George Schuller on drums, Ed Schuller on double bass, Tony Malaby on soprano and tenor saxophone, George Garzone on tenor saxophone, and Dave Ballou on trumpet. CD

Mat Maneri on electric violin, tenor and alto saxophone, Ed Schuller on bass, and Randy Peterson on drums. CD

Joe Maneri on reeds and piano, Mat Maneri on violin, Ed Schuller on bass, and Randy Peterson on drums. CD

With Jim Pepper on tenor and soprano saxophones, Joe Lovano on tenor saxophone, Bill Frisell on electric guitar, and Ed Schuller on bass. LP, Vinyl record album

With Bill Frisell on guitar, Joe Lovano on tenor, Billy Drewes on alto and tenor, and Ed Schuller on bass. Titles include "Psalm", "White Magic", "Mandeville", "Etude", and "Second Hand". LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Tom Harrell, Tommy Flanagan, Peter Sprague, Paul Motian, Ed Schuller. LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal third stream recording – the height of late 50s modern jazz in all of its seriousness! The album features works written by Schuller, John Lewis, Jimmy Giuffre, and JJ Johnson – all of them larger, serious jazz-meets-classical type numbers – performed by the Brass Ensemble Of The Jazz & Classical Music Society, led by Schuller, but featuring Miles Davis, Joe Wilder, and JJ Johnson as the soloists. It's the solo work that makes the "jazz" component hold out nicely – and titles include "Poem For Brass", "Three Little Feelings", and "Pharoah". LP, Vinyl record album

A key set of modern jazz from the late 50s – not so much a Bill Evans album, as it is a collection of larger group recordings that feature his piano. The first 6 tracks on the set are from the 1957 Columbia album Modern Jazz Six – a series of recordings at the Brandeis Festival arranged and conducted by Gunther Schuller and George Russell – and about as hip as you can get for modern jazz from the 50s! Sure, Gunther and George can have their sleepy moments on wax, but this set's great – thanks to a very hip lineup that includes Hal McKusick, John La Porta, Teddy Charles, Bill Evans, Jimmy Knepper, and Louis Mucci. The tunes aren't in that stodgy "classical meets jazz mode", but more in a swinging larger group style – featuring tunes by Jimmy Giuffre, Charles Mingus, Russell, and Schuller – as well as more serious numbers by Harold Shapero and Milton Babbitt. Titles include "All Set", "Revelations", "All About Rosie", and "Suspensions". Added to these are 3 more live tracks from the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival – featuring a group led by Don Elliott on vibes and bongos, plus Evans on piano – on titles that include "Dancing In The Dark", "I Love You", and "S Wonderful". CD

Michael Musillami on guitar, Joe Fonda on bass, George Schuller on drums, Marty Ehrlich on alto sax, Matt Moran on vibes, and Ralph Alessi on trumpet. CD

We'll be honest with you – we love this stuff! Sure, Ornette made some great recordings for a number of other labels – but as a whole, his Atlantic stuff is some of the greatest modern jazz ever recorded, and no other period of an artist is more worth collecting and having in a complete format than this one! The package is unbelievably thorough – and includes not only all the tracks from classic albums like Change Of The Century, This Is Our Music, Free Jazz, Shape Of Jazz To Come, Ornette!, Ornette On Tenor, The Art Of The Improvisors and Twins – but also 6 previously unreleased tracks, and rare material like Ornette's Japanese-only LP To Whom Who Keeps A Record plus 2 selections from Gunther Schuller's Jazz Abstractions featuring Ornette! There's 6CDs in all – packaged in a great case with a well annotated booklet. Titles include "Proof Readers", "Revolving Doors", "Joy Of A Toy", "Cross Breeding", "Variants On A Theme Of Thelonious Monk", "Eos", "Focus On Sanity", "Una Muy Bonita", "Lomely Woman", "Little Symphony", "The Circle With The Hole In The Middle", "Beauty Is A Rare Thing", "Folk Tale", "The Face Of The Bass", "Brings Goodness", "Rise & Shine", and lots and lots more! CD

We'll be honest with you – we love this stuff! Sure, Ornette made some great recordings for a number of other labels – but as a whole, his Atlantic stuff is some of the greatest modern jazz ever recorded, and no other period of an artist is more worth collecting and having in a complete format than this one! The package is unbelievably thorough – and includes not only all the tracks from classic albums like Change Of The Century, This Is Our Music, Free Jazz, Shape Of Jazz To Come, Ornette!, Ornette On Tenor, The Art Of The Improvisors and Twins – but also 6 previously unreleased tracks, and rare material like Ornette's Japanese-only LP To Whom Who Keeps A Record plus 2 selections from Gunther Schuller's Jazz Abstractions featuring Ornette! There's 6CDs in all – packaged in a great case with a well annotated booklet. Titles include "Proof Readers", "Revolving Doors", "Joy Of A Toy", "Cross Breeding", "Variants On A Theme Of Thelonious Monk", "Eos", "Focus On Sanity", "Una Muy Bonita", "Lomely Woman", "Little Symphony", "The Circle With The Hole In The Middle", "Beauty Is A Rare Thing", "Folk Tale", "The Face Of The Bass", "Brings Goodness", "Rise & Shine", and lots and lots more! CD

