... LP, Vinyl record album

John Lindberg on bass, Albert Mangelsdorff on trombone, Eric Watson on piano, and Ed Thigpen on drums. CD

Some of the most beautiful, personal work we've heard from trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith in many years – a wonderful set of duets with bassist John Lindberg – done at a level that recalls some of Smith's most organic, most spiritual sounds of the 70s! There's a real back to basics vibe here – a return to the initial spirit of the AACM, something we possibly infer from the album's long tribute to Malachi Favors, but which we can also feel in the spirit of collaboration between Smith and Lindberg – a way of coming together that never overwhelms the individual, yet also never allows one individual to ever upstage the other – as the duo reach out brilliantly for a breathtaking range of sounds, on titles that include "Malachi Favors Maghostut A Monarch Of Creative Music", "Celestial Weather Suite", and "Feathers & Earth". CD

John Lindberg on bass, Baikida Carroll on trumpet and flugelhorn, Steve Gorn on bansuri flutes, soprano saxophone and clarinet, and Susie Ibarra on drums and percussion. CD

70s spiritual soul jazz lives again – in this righteous tribute to the late John Coltrane! The incredible collection is filled with wonderful tracks both classic and current – and is a great bridge between the first waves of this kind of music at the end of the 60s, and the contemporary revival that's been going on at a global level! Perhaps the best thing here is the way that there's no apparent difference in sound or style between the old and new cuts – and the folks at Free Spirits have really found a way to make the whole thing flow together wonderfully by selecting music that's deeply soulful, extremely positive, and filled with soaring vocals and instrumental solos! Titles include "Mode For Trane" by Billy Gault, "Naima" by Mark De Clive-Lowe, "A Love Supreme" by Rufus Harley, "John Coltrane's A Love Supreme" by Karin Krog & Nils Lindberg, "Duke & Trane" by Haikki Samarto Ensemble, "John Coltrane" by Our Cry For Peace (Dwight Trible/Build An Ark), "Prince Of Peace" by Pharoah Sanders, "Liberation Of The Spirit" by Kamau Daaood, "Naima" by 4 Hero, and "A Love Supreme" by Dwight Trible. CD

Four long pieces performed by Wadada Leo Smith's Silver Orchestra. Features Jennifer Choi on violin, Erik Friedlander on cello, Marc Ribot on guitar, John Lindberg on bass, John Zorn on alto, Marcus Rojas on tuba, Craig Taborn and Jamie Saft on piano, and Gerald Cleaver and Susie Ibarra on drums. CD

Anthony Braxton's reeds are matched here by some wonderful piano here from Marilyn Crispell – who certainly brings lots of her own voice into play with the Braxton compositions on the set! Crispell's piano gives the album a slightly different feel than some of Anthony's other work of the period – almost more fragile in some passages, but more forceful in others – still sharply modern throughout, but a bit less cerebral too. Other quartet members include John Lindberg on bass and Gerry Hemmingway on percussion – and Braxton plays flute, clarinet, alto, soprano, and C melody sax. Titles are all those weird drawings done to illustrate Braxton's music – with tracks that include "Composition No 110D", "Composition No 116", "Composition No 115", "Composition No 114 (+108A)", and "Composition No 110C". CD

One of the best-remembered Anthony Braxton albums from the 80s – and for good reason too, as there's a strength to the record that's evident from the very first note! The quartet here features longtime collaborator George Lewis on trombone, bassist John Lindberg, and percussionist Gerry Hemingway – the last of whom really rattles some creative energy into the record. Lewis and Braxton provide excellent foils for one another – balancing abstract left brain streams with phrasing that alludes to an approach that hasn't forgotten the jazz tradition. Side one is a lengthy take on "Composition No 105A" with an accompanying graphic title too, and side two features three graphic variations on "Composition No 69". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from trumpeter Dave Douglas – a half dozen albums recorded for the Black Saint/Soul Note labels, all of which show his depth and diversity – some with Douglas as a leader, some as a key player in other groups! Even at the start, Douglas showed a tremendous ability to step out into new settings and explore new ideas – which he certainly does on the albums in this set – each of which represents a different facet of his abilities, in ways that together make the package one hell of a collection! Albums include Parallel Worlds, which features a quartet with Mark Feldman on violin and Mark Dresser on bass; Force Green, led by bassist Mark Dresser, and featuring very interesting work on voice by Theo Bleckman; Bounce, a record by the John Lindberg Ensemble – led by bassist Lindberg, and also featuring saxes from Larry Ochs, and great drums from Ed Thigpen; Rova's 1995 recording of John Coltrane's Ascension, with three tenor saxes, two altos, two trumpets, two bassists, piano, and drums; Convergence, which features a group with Fedman on violin and Erik Friedlander on cello; and Dave Douglas Five, which has a quintet with Mark Feldman on violin, Erik Friedlander on cello, Drew Dress on bass, and Michael Sarin on drums. 6 albums in all – all in tiny LP-styled sleeves. CD

Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith works here with a hell of a lineup – Henry Threadgill on alto and flutes, John Lindberg on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – all soaring free on a double-length set of work dedicated to the great lakes! Despite the "suite" in the title, the work feels very loose and free – much more improvised than compositional – which is an especially nice setting for the reedwork of Threadgill, who somehow seems even more expressive than usual. DeJohnette is great too – and the album's a great reminder that he can still play with a hell of an edge, but in ways that also can have the soulfulness of his roots – and maybe not some of the more "arch" styles of some of his other recent work. Smith adds an extra lake to the lineup for the recording – and titles include "Lake Michigan", "Lake Ontario", "Lake Superior", "Lake Huron", "Lake Erie", and "Lake St Clair". CD

An evocative live performance from trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith – etherel one minute, bombastic the next – and put together with as much sense of freedom and imagination as Smith's music from earlier years! The group is his Golden Quartet – a combo that features great drums from Shannon Jackson, keyboards by Vijay Iyer, and bass from John Lindberg – plus Smith's majestic trumpet lines, which are often muted on the record, but blown with a sense of presence that comes through beautifully. The recording's a live one, and all tracks are quite long – and the CD features 4 titles that include "Rosa Parks", "DeJohnette", "Caravan Of Winter", and "Tabligh". CD

A fantastic package from trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith – one that's billed as "symphonies" in the title, but which instead features quartet jazz performances throughout – as you've maybe guessed by the name of the group! There's maybe a more compositional structure here than on some of Smith's other recent albums, but there's also plenty of improvisation too – served up by a fantastic group that features Henry Threadgill on alto and flute, John Lindberg on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – with saxophonist Jonathon Haffner stepping in for Threadgill on one of the four CDs in the package! Each longer piece has a slightly different vibe – and together, the music is a stunning statement of the continuing genius of Leo Smith in recent years – a masterful statement of his importance in jazz, but also a personal message that's filled with urgent intensity. Titles include "Gold Symphony", "Diamond Symphony", "Pearl Symphony", and "Sapphire Symphony". CD

John Lindberg on double bass, James Emery on guitar, and Regina Carter on violin. CD