One of the best debuts in the history of hip hop – and one of the most important albums the genre ever produced! Criminal Minded is a landmark for a number of reasons. Among the biggest is, of course, that it was recorded with the late great DJ Scott La Rock – and he was soon to fall prey to the very street violence that BDP documented with such raw brilliance by KRS-One. Importance aside, Criminal Minded is simply a great, timeless record that no true fan of gritty classic hip hop should be without. The track list alone is a full chapter in the hip hop book of legends – with tunes like "Poetry", "Elementary", "South Bronx", "Super-Hoe", "Bridge is Over", and the "P is Free" remix. Also includes "Criminal Minded", "Dope Beat", and "9mm Goes Bang". CD

The most upbeat groovers from one of the rarest soul labels of the 60s – Washington DC's Shrine Records label – a small imprint who recorded some mighty fine singles that have been the gold standard for collectors for years! The company's output was quite small, and the label, as the title implies, never got much exposure at the time – but overall, Shrine's work is extremely great, and the tracks on this set soar with the best Philly and New York soul of the time, especially the male vocal group numbers, which are especially strong. The LP mixes two rare cuts that were not issued in the 60s with other singles on the label – and titles include "My Only Love" by The Counts, "Hey Boy" by The DC Blossoms, "No Other Way" by The Cautions, "Guess Who Loves You" by Eddie Daye & The 4 Bars, "Shame" by The Enjoyables, "I Won't Be Coming Back" by JD Bryant, "I Won't Believe It Till I See It" by Little Bobby Parker, "Takin My Time" by Leroy Taylor & The Four Kays, "Stop Overlooking Me" by The Cairos, and "Don't Let Him Hurt You" by Les Chansonettes. LP, Vinyl record album

The more stylistically sprawling of the 2 albums Prince released upon returning to Warner Brothers in 2014 – nicely recalling some of his better later 80s and early 90s material, post-Sign O The Times craft – but still moving forward, as opposed to reliving past glories! Art Official Age finds Mr. Nelson working in myriad strains of eccentric, 80s-learned pop, soul and funk – in a voice that's held up impossibly well over the years. This one is credited to Prince alone, but features backing by his 3rdeyegirl rock band, Marissa Jack, aka Golden Hippie, Paloma Ayana and others. Everything from tripped out cosmic soul pop, to electro funk and psych soul guitar jams – Prince will be Prince! Includes the title track, "Clouds", "Breakdown", "The Gold Standard", "Breakfast Can Wait", "This Could Be Us", "Way Back Home", "Affirmation" (parts I, II & III), "Time" and more. CD

Amazing work from Freddie Hubbard – one of his best albums ever! The title cut's a classic, but all cuts on the album are great – and really set a whole new standard for soul jazz in the 70s! Unlike the freer runs of Miles Davis, Freddie takes things into territory here that's open, yet tightly controlled – a really soulful, spiritual vibe that's quite different than any of his later commercial work – or his hardbop of the decade before! The lineup includes Joe Henderson on tenor and Herbie Hancock on piano – and even back in the 80's, when everyone was going purist again, and was pretending they didn't like 70's electric jazz at all, they still claimed that this was a great jazz record, and one of the only good ones for CTI. We know better now, of course, and know that there were loads of great CTI sessions – but that doesn't stop this from being one of the best! Titles include "Red Clay", "Delphia", "Suite Sioux", and "The Intrepid Fox". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer compilation of Daptone Gold – a funky and soulful collection that's a perfect snapshot of the sounds coming out of Daptone's House Of Soul recording studios in the aughties! The Daptone sound spins from a tight community of players with the deepest love and respect for the classic, be it funky instrumentals, gritty raw soul, with bits of Afrobeat and more. Daptone Gold includes some standard bearing label classics, rarities and previously unreleased tracks – incredible stuff from Binky Griptite, The Budos Band, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Lee Fields, Menahan Streetband, Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens and Antibalas. 23 tracks in all: a funky introduction and more from Binky Griptite, "Could Have Been" by Lee Fields, "Che Che Cole Makosa" by Antibalas feat Mayra Vega, "Nervous Like Me" by the Dap-Kings, "I Need You To Hold My Hand" Cynthia Langston & The Gospel Queens, "Stranded In Your Love" by Sharon Jones & Lee Fields and more. Incredible stuff, and a totally essential overview if this your first Daptone Purchase or fiftieth! CD

