This album was the 7th in the Contemporary series of "Shelly Manne & His Men", but it's also easily the best, and features some of the most exciting playing of any of Manne's groups. The success of the whole album comes down to Charlie Mariano, who wrote a large number of the tracks, and who's at the height of his powers on alto here – hitting a beautiful mix of icy modernism and Boston soul, in the tradition of some of his best Bethlehem recordings. Side one features an extended work called "The Gambit", which has a nice blend of far-reaching soloing and tight jazzy rhythm. Other titles include "Blue Gnu", "Hugo Hurwhey", and "Tom Brown's Buddy" – and players include Stu Williamson and Russ Freeman. LP, Vinyl record album

A complete issue of a groundbreaking late 50s performance by Ornette Coleman – some of which has been released on the French album Fabulous Paul Bley Quintet, and other parts on albums under Ornette's name! The quality of the performance is amazing – some of the freshest jazz recorded in LA at the time, but still somewhat more inside than Coleman's work of the decade to come – a key transitional moment from Ornette, played by a group that features Don Cherry on trumpet, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – plus a young Paul Bley on piano, who makes for a very different rhythmic conception than some of the Coleman quartet albums of a year or two later! Given Bley's approach to the piano, even at this point, the sound is still quite different than most of what had come before – almost in the territory of some of Eric Dolphy's early albums for New Jazz. Titles include "Free", "The Blessing", "When Will The Blues Leave", "Ramblin", "Crossroads", "How Deep Is The Ocean", "Klactoveesedstene", and "I Remember Harlem". CD

The complete sessions by the best-known early version of The Hampton Hawes Trio – one that featured Red Mitchell on bass and Chuck Thompson on drums, heard here on the group's first three albums for the Contemporary label! The Hawes approach to the keys was a very popular one at the time – a mix of bop invention and older-styled phrasing – played mostly over standards, but creative and inventive enough to put Hampton on a par with Oscar Peterson, Ahmad Jamal, and some of the other rising trio talents of the 50s. Most of the set's 35 tracks were done in studio mode – but the package also features 3 bonus live numbers from the Embers night club in 1956, plus 3 more bonus tracks from live LA recordings – featuring either Mel Lewis or Shelly Manne in the drum chair. Titles include "Hamp's Blues", "Feeling Fine", "I Got Rhythm", "Round Midnight", "Blues For Jacques", "Section Blues", "Yesterdays", "Carioca", "Just Squeeze Me", "Body & Soul", "Coolin The Blues", "Walkin", and "The Champ". CD

2 great Paris live sets from Gerry Mulligan – with his Concert Jazz Band at L'Olympia in 1960 – followed by a 1962 quartet set at the same venue serving as bonus tracks! The 11 titles on the first CD and the first titles on the second CD are culled from the 1960 set – a tight affair with great solo work from a larger group of players – which includes Don Ferrara and Conte Candoli on trumpet, Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone, Willie Dennis and Alan Raph on trombone, Bob Donovan and Gene Quill on alto, Jim Reider and Zoot Sims on tenor, Buddy Clark on bass and Mel Lewis on drums. A real triumph! Titles include "You Took Advantage Of Me", "Black Nightgown", "Body And Soul", "Barbara's Theme", "Apple Core", "Out Of This World", "Go Home", "I'm Gonna Go Fishing", "Blueport" and more! The second CD is closed out by a 1962 set by the the Gerry Mulligan Quartet – originally released as the LP Gerry Mulligan & His Quartet Live At The Olympia Theatre 1962! The tracks are long, and the setting fluid – as Gerry plays baritone on most tracks, but piano on a couple; and Bob Brookmeyer does the same, taking a break from valve trombone to play piano for one track as well. Rhythm is by the team of Bill Crow on bass and Gus Johnson on drums – and titles include "Spring Is Sprung", "Five Brothers", "Subterranean Blues", "Blue Port", and "Utter Chaos". More than 2 1/2 hours of music on 2CDs! CD

Trumpeter Ruby Braff and pianist Dave McKenna – a tremendous combination that makes for some very swinging music! The CD features the full track list from the excellent (and obscure) ABC album recorded by the pair in 1956 – a great date that draws from Braff's more traditional approach to jazz trumpet, but which also inflects it with a good dose of McKenna's well-stated and sometimes more modern lines on piano. Rhythm is by Sam Herman on guitar, Al Lucas on bass, and Buzzy Drootin on drums – and although the style is trad, there's also a lean and hoke-free quality to the work that's a lot more appealing than we expected. Titles include "Why Was I Born", "Blue Prelude", "Dancing In The Dark", "Louisiana", "It's Wonderful", "Lover Come Back To Me", and "Almost Like Being In Love". CD also features 9 more bonus tracks too – 7 from the album Braff, 1 from the album Easy Now, and 1 with Benny Goodman. All tracks feature Braff and McKenna – and titles include "As Long As I Live", "Stardust", "I'm Shooting High", "Soft Lights & Sweet Music", "How Long Has This Been Going On", and "If I Had You". CD

