With lots of percussion – thanks to Ray Barretto and Steve Berrios! CD

Features George Coleman on tenor, Kenny Garrett on alto, and Dave Valentin on flute! CD

A nice record from Ruiz and one that really combines jazz elements with a Latin sound. Ruiz composed and arranged the songs on the record and plays piano as well. His ensemble consists of such players as Lew Soloff on trumpet, Steve Turre on trombone & seashells, Sam Rivers on flute and tenor & soprano sax, Russell Blake on electric bass and Ignacio Berroa on drums, plus others. The tracks include "Home Cookin", "Puerto Rican Children", "Four West", "Something Grand", "Sunrise Over Madarao", and "One Step Ahead". CD

Hilton Ruiz on piano with Charlie Sepulveda on trumpet, David Sanchez on tenor Saxophone, Papo Vazquez on trombone, Andy Gonzalez on bass, Ignacio Berrios on drums & timbales, Steve Berrios on timbales & percussion, Joe Gonzalez on bongos & chekere, and Giovanni Hidalgo on conga & cowbell. CD

A fantastic collection of images from Times Square, pulled from the years before Disney took over – at a time when the action moved 24 hours a day, and at a non-stop pace! Bill Butterworth was right on the streets during the early 80s – and presents stunning full color shots of a range of figures from the Deuce – strippers, short order cooks, merchants, hustlers, b boys, Guardian Angels, and others – often in posed portraits in their environs, but occasionally captured in more candid ways too. The look and feel of the photographs is great – similar to some of the Powerhouse books on old school hip hop culture – and the whole thing is hardcover, and overflowing with great shots. Book

One of the greatest albums as a leader from tenorist George Coleman – an artist who we feel often never gave us enough with himself in the lead as well! George brings in that great edge he used on earlier sessions with other leaders, while still also really establishing himself as one of the most expressive tenorists of the 70s in a mainstream mode – almost that balance between straighter swing and sharper corners that Joe Henderson brought to key recordings at the time. The group here are very fluid, and able to shift wonderfully with George's lead – Hilton Ruiz on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a masterful lineup who make magic throughout, on titles that include "Amsterdam After Dark", "New Arrival", "Lo-Joe", "Autumn In New York", "Apache Dance", and "Blondie's Waltz". CD

A wonderfully moody album from Abbey Lincoln – one that's a bit more laidback than some of her other efforts, but no less soulful! There's kind of a broken, jagged sound to the record – a late nite vibe that's blue and melancholy, and which gets some great support from the tenor sax of Archie Shepp – which often gets a chance to solo on most tracks! The rhythms are gentle, often a bit spare – and handled by Hilton Ruiz on piano, Jack Gregg on bass, and Freddie Waits on drums – and the set also features work from trumpeter Roy Burroughs. Tracks include three original compositions, "Painted Lady", "Throw It Away", and "Caged Bird", plus a sublime version of Stevie Wonder's "Golden Lady". Also includes Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady", and Michel Legrand's "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Doesn't Mongo have about 3 albums with this title? Whatever the case, this one's a great set – recorded in the early 90s in New York, a straight ahead Latin jazz session that's a nice little back-to-basics session! Players include Dave Valentin, Hubert Laws, and Johnny Almendra – and the set was conducted by Marty Sheller, who always knows how to give Mongo a groove! Arrangements are by Sheller, Hilton Ruiz, and Eddie Allen – and tracks include "La Mongolla", "Azteca", "Are They Only Dreams", and "Dark Before The Dawn". CD

One of the greatest albums as a leader from tenorist George Coleman – an artist who we feel often never gave us enough with himself in the lead as well! George brings in that great edge he used on earlier sessions with other leaders, while still also really establishing himself as one of the most expressive tenorists of the 70s in a mainstream mode – almost that balance between straighter swing and sharper corners that Joe Henderson brought to key recordings at the time. The group here are very fluid, and able to shift wonderfully with George's lead – Hilton Ruiz on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a masterful lineup who make magic throughout, on titles that include "Amsterdam After Dark", "New Arrival", "Lo-Joe", "Autumn In New York", "Apache Dance", and "Blondie's Waltz". CD

One of the greatest albums as a leader from tenorist George Coleman – an artist who we feel often never gave us enough with himself in the lead as well! George brings in that great edge he used on earlier sessions with other leaders, while still also really establishing himself as one of the most expressive tenorists of the 70s in a mainstream mode – almost that balance between straighter swing and sharper corners that Joe Henderson brought to key recordings at the time. The group here are very fluid, and able to shift wonderfully with George's lead – Hilton Ruiz on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a masterful lineup who make magic throughout, on titles that include "Amsterdam After Dark", "New Arrival", "Lo-Joe", "Autumn In New York", "Apache Dance", and "Blondie's Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

