Lonnie Plaxico on bass, Lionel Cordew on drums, Jeffrey Haynes on percussion, Helen Sung & George Colligan on piano & keyboards, Marcus Strickland & Tim Ries on tenor saxophone & Jeremy Pelt & Lew Soloff on trumpet. CD

A surprisingly heavy-duty set from bassist Lonnie Plaxico – featuring a few tunes that get nice and funky, next to others that open up in a sweetly soulful mode! The drummer on the set – Lionel Cardew – has a nice kick on the kit on the more upbeat numbers, giving the group a full-on feel that really sets the stage for plenty of action. And on the mellower numbers, Plaxico's taking on more of the rhythms – curving the tunes with his warm tones on the bass, and bringing out some nice work from trumpeter Alexander Norris and tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland. Titles include "A Shorter Take", "Jumping Jacks", "Cachao's Dance", "Senor Silver", and "Along Came Benny". CD

Features Terence Blanchard on trumpet, Donald Harrison on alto, Jean Toussaint on tenor, Tim Williams on trombone, Lonnie Plaxico on bass, and Mulgrew Miller on piano! CD

Includes Terence Blanchard on trumpet, Jean Toussaint on tenor, Donald Harrison on alto, Lonnie Plaxico on bass and Mulgrew Miller on piano. CD

A post-ECM set from drummer Jack DeJohnette – one that's got a bit more electricity in the mix than before, yet which still has that great sense of energy that Jack gave us with his Special Edition group! The lineup here is youthful – Greg Osby on alto and soprano sax, Gary Thomas on tenor and flute, Michael Cain on acoustic and electric piano, and Lonnie Plaxico on acoustic and electric bass – and while the keyboards and bass definitely inform the rhythm at points, Jack's own bold command of the drums still holds the session tight – and moves things forward with a boundless sense of energy that really sets the horns on fire. Titles include "Blue", "Where Or When", "Earth Walk", "On Golden Beams", "Monk's Plumb", "Lydia", and "It's Time To Wake Up & Dream". CD

With Mick Goodrick on electric guitar, Greg Osby on alto and soprano, Lonnie Plaxico on elecric and acoustic bass, and Gary Thomas on tenor and flute, with special guest Nana Vasconcelos on percussion and vocals. CD

Features Gene Shimosato, Ravi Coltrane, Takuya Nakamura, Lonnie Plaxico, and Tony Moreno. CD

Jacky Terrasson on piano, Lonnie Plaxico and Kenny Davis on bass, Mino Cinelu on percussion, and Cassandra Wilson on vocals. CD

Accompanied by Mulgrew Miller on piano, Lonnie Plaxico on bass, and Terri Lyne Carrington on drums. CD

Backed by Mulgrew Miller, Rod Williams and James Weidman on piano, Grachan Moncur III on trombone, Lonnie Plaxico on bass and Terri Lyne Carrington on drums! CD

With Michael Cain on piano, Lonnie Plaxico on bass, and Jeff Tain Watts on drums – plus guest alto from Steve Coleman. CD

A set with younger players – "New Faces" – including Kenny Kirkland on piano, Branford Marsalis on tenor, and Lonnie Plaxico on bass! Ttiles include "Birk's Works", "Tin Tin Deo", "Fiesta Mojo", and "Tenor Song". LP, Vinyl record album

A richly complex set from David Murray – and a record that offers up a much wider range of moods than some of his other sessions from the time! Some numbers have an angular, almost aggressive groove – one that comes from the presence of group members James Blood Ulmer on guitar and Lonnie Plaxico on bass – but other moments are a bit more introspective, and show the more soulful side of Murray's blowing – a great balance that makes the record a perfect illustration of his growing players at the time. Other group members include Don Pullen on piano and Marvin Smitty Smith on drums – and Murray plays both tenor and bass clarinet. All tracks are long, and titles include "Death", "David Mingus", "All The Things You Are", and "Tension". CD

