With Steve Allee on piano, Clay Jenkins on trumpet, Bob Sheppard on reeds, Steve Houghton on drums, Jeremy Allen on bass. CD

One of the deepest-digging entries in this wonderful series – a set that explores the wealth of spiritual jazz issued on small indie labels in the 70s – material that's sometimes referred to as "private", although that's really just a factor of how little circulation these records saw back in the day! As is well-known, the 60s influence of John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy set countless fires on players in the generation that followed – including some older musicians who really changed up their groove in the post-Coltrane energy, and recorded material that was full of searing solos, modal rhythms, and a new sort of spiritual vibe! The set features plenty of nuggets from that time – including some very rare 45s – and even includes one or two earlier tracks, which makes for a great span of sounds within. As always with Jazzman, the detailed notes are as great as the track selection – and titles include "By The Grace Of God" by Erni Clark, "Ethiopia" by Carmelo Garcia, "Desiree Song" by Bobby Jackson, "Pharoah's Thing" by Compass, "Symbiosis" by Almanac, "A'Keem" by Cullen Knight, "Themes & Variations" by Black Is, "Middle Eastern Fantasy" by Radam Schwartz & Leslie Ford, "Spanish Boots (parts 1 & 2)" by Don Menza, and "Delilah" by Andrew McPherson. CD

One of the deepest-digging entries in this wonderful series – a set that explores the wealth of spiritual jazz issued on small indie labels in the 70s – material that's sometimes referred to as "private", although that's really just a factor of how little circulation these records saw back in the day! As is well-known, the 60s influence of John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy set countless fires on players in the generation that followed – including some older musicians who really changed up their groove in the post-Coltrane energy, and recorded material that was full of searing solos, modal rhythms, and a new sort of spiritual vibe! The set features plenty of nuggets from that time – including some very rare 45s – and even includes one or two earlier tracks, which makes for a great span of sounds within. As always with Jazzman, the detailed notes are as great as the track selection – and titles include "By The Grace Of God" by Erni Clark, "Ethiopia" by Carmelo Garcia, "Desiree Song" by Bobby Jackson, "Pharoah's Thing" by Compass, "Symbiosis" by Almanac, "A'Keem" by Cullen Knight, "Themes & Variations" by Black Is, "Middle Eastern Fantasy" by Radam Schwartz & Leslie Ford, "Spanish Boots (parts 1 & 2)" by Don Menza, and "Delilah" by Andrew McPherson. LP, Vinyl record album

An important larger work from Duke Ellington – a suite of tracks that encompasses a range of styles and emotions in African-American expression! The work features some key guest work from Mahalia Jackson – singing here in a way that's different than other vocalists who worked with Duke in the 50s – much more steeped in a rootsy tradition. Group members include John Sanders, Harry Carney, Ray Nance, Quentin Jackson, and Cat Anderson – and the piece is divided into 6 sections, and includes the famous "Come Sunday" theme throughout most of the second half. LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of great albums back to back – both rare albums from a percussionist who worked with Sun Ra! First up is Mora volume 1 – a legendary early set from percussionist Francisco Mora Catlett – and a really sublime blend of spiritual jazz and Latin rhythms! Mora's percussion is definitely at the core – but the set also features wonderful contributions from Vincent Bowens on tenor and soprano sax, Jerome LeDuff on berimbau, Alberto Nacif on quinto, and Detroit jazz legend Kenny Cox on piano! There's a balance here that really matches the best Strata East energy of the 70s – an open, flowing approach that's completely sublime, and very righteous too – even more so than anything Mora's done since the 70s – making this record one of his greatest achievements ever. Tersa Mora sings a bit of vocals at times – and titles include "Afra Jum", "Five AM", "Rumba Morena", "Samba De Amor", and "Cultural Warrior". Mora 2 is a set recorded in Detroit, but one that's got a globe's worth of elements in the mix – originally recorded in the mid 80s, but not released until a brief CD issue in the early part of the 21st Century! Despite that history, the album's a really timeless record that encompasses a world's worth of elements in jazz! Francisco Mora Catlett's at the height of his powers here – leading the group with a sense of righteous majesty that takes us back to some of the most ambitious heirs of the post-Coltrane generation, but with perhaps an oddly rhythmic twist as well – such as you might find in some of the 70s classics of Bobby Vince Paunetto. Echoes of Latin, Afro, and spiritual jazz come together as one – soaring to the skies on soulful waves of sound – brought together with a sense of focus and spirit that really moves us a lot. Players include Marcus Belgrave and John Douglass on trumpets, Sherman Mitchell on trombone, Vincent Bowens on tenor and flute, Alex Harding on baritone and bass clarinet, Kenny Cox on piano, and Rodney Whitaker on bass – and titles include "Samba/Conga De Amor", "Amazona Prelude/Dawn", "Old Man Joe", "Por Que Paro", and "Afra-Jum (parts 2 & 3)". CD

