A huge slice of work from Culture – material recorded by the trio over a few short years in the late 70s, but brought together as a strong representative of the second chapter of their career! Culture were an early group in the roots movement in the 70s, and they continued with a very righteous vibe after moving over to Sonia Pottinger's High Note label – maybe getting a bit more professional touch in the studio, but never in a way that dimmed their message at all – and which still set the indie recordings of the group nicely apart from the growing global mainstream market for reggae. This huge set not only features all the vocal singles cut by the group, but also the dubs and versions – with 20 tracks appearing on CD for the first time ever, and 5 more that are previously unreleased. Titles include "Cultural Rock", "Work On Natty", "Stop The Fighting", "Rockers Dub", "Trod On", "This Train", "Mind Who You Beg For Help", "Natty Never Get Weary", "Freedom Rock", "Children Of Zion", "Free Again", "Wipe Your Weeping Eyes", "Children Of Israel", and "Too Long In Slavery". CD

Includes the songs "You Got It", "Caravan", "Just Friends", "Manteca", "Sugar", "I Love You", "Knee Deep In Rio", "Close Your Eyes", "Let's Fall In Love", and "Birdland". CD

An unusual collection of mento material from Jamaica – a later document of sounds that were initially the first on the path towards rocksteady and reggae! Back in the late 50s, Bermuda had calypso and Jamaica had mento – a style that was similar, but which had a slightly different rhythmic pattern – one that was fused with influences from American soul as the decade moved on, as the blueprint for ska, rocksteady, and later styles too! These recordings are all from the 70s – handled by producer Sonia Pottinger for her High Note label – and show that even in the era of dub and roots, mento was still going strong in Jamaica – although definitely with more contemporary touches that show the growing influence of reggae back on the older form of music. The set's a great look at this moment in the style – done with the usual huge booklet of notes we love from Doctor Bird, filled with rare images and label scans too – and the 2CD set features 46 tracks in all – full albums by King Vupp, The Jolly Boys, and The Prince Brothers – plus more by Sugar Belly, Count Lasher, Baba Brooks, The Dingle Brothers, Marva Moore, and others. CD

Music from Culture, Earth And Stone, Reggae George, Marcia Griffiths, Bojangles,Chantells, Beres Hammond, Brent Dowe, Jackie Edwards, Push Group, and more - 17 tracks in all. CD

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Another chapter of greatness from one of the greatest living tenorists in jazz – the mighty Eric Alexander, recording here in quartet formation with longtime partner Harold Mabern on piano! The album's got a fluid groove that's right up there with Alexander's best recent work for other Milestone – a timeless approach to soul jazz that's crafted with an ease and grace that few other players can match. Mabern's accompaniment is right on the money, and rhythm from the team of drummer Joe Farnsworth and bassist John Webber is never too cluttered, nor too laidback. As usual, Alexander's got a hell of an ear for a tune – and has come up with some great gems for the set, including Herbie Hancock's "Sonorisa", Mabern's classic "A Few Miles From Memphis", and Pat Martino's "Dead Center". Other tracks include "One For Steve", "It's Magic", and "Search For Peace". CD

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"Includes a rare solo guitar track" CD

John Hicks on piano, Dwayne Dolphin on bass, and Cecil Brooks III on drums. CD

With Norman Simmons on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums. CD

Mark Murphy left the planet a few years ago – leaving us all a bit more empty in the process – but fortunately, there have been some never-issued recordings that have kept his legacy burning strong – including this wonderful live performance from the Keystone Korner! The set was done at the height of Murphy's years on Muse Records – but is also the kind of no-nonsense, no-format presentation that Mark sometimes didn't get on his more creative projects for that label – a freewheeling live performance that reminds us what Murphy could do best, and often like nobody else at all – really open up a tune, transform the lyrics, and remind us that the voice can be a hell of an instrument, especially when used without gimmick or fanfare. Backing is by a cool quartet – piano, bass, and drums – plus Babatunde Lea on percussion – on titles that include "Waters Of March", "Fiesta In Blue", "Farmer's Market", "I Return To Music", "You Fascinate Me So", "Bijou", "Don't Be Blue", "Charleston Alley", and "Laugh Clown Laugh/Send In The Clowns". CD

Steve Nelson's been one of the hippest talents on vibes for many years now – and an album like this is a great reminder of why we love his music so much! Nelson's never content to just echo the sound of previous masters of his instrument – and instead, like a rare few, he finds a way to integrate the instrument into a familiar jazz combo, but all without ever making the vibes stand in second place – really soaring out and ringing forth with a commanding power that really leaves us breathless! Here, Nelson's in some very well-matched, deeply soulful company – a killer quartet with Danny Grissett on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums – superb rhythm players whose own fires rise and burn with the energy of the leader. The ballads on the record are as great as the burners – and it's the burners we love most of all – on titles that include "Eastern Joy Dance", "Soul-Leo", "Grew's Tune", "Samba D'Blue", "New Wheels", "Brothers Under The Sun", and "Melody For Mulgrew". CD