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A landmark record – both in 60s jazz and bossa nova – and a set that not only bridged worlds of music, but set the tone for so many other albums to come! By the time of this 1964 set, Stan Getz had already issued a few bossa nova experiments on Verve – but this pairing with guitarist Joao Gilberto really pushed the format over the top – thanks in part to the vocals of Gilberto's lovely wife Astrud, who'd never sung in the studio before this famous recording! The record created a sound that was copied endlessly, and which catapulted Astrud to unbelievable fame worldwide – even though she was only included in the session at the last minute, because Joao couldn't sing in English – and the mix of Stan's tenor and Joao's guitar is wonderful – and backed throughout by this light, lilting bossa nova rhythms. Titles include the classic recording of "Girl From Ipanema", plus loads of other bossa classics like "Desafinado", "Cocovado", "O Grande Amor", and "Vivo Sonhando". CD

A record that some saw as a bit of a jolt in the career of Herbie Hancock when it was released – but a set that's actually gone on to become one of the classics in his catalog, thanks to the mix of material and the players on the date! The "new standard" in the title is a reference to many of the songs in the collection – taken from more (then) recent rock and pop, but then turned into jazz instrumental tapestries with Herbie on acoustic piano, Michael Brecker on tenor and soprano, John Scofield on guitars, Dave Holland on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums. Titles include versions of "You've Got It Bad Girl", "Thieves In The Temple", "Your Gold Teeth II", "All Apologies", "Love Is Stronger Than Pride", "Mercy Street", and "Scarborough Fair". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that some saw as a bit of a jolt in the career of Herbie Hancock when it was released – but a set that's actually gone on to become one of the classics in his catalog, thanks to the mix of material and the players on the date! The "new standard" in the title is a reference to many of the songs in the collection – taken from more (then) recent rock and pop, but then turned into jazz instrumental tapestries with Herbie on acoustic piano, Michael Brecker on tenor and soprano, John Scofield on guitars, Dave Holland on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums. Titles include versions of "You've Got It Bad Girl", "Thieves In The Temple", "Your Gold Teeth II", "All Apologies", "Love Is Stronger Than Pride", "Mercy Street", and "Scarborough Fair".. CD

Amazing is right – as Nina Simone is really taking off here – showing the world that she's way more than just another jazz singer – able to hit some righteous currents that would only explode even more in years to come! Nina's emotion is subtle, but extremely powerful – maybe not as bold as in her late 60s recordings, but already very much part of the performance – even on some of the more standard jazz tunes. Arrangements are by Bob Mersey, and titles include "Blue Prelude", "You've Been Gone Too Long", "Chilly Winds Don't Blow", "Can't Get Out Of This Mood", and "That's Him Over There". LP, Vinyl record album

Superb work from Steely Dan – and a record that really shows them hitting perfection in the studio! The core sound of this one's jazzier than before – with some great help on instrumentation from Victor Feldman, Lanny Morgan, Bill Perkins, and other west coast jazzers – all helping the group sound great on some of the tightest tracks ever written by the team of Becker and Fagan! Ecstasy is definitely in reach with the sound of this set – a sublime effort all the way through that really set a whole new standard in 70s rock! Includes classics like "Bodhisattva", "Your Gold Teeth", "My Old School", and "Show Biz Kids". LP, Vinyl record album

Sharp-edged wit from a young Dick Gregory – and the kind of record that easily set the standard for countless comics to come! The tracks here are mostly free-form – still structured into a few routines, but also pretty easygoing and open – with more of the openly rapping sort of approach also used by Lenny Bruce and Mort Sahl at the time. Gregory's certainly got all the politics of the latter, focused into his own unique perspective – one that was a key force of change in the Civil Rights era. Titles include "The Congo Daily Tribune", "Comedians Of The 60s", "Thoughts On Outer Space", and "Not Poor Just Busted". LP, Vinyl record album