A really incredible performance from Ornette Coleman – recorded in Italy in 1968, and featuring a unique lineup that includes Ed Blackwell on drums, plus the dual basses of Charlie Haden and David Izenzon! The two-bass lineup gives the set an amazingly tight edge – with one player bowing the instrument, and the other playing rhythm – in a way that bounces magically over the drums of Ed Blackwell, making for a rhythmic spirit that's missing from a lot of Ornette's other work from the time! There's still a sense of sound texture and exploration here that matches some of the Blue Note late 60s recordings – but the overall feel is a bit more focused, and (dare we say it?) more rhythmically swinging! Titles include long takes on "Lonely Woman", "Monsieur Le Prince", "Forgotten Children", "Tutti", "Three Wisemen & The Saint", "New York", and "Buddah Blues". CD

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

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A rare early trio set from Jim Hall – especially noteworthy because Jim rarely worked as a leader in the format! The album's got Hall working with Carl Perkins on piano and Red Mitchell on bass – in a mode that slightly recalls some of Barney Kessel's mid 50s recordings over at Contemporary Records, but which also has that airier style that was Hall's first great calling card on his instrument. Some of the best cuts really have the notes hanging in air with incredible grace and a very subtle sense of swing – and titles include "This Is Always", "Look For The Silver Lining", "Stella By Starlight", "Deep In A Dream", "Seven Come Eleven", and "Thanks For The Memory". CD presents the full, unabridged version of the album – with the track "This Is Always", and full master takes for each number. CD also features 5 bonus tracks from a John Lewis album on Pacific Jazz – "Two Degrees East Two Degrees West", "I Should Care", "Skylark", "Two Lyric Pieces", and "I Remember Clifford". CD

An insanely overstuffed collection of work by pianist Elmo Hope in a trio format – one that features tunes from 9 different albums, issued on a variety of different labels, all brought together in a single set! Hope in a trio format really takes off from the usual – displaying talents on the keys that rival contemporary modernists like Thelonious Monk, Randy Weston, or Herbie Nichols – presented with a sound that has plenty of sharp edges and odd turns, but also some bluesier undercurrents as well. The material was recorded both in LA and New York – documenting both sides of Hope's continental sojourn in jazz – and bassists here include Percy Heath, John Ore, Curtis Counce, Jimmy Bond, Paul Chambers, and Ronnie Boykins; alongside drummers who include Willie Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Frank Butler, and Clifford Jarvis. 4CD set features 62 tracks in all – with material from the albums New Faces New Sounds, Meditations, Elmo Hope Trio, Homecoming, Sounds From Rikers Island, Here's Hope, High Hope, and The Final Sessions. CD

Later work from 50s modernist Warne Marsh – but pretty darn great stuff, and proof that Marsh remained creative and inventive as the years went on! The core of the CD features a 1980 live date recorded in Berlin with pianist Sal Mosca – like Marsh, another disciple of the Tristano school, and a great accompanist for the set! The rest of the group includes Eddie Gomez on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums – but although both players are strongly voiced, the real focus here is on Warne's beautifully-spun solos on the longer tracks, and on Sal's angular approach to the keys. Tracks are nearly all Tristano, Marsh, or Mosca numbers – and titles include "Leave Me", "The Family Song", "Like The Angels", "And Then There's Music", and "Background Music". CD also features 2 more tracks from a 1977 live date in Bronxville – with Mosca, plus Sam Jones and Roy Haynes – on readings of "She's Funny That Way" and "Background Music". And quite possibly best of all, the set's completed by 2 more tracks that are only spare duos between Sal and Warne – recorded at Mosca's apartment in 1979, and featuring versions of "Noteworthy" and "The Hard Way". CD

Sublime early work from Carmen McRae – a collection of recordings done with backing from pianist Ray Bryant in both small combo and large group settings! The first dozen tracks on the album have Carmen singing in a beautifully fragile mode – with only Ray's piano and a bit of bass and drums to back her up – and it's a real treat to her the McRae vocal approach in such an unfettered format, because even at this earlier age, Carmen had a sense of control, poise, and grace that shines through immediately. Next up are 14 more tunes that also feature Bryant's piano, but over larger backings directed by Jack Pleis – in a way that's more similar to some of McRae's better known recordings from the time, but still quite great – done with a level of sophistication that clearly paved the way for Nancy Wilson and Marlena Shaw in years to come – on a batch of 12 mostly Noel Coward numbers, and 2 other tunes. 26 tracks in all – and titles include "I Can't Escape From You", "Guess Who I Saw Today", "Exactly Like You", "All My Life", "Dream Of Life", "Zigeuner", "A Room With A View", "Never Again", "Invitation", "If Love Were All", "Why Does Love Get In The Way", and "Mad About The Boy". CD

