A great set of early cool jazz and bop – with cuts that include "Oo La La" by Dizzy Gillespie, "Opus 96" by Bill Harris, "Aishie" by Buddy DeFranco, "Budo" by Miles Davis, and "Overtime" by Charlie Barnet. LP, Vinyl record album

A rare slice of Duke Ellington at Newport in the 50s – recorded live at the festival in 1959, but unlike other sessions of the time, never issued on record! The set remained unissued until Duke's 90th birthday, and it's a great discovery that easily matches the strength of Ellington's larger live recordings for Columbia at the same time. As is usual for this type of outing, there's a number of shorter tracks that reprise Ellington favorites for the crowd – but those are offset by longer, more serious works that are deeply complex, the highlight of which is "Idiom 59", a great lost composition done especially for the Festival! The full performance runs for over an hour – with players that include Clark Terry, Cat Anderson, Harry Carney, and Johnny Hodges – and other tunes include "Cop Out", "Rockin In Rhythm", "Skin Deep", "Jam With Sam", "Perdido", and "Jones". CD

Kenneth Patchen, like Kenneth Rexroth, was one of the few poets who really understood what it meant to read and write in a jazz idiom – as you'll hear on this excellent set of beatnik jazz tracks! The album features Patchen reading in a great style – angular, cynical, really working the words of his poems perfectly over backings by the Alan Neil Quartet. The poems are set to music written by George Wallington, Charlie Parker, and others – and tracks include "There's A Place", "They Won't Let You In There", "Do I Not Deal With Angels", "Not Many Kingdoms Left", "The Lonesome Boy Blues", "As I Opened The Window", and "A Sight Is Little Altered". CD

Duke Ellington in fine fine form – working here in a selection of tunes played at jazz festivals in 1959 – a very good year for the Ellington Orchestra! The styles here are a mix of older Duke modes and some of the more sophisticated modernism of his late 50s years – and performances are often long and open-ended, with just the sort of spontaneous energy the Ellington organization offered to live crowds of the time. Titles include the extended "Idiom 59", plus "Launching Pad", "Perdido", "Duel Fuel", "Copout Extension", and "Things Ain't What They Used To Be". Includes bonus tracks "VIP Boogie" and "Jam With Sam". CD

A wonderful small combo session from tenorist Benny Golson – one of a few key albums like this from the early years! Although Golson is perhaps best known as a lively arranger in the modern idiom, he's also a kick-ass tenor player when he wants to be – and on this classic, he definitely wants to be! Unlike some of Golson's more tightly arranged records of the early years, this date is a deeply gutsy soul jazz session – support from a group that includes Ray Bryant on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, Art Blakey on drums, and Curtis Fuller on trombone – all sliding into long tracks that have plenty of room for solos! The whole thing's a bit like the more spontaneous side of the Jazz Messengers groove – and titles include "The Stroller", "Drumboogie", "My Blues House", and a beautiful version of "Yesterdays". CD

An amazing sonic portrait of the modern city – one created on the early 70s Italian scene, but lost to the shifting sands of time, due to its release as a sound library-only album! We've heard Maria Teresa Luciani on a few other records of this nature – but this one may well be her greatest – music that's beyond categorization in the way it presents its subject – not really jazz or soundtrack styles at all, but also not some sort of too-modern compositional idiom either. Instead, the whole thing seems to make some sort of honest, organic sense – as it presents differing aspects of the city, both residential and commercial, public and private – often with a sense of darkness in the immediate approach, but also with a current of hope at times too. Titles include "Public Gardens", "Modern Residential Complex", "Supermarket", "Poor Neighborhoods", "Power Station", "Traffic", and "International Airport". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique take on the music of jazz legend Tadd Dameron – a set that focuses entirely on vocal versions of his compositions – a side of Dameron's legacy that's sometimes overlooked! Tadd wasn't that much of a lyricist himself – although he did do two of the songs here – while others are written by Irving Reid, Bernie Hanighen, and Jack Reynolds – all with a mix of lyrics that really fit the famous modern idiom in Dameron's music – delivered instrumentally by a core combo that features Gary Smulyan on plenty of strong baritone sax solos, with Pete Malinverni on piano, David Wong on bass, and Matt Wilson on drums. Anais Reno handles all the vocals – and titles include "Sweet Life", "Never Been In Love", "Whatever Possessed Med", "Weekend", "Lovely One In The Window", and "You're A Joy". CD

