Charlie Parker may live again in the title of this set – but given the strengths of the group, the album would be great even without a reference to Bird! The setting's a bop one, as you'd guess – but there's also a lot more going on here too, given that some of the tunes are longer and open – and almost show some of the maturation of all the players on the date – especially saxophonist Charles McPherson and pianist Barry Harris, both of whom got their start with boppish ideas, but who were really branching out by the time of this early 70s session. The quintet also features some excellent rhythm from Sam Jones on bass and Roy Brooks on drums – both players who bring plenty of fresh ideas to the table – and Red Rodney's work on trumpet has lots of earthy notes that show a strong sense of personality too. Titles include "Big Foot", "I'll Remember April", "Donna Lee", "Chasing The Bird", "Round Midnight", and "52nd Street Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

A nicely old school set of vocal work from Jonathan Schwartz – quite traditional, especially given the time of the recording – done in a way that makes you feel like you're catching Schwartz working the backroom at some New York club in the wee small hours of the morning! Piano dominates the backings on most numbers, but there's also some added instrumentation at points too – a bit of trumpet from Marky Markowitz or clarinet from Phil Bodner – used with a nice sense of care to augment the vocals. Titles are mostly standards, and include a few from Jonathan's old man Arthur – with tracks that include "Nobody Else But Me", "I'm Old Fashioned", "Once Upon A Long Ago", "Thief In The Night", "Rainy Day", "A Sure Thing", "Anyone Would Love You", "Don't Ever Leave Me", and "Tomorra Tomorra". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard swinging work from James Spaulding – still sounding great after all these years! Spaulding's in perfect company here – with Ronnie Matthews on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums, plus horn work by Dan Faulk and Don Sickler, next to the range of flute and alto work supplied by Spaulding. The tracks have a hard soul approach that's a bit Horace Silver, a bit James Moody – and inflected by the modern leanings that Spaulding brought to some of his earlier work. Titles include "Rue Prevail", "John Charles", "Soul Station", "Public Eye", "Hipsippy Blues", and "Vaun Ex". CD

Some of the last work that Sonny Stitt ever recorded – and a rock-solid return to straight, acoustic work – material that has him blowing both alto and tenor, in two different groups! The first is a quartet with Junior Mance on piano, George Duvivier on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – and the second group features Walter Davis on piano, George Duvivier on bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums, and trumpet on most of the set from Bill Hardman! CD

With Ricky Ford on tenor, Barry Harris on piano, George Duvivier on bass, and Leroy Williams on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

With special guest Dr John! LP, Vinyl record album

Jack Walrath is a surprisingly compelling trumpeter who always grabs us in different ways – soulful one minute, experimental the next – always with an approach that's quite unique! On this special little set, he begins by just blowing a mouthpiece – using a tone that's really striking – then moving into some warmer lines on trumpet and flugelhorn with sensitive phrasing at points, and bolder notes at others! The group's a quintet, and features Larry Coryell on guitar, Benny Green on piano, Anthony Cox on bass, and Ronnie Burrage on drums – and titles include "Clear Out Of This World", "So Long Eric", "Stardust", "Wake Up & Wash It Off", "Come Sunday", and "Brother Can You Spare A Dime". CD

A very unusual set for pianist Cedar Walton – one that has him working with vocalist Abbey Lincoln, in a session that marks a high point for both of them at the time! Cedar's group on the set is in a very Eastern Rebellion mode – with Bob Berg on tenor, Billy Higgins on drums, and David Williams on bass – and Abbey joins the group on four of the album's eight tracks – the best of which are original numbers that feature a freshly inventive vocal style that really makes the album something special. Abbey sings some great lyrics to her originals "Castles" and "Not In Love" – as well as Cedar's excellent "The Maestro", a tune dedicated to the late Ellington. And the band grooves nicely on versions of Jobim's "Sabia", plus "Blue Monk" and "On The Trail". CD

