We'll be honest with you – we love this stuff! Sure, Ornette made some great recordings for a number of other labels – but as a whole, his Atlantic stuff is some of the greatest modern jazz ever recorded, and no other period of an artist is more worth collecting and having in a complete format than this one! The package is unbelievably thorough – and includes not only all the tracks from classic albums like Change Of The Century, This Is Our Music, Free Jazz, Shape Of Jazz To Come, Ornette!, Ornette On Tenor, The Art Of The Improvisors and Twins – but also 6 previously unreleased tracks, and rare material like Ornette's Japanese-only LP To Whom Who Keeps A Record plus 2 selections from Gunther Schuller's Jazz Abstractions featuring Ornette! There's 6CDs in all – packaged in a great case with a well annotated booklet. Titles include "Proof Readers", "Revolving Doors", "Joy Of A Toy", "Cross Breeding", "Variants On A Theme Of Thelonious Monk", "Eos", "Focus On Sanity", "Una Muy Bonita", "Lomely Woman", "Little Symphony", "The Circle With The Hole In The Middle", "Beauty Is A Rare Thing", "Folk Tale", "The Face Of The Bass", "Brings Goodness", "Rise & Shine", and lots and lots more! CD

A great collection – one that's heavy on work from the Atlantic Records years, but that also features earlier material recorded with Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, and Johnny Hodges. CD

Maybe one of the greatest jazz albums of all time – a real breakthrough moment for the legendary John Coltrane, and the blueprint for generations of jazz records to come! Trane was already breaking down plenty of boundaries before Love Supreme – but he knocked it out of the park for the album – which is a full-length suite of spiritual expression, one that gives even greater focus and message to Coltrane's long-spiralling style of soloing on the tenor sax! The group here is the classic quartet – McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – taking Trane up to the heavens on waves of modal energy, but also holding his spirit closer to the planet than on some of later, more outside performances. There's a slight bit of vocalization on the record – that chanted energy that imbues the set with so much love – and movements include "Acknowledgement", "Resolution", "Pursuance", and "Psalm". Plus, this new version of the set features a huge amount of bonus material – a long live version of the whole suite, recorded in 1965 in Antibes, alternate takes of tracks on the original session – and the fantastic sextet reading of "Acknowledgement", with playing by Archie Shepp! Movements include "Acknowledgement", "Resolution", "Pursuance", and "Psalm". CD

80s UK package deal that includes Affinity pressings of "Coltranology Vol 2", "Second Genesis", "The High & Mighty Hawk", "Big George", and "Young & Foolish". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Now's The Time", "Jeru", "Compulsion", "Tempus Fugit", "Walkin'", "'Round Midnight", "Bye Bye Blackbird", "New Rhumba", "Generique", "Summertime", "So What", "The Pan Piper", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "My Funny Valentine", "E.S.P.", "Nefertiti", "Petits Machins (Little Stuff)", "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down", "Little Church", "Black Satin", "Jean Pierre", "Time After Time", and "Portia" CD

Previously-unreleased live work by one of Miles Davis' most important groups ever – a Bitches Brew-era lineup, playing live at the Fillmore East a month before the record was released to the public – which makes this performance one of the first times the world had ever heard jams like this! The group's heavy on rhythm here – a rumbling groove brought up from the bottom, courtesy of the drums of Jack Dejohnette, basses of Dave Holland, and percussion of Airto – sewn together beautifully by the Fender Rhodes work of Chick Corea – easily some of the noisiest sounds the instrument ever produced! Miles plays trumpet, and Wayne Shorter's on soprano and tenor sax – on titles that include "Directions", "Spanish Key", "Masqualero", "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down", "Bitches Brew", and "It's About That Time/Willie Nelson". CD

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A really great set – loads of his classic work for Atlantic Records – plus unusual other bits too, including early work recorded as Ronnie & The Delinquents, Morgus & The 3 Ghouls, and as Mac Rebennack! CD

Notable sidemen include Serge Chaloff, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Buddy Rich, Max Roach, and Specs Goldberg. CD