With Jason Moran on piano, Hammond, and Fender Rhodes, Kevin McNeal on guitar, Lonnie Plaxico and Dwayne Burno on bass, and Rodney Green on drums. CD

A set with younger players – "New Faces" – including Kenny Kirkland on piano, Branford Marsalis on tenor, and Lonnie Plaxico on bass! Ttiles include "Birk's Works", "Tin Tin Deo", "Fiesta Mojo", and "Tenor Song". CD

Greg Osby on alto and soprano sax, Kevin McNeal on guitar, Lonnie Plaxico on bass, and Paul Samuels on drums. CD

Two Art Blakey killers – packaged in a single set! First up is New York Scene – overlooked genius from Art Blakey's 80s years – a time when he was recording for a variety of smaller labels, but turning out work that was every bit as fresh and vibrant as his sides from the 60s and 70s! As always with the Jazz Messengers, the group's filled with up-and-coming jazz talents that really make the record great – trumpet from Terence Blanchard, tenor from Jean Toussaint, alto from Donald Harrison, piano from Mulgrew Miller, and bass from Lonnie Plaxico – all players who leave their own imprint strongly on the record, yet still fall into line with the core groove supplied by Blakey's drums. Titles include Blanchard's "Oh By The Way", Harrison's "Controversy", and Miller's "Falafel" – all wonderfully soulful numbers – plus a "Ballad Medley", and a version of "Tenderly". Live At Kimballs is a smoking club set – recorded with Terence Blanchard on trumpet, Donald Harrison on alto, Jean Toussaint on tenor, and Mulgrew Miller on piano! The group's got a great soulful swing, and titles include "Jody", "second Thoughts", "Dr Jeckyl", "You & The Night & The Music", and "Old Folks". CD

Cecil's smoking on the cover, and he's smoking on the record too – really cooking things up in the best old school soul jazz style of his Muse Records years! The album was recorded live in New Jersey, and it's proof that plenty of great jazz was still coming from west of the Hudson in the early 90s – a time not nearly as documented as earlier years on the Jersey scene, but still a time of great players and hip local nightspots like the Trumpets club in which the album was recorded. Brooks' tight work on drums is very firmly at the helm of the set, and other players include Antonio Hart on alto, Ravi Coltrane on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, Stephen Scott on piano, and Lonnie Plaxico on bass – working with Cecil in a set that also includes a fair bit of original numbers by the group. Titles include "Gordon's Maze", "Fried Bananas", "And Another Thang", "2AM In The Village", "The Third", and "Montclair". CD

Features Dave Holland on acoustic bass, Greg Osby on alto saxophone, Marvin "Smitty" Smith on drums, Lonnie Plaxico on electric bass, Kevin Eubanks on guitar, Kenny Werner and Renee Rosnes on keyboards, and Mino Cinelu on percussion. CD

With Marvin Sewell on acoustic guitar, Lonnie Plaxico on bass, Alex Harden on bass clarinet, Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums, Cleave Guyton on flutes and tenor saxophone, James Williams on piano, Robin Eubanks on trombone, and Bryan Carrott on vibraphone. CD

Accompanied by Mulgrew Miller on piano, Lonnie Plaxico on bass, and Terri Lyne Carrington on drums. Titles include "Shall We Dance", "Polka Dots And Moon Beams", "I've Grown Accustomed To His Face", "Sweet Lorraine", "Blue Skies", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A solidly soulful album from drummer Cindy Blackman – a forceful batch of tunes that really match the best energy of the Muse Records soulbop scene of the early 90s! There's a nice blend of modern ideas and straight jazz energy here – sounds that grow strongly from the contributions of quintet members Steve Coleman on alto, Wallace Roney on trumpet, Kenny Barron on piano, and Lonnie Plaxico on drums – almost all Muse Records labelmates of Blackman, working here with energy that reminds us a lot of Roney's excellent sides for the company at the time. Blackman's the real boss, though – guiding things forcefully with her work on drums, and contributing a wealth of original numbers to the set – tunes that include "Code Red", "Anxiety", "Green", "Face In The Dark", and "Circles". CD