A collection featuring some of The Originals' best tracks for Motown – including some of their few big hits, and others that stand with their better work on the label. Titles include "Sunrise", "The Bells", "Touch", "Down To Love Town", "Everybody's Got To Do Something", "It's So Real", "We Can Make It Baby", and "Baby, I'm For Real". LP, Vinyl record album

A split Motown single, featuring an artist on each side, and tracks that are definitely designed to cash in on the dancefloor cash! The Originals step out in a full disco mode with "Downtown To Love Town" – a swirling number that's filled with lots of strings, and which boogies on out here in a special extended disco mix! Jermaine's "Let's Be Young" is mighty nice too! 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the best-remembered albums from the mighty Originals – thanks to a surprisingly strong step into club and disco rhythms! The group were always great on the harmony tip – and earlier music often had them really shining on the ballads – but here they work with arrangers Frank Wilson, Dale Warren, and Art Wright on a set of grooves that rival the best group soul club work coming out of Philly and New York at the time! The vocals are never overwhelmed by the grooves – and instead seem to really be set loose with the lively arrangements – finding a soaring space they might never have hit this well before. Titles include the clubby classic "Down To Love Town" – plus "You Are A Blessing", "Call On Your Six Million Dollar Man", "Hurry Up & Wait", "Been Decided", and "Sunrise". CD also features a bonus alternate version of "Down To Love Town"! CD

Two killer later Motown cuts – issued here in some hip remix versions! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Great group vocals by one of Motown's biggest groups to never really make it. This album has some of their best cuts, with a sweet harmony sound, and raw production that works quite well with the band's approach. The best example of this is the cut "We Can Make It Baby", but other nice cuts include "Once I Have You", "If You Gonna Leave", and "The Only Time You Love Me Is When You're Losing Me". LP, Vinyl record album

15 tracks by this very hip Motown vocal group! CD

One of our favorite albums by The Originals – and one of their most coherent albums on Motown! The record was produced by Lamont Dozier, who also wrote all the songs on the album for the group – and it's kind of a mix of Dozier's strident 70s update of the 60s Motown groove (which he'd been using in his own work), with some of the smoother stylings that The Originals would use on later albums. Titles include "Why'd You Lie", "Don't Turn The Lights Off", "Let Me Live In Your Life", "Fifty Years", and "California Sunset". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet modern soul from the Originals – one of Motown's few groups from older years to really adopt a successful 70s sound. Much of the arrangements are by producers Frank Wilson and Michael Sutton – and the album's got a smooth LA soul sound that's different than the group's earlier records, which were much more in a classic Detroit group mode. The ballad cuts seem to work the best for the group – and titles include "Touch", "Natural Loving Feeling", "Count Me Out", "It's So Real", "All I Wanna Do", and "Bring Me Together". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the many excellent albums that appeared on the jazz instruction record label of Jamey Aebersold – this one a set of trio tracks based around the work of Herbie Hancock. The set actually features a trio that has Kenny Barron doing Herbie's job on the piano, with bass by Ron Carter and drums by Billy Higgins – and in that respect, it stands almost as a Kenny Barron Tribute To Herbie album. Because of the nature of the session, Kenny's a bit more restrained and obvious in his playing – but that also gives the tunes a nice clunky groove, getting down to the real elements of the tracks. Titles include "Maiden Voyage", "Watermelon Man", "Dolphin Dance", "Cantaloupe Island", and "Toys". LP, Vinyl record album

Personanel include Dan Haerle on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Jonathan Higgins on drums. Titles include "Solar", "Dig", "Milestones", "Serpent's Tooth", and more! LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "Yellow Nimbus", "Children's Song #6", "April Snow", "The Falcon", and "Swedish Landscape". CD

A great little sampler of the melodic genius of Charlie Parker – for the price of a latte! This set of 11 tunes serves as the source grooves for the new Bird Up remix project that features a number of DJ's and musicians building on the blueprint Parker groove with their own elements. But this one features the original tunes, with performers like the young Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach and others who went on to huge success as leaders after the Parker era. Includes "Now's The Time", "Relaxin' At Camarillo", "Salt Peanuts", "Bird Of Paradise", "Cheers", "Bebop", "Barbado's", "Constellation" and more. CD

