John Coltrane's classic – and only – recording as a leader for Blue Note! The album's no throwaway date, though – as it stands strongly with both Coltrane's other label work of the time, and with the best of the late 50s Blue Note scene – a time when the label was really cooking at full strength! The groove here is a bit harder, heavier, and hardbop-inflected than some of Trane's late 50s sides with Red Garland – thanks to a lineup that features Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. There's a crisp modern edge to the record that really holds up beautifully – even after years of play – and titles include "Blue Train, "Locomotion", "Moment's Notice", and "Lazy Bird". This beautiful 2LP version features heavy cover and vinyl – and a full bonus album of material that includes "Lazy Bird (alt take 1)", "Lazy Bird (alt take 2)", "Blue Train (false start)", "Blue Train (alt take 7)", "Moment's Notice (alt take 4)", "Blue Train (alt take 8)", and "Moment's Notice (incomplete alt take 5a)". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of albums from this near-forgotten group – both originally issued by Elektra, and presented here with bonus tracks too! First up is the self-titled Crabby Appleton – a set that's got a surprising sort of late psych vibe at times – almost as if the group were hanging on to some of the modes that first got them started, while also stretching out with some of the new sophistication that the 70s had to offer! That psych touch is maybe no surprise, though, given that the group's singer Michael Fennelly was in The Millennium – and works here with some heavier rockers who were in Stonehenge – all in a surprising mix of modes that really keeps things interesting throughout! Titles include the big single "Go Back", plus "Peace By Peace", "To All My Friends", "Some Madness", "Hunger For Love", "Last Night In Your Sleep Fred", "Some Madness", and "The Other Side". Next is Rotten To The Core, the second and last album from Crabby Appleton, and a record that's got the group picking up some harder edges than before – shedding some of the lighter psych elements for harder modes on the downturning grooves, almost as if the group had some blues inspirations they didn't showcase the first time around! The shift is one that has us almost thinking that the group could have hit the heights of 70s AM rock, had they held the course – with lots of surprising nuggets throughout, in a set list that includes "Makes No Difference", "Lucy", "It's So Hard", "Tomorrow's A New Day", "You Make Me Hot", "Gonna Save You", and "Love Can Change Everything". 2CD set features bonus material – "Go Back (alt mono single)", "Try (alt mono single)", "My Little Lucy (alt mono single)", "Some Madness (mono single)", "Can't Live My Life (alt mono single)", "Grab On", "Tomorrow's A New Day (alt mono single)", and "It's So Hard (alt mono single)". CD

An amazing blend of free jazz and fusiony touches – a partially electric session that's a real standout in the New York loft jazz scene! The album was produced by Noah Howard at Ornette Coleman's Artist House studio – but it's got a sound that's quite different from work by either of those big names associated with the set. Daniel plays trumpet and flugelhorn on the record – always with an open, spacious tone that soars one minute, meanders the next – allowing plenty of room for contributions from other group members who include Khan Jamal on vibes, Jerome Cooper on drums, Tim Ingles on electric bass with wah wah, and Richard Daniel on Fender Rhodes – again played with wah wah and echoplex! The added processing really does cool things to the electric sides of the music – spacing them out nicely, and creating a wide-toned sound that's a nice contrast to Jamal's vibes and Daniel's horn. All tracks are long, and titles include "Tapestry", "Sweet Dreams", and "Mozambique". CD also features the previously unreleased bonus track "Asagefo". CD

A really great bit of live work from Miles Davis – and the first-ever recorded appearance of the quintet with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – even though the album was never issued in the US at the time! The set follows very strongly in the mode of the group's work at the Plugged Nickel – with a pace that's faster than usual, and bristling with freely exploratory energy. Titles include "Milestones", "So What", "Walkin", and a nicely stepped-up version of "Autumn Leaves". Shorter's solos are worth the price of the record alone, but Williams' work on the kit never ceases to amaze! CD features a bonus track – "Stella By Starlight"! CD

The birth of a legend, and easily one of the heaviest records to hit the mainstream in the late 60s! The album's got a sinister quality that you can hear on the first few notes – a low-end, rumbling approach that brings in a lot more fuzzy bass than other groups of the time had ever thought to use – all topped with some of the most wickedly edgey guitar put on record to date, and undercut by drums that are almost verging on funk at times! Basslines set the tone for most of the tunes in the set – creating a bottom-heavy groove that would be copped many times in years to come, but which still sounds tremendously fresh here in the original. Titles include "Mandrake Root", "I'm So Glad", "One More Rainy Day", "Help", "Love Help Me", "And The Address", and "Hey Joe". With 5 bonus tracks. CD

Four full albums from the great Martin Denny – presented here with bonus tracks too! First up is the initial Exotica album – the birth of a sound and the birth of a legend – Martin Denny's first album in the Exotica series, and a record so great it named an entire genre! Denny certainly didn't invent the tropical style of easy listening that came to be known as "exotica" in the 50s – but with a record like this, he delivered the goods better than anyone else – by taking away all the too-sweet styles of Hawaiian music, and serving up a stripped-down, jazzy kind of sound! The album features Denny's classic original quartet – with Arthur Lyman on vibes and Augie Colon on bongos – and titles include "Stone God", "Jungle Flower", "Busy Port", "Lotus Land", and his hit recording of "Quiet Village". Exotica 2 is the second album in Denny's legendary Exotica trilogy – a set of records that provided the extreme definition of the small sub-genre that today has become the stuff of legend! Denny's still working here in his classic format – a small group with heavy piano lines, playful percussion, and some birdcalls sung by the members of the group! The set's a mix of strange songs from strange sources, all given the sublime Denny twist – and titles include "Singing Bamboos", "Escales", "August Bells", "Ebb Tide", "Rush Hour In Hong Kong", and "Soshu Night Serenade". Exotica 3 is sublime late 50s work from Martin Denny – his third album under the Exotica banner, and almost a deeper and weirder album than the other two! The sound here is extremely haunting – even more freed from conventional melody than the rest, and very fixated on the tonal possibilities that could be produced from Denny's unique grouping of percussion, piano, bass, and vibes. There's few tricks or gimmicks on the set – just a spare and other-worldly approach to music that's totally great! Titles include "Manila", "Mama Iti E Papa E", "Bamboo Lullaby", "Ringo Oiwake", "Moon Of Manakoora", "Congo Train", and "Beautiful Kahana". Quiet Village is an undisputed classic in the exotica genre – and the record that yielded Martin Denny his biggest hit! The title track "Quiet Village" was originally written by Les Baxter, but it was Martin Denny's approach that really managed to send the tune over the top – using spare percussion, rhythmic piano, and just the right amount of vibes and bird calls to give the track a really haunting feel. That approach is echoed throughout the set – with shifting instrumentation that includes celeste, bongos, marimbas, and marimbula as well! Titles include "Quiet Village", "Paradise Found", "Sake Rock", "Martinique", "Tune From Rangoon", and "Pagan Love Song". CD features bonus tracks too – "Llama Serenade" and "The Enchanted Sea" and more. CD

Great duo vocals from the team of Albert Bailey and Clifton Howell – recording here with some excellent rhythms from Sly & Robbie and the rest of the Channel One crew! The music is mostly mellow, with a stepping groove that works great for the harmonies of the pair – and there's a fair bit of roots numbers here, mixed with some warmer lovers' rock titles too. Like other great titles on Pressure Sounds, this one does a great job of giving Earth & Stone the showcase they deserve – with excellent sound, and notes on the music – and titles that include "False Ruler", "Once Bitten Twice Shy", "Black Roots", "Three Wise Men", "Holy Land Of Home", "Jail House Set Me Free", "Devil Wise", "House Of Dub", "Wiser Dub", and "Jester Not". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Duke Ellington's standout sides for Columbia – a strong recording that revisits many of the best elements of his earlier work, and offers up some more sophisticated scoring for the 50s – thanks to extended track length in the LP generation! The tunes here are older ones, but they're taken to some nicely hip territory – thanks to Duke's strong ear for modern changes, and a line up of players that includes Billy Strayhorn on piano, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Clark Terry and Ray Nance on trumpets, Juan Tizol on trombone, and Louis Bellson on drums. Bellson does a great job on the classic "Skin Deep" – a real showcase for his talents in this recording – and other titles include "The Mooche", "Take The A Train", and "Perdido" – plus a 13 minute reading of "A Tone Parallel To Harlem (aka The Harlem Suite)". Plus, this CD brings together all material issued on later versions of the album – Hi-Fi Ellington Uptown and a third version – with addition of the full "Liberian Suite" and "The Controversial Suite". CD

