Featuring Miles Davis on trumpet, Jay Jay Johnson on trombone, Jimmy Heath on sax, Gil Coggins on piano, Percy Heath on bass and Art Blakey on drums. CD

Wow! An incredible collection of seminal recordings from one of the most important figures in modern music! All of Miles' recordings from the Prestige label in one place, bound up in a well annotated box, and given a complete discography and lots of excellent photos. It's almost too much astounding jazz in one place! The list of sidemen and great LPs is almost too long to go over, but in addition to Miles' remarkable Cookin'/Relaxin'/Walkin'/Workin' sessions, there's all of the material issued as Bags' Groove, with the Modern Jazz Giants and loads more, and some of the stellar accompanists includes John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker, Lee Konitz, Red Garland, Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver, Milt Jackson, Paul Chambers, Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, and Max Roach, just to name a few. There's far too many tracks to list here, but there's takes of "Blue Room", "Conception", "Compulsion", "Miles Ahead", "Blue Haze", "Airegin", "Bag's Groove", "The Man I Love", "Green Haze", "Dr Jackle", "The Theme", "Trane's Blues", "'Round About Midnight", "Half Nelson", "My Funny Valentine" and loads more! CD

A key early appearance on record by Sonny Rollins – recorded here with Miles Davis and Jackie McLean in the landmark Dig session! The album's the stuff that 50s bop dreams are made of – a session that has up-and-coming modernists working in the new freedom of the long playing record, in a way that allows them to break past the shorter, more urgent sound of the 78rpm single! Rollins is young, but a surprisingly strong voice on the set – and Jackie McLean's alto is incredibly sharp at this point, with strong hints of the genius to come later in the decade. The rest of the lineup includes Walter Bishop on piano, Tommy Potter on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – and tracks include Miles' classic version of "It's Only A Paper Moon", plus "Denial", "Out Of The Blue", "Dig", and "Bluing". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – "Conception" and "My Old Flame". CD

A collection of rare early work by Miles Davis – all recorded in New York during the years 1947 to 1950 – most of them studio sides, but also featuring a few tracks recorded at the Royal Roost! The assortment of players varies from grouping to grouping, and although Miles' trumpet is in the groups, there's also a stronger focus on the ensemble work on a number of the tunes. Other players include JJ Johnson, Sahib Shihab, Kai Winding, Cecil Payne, Tadd Dameron, Fats Navarro, Stan Getz, and Art Blakey – and the CD features 23 titles that include "Good Bait", "Woody N You", "Bean A Re Bop", "John's Delight", "What's New", "Heaven's Doors Are Open", "Focus", "Phantomesque", "For Europeans Only", and "Big Dog". Some of the material was issued under Dameron's name originally, and a few other tracks are Illinois Jacquet big band titles recorded for Aladdin. CD

Brilliant early work by Miles Davis – some of his first truly important sessions to appear under his own name – originally issued as singles or 10" LP recordings by Blue Note, and brought together here in a full length set that would help to define the early years of his career! This is work before Miles was able to stretch out on longer sessions for Prestige, but the material already showcases his unique contribution to jazz – shorter tracks that are perhaps more boppish, than you might expect from some of Miles' other 50s work – but in a way that still allows for many moments of lyrical beauty, and that brilliantly cool sound of his which forever changed the sound of jazz trumpet. The set features work from an assortment of players who vary from track to track – including Jimmy Heath on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, JJ Johnson on trombone, Horace Silver on piano, and Art Blakey on drums. Titles on this second volume include "Weirdo", "Donna", "Ray's Idea (alt)", "Take Off", "Would'n You", "The Leap", "Lazy Suzan", and "Tempus Fugit (alt)". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant early work by Miles Davis – some of his first truly important sessions to appear under his own name – originally issued as singles or 10" LP recordings by Blue Note, and brought together here in a full length set that would help to define the early years of his career! This is work before Miles was able to stretch out on longer sessions for Prestige, but the material already showcases his unique contribution to jazz – shorter tracks that are perhaps more boppish, than you might expect from some of Miles' other 50s work – but in a way that still allows for many moments of lyrical beauty, and that brilliantly cool sound of his which forever changed the sound of jazz trumpet. The set features work from an assortment of players who vary from track to track – including Jimmy Heath on tenor, Jackie McLean on alto, JJ Johnson on trombone, Horace Silver on piano, and Art Blakey on drums. Titles on this second volume include "Weirdo", "Donna", "Ray's Idea (alt)", "Take Off", "Would'n You", "The Leap", "Lazy Suzan", and "Tempus Fugit (alt)". CD