A 70s dub masterpiece – and one of the records that really set the standard for the genre! Producer Winston Riley first rose to reggae fame in the Techniques, but here he's a master of the instrumental mode – working with a group of all-star musicians at Harry J's and King Tubby's Studio – all to craft these spare, bassy grooves that are completely out of sight! There's a sense of understatement here that separates the music from later dub work – and the record's a great reminder that sometimes less is more – especially when it comes to exploring the deeper sides of the sonic spectrum. Titles include "Chalist Dub", "Staga Dub", "Dread Dub", "Mistry Maker Dub", "Red Gold & Green Dub", "Peace & Love Dub", and "Who Is The Dub". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the weirdest records Sun Ra ever made – music to accompany the strange film Space Is The Place – which itself was an odd mixture of science fiction and blacksploitation-type action! The sounds here are sometimes in the usual Arkestra mode – wonderfully exotic rhythms mixed with freewheeling jazz solos – but other parts seem to follow more of a soundtrack-styled need – and include some bolder action riffs, spare scene-setting moments, and even some strong vocal themes. Titles include "Watusa", "Calling Planet Earth", "Mysterious Crystal", "Outerspaceways Incorporated", "Cosmic Forces", "Satellites Are Spinning", and a version of "Space Is The Place". This special set also includes the bonus Mathematics Of The Altered Destiny, a full LP of unreleased music from Sun Ra featuring June Tyson – and the first ever US Blu-ray release of the film, and a standard DVD as well! LP, Vinyl record album

Superb work from Steely Dan – and a record that really shows them hitting perfection in the studio! The core sound of this one's jazzier than before – with some great help on instrumentation from Victor Feldman, Lanny Morgan, Bill Perkins, and other west coast jazzers – all helping the group sound great on some of the tightest tracks ever written by the team of Becker and Fagan! Ecstasy is definitely in reach with the sound of this set – a sublime effort all the way through that really set a whole new standard in 70s rock! Includes classics like "Bodhisattva", "Your Gold Teeth", "My Old School", and "Show Biz Kids". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the weirdest records Sun Ra ever made – music to accompany the strange film Space Is The Place – which itself was an odd mixture of science fiction and blacksploitation-type action! The sounds here are sometimes in the usual Arkestra mode – wonderfully exotic rhythms mixed with freewheeling jazz solos – but other parts seem to follow more of a soundtrack-styled need – and include some bolder action riffs, spare scene-setting moments, and even some strong vocal themes. Titles include "Watusa", "Calling Planet Earth", "Mysterious Crystal", "Outerspaceways Incorporated", "Cosmic Forces", "Satellites Are Spinning", and a version of "Space Is The Place". This special set also includes the bonus Mathematics Of The Altered Destiny, a full LP of unreleased music from Sun Ra featuring June Tyson – and the first ever US Blu-ray release of the film, and a standard DVD as well! LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful collection from a time when the Italian scene was really on fire – getting past some of the more standard modes of Italo Disco of the 80s, and really stepping forward with some of the most soulful, uplifting sounds of house music! Given the way the earlier Italian work influenced the grooves in Chicago and New York clubs, the cultural exchange makes even more sense going the other way around – and the well-chosen cuts on this set represent the cream of the crop from this moment – really well-conceived, well-produced cuts that have a surprisingly soulful vibe throughout. Titles include the previously unreleased cuts "London (orig mix)" by Ricky Montanari & Davide Ruberto, and "Melt The Sun" by Ivan Iacobucci – plus "Let's Face The Music" by Night Communication, "Switch Back" by Green Baize, "Get Up" by Mental Detector, "So In Love With You (club)" by Sound Set, "Make My Move (Tira dub)" by Workin Happily, "Give You Myself (Ethos Mama dub)" by Sima, and "In Total Darkness (irregular dub)" by More Heavy Soul. LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set to feature the Bill Evans Trio with the great Scott Lafaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums! Listening to the set we're reminded of what always brings us back to Evans' playing – a quality that's often described as moody, but which is really is quite spry and lively throughout this set, without ever giving up its lyrical approach. Titles are mostly standards – but really transformed by the touch of the trio – and tunes include "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "Autumn Leaves", "Witchcraft", "When I Fall In Love", "Peri's Scope", "What Is This Thing Called Love", "Spring Is Here", "Some Day My Prince Will Come", and "Blue In Green". CD features 1 bonus track! CD

One of the most famous Jerry Goldsmith soundtracks ever – even if the film itself wasn't much of a hit! Goldsmith really rose to the top ranks of film composers with his work for Blue Max – able to orchestrate both full action and quiet moments with effortless ease – often through these compressed passages that really move beyond the usual Hollywood scoring standard of the time! Things are never too flowery, yet still remain quite full at times – and Goldsmith really demonstrates his great skill with creating special odd sounds out of more familiar instruments. Titles include "First Blood", "Bridge Duel", "The Lonely Victor", "Small Favor", "Statchel in Berlin", and "The Bridge". CD