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A stellar album from this 70s soul jazz genius! Ricky Ford's an oft-underrecognized talent who played on a number of soul jazz sleepers during the 70s – including great work by Charles Mingus – and this album features him in strident soulful form as the leader of a tight quintet that includes Oliver Beener on trumpet, Jaki Byard on piano, Dave Friesen on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums. The tracks remind us a bit of work by Clifford Jordan or a young John Handy – although Ford's tone is different from any of them. Tracks include "Fadism", "On The Plaza", "Afternoon In New York", and "Olean Visit". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic record from Grant Green's important early years – originally recorded for the Jazztime label in 1961 (and released under Dave Bailey's name), reissued in this form in the 70's by Muse. The set is headed up by drummer Dave Bailey – a set that's almost better than his classic early 60s sets for Epic! Like those records, this one's a rock-solid session that's right up there with the best Blue Note work of the time – perfectly put together, with a sense of poise, balance, and soul that's even more amazing, given that the album was only issued on the short-lived Jazztime label. The lineup is killer too – with Frank Haynes on tenor, Grant Green on guitar, Ben Tucker on bass, and Billy Gardner on piano – and the presence of Green, Gardner, and Tucker really give the set a tight soul jazz groove. Green is great, and the album's equally noteworthy for his presence – and has actually been issued under his name over the years as well. Tracks include "One For Elena", "Reaching Out", "Our Miss Brooks", and "Baby, You Should Know It". Great stuff, and an album that will become one of your favorites! LP, Vinyl record album

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In our opinion, Jack McDuff never made a bad album – and this excellent later session is proof of that statement! The album's got a horrible cover – we'll state that from the start – but it's still a great batch of soul jazz organ tracks, played tightly by McDuff, with a group that includes Cecil and Ron Bridgewater, plus Houston Person on tenor, and Grady Tate on drums. The album features a great remake of McDuff's legendary "Theme From The Electric Surfboard" – done here with a bouncing groove that makes the tune perfect for a jazzy stepper's set – plus the cuts "Cap'n Jack", "One Hundred Ways", and "Walkin The Dog". CD

A set of folk songs, but handled in a way that isn't folksy at all – thanks to the lyrical genius of Spanish pianist Tete Montoliu! The music here has sources in older tunes from Catalonia – as you'd guess from the title – but Tete's handling of the material is all jazz, all the way through – with a rich amount of solo introspection that really moves the tunes past their simple melodies, in ways that are even more expansive than some of the Scandinavian 60s experiments with folk and jazz! The album's also perhaps one of Montoliu's best-remembered of the 70s – a date that circulated strongly, thanks to Tete's incomparable solo performance throughout – very expressive, but never overdone – on titles that include "Ruco", "Una Gitarra", "Manuel", "Canco De Matinada", "Cigales Al Ven", and "Quin Plan Teniu Senor". LP, Vinyl record album

Charlie Parker may live again in the title of this set – but given the strengths of the group, the album would be great even without a reference to Bird! The setting's a bop one, as you'd guess – but there's also a lot more going on here too, given that some of the tunes are longer and open – and almost show some of the maturation of all the players on the date – especially saxophonist Charles McPherson and pianist Barry Harris, both of whom got their start with boppish ideas, but who were really branching out by the time of this early 70s session. The quintet also features some excellent rhythm from Sam Jones on bass and Roy Brooks on drums – both players who bring plenty of fresh ideas to the table – and Red Rodney's work on trumpet has lots of earthy notes that show a strong sense of personality too. Titles include "Big Foot", "I'll Remember April", "Donna Lee", "Chasing The Bird", "Round Midnight", and "52nd Street Theme". CD