Cecil Taylor's first LP for the Candid label – and a landmark album that really lets him open up for the first time in years at a recording session! The album was cut at Nola's Penthouse in 1960, and the core group is Cecil's trio with Buell Neidlinger on bass and Dennis Charles on drums – but Archie Shepp joins the group on tenor on two tracks, "Air" and "Lazy Afternoon". The remaining three have a sound that's not always heard on other Taylor albums from the 60s – a bit bluesy, with playing that might be called a bit "straight", but which also shows Cecil's command of the jazz idiom in a mode that allows keen comparison with other players of his generation. Titles include "EB", "This Nearly Was Mine", and "Port Of Call". CD

Cecil Taylor's first LP for the Candid label – and a landmark album that really lets him open up for the first time in years at a recording session! The album was cut at Nola's Penthouse in 1960, and the core group is Cecil's trio with Buell Neidlinger on bass and Dennis Charles on drums – but Archie Shepp joins the group on tenor on two tracks, "Air" and "Lazy Afternoon". The remaining three have a sound that's not always heard on other Taylor albums from the 60s – a bit bluesy, with playing that might be called a bit "straight", but which also shows Cecil's command of the jazz idiom in a mode that allows keen comparison with other players of his generation. Titles include "EB", "This Nearly Was Mine", and "Port Of Call". CD

A set with an unusual sort of flavor – one that looks at the influence of Spanish culture on modern music during the postwar years – brought together here in a mix of jazz and classical recordings with some very different styles! CD1 is all jazz – and showcases some key Spanish-themed projects – most notably the famous Miles Davis/Gil Evans collaborations, but also work by John Coltrane and Django Reinhardt too – music that maybe adapts Spanish classical themes for the modern idiom. CD2 dives more into the realm of classical – and features work by both French and Spanish composers with very vivid sonic imagery – longer pieces by Ravel, Debussy, and De Falla – heard here in classic recordings. CD3 is a bit more intimate, and features a range of classical themes, but with more up-close performance – often classical guitar, played by Sabicas, Julian Bream, and others – but sometimes with piano, and in one case a woodwind quintet. 37 tracks in all – with a detailed booklet of notes! CD

Quite possibly THE key example of the magic of Clifford Brown and Max Roach on record – a brilliant studio session that really has the group "incorporating" their sound – forging a bold musical statement that would forever leave its imprint on jazz for years to come! The format here shows Brown and Roach as a key force in 50s hardbop – extending Max's bop idiom of years back, and using Clifford's more lyrical approach to solo work to expand the tone, color, and spirit of their music – linking styles and worlds wonderfully, and forging a sound that's tight, yet also beautifully spontaneous and personal. The rest of the group includes Harold Land on tenor, Richie Powell on piano, and George Morrow on bass – and titles include "Sweet Clifford", "Ghost Of A Chance", "Stompin At The Savoy", "I'll String Along With You", "Mildama", "Darn That Dream", and "I Get A Kick Out Of You". CD

Wonderful work by Dolphy – as essential to his catalog as any of his albums on Prestige from the same time! Although Dolphy broke plenty of musical barriers in the studio, to our ears, it was always in a live setting that he sounded best – freely exploring the kind of space his playing opened up, hitting notes that were more soulful and spiritual than many that he ever recorded on his studio sides. This set is a perfect example of that trend – as Dolphy's working here with a strong straight jazz combo, one that includes the great Benny Bailey on trumpet, in a set that features familiar tunes, turned into haunting explorations of Dolphy's new jazz idiom. One of the highlights is an incredible 15 minute version of Randy Weston's "Hi Fly", with Dolphy doing great work on flute – and other tunes include "Hot House", "Geewee", "When Lights Are Low", "I'll Remember April", and "The Meeting". CD

Tonu Naissoo's a master of the keys here – working in a trio format to really transform a range of material – including a fair bit of tunes from the American popular idiom, which are served up as surprisingly strong jazz instrumental numbers, all without any sense of trick or gimmick! It's clear that Tonu really loves these tunes – and working with Taavo Remmel on bass and Ahto Abner on drums, he transforms them into jazz performances that have a really great appeal – a familiarity in terms of the melody and tune, but with all the sorts of individuality that comes from a jazz-based performance! These aren't simple covers, or attempts to make jazz pop – and instead, Naissoo and his partners work a very special sort of magic on tracks that include "Sooner Or Later", "Sympathy For The Devil", "Come As You Are", "With Or Without You", "November Rain", "Don't Look Back In Anger", and "This Used To Be My Playground". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work by Dolphy – as essential to his catalog as any of his albums on Prestige from the same time! Although Dolphy broke plenty of musical barriers in the studio, to our ears, it was always in a live setting that he sounded best – freely exploring the kind of space his playing opened up, hitting notes that were more soulful and spiritual than many that he ever recorded on his studio sides. This set is a perfect example of that trend – as Dolphy's working here with a strong straight jazz combo, one that includes the great Benny Bailey on trumpet, in a set that features familiar tunes, turned into haunting explorations of Dolphy's new jazz idiom. One of the highlights is an incredible 15 minute version of Randy Weston's "Hi Fly", with Dolphy doing great work on flute – and other tunes include "Hot House", "Geewee", "When Lights Are Low", "I'll Remember April", and "The Meeting". CD

