Features selections from Albert Chevalier, Clifton Chenier, Peter King & Hebert, McZiel & Gernger, and Willie Green. CD

Harry Allen on tenor saxophone, Russell Malone on guitar, Benny Green on piano, and Peter Washington on bass. CD

A trio of modern talents, working beautifully together on a set of extended live tracks! The group features guitar from Peter Bernstein, Hammond from Larry Goldings, and drums from Bill Stewart – coming together in ways that remind us of the hipper side of 60s organ combos – those moments when Grant Green and Larry Young really opened things up with a long-flowing groove! There's still a nice undercurrent of soul in the mix, but the rhythms are relatively free and unfettered too – moving forth with energy that might be called modal by some, but which is even less constricted by a simple tag like that – more just pure, beautiful waves of sound from both the organ and guitar. Titles include "The Danger Zone", "Milestones", "Just A Thought", "Molto Molto", and "Chant". CD

Anat Cohen on clarinet, Benny Green on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums. CD

The album that brought the excellent, but heretofore underappreciated duo of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks into the band – and pretty much changed the fabric of 70s rock! Older fans of the Peter Green and Bob Welch Brit blues eras of Fleetwood Mac may have been in for a shock initially, but this really is one of the best unpretentious pop rock albums of the 70s – they didn't get as hugely popular as they did by luck – the songs, energy and chemistry are really perfect. We may even love this one more than Rumours, especially the deeper cuts that haven't been overplayed over the years. Includes "Monday Morning", "Blue Letter, "Rhiannon", "Say You Love Me", "Warm Ways", "Over My Head", "I'm So Afraid" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The cover image may look a bit sinister, but the album's a perfect early example of the genius of Fleetwood Mac during their heavy blues years – a non-nonsense approach to the music that still manages to move the whole genre forward from the styles of the mod generation! The legendary Peter Green is in amazing form on guitar – maybe not as experimental as on records to come, but already able to challenge his inspirations with razor-sharp dexterity and a real sense of feeling. The rest of the group features Mick Fleetwood on drums, John McVie on bass, and Jeremy Spencer on slide guitar and piano – and titles include the originals "Stop Messin Around", "Rollin Man", "Love That Burns", "Evenin Boogie", "Trying So Hard To Forget", and "Coming Home". LP, Vinyl record album

Shelly Manne scored big with a jazz version of the Peter Gunn soundtrack in the 50s – and he does it again in this 60s version of Henry Mancini's music for the full-length Gunn movie! The style here is a bit more far-reaching and looser than before – showing not just Manne's development as an artist, but also his ear for some of the best styles of the younger generation – as evidenced by his inclusion of Frank Strozier on alto and flute, and Mike Wofford on piano – alongside more familiar faces Monte Budwig on bass and Conte Candoli on trumpet. There's a crisp jazzy edge to the whole thing – and titles include "Sweet", "A Bluish Bag", "Night Owl", and "A Quiet Happening". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer album from one of the most legendary versions of John Mayall's Blues Breakers – a quartet that features drummer Aynsley Dunbar, bassist John McVie, and lead guitarist Peter Green – who's also singing a fair bit on the album as well! The style here is tighter and more focused than before – showing a bit more of a rockish bent, especially on the guitars – but still strongly drenched in American R&B traditions, served up in a way that never waters down the sound for a mainstream audience. While other UK artists were taking American roots and softening them up for the charts, Mayall only seemed to deepen his commitment to more authentic representation of the styles – really only taking a bit more liberties with the strength and length of guitar parts. As before, there's a bit of reed work here that's especially nice – served up by UK jazzers Ray Warleigh, John Almond, and Alan Skidmore – and titles include "A Hard Road", "It's Over", "The Stumble", "Dust My Blues", "There's Always Work", "The Same Way", "The Supernatural", and "Living Alone". LP, Vinyl record album

The massive third album from Run DMC – made at the top of their game – an pivotal effort that brought them to peak popularity and helped break hip hop in a huge way in the pop culture landscape! Part of the album's strength is its guitar-heavy sound on some of the grooves – produced by Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons with a classic early Def Jam vibe, in the same manner that helped the Beastie Boys get their records in the hands of folks who'd never buy hip hop otherwise! That sound comes to culmination on the album's hit collaboration with Aerosmith on a remake of "Walk This Way", resulting in the commercial breakthrough, but the real triumph here is the increased complexity in both the lyricism, and the way Jam Master Jay serves up their beats – which makes for a stone classic all the way through, on tracks that include "Peter Piper", "It's Tricky", "My Adidas", "Proud To Be Black", "You Be Illin'", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Features Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, Stevie Winwood, John Mayall, Peter Green, and more! LP, Vinyl record album