A pair of great Jerry Goldsmith soundtracks – back to back on a single CD! Shock Treatment is a soundtrack that's as great as you might guess from the title – penned for a psycho-thriller, and done with a slight bit of "shock" in the music – not really electricity, but these odd tones that have a cool spacey feel at the best moments – similar to some of the ways that Goldsmith could work real magic with acoustic instrumentation on some of his sci fi scores. Even the more standard passages are pretty great – tense, and a real cut above the usual of the time. CD features bonus tracks added to the soundtrack – with titles that include "Broken Glass", "Home Work", "Night Scene", "Nelson's Seduction", "Another Treatment", "Hot Money", and "Nelson's Escape". Fate Is The Hunter has a decidedly different feel – kind of cool and gentle, almost watery at times – with an undercurrent of jazz that almost reminds us of some of Johnny Mandel's best soundtracks of the time! Titles include "Forest Scene", "Night Scene", "Moon Fish", "The Room", and "Fate Is The Hunter". CD

A trio of fantastic duet albums from this legendary team – all presented in a single set! Me & The First Lady is the second record to pair the incredible vocals of George Jones and Tammy Wynette – and it also marks a real shift in the careers of both musicians – a rise to the more introspective, mature style that Jones would explore very strongly on his Columbia sides to come! Both singers were more upbeat in the 60s, and maybe had some more gimmicks to some of their songs – yet here, they come together in this very sophisticated style that's mindblowing – all put together with superb Billy Sherrill production. Titles include "A Lovely Place To Cry", "We Believe In Each Other", "The Great Divide", "The Ceremony", "We're Gonna Try To Get Along", "Lovin You Is Worth It", and "It's Been A Beautiful Life". We're Gonna Hold On is a set that's maybe marking some of the personal rift between George Jones and Tammy Wynette in its title – yet a record that still has a wonderfully unified feel between two of the most amazing voices in country music! The match of styles, moods, and moments is superb – way different than just the sort of playful male/female country that was forged in years past – and a real standard-setting performance that includes "The Jet Set", "We're Gonna Hold On", "Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms", "That Man Of Mine", "If Loving You Starts Hurting Me", and "The Woman Loves Me Right". Golden Ring is a stunning record from the duo of George Jones and Tammy Wynette – a set that could be easily written off as a reflection of their shaky relationship – yet instead the kind of material that has the pair continuing to plumb emotive and vocal depths that few other country singers could ever hope to touch! The album works wonderfully as a unified whole – a testament to the strengths and struggles of human relationships, delivered by two singers who had plenty of life under their belts by the time of the session – and who still know how to come together on their vocals in a way that's unlike anyone else before, then, or since. Titles include "Golden Ring", "Keep The Change", "Near You", "Even The Bad Times Are Good", "Did You Ever", "Tattletale Eyes", "Cryin Time", and "If You Don't Somebody Else Will". CD

A huge array of photographs from the golden years of 90s hip hop – all captured within a few short years by Peter Spirer, at a time when he was diving deep into the scene to really document the sort of energy that's made this stretch such a legendary one for the music! These photos are way more than standard portraits or stage shots, as Peter managed to really penetrate the everyday lives of the artists, to a point where you'll find some very surprising, and very striking images of figures who aren't always captured without striking a pose. The book features over 130 photographs, with subjects who include Dr Dre, Das Efx, Biz Markie, Busta Rhymes, Notorious BIG, Method Man, Nas, Q-Tip, Tupac, Guru, KRS-One, and dozens of others – and the heavy hardcover book is 240 pages in length – with added text from Soren Baker, and an introduction from Ice T. Book

With a record like this, it's hard to believe that Christian Scott started out in more standard jazz – as Chief Xian Atunde Adjuah is a very different artist altogether, one who wraps together worlds and eras of musical heritage – working here in a set that's very heavy on percussion, vocal refrains, and other elements you never would have heard in his earlier music! The leader works a whole host of percussion along with other members of the group, but also adds in some larger production elements too – always in a way that's nicely subtle, and preserves the acoustic energy at the core – yet which really enriches the proceedings too! The album's overflowing with righteous power – and titles include "On To New Orleans", "Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lighting", "Xodokan Iko Hu Na Ney", "Trouble That Mornin", "Blood Calls Blood", "Ashe Chief Donald", "Golden Crown", and "Shallow Water". CD