Import collection of some more obscure Miles moments from the late 50s Columbia years! There's 4 tracks recorded with the orchestra of Michel Legrand – and players that include Coltrane, Phil Woods, Jerome Richardson, and Bill Evans: "Jitterbug Waltz", "Round Midnight", "Wild Man Blues", and "Django". 2 tracks from a recording by the Brass Ensemble Of The Jazz & Classical Music Society, one led by John Lewis, the other by Gunther Schuller, are surprisingly wonderful – very much in the mode of Miles' work with Gil Evans, with a similar glistening sound on Miles' trumpet, and warm chromatic washes of sound underneath to provide the perfect soloing vehicle. And there are 4 numbers, a pair each from the Coltrane/Garland incarnation of the quintet, "Sweet Sue" & "Budo", and a transitional sextet from 1962, "Devil May Care" & "Blue Xmas". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most striking Eric Dolphy work we've ever heard – a set of live performances from the years 1962 and 1963 that feature Dolphy in a free-thinking mode that surpasses even the modernism of his classic studio sides! The recordings feature Dolphy amidst a variety of players – including a number of unlikely suspects like Barry Galbraith, Eddie Costa, and Jim Hall – and although some of the tracks have a moody and introspective third stream quality (3 of the numbers are written by Gunther Schuller), others are quite open, and almost have an ESP-like intensity. One longer title is a jam session take on Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee" – recorded with a lineup that includes Phil Woods, Nick Travis, Benny Golson, Don Ellis, and Lalo Schifrin! Other titles include "Iron Man", "Half Note Triplets", "Densities", and "Night Music". CD

A swirling array of tones, colors, and sounds – written and arranged by JJ Johnson, conducted by Gunther Schuller, and with Dizzy at the helm, blowing some of his most complicated solos ever. The approach is firmly in the Verve jazz orchestra tradition – and recalls the earlier brilliance of such projects in the hands of Ralph Burns, done here with a great depth of expression, and none of the coldness that you might expect from Schuller's participation. Clearly, there's a Miles/Gil Evans influence here, but the crew retains their identity strongly – and Dizzy's hot tone on the trumpet provides a broder spectrum than Miles ever could. Titles include "Fantasia", "Ballade", "Jubelo", and "The Sword Of Orion". CD

Way more than just "abstractions" – as the set's a very focused batch of some of the larger ideas that John Lewis had about jazz – explored beautifully here away from the Modern Jazz Quartet! The album has Lewis working with frequent partner – and fellow third stream conceptualist – Gunther Schuller – and also features great guest work from Ornette Coleman on alto, Joe Wilder on trumpet, Jim Hall on guitar, and Scott LaFaro on bass – all very different talents at the forefront of jazz at the time, helping bring a wider range of voices than you might normally get on a John Lewis project. Titles include "Abstraction", "Variants On A Theme of Thelonious Monk", and "Piece For Guitar & Strings". LP, Vinyl record album

Conducted by Gunther Schuller. LP, Vinyl record album

A bit of an obscure session, but the first of John Lewis' works for a larger jazz orchestra – recorded with a lineup that includes larger strings and woodwinds next to rhythm backing by Percy Heath and Connie Kay of the MJQ! The tracks are all longer originals arranged by Lewis – except for one track orchestrated by Gunther Schuller – and the album's especially noteworthy for its extensive solo work by British baritone saxophonist Ronnie Ross, a player who's been one of the great under-discovered sides of the European scene of the late 50s and 1960s for years – and who really steps out here in some wonderful moments. The only other major soloist on the set is flute player Gerry Weinkopf – who provides a nice lighter tone next to that of Ross. Titles include "Midsommer", "The Queen's Fancy", "Cortege", "Three Windows", "England's Carol", and "Two Degrees East Three Degrees West". LP, Vinyl record album

An extended suite for a large ensemble conducted by Gunther Schuller and featuring 30 (!) musicians including Randy Brecker, Wynton Marsalis, John Handy, Bobby Watson, John Hicks, Sir Roland Hanna, John Abercrombie and Victor Lewis. CD