Essential New Orleans piano from Professor Longhair – an artist who was neither a professor, nor a man with much hair! The chrome-domed pianist had a huge influence on the sound of New Orleans R&B and soul to come – as he played in a triplet-heavy way that was rooted in blues, but provided a key link to the rhythms that would dominate Crescent City music in following decades. This album features original Atlantic sides cut in New Orleans in 1949 and 1953 – about as classic as you can get for Longhair, with tunes that include "Tipitina", "Hey Now Baby", "In The Night", "Ball The Wall", "Who's Been Fooling You", "She Walks Right In", and "Willie Mae". CD

Features music by Muddy Waters, Memphis Slim, Eddie boyd, Willie Dixon, Bo Diddley, J.B. Lenoir, Dale Hawkins, Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, and more – 36 tracks in all. CD

One of the coolest collections we've seen from the Numero Group in a long time – an assortment of obscure lounge singers and groups who played the Midwest scene in the glory days of the cocktail bar – not exotica acts or jazz combos, but instead the kind of warm and mellow artists you might find working in the dim corner of some shag-laden lounge! These are artists who were clearly brought up in a world of rock first, jazz and other styles second – maybe with a homegrown AOR vibe, but a lot more stripped-down and personal too. The package is very cool – designed like a matchbook cover from one of the clubs, complete with a poster of other matchbooks inside – and artists include The Do's & Don'ts, Jan Tober & Ron Satterfield, Richard Powell, Terri Schmidt, Tom Dae, Nick Gillette, Mike Munoz, James, Mood Mystics, Cleveland Jones, and Blue Eyed Soul. LP, Vinyl record album

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Music from Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Robert Johnson, Otis Rush, Henry Thomas, Elmore James, Snooky Pryor, Jimmy Reed, Bo Diddley, Little Walter, and more. CD

Music from Gene Chandler, Dee Clark, Nolan Chance, Holly Maxwell, the Peaches, Gerri Taylor, Bobby Miller, Sandra Lynn, Al & Nbunky, Mill Evans, and more. CD

Titles include "Cherry Juice", "Ev'rybody Pony", "Gun Slinger", "Boppin' The Rock", "Bald Head", and "Play It Cool" – 22 tracks in all. CD

The original tracks used in the Re-Bop Savoy Jazz remix project – all classic bop numbers from the late 40s and 1950s – brought together into one great jazz collection on their own! If you've only just dipped into older jazz as part of the recent remix frenzy, the CD's a great way to hear some key work at a very low price – and should point you easily to some of the best bits in the Savoy catalog, once you're ready to make the full plunge into the original albums! 13 tracks in all – including "Minor Vamp" by Curtis Fuller, "Minority" by Cal Tjader, "Night In Tunisia" by Duke Jordan, "Caravan" by Dizzy Gillespie, "Yardbird Suite" by Herbie Mann, "Koko" by Charlie Parker, "Shaw Nuff" by Dizzy Gillespie, and "Night & Day" by Red Norvo. CD

Maybe the most powerful album we've ever heard from Sault – and a record that's unlike anything else they've given us before! The set has Sault rising into the righteous heavens – almost like the way that certain artists were elevated by the power of the Cadet/Concept late 60s years in Chicago – as the record blends choral voices and soaring strings with a subtle current of soul – all with echoes of Minnie Riperton and Rotary Connection, but an even more spiritual quality overall! And don't let the words "choral" or "strings" make you think this isn't a soul record – because if anything, it's maybe more soulful than the group's previous records – fitting nicely into a legacy that would include Donald Byrd's "Cristo Rendentor", Billy Harper's "Capra Black", and some of the vocal experiments of Max Roach. Titles include "Time Is Precious", "Luos Higher", "June 55", "Reality", "Air", "Heart", and "Solar". CD

Maybe the most powerful album we've ever heard from Sault – and a record that's unlike anything else they've given us before! The set has Sault rising into the righteous heavens – almost like the way that certain artists were elevated by the power of the Cadet/Concept late 60s years in Chicago – as the record blends choral voices and soaring strings with a subtle current of soul – all with echoes of Minnie Riperton and Rotary Connection, but an even more spiritual quality overall! And don't let the words "choral" or "strings" make you think this isn't a soul record – because if anything, it's maybe more soulful than the group's previous records – fitting nicely into a legacy that would include Donald Byrd's "Cristo Rendentor", Billy Harper's "Capra Black", and some of the vocal experiments of Max Roach. Titles include "Time Is Precious", "Luos Higher", "June 55", "Reality", "Air", "Heart", and "Solar". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic music from Sault – a record that explodes way past some of their previous releases, and really shows the group evolving in their sound – even if they are still keeping their cover art in the same very understated territory! There's a sense of urgency as the album begins – one that wasn't there a few records before, and which may well illustrate the increasing importance of Sault's mission at a cultural and political level – as they work with a blend of funky soul elements and much more cosmic-tinged execution – sometimes very slow and brooding, other times bursting with life to deliver their message! Titles include "Bitter Street", "You From London", "Light's In Your Hand", "Alcohol", "Haha", "London Gangs", "Trap Life", and "Fear". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic music from Sault – a record that explodes way past some of their previous releases, and really shows the group evolving in their sound – even if they are still keeping their cover art in the same very understated territory! There's a sense of urgency as the album begins – one that wasn't there a few records before, and which may well illustrate the increasing importance of Sault's mission at a cultural and political level – as they work with a blend of funky soul elements and much more cosmic-tinged execution – sometimes very slow and brooding, other times bursting with life to deliver their message! Titles include "Bitter Street", "You From London", "Light's In Your Hand", "Alcohol", "Haha", "London Gangs", "Trap Life", and "Fear". CD