A beautiful set of tracks that features Art Farmer soloing on flugelhorn over larger arrangements by Oliver Nelson. Farmer's work on the instrument was just taking shape at this point in his career, and the soulful backings of Nelson are a really great match for his lyrical tone, and widening sense of expression. Tracks are longer and more complicated than you'd expect – and the set's got some great numbers, like "Naima", "Rue Prevail", "Rain Check", and "Ruby". CD

The coolest record so far from this totally great combo – a live recording done on the home turf of the Greg Foat Group – the Playboy Club in London! The retro venue really fits the slinky, sexy vibe of the group's music – and although we already loved these guys before, this album has a really special sort of feel – with loads of wonderful keyboard lines from Greg on Hohner Electra piano, Elka Rhapsody, Hammond L 100, and Mutron Phaser – almost always distorted with a nice degree of fuzz, but still a straight ahead approach, and some great undercurrents of fuzz too! The group also features tenor and trumpet – which sometimes sound distorted, ala Varitone modes – and the overall sound feels like some lost jazzy club combo from the late 60s, really tripping out in a very comfortable space. We'd easily stack this one next to our favorite funky Fender Rhodes records from back in the day – and titles include "By The Grace Of God I Am", "Ingen Reklam", "Funky Fanfare", "Madrid", and "Mr Minor". CD features two bonus tracks – "Finky Minky" and "Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag". CD

Really heady sounds from Frightnrs – a group who've changed up their sound slightly since their last full length release – at a level that makes them even more interesting than ever before! The group still draw heavily from older rocksteady and soulful reggae modes – but it also feels as if they're leaning a bit more heavily on sweet soul modes from the early 70s too – coming across with the warmth of a harmony vocal record on the lyrics, while still also reveling in the best sort of slow-stepping, dub heavy rhythms in the music! Dan Klein handles the vocals, always with a great sense of echo – and Chuck Patel adds lots of great organ and keyboards to the music – including some great spacey effects. Victor Axelrod did a superb job with production – and titles include "30 56", "You Still", "Profilin", "Expectations", "Tuesday", "Always", "Maybe Isle", and "Why Does It Feel Like A Curse". LP, Vinyl record album

Very nice work from Lowell Fulsom – strongly in the mode of his Tramp album for Kent, with a mix of blues and 60s soul, coming together in a sock-hard style that's much better than a lot of Fulsom's other work for other labels! Arrangements are by Rene Hall and Maxwell Davis – the latter of whom does a surprisingly great job on giving up a sharper edge than we remember in his other work. About half the set's straight blues, but the half that's not is nice and funky – including the "Tramp" follow-up "I'm A Drifter", a nice cover of "Funky Broadway", and the cut "Let's Go Get Stoned". Other titles include "Feel So Bad", "I Cried", "The Letter", "Tomorrow", and "Mellow Together". CD features 2 bonus tracks too – "Blues Pain" and "I Wanna Spend Christmas With You". CD

One of THE all time classics of funky blues – a record built around Lowell's huge single "Tramp" – a massive tune that spawned a whole generation of answer tunes! "Tramp" kicks off the set with a stone break that's worth the price of the album – then Lowell slides into some tunes that have a bit more of a conventional bluesy approach, mixed with a few other nice cuts that get a bit funky too! A rough-edged classic that really stands out – and which has made Fulsom one of the better-collected bluesmen of the beathead crowd. In addition to "Tramp", other tracks include "Two Way Wishin", "Back Door Key", "Year Of 29", "Pico", "Goin' Home", and "Black Nights". Includes 2 bonus tracks – "Tramp (take 1)" and "Year Of 29 (alt take)". CD

Amazing stuff – and arguably the greatest early Funkadelic album ever! The set moves past the simple fuzzy style of the group's debut, and the overly-stoned sound of Free Your Mind – and rockets into a heady funk style that's filled with sly social commentary and an incredibly dark vision of the future! The centerpiece of the album is the mindblowing "Maggot Brain" title track – a tune that begins with a chilling spoken intro, then slowly builds amidst washes and washes of post-Hendrix guitar. That cut then rolls into some shorter, funkier numbers that rank with some of the group's best ever – using the device of party-hearty energy to convey a sense of alienation and horror at the world. The whole thing's brilliant throughout – and apart from being a soul classic, the set should also rank as one of the greatest rock albums of all time! Titles include "Maggot Brain", "Super Stupid", "Back in Our Minds", "Can You Get to That", and "Wars of Armageddon". Features a great bonus single with two bonus tracks – "Maggot Brain (live 1971)" and "Maggot Brain (BMG dub)". LP, Vinyl record album

A portrait of Duke, done by Dizzy – and one that's got a whole different feel than you might think! Gillespie's working here with arrangements by a young Clare Fischer – who takes Ellington's themes and recasts them with an even deeper sense of color and tone – one that pushes the already-modern themes of the numbers into a whole new realm of sound, and uses the horn passages to carve things out a lot differently than Duke might have done! The result is a wonderfully striking session – one with familiar melodies that unfold in a whole new way – and which showcases some great phrasing from Dizzy, over rhythms by a combo that features Hank Jones, George Duvivier, and Charlie Persip – playing alongside a group of larger horns. Titles include "Perdido", "Caravan", "Upper Manhattan Medical Group", and "Chelsea Bridge". Essential Jazz release adds 4 bonus tracks recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival. CD

A groundbreaking set of work from the team of Jef Gilson and Hal Singer – a uniquely cross-cultural session recorded in the Paris scene of the 70s, and easily some of the best work ever from both musicians! Singer's probably best remembered on these shores for his older R&B tenor work of the 50s – but sometime during the 60s, he moved over to Paris, where he cut some mighty great music – including the legendary Paris Soul Food album, which predates this one by a few years. Gilson was always a great artist on the French scene – a modern pianist whose work of the 60s was always fresh and new, and a player who moved into more of a world jazz sensibility as the 70s approached. Together, both players work some real magic here – deep soul from Singers tenor, sharper tones from Gilson's piano – and a range of weird and wonderful notes from other players who include Bernard Lubat on vibes, Jacky Samson on bass, Frank Raholison on drums, and both Del Rabenja and Gerard Rakotoarivony on percussion – really helping the record live up to its "Africa" title! Samson's bass is especially amazing – roundly-toned, and incredibly soulful – as much so as his legendary work with Marco DiMarco, but pitched slightly differently here – and titles include "The High Life", "Liberation", "Mother Africa", "Chant Inca", and "Garvey's Strut". Plus, as an added bonus the CD also features 2 incredible earlier tracks by Gilson – material recorded with Lloyd Miller back in the 60s – playing "micro organ" and balaphon, with a sound that's almost even more haunting than the main album. Other players include "Pierre Caron on tenor and Alain Tabar-Nouval on alto – and titles include "Le Grand Bidou" and "Fable Of Gutenberg". CD

Jerry Goldsmith really shines on his score for this WWII action film from the early 70s – a soundtrack that draws on his best dramatic abilities, but also brings in his flair for quick changes in tone and timing as well! There's some occasional "Eastern" elements – usually a bit of koto, used to signify a Japanese scene – and other instrumentation shifts between bold orchestral passages, and these very nice low-toned ones that kind of rumble everything together towards the bottom end of the sound spectrum! Titles include "Little Hope", "The Chancellery", "The 14th Part", "Sunday Morning", "The Waiting Game", "The Final Message", and "Pre-Flight Countdown". CD also features 7 bonus tracks too! CD

