A study in brown, and a study in hardbop too – a seminal album of 50s jazz that forever went on to set the tone for the music! The album was one of a few that trumpeter Clifford Brown cut as his star was strongly rising, before a tragic early accident took his life – and it's a masterpiece of bop modernism, done with the co-leadership of drummer Max Roach – with an equally well-matched group that includes Harold Land on tenor, George Morrow on bass, and Bud Powell's brother Richie on piano. Tracks are short, and played with great boppish fire and fury – virtually the blueprint for the hardbop sound of the 50s, and one of the strongest expressions from this important, but short-lived group. Titles include "Gerkin For Perkin", "Sandu", "Jacqui", "Swingin", and the great "Land's End". CD

With Eddie Calhoun on bass and Kelly Martin on drums, also with Charles Ike Isaacs, Jimmy Smith, and Jose Mangual. LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible material from Max's "plus 4" group that included Ray Draper, George Coleman, Booker Little, and Art Davis! The band at the time was forging a haunting mix of hardbop and lyrical modernism, and was driven by Max's progressive vision and rich talent for selecting just the right players for just the right moments. This Newport set by the group is far better than most of the other late 50s Newport snoozers, and it catches them playing some nicely open-ended versions of tracks like Kenny Dorham's "Villa", Booker Little's "Minor Mode", and Eddie Vinson's "Tune Up". Also features a nice extended version of "Love For Sale". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunner – and one of Clark Terry's finest moments ever! The record has a rawness and groove that you'd hardly expect from his later albums – no surprise, though, considering that it was cut during that really hip time at Emarcy, when the label was working in a mode that was darker and more challenging than many of the smaller labels at the time. Credit is also due to arranger Quincy Jones – who pulls together a group that includes Horace Silver, Jimmy Cleveland, Cecil Payne, and Art Blakey, all into a fiercely grooving sound that recalls some of his most adventurous work of the 50s. The album kicks off with the stunning "Swahili", a tune that will instantly make you happy you bought the record – and other tracks include "Coop", "Chuckles", "Tuma", "Kitten", and "The Countess". LP, Vinyl record album

A jazz vocal masterpiece from Sarah Vaughn – one of her greatest albums ever, and a record that raised the bar for countless vocal sessions in years to come! Sarah's working here in an intimate group arranged by Ernie Wilkins – filled with famous trumpet solo work by Clifford Brown, during his last few years on the planet - plus tenor from Paul Quinichette, flute from Herbie Mann, and piano from Jimmy Jones. Sarah's vocals are incredible – curving, turning, and lilting with a tremendous amount of jazz-based inflection – and titles include "Lullaby Of Birdland", "April In Paris", "September Song", "He's My Guy", and "I'm Glad There Is You". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album from Helen Merrill – one of the few jazz singers we can think of who continued to grow stylistically as the years went on! This majestic album was recorded in 1980, and it features Merrill dipping into a modern Brazilian bag – working with baroque arrangements that blend jazz and strings in the style of some of Milton Nascimento's work, but handled here with a more sensitive approach that has a lot more focus on the vocals on a few tracks. The track selection is wonderful – and the album features great versions of songs like "Wave", "Natural Sounds", "Like A Lover", "Casa Forte", "Antonio's Song", "Vera Cruz", and "So Many Stars". Arrangements are by Torrie Zito, but done with even more jazz than usual – thanks to the presence of players like Sal Nistico on tenor, Urbie Green on trombone, Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar, and Zito himself on piano. CD

Maynard Ferguson's blowing full steam ahead here – working with an octet that's heavy on horn parts, but in a richly creative way! Ferguson nicely shows off some of his best influences from the 50s large group scene in LA – and gets some key help on the record from Bill Holman, who wrote almost all the tracks on the date, and no doubt arranged most of the material too. Holman's horn isn't heard on the set, but other players are equally great – and include Bob Gordon on baritone, Georgie Auld on tenor, Herb Geller on alto, Milt Bernhart on trombone, and Conte Candoli on trumpet – supported by a rhythm section that features Ian Bernhard on piano, Red Callender on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums. As usual for the Emarcy years, Maynard plays a host of instruments – trumpet, bass trumpet, and valve trombone – and titles include "20 Rue De Madrid", "Super G", "Yeah", "What Was Her Name", "My New Flame", and "Inter-Space". LP, Vinyl record album

A rollicking batch of 60s instrumentals, served up by drummer June Gardner – billed as Gentleman June on the cover! June's from New Orleans, but the groove here is more in a Memphis mode – vamping along with a larger group in a post-Ray Charles mode – featuring tighter soul instrumental takes on hits of the 60s, plus a few key numbers written by producer Wardell Quezerque. And although June's the leader on drums, the real focus here is on the tenor and alto sax solos on the tracks – uncredited, but all pretty nice, and following in a mode that owes plenty to King Curtis. Titles include "99 Plus 1", "Last Night", "Hammerhead", "Hot Seat", "Mustard Greens", "Later Baby", and "The Joker". LP, Vinyl record album

Don't get this John Williams confused with the bigger-name soundtrack composer of later years – because this set is pure piano jazz all the way through, played by an artist who shined briefly with Stan Getz in the mid 50s! Although little-known, Williams is a great link between bop and mainstream piano jazz worlds at the time – and really sparkles on this session for Emarcy from the mid 50s – a record that goes way beyond simple standards and easy inflections – always voiced freshly by Williams in a mode that's modern, yet not self-consciously so. Rhythm is from Bill Anthony, Ernie Farrow, or Chuck Andrus on bass – and by Frank Isola or Jack Edie on drums. Titles include the originals "Shiloh", "Okeefenokee Holiday" – plus versions of "Manteca", "Like Someone In Love", "Baubles Bangles & Beads", and "Someday My Prince Will Come". LP, Vinyl record album