Sault have always been fantastic, but it also seems that with each new release, they get even more powerful and progressive – opening up a more radical agenda that really comes through in their music! The group don't state their position with the title of the record – which is essentially untitled – but their message comes through loud and clear in the way the righteous lyrics mix perfectly with their spare, stark instrumentation – a range of rhythms that often make it hard to tie Sault to any one category or scene, but which also makes the record bristle with excitement – on titles that include "Don't Shoot Guns Down", "Wildfires", "Sorry Ain't Enough", "Black Is", "Stop Dem", "Hard Life", "Hold Me", "Only Synth In Church", "Why We Cry When We Die", and "Bow", which features a guest appearance from Michael Kiwanuka. LP, Vinyl record album

Sault have always been fantastic, but it also seems that with each new release, they get even more powerful and progressive – opening up a more radical agenda that really comes through in their music! The group don't state their position with the title of the record – which is essentially untitled – but their message comes through loud and clear in the way the righteous lyrics mix perfectly with their spare, stark instrumentation – a range of rhythms that often make it hard to tie Sault to any one category or scene, but which also makes the record bristle with excitement – on titles that include "Don't Shoot Guns Down", "Wildfires", "Sorry Ain't Enough", "Black Is", "Stop Dem", "Hard Life", "Hold Me", "Only Synth In Church", "Why We Cry When We Die", and "Bow", which features a guest appearance from Michael Kiwanuka. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Cannonball Adderley albums from the Riverside years – a completely smoking live date recorded in San Francisco, often with long tracks that really let the group open up and do their thing! The lineup here is that classic one that first grabbed attention – the group with brother Nat on cornet, Sam Jones on bass, Louis Hayes on drums – and a young Bobby Timmons on piano, really cooking things up with tremendous drive, energy, and a sense of the groove! Titles include a great workout on Timmons' classic "This Here", plus originals "You Got It" and Spontaneous Combustion", and a great version of "Hi Fly". Soul jazz at its best, by one of the groups who gave the genre its name in the first place! LP, Vinyl record album

Pianist David Ake works here at a level that maybe lives up to the slightly rural image on the cover – still jazz, but with a quality that's almost pastoral at times – as he allows the tunes to open up and build slowly, almost as sonic landscapes – but with a sense of warmth and tone that's very different than use of the word "landscape" might imply from a label like ECM! There's almost an Americanist vision here that echoes some of the quiet experiments of Bill Frisell – but with Ake's piano in the lead, beautifully balanced next to the tenor of Tony Malaby, who's at his warmest in the setting – in a quartet that also features Boris Kozlov on bass and Rudy Royston on drums and percussion. All titles are originals by Ake – and tunes include "Walker Evans", "Stu's News", "John Prine", "Green Thumb", "Street Food", and "Kendee". CD

Guitarist Cecil Alexander has a nice light touch here – not loose, but with a freely chromatic sort of vibe that really has his strings opening up with a heck of a lot of colors and brightness – set up next to the Hammond B3 of Will Gorman and drums of Steven Crammer! With that quality, the record's a bit different than most other organ/guitar trio sessions – in that the guitar is definitely first, and really setting the tune – never too overwhelmed by the Hammond, but nicely inspired by its actions to take flight, especially on some of Alexander's original tunes. Titles include a great reading of the Bobby Hutcherson classic "Till Then" – plus originals "Captain Bailey", "Bright Green", "Shug", "9th Round", "Talk Shop", and "Nansen". CD