A landmark album – even if it was the only session that Cannonball Adderley ever cut for Blue Note! The album was recorded at a time when Adderley was working with Miles Davis – and as such, the session features a group that includes Miles, blowing trumpet in a cool tone that's a perfect offset to Cannonball's more soulful style on alto sax – also different than the sound of his brother Nat, who was Adderley's more frequent partner on records. The rest of the group includes Hank Jones on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – and like John Coltrane's Blue Train, the record's more of an "special session" than the usual Blue Note album, but the strength of the players make it one of the more memorable records of its day! Titles include "Somethin' Else", "One For Daddy-O", "Autumn Leaves", "Love For Sale", and a nice moody take on "Dancing In The Dark". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album – even if it was the only session that Cannonball Adderley ever cut for Blue Note! The album was recorded at a time when Adderley was working with Miles Davis – and as such, the session features a group that includes Miles, blowing trumpet in a cool tone that's a perfect offset to Cannonball's more soulful style on alto sax – also different than the sound of his brother Nat, who was Adderley's more frequent partner on records. The rest of the group includes Hank Jones on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – and like John Coltrane's Blue Train, the record's more of an "special session" than the usual Blue Note album, but the strength of the players make it one of the more memorable records of its day! Titles include "Somethin' Else", "One For Daddy-O", "Autumn Leaves", "Love For Sale", and a nice moody take on "Dancing In The Dark". Includes bonus track "Alison's Uncle". CD

Early Rollins work for Prestige – recorded between 1951 and 1954, in a variety of settings! Like a lot of the other Milestone 2LP sets issued in the 70s, this album collects tracks from a number of sessions, restoring recordings to the order they were recorded in rather than how they were originally issued, which in this case was mostly as 10" LPs, under a variety of titles including Mambo Jazz, Sonny Rollins, Sonny Rollins With The Modern Jazz Quartet and others. As such the set features five lineups, all smaller groups, mostly quartets and sidemen include Miles Davis, Roy Haynes, Elmo Hope, Kenny Dorham, Thelonius Monk, Kenny Drew, Percy Heath, and Art Blakey. Since most of this was originally issued on 10"s, the tunes are shorter than you might be used to hearing Rollins' LPs, but there's still plenty of power and imagination in the grooves – very economical solos, crafted with a great deal of imagination. 20 tracks in all, with including "Scoops", "Shadrack", "Mambo Bounce", "The Stopper", "I Know", "Movin' Out", "Solid", "Newk's Fadeaway", "Silk'N'Satin", and "No Moe". LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Milt Jackson, Jay Jay Johnson, Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, Horace Silver, Jimmy Smith, Sonny Clark, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey, and Lou Donaldson. LP, Vinyl record album

That's Miles Davis and Jeanne Moreau on the cover – and image is a perfect summation of what makes this period in film music so unique! The set brings together music from the French new wave of the late 50s and early 60s – a time when revolutionary directors were putting fresh new images on screen, and also turning to lots of new ideas for their music, too – using jazz musicians like Miles to create some of their soundtracks, and also moving past some of the more overblown orchestral styles that had dominated most of the world of film scores during the postwar years. Much of the work used by these directors was in a style that was closer to the people, and more fitting for the sorts of themes in the films – and this 3CD collection features a wonderful array of different modes from the period. Many films are included here with a few selections from their famous soundtracks – and the 3CD package includes work from Tires Sur Le Pianiste (Shoot The Piano Player) by Georges Delerue, A Bout De Souffle (Breathless) by Marial Solal, L'Eau A La Bouche by Serge Gainsbourg, A Double Tour by Paul Misraki, Les Liaisons Dangereuxes by Art Blakey with Barney Wilen, La Tete Contre Les Murs by Maurice Jarre, Le Bel Age by Georges Delerue, Les Bonnes Femmes by Paul Misraki, Jules Et Jim by Georges Delerue, Lola by Michel Legrand, Les 400 Coups (400 Blows) by Jean Constantin, Une Femme Est Une Femme by Michel Legrand, Zazi Dans Le Metro by Fiorenzo Carpi, Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud by Miles Davis, and Cleo De 5 A 7 by Michel Legrand. CD

A landmark album – even if it was the only session that Cannonball Adderley ever cut for Blue Note! The album was recorded at a time when Adderley was working with Miles Davis – and as such, the session features a group that includes Miles, blowing trumpet in a cool tone that's a perfect offset to Cannonball's more soulful style on alto sax – also different than the sound of his brother Nat, who was Adderley's more frequent partner on records. The rest of the group includes Hank Jones on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – and like John Coltrane's Blue Train, the record's more of an "special session" than the usual Blue Note album, but the strength of the players make it one of the more memorable records of its day! Titles include "Somethin' Else", "One For Daddy-O", "Autumn Leaves", "Love For Sale", and a nice moody take on "Dancing In The Dark". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album – even if it was the only session that Cannonball Adderley ever cut for Blue Note! The album was recorded at a time when Adderley was working with Miles Davis – and as such, the session features a group that includes Miles, blowing trumpet in a cool tone that's a perfect offset to Cannonball's more soulful style on alto sax – also different than the sound of his brother Nat, who was Adderley's more frequent partner on records. The rest of the group includes Hank Jones on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – and like John Coltrane's Blue Train, the record's more of an "special session" than the usual Blue Note album, but the strength of the players make it one of the more memorable records of its day! Titles include "Somethin' Else", "One For Daddy-O", "Autumn Leaves", "Love For Sale", and a nice moody take on "Dancing In The Dark". CD