A warmly flowing set of tunes from vibist Steve Nelson – working here with an excellent rhythm section that includes Mulgrew Miller on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums! The style isn't as archly modern as some of Nelson's previous records – and with Miller's piano to propel him along, many of the longer tunes spin out nicely with a very open-handed approach – but one that still has those great darker tones and colors that we love so much in Nelson's vibes, and which are one of the reasons why we'd call him one of the players of his generation on the instrumen. Titles include "Airoso", "Sound Essence", "Song For Tina", "Night Mist Blues", "You & The Night & The Music", and "Up Jumped Spring". CD

Wallace Roney on trumpet – with Antoine Roney on reeds, Geri Allen on piano and keys, Robert Irving III on Fender Rhodes, Rashaan Carter on bass, Eric Allen on drums, and DJ Axum and Val Jeanty on turntables. CD

A sweet set of guitar/Hammond work from leader Thom Rotella – a warmly chromatic player on the guitar, and one who's matched here on most tracks with organ work from Bobby Floyd! Floyd's got this nice sense of clean tone that works beautifully with the richness of Rotella's guitar – making the whole thing almost feel like some of the best Grant Green organ-based Blue Note sides from years back, but with a fresher sense of contemporary elements too – thanks to original arrangements from Thom! The set features guest work from Eric Alexander on tenor and Jeremy Pelt on trumpet – each of whom play on two different tracks – and drums on most numbers are by Roy McCurdy. Titles include "Roy's Groove", "Don't Mess With Mister T", "Love For Sale", "Who Dat", "Pick Pocket", and "Side Hustle". CD

Larry Willis on piano – with Buster Williams on bass, and Al Foster on drums! CD

Tracks from Girl Lion, Phak Rattap Khan, Excursion, Ustad Sultan Khan, Way Tres, Flameproof, Shadow Steam, Mo' Horizons, Ensemble Ethnique, Rajiv Basham Singh, and others – 20 tracks total. CD

Tracks from Omaya, Cosmic Orient, Dobara, Angel Tears, Thievery Corporation, Bombay Dub Orchestra, Gunja, Leslie Lewis, Apache Indian, DJ Taral, and more. CD

A hokey kind of cover, but a great little album – another easy winner from the team of Eric Alexander and Harold Mabern, easily one of the greatest pairs working together in jazz for the past decade or so! Alexander's got a tremendous tone on the tenor – finely-honed with the maturity of a later Dexter Gordon, but also open to fluid, free moments too – with a sense of joy and exploration that recall our favorite moments on mid 60s Blue Note or Prestige. Mabern is great too – warm on the keys, but never sloppy – a player more filled with soul these days than ever, and always a great accompanist to Alexander's shifting range of modes in a set like this. Drums are by Joe Farnsworth, another trustworthy regular partner to the pair – and Nat Reeves completes the quartet on bass. Titles include 3 excellent Alexander originals (always his best work on record) – "Typhoon 11", "Little Lucas", and "Open & Shut" – plus versions of "Where Is The Love", "Where Or When", "Ruby My Dear", and "It's All In The Game". CD

Beautifully flowing piano from the great George Cables – always a giant on the keys, yet somehow sounding really reinvigorated on this wonderful set! We're not sure what's going on, but everything here is right on the money – Cables embracing the wide range of the keyboard, in ways that he always did – but with a sense of groove and space that's even more captivating than usual – maybe in part because the rhythm work on the set is so great, thanks to bass from Essiet Essiet and drums from Jerome Jennings! As with the best piano trio albums, the sound here is way more than just the sum of its parts – beautiful and uplifting throughout, with tracks that include "Echoes", "So Near So Far", "Journey To Agartha", "Peace", "Blue Nights", "Clockwise", and "Echoes Of A Scream". CD

Charles Earland on Hammond B3 organ, Eric Alexander on tenor saxophone, James Rotondi on trumpet, and Bobby Durham on drums. CD

A set that's got a fuller, richer sound than some of the other recent work from trumpeter Tom Harrell – in part because a number of tracks feature Fender Rhodes and organ from Luis Perdomo, as well as guitar from Charles Altura – both players who create these warm colors that shimmer nicely next to the Tom's work in the lead! And there's also some great resonance with the tenorists on the date – Dayna Stephens and Mark Turner – players who alternate tracks, and each play on half the album – next to Ugonna Okegwo on bass and Adam Cruz on drums. Perdomo also plays acoustic piano – and titles are all unique numbers by Harrell, with titles that include "Intermezzo", "Chalcedon", "Heliotrope", "Plateau", "UV", and "Radius". CD