It's the early 70s, and Mose is still going strong – grooving with a unique blend of New Orleans soul and Northern jazz influences, his own particular brand of music, timeless from the day it was born! The setting here is a live one, and Mose is playing with a trio that includes Clyde Flowers on bass and Eddie Charlton on drums. The album features a number of strong originals – including "Look What You Made Me Do", "Powerhouse", "I Don't Worry About A Thing", and "Don't Forget To Smile" – plus versions of "The Seventh Son" and "Fool's Paradise". LP, Vinyl record album

Bassist Reid Anderson has a really wonderful way with his group here – leading things with a strong sense of flow and color throughout – at a level that holds equally strong when things are upbeat and when things are mellow! All the group members seem folded into the flow of the music – work from Andrew D'Angelo on alto saxophone, Ben Monder on guitar, Bill McHenry on tenor saxophone, and Marlon Browden on drums – guided by Anderson's vision with a sound that's very well rounded, thanks to the colors and tones provided by Monder's guitar – all at a very different level than you might have if a piano were in its place. Tracks are all originals by Reid, and titles include "Melismatic Clouds Of Joy", "The Captain", "Silence Is The Question", "Foxy", "Talons", "The Owl", and "Prehensile Dream". CD

Bassist Reid Anderson has a really wonderful way with his group here – leading things with a strong sense of flow and color throughout – at a level that holds equally strong when things are upbeat and when things are mellow! All the group members seem folded into the flow of the music – work from Andrew D'Angelo on alto saxophone, Ben Monder on guitar, Bill McHenry on tenor saxophone, and Marlon Browden on drums – guided by Anderson's vision with a sound that's very well rounded, thanks to the colors and tones provided by Monder's guitar – all at a very different level than you might have if a piano were in its place. Tracks are all originals by Reid, and titles include "Melismatic Clouds Of Joy", "The Captain", "Silence Is The Question", "Foxy", "Talons", "The Owl", and "Prehensile Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

Call us crazy, but this is one of our favorite albums in years! We'll be honest, and say that we've never been big fans of Paul Anka – but take it from us, the Anka on this album's a lot different than the one you may know from the past! Anka's completely reinventing himself here – working in a jazz-based mode with larger arrangements, and serving up a batch of tunes that must be heard to be believed. The tracks are mostly all from 80s pop hits – the kinds of songs that got played to death on the radio 20 years go, so much so that you'd think you'd never want to hear them again. Yet for the record, Anka's completely recasting them in fresh new versions – taking tunes like "Jump", "Eye Of The Tiger", "True", and "It's My Life" – and doing them in jazzy, upbeat styles that completely transform not only the songs, but also Anka's entire career as well. And if you're worried about the album being a gimmick, don't – because there's no sense of irony here, no easy "joke" to the tracks – and instead an honest, personal approach to the lyrics – one that makes us realize new depth in these tunes, often far more than we'd ever have credited the originals. Take it from us, this is pure genius – a leap over all the Starbucks-driven jazz-revival singers who are crooning Dylan and Hendrix for the new generation – and a brilliant recasting of David Lee Roth, Bon Jovi, and Spandau Ballet for the 21st century. The territory's all Anka's own – and we'll be glad to bet we'll be hearing a lot more from him in years to come! Titles include "Hello", "Eyes Without A Face", "Lovecats", "It's A Sin", "Blackhole Sun", "Wonderwall", and even "Smells Like Teen Spirit". CD

A pair of records from UK vocal group Arrival – plus rare BBC material too! First up is the record Arrival from 1970 – a really wonderful record from this very cool UK group – a mix of gals and guys who harmonize together in a really great way – very different than a lineup like this might have sounded in the 60s, spun with a touch of the Hair generation, and almost like a blue-eyed version of The Fifth Dimension, working with a great blend of rock, pop, and soul! The tunes are sometimes familiar numbers, but redone in some really great ways – and mixed with some originals by the group's Frank Collins, set to arrangements by Nick Harrison and Paul Buckmaster. Titles include "Live", "Light My Fire", "Sit Down & Float", "Take Me", "Don't Turn His Love Away", "See The Lord", "Prove It", and "Hard Road". Next is the second album, also titled Arrival – released two years later, and really showing a different sort of vibe for the group – more righteous and overflowing with new material – like a shift between the musical styles of Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar – more guitars and more solo vocal moments too! Titles include "Not Gonna Worry", "Glory Be", "Part Of My Dream", "Have A Drink On Your Father", "Weary Sad Weary Down", and "So It Is Written". CD3 features BBC sessions from 1969 and 1970 – 11 more tracks in all – and the set also features 10 more bonus tracks that are all non-LP singles! CD