A record with a gimmick – but one that's totally great, and really unique for the time! The "1 to 10" in the title is the way that the album spins out – as track 1 features Golson blowing solo tenor, track 2 features him in duet, track 3 a trio – and so on, until track 10, which features a ten-piece group! One of the best things about the record is the way it really lets you focus on Golson's tone and phrasing – as even some of the bigger group tunes have a nicely laidback feel that's really dominated by Benny's solo work – and in a way, the record's a nice bridge between the more tightly arranged Golson sessions of the late 50s, and some of his looser sides of later years. Players include Cedar Walton, Curtis Fuller, Freddy Hubbard, and Albert Heath – among ohters – and titles include the Golson originals "Little Karin", "Swing It", "The Touch", "Impromptune", and "Time", plus versions of "You're My Thrill", "Out Of This World", and "I Fall In Love Too Easily". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest albums ever from percussionist Milford Graves, and one of the most intense as well – a completely unbridled live performance that features saxes from Hugh Glover and Arthur Doyle! Glover and Doyle are amazing together – and with that trademark raspy tone, Doyle's set apart nicely, even amidst the frenzy – and Graves is a complete monster on the drum kit, moving with a speed that must have been breathtaking to see in person – at a level that always has us checking the record to make sure that we don't have it set to 45rpm! If you've ever overlooked the contributions that Graves has made to improvised music, this is the record to convince you – with titles that include "Ba", "Bi", and "Babi". Great bonus material too – a whole CD that features the same trio, playing together 8 years before – recorded in New York in 1969, with four improvisations of varying length. CD

One of a number of late 70s milestones from the Great Jazz Trio – that sublime grouping of Hank Jones on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums! Like the rest of their gems from the time, the album's got this simple, subtle brilliance – a way of approaching piano trio material that was quite fresh for the time – different than Jones might have sounded the decade before, and clearly influenced by the huge growth of the format in Japan – the market for which the album was originally produced. Carter really shines on the record – reminding us of his incredible ability to act as both a soloist and a rhythmatist – and Tony Williams is a great here as he is on the Herbie Hancock trio dates of the time. Titles include "Wave", "Milestones", "Mr Biko", and "Eighty One". CD

One of our favorite albums of all time – and a record that just gets better and better the more we listen to it – and we've listened to it for years! Johnny "Hammond" Smith began his career as a simple soul jazz organist – but by the time of this album, he'd teamed up with the mighty Larry Mizell, the genius arranger/producer who'd breathed new life into the careers of Donald Byrd and Bobbi Humphrey. Mizell works with Hammond in the same way he does with other jazz artists – by taking a groove that works best with their solo style, and slowly layering other instrumentation and effects on top of it, so that when the solo kicks in, it's supported on waves and waves of funky sounds and soulful grooves. Mizell and his brother Fonce both play keyboards on the record, and the rest of the group includes monster fusion players like Harvey Mason, Roger Glenn, Hadley Caliman, and Jerry Peters. The real treat is Johnny, though – as his solos are heavenly, the best of his 70s work, stripped mean and lean, laid in at just the right points. Includes the breakbeat classic "Shifting Gears", the house classic "Los Conquistadores Chocolates", and funky numbers "Fantasy" and "Tell Me What To Do". This stunning version adds in some killer bonus tracks – 6 never-heard cuts from the Milestone vaults, including "Song For My Family", "Funky Native", "Detroit Rainbow", "Can't We Smile (alt)", and slow and fast versions of "A Child's Love". CD

The seminal debut of Hatfield & The North – a group that maybe came a bit late in the UK prog scene of the early 70s, but who had a huge influence for decades to come! The quartet are a late transformation of the earlier Canterbury sound – leaner, maybe jazzier, and with a great ear for warm tones and organic elements that help hold the complexity of their music to the surface of the planet. Plus, there's this more open, honest quality to some of the work – especially the vocals – that quality, say, that made Matching Mole so different than Soft Machine. The whole lineup is an all-star affair – Richard Sinclair on bass and vocals, Pip Pyle on drums, Phil Miller on guitars, and Dave Stewart on organ, piano, and tone generator – plus some nice guest sax and flute from Geoff Leigh of Henry Cow, and vocals from Robert Wyatt on one track. Titles include "The Stubbs Effect", "Calyx", "Licks For Ladies", "Bossa Nochance", "Big Jobs No 2", "Lobster In A Cleavage Probe", and "Rifferama". This CD edition includes the bonus tracks "Let's Eat Real Soon", "Fitter Stoke Has A Bath" and "Your Majesty Is Like A Cream Donut". CD

An incredible lost moment in the career of Screamin Jay Hawkins – material that was recorded in London in the mid 60s, and with a very different flavor than most of Hawkins' other material! There's a mod jazz approach to this set that's totally great – as Jay's raw vocals come into play with a sweet-grooving Hammond, in a combo that also features some sharp work on guitar, and some strong sax solos too! The upbeat, jazzy vibe is totally great – and gives Screamin Jay a whole new focus for his vocals – and for his songwriting, too – as most of the material here is original. And while Hawkins is always best remembered for his spooky, gimmicky cuts, this material is equally great in a totally different way – and, if it were pursued further, might have given the man a whole new direction in his career. Make no mistake, there's still plenty here to love if you're a longtime fan of Screamin Jay Hawkins – but you'll also really appreciate the mod grooves in the set as well! Titles include "I Wanna Know", "In My Dream", "Change Your Ways", "Serving Time", "Please Forgive Me", "Move Me", "My Marion", and "All Night". Plus, CD features a whopping 12 bonus tracks – a few alternate takes, and other versions of album songs – plus the titles "I'm Lonely" and "Stone Crazy". CD

Very hip work from a young Jimmy Heath – a relative newcomer to the scene at this point, but breaking out with a firm conception and tone, exercised strongly here in a set of large group arrangements worked out in collaboration with Tom McIntosh. McIntosh's work in this format is well known from albums by Dizzy and James Moody – and as with those records, this one has an edgey quality that really keeps the music fresh, and which provides a good foil for solos by Heath, McIntosh, Pat Patrick, and Cannonball Adderley. Titles include "Big P", "Mona's Mood", "Nails", and "The Picture Of Heath". CD features the bonus track "Nails", in an alternate take! CD

There's nothing standard about this set – as Joe Henderson always brings something special to a recording session – especially at this point in his career! The album has a wonderful format – Joe's unique tenor tone set up beautifully alongside the bass of Rufus Reid and drums of Al Foster – no piano or other horns at all, just an open, swinging combo with a really great sense of energy! Joe's bold lead really sets the tone for most numbers – and a few tracks are compositions that Henderson recorded famously early in his career, recast here with a whole new sound and heightened sense of maturity. Titles include "Blues In F (aka In N Out)", "Blue Bossa", "Inner Urge", "Body & Soul", and "Take The A Train". Also features a bonus alternate of "Body & Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic trio outing from pianist Fred Hersch – working here in a fluid style that really makes the album a standout classic in his career, thanks in part to superb work on bass from Steve La Spina, alongside drums from Jeff Hirschfield! La Spina has this round, warm tone that really complements Fred's piano lines – and the group choose some material that really allows them to show off their strengths in all the best ways – on titles that include Frank Foster's "Simone", Wayne Shorter's "Black Nile", Miles Davis' "All Blues", and a great take on the classic "The Dolphin", penned by Luiz Eca of the Tamba Trio! CD features two bonus tracks – "Unit Seven" and "Sometime Ago". CD