A great burner from Diz – and one that features a large group, long tracks, and some stellar early work from Lalo Schifrin! Schifrin was in Diz's group at the time, playing piano and contributing fantastic Latin-tinged arrangements that gave the band a whole new life. Other players on this session include Candido, Leo Wright, Julius Watkins, and Willie Rodriguez – and the tracks include "Africana", "Blues", and "Panamerica". An incredible live set from Dizzy Gillespie – one that has him working in stunning big band mode, but with all the depth and agility of a small combo! The set features variations on a number of classic Gillespie themes – including "Kush", "Manteca", "Ool Ya Koo", and "Tunisian Fantasy (Night In Tunisia)" – recast with that ever-growing Latin influence that Dizzy was picking up in the 60s, supported strongly by the presence of a young Lalo Schifrin, who plays piano on the set. Horn players include Dizzy, Clark Terry, and Nick Travis on trumpets; Gunter Schuller and Jim Buffington on French Horns; Leo Wright on sax and flute; and Don Butterfield on tuba – supported by rhythm from Schifrin on piano, Art Davis on bass, and Charles Lumpkin on drums. Tunes are awash in soulful solos and deeply colored hues – and titles include "Manteca", "This Is The Way", "Kush", "Ool Ya Koo", and "Tunisian Fantasy". CD

A swirling array of tones, colors, and sounds – written and arranged by JJ Johnson, conducted by Gunther Schuller, and with Dizzy at the helm, blowing some of his most complicated solos ever. The approach is firmly in the Verve jazz orchestra tradition – and recalls the earlier brilliance of such projects in the hands of Ralph Burns, done here with a great depth of expression, and none of the coldness that you might expect from Schuller's participation. Clearly, there's a Miles/Gil Evans influence here, but the crew retains their identity strongly – and Dizzy's hot tone on the trumpet provides a broder spectrum than Miles ever could. Titles include "Fantasia", "Ballade", "Jubelo", and "The Sword Of Orion". LP, Vinyl record album

A large group session arranged and conducted by Gunther Schuller. Tracks include "Angel Eyes", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Crepuscle With Nellie", "and "Rush Hour On 23rd Street". CD

A great burner from Diz – and one that features a large group, long tracks, and some stellar early work from Lalo Schifrin! Schifrin was in Diz's group at the time, playing piano and contributing fantastic Latin-tinged arrangements that gave the band a whole new life. Other players on this session include Candido, Leo Wright, Julius Watkins, and Willie Rodriguez – and the tracks include "Africana", "Blues", and "Panamerica". An incredible live set from Dizzy Gillespie – one that has him working in stunning big band mode, but with all the depth and agility of a small combo! The set features variations on a number of classic Gillespie themes – including "Kush", "Manteca", "Ool Ya Koo", and "Tunisian Fantasy (Night In Tunisia)" – recast with that ever-growing Latin influence that Dizzy was picking up in the 60s, supported strongly by the presence of a young Lalo Schifrin, who plays piano on the set. Horn players include Dizzy, Clark Terry, and Nick Travis on trumpets; Gunter Schuller and Jim Buffington on French Horns; Leo Wright on sax and flute; and Don Butterfield on tuba – supported by rhythm from Schifrin on piano, Art Davis on bass, and Charles Lumpkin on drums. Tunes are awash in soulful solos and deeply colored hues – and titles include "Manteca", "This Is The Way", "Kush", "Ool Ya Koo", and "Tunisian Fantasy". CD

Serious compositional material by John Lewis – a series of work based upon the Italian tradition of commedia dell'arte, written for a larger group of brass instruments – and given a real "classics meets jazz" sort of vibe – but also handled with a gentle swing, too! Although Gunther Schuller's on the album in the French Horn section, Lewis himself conducts the ensemble – leading the brass section through a range of very short "fanfares" and longer tunes that feature Lewis on piano, George Duvivier on bass, and Connie Kay on drums. Titles include "Fanfare 1", "Piazza Navona", "Odds Against Tomorrow", "Piazza Di Spagna", and "La Cantatrice". CD

The first recordings ever from Orchestra USA – the landmark third stream jazz group co-led by John Lewis and Gunther Schuller! The group sprang out of Schuller and Lewis' preoccupations with bringing jazz to a more serious environment – merging traits of 20th century classical with jazz-based improvisation – in a format that included standout solo players, as well as larger backings from strings and woodwinds. And while some of that group's recordings were a bit dull, this one's totally great – not nearly as stiff and academic as you'd think – with some really strong solo work on saxes, and a soulful approach that gets past any formalism that could mar the proceedings. Players include Eric Dolphy, Phil Woods, Leo Wright, Nick Travis, and Jim Hall – and titles include "Three Little Feelings (parts 1, 2, & 3)", "Milesign", "Milano", "Natural Affection", and "Donnie's Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

With the Boston Modern Orchestra Project conducted by Gil Rose. CD