songs" is certainly apt – as in addition to the great Tom T Hall title cut, the album also features Bare taking on great material from Kris Kristoffersen, Mel Tillis, and even the team of Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn – all set to arrangements that are nicely more sophisticated than those used on the more pop productions of some of Bobby's earlier albums. Titles include "Margie's At The Lincoln Park Inn,", "The Law Is For The Protection Of The People", "Watching The Trains Go By", "Skip A Rope", "Rainy Day In Richmond", "Cincinnati Jail", "Wild As The Wind", and "Drink Up & Go Home". I Hate Goodbyes is the record that marked the return of Bobby Bare to RCA Records in the early 70s – and one that also marks the start of a very different phase in Bare's career! This time around, Bobby's handling the production himself – working with the kind of thoughtful, mature material that would really let him open up – songs from Billy Joe Shaver, Mickey Newbury, the team of Bill Rice and Jerry Foster, and even an early tune from Shel Silverstein – who would soon become one of the biggest contributors to Bobby's records. The vibe is very different than his RCA material of the mid 60s, and in a great way – on titles that include "I Hate Goodbyes", "Restless Wind", "Ride Me Down Easy", "Send Tomorrow To The Moon", "You Know Who", "An Offer She Couldn't Refuse", "What's Your Mama's Name Child", and "Poison Red Berries". Last up is Cowboys & Daddys – an overlooked gem in the mid 70s RCA years of the great Bobby Bare – and a set that really shows the dedication that Bare had during these years to finding the most sophisticated material of the new country generation! The list of songwriters alone is great – as the set features tracks from Terry Allen, Shel Silverstein, David Hickey, and Tom T Hall – plus an early contribution from Bob McDill, with whom Bare would soon record a lot more material on albums to come. There's a mature, laidback vibe to the whole set – different than some of the more playful Bobby Bare albums of the time – and titles include "Chester", "The Cowboy & The Poet", "Amarillo Highway", "Speckled Pony", "Calgary Snow", "Last Dance At The Old Texas Moon", "Pretty Painted Ladies", and "The Stranger". CD

One of the most righteous albums that Max Roach ever cut – and a monumental jazz release from the heart of the Civil Rights era! As you can guess from the cover and title, there's a very political bent to the record – served up in righteous lyrics penned by Oscar Brand Jr, and sung by Abbey Lincoln at her most biting – really stepping out here in just a few short years from her previous role as a straight jazz singer, and firmly grabbing up territory no other female vocalists had touched! For this momentous event, Roach gathered together a really special group for the record – players who include regular partners Booker Little on trumpet and Julian Priester on trombone – alongside surprising guests like Coleman Hawkins on tenor sax, Olatunji on percussion, and Ray Mantilla on congas. There's no piano at all on the record, and the tracks are all long ones – stretching out with soaring horn passages next to the vocals, and plenty of percussion at the bottom to get things moving! Titles include "Driva' Man", "Tears for Johannesburg", "Freedom Day", "All Africa", and "Prayer/Protest/Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most righteous albums that Max Roach ever cut – and a monumental jazz release from the heart of the Civil Rights era! As you can guess from the cover and title, there's a very political bent to the record – served up in righteous lyrics penned by Oscar Brand Jr, and sung by Abbey Lincoln at her most biting – really stepping out here in just a few short years from her previous role as a straight jazz singer, and firmly grabbing up territory no other female vocalists had touched! For this momentous event, Roach gathered together a really special group for the record – players who include regular partners Booker Little on trumpet and Julian Priester on trombone – alongside surprising guests like Coleman Hawkins on tenor sax, Olatunji on percussion, and Ray Mantilla on congas. There's no piano at all on the record, and the tracks are all long ones – stretching out with soaring horn passages next to the vocals, and plenty of percussion at the bottom to get things moving! Titles include "Driva' Man", "Tears for Johannesburg", "Freedom Day", "All Africa", and "Prayer/Protest/Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