With a record like this, it's hard to believe that Christian Scott started out in more standard jazz – as Chief Xian Atunde Adjuah is a very different artist altogether, one who wraps together worlds and eras of musical heritage – working here in a set that's very heavy on percussion, vocal refrains, and other elements you never would have heard in his earlier music! The leader works a whole host of percussion along with other members of the group, but also adds in some larger production elements too – always in a way that's nicely subtle, and preserves the acoustic energy at the core – yet which really enriches the proceedings too! The album's overflowing with righteous power – and titles include "On To New Orleans", "Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lighting", "Xodokan Iko Hu Na Ney", "Trouble That Mornin", "Blood Calls Blood", "Ashe Chief Donald", "Golden Crown", and "Shallow Water". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual little session for Kenny Dorham – one in which he sings as well as plays trumpet – perhaps taking a page out of Chet Baker's book, but with a completely different approach! The group features Curtis Fuller, Cedar Walton, Sam Jones, and Charlie Persip on drums – who is replaced by GT Hogan on a couple of numbers. The set's all standards, and Kenny's style is nicely raspy – not the best technically, but with some surprisingly gentle feeling that's a nice complement to his work on trumpet. Includes "Autumn Leaves", "Since I Fell For You", "From This Moment On", "This Is The Moment", "Angel Eyes", and "Golden Earrings". LP, Vinyl record album

Very early work from Chico Hamilton – recorded in a piano trio mode that predates his more famous chamber quintet – working with pianist Freddie Gambrell and bassist Ben Tucker on a set of tunes that are mostly standards, and a few bluesy piano explorations. Titles include "Ex Ray's Friends", "Reservation Blues", "These Foolish Things", "You're The Cream In My Coffee", "Five Minutes More", and "Midnight Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

Abbey Lincoln in very familiar territory – working through a set of all-original compositions – self-penned tunes that are awash in dark moods and subdued emotions! The setting shows the full depths of Abbey's talents – and is a great reminder that she's not just an old jazz singer that you can trot into the studio for a record of dusted-off standards – but a continually growing, evolving talent – and one with a compositional pen that's as compelling as her instantly-recognizable voice! Instrumentation features guitars from Larry Campbell, accordion from Gil Goldstein, bass from Scott Colley, cello from Dave Eggar, and drums from Shawn Pelton – and Abbey wrote the words and music to all titles save one – a version of "Blue Monk", which features Thelonious' own music. Titles include "And It's Supposed To Be Love", "Should've Been", "Learning How To Listen", "Down Here Below", "The World Is Falling Down", "Throw It Away", and "The Music Is The Magic". CD

A classic set of early jazz recordings by Nina Simone – one of her first albums ever, but already with an approach that's quite different from other singers of the time! Nina's singing a fair bit of standards here, but she brings a deeply personal approach to the material – inflecting the tunes with gospel-inspired soul, and showing some very slight folksy touches – of the sort that would come in more heavily on later records, but which is already shining pretty strongly here! Nina accompanies herself on some mighty soulful piano – with bass from Jimmy Bond and drums from Al Heath – on titles that include "Plain Gold Ring", "Good Bait", "He Needs Me", "Don't Smoke In Bed", and "I Loves You Porgy". CD

A key early moment for Nina Simone – recorded live at Newport in 1960, at a time when the festival was one of the most important showcases for groundbreaking jazz – and a perfect setting for Nina to really let loose in that righteous style that would fuel her career during the 60s! Given that Simone could sometimes be turned out of the cabaret crowd with her politics, the warm welcome she gets at Newport is very fitting support – and you can really hear it in the way she approaches the material! The set's a hip batch of tunes that includes a few standards like "Trouble In Mind" and "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", all done with the righteous Simone flair – plus other lesser-known tracks like "Flo Me La" and "Nina's Blues", opened up in the setting with some nice small combo backing! LP, Vinyl record album

Nina selected a very nice batch of standards and hip jazzy tracks for this classic Colpix release from the early 60s – and the set's a great example of her unique skill for blending folksy material with more sophisticated stuff, in an amazingly haunting style that has endured for decades. Titles include "Memphis In June", "Cotton Eye Joe", "Work Song", "Little Liza Jane", "Forbidden Fruit", "Rags & Old Iron", and "You Can Have Him". LP, Vinyl record album