A late date for Woody Shaw, but a great one too – a bit more straightforward than some of his more righteous albums of the 70s, but still proof that Shaw is easily one of the greatest trumpeters of his generation! The album's got a laidback sort of feel, and features a fair bit of familiar standards – but Woody and the group do plenty to transform them, especially on the solo spots. Shaw's leading a quintet here – with Steve Turre on trombone, Kirk Lightsey on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Carl Allen on drums – and titles include "Steve's Blues", "Dat Dere", "Imagination", "If I Were A Bell", "You & The Night & The Music", and "Stormy Weather". CD

Great straight work from the legendary Sonny Stitt – recording here in a mode that's different than his funky sides of the time – and a lot more back to basics! The group's a quintet – as Sonny blows both tenor and alto, with help from Joe Newman on trumpet, Duke Jordan on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Roy Brooks on drums – and excellent combo who really keep things interesting – on titles that include "The Champ", "Sweet & Lovely", "The Midgets", "The Eternal Triangle", "All The Things You Are", and "Walkin'". CD

By this point in his career, Sonny hardly needed a tune up in his style – but the album's a great one from his post-Prestige years, and a real back-to-basics effort that recalls the genius of his work on Roost! The format is straight and simple – Stitt's tenor and alto fronting a quartet that includes Barry Harris, Sam Jones, and Alan Dawson – all playing in a way that puts Sonny in command on all tracks, blowing with an amazing tone that makes us want to throw away all his funk, organ, and electric outings, and just concentrate on these straight acoustic sides. Stitt has a way of blowing the reed like he's got his whole mouth moving into the sax – an earthy, human, and personal feel that first came out strongly in his work during the late 50s, but which has grown even more by this point – even if you couldn't hear the development on other sets. And given our love of funk and electric sides, we're honestly surprised we find ourselves championing a record like this from the early 70s – but it's a great one, and not to be missed if you remotely dig Stitt! Titles include "Tune Up", "Idaho", "Just Friends", "Groovin High", and "Blues For Prez & Bird". CD

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With Houston Person on tenor saxophone. CD

Features Bennie Maupin and Gary Bartz! CD

A killer bit of funky jazz from the 70s – issued on the Muse label, but a set hat would be right at home on the Black Jazz or Strata East imprints! Eddie Green, Odean Pope, Tyrone Brown, and Sherman Ferguson form the core of this funky fusion outfit, and they play in a beautiful way that mixes choppy fusion riffs with more soulful instrumentation. Their sound is really unique, and is an incredibly clear realization of a style that a lot of other groups attempted, but always managed to muddy up. Tracks on this one include "Maze", "Athene", "Mail Order", and "Shorter Street". Nice stuff, and one that we just about never see! LP, Vinyl record album

Spacey album of keyboard duets between Joe Chambers and the great Larry Young. Recorded shortly before Larry passed away, this album features him and Chambers on a number of different piano and synthesizers, and Chambers playing drums on a few tracks while Larry grooves on organ. Very free, with little of the rhythmic pulse that you'd find in Larry's other late work. Cuts include "Message from Mars", "Rock Pile", "The Orge", and "Mind Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

We never tire of the saxophone work of Sonny Criss – and this mid 70s gem is a perfect example of his brilliance! Sonny's sound on alto here is completely his own – raspily, soulful style that's really unique – and which draws strongly from Criss' rich life experience, including his years away from music (he'd been retired for most of the 70s before the time of this album.) The group's laidback and open – with Dolo Coker on piano, Ray Crawford on guitar, Larry Gales on bass, and Jimmy Smith on drums – a group that's all well with Criss on his journey – but also lets him sparkle brightly in the lead. Titles include the extended track "Isle Of Celia", plus "This Is For Benny", "Blues In My Heart", and "Crisscraft". CD