A wonderful pairing of this German pianist and American tenor star Zoot Sims – and an album that may well be the greatest that Jutta Hipp ever cut! Hipp was one of the rising stars of the German postwar jazz scene in the 50s – and although she issued other American albums in the decade for Blue Note and Decca, this side's probably the best-remembered of the bunch – thanks to the presence of Zoot, and support from a great rhythm section that includes Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums – both of whom match the modern tones of Jutta's piano, but also give a solidly soulful Blue Note feel to the set. The group's completed by trumpeter Jerry Lloyd, who helps bring a nice sparkle to the frontline – and titles include "Just Blues", "Wee Dot", "Almost Like Being In Love", and "Down Home". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "S'Wonderful" and "These Foolish Things". CD

A pretty great little set that combines both of the rare early Elmo Hope 10" LPs for Blue Note – plus some additional material! Introducing The Elmo Hope Trio is seminal early work from Hope – and one of the 10" LP releases that was part of Blue Note's "New Faces – New Sounds" series during the early 50s. Hope's working here with Percy Heath and Philly Joe Jones – and the trio go to town on numbers that include complicated bop tunes like "Carving The Rock" and "Hot Sauce", plus more melodic tunes like "Freffie" and "Mo Is On". As always, Hope proves himself to be one of the greatest pianists in jazz history – right up there with Monk, Herbie Nichols, and Bud Powell, bristling with excitement that few of his contemporaries (save those three) could match! The Elmo Hope Quintet session has Hope grooving in a very modernist approach to bop, working perfectly with a tight little quintet. Frank Foster wails on tenor, Freeman Lee soars on trumpet, and Percy Heath and Art Blakey keep the whole thing going on rhythm – while Hope plays madly on piano, adding in rich tones and colors to a set that might have otherwise been a straighter bop outing. Titles include "Chips", "Crazy", "Abdullah", and "Low Tide". The CD also adds in 2 tracks from the 40 Years Of Jazz collection in 1979 – "It's A Lovely Day Today" and "Crazy (alternate)" – plus 3 from the Art Blakey/Elmo Hope album – "So Nice", "St Elmo's Fire", and "Vaun Ex". CD

Lightnin Hopkins at his best – a set that rings out with all his bold electric tones on the guitar, yet which also has the moody, stripped-down feel of a blues recording from a few decades before! The electricity really does a lot to deepen the tone – both in the echo from Hopkins' guitar, and in the way his vocals stretch out in the same space! There's no other backing at all – which makes for a moody feel, and a quality that lives up to the "folk" in the title – yet Lightnin also gives the whole thing a crackling sort of energy that's also very much in the best postwar blues mode. Titles include "Sick Feelin Blues", "Blues For My Cookie", "My Baby's Gone", "Lightnin's Special", "Nothin But The Blues", and "Don't Think Cause You're Pretty". CD features loads of bonus tracks – and has a total of 26 titles in all, which includes material from other Herald Records singles! CD

Not a live album, as you might guess from the title – but instead a wickedly sharp mid 70s set from one of the most soulful voices in reggae – a record that has Gregory Isaacs getting superb support from The Soul Syndicate, and production from the great Alvin Ranglin too! The vibe is great – laidback and soulful, with songs that mostly have love in the themes, but which come across with some righteous currents too – that special way of bridging the gap that continued to make Isaacs such a powerful singer over the years! Titles include "Sweeter The Victory", "Love Overdue", "Financial Endorsement", "Be Careful", "Another Heart Ache", "If You're In Love", "Dreams Come True", "The Way She Walks", "Far Beyond The Valley", "Happiness Come", "No Forgiveness", and "Love Disguise". This killer Doctor Bird 2CD version of the album adds 31 bonus tracks, 18 of which are on CD for the first time ever – other Alvin Ranglin productions from the same time, including more work by Gregory Isaacs, and cuts from The GG All Stars, Shorty Perry, The Heptones, Untouchables, Maytones, and others! CD

A great follow up to Mille Jackson's classic Caught Up album – but one that's also a key turning point too! The theme here is the same as the album before – with tunes that have a woman "caught up" in love and all of its tangles – but the sound is also bolder, more positive, and somehow more righteous than before – with Millie stepping from the weepy shadows very firmly into the mainstream – making a bold move forward for women in general in the process! Production is still by southern soul whiz Brad Shapiro – but he's also brightened things a bit too, in keeping with Millie's bolder spirit – shaking off some of the earthier tones of the music, and hipping things up slightly with some more modern instrumentation. Millie's vocals are completely wonderful throughout – rasping with that badass style that would later explode even more strongly – and there's lots of spoken bits that make the tunes sound even more personal – as if you're listening at the door, or tapping the phone while Millie's talking to her man! Titles include "Loving Arms", "Do What Makes You Satisfied", "Making The Best Of A Bad Situation", "The Memory Of A Wife", "Leftovers", and "Tell Her It's Over". Expanded CD features 2 bonus tracks – "The Memory Of A Wife (rehearsal version)" and "How Can I Make Sweet Love To You If You Won't Stand Still", which is an earlier version of "One Night Stand". CD

A monster – and quite possibly one of the greatest Fender Rhodes albums of all time! Bob James is really at the height of his powers here – stepping out with a sound that's a lot smoother than some of his earlier work, yet in a groove that's never too slick or too overproduced – as happened with some of his later records on the Tappan Zee imprint. Here, James is still a master of space and sound – using the Fender Rhodes with bell-like tones to craft some key grooves that are still having an amazing impact today, more than 30 years after the album was initially recorded! There's a darkness here that we totally love – and tracks include the legendary "Take Me To The Mardi Gras", which has been sampled by Run DMC and loads of others – plus"The Golden Apple", "I Feel A Song", "You're As Right As Rain", "Farandole", and "Dream Journey". Also features the bonus track "Here Let My Life" – and presented here with new liner notes! CD

Seminal sounds from Elmore James – a classic album that brings together material recorded in California, New Orleans, and Chicago – all with an amazing focus on Elmore's stunning talents on electric guitar! The music here mixes sides that have tight band backing with some smaller combo work – but throughout, James is the king – playing with a bold sense of tone, and singing with a voice to match – in a style that helped completely redefine the sound of blues music during these key electric years. Elmore is sublime throughout – and titles include "Dark & Dreary", "Dust My Blues", "Sunnyland", "Standing At The Crossroads", "Happy Home", "Blues Before Sunrise", "I Was A Fool", and "Mean & Evil". Includes 2 bonus tracks, too – "Wild About You Baby" and "Hand In Hand". LP, Vinyl record album

A solo record, but one that's got the sound of more things at once than you might expect – as saxophonist Josh Johnson has this great way of processing the sound from his horns, then layering them with samples and other elements too – but all in a way that's never gimmicky, and really retains the jazz energy at the core! Johnson is already a great saxophonist in a conventional setting, with a sense of tone that's wonderful – and here, he carves out a space that's all his own – with a sense of uniqueness and post-jazz creativity that resonates with some of the hippest recent experiments on the London and Chicago scenes! Titles include "Marvis", "Deep Dark", "Quince", "Telling You", "Jeanette", "Reddish", "Local City Of Industry", and "Free Mechanical". CD

A solo record, but one that's got the sound of more things at once than you might expect – as saxophonist Josh Johnson has this great way of processing the sound from his horns, then layering them with samples and other elements too – but all in a way that's never gimmicky, and really retains the jazz energy at the core! Johnson is already a great saxophonist in a conventional setting, with a sense of tone that's wonderful – and here, he carves out a space that's all his own – with a sense of uniqueness and post-jazz creativity that resonates with some of the hippest recent experiments on the London and Chicago scenes! Titles include "Marvis", "Deep Dark", "Quince", "Telling You", "Jeanette", "Reddish", "Local City Of Industry", and "Free Mechanical". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to imagine Etta Jones being lonely and blue – especially when she sounds as great as this! The album's one of Jones' early classics from Prestige – a date that really has her classing things up a lot, and drawing on bits of Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington's styles, to mix in with the bluesier tones of her roots – put together with a great deal of charm, and a new sophistication that made Etta one of the hippest jazz singers of the 60s! Backing is by a cool small combo – with Patti Brown on piano, Wally Richardson on guitar, and a bit of tenor from Budd Johnson – and titles include "I'll Be There", "In the Dark", "Gentlemen Friend", "I Wonder", and "Miss You So". CD includes 3 more bonus tracks from a date recorded with Gene Ammons on tenor – "But Not For Me", "If You're But A Dream", and "Cool Cool Daddy". CD

