Mike Richmond is plucking the cello on the front of the cover – and within, he uses the instrument in a wonderfully fluid, jazzy style – really living up to the legacy of earlier work on the cello in jazz by artists like Ron Carter, Sam Jones, or Eldee Young! The group is nice and lean, with Andy Laverne on piano, Jay Anderson on bass, and Anthony Pinciotti on drums – and the cello is recorded very high up in the mix, with a lot more texture on the strings than you might expect – and certainly a very different sound than the use of the instrument in classical music or string quartet settings! Titles include a fair bit of Bill Evans numbers – versions of "Bill's Hit Tune", "Orbit", "Turn Out The Star", "B Minor Waltz", and "Waltz For Debbie" – and a nice take on "You Must Believe In Spring". CD

Mike Richmond on bass – with Larry Schneider on tenor sax, Richie Bierach on piano, and Jeff Williams on drums. CD

Two Charles Mingus stalwarts come together here as co-leaders – drummer Dannie Richmond and tenorist George Adams, who also plays a bit of flute – in a quintet with Hugh Lawson on piano,j Mike Richmond on bass, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone – also a key Mingus sideman! CD

With Adams on tenor and flute, Richmond on drums – and Jimmy Knepper on trombone, Hugh Lawson on piano, and Mike Richmond on bass. CD

A spot-on set from pianist Andy Laverne – all original material, penned by Andy himself, and underscored here by some excellent work on tenor sax from Ben Solomon! Solomon's got a richness to his tone that's great – a slightly dark edge that seems to bring out the same in Laverne's piano – as the pair work with tight rhythm accompaniment from Jason Tiemann on drums and Mike Richmond on bass – a pair who use a light touch, but in a very effective way – often gently swinging, but letting the piano and tenor really set the tone! Titles include "Corean", "Solace", "Bassline", "Tune For Tyner", "Flipside", and "Wistful Thinking". CD

That's "heart bop", not "hardbop" – a title that really gets at the warm feeling and sense of soul on this overlooked date! The album's an early 80s gem from Enja – cut at a time when the label was really finding its own, and doing an especially great job of giving musicians just the right sort of outlet to move forward – in this case not just trumpeter Franco Ambrosetti, but also altoist Phil Woods and pianist Hal Galper – all of whom are great! There's an angular formation to most of the tunes at the start, but they flow with a warm, lyrical energy right from the start as well – supported by the drums of Billy Hart and bass of Mike Richmond – on titles that include "A Flat Miner", "Fairy Boat To Go", "Heart Bop", and "Triple Play". LP, Vinyl record album

A record of angular lines and subtle sounds from pianist Jim McNeely – an overlooked talent from this generation, and a player with a great sensitivity for unusual colors and tones! The record's a fair bit different than other Muse dates – played almost with the freedom of some of the more inventive European piano sessions of the late 70s – never outside, but always pushing the boundaries in very exploratory ways. The lineup varies a bit on the set – as a few tracks feature John Scofield on guitar, but the rest are trio numbers with either Jon Burr or Mike Richmond on bass, and Billy Hart on drums. Titles include "The Plot Thickens", "Inner Ear", "Burgundy & The Virgin Snow", and "The Light At The End Of The Cave". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous overview of some really important years in British music – a period that sometimes gets overlooked, due to the huge explosion of psych, prog, and other styles – but one that's equally creative in its own sort of way! First off, forget the term "folk rock" – because although that's what this music might be, it's also very different than the pop folk modes that were big on the US scene in the mid 60s – as this folk rock scene instead represented a host of British musicians really retrenching, and finding their own sort of styles – sometimes borrowing bits from the ancient past of England, other times bringing forth a contemporary way of putting over a tune – at a level that might have gotten commercial and overproduced if these guys were working on the American west coast, but which instead has a nicely unadorned quality here. At a time when most American labels (and listeners) were really leaving folk music behind, these artists were able to often work free from the needs of a big commercial hit – and make genius music that's gone on to transform many minds over the decades. The set moves way past the obvious – and features a whopping 60 tracks in all, with lots of notes in the package – and even includes a few never-issued tracks as well. Includes work by Harvey Andrews, Jade, Michael Chapman, Andy Roberts, Mr Fox, Pentangle, Shirley Collins, Prelude, Heron, Mike Cooper, Paul Brett's Sage, Lifeblood, Dando Shaft, Canticle, Jeremy Harmer, Bridget St John, Al Jones, Bill Fay, Fairport Convention, The Woods Band, Matthew's Southern Comfort, The Johnstons, Beau, Richmond, Chimera, Spirogyra, and many others! CD

Arnie Lawrence on saxophones, Hilton Ruiz on piano, Mike Richmond on bass, Billy Hart on drums and percussion, and others. CD

Larry Schneider on tenor, Andy LaVerne on piano, Mike Richmond on bass, and Keith Copeland on drums. CD

With Ray Santisi on piano, Johnny Chiodini on guitar, Mike Richmond on bass, and Randy Jones on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

With Tom Harrell on trumpet and flugelhorn, Mike Richmond on bass and piccolo bass, Jeff Williams on drums, Badal Roy on tabla, percussion, and vocal, Abdullah Maghrib on conga and percussion, Lois Colin on harp, with Bonnie Mattlick and Reverend John Gensel providing narration, and Annete Sanders and Shamira Azad on vocals. LP, Vinyl record album

A record of angular lines and subtle sounds from pianist Jim McNeely – an overlooked talent from this generation, and a player with a great sensitivity for unusual colors and tones! The record's a fair bit different than other Muse dates – played almost with the freedom of some of the more inventive European piano sessions of the late 70s – never outside, but always pushing the boundaries in very exploratory ways. The lineup varies a bit on the set – as a few tracks feature John Scofield on guitar, but the rest are trio numbers with either Jon Burr or Mike Richmond on bass, and Billy Hart on drums. Titles include "The Plot Thickens", "Inner Ear", "Burgundy & The Virgin Snow", and "The Light At The End Of The Cave". CD also features the bonus track "The Plot Thickens (alt take)". CD

Features Jim McNeely on piano and keys, Mike Richmond on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums. CD

With John Abercrombie on guitar and mandolin, Alex Foster on tenor and soprano sax, and Mike Richmond on bass. Jack DeJohnette plays both piano and drums – and titles include "Lydia", "Flys", "New Rags", and "Steppin Thru". LP, Vinyl record album

John Schroder on guitar, Walter Norris on piano, Mike Richmond on bass, and Adam Nussbaum on drums. CD

Pianist Andy Laverne has some strong help on horns here – Alex Sipiagin on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Jerry Bergonzi on tenor sax – both working together to give the album a very strong sound! The tunes are all originals by Laverne, and filled with the right sort of color to bring out the best in Alex and Jerry – players who really complement each other with their sense of phrasing. Laverne's chord structure is also a key part of the album's sound – given a nice bump by the bass of Mike Richmond and drums of Jason Tiemann – who keep things crisp and crackling, and really encourage the colors of the horns to ring out. Titles include "Noteification", "It's All Good", "Waltz King", "Bluestrain", "Resolute Pursuit", and "Two In One". CD