Great later work from Sonny Criss – very much in the format of his late 60s work for Prestige, but with an approach that's perhaps a bit more open-ended overall! The vibe here is laidback and soulful – Sonny blowing alto sax in that wonderful, all-his-own sort of tone – a sound that's almost tenor-like in phrasing, but with a crisp alto quality that's completely sublime! The group's a batch of familiar associates, all of whom lay back wonderfully in the rhythms – Dolo Coker on piano, Larry Gales on bass, and Jimmie Smith on drums. There's a solidness here that few other players can match – and titles include the original numbers "The Dreamer" and "The First One" – plus "El Tiante", "All The Things You Are", and "Out Of Nowhere". CD

Like all of Earland's albums for Muse, this one's a deceptively simple record that you might pass up because of the date and the cover – but it's a full-fire burner that shows Earland playing better organ than he did for any other label after leaving Prestige. The tracks are long, with a very spare stripped down feel that lets Charlie go to town on the Hammond – and with backing by Houston Person, Melvin Sparks, and Idris Muhammad, he's in very nice company. Tracks include "Tackhead", "In The Alley", "Grant's Groove", and "A Good Date". LP, Vinyl record album

Clifford Jordan on tenor saxophone, Cedar Walton on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Titles include "Midnight Waltz", "One For Amos", "Blue Monk", "Highest Mountain", and "John Coltrane". CD

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An incredible little album from Eric Kloss – one of our favorites ever from this period, and a record that shows how tremendously he'd grown in just a few years of jazz recording! The set features a quintet with Dave Holland on bass, Ron Thomas on electric piano, and Pat Martino on guitar – grooving with Kloss on long, searching tunes that have a heck of a lot of modal soul. The album kicks off with the extended suite "One Two Free" – which gets "free" at the end, but which serves up some nice blocky grooves at the beginning – and it's followed up by the tracks "It's Too Late" and "Licea", both of which have a wonderfully solid sound! LP, Vinyl record album

Drummer Eddie Marshall never cut many albums as a leader, but we'll always love him for this one – a sublime San Francisco 70s session that features tremendous vibes from the great Bobby Hutcherson! But actually, the whole group's great – and also includes George Cables on piano, James Leary on bass, and Manny Boyd on tenor and soprano sax – who works alongside Hutcherson's vibes with some of the same soulful currents as Harold Land from earlier years! The tunes are well-paced – mostly by Marshall, with a slight undercurrent of spirituality – and a lyrical beauty that almost has Bobby in "Little B's Poem" territory at times. Titles include "The Stroll", "The High Priestess Of Gone", "Andree", and "But I Refuse To Come Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Duets between Martino's guitar and the keyboards of Gil Goldstein. CD

In our opinion, Jack McDuff never made a bad album – and this excellent later session is proof of that statement! The album's got a horrible cover – we'll state that from the start – but it's still a great batch of soul jazz organ tracks, played tightly by McDuff, with a group that includes Cecil and Ron Bridgewater, plus Houston Person on tenor, and Grady Tate on drums. The album features a great remake of McDuff's legendary "Theme From The Electric Surfboard" – done here with a bouncing groove that makes the tune perfect for a jazzy stepper's set – plus the cuts "Cap'n Jack", "One Hundred Ways", and "Walkin The Dog". CD

With Richie Cole on alto, David Schnitter on tenor, Barry Harris on piano, George Duvivier on bass, and Leroy Williams on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

With Bill Watrous on trombone, George Young on tenor and flute, Roland Hanna on piano and electric piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Titles include "For Dizzy", "I Can't Get Started", "Red Bird", "Red Tornado", "Nos Duis Ga Tarde", and "Red Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