An expanded version of an album that was originally issued as Hank Jones' Piano as a 10" LP on Mercury – one that adds some trio tracks to the original solo piano performances! Jones is working solo on most numbers – really getting a chance to stretch out and try new ideas – in ways that have him balancing between sweeter sounds and some sharper modern moments that seem to come in and stir things up, but often in very subtle ways. Additional tunes feature Johnny Smith on guitar and Ray Brown in bass – still pretty laidback overall. Titles include "Blues For Lady Day", "Tea For Two", "You're Blase", "Thad's Pad", "The Night We Called It A Day", and "Blue Room". David Stone Martin cover, too! CD

One of the greatest albums ever recorded by the mighty Yusef Lateef – and that's really saying a lot, given his fantastic legacy of albums! The set's a live one, which is a bit unusual in Lateef's catalog at this time – and the concert setting is perhaps a window onto some of his more expressive, experimental modes that didn't always show up on record, especially the Impulse studio sides he was recording at the time. Lateef's group is pure genius – with a young Mike Nock on piano, sounding all weird and dark, with amazing tones from his instrument – plus the great Richard Williams on trumpet, a player who always seems to bring something special to a record! The team of Ernie Farrow on bass and James Black on drums help create all these modal rhythms that are really fantastic – and Lateef himself blows tenor and flute, plus the more exotic reed instruments argol and shanai. Titles include "The Magnolia Triangle", "Sister Mamie", "Number 7", "The Weaver", and "Slippin' & Slidin'". This CD adds 3 long extra cuts to the original release! CD

A sweet SoCal groover from Cecil Lyde – recorded in LA in the early 80s, with a great mix of funky club and mellow soul modes! Cecil's got a great ear for the grittier side of California funk at the time – tunes that still use the heavy bass and keyboards of mainstream work from the period, but which manages to make the grooves come out with a lot more punch, and a heck of a lot of feeling – a bit like some of the best indie club that was still coming out of the New York underground. The ballads are great too – with a spacier, more laidback feel that shows a warmer, more seductive side of Cecil's vocals – one that balances nicely with the bolder sound of the funk numbers, in a way that almost reminds us of Bootsy in the late 70s, but a lot less polished overall! Titles include "Stone Free (Freak With Me)", "I'm So Glad I Found Your Love", "More Love", "Is That The Way To Your Heart", "Money's Funny", "Keep Dancin", and "Million Dollar Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet SoCal groover from Cecil Lyde – recorded in LA in the early 80s, with a great mix of funky club and mellow soul modes! Cecil's got a great ear for the grittier side of California funk at the time – tunes that still use the heavy bass and keyboards of mainstream work from the period, but which manages to make the grooves come out with a lot more punch, and a heck of a lot of feeling – a bit like some of the best indie club that was still coming out of the New York underground. The ballads are great too – with a spacier, more laidback feel that shows a warmer, more seductive side of Cecil's vocals – one that balances nicely with the bolder sound of the funk numbers, in a way that almost reminds us of Bootsy in the late 70s, but a lot less polished overall! Titles include "Stone Free (Freak With Me)", "I'm So Glad I Found Your Love", "More Love", "Is That The Way To Your Heart", "Money's Funny", "Keep Dancin", and "Million Dollar Love". CD

A sweet SoCal groover from Cecil Lyde – recorded in LA in the early 80s, with a great mix of funky club and mellow soul modes! Cecil's got a great ear for the grittier side of California funk at the time – tunes that still use the heavy bass and keyboards of mainstream work from the period, but which manages to make the grooves come out with a lot more punch, and a heck of a lot of feeling – a bit like some of the best indie club that was still coming out of the New York underground. The ballads are great too – with a spacier, more laidback feel that shows a warmer, more seductive side of Cecil's vocals – one that balances nicely with the bolder sound of the funk numbers, in a way that almost reminds us of Bootsy in the late 70s, but a lot less polished overall! Titles include "Stone Free (Freak With Me)", "I'm So Glad I Found Your Love", "More Love", "Is That The Way To Your Heart", "Money's Funny", "Keep Dancin", and "Million Dollar Love". CD

Amazing lost work from the Mahvishnu Orchestra – a previously-unreleased studio session from 1973, one that features John McLaughlin and the group working in some beautifully tripped-out territory! The lineup features McLaughlin on a variety of guitars – plus Jerry Goodman on electric violin, Jan Hammer on keyboards, Rick Laird on bass, and Billy Cobham on drums – all coming together perfectly with that sense of subtle, organic fusion that made the Mahvishnu records so great – a real change from the harder, more rockish sounds of Hammer and Goodman in later years. Titles include "Dream", "Sister Andrea", "I Wonder", "Steppings Tones", "John's Song", and "Triology". CD

One of the most brilliant moments of genius from Paul McCartney & Wings – and a set that has Paul working with the group in perfect album formation – able to craft enough songs that became hit singles, yet also fit the whole thing together in a superb sonic reality that made the whole thing even more wonderful as a full length record! The shift of moods, tones, and sounds are as varied as the choice of celebrities appearing with the group on the cover – and the interplay between Paul, Linda, and Denny Laine has really hit its stride – on titles that include one of our all-time Wings favorites, "Nineteen Hundred Eighty Five" – plus "Band On The Run", "Bluebird", "Jet", "Mrs Vanderbilt", "Let Me Roll It", "Mamunia", "No Words", and "Picasso's Last Words (Drink To Me)". 2CD version features the original 10 track US version of the album on CD1 – then CD2 features unreleased rough mix versions of 9 tracks from the record! CD

A legendary meeting of talents in the Studio One studios – the wickedly-grooving Soul Defenders and the heartbreakingly soulful Freddie McKay – both coming together here on an album that was an instant Studio One classic! The Soul Defenders have a slow-stepping groove with a nice current of darkness – a bit like that moodier vibe that some of the more underground soul balladeers were using behind their vocals up north, especially in Philly and New Jersey. The Defenders have a much more Kingston spin, of course, and are graced with excellent lead guitar work from Jah Privy – whose tones ring out nicely next to Freddie's fantastic voice. Tracks include "Picture On The Wall", "You Are Not The Kind", "High School Dance", "Watch Your Step", "Can't Go On", and "Old Joe". CD features lots of bonus tracks – including "I Am A Freeman", "My True Love", "Old & Grey", "Love Is A Treasure (extended)", "Picture On The Wall (version)", "You'll Be Sorry (version)", "Drunken Sailor (version)", and "Picture On The Way (version 3 – with Prince Junior)". CD

One of the most righteous albums ever issued by the always-righteous Tribe Records label of Detroit – a really collective effort, one that features ensemble vocals and spiritual jazz – all pulled together by pianist Harold McKinney! The album showcases a group named Voices Of The Creative Profile – formed by McKinney to accompany his Creative Profile instrumental group – and the overall style is a great blend of spiritual soul jazz that gives equal time to the voices and instruments in the set. Gwen McKinney heads up the vocal ensemble, and other players on the set include Wendell Harrison on flute, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Billy Turner on percussion, and Ed Pickins on bass. Also features some cool moog from Darryl Dybka – and titles that include "In The Moog", "Freedom Jazz Dance", "Dolphin Dance", "Heavenese", "Ode To Africa", "Out Of The Blues", and "Cornerstone". Features a bonus 7" single – with the tracks "Ode To Africa" and "Jelly Loa". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing album – simply groundbreaking, and a key turn for Jackie McLean! The record features a group of hip young players – including a very young Tony Williams, plus Grachan Moncur III, Bobby Hutcherson, and Eddie Kahn – all playing in a spare contemplative modernist mode that would soon become known as "new thing" jazz. The four tracks on the album – "Frankenstein", "Ghost Town", "Blue Rondo", and "Saturday & Sunday" – are extremely stark, and even Hutcherson's often-warm vibes sound harsh and metallic, especially next to McLean's razor-sharp tone. The record's a real treasure – and never too out to be unenjoyable by fans of McLean's more inside work. Extremely compelling – and we sure wish they were making them like this again! Also includes a bonus alternate of "Saturday & Sunday". CD

