Sharp sounds from guitarist Jim Hall – a record that's filled with all the cool, complicated lines the musician could muster on his instrument – yet a record that also manages to swing a bit too! The sound here is a great evolution from the sound of Hall's music in the 50s – even more modern at most moments, with unique phrasing that shows just how much Jim continued to grow over the decades – delivered at a level that's very fresh, and without a debt to any other guitarist on the planet! Part of the album's unique feel comes from the large amount of original Hall compositions – interpreted by Jim with a trio that also features Don Thompson on piano and bass and Terry Clarke on drums – on titles that include "Kyoto Bells", "Echo", "Without Words", "Light", "Something For Now", and "Two Special People". LP, Vinyl record album

A set recorded in Tokyo, but one that has the great Chet Baker working with players from the Dutch and American scenes – all coming together in a quartet session that's maybe one of the strongest records from Chet's later years! The material was recorded live – and Chet's got a surprisingly strong bite on his horn at times – very different than the wispier modes of European sessions from earlier in the decade – perhaps in part because of the superb rhythmic accompaniment he gets from Harold Danko on piano, Hein Van De Geyn on bass, and John Engels on drums! And as with all these late recordings, the shift in Chet's style is wonderful – even at times when he was "lost" to so many, he's still a master of phrasing – coming up with all these new modes of expression that are so different than his classic work – on long tracks that stretch out beautifully. Titles include "Arborway", "Broken Wing", "Four", "I'm A Fool To Want You", and "Seven Steps To Heaven". LP, Vinyl record album

Late work from Chet Baker, but great work too – and sounds that have Baker returning to an incredibly strong sense of force in the final year of his life! We love some of Chet's records from earlier in the decade, but many of those are a bit laidback – kind of a beautiful exploration of space and lanquidity. But here, Baker's got a hell of a fire – blowing crisp notes that are given a wonderful drive from a quartet that features Harold Danko on piano, Hein Van De Geyn on bass, and John Engels on drums! Chet sings a bit, but the real showcase is his trumpet work – superb, and maybe still at the top of the range of trumpeters working at the time on the planet – on titles that include "Portrait In Black & White", "Stella By Starlight", "For Minors Only", and "My Funny Valentine" – plus a nice reading of the Elvis Costello tune "Almost Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Terence Blanchard on trumpet, Donald Harrison on alto, Jean Toussaint on tenor, Tim Williams on trombone, Lonnie Plaxico on bass, and Mulgrew Miller on piano! CD

An excellent recent album from modernist trumpet giant Ted Curson! The set was recorded in Japan – in a very respectful format that has Curson exploring a number of different idioms from previous years. The best tracks are long drawn out numbers with a modal/modern groove – Curson's solo work augmented by some great soprano, alto, and flute solos by Mark Gross. A few of the tracks have Curson playing in a style that's oddly more in a funky soul jazz mode – featuring Ted doing versions of "Watermelon Man" and "Flip Flop & Fly", both with vocals! Other tracks include "Reava's Waltz", "Song Of The Lonely One", "Flatted Fifth", "Tears For Dolpy", "Lin's Garden", and his classic "Quicksand". CD

Features Gene Shimosato, Ravi Coltrane, Takuya Nakamura, Lonnie Plaxico, and Tony Moreno. CD

Billy Pierce on tenor sax, Donald Brown on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Billy Drummond on drums. CD

Inventive percussion and amazing bass work – plus a host of other interesting elements as well – all wrapped up beautifully in this unique collaboration between Isao Suzuki and Masahiko Togashi! Both players were some of the most creative of the mainstream Japanese scene of the 70s – Togashi a drummer who'd often go out, but still maintain a sense of soul – and Suzuki a bassist who often used variations of his instrument that were a bit unusual, and which did way more than simple rhythm work! Here, Isao's working with cello, piccolo bass, and regular bass – in addition to piano and percussion – and Togashi plays lots more percussion, and a bit of keyboards too – as both players mix up instrumentation in these sensitive shadings of sound and color that are almost a Japanese equivalent of the best ECM experiments of the 70s. Tunes are all as poetic as they sound from the titles – and titles include "A Day Of The Sun", "Birth Of Yellow Eggs", "Silvery Flash", and "Awakening Of The Fresh Green". LP, Vinyl record album

Two side-long improvised tracks – recorded in a spacious concert hall in Tokyo, and featuring the drums and percussion of Masahiko Togashi alongside some very inventive work on guitar from Masayuki Takayanagi! Togashi is very different than the usual jazz drummer – and even when working the kit, has this way of moving forward, then stopping, moving forward, then turning – almost as if he's trying to be as a-rhythmic as possible! Takayanagi's guitar is a great accompaniment in this mood – as he plays with these unusual sonic elements – almost in the school of Derek Bailey or Fred Frith, but even more tentative than both of them – really matching the quality of the drums, at a level that makes for extremely sensitive improvisation throughout. Titles include "Inner Pulsation" and "Outer Pulsation". LP, Vinyl record album

Dusko Goykovich on trumpet, Peter Mihelich on piano, Yasuhiko Sato on bass, and Mashiko Osaka on drums. CD

Misako Kano on piano, Thomas Chapin on alto sax and flute, Ron McClure on bass, and Jeff Williams on drums. CD

Joe Chambers on drums and vibes, Ronnie Mathews on piano, and Eddie Gomez on bass. CD

Features Takashi Furuya on alto and soprano sax, Kenny Barron on piano, Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass, and Winard Harper on drums. CD

Dusko Goykovich on trumpet and flugelhorn with Yutaka Shina on piano, Shin Kamimura on bass, and Masahiko Osaka on drums. CD

Alto genius Lee Konitz blows a bit of tenor and soprano here – working in a variety of groups, with help from Bill Frisell on guitar, Peggy Stern on piano, Gerry Mulligan on baritone, Helen Merrill on vocals, Jimmy Giuffre on clarinet, and Clark Terry on trumpet! CD

With John Scofield, Clark Terry, Gerry Mulligan, Toots Thielemans, and Mark Feldman – plus Sheila Jordan on vocals. CD

Yoshiyuki Yamanaka on tenor sax, Keiichi Yoshida on piano, Teiji Sasaki on bass, and Ysaushi Hiroe on drums. CD

Duets between AACM legend Lester Bowie – who plays trumpet – and Ino – who plays bass and synthesizer. The tracks have a spare, spacious feel – recalling some of the duet projects on ECM from the same time. Titles include "Fela Ellen David", "Kami Fusen", "Moon Over Bourbon Street", "Wishful Thinkin", and "Three Legged Race". LP, Vinyl record album

With Jack McDuff on organ, Al Harewood and Keith Copeland on drums, Kenny Barron on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Joshua Breakstone on guitar. CD