An unbelievably fantastic album, and perhaps the greatest one that Dom Um Romao ever did! Dom recorded this one in America with a blend of Brazilian and New York musicians – creating an incredible sound that's unlike anything else we can think of! We'd place this record next to the best electric work by David Axelrod, the dopest funk on CTI, and a rare few other jazz funk albums from the 70s – and the whole thing's completely sublime all the way through! Includes the spare spacey groover "Dom's Tune", the lively dancer "Cinnamon Flower", the jazzy "Family Talk", a great version of "Ponteio", and a take on Sivuca's "Adeus Maria Fulo" with Joao Donato on electric harpsichord! Loads of samples, and players include Joe Beck, Dom Salvador, Sivuca, Mauricio Smith, Portinho, Richard Kimball, and Lloyd McNeill. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible set of Brazilian jazz – one of the few albums that percussionist Dom Um Romao recorded as a leader, and sublime all the way through! The record's got a wonderful blend of funky fusion and Brazilian percussion – and features a group from two continents that includes Sivuca on organ, Dom Salvador on electric piano, Joe Beck on guitar, Jerry Dodgion on alto sax, Lloyd McNeill on flute, and Mauricio Smith on tenor, soprano, and flute. Includes the percussion jammer "Shake (Ginga Gingou)", the modal groover "Wait on the Corner", and the lively scatting tune "The Angels" – but the whole album's great, and other tracks include "The Salvation Army", "Kitchen", and "Lamento Negro". LP, Vinyl record album

A great release of material from the late 50s – that time when reedman Tony Scott was really starting to experiment! This hip quartet date also features Bill Evans on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums – a wonderfully sensitive rhythm section who really keep things interesting! Includes extended takes on "Walkin", "Free & Easy Blues", and "My Melancholy Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

An 80s issue of amazing early work from the hip team of Tony Scott and Bill Evans – Scott blowing modernist clarinet, with great piano from Bill – and rhythm from Jimmy Garrison on bass and Pete LaRoca on drums! Titles include "Garrison's Raiders", "Stella By Starlight", "I'll Remember April", and "Night In Tunisia". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Sonny Stitt's great laidback dates from his later years – with Stitt on both alto and tenor, alongside Jimmy Heath on tenor, soprano, and flute – plus Barry Harris on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums! LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring selections by Frank Edwards, David Wylie, Blind Billy Tate, Pig N Whistle Red (Blind Willie McTell), John Lee Hooker, St Louis Jimmy, Curley Weaver, Memphis Minnie, Sunnyland Slim, Dennis McMillan, and Pee Wee Hughes. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few sides led by drummer Altschul, during a period when he was associated with some of the heavier players in the European and American avant scenes! On his preceding Muse LP, Altschul had been joined by some of his cohorts in Circle – but here only bassist Dave Holland remains, working in a larger group filled out by like-minded progressive players who include Anthony Davis on piano, Arthur Blythe on alto, and Abdul Wadud on cello – as well younger side men like Peter Warren on cello and Ray Anderson on trombone. Side one relies heavily on Davis' input, with the lengthy "Crepescule: Suite For Monk" and "Chael" – while side two features Altchul's solo "Traps", the smaller setting of the title track "Another Time/Another Place", and the bass/cello Holland number "Pentacle". LP, Vinyl record album

One of a rare few electric albums from the great Walter Bishop Jr – a pianist who started during the bop years, but really grew into new modes in the 70s! The set's an album on Muse, but one with the same hip grooves as Walter Bishop's pair of excellent albums for the Black Jazz label – and like those gems, this set features Bishop working on Fender Rhodes – hitting a groove we never would have expected in the old days, and really going for a style that's at the hippest end of the soul jazz spectrum of the 70s! Tunes are a mix of funky fusion and modal, spiritual styles – and other players include Randy Brecker on trumpet, Gerry Niewood on tenor and flute, and George Young on soprano and alto sax – and the horns are all arranged tightly by Mitch Farber, in a way that adds an extra edge to the record, but still leaves plenty of space for Bishop's solo flights on the keys. Titles include great versions of "Soul Village", "Coral Keys", and "Soul Turnaround" – plus the cuts "Philadelphia Bright", "Sweet Rosa", and "Valerie". LP, Vinyl record album