An album that really lives up to its title – as the record sets out to prove to the world that Isaiah Collier is one of the most almighty talents on the saxophone in recent years! The album has a spiritual majesty that tops even the previous album with the Chosen Few group – as in addition to work from the quartet that includes Julian Davis Reid on piano, Jeremiah Hunt on bass, and Michael Shekwoaga Ode on drums – the group adds in extra instrumentation, light strings, and added horns at times too – all of which push the music into territory that's right up there with Nimbus or Strata East back in the glory days! Collier is a true jazz visionary, and his message here is bold and brilliant – given some key support from older Chicago legends who include saxophonist Ari Brown on one track, and vocalist Dee Alexander on another – getting maybe one of her most beautiful showcases ever on record. Titles include "Love", "Compassion", "Duality Suite", "The Almighty", and "Perspective (Peace & Love)". CD

An album that really lives up to its title – as the record sets out to prove to the world that Isaiah Collier is one of the most almighty talents on the saxophone in recent years! The album has a spiritual majesty that tops even the previous album with the Chosen Few group – as in addition to work from the quartet that includes Julian Davis Reid on piano, Jeremiah Hunt on bass, and Michael Shekwoaga Ode on drums – the group adds in extra instrumentation, light strings, and added horns at times too – all of which push the music into territory that's right up there with Nimbus or Strata East back in the glory days! Collier is a true jazz visionary, and his message here is bold and brilliant – given some key support from older Chicago legends who include saxophonist Ari Brown on one track, and vocalist Dee Alexander on another – getting maybe one of her most beautiful showcases ever on record. Titles include "Love", "Compassion", "Duality Suite", "The Almighty", and "Perspective (Peace & Love)". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic record that not only continues the great blend of sounds that saxophonist Muriel Grossmann has given us in recent years, but also pushes things forward with a stunning combination that really knocks things out of the park! This isn't the first record to feature Muriel with the Hammond of Llorenc Barcelo and guitar of Radomir Milojkovic, but their combination here has a way of soaring to the skies like the mixture of Grant Green and Larry Young a their most far-reaching – so much so that Grossman's work on soprano sax and tenor is maybe an equal third of the record, instead of the dominant voice of the leader – a really generous way of heading up the group, and one that has the record coming across as the beneficiary of that generosity too. Things are still as spiritual as before, but maybe step back a bit to bring in some soulful organ and guitar currents from a previous generation too – at a level that continues to make Muriel one of our favorite contemporary players in jazz! Titles include "Clarity", "Resonance", "Post-Meditation", "Liberation", "Compassion", "Non-Duality", and "Interconnection". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Ahmad Jamal's best early albums for Argo – a brilliant set of live recordings, done at the Spotlite Club in Washington DC in 1958 – and with a fluid vibe that's simply incredible – one of the best true statements of Jamal's genius from the early years! The trio is incredible on the set – opening up even more than on other classics from the time – and really letting the bass work of Israel Crosby and the mellow drums of Vernell Fournier get equal time with Jamal's incredible lines on piano – as the stretch out and do things that jazz pianists would hardly have been able to conceive a few years before. The whole thing's fantastic – and the double-length set is really unusual for the time, but a great way to encompass all the wonderful energy of the performance. Titles include "Aki & Ukthay", "Our Delight", "Tater Pie", "Seleritus", "This Can't Be Love", "Ole Devil Moon", "Ivy", and "Let's Fall In Love". CD

