If you read these pages at all, you'll know we're huge fans of late work by the great Chet Baker – as each different session seems to show a different side of his talents, and incredible evolution in sound, structure, and timing from his better-known material of the 50s! Chet spent many years on the European scene, recording material that was sometimes so scattered, it never fully represented him in the way his early American records did – but that's the wonderful thing about a set like this, as it shows that you can still find a hell of a lot of surprise in a player you already think you know! The package features two unreleased sessions from 1979 – done months apart, in Hilversum – and beautifully preserved, with a sound that really lets you rapturize over the extended solos on most of the tracks – handled by Chet with an amazingly mature style. The first session features Phil Markowitz on piano, Jean Louis Rassinfosse on bass, and Charles Rice on drums – and the second features Frans Elsen on piano, Victor Kaihatu on bass, and Eric Ineke on drums. Titles include "Nardis", "Blue Gilles", "Beautiful Black Eyes", "Down", "Blue Room", "Luscious Lou", "Old Devil Moon", and "The Best Thing For You". CD

One of our favorite 70s albums from pianist Richie Beirach – a set that has this wonderfully flowing energy – almost a more forceful take on the ECM sound of the 70s, yet still a bit warmer than some of Beirach's other work too! The group's a trio – with Frank Tusa on bass and Jeff Williams on drums – both players who come in strongly when needed, but also let Richie step out and state some of the strongest lines of the tunes – especially on the leads. Titles include "Eon", "Bones", "Mitsuku", "Places", and "Nardis". LP, Vinyl record album

Bill Evans' first famous appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival – a great 60s trio session, with Eddie Gomez on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums! The tunes are mostly relatively familiar ones, but the ensemble on the set gives them a freer and more lyrical feel than you might expect – especially with DeJohnette on drums, who is a somewhat more powerful choice than some of Bill's other drummers of the 60s. Eddie Gomez is great, as always – with that round bass sound that we totally love – and titles include "Nardis", "Sleepin Bee", "Embraceable You", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "Mother Of Earl", "One For Helen", and "Walkin Up". LP, Vinyl record album

The Bill Evans trio with Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums – a near-perfect lineup that forever raised the bar for jazz piano expression! The title here is certainly apt – because even though many of the tunes are shortish, Evans has a sense of exploration in the way he's approaching the keys – one that still retains some of the lyrically rhythmic traces of his first few records – but which also glides forth into territory that was virtually untapped on record for the time. The revolution here is so subtle, it's easy to miss from the perspective of our generation – but give it a few listens, and the record will open up beautifully! Titles include "Israel", "Haunted Heart", "Elsa", "Nardis", and "I Wish I Knew". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most open-ended sessions ever recorded by the Great Jazz Trio of Hank Hones, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – a live set from the Village Vanguard, and one that features them really stretching out on 4 longer tracks! Jones' work on piano is an especially nice treat here – as he's still got the poise that we know from his more restrained studio sessions, yet also seems to really loosen up with the warm rhythm accompaniment of Carter and Williams. The session features a great obscure gentle groover titled "Wind Flower", plus a really introspective take on Miles Davis' "Nardis", and the tunes "Lawra" and "Confirmation". CD

Great work by one of the best European organists ever! Eddy Louiss is a massively under-acknowledged talent – a whiz on the Hammond with the soul of Jimmy Smith and John Patton, and the freewheeling vision of Larry Young – and this record is a perfect chance to hear him at his best. The setting is spare – just drums by Kenny Clarke and guitar by Rene Thomas – and Eddy's grooving in an open exploratory style that never forgets to swing, and which reaches towards the sky on some really nice modal lines! Titles include "No Smoking", "Don't Want Nothin", "Nardis", "Blue Tempo", and "You've Changed". CD

Angular modernism from George Russell – a record that's still strongly preoccupied with his interest in modes and tones, but which also manages to swing nicely as well! The group here is a sextet – with Eric Dolphy making a great appearance on alto and bass clarinet – alongside Dave Baker on trombone, Don Ellis on trumpet, Steve Swallow on bass, and Joe Hunt on drums. Although the leader, Russell never lets his piano dominate, but instead mostly punctuates – pointing the way forward to the horn players, who group together in tremendous formation – the slide off into separate space for their solos! Titles include Russell standards "Ezz-Thetic" and "Lydiot", plus great readings of "Nardis" and "Round Midnight". CD