With Rufus Reid on bass. CD

Way more than just a traditional "battle of the saxes" sort of set – hardly the bop frenzy you might expect, and instead a great little record that's right up there with the hippest 70s work of Eric Kloss! Both Cole and Kloss dominate the record – one in the right channel, one in the left – supported by some really great rhythm from Mickey Tucker on electric piano, Rick Laird on bass, and Eddie Gladden on drums – a cool combo who play with an open, spiritual sort of groove on most numbers. The tracks are quite long, and filled with feeling – an almost Strata East-like energy at times, with key evidence of Tucker's force in the record. Titles include "Harold's House Of Jazz", "Ebony Godfather", "Robin", and "DC Farewell". LP, Vinyl record album

With Cole and Woods on alto, Walter Booker on bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums, John Hicks on piano, and Eddie Lockjaw Davis on tenor. LP, Vinyl record album

One of Richard Davis' hippest records of the 70s – a live session recorded with two very strong hornmen in front – Clifford Jordan on tenor and Hannibal Peterson on trumpet, both blowing beautifully in very spacious, and open-ended styles! The album only features two long tracks – each running a side apiece – and although they're familiar jazz standards, Davis really opens them up with his performance – letting the group take them in a space that's somewhere between open loft jazz modes, and more familiar bop improvisation – but definitely at the left fringes of that style! The rest of the group features Joe Bonner on piano and Freddie Waits on drums – and the album's almost more typical of Clifford Jordan's albums from the time, than it is Davis' more tightly-arranged sessions for Muse. Tracks include versions of "Epistrophy" and "Now's The Time" that both run for over 20 minutes! CD features a bonus take of Jordan's "Highest Mountain". CD

The legendary meeting of the two biggest Brazilian keyboard talents of the 70s – Joao Donato and Eumir Deodato – coming together in beautifully funky formation! The sound is a great blend of the moody electric work of Donato's classic Quem E Quem album, and some of the fuller, funkier grooves on Deodato's work for CTI – served up here in a double-keyboard blend with help from a host of great guest musicians! Other players include Randy Brecker on trumpet, Romeo Penque on flute, Mauricio Einhorn on harmonica, and Michael Gibson on guitar – plus plenty of percussion from Airto and Ray Barretto, who both join in to round out this all star session. Tracks are nicely long, and very jamming at times – and titles include the funky "Whistle Stop", plus "Where's JD", "Capricorn", "Nightripper", and "Batuque". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Charles Earland on Hammond and keys, Eric Alexander on saxophones, Clifford Adams on trombone, Oliver Nevels on guitar, Darryl Jones on bass, Steve Cobb on drums, and Tony Carpenter on percussion. CD

With Sam Jones on bass and Al Foster on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

With John Scofield on guitar, Ed Schuller on bass, and Billy Hart on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring, soulful session – and one of the best albums ever from drummer Louis Hayes! Hayes still has some of the style he forged with Horace Silver in the 60s – but he's also working here with some very spiritual younger players, who really help open up the sound of the record – a lineup that includes Woody Shaw on trumpet and Rene McLean on soprano, alto, and tenor – plus Ronnie Mathews on piano, Stafford James on bass, and Slide Hampton on trombone too. Titles include "St Peter's Walk", "Jack's Tune", "Loose Suite", and "Nisha". LP, Vinyl record album

Henderson on tenor, with Akio Sasajima on guitar – plus added piano, bass, and drums! LP, Vinyl record album

Great gritty sides from the mighty John Lee Hooker – material with a slightly obscure origin, but recorded in the late 50s, right in a stretch when he was cutting some of his classics! Hooker's guitar and vocals are center stage – both growling with a hell of a lot of soulful power – and the backing features just a bit of rhythm guitar, bass, and drums. Titles include "I Bought You A Brand New Home", "Teasin Me", "My Cryin Days Are Over", "Sad & Lonesome", "How Long", and "Mean Mistreatin". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's a bit hokey – an obvious play on the Star Wars film that was running in theaters at the time of the record – but the sound is classic Willis Jackson at his finest, recorded in a style that's right up there with his best 60s work for Prestige! The group here is a quintet – with Willis on tenor, Charles Earland on organ, Pat Martino on guitar, Idris Muhammad on drums, and Buddy Caldwell on congas – and as on Earland's best soul jazz sides for Muse from the time, there's a real back-to-basics approach here, one that really gets away from Modes that Willis used on other labels in the 70s. Titles include "The Goose Is Loose", "Bar Wars", "Blue & Sentimental", "Later", and "It's All Right With Me". CD