A landmark album – even if it was the only session that Cannonball Adderley ever cut for Blue Note! The album was recorded at a time when Adderley was working with Miles Davis – and as such, the session features a group that includes Miles, blowing trumpet in a cool tone that's a perfect offset to Cannonball's more soulful style on alto sax – also different than the sound of his brother Nat, who was Adderley's more frequent partner on records. The rest of the group includes Hank Jones on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – and like John Coltrane's Blue Train, the record's more of an "special session" than the usual Blue Note album, but the strength of the players make it one of the more memorable records of its day! Titles include "Somethin' Else", "One For Daddy-O", "Autumn Leaves", "Love For Sale", and a nice moody take on "Dancing In The Dark". CD

Amazing work from the early, legendary years of Billy Eckstine – that time when he was fronting one of the hippest backing groups a vocalist could hope to have! Eckstine's voice was already becoming the stuff of legend by the time of these recordings – but thanks to contributions from a host of famous boppers, his band was getting equal fame, too – a really legendary lineup that includes such greats as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie,Kenny Dorham, and Fats Navarro on trumpets; Wardell Gray, Dexter Gordon, and Gene Ammons on tenor; Leo Parker on baritone; Art Blakey on drums; and many other huge names too! The band was virtually a school for a whole generation of jazzmen to come – allowing them to play together, get to know each other, and spin off in important small groups – much in the way the Kenton group a few years later allowed so much development on the west coast. And amidst all this great music, Billy's vocals have never sounded better – much bolder and hard-swinging than in later years! 2CDs, great notes, and a whopping 41 tracks in all. CD

Early Sonny Rollins work for Prestige – recorded in the years 1951 and 1953, in a variety of settings! 4 tracks on the album features Rollins blowing with the MJQ, one more has him working with a Miles Davis group, and the last 8 feature a quartet with Kenny Drew, Percy Heath, and Art Blakey. The tunes are shorter than you might be used to hearing Rollins, but there's still plenty of power and imagination in the grooves – very economical solos, crafted with a great deal of imagination. Titles include "Scoops", "Shadrack", "Mambo Bounce", "The Stopper", "I Know", and "No Moe". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Coleman Hawkins & His Orchestra, the Tiny Grimes Quintet, the Dizzie Gillespie Sextet, Charlie Parker's Reboppers, the Stan Getz Quartet, the Bud Powell Trio, the Miles Davis All Stars, Fats Navarro, Art Blakey's Messengers, Thelonious Monk, Ella Fitzgerald, and more. CD

Amazing work from the early, legendary years of Billy Eckstine – that time when he was fronting one of the hippest backing groups a vocalist could hope to have! Eckstine's voice was already becoming the stuff of legend by the time of these recordings – but thanks to contributions from a host of famous boppers, his band was getting equal fame, too – a really legendary lineup that includes such greats as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Dorham, and Fats Navarro on trumpets; Wardell Gray, Dexter Gordon, and Gene Ammons on tenor; Leo Parker on baritone; Art Blakey on drums; and many other huge names too! The band was virtually a school for a whole generation of jazzmen to come – allowing them to play together, get to know each other, and spin off in important small groups – much in the way the Kenton group a few years later allowed so much development on the west coast. And amidst all this great music, Billy's vocals have never sounded better – much bolder and hard-swinging than in later years! CD

Includes selections by Miles Davis Sextet, Bud Powell Trio, James Moody & His Modernists, Jay Jay Johnson Sextet, Milt Jackson Quintet, Thelonious Monk Quintet, Tadd Dameron Sextet, Horace Silver Trio, Clifford Brown Sextet, and Art Blakey & Sabu. LP, Vinyl record album

Classic mid 40s work from Billy Eckstine – whose band at the time was a breeding ground for bebop – with players here that include Miles Davis, Gene Ammons, Art Blakey, Sonny Stitt, Fats Navarro, Dexter Gordon, and Kenny Dorham! CD