Don't be put off by the cheesy look of the cover – as the set's filled with cool, classy funk rarities – a really wonderful selection of tracks that features plenty of gems that work perfectly here together! The long-running Mood Mosaic series has been at it longer than most – and they've continued to really grow and expand their musical palette as the years have gone on – so that by the time of this 18th volume, you'll find an amazing blend of cuts from jazz, soul, Brazilian, rock, and other global sources – brought together in a really beautiful mix of funky moods and modes! Titles include "Growing" by Hareton Salvanini, "Ceddo" by Manu Dibango, "Love To Fly" by Venus Gang, "Gang Train" by Bernard Estardy, "Coasting" by A Band Called O, "Some Kind Of Fever" by Maxine Sellers, "Slabo Day" by Peter Green, "Soul Raga" by Mehrpouya, "Main Theme" by Rosebod, and "Nijana" by Jana Koubkova. CD

A hip hour's worth of furiously funky theme songs, film cuts, and funky jams from the silver screen and 70s TV – all compiled by the groove hound geniuses at Blue Note for the Groov Experience series! The groove here stretches from furious bass heavy jams, to stripped down Latin funk monsters, to string-heavy film score funk – but they share the common trait of a pure booty shakin' 70s vibe, one that made the movies and detective shows of the era so inimitably wonderful! And although a few tracks are familiar, they're mixed up nicely here to really keep things fresh throughout. Titles include "Enter The Dragon" by Jack Parnell, "Kojak" by Willie Bobo, "Across 110th Street" by Bobby Womack, "The Final Comedown" by Grant Green, "The Earthmen" by Paddy Kingsland, "Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow (Baretta's Theme)" by Earl Klugh, "Down Here On The Ground (Ummah rmx)" by Grant Green & Dianne Reeves, "Peter Gunn Mambo" and "Harlem Nocturne" by Jack Costanzo, "Funky Fever" by Alan Morehouse, and "Bullitt" by Wilton Felder. CD

A very unusual setting for the legendary Ruth Brown – the singer who first rose to fame singing raw-edged R&B tracks for Atlantic Records in the 50s – but who works here in a much jazzier mode overall! The set features backings from Peter Matz – who often accompanied the classier singers of the time – and Ruth really does a great job of mixing her bold vocals with his jazzy charts – soaring to new heights in a way that swings nicely, and makes for much deeper soul than most of Matz's other projects. Musicians include Hank Jones on piano, Clark Terry on trumpet, Barry Galbraith on guitar, Urbie Green on trombone, and Richard Davis on bass – and there also seem to be some female backup singers in a few spots too. Titles include two from Nellie Lutcher "Hurry On Down" and "He's A Real Gone Guy" and Dick Hyman's "Watch It", "Whispering Grass", "I Know Why", "Here's That Rainy Day", and a very interesting interpretation of "On The Good Ship Lollipop" – which almost makes the whole tune sound like a sad ballad. LP, Vinyl record album

British group Chicken Shack famously first got their start on the Blue Horizon label – but when they moved to Deram Records, they really stretched out and opened their sound – as you'll hear on the three albums on this set! First up is Imagination Lady – a fantastic album from this legendary British group – a bluesy rock combo who grew up in the same space as Fleetwood Mac and Savoy Brown, but who never fully got their due on this side of the Atlantic! The group here is a unique lineup that only recorded this one album – a trio with John Glascock on bass and Paul Hancox on drums – two players who give leader Stan Webb plenty of space in the spotlight, which means a very strong emphasis on his mindblowing work on guitar! Webb's a musician with the chops of contemporaries Eric Clapton and Peter Green, and you can definitely hear that here – and, like his contemporaries, Stan is also really taking the music way past its bluesy inspirations – using the trio to maybe bring in more of a hard rock vibe, yet never going too far in that direction either. Titles include "Daughter Of The Hillside", "Crying Won't Help You Now", "The Loser", "Telling Your Fortune", and "Poor Boy". Next is Unlucky Boy – a set that has Chicken Shack really refining the blues inspirations of their roots, heading into hard rock territory, and really helping define a sound that so many other groups would soon steal and use to great radio fame! The vocals of Stan Webb are recorded with a nice sort of echo at times – more 70s guitar hero than before, but at a level that really makes them even more powerful, and less straight blues-inspired at times – bold, powerful, and with a quality that should have made Webb one of the better-remembered greats of his generation! Titles include "Revelation", "Stan The Man", "Jammin With The Ash", "Unlucky Boy", and "You Know Could Be Right". Last up is Goodbye – a set that maybe has Chicken Shack stripping things down even more than the previous record – almost going back to their blues roots, but with all the lessons that they'd learned over other albums! Stan Webb is still a hell of a frontman, on both vocals and guitar – and titles include "Going Down", "Webb's Boogie", "You're Mean", "Poor Boy", "Webb's Guitar Shuffle", and "You Take Me Down". 3CD set features bonus tracks – single versions of "Poor Boy", "As Time Goes Passing By", and "Telling Your Fortune". CD