Damn funky gospel soul – the sort you'd hardly expect from spiritual folks like these, but which flourished strongly alongside more standard church-related work in the 70s! The package is a stunning follow up to Numero's first Good God volume – and really digs even deeper than that great set – pulling out a mad flurry of rare funky 45s that easily match any hip secular soul at the time, at least in the spirit of the groove! The lyrics are definitely on the righteous tip, but never too much so – and the earthly rhythms at the bottom of most tracks is more than enough to help pitch the grooves strongly towards anyone who's never even set foot inside of a church. As usual, Numero do an excellent job with the notes and details on all cuts – showing they really put a hell of a lot of thought into the collection – and titles include "I Know I've Been Changed" by Victory Travelers, "Pray A Little Longer" by Lucy Sister Soul Rogers, "Packing A Grip" by Golden Echoes, "Like A Ship" by Pastor TL Barrett & The Youth For Christ, "Been Trying" by Chicago Travelers, "The Same Thing It Took" by Inspirational Gospel Singers, "Somebody Watching You" by Sacred Four, "Peter & John" by Andrew Wartts & The Gospel Storytellers, "I Thank You Lord" by Little Chris & The Righteous Singers, and "Share Your Love" by Sensational Five Singing Sons. LP, Vinyl record album

Andy Bey on piano and vocals, with no other support – still sounding great after all these many years on the planet – and still one of the most unique singers in jazz! The album's based on a set of familiar standards, structured into "pages" – at a level that almost gives the record a sense of narrative structure – but although the tunes are well-known, Bey's performances certainly aren't – as he manages to break down the rhythms and melodies in really unusual ways with his piano lines, then match their energy with his singing, which still has all the old angular inflections you'd know from his work with Horace Silver or Gary Bartz. At some level, the spareness and deep roots take us back to his work with the Bey Sisters – without them in place, obviously – although there's a much richer sense of life and world presence holding the music together here. Titles include "Dog Eat Dog", "My Foolish Heart", "Jealousy", "All That Glitters Is Not Gold", "Everything I Have is Yours", "Humor Keeps Us Alive", "Good Morning Heartache", "Love For Sale", and "Lover Come Back To Me". CD

Two excellent Bryant sets, recorded for Prestige, though he's more well known for his Cadet sides. The first disc of the set is a very striking album – one of Bryant's most noteworthy of the time! The album features Ray playing solo piano – quite unusual for the period, as most piano jazz records, especially his, were at least cut in a trio format. Ray's wonderfully unfettered here – hitting grooves with a level of expression and sophistication that far surpasses most of his other records. The intimate time on the keys never gets hokey or overindulgent – but it does let Ray open up and show a side that we've rarely heard on wax. Titles include "Stocking Feet", "Blues #3", "Joy", "Me & The Blues", and "My Blues". The Ray Bryant Trio is another wonderful early side, featuring Ike Isaacs and Specs Wright in a trio alongside Bryant, performing sparkling renditions of standards and a couple originals, that are still infused with his bluesy groove. Titles include "Golden Earrings", "Angel Eyes", "Blues Changes", "Splittin'", "Django", "The Thrill Is Gone", "Daahoud" and "Sonar". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work from Les – recording at the Jazz Workshop in SF, with his famous trio that included Herbie Lewis on bass and Ron Jefferson on drums. The album's pretty standard fare – short soul jazz piano numbers, with more than a bit of church in the grooves. Titles include "Come On & Get That Church", "We'll See Yaw'll After While, Ya Heah", "I Am In Love", "Big Jim", and "Oh Them Golden Gates". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual little session for Kenny Dorham – one in which he sings as well as plays trumpet – perhaps taking a page out of Chet Baker's book, but with a completely different approach! The group features Curtis Fuller, Cedar Walton, Sam Jones, and Charlie Persip on drums – who is replaced by GT Hogan on a couple of numbers. The set's all standards, and Kenny's style is nicely raspy – not the best technically, but with some surprisingly gentle feeling that's a nice complement to his work on trumpet. Includes "Autumn Leaves", "Since I Fell For You", "From This Moment On", "This Is The Moment", "Angel Eyes", and "Golden Earrings". CD

A classic set of early jazz recordings by Nina Simone – one of her first albums ever, but already with an approach that's quite different from other singers of the time! Nina's singing a fair bit of standards here, but she brings a deeply personal approach to the material – inflecting the tunes with gospel-inspired soul, and showing some very slight folksy touches – of the sort that would come in more heavily on later records. Backing is by a small combo, and tracks include "Plain Gold Ring", "Good Bait", "He Needs Me", "Don't Smoke In Bed", and "I Loves You Porgy". LP, Vinyl record album