A pair of legendary albums from the mighty Joe Harriott – a player who emigrated to England in the 50s, then set the scene on fire in the following decade! First up is Free Form – the landmark album that forever put saxophonist Joe Harriott on the map, and it's a brilliant batch of tracks that prove that Harriott was advancing the jazz avant garde in England as much as players like Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor were advancing it in America. Despite the "free form" of the title, the tracks are more "new thing" – somewhat structured, with a rhythmic approach that's still a little straight, but solos that go nice and outside. Joe's overall conception is a beautiful mix of angular thinking with freely expressed soulful emotion – and the record's one that ranks up there with the 10 most groundbreaking of the 60s! The group's about as fantastic as you could ever expect from England at the time – with Shake Keane on trumpet, Pat Smythe on piano, Coleridge Goode on bass, and Phil Seamen on drums – and titles include "Formation", "Coda", "Abstract", "Straight Lines", and "Impression". Next is Abstract – one of the legendary sets of avant garde jazz by the British alto genius Joe Harriott – an artist who was sometimes billed as the British Ornette Coleman – a reputation he definitely earns with the groundbreaking quality of this album! The conception is bold right from the start – strongly rhythmic, but at a level that's different from Coleman's music – with some deeply emotional undertones to the solos (which also include work from Shake Keane on trumpet!) – and occasional modal elements that also bring in some spiritual elements to work perfect with the breakout solos. The group also features crack rhythm work from Pat Smythe on piano, Coleridge Goode on bass, and Phil Seaman on drums – and the track list includes "Subject", "Shadows", "Tonal", "Oleo", "Pictures", "Idiom", "Compound" and "Modal". CD

A superb album from vocalist Johnny Hartman – a later date, but one that we'd rank right up there with his important Impulse Records material of the 60s! In fact, the album's something of a return to greatness for Hartman – the kind of date that should have become a jazz standard, had it not gotten lost in the unfortunate fates of the short-lived Beehive label – who did a really tremendous job with this set. Rather than try to make Johnny a modern singer, in any sort of forced idiom – Beehive instead return him to the best modes of yore, and give him simple, soulful support from a small group that features Frank Wess on tenor and flute, Joe Wilder on trumpet, and Billy Taylor on piano. The track list is great – the kind of tunes that really bring out the sophisticated side of Hartman's talents, yet allow him to be sensitive, too – and titles include "Nobody Home", "Wave", "Easy Living", "I Could Write A Book", and "For All We Know". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work by Dolphy – as essential to his catalog as any of his albums on Prestige from the same time! Although Dolphy broke plenty of musical barriers in the studio, to our ears, it was always in a live setting that he sounded best – freely exploring the kind of space his playing opened up, hitting notes that were more soulful and spiritual than many that he ever recorded on his studio sides. This set is a perfect example of that trend – as Dolphy's working here with a strong straight jazz combo, one that includes the great Benny Bailey on trumpet, in a set that features familiar tunes, turned into haunting explorations of Dolphy's new jazz idiom. One of the highlights is an incredible 15 minute version of Randy Weston's "Hi Fly", with Dolphy doing great work on flute – and other tunes include "Hot House", "Geewee", "When Lights Are Low", "I'll Remember April", and "The Meeting". CD