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Massive music from Ella Fitzgerald – 4CDs worth of sublime small group recordings – all of them live, and all of them previously unissued! The set follows the same format of the Verve Ella In Hollywood album – recorded in a small club setting, with combo backing that really lets Fitzgerald open up and swing – inflecting the tunes with the kind of warmth and spontaneity that she brought to her famous live performances of the time – which were almost always more compelling than her studio sides, no matter how great those were too! The first 3CDs feature material from two weeks' worth of recording in May of 1961 – with backing from Jim Hall on guitar, Lou Levy on piano, Wilfred Middlebrooks on bass, and Gus Johnson on drums – and CD four features Ella returning to Hollywood for two more nights in 1962, with trio backing from Paul Smith on piano, Middlebrooks on bass, and Stan Levey on drums. There's a massive 77 tracks in all – handsomely package in a hardcover 7" square book – which also features beautiful color pages inside, lots of notes on the music, and design that's every bit as groovy as the old albums on Verve. Titles include "Joe Williams' Blues", "It's De-Lovely", "Lorelei", "I Can't Get Started", "Round Midnight", "Perdido", "Little White Lies", "Lover Come Back To Me", "Across The Alley From The Alamo", "Love For Sale", "Exactly Like You", "Mack The Knife", "Teach Me Tonight", "My Kind Of Boy", "It Had To Be You", "Hard Hearted Hannah", "All Of Me", and "Too Darn Hot/Ella's Twist". And, in case you're wondering, there's almost no repetition in the set at all – all discreet, unique tunes – not just the sort of rehash you might get in other concert box sets of this nature! CD

A rare treat from soulful reed player Sonny Fortune – a session recorded in 1987 in New York, but only ever issued by the Japanese Why Not label. Fortune's alto has this incredibly sharp tone – searching and yearning with a sound that's as great as that heard on any of his 70s recordings. The group's a quartet with Renee Rosnes on piano – but the real talents on the record are Sonny's, as he spiritually blows his way through original compositions like "Real Knowing", "Space In Time", and "5/4 Train", plus an incredible reading of Bronislaw Kaper's "Invitation". CD

Paolo Fresu on trumpet and flugelhorn, Richard Galliano on accordion and bandoneon, and Jan Lundgren on piano. CD

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Features Tord Gustavsen on piano, Harald Johnsen on bass, and Jarle Vespestad on drums! CD

Ensemble includes Tore Brunborg on tenor & soprano sax, Kristin Asbjornsen on vocals, Tord Gustavsen on piano, Mats Eilertsen on bass and Jarle Vespestad on drums. CD

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A larger suite of tracks by Abdullah Ibrahim – performed by a core trio that includes Belden Bullock on bass and George Gray on drums, plus additional orchestral backing arranged by Daniel Schnyder. The feel of the album's quite different than some of Ibrahim's other work – less rhythmically-focused, and more concerned with sound, shape, and tone – in a way that's incredibly captivating, and which makes us love Ibrahim's music even more. Titles include "Mindif", "The Call", "Barakaat", "Aspen", "Tintinyana", "Tsakwe", and "Blanton". CD

Keith Jarrett in our favorite side of his talents – playing the long, improvised style that first made him a breakthrough artist on ECM in the 70s – and which still remains one of his most important contributions to the history of jazz! Even later years, Jarrett's sense of imagination on the keys is amazing – and here, you'll hear very few echoes of other improvisations – long tracks that show that Keith is always able to create spontaneously, at a level that few others can match – especially as he never goes too far outside, or seems to lose a sense of melody in his music. The work is divided up into shorter passages – the older Jarrett sometimes needs a break on the keys, but never in his cognition – and as with other concert recordings of this type, the encores are older standards – "Answer Me My Love" and "It's A Lonesome Old Town" – but both given a very free, open Keith Jarrett approach! CD

Magical solo work from pianist Keith Jarrett – a set that's comprised almost entirely of standards, similar to some of the better-known trio recordings in this format by the artist – and which has Jarrett playing in this really evocative way that definitely lives up to the title! The solo performances aren't nearly as open or longform as his other recordings without any other players – melodies are intact throughout – but Keith does really have a way of opening up the songs, and almost making them sound like these very fragile, very personal poems that spin from his fingers on the keys of the piano. Titles include "Don't Ever Leave Me", "I Loves You Porgy", "Blame It On My Youth", "Meditation", "Something To Remember You By", and "I'm Through With Love". CD

Solid and creatively diverse 70s soul from Margie Joseph – 5 full albums together in a nice 5CD box set from Warner UK! Starting with the first Atlantic album from Margie Joseph – a great second generation southern soul singer who really helped the label find a new sound in the 70s – and including each of the next 4 albums – a wealth of classic Margie! Each of the original albums – Margie Joseph, Sweet Surrender, Margie, Hear The Worlds, Feel The Feeling and Feeling My Way – in slim LP like sleeves. CD

Heavenly piano from Anita Kerr – recorded in a warm, wonderful studio setting! Titles include "Night Beach", "Happy Cat", "Popcatepetl", "The Ever Constant Sea", and "Two Moods". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing music from one of the greatest reed players ever – complete with a hefty booklet too! CD