A bold quintet set from trumpeter Tom Harrell – one that's a bit more back to basics than some of his other recent outings – with an especially strong focus on horn solos spiraling out over the rhythms! Harrell's got a nice bit in his trumpet, and plays some moodier flugelhorn too – sounding great on the mellow numbers – and Wayne Escoffery adds his tenor to the lead too. Danny Grissett is mostly on piano, but plays some Fender Rhodes at points – and rhythms from Ugonna Okegwo on bass and Jonathan Blake on drums often have occasional bop inflections. Titles include "Present", "Right As Rain", "Journey To The Stars", "Preludim", "A Blue Time", "The Question", and "Melody In B Flat". CD

Three Buddah Records albums from James Cotton – all served up here in a single set! First up is Live & On The Move – a freewheeling double live set from the great James Cotton – and a record that may well be one of his fiercest of the 70s! James is a monster on both harmonica and guitar right from the very first note – and he's given some really kickass backings from a combo that features some occasional funky drum work from Ken Johnson, plus great lead guitar from Mat Guitar Murphy, and saxophone work from George Gregory. Titles include "One More Mile", "All Walks Of Life", "Boogie Thing", "Teeny Weeny Bit", "Hot N Cold", "Next Time You See Me", "How Can A Fool Go Wrong", "Born In Missouri", and "I Don't Know". On High Energy, there's a very cool New Orleans current – thanks in part to arrangements from Crescent City soul maestro Wardell Quezergue – who creates some great funky moments on the set! Cotton's always been equal parts blues and soul – and the latter really comes to the forefront here, as he blows harmonica and sings with a raspy style that's right in the Nola groove you could hope for – a quality that's emphasized by the production from Marshall Sehorn and Allen Toussaint! Some New Orleans players are in the lineup, but the great Mat Murphy's still backing James on guitar – on cuts that include "Hot N Cold", "Chicken Heads", "Keep Cooking Mama", "Fannie Mae", "Weather Report", "I Got A Feeling", and "James' Theme". 100% Cotton is one of those key 70s records that helped harpman James Cotton really take the Chicago sound to the masses – a set that's romping, tight, and filled with the kind of soul-drenched arrangements that James always did so well! As with many of his classics, the mighty Mat Guitar Murphy is on board on guitar, and also helping with some of the arrangements too – which helps the group update a few older classics with a sweet electric blues groove – next to great new material by Cotton! Titles include "Burner", "I Don't Know", "Fatuation", "Creeper Creeps Again", "One More Mile", "All Walks Of Life", and "Boogie Thing". CD

An obscure but excellent hardbop combo, and one who work here with a very soulful groove – serving up all their own material, and with energy that's clearly inspired from the best years of the Blue Note label! All players are great – and the lineup features Benjamin Herman on alto, Jasper Blom on tenor, Juraj Stanik on piano, Marius Beets on bass, and Jost Patocka on drums – players who soar together effortlessly, then break out in some really smoking solos! Titles include "Magic Hands", "Hattrick", "Piece Of The Action", "Major Ending", "I Wrote You A Song", and "Ad Fundum". CD

An extraordinary document of Mobley's earliest recordings for the Blue Note label! This box collects some of Mobley's hardest to find recordings and comprises of the LPs Hank Mobley Quartet, Hank Mobley Sextet, Hank Mobley & His All Stars, Hank Mobley Quintet, Hank, Hank Mobley, Curtain Call, Poppin' and Peckin' Time! Whew! If you know any of those albums, you know this is one whopping batch of hard bop that showcases the tenorist's soul jazz roots beautifully. The sidemen hear read like a who's who of the east coast scene of the 50s, with Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan, Milt Jackson, Art Farmer, John Jenkins, Sonny Clark, Kenny Dorham, Pepper Adams, Paul Chambers, Wynton Kelly and Philly Joe Jones all making appearances. There's a total of 56 tracks spread out over 6 discs, including titles like "Hank's Prank", 'Walkin' The Fence", "Just Coolin'", "Touch & Go", "Double Whammy", "Barrel Of Funk", "Lower Stratosphere", "Mobley's Musings", "Funk In Deep Freeze", "Wham & They're Off", "Startin' From Scratch", "Hi Groove, Low Feedback", "Double Exposure", "Don't Get Too Hip", "Poppin'", "East Of Brooklyn", "High & Flighty" and "Peckin' Time". CD