Wonderful work by Dolphy – as essential to his catalog as any of his albums on Prestige from the same time! Although Dolphy broke plenty of musical barriers in the studio, to our ears, it was always in a live setting that he sounded best – freely exploring the kind of space his playing opened up, hitting notes that were more soulful and spiritual than many that he ever recorded on his studio sides. This set is a perfect example of that trend – as Dolphy's working here with a strong straight jazz combo, one that includes the great Benny Bailey on trumpet, in a set that features familiar tunes, turned into haunting explorations of Dolphy's new jazz idiom. One of the highlights is an incredible 15 minute version of Randy Weston's "Hi Fly", with Dolphy doing great work on flute – and other tunes include "Hot House", "Geewee", "When Lights Are Low", "I'll Remember April", and "The Meeting". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful small combo session from tenorist Benny Golson – one of a few key albums like this from the early years! Although Golson is perhaps best known as a lively arranger in the modern idiom, he's also a kick-ass tenor player when he wants to be – and on this classic, he definitely wants to be! Unlike some of Golson's more tightly arranged records of the early years, this date is a deeply gutsy soul jazz session – support from a group that includes Ray Bryant on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, Art Blakey on drums, and Curtis Fuller on trombone – all sliding into long tracks that have plenty of room for solos! The whole thing's a bit like the more spontaneous side of the Jazz Messengers groove – and titles include "The Stroller", "Drumboogie", "My Blues House", and a beautiful version of "Yesterdays". CD

A pair of legendary albums from the mighty Joe Harriott – a player who emigrated to England in the 50s, then set the scene on fire in the following decade! First up is Free Form – the landmark album that forever put saxophonist Joe Harriott on the map, and it's a brilliant batch of tracks that prove that Harriott was advancing the jazz avant garde in England as much as players like Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor were advancing it in America. Despite the "free form" of the title, the tracks are more "new thing" – somewhat structured, with a rhythmic approach that's still a little straight, but solos that go nice and outside. Joe's overall conception is a beautiful mix of angular thinking with freely expressed soulful emotion – and the record's one that ranks up there with the 10 most groundbreaking of the 60s! The group's about as fantastic as you could ever expect from England at the time – with Shake Keane on trumpet, Pat Smythe on piano, Coleridge Goode on bass, and Phil Seamen on drums – and titles include "Formation", "Coda", "Abstract", "Straight Lines", and "Impression". Next is Abstract – one of the legendary sets of avant garde jazz by the British alto genius Joe Harriott – an artist who was sometimes billed as the British Ornette Coleman – a reputation he definitely earns with the groundbreaking quality of this album! The conception is bold right from the start – strongly rhythmic, but at a level that's different from Coleman's music – with some deeply emotional undertones to the solos (which also include work from Shake Keane on trumpet!) – and occasional modal elements that also bring in some spiritual elements to work perfect with the breakout solos. The group also features crack rhythm work from Pat Smythe on piano, Coleridge Goode on bass, and Phil Seaman on drums – and the track list includes "Subject", "Shadows", "Tonal", "Oleo", "Pictures", "Idiom", "Compound" and "Modal". CD

Excellent 2LP set that brings together a whole bunch of great Machito sides from the late 40s. This is classic stuff that defined the Latin jazz idiom, and stood as an inspiration to players for years. The group includes Mario Bauza on trumpet, Jose Madera on tenor, Frank Davila on trumpet, Jose Mangual on bongos, and Machito and Graciela on vocals. The set includes 24 tracks, with the titles "Asia Minor", "Jungle Drums", "Donkey Serenade", "Mambo Jambo", "Babalu", and "Gone City". Great stuff, and very hard to find otherwise. LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the title's a bit overly-optimistic – but with a record like this, you can certainly imagine a world in which everybody does like Hampton Hawes! The record's the third in a legendary early run for the Contemporary label – trio material that broke Hawes out of the box and firmly put his rich talents on the keys at the top of the list of the best players in jazz. The sound's an amazing blend of jazz idioms at the time – with some of the flourishes of the Peterson or Jamal crowd, but often a tighter, almost rootsier bottom in the rhythms – a touch of the LA soul jazz sound, showing up here quite early! The trio features Red Mitchell on bass and Chuck Thompson on drums – and tracks are short, but showcase the open sound that Hawes was developing at the time. Titles include "Night In Tunisia", "Body & Soul", "Lover Come Back To Me", and the Hawes originals "The Sermon" and "Coolin The Blues". CD