One of those rare treasures that was recorded by Blue Note in the 60s, but not issued at the time – a great late Hank Mobley set from 1967 that only saw the light of day in 1980! The album's got Hank really opening things up – using some of those more inventive rhythms and articulate phrasing that really graced his late years at Blue Note – a bold step forward, given his already-great run of material for the label! The core group is a quintet – with Lee Morgan on trumpet and Cedar Walton on piano – both of whom add to the lyrical edge of the playing – and most tracks feature additional work from James Spaulding on alto and flute, and the wonderful Sonny Greenwich on guitar – a player whose unique phrasing really helps shape the record's sound! Rhythms are from Walter Booker on bass and Billy Higgins on drums – again both great choices for the sometimes-modal qualities of the record – and titles include "Don't Cry Just Sigh", "Steppin Stone", "Third Season", "Boss Bossa", and "An Apertif". CD features one bonus track – an alternate of "Don't Cry Just Sigh". CD

A key classic from Thelonious Monk's years at Riverside – and an album that's as compelling as its haunting title! The session features Thelonious working with a great quartet that includes Johnny Griffin on tenor, playing these wonderfully angular lines; Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass, working in well-rounded tones that add a lot of depth to the work; and Roy Haynes on drums, bringing in a playfully rhythmic spirit that really matches the tone of Monk's compositions – a wonderful quartet to interpret the thoughtful, angular, inventive numbers on the set – not just Monk's own tunes, but some killer arrangements of a few classics too. Tracks are all longish, and the album features key readings of "In Walked Bud", "Misterioso", "Nutty", and "Let's Cool One" – includes two bonus tracks. CD

An ultra-hip batch of vocal tracks – and one of the few full albums recorded by singer Barbara Moore – a UK jazz artist at the start, but then an important studio talent often working behind the scenes! Barbara's got a very groovy style that's part jazz, part easy, part sunshine pop – all wrapped up into one super-warm blend! Her tracks have been showing up on playlists of beatheads for years – especially cuts from this album, which is a tight blend of jazz dance, dreamy pop, and even a few funky numbers. Most tracks are sung in a bright and breezy scat style – and titles include "Hot Heels", "His Name Was", "Swing Over", "Fly Away", "I'm Feather", and "Shades Tones". LP, Vinyl record album

Really early work from the legendary Derrick Morgan, and a set that was one of the earliest full length sets in the Island Records catalog – the start of a legendary run of Jamaican music, with proof that Morgan was one of the originators who was there at the start! As you might guess from his look on the cover, Derrick is working in a ska-based mode on the set – but he's also drawing plenty from American soul for inspiration too – wonderful vocals that float in a dreamy way over the tight-stepping rhythms in the tunes! There's a few cuts that feature duets with Patsy Todd – and titles include "The Hop", "Look Before You Leap", "Last Chance", "Don't You Worry", "Blazing Fire", "Housewife's Choice", "Don't Be A Fool", and "It's True My Darling". CD features a massive amount of bonus tracks – 46 titles added to the original record, some from The Best Of Derrick Morgan, many of which are new to CD too. Titles include "Real Ring Ding", "Revenge", "Try Me", "Greedy Gal", "Don't Say", "Horse Dead Cow Fat", "Sunday Morning", "Gypsy Woman", "Be Still", "Corner Stone", "Sail On", "Tell It To Me", "Loving Baby", and lots lots more! CD

The cover looks anime, but the music is anything but – and instead offers up some very live-action interplay between drummer Takeo Moriyama and pianist Fumio Itabashi! Itabashi's music is full of beautifully lyrical colors and tones, which get plenty of space to flow and flower on the album – on live tracks that sometimes have the drums in the lead, with piano responding strongly – sometimes with more emphasis on piano tones, slightly augmented by the drums. The combination is beautiful, and makes for a wonderfully deep record that's neither free jazz improv, nor too-familiar standards. The tunes are as poetic as their titles – which include "A School Of Fish", "Scolded", "Plovers On The Shore", "The Sea Watarase", "Red Dragonflies", and "The Paper Doll In Bridal Kimono". CD

Maybe the greatest album ever from Van Morrison – and a set that broke into a whole new side of his talents! Van's producing himself on the record – not really in the conventional role as a producer, but in a way that has him really writing most of the album as he goes along in the studio – using core ideas for tunes, and fleshing them out in a relatively spontaneous way with the musicians involved – at a level that also shows some of the most jazzy elements of Morrison's music to date! That approach is heard to key effect in the sublime title cut "Moondance" – but it also echoes over the course of the whole album's stellar set list – tracks that include "Caravan", "Into The Mystic", "Come Running", "Glad Tidings", and "And It Stoned Me". Really great 3LP package – features a new stereo remix by Steven Wilson, plus two more albums' worth of rare outtakes and other material – different versions of songs from the album, and the tracks "I Shall Sing (take 7)", "I've Been Working (early version take 5)", and "Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out (outtake)". LP, Vinyl record album

Gerry Mulligan brings the piano back in nicely here – but in a way that still hangs onto all the best modern tones of his earlier Pacific Jazz sessions! The date's a live one – done at Storyville in Boston – but the sound is wonderfully intimate, with Gerry on baritone sax and piano, Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone, Bill Crow on bass, and Dave Bailey on drums. The Crow/Bailey rhythm section is superb – nicely swinging throughout – and Gerry's work on piano has that airy, moody quality that would show up even more strongly in the 60s. Titles include "Bweebida Bwobbida", "Open Country", "Rustic Hop", "Bike Up The Strand", and "Storyville Story". CD

A great pairing of two of the coolest jazz talents of the 50s – icy-cool altoist Paul Desmond and warm-toned baritonist Gerry Mulligan! The group here continues the pianoless tradition of some of Mulligan's work of the decade – leaving plenty of room for amazing interplay between the horns, and a rare chance to hear Desmond away from the instrument – especially considering his work with Brubeck – blowing here in an airy, willowy tone that's totally great. Other players include Joe Benjamin on bass and Dave Bailey on drums – and titles include "Blues In Time", "Standstill", "Line For Lyons", and "Fall Out". CD includes bonus tracks – "Tea For Two", "Wintersong", and "Lover". CD

Mellow ballad material from Mark Murphy – as you might expect from the title – a sad-tinged session that almost hints at the style of his recent work in Verve – showing a real maturity for Murphy's music at the time! There's a bit of electricity in the instrumentation – some keyboards and guitar – but the record's got a warm, mellow tone that mostly focuses on Mark's wonderful vocals – gently making their way through a well-chosen set of tunes that includes "September Fifteenth", "Night Life", "Sack Full Of Dreams", "Crystal Silence", "Sausalito", "Para Nada", "Spring Is Where You Are", "I Never Went Away", and "When She Is Mine". Art Farmer also plays some sweet solos on three of the album's tracks! CD