Lee Konitz on alto and Frank Wunsch on piano. CD

The classic late 70s double live album from Little Feat! Their reputation as one of the great live acts of that decade or any other is realized beautifully here – the band playing off of each other masterfully, and they're just as sharp vocally – but what's most impressive is how they manage to expand upon the studio versions of the songs and jam a bit, too. A seriously impressive set – and truly one of the more essential live albums of the late 70s by anyone! Includes "Join The Band", "Fat Man In The Bathtub", "All That You Dream", "Day Or Night", "Spanish Moon", "Dixie Chicken", "A Apolitical Blues", "Sailin Shoes", "Feats Don't Fail Me Now" and more, plus lots of outtakes – 27 tracks in all. CD

Beautiful brown-eyed soul from the Ohio scene of the 70s – just the sort of record you might have expected to hear from East LA or Spanish Harlem back in the day – but even more amazing to come from Cleveland! The group are a Latin combo at the core, but they've soaked up plenty of soul influences from the late 60s and early 70s – bringing in bits of harmony soul, funk, and other hip touches to really expand their groove – in ways that are similar to the changes Joe Bataan and his contemporaries were going through at the time! There's a few funky instrumentals that get nicely tripped out, offset with some wonderful mellow soul numbers, and a few straighter Latin bits – all of which show a really amazing range for the group. As usual, Numero does a great job of bringing their whole story to light through the great notes – but even without them, we're plenty happy with the music on the set! Titles include "Loving You", "To Be Sure", "Here We Go Again", "Cold Wine", "Trivialities", "Just Call Me", and "Listen People". CD

Features Branford Marsalis on saxophones, Joey Calderazzo on piano, Eric Revis on bass, and Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums. CD

A sweet little Stereo Action set from Ray Martin, recorded with a very dynamic edge – hence the title! The feel here is a bit in the Esquivel mode – with orchestrations that swing all over the map, and use the stereo recording technology to their best advantage. And although Ray's perhaps a bit more sedate than Juan Garcia, lots of the tunes have some interesting instrumentation that keeps things interesting – sly little bits that sneak in under the radar, and crop up in the song to jazz things up a bit! Titles include "Mood Indigo", "Cry Me A River", "Bye Bye Blues", "Humoresque", "The Moon Was Yellow", and "Pagan Love Song". LP, Vinyl record album

Pat Metheny on guitar with Steve Rodby on bass, Antonio Sanchez on drums, Richard Bona on guitar and percussion, Gregoire Maret on harmonica, David Samuels on percussion, Lyle Mays on piano and xylophone, and Cuong Vu on whistle and trumpet. CD

A record that documents a meeting of two giants of modern jazz in the 50s – the angular genius Thelonious Monk, and the younger John Coltrane – a tenor player who was probably better-known for his work with Miles Davis during this period! The recordings are more Monk's than Coltrane's – Monk was signed to Riverside at the time – and the set mixes in three quartet tracks that have the pair working with Wilbur Ware on bass and Shadow Wilson on drums – plus two more from the sessions for the famous Monk's Music record – alternate takes from those sessions, with a larger group that features Gigi Gryce on alto, Coleman Hawkins on additional tenor, and Ray Copeland on trumpet! Quartet tracks include "Ruby My Dear", "Trinkle Trinkle", and "Nutty" – with the larger group on alternates of "Off Minor" and "Epistrophy" – and a solo performance by Monk on an alternate of "Functional". CD

A stellar live jazz trio effort led by drummer Paul Motian – and what a trio he leads, with Chris Potter on tenor sax and the always wonderful Jason Moran on piano – one of the better new ECM albums in years! The material was captured in February of '09 at the Village Vanguard, NYC – with frequent collaborators Motian & Potter working exceptionally well with Moran, which we'd have had to expect given Moran's versatility and respect for his peers and inspirations. Most of the material here keeps you rapt in loose, delicate and quiet inteplay with some more feverish solos and mostly Motian compositions. Titles include "Mode VI", "Casino", "Lost In A Dream", "Blue Midnight", "Be Careful It's My Heart", "Birdsong", "Ten", "Abacus" and "Cathedral Song". CD

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You'll be hard pressed to find a better collection of Charlie Parker's classic work! Not only does the set include all of the legendary Dial Records sides – which have been compiled elsewhere, but not as beautifully as here – but it also contains all of Bird's great recordings for Savoy, excellent tracks from the classic years, often poorly packaged over the years, but here part of a really wonderful set! This thing's got to be seen to be believed – as it's got a spiral notebook containing 8 CDs, with a slipcase for a big book that features loads of photos, notes on the session, and voluminous liner notes commissioned for the package. Plus, in addition to master and alternate takes of all the Dial and Savoy recordings, you'll also get sides recorded with Dizzy Gillespie for the Guild, Bel-Tone, and Comet labels! Wonderful stuff, and a great gift – for yourself! CD