One of Eddie's last great records, and a smoking live set that has him singing with a group that includes Eric Kloss and Richie Cole on alto saxes – and Mickey Tucker playing some sweet electric piano. The vibe is more traditional vocalese than some of Eddie's other Muse recordings, with a return to the solid sound of his Prestige sessions from the old days – and titles include "Now's The Time", "Groovin High", "Red Top", "Parker's Mood", and "So What". LP, Vinyl record album

Great later work from vocalist Eddie Jefferson! Although the title of this one might be read as a haunting premonition of Eddie's untimely early death, the grooves within show nothing of the tragedy that was to overtake him a few years later. Hard swingin' jazz vocal stuff, put together by one of the few true masters of the genre. Eddie vocalizes all over the place on a set of material that runs from bop classics like "Workshop" and "Orinthology", to modern groovers like his great reworking of Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon". Richie Cole's on alto and Mickey Tucker's on keyboards, and the set also includes "Zap! Carnivorous" and "Keep Walkin". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the weirdest, wildest albums ever from Eddie Jefferson – a real standout classic that shows him retooling his sound for the 70s! After years of writing lyrics to James Moody and Charlie Parker tunes, Eddie lays out some crazy lyrics for modern jazz standards like "Freedom Jazz Dance" and "Bitches Brew", as well as "Night In Tunisia", which he'd never done before – and also offers up a great take on Cannonball's "Things Are Getting Better", not to mention Sly Stone's "Thank You Fallentinme Be Mice Elf Again"! There's a few more standard bop number in the mix too – like "Billie's Bounce" and "I Just Got Back In Town – and support is from a great group that includes Billy Mitchell on tenor, Joe Newman on trumpet, Sam Jones on bass, and Mickey Tucker on keyboards. LP, Vinyl record album

With George Duvivier on bass and Ben Riley on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

With Sam Jones on bass, Mickey Roker on drums, Thad Jones on cornet, and Charlie Rouse on tenor. Titles include "Blue Monk", "I Mean You", "Jackie-Ing", "Algo Bueno", and "Sippin At Bells". LP, Vinyl record album

It's not often that Sam Jones gets the chance to record as a leader with a group larger than a trio – but when he does, the results are always great – and this album's no exception! Jones is working here on a date that's easily one of his best ever – a sextet outing that features Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Slide Hampton on trombone, Bob Berg on tenor, Cedar Walton on piano, and Billy Higgins on drums. The trio of Jones, Walton, and Higgins is well documented on other albums – but expanded to a sextet here, the group really opens up their sound – letting the horns search out majestically over the top of the tunes, while Walton provides those round, warm tones that make numbers like these dance in a lyrical beauty that he first displayed when working with the Jazz Messengers in the early 60s. Titles include a great 12 minute take on Jones' "Seven Minds", the always-great Walton classic "Bolivia", and the titles "Every Man Is A King", "For All We Know", and "Blue Silver". LP, Vinyl record album

A gem of a record from Clifford Jordan – proof that the 70s were possibly the greatest decade for his music! Although most of Jordan's contemporaries from the big tenor days of the 50s really didn't grow much during the 70s, Clifford always continued to develop his style – adding in modes and tones that he'd never played before, working in an ever rich tapestry of jazz that makes just about any of his albums from the time a delight. Even this session – a simple quartet date recorded with Tommy Flanagan, Bill Lee, and Grady Tate – offers lots of wonderful moments, and is kind of a post-righteous 70s soul jazz album, filled with lots of warm tones and straight soulful playing that are almost a back to earth moment after his Strata East years – but still equally expressive. Titles include "He's A Hero", "No More", "Quasimodo", and "Adventurer". CD