BB King in London – not playing live, but working in the studio with a host of British musicians he'd inspired over the years! The lineup varies from track to track, giving a nice sort of variety to the album – and the overall feel is a bit like some of the Chess London sessions of the time – but maybe more blues overall! Features work by Peter Green on guitar, Steve Marriott on harmonica, Alexis Korner on acoustic guitar, Gary Wright on electric piano and Hammond, Ringo Starr on drums, and The Mystery Shadow on Hammond – and titles include "Ghetto Woman", "Wet Hayshark", "Part Time Love", "We Can't Agree", and "Blue Shadows". LP, Vinyl record album

Ralph Moore's a player we always like to keep our ear on, and this album's no exception – a cracklingly soulful batch of tunes played with a razor-sharp quintet, all tied together beautifully with Moore's tenor on top! The date's great proof that rock-solid sessions could still be cut well after the classic Blue Note or Prestige Records years – and Moore's sense of timing and guidance easily matches that of many other tenor titans from previous years. And even more than some tenorists, who really see themselves as the star of the show, Ralph's got a sense of warmth and comradeship that always seems to bring out the best in his players – who on this date include Roy Hargrove on trumpet, Benny Green on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and either Victor Lewis or Kenny Washington on drums. Titles include "Pheobe's Samba", "Girl Talk", "Line D", "Monk's Dream", "310 Blues", and "Hopscotch". CD

Back to back 70s recordings by British altoist Mike Osborne – both albums originally issued on the Ogun label, paired nicely as a single CD! Border Crossing is a tight little trio set from 1974 – recorded live with a lineup that includes Harry Miller on bass and Louis Moholo on drums – supporting Osborne's frontline alto solo work in a wonderful way. The sound here is free, but never without direction – spinning out in surprisingly rhythmic and soulful lines that perfectly capture a fresh modern moment that far too soon became overly cluttered. Marcel's Muse is from 3 years later, 1977 – and features Osborne with a more extended quintet lineup that includes Mark Charig on trumpet, Jeff Green on guitar, Harry Miller on bass, and Peter Nykyurj on drums. The sound here is much more freewheeling and harder-blown – sometimes a bit too over the top, but not without its moments. The CD features 11 tracks in all – and titles include "Ken's Tune", "Stop & Start", "Animation", "Riff", "Border Crossing", "Molten Lead", "Sea Mist", and "Where's Freddy". CD

An essential bit of piano jazz from MPS – and one of the rarest sides on their Saba label from the 60s! German keyboardist Dieter Reith plays with a cracklin' trio that includes Peter Witte on bass, and powerhouse Charly Antolini on drums. The tracks are a mix of originals and jazz standards, and they're all played with a light lively approach, and the trademark piano jazz groove that's made some of these MPS albums favorites on the international groove scene. Some of the best tracks are Deiter's "Happy Afternoon" and "How About A Blues", which both have a nice breezy groove to them, but the record also has nice versions of "Green Dolphin Street", "Wives & Lovers", and "Days Of Wine And Roses". CD

The massive third album from Run DMC – a set that was done at a time when the duo were totally at the top of their game – and broke out big to a much wider audience than the usual hip hop crowd! Part of the album's strength is its guitar-heavy sound on some of the grooves – produced by Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons with a classic early Def Jam vibe, in the same manner that helped the Beastie Boys get their records in the hands of folks who'd never buy hip hop otherwise! And that sound comes to culmination on the album's hit collaboration with Aerosmith on a remake of "Walk This Way". But apart from that rocker, most of the rest of the set also shows an increased complexity in both the lyricism of the pair, and the way Jam Master Jay serves up their beats – which makes for a stone classic all the way through, on tracks that include "Peter Piper", "It's Tricky", "My Adidas", "Proud To Be Black", "You Be Illin'", and "Walk This Way". Bonus tracks on this expanded edition include "My Adidas (acapella)", "Walk This Way (demo)", "Lord Of Lyrics (demo)", "Raising Hell Radio Tour Spot" and "Live At The Apollo Raw Vocal Commercial". CD