A now-legendary set from the Philadelphia underground at the start of the century – a package that reminds us just how much great music has always been going on in the city, often far from the mainstream! This set corrected that fact, by bringing together a trio of three genre-stepping musicians – drummer Questlove, jazz bassist Christian McBride, and keyboardist Uri Caine, who plays some great Fender Rhodes and Hammond B-3 on the set! The core grooves are by the trio, working together in a way that's not that different from the freestyle funk of Medeski, Martin, & Wood back when they used to care a bit more about the groove – and the group's joined on a few tracks by guests, including Pat Martino on guitar, Jon Swana on trumpet, and Larry Gold on cello. The best cuts on the set have a hard beat underneath, warm rolling basslines, and washes of keyboards over the top to keep things nice and sweet. Titles include "The Miles Hit", "Call For All Demons", "Grover", "Ain't It The Truth", "Mister Magic", "Philadelphia Freedom", and "Lesson #4". CD

Material from one of the first-ever films to feature Elvis on screen! CD

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Lovely work from Tabu Ley, aka Rochereau – a singer who definitely earns the "voice of lightness" title on this set! Tabu's style isn't light in a soft of mellow way – but it's got a wonderfully floating sort of quality – a way of staying on top of the percussion and guitars that back him up on the tunes, but always with a sense of depth and feeling. The approach is tremendous – and Ley's singing has a way of going beyond language in its appeal – bringing you in, even though you don't know the meaning of the lyrics. Backings are by African Jazz, African Fiesta, Afrisa International, ad Onanza – and the 2CD set features 29 tracks from the 60s and 70s – supported by a 44 page booklet of notes! Titles include "Pesa Le Tout", "Kelya", "KJ", "Christine", "Ana Mokoy", "Kasala", "Nzale", "Omanga", "Mongali", "Aon Aon", "Adeito", "Yombe", and "Kaful Mayay". CD

A great audio documentary of a really mindblowing film – one that captures the Rolling Stones at that key late 60s point when they were stepping into really sinister territory – playing in a very vivid setting, along with some of their key up-and-coming contemporaries on the scene! The whole thing builds up with the energy of a circus – the Stones are last, and there's a growing mix of performers introduced by various members of the band – really presented in a carnivalesque array, before the lead act comes in and knocks it out of the park. The set features a killer early version of "A Quick One While He's Away" by The Who – maybe one of the high points of the set – plus "Song For Jeffrey" by Jethro Tull, Whole Lotta Yoko" by Yoko Ono & The Dirty Mac (John Lennon), "Ain't That A Lot Of Love" by Taj Mahal, and "Something Better" by Marianne Faithfull. The Rolling Stones round things out with performances of "Sympathy For The Devil", "Parachute Woman", "Jumpin Jack Flash", "Salt Of The Earth", "No Expectations", and "You Can't Always Get What You Want". CD

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A massive document of some of the most important years in the career of Nina Simone – her mid 60s recordings for Philips Records, done at a time when she was really breaking out into a new style! The Philips sides perfectly capture all of the turbulent energy of the times – as Nina, not content to simply be a jazz singer, uses bits of folk, soul, and other American styles to expand her sound tremendously. The work is incredibly righteous – extremely powerful material that forever changed not only the sound of jazz vocals, but also the role of the female singer in American music. This beautiful package features 4 CDs, a 56 page book, and is set in a great slipcase that really looks wonderful. The set contains 75 tracks in all – the entirety of the albums Nina Simone In Concert, Broadway Blues Ballads, I Put A Spell On You, Pastel Blues, Let It All Out, Four Women, and High Priestess Of Soul – and it also features the bonus track "Monster". CD

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A stunner – and one of Clark Terry's finest moments ever! The record has a rawness and groove that you'd hardly expect from his later albums – no surprise, though, considering that it was cut during that really hip time at Emarcy, when the label was working in a mode that was darker and more challenging than many of the smaller labels at the time. Credit is also due to arranger Quincy Jones – who pulls together a group that includes Horace Silver, Jimmy Cleveland, Cecil Payne, and Art Blakey, all into a fiercely grooving sound that recalls some of his most adventurous work of the 50s. The album kicks off with the stunning "Swahili", a tune that will instantly make you happy you bought the record – and other tracks include "Coop", "Chuckles", "Tuma", "Kitten", and "The Countess". CD