Early Sonny Rollins work for Prestige – recorded in the years 1951 and 1953, in a variety of settings! 4 tracks on the album features Rollins blowing with the MJQ, one more has him working with a Miles Davis group, and the last 8 feature a quartet with Kenny Drew, Percy Heath, and Art Blakey. The tunes are shorter than you might be used to hearing Rollins, but there's still plenty of power and imagination in the grooves – very economical solos, crafted with a great deal of imagination. Titles include "Scoops", "Shadrack", "Mambo Bounce", "The Stopper", "I Know", and "No Moe". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Charles Mingus, Max Roach Quartet, Miles Davis, Dianne Reeves, Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, Javon Jackson & Cassandra Wilson, the Andrews Sisters, Jacky Terrasson, Red Fish Blue Fish and Pet. CD

Blue Note 2-fer that brings together some of Gil Evans' great modernist jazz pieces for the World Pacific label. The material was all recorded in New York in 1958 and 1959, and the groups include crack jazz players like Steve Lacy, Art Blakey, Cannonball Adderley, Johnn Coles, Elvin Jones, and Evans himself. The tracks are mostly standards, but they're given super-sharp arrangements by Evans, in the style that he was using for some of his work with Miles Davis. They also feature prominent soloists, also as with the Miles work, and titles include "Chant Of The Weed", "Lester Leaps In", "Round Midnight", "Manteca", and "Sruttin With Some Barbeque". 2 LPs, with a good essay on Evans' work. LP, Vinyl record album

A perfect illustration of the rich new directions Wayne Shorter was taking at the start of the 70s – an amazing flurry of sounds and styles that's light years ahead of where he began in the 60s! Shorter's one of those players who was already great at the start – an amazing tenorist, both on his own and with the groups of Art Blakey and Miles Davis – yet by the time of this record, he'd absorbed a huge amount of influences from Brazilian music, modal jazz, the spiritual underground, and even the free European scene – all of which come to play on the long, complex tunes on the set! The record has Shorter working with some other key contemporaries of this new moment in jazz – John McLaughlin on 12 string guitar, Chick Corea on marimba and percussion, Dave Holland and Miroslav Vitous on bass, and Ron Carter on cello – all players who have the same open, exploratory vibe as Wayne's own lines on tenor and soprano sax. Titles include an excellent cover of Milton Nascimento's "Vera Cruz", plus the tracks "Antiqua", "Iska", and "Montezuma". CD

It might be a bit of a stretch to say that things were going mod in 1957 – as the London mod movement still had a few years to come – but modern jazz was certainly taking over the scene in the city, thanks to a huge rise of homegrown acts who were serving up their own response to American work on labels like Blue Note and Prestige! This set's full of some of the best to appear at the time – a great lineup of London players at their best – with cuts that include "Sputnik" by Dick Heckstall Smith, "Cheek To Cheek" by the Jazz Couriers, "Monkey Business" by Kenny Graham's Afro Cubists, "Cinders" by Vic Ash Plus Four, "Chelsea Bridge" by Derek Smith, "Four" by Tubby Hayes & Victor Feldman, "Headin North" by Johnny Keating, "Salt Air" by Dave Lee, "Act One Scene One" by Kenny Baker's Half Dozen, and "Pittsburgh Opener" by Ronnie Scott. As a bonus, the set also features a full CD of American artists who were also making Soho hop at the time – work by Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Miles Davis, and others. CD

Includes tracks from Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Freddie Hubbard, Dexter Gordon, Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Rollins, The Three Sounds, Jacky Terrasson, Miles Davis, Ike Quebec, Bennie Green, and Joe Lovano. CD

A gem of an early album from Lee Morgan – quite different than his work as a leader for the Savoy label during the same period! Although Morgan's only a wee lad at the time, the album's got an incredible sense of warmth and imagination – one that's steeped in lessons learned from Horace Silver and Art Blakey, and played with a style that's as richly expressive as it is soulful – a no-nonsense, no-tricks approach to the trumpet that gave Morgan a voice that was clearly different from predecessors like Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, and Fats Navarro! The album's got a stellar lineup that includes Horace Silver, Wilbur Ware, and Philly Joe Jones – plus the virtually unknown Clarence Sharpe, who makes a rare appearance on alto on this session! The whole thing's great, and filled with unique titles that include "Reggie Of Chester", "Little T", "Gaza Strip", and "Roccus". LP, Vinyl record album

Sonny Rollins on tenor saxophome with Art Blakey, Clifford Brown Ray Brown, Ray Bryant Paul Chambers, Kenny Clarke John Coltrane, Miles Davis. Kenny Drew, Kenny Dorham Tommy Flanagan, Red Garland Hampton Hawes, Percy Heath Milt Jackson, Philly Joe Jones Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne Thelonious Monk, George Morrow Oscar Pettiford, Max Roach Horace Silver, Arthur Taylor Leroy Vinnegar, Doug Watkins & oters. CD

Collects solo material plus work with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Gil Evans, Miles Davis, Weather Report, Milton Nascimento, Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, JJ Johnson, and Herbie Hancock! CD