A set that's exactly what it promises in the title – a solo set from guitarist Ralph Towner – but also a record that stands as a perfect demonstration of all the really special elements that Towner brings to his sound! Ralph plays both classical and 12 string guitar on the record – instruments that are usually used in fast, virtuosic frenzy – and while Towner is clearly a skilled player, he makes more unique sounds from the guitars by using them in a more open, spacious sort of way – still running up and down the full range of tonal possibilities, but with a pacing and thoughtfulness that really makes him stand out from the rest. Titles include "Nardis", "Zoetrope", "Chelsea Courtyard", "Ralph's Piano Waltz", and "Spirit Lake". LP, Vinyl record album

If you read these pages at all, you'll know we're huge fans of late work by the great Chet Baker – as each different session seems to show a different side of his talents, and incredible evolution in sound, structure, and timing from his better-known material of the 50s! Chet spent many years on the European scene, recording material that was sometimes so scattered, it never fully represented him in the way his early American records did – but that's the wonderful thing about a set like this, as it shows that you can still find a hell of a lot of surprise in a player you already think you know! The package features two unreleased sessions from 1979 – done months apart, in Hilversum – and beautifully preserved, with a sound that really lets you rapturize over the extended solos on most of the tracks – handled by Chet with an amazingly mature style. The first session features Phil Markowitz on piano, Jean Louis Rassinfosse on bass, and Charles Rice on drums – and the second features Frans Elsen on piano, Victor Kaihatu on bass, and Eric Ineke on drums. Titles include "Nardis", "Blue Gilles", "Beautiful Black Eyes", "Down", "Blue Room", "Luscious Lou", "Old Devil Moon", and "The Best Thing For You". CD

Superb work from pianist Richie Beirach – a set that's dedicated to Bill Evans, and which certainly embraces some of the key numbers in his songbook – but which also has that even more spacious sound that Beirach was bringing to his trio dates in the 70s! Richie's sense of timing and tone are fantastic – doing so much with so little, that Evans would have been pleased – although again, Beirach is hardly borrowing straight from Bill's style. Also fantastic is bassist George Mraz, whose way of inflecting notes and measuring color and mood almost rival the role of Eddie Gomez when playing with Evans – all balanced nicely by the work of Al Foster on drums, who's at his most subtle here. Titles include "Blue In Green", "Nardis", "Peace Pipe", "Spring Is Here", "Solar", and "In Your Own Sweet Way". LP, Vinyl record album

Bill Evans' first famous appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival – a great 60s trio session, with Eddie Gomez on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums! The tunes are mostly relatively familiar ones, but the ensemble on the set gives them a freer and more lyrical feel than you might expect – especially with DeJohnette on drums, who is a somewhat more powerful choice than some of Bill's other drummers of the 60s. Eddie Gomez is great, as always – with that round bass sound that we totally love – and titles include "Nardis", "Sleepin Bee", "Embraceable You", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "Mother Of Earl", "One For Helen", and "Walkin Up". CD

Never-issued material from this legendary pianist – a set of recordings done in Denmark during the mid 60s – some of which feature Bill Evans in familiar trio format, others which have him playing in the much more unusual solo and "with orchestra" modes! We're especially big fans of the latter – a mode that Evans only used on a handful of records, and which seems to free him in some ways on the piano – almost creating a painterly sense of sound, as he works with superb support from Palle Mikkelborg, who directs the larger group – while the Evans trio with Eddie Gomez on bass and Marty Morrell on drums is at the core. The set also features six never-heard solo tracks – a beautiful demonstration of Evans at his intimate best – mixed with a few other trio recordings – two with Eddie Gomez on bass, and either Alex Riel or Marty Morrell on drums – plus two more with the unusual lineup of Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and either Riel or Alan Dawson on drums. Together, the tracks paint this amazing picture of Bill Evans at a real high point in his creative life – all never-heard before, with titles that include "Very Early", "Treasures", "Walkin Up", "Time Remembered", "Waltz For Debby", "My Bells", "Elsa", "Re Person I Knew", "Nardis", "Quiet Now", and "Emily". CD

Brilliant late work from Bill Evans – his last set of recordings from the Village Vanguard – recorded in the summer of 1980, nearly two decades after his first famous albums at the club! Evans here is a wealth of imagination – really stretching out in relaxed, fluid formation – gentler than before, but also with a deeper sense of feeling too – and getting some great support from trio members Marc Johnson on bass and Joe Labarbera on drums. Tracks mostly hover around the five minute range – but there's some key longer numbers too – and the whole thing's a perfect example of why live Bill Evans is often some of the best Bill Evans you can find! 58 tracks on 6CDs, packaged with a booklet – and titles include "Nardis", "Knight For Mary F", "Emily", "Minha", "My Romance/Five", "But Not For Me", "Bill's Hit Tune", "I Do It For Your Love", "Quiet Now", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Your Story", "Tiffany", and "Re Person I Knew". CD