An incredible collection of music from the great pianist Lennie Tristano – and maybe the first-ever set to truly get at the range of genius he could express on the piano! Given that Tristano only made a small amount of records during his too-short career, yet also left a major impact on the field of modern jazz – this set really documents the full span of everything that Tristano had to offer – pulled from a wonderful range of his own recordings, all of which appear here for the first time! These aren't casual solo recordings done in the basement – and instead, the package brings together a mixture of studio, live, and even television performances – all with a different spirit on each of the CDs in the set! One of the most revelatory is the final CD – which features a number of tracks in a "free session" in 1948 - with Tristano on piano, Lee Konitz on alto, Warne Marsh on tenor, and Billy Bauer on guitar – coming together with an amazing sound throughout. That same disc also features a superb 1962 live date at the Half Note – with Konitz on alto and Zoot Sims on tenor. CD1 is wonderful too – a selection of live material with the tremendous Billy Bauer on piano – a player, like Tristano, who was instrumental in shaping the sound of his instrument in modern jazz during the postwar years. CD3 features live performances by a sextet that includes Konitz, Marsh, and Bauer – plus Arnold Fishkin on bass and Jeff Morton on drums. CD2 features beautiful solo performances recorded from the early 50s through 1970. CD4 features trio session, most with Peter Ind on bass – while CD5 features different trio and duo material, but with Sonny Dallas on bass. The set is impeccably done – in cooperation with Tristano's family – and given the wealth of material, the whole thing may well have doubled his recording catalog in the process, while also really illuminating so many different aspects of his career! CD

A mid 80s studio set from the Fania All Stars – and proof that the group was still going great at this time – almost reverting to their older modes of the early 70s, and shaking free of the more electric, more soul-based styles that group was using during their time at Columbia Records! The style here is very much in the spirit of the group's roots – long tracks that spin out with plenty of space for all the collaboration that made the Fania All Stars not only unique in Latin music, but a real model of artistic cooperation that other genres could certainly share! The group for this date includes vocals by Ismael Miranda, Celia Cruz, Adalberto Santiago, and Hector Lavoe – and titles include "Por Eso Yo Canto Salsa", "Usando El Coco", "El Rey De La Puntulidad", and "La Tierra No Es Pa La Guerra". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing work from tenorist Sonny Rollins – a set of recordings that we'd rank right up there with his groundbreaking Village Vanguard sessions for Blue Note! As with those recordings, the setting here is live, and a trio – Sonny blowing with incredible imagination in the very open space of the tunes, many of which are very long – with accompaniment from the wonderful bassist Henry Grimes on all numbers, and a shifting lineup of very hip drummers – Pete LaRoca on most tracks, sometimes replaced by Joe Harris or Kenny Clarke. The huge package features a wealth of live tracks, including some material that has been bootlegged before – concerts from 1959 in Stockholm, Zurich, Aix-En-Provence, Frankfurt, and Laren – all presented here with superb sound, voluminous notes, and through cooperation with Sonny Rollins himself. Titles include "Lady Bird", "But Not For Me", "Cocktails For Two", "I Want To Be Happy", "Oleo", "Paul's Pal", "Love Letters", and "I've Told Every Little Star" – but as always with live Sonny Rollins at this point in his career, it's not the melodies, but what he does with them – which is amazing! CD

Mindblowing work from tenorist Sonny Rollins – a set of recordings that we'd rank right up there with his groundbreaking Village Vanguard sessions for Blue Note! As with those recordings, the setting here is live, and a trio – Sonny blowing with incredible imagination in the very open space of the tunes, many of which are very long – with accompaniment from the wonderful bassist Henry Grimes on all numbers, and a shifting lineup of very hip drummers – Pete LaRoca on most tracks, sometimes replaced by Joe Harris or Kenny Clarke. The huge package features a wealth of live tracks, including some material that has been bootlegged before – concerts from 1959 in Stockholm, Zurich, Aix-En-Provence, Frankfurt, and Laren – all presented here with superb sound, voluminous notes, and through cooperation with Sonny Rollins himself. Titles include "Lady Bird", "But Not For Me", "Cocktails For Two", "I Want To Be Happy", "Oleo", "Paul's Pal", "Love Letters", and "I've Told Every Little Star" – but as always with live Sonny Rollins at this point in his career, it's not the melodies, but what he does with them – which is amazing! LP, Vinyl record album

12 tracks, and 4 skits, with E Double's newer hot sound in the beats, and Keith Murray and the Funk Doctor Spock joining him on the mic, including "Countdown", "Full Cooperation", "Rhymin Wit Biz", "The Game (Freestyle)", "Can You Dig It?", "No Guest List" and "Def Squad Delite". LP, Vinyl record album

12 tracks, and 4 skits, with E Double's newer hot sound in the beats, and Keith Murray and the Funk Doctor Spock joining him on the mic, including "Countdown", "Full Cooperation", "Rhymin Wit Biz", "The Game (Freestyle)", "Can You Dig It?", "No Guest List" and "Def Squad Delite". CD