Estonian pianist Tonu Naissoo really shines here – bringing his years of experience into play with a sublime recording setting that makes his piano sparkle with this very vibrant sense of tone and timing! The setting is a trio – with frequent partners Taavo Remmel on bass and Ahto Abner on drums – and Tonu has this way of balancing darkness and light that's really beautiful – expansive in a subtle sort of way, but never trying to overdo things, or be showy just for his own sake! There's two really beautiful originals on the set – "Dirhami" and "Cycles" – both worth the price of admission alone – alongside great takes on "Pensativa", "My back Pages", "Moon & Sand", and "What A Difference A Day Made". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal early album from Ian Carr's legendary Nucleus group – playing here in a version that includes Karl Jenkins and Brian Smith on reeds, and Chris Spedding on guitar! The band has a landmark sound that mixes progressive jazz and tight full-on rock fusion into a style that's sometimes funky, sometimes avant, and often pretty darn exciting! This album has lots of nice electric piano lines, and plenty of choppy sax parts that hit a nice groove in the manner that would later be taken up by a lot of European reed players. Tracks include "Torrid Zone", "Stonescape", "Striation", "1916 – The Battle Of Boogaloo", "Persephones Jive", and "Earth Mother". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone burner from 100 Proof Aged In Soul – a group who really take off with this tight second record! The album's a classic from the days when soul music ruled AM radio on both sides of the tracks – and the rest of the album is equally great – packing that tight post-Motown punch that made the Hot Wax label one of the best proponents of Detroit soul in the 70s! Arrangements are by a huge amount of early 70s heavyweights – McKinley Jackson, Paul Riser, and HB Barnum – and the set was produced by General Johnson and Greg Perry, in a style that soars along with the Chairmen Of The Board albums of the time. Titles include "Words", "I Don't Care If I Never Get Over You", "Everything Good Is Bad", "Ghetto Girl", "Nothing Sweeter Than Love", and "Don't You Wake Me". CD features lots of bonus tracks – "I'd Rather Fight Than Switch", "If I Could See The Light In The Window (version 2)", "My Piece Of The Rock (vocal)", "My Piece Of The Rock (inst)", and "I'm Mad As Hell (parts 1 & 2)". CD

A very cool combo from the LA scene of the 70s – a tight funky group, topped with two female soul singers – all working together in a style that's got a wonderful mixture of warmer edges and grittier sounds at the core! The two female singers really give the set a unique vibe – as they help bring focus to the instrumentation of the group, with a lot more presence than the usual throw-in female vocals of the time – hardly the backing chorus mode of a disco record, and instead a great balance to the sharp guitar lines and keyboards from the musicians! We've not heard of any of the players in any other setting, but they're very good – clearly able to handle jazz if they want, but aimed here towards a sophisticated funk style that's equally great on the mellow steppers as it is on the more upbeat tracks. Titles include "Heavenly Feeling", "World Full Of People", "Do You Hear Me Talking To You", "Dreaming Our Lives Away", "A Thank You Song", "Fantasies & Dreams", and "I'd Like To Stay". CD features a bonus 7" mix of "I'd Like To Stay". CD

Art's blowing with a quiet intensity here – not as far out as you might expect from the title, but with that crisp genius that still graced all of his records from the time! The album features a quartet with Dolo Coker on piano, Jimmy Bond on bass, and Frank Butler on drums – working in a format that gives Art center stage, blowing with a slightly raspy tone that still always sends chills up our spine! There's a maturity here that we really like – that later Contemporary mode that has Pepper breaking things down a bit more than usual, and showing a bit more humanity in his horn. Titles include "Too Close For Comfort", "Gone With The Wind", "Long Ago & Far Away", and "I Love You". CD also features the bonus track "Five Points". CD

A great little record from Art Pepper – four long tracks that really have him stretching out on alto – but in a way that's maybe a bit different than some of his more burning albums on the Galaxy label at the time! The group here follows from some of the previous Artist House recordings – George Cables on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a rhythm combo that's mighty nice – and which benefits from some great straight basswork from Haden, and Higgins' always compelling sense of rhythm! Titles include "My Friend John", "Stardust", and "Tin Tin Deo" – plus a reading of "In A Mellotone" that has Art on clarinet. CD features six bonus tracks – the tune "Art's Sweet Blues", and alternates of "But Beautiful", "Yesterdays", "Stardust", "In A Mellow Tone", and "You Go To My Head". CD

One of the few albums as a leader cut by legendary LA pianist Carl Perkins – an amazing talent on his instrument, and one who had an unusual "sideways" approach to the keys! Perkins kind of leaned alongside the piano – so that his body was parallel to the instrument, and his fingers reached out, moving back and forth on the ivories – with a sound that was almost as if he was strumming the whole thing! The style really stands out, and makes for some especially deft moments here in this classic trio set for Dootoo – a fluid and grooving session that also features Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Lawrence Marable on drums. Tracks include "Marble Head", "Way Cross Town", "Carl's Blues", and "Lilacs In The Rain". With eleven bonus tracks. CD

A stone classic from New Orleans reedman Pony Poindexter – a set that's steeped in tradition, but also has a groovy feel too – and a date that features Pony on both alto and soprano sax! The latter instrument is especially nice, played with echoes of earlier Crescent City modes, but updated strongly with more of a modal 60s energy – almost a Coltrane-like inspiration, but in very different ways than Trane might offer up. Other players on the date are great too – and include Booker Ervin's tenor at is soulful 60s best, plus Gildo Mahones on piano, George Tucker on bass, and Jimmy Smith on drums – all working with some very unusual rhythms that really make the set stand out from other Prestige dates of the time! Titles include "Happy Strut", "Gumbo Filet", "Front O Town", "Back O Town", "French Market", and "Creole Girl". But almost even better, the set also features 8 more bonus tracks – all previously unissued! Three are from the sessions for Gumbo – but the rest are from an unusual 1963 date that features the tenor of Booker Ervin with the organ of Larry Young and drums of Jerry Thomas – a really cool small combo group in the vein of Young's early Prestige work. Additional titles include "Wade In The Water", "Autumn Leaves", "Old Folks", "You Don't Know What Love Is", "Absotively Posalutely", and "Blue & Sentimental". CD

Gregory Porter arrives on Blue Note Records – and the result is Porter's most fully-formed set so far – just the kind of album that will push him firmly into the limelight – a place that we've felt he's deserved for quite a few years! Porter's a hell of a singer, and a hell of a songwriter too – and although his roots are in jazz, he's got a rare ability to step between genres with plenty of soul – a special space that belongs to a very rare few – like Nina Simone, Bill Withers, Roberta Flack, or Gil Scott-Heron! Gregory's voice is amazing, his lyrics are both personal and pointed – and he does so much here with so little, the album should be handed out to the hundreds of mis-directed vocalists who think that a few extra tweaks in the studio is all they really need. Most numbers just feature small combo backing, with wonderfully warm piano from Chip Crawford – and the whole thing's got a timeless feel that makes us think this is the beginning of a rich new season for Porter. Titles include "Free", "Water Under Bridges", "Lonesome Lover", "Liquid Spirit", "No Love Dying", "Brown Grass", "When Love Was King", and "Wind Song". This great 3LP deluxe version features special guest bonus tracks on the fifth side – Water Under The Bridge" with Laura Mvula, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" with Jamie Cullum and "Grandma's Hands" with Ben L'Oncle Soul – plus Rainer & Grimm, Claptone, 20syl, St Germain and Knuckle G remixes on the sixth side! LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure session from Sun Ra and the Arkestra, and a great one too – a set that's maybe a bit different than some of their other material from the time! The album's from the early 80s, but maybe feels a bit more like the group in the late 50s – when they were in Chicago, and first stepping from straighter modes to more adventurous music – which means that the tracks here have maybe a stronger relationship to familiar jazz styles than the more avant Arkestra work, yet are still filled with plenty of originality and the kind of elements that always made the group so wonderful! Ra plays a fair bit of organ, using the instrument in soul jazz ways at a few points, which is really great, alongside work on piano and electronics – and the group also features John Gilmore on tenor, Marshal Allen on alto and flute, Danny Ray Thompson on baritone, Walter Miller on trumpet, and Tyrone Hill on trombone. June Tyson joins the group for a small bit of vocals – and overall, the session almost feels like a rough take on territory that the Arkestra would explore in the second half of the 80s, particularly on their European tours. Titles include "Celestial Love", "Blue Intensity", "Interstellarism", "Nameless One 2", "Sophisticated Lady", "Smile", and "Sometimes I'm Happy" – plus the track "Drop Me Off In Harlem", which was not on the original Saturn album. LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing music from Sun Ra & The Arkestra – sounds recorded during the same marathon session that gave the world the records Other Planes Of There, When Sun Comes Out, and When Angels Speak Of Love – but titles that are much more obscure overall! The initial release of the material featured very misleading notes, but the true details of the session are even more impressive – as Ra plays a variety of unusual instruments alongside piano – including the piano strings, space organ, and clavioline – alongside some sublime straight horn work from John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and oboe, Pat Patrick on baritone, Danny Davis on alto and clarinet, Walter Miller on trumpet, Robert Cummings on bass clarinet, and Ali Hasaan on trombone! The lineup here has that raw power the Arkestra first unleashed after their initial move to New York – almost a sense of new freedom in the new environment – even at a time when they weren't clicking on a financial level, but still continued to push forward with new ideas in music! Some passages have this great approach that links the cosmic ideas of the Arkestra with older traditions of jazz soloing – while others reflect the growing concern of the group with new textures and sounds – making for some very impressive elements on both the horns and percussion. The group is completed by Ronnie Boykins on bass, Art Jenkins on space voice and percussion, and Tommy Hunter on drums, percussion, and some mighty nice reverb – and titles include "Biosphere Blues", "Intergalactic Research", "Earth Primitive Earth", "New Planet", and "Continuation To Jupiter Festival". Beautiful 2CD reissue features sublime sounds from the original tapes, remastered – plus a full bonus CD of unreleased tracks that include "Blue York", "Conversation Of The Universe", "Red Planet Mars", "Cosmic Rays/Next Stop Mars", "The Myth", "Meteor Shower", "Infinity", "The Beginning Of", and "Endlessness". CD