A key recording from one of our favorite tenor talents of the 80s – the amazing Ralph Moore, a player who really carries on a strong legacy from the 60s work of Hank Mobley! Like Mobley, Moore's got a very rich-voiced sound that's steeped in tradition, but which is also never afraid to take chances too – a way of handling the tenor that few of his contemporaries could match, which is probably why Ralph's presence really upped the ante on so many dates at the time as a sideman. He's even better as a leader, though, and this standout set for Landmark is a real gem – a record filled with freely creative energy throughout, and a never-ending sense of soul – as Moore's tenor is set up nicely in a core group with Benny Green on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums – the latter of whom brings some of the same magic to this set that Billy Higgins did to Blue Note in the 60s. Terence Blanchard plays trumpet on 4 of the album's tracks – and titles include "Punjab", "Freeway", "Enigma", "Blues For John", "One Second Please", and "Episode From A Village Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

Early live material from British tenor giant Ronnie Scott – sides not recorded at his own famous club, but by the BBC for broadcast – which maybe makes them some of Scott's first recordings of this nature, and certainly some of the best from the time! The first large chunk of material features Ronnie heading up an octet – not only blowing freely, in some of his best bop modes of the time – but also really showing off his talent as an arranger – in front of musicians who include Jimmy Deuchar on trumpet, Derek Humble on alto, Benny Green on baritone sax, and Victor Feldman on vibes, piano, and congas! Peter King also joins the group on tenor on a few tracks too. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes selections by John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Otis Spann, Peter Green, Steve Anglo, and Champion Jack Dupree. LP, Vinyl record album

Buddy Rich is definitely wailing on this one – an open-ended all-star set that features work from Ben Webster on tenor, Sonny Criss on alto, Harry Edison and Joe Newman on trumpets, Oscar Peterson on piano, and Freddie Greene on guitar! The album features 4 long tracks – all in the best Verve relaxed jam session mode, with plenty of room for solos –and titles include "The Monster", "Sunday", "Smooth One", and "Broadway". LP, Vinyl record album

An unreleased set of solo performances from trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith – one that we'd rank right up there with his most adventurous work of the 70s! Smith comes across wonderfully on the record – full of soul and imagination, and easily as impressive on his solo instruments as scenemate Roscoe Mitchell could be in a similar setting – always moving around with thoughtful shifts in timing and purpose, in ways that always make the whole performance feel very organic, especially as Smith moves between other instruments that include flute, percussion, gongs, and steelophone. Titles include "Jupiter's Astro Waves", "Blue Green Gardens Of The Indigenous People", and "Pan Sonic Fire Rhythms/Red Chrysanthemums/Dark Purple Night On Crater Lake With A Clear View Of Saturn's Rings & Moons". CD

A fantastic collection, and one that's way hipper than the Acid Jazz in the title might make you think – as the whole thing was put together by Gilles Peterson, with unusual Verve tracks by Tony Scott, Cal Tjader, Willie Bobo, Donald Byrd, Jimmy Smith, Little Richie Varola, Dizzy Gillespie, Grant Green, Marcos Valle, La Clave, Jackie & Roy, and lots of others! CD

We think this guy's one of the best new jazz vocalist to emerge over the past decade, and this album – his 4th for Blue Note – is far and away his best! The album was recorded live at Chicago's Green Mill nightclub – with nice small combo backing by Laurence Hobgood, Rob Amster, and Michael Raynor, plus guest horn work by Von Freeman, Eddie Johnson, and Ed Peterson. Kahil El'Zabar also plays percussion, and Jon Hendricks joins in on vocals a bit. But the best part is Elling's voice – which is a sweet mix between Mark Murphy at his best, and earlier vocalese masters, like Hendricks or Joe Lee Wilson. The album features mostly straight-ahead jazz vocalizing – with little of the hipster monologues that have ruined other Elling albums – and it includes an incredible version of Wayne Shorter's "Night Dreamer", plus the cuts "Oh My God", "Esperanto", "My Foolish Heart", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", and the King Pleasure classic "Don't Get Scared". A real treat – especially if you like Cleveland Watkiss' Green Chimneys album, or any of the good Mark Murphy recordings for Muse! CD

