Rare live work from Back Door – a Brit trio with plenty of connections to the blues rock scene of the time, but one who has a fair bit of jazzy undertones too! The live set's presented by Alexis Korner, who also plays some guest guitar on the record – but the core sounds come from the heady trio of Ron Aspery on saxes, Colin Hodgkinson on bass, and Tony Hicks on drums – with vocals from both Aspery and Hodgkinson too! The tracks arguably have a bit more bite than the group's recordings for Warner Brothers at the time – and the set's very well recorded, and pulled from the vaults of the BBC. Titles include "Walking Blues", "Folksong", "Roberta", "Forget Me Daisy", and "His Old Boots". LP, Vinyl record album

A great solo set from tenorist Binker Golding – an artist we usually hear on the Gearbox label as part of the Binker & Moses combo, but who maybe sounds even bolder and stronger here in the lead on his own! The set's a quartet date, with a relatively straight group – but the sound is wonderful – overflowing with new ideas, and this sense of voice from the leader that gets fantastic support from Joe Armon-Jones on piano, Daniel Casimir on bass, and Sam Jones on drums! Nobody's pushing too hard, or trying any tricks – yet there's a freshness and individual spirit to the record right from the very first note – unusual rhythms from the trio, and more confidence in Golding's sound than we've ever heard before. Titles include "Skinned Alive Tasting Blood", "Fluorescent Black", "You That Place That Time", "And I Like Your Feathers", and "Exquisite She Green". CD

Really fantastic material from legendary pianist Abdullah Ibrahim – a set cut with a larger group of musicians, which we like even more than Ibrahim's work in a solo or trio format! The group here is his Ekaya ensemble – who flesh out Abdullah's larger musical ideas in a really great way – providing this sensitive soul and spirit for his work on piano – which, after all these years, still echoes the rhythmic impulses that made him such a standout in the 60s – but which also has this matured approach to color and tone that's really wonderful – and beautifully illuminated by the group! Players include Cleave Guyton Jr on alto and flute, Lance Bryant on tenor, Andrea Murchison on trombone, and Marshall McDonald on baritone – and the rhythm section features great work from Will Terrill on drums, and Noah Jackson on bass and cello. Titles include "Jabula", "Tuangu Guru", "ZB2", "Dreamtime", "Nisa", "Tonegawa", and "Devotion". CD

A pair of British tenor giants – heard here in a previously unissued live performance – the legendary Ronnie Scott and the up-and-coming Alan Skidmore – both playing together here in a well-recorded set for the BBC! Scott's soulful lead really helps shape the energy of the tunes, but Skidmore's youthful exuberance really sets things on fire – and arguably makes the music even more compelling than some of Ronnie's other sides from the time – with a quality that's definitely reaching out to some of the new territory he'd explore on his own a few years later. The rhythm section is more than well-suited to keep up with the energy of the saxophonists – Gordon Beck on piano, Jeff Clyne on bass, and Johnny Butts on drums – and titles include "Oleo", "The 1612 Overture", "Sonnymoon For Two", "Where Are You", and "Night In Tunisia". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunner of a set from legendary trumpeter Charles Tolliver – and a record that shows that he's lost none of his brilliance since the years of his 70s recordings for the Strata East label! The format here is a bit like those – long tracks by a small group, with an outward appearance of familiarity – but a clearly resonant sense of individuality right from the very first note! All tracks are originals by Charles, and have that soaring quality that's always made him one of the most righteous talents in jazz – working with a group here that features Jesse Davis on alto, Keith Brown on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Lenny White on drums. The group's also joined by the great Binker Moses on tenor on two tracks – and titles include "Suspicion", "Copasetic", "Emperor March", and "Blue Soul". CD

A stunner of a set from legendary trumpeter Charles Tolliver – and a record that shows that he's lost none of his brilliance since the years of his 70s recordings for the Strata East label! The format here is a bit like those – long tracks by a small group, with an outward appearance of familiarity – but a clearly resonant sense of individuality right from the very first note! All tracks are originals by Charles, and have that soaring quality that's always made him one of the most righteous talents in jazz – working with a group here that features Jesse Davis on alto, Keith Brown on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Lenny White on drums. The group's also joined by the great Binker Moses on tenor on two tracks – and titles include "Suspicion", "Copasetic", "Emperor March", and "Blue Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

Theon Cross plays a tuba, but don't hold that against him – as he's already given us some mighty great music in The Sons Of Kemet – and really steps out here as a leader in a core trio that features the great Moses Boyd on drums and Nubya Garcia on tenor! A few tracks features Wayne Francis stepping in instead of Garcia – but apart from one track that adds trombone, and two that add guitar – the core approach of the record is drums, tenor, and tuba – with Cross handling his instrument with the richness of an acoustic bass at times, and bursting out as a soloist at others! The tenor really gets a lot of play in the mix – and we totally love Nubya from her other work – and the album's a fantastic explosion of fresh power from the London scene. Titles include "Activate", "Candace Of Meroe", "Letting Go", "Radiation", "CIYA", "LDN's Burning", "Panda Village", and "The Offering". CD

Dan Rosenboom's a trumpeter with a mighty fierce sound – one that's pushed forward with his own bold lines, and with this kind of rumbling, deep-burning energy from the rest of the group! The approach is a bit hard to describe, but there's often this sense of the bass and guitar creating these dark currents at the bottom of the music, while the drums crackle sharply, and Rosenboom's horn soars out in the lead – blowing with plenty of sharp changes and an effortless sense of energy. Other players on the set include Gavin Templeton on alto and piano, Tim Conley on guitar, Lim Lefebvre on bass, and Gary Novak on drums – and titles include "Mr Lizard Said", "Lemonade", "Apes In Rapture", "Heliopteryx", "Green Moon", "Obsidian Butterfly", and "Nebulounge". CD

An amazing collection of music – the legendary Fontana Records run of albums by tenor giant Tubby Hayes – a key player on the UK bop scene of the 50s, but one who took off in all these great new directions with these classic albums for the Fontana label in the following decade! The package features twelve full albums done by Tubby as a leader – all newly remastered by Gearbox, and packaged here with bonus material that was not on previous reissues – a number of alternate takes across the entire Fontana catalog! Each album comes in an LP-styled jacket with original cover art, save two, which are combined – and albums include Tubbs, Tubbs In New York, Palladium Jazz Date, Equation In Rhythm, Down In The Village, Late Spot At Scotts, Tubbs Tours, Return Visit, 100% Proof, Mexican Green, The Orchestra, and the 2CD version of the newly-discovered Grits, Beans, and Greens. There's a big booklet of notes, too, with rare photos and other images – and the whole package is wonderful throughout! CD