Chico Freeman on tenor and soprano saxophone, piano, and keyboards, Romero on Flamenco guitar, Hilton Ruiz on piano, Avery Sharpe on bass, Terreon Gully on drums, Pibo Marquez and Chembo Corniel on percussion and congas, with vocals from Akil Dasan. CD

A killer album of Latin Jazz – one that really lives up to the strong legacy of records from Jerry Gonzalez, but which also has an even rootsier, classic vibe overall! The set was recorded in 1980, but it's almost out of time – handled in the best style of the American Clave label, with a mode that has the group bristling with acoustic energy right from the start – in a fantastic blend of jazz and Latin musicians, including Papo Vasquez and Steve Turre on trombones, Mario Rivera on tenor, Hilton Ruiz on piano, Nicky Marrero on timbales, Andy Gonzalez on bass, and Don Alias on drums – all working strongly with Gonzalez, who shifts effortlessly between horn and percussion, playing trumpet, flugelhorn, bombo, cascara, and quinto – while also vocalizing along with the members of the band! There's a raw spirit here that hearkens back to classic work from Sabu Martinez, or maybe some of the Art Blakey drum-heavy projects at the end of the 50s – and titles include a great version of Wayne Shorter's "Nefertiti", plus takes on "Evidence", "Caravan", and "Theme to I Love Lucy" – an important enough piece of Latin music in it's own right! CD

An incredible tribute to the greatness of Rashaan Roland Kirk – featuring mixed groups of soulful players who do a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of Kirk's groundbreaking work on reeds! None of these guys is really doing a lot of Kirk's "three in one" blowing – but they all do a wonderful job of reaching Kirk's level of imagination in terms of tone, space, and all-out sense of humor. Players include sometime Kirk bandmates – like Hilton Ruiz or Jaki Byard – plus Eric Alexander, James Spaulding, Craig Handy, Xavier Davis, John Stubblefield, Donald Harrison, Joe Lovano, and many others. All tracks are Kirk compositions – and titles include "Rip Rig & Panic", "Gifts & Messages", "Bright Moments", "My Delight", "The Inflated Tear", "The Haunted Melody", and "A Stritch In Time". Way more than a simple tribute album – and a great set of all-out creative jazz! CD

Tracks by Roy Hargrove, John Hicks, Steve Lacy, Steve Coleman, Hilton Ruiz, Carmen McRae, and others. CD

Later genius from Rahsaan Roland Kirk – a record of wonderful depth and soul, and a session that moves back to the straighter jazz focus of some of his work from the Mercury years – yet still keeps all the personality and charm of the best Atlantic sides! Roland's playing in a warm jazzy mode that still features some of his wit and tricks – but which also is even more nicely in a straight jazz vein on the album's best tracks – rolling out in a gently soulful 70s mode that features some slight electric touches, but which preserves a main focus on his own soulful work on a variety of saxes and flute. The lineup is great too – with a shifting group of players that include Hilton Ruiz, Billy Butler, Walter Perkins, and even the great Trudy Pitts – and titles include "Sugar", "Serenade To A Cuckoo", "The Christmas Song", "Los Angeles Negro Chorus", "Bright Moments", "Night In Tunisia", and "J. Griff's Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful late chapter in the jazz journey of Rahsaan Roland Kirk – and an album of subtle genius that's really opened up to us over the years! The setting here isn't as "hit you over the head" as on some of Kirk's Atlantic Records – because at one level, the tunes are mostly straight, and free of gimmicks – yet also still manage to conjure up the warmth, spirit, and soul that Roland brought to his best work. There's a slightly electric vibe running through some of the tunes, thanks to keyboards from Hilton Ruiz – and the album also benefits from organ work by Trudy Pitts and guitar from Billy Butler – both of whom are wonderfully restrained, in a way that matches the subtlety of the entire conception of the set. Titles include "Theme For The Eulipions", which features a great recitation from Betty Neals, plus cool chorus vocals – and other titles include "Goodbye Porkpie Hat", "Giant Steps", "Loving You", and "I'll Be Seeing You". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes performances by Poncho Sanchez, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Hilton Ruiz, and many more. CD

David Fathead Newman on flute, soprano, alto and tenor saxes – with Hilton Ruiz and George Cables on keyboards, Lee Ritenour on guitar, Idris Muhammad on drums, and others. CD