A great late set from Harold Land – a reunion with his old partner Bobby Hutcherson, in a hip soul jazz session with work from other great west coast talents like Oscar Brashear, George Cables, and Billy Higgins. The tracks aren't as leapingly modal as the pair's earlier work for Blue Note or Cadet, but still have that deeply soulful quality – especially as most numbers are over 8 minutes long, spiralling out into some well-placed, well-evolved solos that make the record one of the strongest sides on Muse from the time. Titles include "Ah I See", "Dark Mood", "Daisy Forever", and "Xocia's Dance". CD

Arguably the best Mark Murphy album ever – a stunningly soulful, and slightly spiritual 70s session that features some of his hippest tunes ever – and backings from a Dave Matthews-arranged group that also includes The Brecker Brothers and Don Grolnick on keyboards! Titles include great vocal versions of "Naima", "Empty Faces", "Red Clay", "Maiden Voyage", and "Canteloupe Island". LP, Vinyl record album

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The amazing first album from Brazilian modern musical genius Hermeto Pascoal - a set that would change the world of jazz and Brazilian music for years to come! By the time of the set, Hermeto was no stranger to the scene - he'd recorded famously in Quarteto Novo with Airto, and in some other key groups - yet this set also marks a real transformation, the rise of Pascoal as a new visionary, with endless fresh ideas for sounds, rhythms, and instrumental possibilities! And yet, the album's still very groovy - it follows nicely off the spirit of Quarteto Novo, and mixes tight rhythmic changes with all sorts of incredible instrumental inflections - work by Pascoal on keyboards and flute - augmented with drums and percussion from Airto, and a range of reeds from American jazz musicians Jerome Richardson, Maurico Smith, Joe Farrell, Jerry Dodgion, and Hubert Laws - as well as trombone from the great Garnett Brown, and trumpets from Thad Jones and Joe Newman. The mix of American players and Brazilian inspiration is wonderful - and Airto and Flora Purim produced the set - and the latter sings a bit on the record. Titles include "As Marianas", "Alicate", "Hermeto", "Coalhada", "Fabiola", "Guizos", and "Flor Do Amor". This CD also contains 3 tracks from Dom Salvador's great album Minha Familia, also recorded for Muse, and with a nice breezy Brazilian jazz feel. CD

Wallace Roney on trumpet, Gary Thomas on tenor saxophone and flute, Donald Brown on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Cindy Blackman on drums. CD

One of Wallace Roney's best sessions from the time – an album with a great sense of balance and fullness, and a tremendous tribute to Roney's strength as a leader on Muse Records! The album features equally great contributions from Antoine Roney on tenor – a player who balances out some of Wallace's boldness with a more languid feel at poitns – one that's further complemented by a rhythm section that includes Jacky Terrason on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Eric Allen on drums. There's some great original compositions on the record – including "A Breath Of Seth Air", "Black People Suffering", "Melchizedek", "Lost", and "28 Rue Pigalle" – and the set also features a sprightly take on "Wives & Lovers". CD

Great work from Schnitter – a heck of a tenor player, with depth and imagination in his solos, and a tone that will grab you instantly! The setting is straight – but Schnitter's got help from some good players that include Kenny Barron, Cecil McBee, Billy Hart, Claudio Roditi, and Albert Dailey – and overall, the album's got the freshness of a classic, with that sleeper quality that you find in so many overlooked albums from the time, straight jazz numbers lost in a world of flashy tricks. Titles include "Ellipsis", "I'll Remember April", "If I Loved You", and "Where Or When". LP, Vinyl record album