Maybe the title's a bit overly-optimistic – but with a record like this, you can certainly imagine a world in which everybody does like Hampton Hawes! The record's the third in a legendary early run for the Contemporary label – trio material that broke Hawes out of the box and firmly put his rich talents on the keys at the top of the list of the best players in jazz. The sound's an amazing blend of jazz idioms at the time – with some of the flourishes of the Peterson or Jamal crowd, but often a tighter, almost rootsier bottom in the rhythms – a touch of the LA soul jazz sound, showing up here quite early! The trio features Red Mitchell on bass and Chuck Thompson on drums – and tracks are short, but showcase the open sound that Hawes was developing at the time. Titles include "Night In Tunisia", "Body & Soul", "Lover Come Back To Me", and the Hawes originals "The Sermon" and "Coolin The Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the title's a bit overly-optimistic – but with a record like this, you can certainly imagine a world in which everybody does like Hampton Hawes! The record's the third in a legendary early run for the Contemporary label – trio material that broke Hawes out of the box and firmly put his rich talents on the keys at the top of the list of the best players in jazz. The sound's an amazing blend of jazz idioms at the time – with some of the flourishes of the Peterson or Jamal crowd, but often a tighter, almost rootsier bottom in the rhythms – a touch of the LA soul jazz sound, showing up here quite early! The trio features Red Mitchell on bass and Chuck Thompson on drums – and tracks are short, but showcase the open sound that Hawes was developing at the time. Titles include "Night In Tunisia", "Body & Soul", "Lover Come Back To Me", and the Hawes originals "The Sermon" and "Coolin The Blues". CD

A huge amount of recordings from one of our favorite singers ever – the incredible Claude Nougaro, a French vocalist of the postwar years, and a master of many styles that included jazz, samba, and bossa nova! Nougaro had a unique talent for penning French lyrics to American and Brazilian tunes – and during the 60s, he rose to fame through his inventive compositions, unique vocalizations, and keen ear for a jazzy groove. His work of the 70s progressed with an even deeper exploration of modern jazz and Brazilian idioms – and as the 80s approached, he stretched out into even more complicated styles of his own. Nougaro's growth over the years is tremendous – and his work comes across with a sound that is really unique, and which stands as some of the greatest mainstream French work of his era – on a par with that of Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Fontaine! The set features 12 albums in all – albums include Cecile Ma Fille, Bidonville, Paris Mai, Soeur Ame, Locomotive D'Or, Femmes Et Famines, Plume D'Ange, Tu Verras, Assez, Chansons Nettes, Ami Chemin, and Bleu Blanc Blues. CD

A huge amount of recordings from one of our favorite singers ever – the incredible Claude Nougaro, a French vocalist of the postwar years, and a master of many styles that included jazz, samba, and bossa nova! Nougaro had a unique talent for penning French lyrics to American and Brazilian tunes – and during the 60s, he rose to fame through his inventive compositions, unique vocalizations, and keen ear for a jazzy groove. His work of the 70s progressed with an even deeper exploration of modern jazz and Brazilian idioms – and as the 80s approached, he stretched out into even more complicated styles of his own. Nougaro's growth over the years is tremendous – and his work comes across with a sound that is really unique, and which stands as some of the greatest mainstream French work of his era – on a par with that of Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Fontaine! The set features 24 different albums by Nougaro – mostly studio, but with a few live records – mostly from the 60s, 70s, and 80s – but also including some real gems from his comeback years in the 21st century. Albums include Cecile Ma Fille, Bidonville, Paris Mai, Soeur Ame, Locomotive D'Or, Femmes Et Famines, Plume D'Ange, Tu Verras, Assez, Chansons Nettes, Ami Chemin, and Bleu Blanc Blues – and the package is a book-style volume, with a 48 page booklet, and 24 CDs with 317 songs in all! CD

An excellent recent album from modernist trumpet giant Ted Curson! The set was recorded in Japan – in a very respectful format that has Curson exploring a number of different idioms from previous years. The best tracks are long drawn out numbers with a modal/modern groove – Curson's solo work augmented by some great soprano, alto, and flute solos by Mark Gross. A few of the tracks have Curson playing in a style that's oddly more in a funky soul jazz mode – featuring Ted doing versions of "Watermelon Man" and "Flip Flop & Fly", both with vocals! Other tracks include "Reava's Waltz", "Song Of The Lonely One", "Flatted Fifth", "Tears For Dolpy", "Lin's Garden", and his classic "Quicksand". CD

A groovy moogy classic! This was one of the first records to apply the moog sound in a pop idiom in a major way – and boy, is it a resounding success with us! Hugo Montenegro scores a number of pop tracks and originals in the same cool jazzy style that he used on his best 60's soundtracks, then, he builds in a lot of groovy moog parts, and peppers the tracks with some vocals by male members of his chorus. The tracks have a lot of nice sharp bits that might be used as samples, with good quirky moog moments, and occasional heavy drums. Tracks include "Moog Power", "Dizzy", "You Showed Me", "More Today Than Yesterday", "Hair", and a very cool cover of "MacArthur Park". CD