A great group gets even better – as the legendary pairing of tenorist Don Rendell and trumpeter Ian Carr is joined by pianist Michael Garrick – who was really helping to shape the sound of British jazz at the time! The album's only the second from the Rendell/Carr Quintet, but it's already moving strongly forward – with this sense of composition and focus that's really amazing – served up in original tunes by all three creative forces in the lead – often with this great balance between soulful swing and modern ideas that makes the whole thing a dream all the way through! Don plays tenor, soprano sax, flute, and clarinet; Carr plays trumpet and flugelhorn; Garrick is on piano, Dave Green is on bass, and Trevor Tomkin is on drums – on titles that include "Prayer", "Dusk Fire", "Hot Rod", "Spooks", "Jubal", and "Tan Samfu". CD

A rare slice of work from the quintet of reedman Don Rendell and trumpeter Ian Carr – a mid-60s live performance that's released here for the first time ever! The group was one of the most important in England at the time, and hardly recorded many studio records, so a live date like this is a crucial opportunity to hear their amazingly influential sound! Plus, the recording here is a lot more unbridled than most other material we've heard from the combo – a really far-reaching blend of Carr's trumpet with Rendell's flute, tenor, and soprano sax – blowing out in these complex lines on some tracks, showing a bit of influence from Ornette Coleman at points, while heading in warmer, more lyrical directions at others. The rest of the group is great too – the legendary Michael Garrick on piano, adding some nice modal touches – plus Dave Green or Tony Reeves on bass, and Trevor Tompkins on drums. Titles include "On", "Ursula", "Trane's Mood", "Webster's Mood", "Carolling", and "Hot Rod". CD

One of the better of Bethlehem's west coast sessions from the 50's, and a split LP that brings together 2 different sessions – one by trumpeter Conte Candoli, and one by drummer Stan Levey (both sessions, we think, were issued on 10" originally). The Candoli session features a quartet that has Candoli as the main soloist on tracks like "Night Flight", "Tune For Tex", and "On the Alamo". The Levey session features a sextet with Candoli, Zoot Sims, and Jimmy Giuffre, and swings a bit harder than the quartet side. Tracks on this one are mostly orignals, and include "Drum Sticks", "West Coasting", "Fast Clip", and "Extraversion". LP, Vinyl record album

A very unusual overseas date from this legendary trumpeter – recorded in London by Stanley Dance – and an early entry in the Lansdowne Series! The group is mostly American players – with Buck Clayton and Emmett Berry on trumpet, Dickie Wells on trombone, Earl Warren on alto sax and clarinet, Bubby Tate on tenor sax, Sir Charles Thompson on piano, Gene Ramey on bass, and Oliver Jackson on drums. Titles include "Night Ferry", "One For Buck", "Mr Melody Maker", and "Blue Mist". LP, Vinyl record album

A real killer from Hammond hero Charles Earland – a record that stretches out as much as his studio gems for Prestige, but in a slightly different way! The band includes lesser known players like trumpeter Elmer Coles, alto player James Vass, and conga player Kenneth Nash – but they all groove very tightly, and provide a perfect foil for Earland's soaring solos. Includes a great version of "Moontrane", plus the groovers "Spinky", "Smiling", and "Black Gun". LP, Vinyl record album

Swing session with small group backing by Billy Strayhorn, Jimmy Woode, Sonny Greer, and Clark Terry – and which features Johnny's warm tones soloing nicely on comfortable standards. All of side one is a "ballad medley", with a very Creamy sound, and titles that include "But Not For Me", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Whispering", and "Tenderly". The flipside's got a bit more kick, and titles that include "Honey Bunny", "Passion", and "No Use Kicking". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best of the early 60s comeback albums by the legendary bop trumpeter Howard McGhee – and a record that really has the player finding a whole new groove in his music! At this point, Maggie's got a fantastic tone that was missing from his earlier records, filled with pain and raw emotion – but also measured with a maturity that gives his solos an incredible sense of economy that delivers a whole hell of a lot with just a few simple notes – a balance that comes through beautifully here, maybe even more so than on any other record by Howard from the time! He's playing here in a great group that includes Roland Alexander on tenor, Bennie Green on trombone, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Pepper Adams on baritone – and tracks include "Dusty Blue", "Groovin High", "Cottage For Sale", "Flyin Colors", and "With Malice Towards None". CD