Two sets featuring the classic second quintet! CD

Great live material from one of the most important pairings in modern jazz – recorded during the last months that John Coltrane was working with the Miles Davis Quintet! Davis and Coltrane are working here on a live date from Copenhagen in March of 1960 – playing on 3 long tunes that really let both players open up and unfold in their own unique solo explorations. Titles are all familiar ones from the Davis book – "So What", "All Blues", and "On Green Dolphin Street" – but the extended renditions offer more than a few surprises that make them well worth having. Plus, added to these is one more additional track from 1963 – featuring George Coleman on tenor instead of Coltrane, plus Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – playing "Milestones" on a live date in Juan-les-Pins. CD

Featuring Marc Johnson on bass, Joe LaBarbera on drums, and Bill Evans on piano. CD

A nicely laidback quartet session from Cohn – one that features the tenorman leading a quartet that includes Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Leroy Williams on drums. There's nothing fancy here, but Cohn's tone is straight and true – and the band holds it down well on tracks that include "Night & Day", "Skylark", "Bright", "Comin In Home", and "Woody N You" – plus five bonus tracks recorded one year earlier with a different rhythm section. CD

Some of the hippest American work of the 70s by vocalist Johnny Hartman – smooth, sophisticated, and with a groove that's almost somewhat different than his more famous records of the decade before! Hartman's captured here in a live setting that's intimate, but never too sleepy or standard – warmly relaxed with backing from a trio that includes Reggie Moore on piano and Bill English on bass – and recorded with some great between-songs patter from Johnny, showing a charm that goes even beyond his studio sides. Titles include "On Green Dolphin Street", "Didn't We", "Watch What Happens", "Help Me Make It Through The Night", "Bidin My Time", "If", "The Folks Who Live On The Hill", "I've Got To Be Me", "Blues", and "Lush Life". CD also features 8 bonus tracks – recorded live in Tokyo in 1977 with Roland Hanna on piano and George Mraz on bass – on titles that include "Send In The Clowns", "My Foolish Heart", "On A Clear Day", "Summertime", and "The Way We Were". CD

Features Thad Jones on cornet, Garnett Brown on trombone, Joe Farrell on tenor, Barre Phillips on bass, and Albert Heath on drums! CD

Laidback and lovely trumpet work from the legendary Ruby Braff – heard here in the company of pianist Hank Jones, and recorded in a very intimate small group setting! The bulk of the CD features material from Ruby's excellent Ruby Braff Goes Girl Crazy album for Warner Brothers – a recasting of the Gershwin score as an instrumental vehicle for Braff, Jones, Al Cohn, and Jim Hall – all played in a mellow and open-handed style that brings a new sense of swing to the tunes! Rhythm is by George Duvivier or Bob Haggart on bass, and Buzzy Drootin on drums – and titles include "Embraceable You", "Treat Me Rough", "But Not For Me", "I Got Rhythm", and "Bidin My Time". 4 more tracks on the CD are pulled from the album You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me – again with Jones on piano, plus Mundell Lowe on guitar – on titles that include "When Your Lover Has Gone", "Let's Do It", and "Taking A Chance On Love". Last up are 5 more tunes from the album Easy Now – with Roy Eldridge also on trumpet, plus Jones and Lowe again – on the tracks "Yesterdays", "Someday You'll Be Sorry", "Give My Regards To Broadway", "Willow Weep For Me", and "This Is My Lucky Day". CD

A real lost treasure from Art Farmer – a tremendous album that hardly ever shows up in the history books, and which, to our knowledge, appears here on CD for the first time ever – plus a bonus album of earlier Farmer work with the Mundell Lowe Septet! Many Faces is a rare 1964 jazz side for the mostly-pop Scepter label – featuring Farmer at the head of a small group working with Tommy Flanagan on piano, Charles McPherson on alto, and Steve Swallow or Ron Carter alternating on bass. The album was done under the direction of Tom McIntosh – the brilliant young composer who had a magical talent for blending together modern and lyrical modes while still keeping a strong degree of soul. McIntosh contributed a few tunes to the set, as did Dennis Sandole – the nearly-forgotten trumpeter from the Philly scene of the 50s. There's a dark beauty to this session that surpasses even many other Farmer sides from the time – and titles include "Hyacinth", "Ally", "Happy Feet", "Minuet In G", and "Saucer Eyes". 1958's Porgy & Bess finds Farmer playing trumpet for guitarist Mundell Lowe's Septet on a nice set of material from Gershwin – including lesser known numbers from the original play. Players include Tony Scott on clarinet and baritone, Ben Webster on tenor and either George Duvivier or Osie Johnson on the kit. Titles include "Summertime", "Bess, You Is My Woman", "I Love You Porgy", "Redhead Woman", "There's A Boat That's Leaving Soon For New York", "It Ain't Necessarily So" and more. CD