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A far-reaching album by Caetano – with a wide scope of sounds and influences, from tribal/ethnic percussion, to subtle jazzy backdrops, to guitar-driven numbers that hint at a brief return to rock music. The rich tapestry of themes and images are perfectly linked by Veloso's always-wonderful voice – impeccably rich-toned, with a sound that only seems to get better with age. To us, the record's his first really striking album since 1997's Livro – although it's got a lot more subtlety, in the manner of some of his mid 70s work, like Bicho or Joia. Titles include "Michelangelo Antonioni", "Zera A Reza", "13 De Maio", "Zumbi", "Meu Rio", and "Sou Seu Sabia". CD

The music of Weather Report, served up by that group's legendary bassist Miroslav Vitous – but at a level that's quite different than the original! There's definitely lots of Weather Report-like elements at play here – not just Miroslav's bass and keyboards, but also the kind of wide-edged approach to fusion that the group had – that way of making your stereo feel as if it was somehow encompassing an extra 90 degrees of the spatial spectrum in the way the instruments come together! Yet the music here is also a lot more freewheeling, too – almost improvisations based on Weather Report themes – stepping "out" much more than that group ever did – save maybe on some of their more brooding live moments – which makes the whole thing way more than just a rehash of older songs. The group's a sextet – with Gary Campbell and Roberto Bonisolo on soprano and tenor saxes, Aydin Esen on keyboards, and both Gerald Cleaver and Nasheet Waits on drums – on titles that include "Birdland Variations", "Pinocchio", "Acrobat Issues", "Morning Lake", "Scarlet Woman Variations", and "Seventh Arrow". CD

A stunner from the legendary living ghost that is Scott Walker – possibly the most archly dramatic, unique and strangely alluring work he's ever done! Since Scott Walker albums have become once per decade events, a lot more is at stake with each one, and it's nothing short of amazing that he manages to get more and more exciting with each effort. The Drift finds Scott tackling obscure historical drama, his pop-operatic vibrato as chilling as ever – backed up by his long-relied upon backdrop of string arrangements, guitars, drums and keys – along with (way) off-kilter percussion. But the sounds made with those tried-and-true materials are often unprecedented, from Scott or anyone else on the planet. The voice wails with authority, the backing is often quiet and subtle until the ever-approaching gail swoops in and carries you away. We could probably write a book about this album (and someone undoubtably will) – so we'll leave you to pick it up and experience it for yourself! Tracks include "Cossacks Are", "Clara", "Jesse", "Jolson And Jones", "Cue", "Hand Me Ups", "Buzzers", "Psoriatic", "The Escape" and "A Lover Loves". CD

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Tracks from The Night Crawlers, Alison Limerick, De'Lacy, M People, Strike, Jinny, Happy Clappers, The Original, Urban Cookie Collective, Felix, Jaydee, and more. CD

Includes music by Gotan Project, Gary Burton, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Caceres, Astor Piazzolla, and others. CD

An incredible document of a key genre in 50s jazz on record – the jam session tradition, recorded beautifully for Verve records by the legendary Norman Granz! The idea of a jam session was nothing new at the time, of course, but it was mostly a live phenomenon – known to players from concerts and club dates, or presented on vinyl by Granz, in his celebrated Jazz At The Philharmonic sessions. These dates mark a move into the studio by Granz – one that captures the same sort of energy and unique pairings of musicians that went down in the live sessions, with the added benefit of studio technology to make the work sound even clearer, and more intimate. The 5CD set brings together all 9 Jam Session albums – packaged beautifully in a slipcase with original album cover art, and a full 72 page booklet on the musicians, sessions, and titles included. Players include nearly everyone who might have worked for Verve in the 50s – Benny Carter, Charlie Parker, Johnny Hodges, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Buddy DeFranco, and countless others – and titles include "Jam Blues", "Funky Blues", "Apple Jam", "Blues For The Count", "Jamming For Clef", "Rose Room", "Blue Lou", and "Lullaby In Rhythm" – all in very long versions! CD

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Includes 30 tracks by Leroy & The Continentals, Herbert Woolfolk & The Rocketts, The Velvetones, Jerry Grimes, Weyman Parham, Jerry Lynn, The Hepcats, Gene Morris, and others. CD