A record that could have been the biggest breakthrough in the career of the legendary Joyce – yet the set was never issued at the time! The late 70s session has Joyce recording in New York, under the guidance of studio maestro Claus Ogerman – who has a wonderful way of elevating the overall quality of the proceedings, while never getting in the way of that special magic that made Joyce so wonderful – especially on her albums for EMI! As with those records, Joyce plays acoustic guitar alongside her amazing vocal approach – a style that's unlike anything else we can describe – informed by jazz and Brazilian music, yet soaring and gliding in a completely sublime style – awash in color and light as it flies to the sky. Mauricio Maestro helped out heavily on the record too – and the other players include Mike Manieri on vibes, Michael Brecker on tenor, Joe Farrell on flute, and Nana Vasconcelos on percussion – on titles that include a fantastic early reading of "Feminina" – plus "Miserios", "Descompassadamente", "Pega Leve", "Ciclo Da Vida", "Coracao Sonhador", and "Moreno". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that could have been the biggest breakthrough in the career of the legendary Joyce – yet the set was never issued at the time! The late 70s session has Joyce recording in New York, under the guidance of studio maestro Claus Ogerman – who has a wonderful way of elevating the overall quality of the proceedings, while never getting in the way of that special magic that made Joyce so wonderful – especially on her albums for EMI! As with those records, Joyce plays acoustic guitar alongside her amazing vocal approach – a style that's unlike anything else we can describe – informed by jazz and Brazilian music, yet soaring and gliding in a completely sublime style – awash in color and light as it flies to the sky. Mauricio Maestro helped out heavily on the record too – and the other players include Mike Manieri on vibes, Michael Brecker on tenor, Joe Farrell on flute, and Nana Vasconcelos on percussion – on titles that include a fantastic early reading of "Feminina" – plus "Miserios", "Descompassadamente", "Pega Leve", "Ciclo Da Vida", "Coracao Sonhador", and "Moreno". CD

The classic quartet of John Coltrane, certainly the classic quartet of the 60s jazz scene and perhaps the classic jazz quartet of all time, compiled in one box set with all of their studio recordings! John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones set so many benchmarks for jazz with their envelope pushing style, recording and performances that it's impossible to overstate their importance in the modern musical oeuvre. This set features all of the LPs Coltrane, Ballads, Impressions, Live At Birdland, Crescent, A Love Supreme, The John Coltrane Quartet Plays, Kulu Se Mama, Transition, Sunship, Infinity and First Meditations, plus a number of tracks issued on compilations. 66 tracks in all, spread out over 8 CDs, in a beautiful bookbound package with a metal slipcase and extensive liner notes. The titles are too numerous to list here, but the set includes "Big Nick", "Soul Eyes", "Miles' Mode", "Tunji", "After The rain", "Lonnie's Lament", "The Drum Thing", "Wise One", "Crescent", "A Love Supreme", "Nature Boy", "Brasilia", "Song Of Praise", "Dear Lord", "The Last Blues", "Living Space", "Dusk Dawn", "Dearly Beloved", "Attaining", "Ascent", "Amen", "Love", "Compassion", "Joy", "Consequences", and "Serenity". CD

One of the coolest Japanese disc guides we've ever seen – even if it's one of the most obscure in its approach! The book calls itself one of the first all-genre disc guides – and although it's similar to Japanese books of this nature on funk, jazz, and soul – the approach is much more all-encompassing, and presents listings for almost a thousand really cool, very unusual records – some American, some European, and some Japanese! Every record listing gets a full color reproduction of the cover – and the combination of records here is wonderful – presented with English text on the label, artist, and date – then more accompanying text in Japanese. You'll find strange soundtracks, cool vocal albums, unusual exotica, obscure 45s, and lots lots more – a really ear-opening dig into the farther reaches of vinyl! 211 pages, softcover, and full color throughout. Book

A really compelling set from this important Japanese group of the 70s – a quartet headed up by guitarist Masayuki Takayanagi – but which features a very complex balance of work from all the individual members! The set initially begins with a traditional vibe, but then seems to step out with each new track – almost encompassing a history of modern jazz in the music, then moving past with its own sense of invention! Masayuki's guitar rings out on the spare "The Blues", which begins – but then moves aside for free flute work from Kenji Mori on a mindblowing take of "You Don't Know What Love Is" – almost handled with a late Dolphy vibe. "Sun In The East" has the ensemble moving boldly together – with double drums and percussion from Joe Mizuki and Hiroshi Yamazaki – and the set concludes with the extended "Free Form Suite" – a tune that definitely lives up to its name! CD

A really compelling set from this important Japanese group of the 70s – a quartet headed up by guitarist Masayuki Takayanagi – but which features a very complex balance of work from all the individual members! The set initially begins with a traditional vibe, but then seems to step out with each new track – almost encompassing a history of modern jazz in the music, then moving past with its own sense of invention! Masayuki's guitar rings out on the spare "The Blues", which begins – but then moves aside for free flute work from Kenji Mori on a mindblowing take of "You Don't Know What Love Is" – almost handled with a late Dolphy vibe. "Sun In The East" has the ensemble moving boldly together – with double drums and percussion from Joe Mizuki and Hiroshi Yamazaki – and the set concludes with the extended "Free Form Suite" – a tune that definitely lives up to its name! LP, Vinyl record album