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

One of the most righteous albums that Max Roach ever cut – and a monumental jazz release from the heart of the Civil Rights era! As you can guess from the cover and title, there's a very political bent to the record – served up in righteous lyrics penned by Oscar Brand Jr, and sung by Abbey Lincoln at her most biting – really stepping out here in just a few short years from her previous role as a straight jazz singer, and firmly grabbing up territory no other female vocalists had touched! For this momentous event, Roach gathered together a really special group for the record – players who include regular partners Booker Little on trumpet and Julian Priester on trombone – alongside surprising guests like Coleman Hawkins on tenor sax, Olatunji on percussion, and Ray Mantilla on congas. There's no piano at all on the record, and the tracks are all long ones – stretching out with soaring horn passages next to the vocals, and plenty of percussion at the bottom to get things moving! Titles include "Driva' Man", "Tears for Johannesburg", "Freedom Day", "All Africa", and "Prayer/Protest/Peace". CD

An obscure one from Max Roach! The set was recorded live in 1968 in Norway – and it features Max working with Steve Lacy on soprano, Red Mitchell on bass, Steve Kuhn on piano, and Abbey Lincoln on vocals. Abbey sings on a few tracks – and the group jams on others – but a certain percentage of the record features Max playing solo, in that great way he used on the Drums Unlimited album for Atlantic. The whole album's quite varied – but it also shows the range of Roach's creative explorations at this sometime "lost" time in his career. Titles include "Prayer Protest From Freedom Now", "For Big Sid", "Drums Unlimited", "Profit", "Patty Pat and Midnight Variations", and "Prelude". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the straightest jazz set we've heard to date from Kandace Springs – a record that's got a great old school vibe overall, and the sorts of moody, dark-tinged qualities that takes us back to vintage material by Abbey Lincoln or Nina Simone – something we might not have said about Kandace on previous albums! Springs plays piano, and mostly keeps things in a tight combo mode – with her vocals in the lead, but with occasional guest help from artists who include Chris Potter on tenor, Avishai Cohen on trumpet, David Sanborn on alto, Christian McBride on bass, and Norah Jones on piano and vocals – on tunes penned by artists as diverse as Bob Dorough, Hoagy Carmichael, Lauryn Hill, and Sade. Titles include "Devil May Care", "The Nearness Of You", "Strange Fruit", "Killing Me Softly", "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", "Ex-Factor", "Pearls", "I Put A Spell On You", and "Gentle Rain". CD

Abbey Lincoln takes on the legacy of Billie Holiday – in a strong live set recorded with a small group at the end of the 80s! The setting's a bit more relaxed here than on some of Abbey's other albums of the period – a bit looser and sometimes more languid, but only in the best sort of ways to get at the moodiness of Billie Holiday's approach to the tunes. A few numbers seem to bristle with a bit more of that Abbey Lincoln sense of pride – that righteous legacy that runs straight from Billie's classic "Strange Fruit" – but overall, the spirit of Holiday's more traditional approach definitely guides the performance. The group's a quartet – with Harold Vick on tenor! CD

Early work by Abbey – recorded in a mode that's straighter than she'd sound a few years later – less angry, more like other jazz vocalists of the time, but still with that unmistakable Abbey Lincoln quality in the voice! The arrangements on the set are by Benny Golson – using that light angular edge that always makes his work such a great fit for a hip singer – and other players on the set include Kenny Dorham, Curtis Fuller, Jerome Richardson, Wynton Kelly, and Sahib Shihab. Titles include "I Am In Love", "An Occasional Man", "Out Of The Past", "Love", "Little Niles", "Exactly Like You", and "Just For Me". LP, Vinyl record album