A wicked album of Latin Soul tunes – recorded by Harvey Averne, one of the heaviest hitting producers of the New York scene of the late 60s! The album's one of the few that Harvey issued under his own name, and it features him on piano and vibes, working with arrangements by Marty Sheller, and a tight batch of studio players who cook up the grooves in a classic Fania/Tico style! The album's got some very groovy originals – like "The Micro Mini", "You're No Good", "My Dream", and "You Mess My Mind Up" – plus some sweet little covers, like "The Think Drink Theme", "The Word", and "Wishing & Hoping" – all of which come off like some of Willie Bobo's best work of the time! LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure trio from the early 60s, but one who play with plenty of soul jazz in their sound – thanks to some mighty heavy work on the keys of the piano from leader Red Bahnik! Red's got this sharp attack and inherently rhythmic sound that would have been right at home on early 60s Prestige Records – alongside piano gems from artists like Bobby Timmons or John Wright – yet the groove also isn't just copping American styles of the time, as they've got an unusual inflection to their rhythms – maybe some blocker styles that carve things out with a unique spirit, especially given the spacious echo used in the recording. Titles include the long originals "Fata Morgana Altamira" and "Santander" – plus "Fish This Week", "The Uptown", "Sister Sadie", and "Vacushna". CD

Hardbop albums don't get any better than this – and although drummer Dave Bailey only recorded for a brief stretch as a leader, this session's one that shows that he was a heck of a force to contend with! The record's got an intensity that easily rivals the best by Art Blakey over at Blue Note during the early 60s – but Dave's also got a slightly looser groove too – a bit more sense of humanity, and one that allows for really organic interplay between the players. There's a slight soul jazz undercurrent – especially in the piano lines of Billy Gardner – and other players in the quintet include Bill Hardman on trumpet, Frank Haynes on tenor, and Ben Tucker on bass. The group wails on an early version of Tucker's classic "Comin' Home Baby", plus other great originals like "Coffee Walk", "Lady Iris B", and "Two Feet In the Gutter". A old favorite on the south side of Chicago! LP, Vinyl record album

A key album from a fantastic point in the career of trumpeter Chet Baker – his later years, a time when most of the world was ignoring Baker's talents, but Chet was still in a hugely creative mode, and turning out some of his freshest sounds in decades! There's a wonderful quality to the whole record – and vibist David Friedman is a key part of the sound, as he really matches the air inclinations of Chet, as the pair are backed by Buster Williams on bass and Joe Chambers on drums and percussion – a fantastic duo who only make things sound even better. 4 of the album's 6 tracks are Friedman originals – including "For Now", "Shadows", "Syzygies", and "Lament For Thelonious". CD features alternate takes of "Peace" and "Syzygies". CD

One of THE seminal Basie albums of all time – and a masterful pairing between the Count and arranger Neal Hefti! Hefti has an amazing ear for the Basie groove, and he works here to re-fit the overall sound of the group with a tighter, more fluid approach – one that ensured that they'd be alive and booming well into the 60s. The Hefti touch is one that's slightly lighter than the Basie of before – one that assumes the bump at the bottom, but never overdoes it – and instead almost uses the sound of no sound at all to carry the rhythm – while the horns at the top of the group are vamping around in these majestic charts that break out into fantastically searing solos. Basie's on piano, natch – and other players include Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Henry Coker, Al Grey, Frank Wess, Frank Foster, and Eddie Lockjaw Davis. Titles are all brilliant Hefti originals – and include "After Supper", "Flight Of The Foo Birds", "Teddy The Toad", "Splanky", "Fantail", and "Lil Darlin". CD

One of THE seminal Basie albums of all time – and a masterful pairing between the Count and arranger Neal Hefti! Hefti has an amazing ear for the Basie groove, and he works here to re-fit the overall sound of the group with a tighter, more fluid approach – one that ensured that they'd be alive and booming well into the 60s. The Hefti touch is one that's slightly lighter than the Basie of before – one that assumes the bump at the bottom, but never overdoes it – and instead almost uses the sound of no sound at all to carry the rhythm – while the horns at the top of the group are vamping around in these majestic charts that break out into fantastically searing solos. Basie's on piano, natch – and other players include Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Henry Coker, Al Grey, Frank Wess, Frank Foster, and Eddie Lockjaw Davis. Titles are all brilliant Hefti originals – and include "After Supper", "Flight Of The Foo Birds", "Teddy The Toad", "Splanky", "Fantail", and "Lil Darlin". CD features 5 bonus tracks too – including "The Late Late Show", "Sleepwalker's Serenade", and "Silks & Satins". CD