A fantastic introduction to one of the most confusing British styles of the 70s – the huge pub rock moment that preceded punk, and which offered up a stripped-down approach to the music that helped set the scene for plenty of later changes to come! The name is a bit tricky to explain – much of these bands did play pubs and smaller venues, but they also represented a shift amidst the rising tide of arena rock and overblown concept albums – artists who were maybe getting back to basics with tight, sharp songcraft, and the kind of hooks that first made rock and roll so great in the first place – but also served up with all the sense of variety that had crept into the music from the start! There are a few big names that have always been associated with pub rock – but this set is the first we've seen to really showcase the true scope of the music – with 71 tracks in a nice slipcase with detailed notes - work by Chris Spedding, Moon, Legend, Wild Angels, Dr Feelgood, Flip City, Byzantium, Razorbacks, Chaz & Dave, Fox, Count Bishops, Mott The Hoople, Ducks Deluxe, Kiburn & The High Roads, National Flag, Jona Lewie, Roogalator, Deep Feeling, Status Quo, Steve Ellis, STray, The Pirats, Squeeze, Merton Parkas, Inmates, Ian Gomm, and many others! CD

Seminal work from one of the hippest big bands of the 70s – the legendary ensemble led by pianist Toshiko Akioshi and reedman Lew Tabackin! The group marks a huge shift for Akiyoshi – a move away from the more bop-inflected small combo work of earlier years, into a rich new role as a composer and arranger – one who comes up with fantastic charts for the ensemble, filled with color, tone, and a great sense of swing! Tabackin's reeds are great too – always handled with bold lines, and a strongly visionary sound – and other players on the dates include Bill Perkins and Gary Foster on saxes, Bobby Shew and Ron Raider on trumpets, Britt Woodman and Charlie Loper on trombones, Don Baldwin on bass, and Peter Donald on drums. The 3CD set features 5 albums in all – Kogun, Long Yellow Road, Tales Of A Courtesan, Insights, and March Of The Tadpoles – and titles include "Elegy", "American Ballad", "Henpecked Old Man", "Opus Number Zero", "Since Perry/Yet Another Tear", "Strive For Jive", "Village", "Studio J", "Mobile", "Deracinated Flower", and "Notorious Tourist From The East". CD

A sweet little album of funky instrumental guitar! The record's one of the most obscure on the Westbound label – and it features guitar player Donald Austin going to town on 13 short little cuts with a tripped-out funky groove – sometimes fuzzy, usually funky, and always with that heavier kind of sound you'd expect from Westbound in the early 70s! Austin's guitar is very much in the mode of Eddie Fisher, Eddie Senay, or other kicked-back jazz funk players from his generation – an approach that's probably got a bit of Hendrix somewhere back in the mix, but which is more focused on the tighter side of the funk and soul instrumental spectrum! The album's like finding a stash of rare funky 45s – loads of great short tracks with titles that include "Sex Plot", "Crazy Legs", "You Want It, You Got It", "Side Saddle", "Nanzee", "Pea Shooter", "Do Me Right", and "Shake Your Head". CD

One of the best debuts in the history of hip hop – and one of the most important albums the genre ever produced! Criminal Minded is a landmark for a number of reasons. Among the biggest is, of course, that it was recorded with the late great DJ Scott La Rock – and he was soon to fall prey to the very street violence that BDP documented with such raw brilliance by KRS-One. Importance aside, Criminal Minded is simply a great, timeless record that no true fan of gritty classic hip hop should be without. The track list alone is a full chapter in the hip hop book of legends – with tunes like "Poetry", "Elementary", "South Bronx", "Super-Hoe", "Bridge is Over", and the "P is Free" remix. Also includes "Criminal Minded", "Dope Beat", and "9mm Goes Bang". CD

Beautiful sounds from Joanna Brouk – an artist who was sometimes lost amidst the new age scene of the 80s, but one who's got a much deeper, more intellectual approach overall! True, Brouk's music does have a certain meditative spirit – but she also was a student of Terry Riley and Robert Ashley, and drank deep of the new compositional spirit of the time – especially in the work of Riley, which is often reflected here, but in a more contemplative way than his own recordings. Music sometimes features a core line on flute, opening up and unfolding slowly – and there's also some nice piano, and even a bit of conch shell and Orca sounds too. Double-length set features the usual strong Numero Group level of notes and history – and contains 22 tracks in all, some of which were only ever issued on cassette! CD