There's nothing Straight Ahead about this record – as the album's one of the first bold statements of modernism from Abbey Lincoln – and the kind of set that builds nicely from the vocal experiments she was doing with Max Roach at the time! The group here is almost one of those largeish Roach ensembles from the Impulse years – an assortment of players that includes Max on drums, Mal Waldron on piano, Eric Dolphy on reeds, Julian Priester on trombone, and Booker Little on trumpet – plus the surprising additions of Walter Benton and Coleman Hawkins on tenor sax! Gone are the sleepy standards of earlier sessions, and in their place is Lincoln's emerging sense of anger, power, and righteous indignation – served up on the original compositions "Retribution", "Straight Ahead", and "In The Red" – plus versions of "Blue Monk", "African Lady", and "Left Alone". LP, Vinyl record album

Great later work from Abbey Lincoln! The album Talking To The Sun is something of a comeback set for Abbey Lincoln – an extremely powerful set from the early 80s, and one that helped set the tone for some great albums to come! Abbey's working here in a bold style that includes a fair bit of original material – done in collaboration with alto saxophonist Steve Coleman, whose edgey tone really adds a lot to the record! There's a sense of voice here that takes us back to Abbey's bold experiments with Max Roach in the early 60s – a righteous tone that effortlessly mixes politics and art, yet which never forgets its key mission of music. The set includes original compositions "The River", "Talking To The Sun", "People On The Street", and "Prelude/A Wedding Song" – plus a nice take on the Mercer/Mancini number "Whistling Away The Dark". On the second two records, Abbey Lincoln takes on the legacy of Billie Holiday – in a strong live set recorded with a small group at the end of the 80s! The setting's a bit more relaxed here than on some of Abbey's other albums of the period – a bit looser and sometimes more languid, but only in the best sort of ways to get at the moodiness of Billie Holiday's approach to the tunes. A few numbers seem to bristle with a bit more of that Abbey Lincoln sense of pride – that righteous legacy that runs straight from Billie's classic "Strange Fruit" – but overall, the spirit of Holiday's more traditional approach definitely guides the performance. The group's a quartet – with Harold Vick on tenor – and titles include "For All We Know", "No More", "Gimme A Pigfoot", "God Bless The Child", "For Heaven's Sake", and "Don't Explain". CD

Stunning material from Max Roach, recorded during one of the most righteous periods of his career – at a time when he was also working with superb vocal contributions from then-wife Abbey Lincoln! The group is one of Max's most striking, and most under-recorded too – as it features Coleridge Perkinson on piano, and the great Clifford Jordan on tenor – already a very righteous player, and one who's bold energy really sends things soaring next to Abbey's vocals! The group also features Eddie Khan on bass – and the set has a nice mix of righteous material and hip takes on standards – with titles that include "This Night Mountain", "Ceciliana", "Mop Mop", "Jordu", "Love For Sale", and "Who Will You Buy". LP, Vinyl record album

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

A wild little record, as you might expect from a group who named themselves after the place where Abraham Lincoln was shot! There's a lot of organ in the mix, next to the expected fuzzy guitar – and the group even uses a string quartet at points, to great effect – all with an ambitious sound that's very different than the usual sort of material coming out at the time! The set's even got a more complicated vibe than some of the other ABC releases of its type at the time – maybe in part because jazz great Bob Thiele produced the whole thing in the years before he launched his Flying Dutchman label, and really knows how to balance all the rich inspirations of the group. Titles include "From A Back Door Window", "Back To Philadelphia", "101 Harrison Street", and "Theme For The Masses". CD

A great session that was recorded in Tokyo in 1973 – featuring Abbey backed by a small group that includes Dave Liebman on sax and flute, Al Foster on drums, and Hiromasa Suzuki on piano. The record's pretty darn hip – and it's a nice version of Abbey's haunting approach to vocal jazz, touched by some of the new directions vocalists were going at the time, yet firmly rooted in the firm command of voice and emotion heard on Lincoln's best records from the early 60s. Titles include "Africa", "You & Me & Love", "Naturally", "Living Room", and "Natas", which seems to have Abbey singing along with overdubs of her own voice, to very cool effect! CD