Recent genius from the true king of Latin Soul – the mighty Joe Bataan, sounding every bit as great now as he did back in the day! Bataan gets some very hip backing from Los Fulanos – a Barcelona-based combo who help recreate the tight sound of Joe's early grooves from the late 60s, with just a touch of the funk he picked up in the 70s too – a really great blend that helps Bataan breath fresh new life into a range of classics from years back. The set list includes some of our favorite Latin Soul gems from Joe, and both the rhythms and production styles are completely faithful to the originals – but also aren't just simple copycat versions either. After so many years in obscurity, it's great to see Bataan back in action so strongly – cooking it hard and heavy on cuts that include "Latin Soul Square Dance", "Gypsy Woman", "Mestizo", "The Bottle", "Johnny's No Good", "Special Girl", "Subway Joe", "Puerto Rico Me Llama", and "Rap O Clap O 2008". CD

An overstuffed album of early greatness – served up with a classic image of the Fab Four on the cover! The tunes are a mix of Lennon/McCartney originals and American soul and rock numbers that are reinterpreted wonderfully by the group – in ways that perfectly show why, unlike most of their contemporaries, The Beatles weren't just trying for slavish imitation of American authenticity – and instead were already taking off with new ideas inspired by the music! Titles include "Please Please Me", "Love Me Do", "Misery", "Anna", "I Saw Her Standing There", "Boys", "Baby IT's You", "Do You Want To Know A Secret", "Twist & Shout", "A Taste Of Honey", and "Chains". CD

An overstuffed album of early greatness – served up in a special edition 3/4 gatefold cover! The tunes are a mix of Lennon/McCartney originals and American soul and rock numbers that are reinterpreted wonderfully by the group – in ways that perfectly show why, unlike most of their contemporaries, The Beatles weren't just trying for slavish imitation of American authenticity – and instead were already taking off with new ideas inspired by the music! Titles include "Please Please Me", "Love Me Do", "Misery", "Anna", "I Saw Her Standing There", "Boys", "Baby It's You", "Do You Want To Know A Secret", "Twist & Shout", "A Taste Of Honey", and "Chains". LP, Vinyl record album

Really wonderful work from one of our favorite groups on late 60s Warner Brothers – the mighty Beau Brummels, a group who were already years ahead of their time, and who also evolved strongly during the short span of time covered on this album! As you'd guess from the title, the collection features all sorts of great tracks that never appeared on the group's classic albums for Warner – spanning the psychedelic folk of their early years on the label, to the rich country-inspired sounds of their last – and also including a few solo tunes from singer Sal Valentino too! These aren't just throwaway cuts or covers, as many of them are originals – mostly penned by the great Ron Elliott – titles that include "I'm A Sleeper", "Cherokee Girl", "Long Walking Down To Misery", "Lift Me", "Lower Level", "Two Days Til Tomorrow", "She Reigns", and "Fine With Me". Also features nice remakes of "One Too Many Mornings" and "Don't Make Promises" – and Sal Valentino cuts "A Song For Rochelle", "Silkie", "Alligator Man", and "Friends & Lovers". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredibly fluid work from the Gordon Beck trio of the late 60s – and powerhouse ensemble that featured Tony Oxley on drums and Jeff Clyne on bass. The tunes are all originals by Beck, and played in a style that has lots of the free and introspective styles that were percolating in the European piano underground at the time – almost like the work of Steve Kuhn, in that Beck opens up nicely, but never seems to go too far outside – and is as concerned with weaving tapestries of tone and color as he is with exploring new sounds and space. Great stuff all around, and a key look at an oft-overlooked player! Titles include "Miss T Fying", "Gyroscope", "Clusters", "Suite No 1", and "Sincerity". CD

Incredibly fluid work from the Gordon Beck trio of the late 60s – and powerhouse ensemble that featured Tony Oxley on drums and Jeff Clyne on bass. The tunes are all originals by Beck, and played in a style that has lots of the free and introspective styles that were percolating in the European piano underground at the time – almost like the work of Steve Kuhn, in that Beck opens up nicely, but never seems to go too far outside – and is as concerned with weaving tapestries of tone and color as he is with exploring new sounds and space. Great stuff all around, and a key look at an oft-overlooked player! Titles include "Miss T Fying", "Gyroscope", "Clusters", "Suite No 1", and "Sincerity". LP, Vinyl record album