A lovely album from the legendary Terry Callier – another spacious set of gorgeously composed soul for Mr. Bongo! Lookin' Out was largely recorded in the Chicago area, with players that sit in with Terry in his residences at the Green Mill, and the easy, jazzy feel reflects it. What really makes the album special, though, is the return to the mesmerizing, hypnotic style of songs that Terry pioneered in the mid-to-late sixties. Terry's voice and phrasings are as great as ever – and the backings are often acoustic and quite mellow, built around sweet guitar, bass, light strings, synth and horns. This record hearkens to his contemplative records for Cadet as well as, if not more, than his other recent efforts, and you really outta know by now that that's the Terry groove we love most! 17 tracks in all: "Jazz, My Rhythm & Blues", "Midnite Mile", "Africa Now", "Lookin' Out", "Stripper", "Blues For Billie Holiday", "What About Me", and "Faithful". CD

Warm, laidback work from drummer Jimmy Cobb – an album that features the famous drummer working with a mellow group that includes Roy Hargrove on trumpet and Russell Malone on guitar! Bassist John Webber is also in the quartet – greatly understated, compared to other albums – and the main interplay here is between Hargrove's spaciously-blown lines, and Malone's slow-burning and chromatic sounds. The set list is mostly ballads – and titles include "Emily", "Stairway To The Stars", "I Had The Craziest Dream", "Remembering U", "If Ever I Would Leave Again", and "With You I'm Born Again". CD

Steve Coleman on alto sax – with Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet, Malik Mezzadri on flute and vocals, Anthony Tidd on electric bass, Reggie Washington on acoustic bass, and Sean Rickman on drums. CD

31 tracks from Hank Crawford, Hank Crawford with the Marty Paich Orchestra, and Hank Crawford with Ray Charles, David Newman, Jimmy McGriff, BB King, and Etta James. CD

Legendary early work from trumpeter Miles Davis – late 40s sessions for Capitol Records that are completely different than the bop material he was cutting with Charlie Parker and on his own! Instead, these sides have Miles working with a complex, more arranged style – built up with a young Gil Evans, in a mode that prefaces the later famous recordings the pair would make in the late 50s for Columbia. Here, the tracks are shorter, but beautifully blend bop ideas with fuller arrangements – and Davis blows alongside other key young modernists in a variety of larger groups – with work from Lee Konitz on alto, Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax, JJ Johnson and Kai Winding on trombones, Al Haig and John Lewis on piano, and Kenny Clarke and Max Roach on drums. Mulligan contributed plenty, too – his ideas on an overall sound definitely helped shape these sides – and the record's go on to legendary status – even though it's very different than most other Miles Davis from the time. Titles include "Godchild", "Jeru", "Move", "Venus De Milo", "Budo", and "Deception". This "complete" package follows up the core tracks with live material recorded at the Royal Roost, even before the original studio sessions – in a group that features Mike Zwerin on trombone with Konitz, Mulligan, Lewis, and Roach – plus a bit of vocals from Kenny Pacho Hagood. Titles include "Darn That Dream", "Moon Dreams", "S'Il Vou Plait", "Move", "Birth Of The Cool Theme", "Godchild", and "Budo". CD

Thelonious Monk may have written the title tune, but Miles Davis makes it all his own here – blowing with a subtle moody magic that makes the album one of his true treasures from the early Columbia Records years! John Coltrane's along on tenor sax – helping Davis expand the sound the pair first forged on Prestige – and also present is the rhythm trio of Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – impeccably recorded here with a wonderful sense of space, and almost a bridge between older Miles modes, and the genius to come. Titles include Miles seminal take on "Round Midnight", plus "Tadd's Delight", "Dear Old Stockholm", "Bye Bye Blackbird", and "A Leu Cha". The first disc also features 4 bonus tracks too – "Sweet Sue", "Little Melonae", "Budo", and "Two Bass Hit". The second disc are live recordings from '55 and '56. CD

Spacey piano work from Jordan De La Sierra – material that's clearly informed by the 60s experiments of La Monte Young and Terry Riley, but which also has a more open, spiritual quality too! The piano has a nice sense of tuning – one that's almost watery at points – and Jordan's in no rush to let the notes unfold, as he often waits for one to resonate out before starting the next – which creates this very spacious, meditative quality throughout – a mode that's also inspired by Indian music, but much more laidbck and North California! The package reproduces the original 2LP set – complete with artwork and original notes. CD