Sun Ra's really moving forward with this classic set – refining the sound of his Chicago-based Arkestra, and reaching for new territory that moves him way past familiar jazz modes! The cover bills the group as playing "music from tomorrow's world" – and you can definitely hear that on some titles here, including one number that features Ra on some really haunting celeste, and another that features Marshall Allen making weird noises with his mouthpiece! The group is all greats from the old days – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on flute, Pat Patrick on baritone and flute, James Spaulding on alto and flute, Hobart Dotson on trumpet, Charles Davis on baritone, and Ronnie Boykins on bass – and titles include "Hours After", "Saturn", "Ancient Ethiopia", and "Blues At Midnight". This fantastic expanded reissue includes bonus material – some tracks that appeared on the album Sun Sound Pleasure, and other recordings too – titles that include "Hour Of Parting", "Round Midnight", "Hours After", "Velvet", "Enlightenment", "Hours After (single version)", "Great Balls Of Fire (single version)", "Back In Your Own Backyard", and the unreleased tunes "Blues For Saturn", "State Street (alternate)", and "Horoscope (incomplete)". CD

Sun Ra's really moving forward with this classic set – refining the sound of his Chicago-based Arkestra, and reaching for new territory that moves him way past familiar jazz modes! The cover bills the group as playing "music from tomorrow's world" – and you can definitely hear that on some titles here, including one number that features Ra on some really haunting celeste, and another that features Marshall Allen making weird noises with his mouthpiece! The group is all greats from the old days – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on flute, Pat Patrick on baritone and flute, James Spaulding on alto and flute, Hobart Dotson on trumpet, Charles Davis on baritone, and Ronnie Boykins on bass – and titles include "Hours After", "Saturn", "Ancient Ethiopia", and "Blues At Midnight". This fantastic expanded reissue includes bonus material – some tracks that appeared on the album Sun Sound Pleasure, and other recordings too – titles that include "Hour Of Parting", "Round Midnight", "Hours After", "Velvet", "Enlightenment", "Hours After (single version)", "Great Balls Of Fire (single version)", "Back In Your Own Backyard", and the unreleased tunes "Blues For Saturn", "State Street (alternate)", and "Horoscope (incomplete)". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great record, and one that was recorded by a smaller version of the Arkestra than usual – done in this spiritual style that's almost a bit like some of the Horo Records material that Sun Ra had recorded just a short time before! There's an intimacy here that's wonderful – and the group features Ra on piano, John Gilmore on tenor, Hayes Burnette on bass, and Samarai Celestial on drums – and one track also features added work from Charles Davis on baritone and Michael Ray on trumpet. The album's a lot more inside than some of the freer work by Ra during the 70s – and we mean that in a great way – and there's also less of the full ensemble chanting that you'd hear on some of the other spiritual sessions from the 70s by the Arkestra. All of these aspects add up to make for a wonderfully special set from Ra and some of his key players – served up on titles that include "The Place Of Five Points", "Omniverse", "Visitant Of The Ninth Ultimate", and "Dark Lights In A White Forest". CD features two bonus tracks – a 1979 solo piano version of "Over The Rainbow", recorded at the Moers Festival – and a 1977 live take of "The Sound Mirror". CD

Record Culture is even cooler than ever – as this issue comes with a bonus book as well! But first, the magazine – this issue has the same great format as the others – a book-style package, filled with beautiful full color photos of record collectors, vinyl culture, and other cool bits from around the world – all put together to show that the love of records knows no boundaries, and is still more vibrant now than it was back in the 20th Century! There's a great article in this issue on Twilite Tone – a Chicago hero from way back, given plenty of space for his career and love of vinyl – and the issue also has features on Gerd Janson, June Jones, Eug, Vanessa Worm, Sebastien Dellier, and Bradley Zero – again, based on their interest and use of records. And lastly, there's a very interesting feature – postcards sent to the Time & Space radio show at WNYU! 211 pages, full color, and more like a softcover book. Then, you also get the very cool book – Second Generation – a collection of Chicago house music flyers from the years 1991 to 200 – dozens of pages of ads for gigs and shows, all in full color, pulled from the archives of Mark Farina and Alicia Prior. Magazine

A stone classic from Jimmy Reed – and one of the first few albums on the Vee Jay label! The sound is spare, rootsy, and bluesy – the kind of tunes that made Jimmy an instant favorite, and which were a key force in the Chicago blues sound of the 50s. The set features material recorded for Vee Jay in 1958 and 1957, with Jimmy on vocals, acoustic guitar, and harmonica. Benchmark late 50s Chicago blues! Titles include "Honest, I Do", "You Got Me Dizzy", "Can't Stand To See You Go", "Boogie In The Dark", "You Got Me Crying", "Little Rain", "Roll & Rhumba", his classic "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" and more – plus 4 bonus tracks! CD

A brilliant set with a real 60s modern feel overall – in case you couldn't guess from the hip cover image! The group's got a sound that's definitely in the sharper side of the Italian jazz spectrum – kind of a Basso-Valdambrini groove, but with some bolder tones at times – all handled wonderfully by a quintet that features Oscar Rocchi on piano, Sergio Fanni on trumpet, Hugo Heredia on flute and sax, Giovanni Tommasso on bass, and Gianno Cazzola on drums! The horn parts are especially great – coming together with some nice tension on the heads, the burning out into solos that are filled with soul and feeling – the kind of sparkling energy that makes digging up older Italian sessions like this so great. Titles include "Thema", "Elixir", "Preposition", "Action Up", "Kind Words", "Wafers", "Relax Love", and "Example". CD also features 6 bonus tracks too – "Nigredo", "Gold Fast", "Rubedo", "Solution", "Silver Bop", and "Sulphur". CD

Plenty of fuzz and plenty of spirit – a wonderful debut from this African group of the 70s – a combo who work here with equal parts of influence from Jimi Hendrix and some of the other Zamrock groups of the time! Lyrics are in English, and have this blue-toned quality that's really compelling – some darkness and sadness amidst the bolder bravado of the guitar lines – a nice juxtaposition that really makes the album stand out! Drums and bass are often pretty subtle – partly because of the way some tracks were mixed – and titles include "Doggy Rock", "Try A Little Harder", "See The Storm", "Down In My Shoes", "Fast", and "Sunshine In My Hair". Comes with a bonus insert of notes, and a 7" single too! LP, Vinyl record album