Two post-CTI gems from Deodato – back to back on a single CD! Whirlwinds is sweet keyboard soul from Deodato – a set that steps off nicely from the strengths of his big hits on CTI, hitting a similarly flowing groove that's really great! The instrumentation here is a bit more expanded than before, but never in a way that buries the keyboards – and Deodato's right out front on a range of electric keys that get some great support from John Tropea's finely-honed work on guitar! Titles include "Havana Strut", "Whirlwinds", "West 42nd Street", and a nice cover of Steely Dan's "Do It Again". And heck, even the album's version of Glen Miller's "Moonlight Serenade" manages to come off like a funk tune! Artistry is a live set from Deodato – but one that's very much in the mode of his best CTI studio sessions – with soaring, over the top keyboard work that's totally great – backed by some tightly compressed guitar, bass, and drums, with just enough funk in the mix to keep things interesting! As with other Deodato records from the time, there's a mix of moods here that comes together nicely – a range that goes past his easy hits, and shows Deodato to be one of the hippest, most soulful keyboard talents of his generation. Titles include a great version of "Super Strut" that grooves for over 8 minutes, and which has some firey guitar that really competes with Deodato's work on the keys – and other tracks include "Farewell To A Friend", "Pavane For A Dead Princess", "Rio Sangre", and "Jivin". CD

A great live set from the early years of Bob Dylan's long recording career. Titles include "Spanish Harlem Incident", "Hard Rain's Gonna Fall", "Silver Dagger", "With God On Our Side", "Talkin World War III Blues", "Don't Think Twice", "Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll", and lots more! CD

Great material from Dylan's late career resurgence including some live tracks and a well curated set of outtakes from the sessions for Oh Mercy, Time Out Of Mind, and Modern Times. CD

Both albums packaged together with a snappy slipcase! CD

A wealth of piano trio material from the west coast scene of the 50s and early 60s – tracks pulled not only from long-lost albums by pianists Russ Freeman, Richard Twardzik, Jimmy Rowles, and Clare Fischer – but also even more obscure recordings that only appeared on Pacific Jazz collections! The scope of the package is really tremendous – as it begins with some of the first Pacific Jazz trio sides by Russ Freeman and Richard Twardzik – both done during their years with Chet Baker – then runs through Jimmy Rowles' full album Rare But Well (recorded for Liberty in 1954), a variety of shorter trio sessions by Freeman and Rowles, and Clare Fischer's early trio sides – First Time Out (1962) and Surging Ahead (1963). And as always with Mosaic, the whole thing's incredibly well done – put together with tremendous care in both the mastering and notes, so that the whole thing's not just some happy accident in jazz. 51 tracks, 3CDs, and beautiful throughout! CD

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A fantastic statement from pianist Vijay Iyer – an album recorded with a sextet who really seem to help the artist leap forward strongly with a more spiritual vision than ever before! The group is great – with Graham Haynes on cornet, Mark Shim on tenor, Steve Lehman on alto, Stephan Crump on bass, and Tyshawn Sorey on drums – and in addition to boldly-phrased work on acoustic piano, Iyer also plays some Fender Rhodes – used in more spacious ways that are extremely beautiful, and which we find far more soulful than some of his more abstract use of electronics! The set's quite a surprise – both for ECM and Iyer – and titles include "Poles", "Far From Over", "End Of The Tunnel", "Down To The Wire", "For Amiri Baraka", and "Thrednody". CD

A wonderful presentation of this incredible live material from Keith Jarrett – some of his most important solo piano recordings ever, on a par with the classic Koln Concert album, or his performances in the Sun Bear box set! Jarrett's at his warmest and most lyrical here – spinning out these amazing long lines on piano with an incredible sense of vision – never too self-indulgent, nor too noodling – and always with an ear for tuneful moments that appear quite often along his musical journey! Much of the work is untitled – save for "part 1" or "part 2" – indicating that it was created on the spot, in a really magical moment of improvisation – and even the few tunes with titles feel as if they're just being written then – discovered by Jarrett deep in the musical heart that informs his best moments. 3CD set features the two part Bregenz performance, with encores of "Untitled" and "Heartland" – and the four part "Munchen", with the additon of "Heartland" and "Mon Coeur Est Rouge". CD

A killer 2CD set of funky grooves by one of the best backing bands ever! The JBs were James Brown's legendary combo during his monster funk years of the early 70s – and this well-selected compilation brings together 30 rare tracks from their best years! The set's got a great set of notes – and it stretches beyond work by the JBs alone to include cuts from other groupings of the band, like Maceo & The Macks, The Last Word, The First Family, and The New JBs. Titles include "Rockin Funky Watergate", "Keep On Bumpin Before You Give Out Of Gas", "Soul Power 74", "My Brother (parts 1 & 2)", "The Grunt (parts 1 & 2)", "Dirty Harri", "More Peas", "Watermelon Man", "Givin Up Food For Funk (parts 1 & 2)", "JB Shout", "Blessed Blackness", "Same Beat (parts 1, 2, & 3)", and "Gimme Some More (Very Live)". Nice nice nice – and with a fair number of non-LP tracks! CD