An oft-overlooked and surprisingly soulful session on Atlantic – a sublime pairing of the talents of trumpeter Jimmy Owens and pianist Kenny Barron! The set's got a groove that's pretty unique – not really Blue Note or Prestige – but not like other Atlantic Records jazz as well – almost more like some of the more soulful sides that would emerge in the early 70s! The combo is great – and also features Benny Maupin on reeds and Freddy Waits on drums – and the tracks are all longish, with interwoven modal grooves that show off the best of Barron's rhythmic approach to the piano – nicely punctuated by Owens' fiercely blown solos. The whole thing's incredibly fresh – one of those jazz albums that you'll hear on the radio, and turn it up, thinking "What the heck is that? I must own that record!" Titles include "You Had Better Listen", "Gichi", and "Carolina John". LP, Vinyl record album

We've loved the previous releases from UK trumpeter Emma Jean Thackray – one of the rising stars on the really inventive contemporary British scene – and this set has her pushing forward even more, in ways that we never would have expected! There's a quality here that we might almost dub as post-jazz – but not in the instrumental variations that some of her London contemporaries have been expressing – as, if anything, Thackray is more focused and clear in her message than ever before – using vocals on most of the set, while still giving us plenty of sharp instrumentation! The mix of modes is maybe somewhere in the Thundercat universe, but with a message that's all Emma's own – soaring out on titles that include "May There Be Peace", "Golden Green", "Sun", "Third Eye", "About That", "Say Something", "Rahu & Ketu", "Spectre", and "Mercury". LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a title that sounds like it should be something of a bachelor pad release from the title, but which is instead a good old fashioned, no holds barred, open-ended jazz session from trumpeter Buck Clayton! All tracks are nice and long – way more than usual for big label jazz at the time – and Clayton's trumpet is lineup alongside those of Joe Newman and Joe Thomas, plus other players who include Woody Herman on clarinet, Urbie Green and Benny Powell on trombones, Julian Dash and Al Cohn on tenor, Charlie Fowkes on baritone, Freddie Green on guitar, and Sir Charles Thompson on piano. Titles include "Moten Swing", "Sentimental Journey", "How Hi The Fi", and "Blue Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

The trad side of the Newport Jazz Festival – a wonderfully open little set with a lineup that includes trumpeter Buck Clayton, tenorist Bud Freeman, trombonist Vick Dickenson, clarinetist Pee Wee Russell, and pianist George Wein! Clayton, Freeman, Russell, Dickenson, and Wein are joined by a few other trad players in this classic session cut for Atlantic after the band opened at the 1959 Newport Jazz Festival. As with a lot of the Atlantic trad sessions from this time, the recording quality is excellent, and the relaxed format offers the older players a chance to open up with solo space not afforded to them on earlier recordings. Tracks include "Rose Room", "You Took Advantage Of Me", "Royal Garden Blues", and "Pee Wee Russell's Unique Sound". LP, Vinyl record album

Eric Dolphy's first meeting in the studio with trumpeter Booker Little – a brilliant batch of modernism that's easily one of the hippest records Little ever worked on! The Dolphy heard here is Eric at his most inventive – sharp-edged and angular one minute, then spiritually lyrical the next – playing flute, bass clarinet, and alto sax equally well on the record – and somehow managing to get Little to share his inspiration perfectly on every number. Other players include Jaki Byard on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – a rhythm team whose abilities are a big part of the success of the record – and titles include "Far Cry", "Mrs Parker Of KC", "Left Alone", "Ode To Charlie Parker", and "Miss Ann". LP, Vinyl record album

Bright, breezy, and plenty darn soulful – a nice little post-Prestige album that almost has Red Garland returning to the piano with the tightest focus of his earlier years! The trio here features Sam Jones on bass and Charlie Persip on drums – both of whom punctuate the groove with the same sense as Red's classic trio – and who seem to inspire him to some even more punched-up lines on the set. The style's a bit like that with which Oscar Peterson was winning the crowds at the time – but Red's still got plenty of that old Garland emotion in the mix as well. Titles include a nice longish take on "Lil Darlin", plus the tracks "On Green Dolphin Street", "Blues In The Closet", "So Sorry Please", and "What's New". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece from Gene Harris – an album that's probably been his biggest influence on the sound of soul in the 21st Century, and for good reason too! The set moves way beyond both Harris' acoustic piano roots in the Three Sounds, and his other electric sides of the 70s – into sublime spacey territory that's wrapped up in soul – as much a pinnacle of his musical vision as early 70s records were for Herbie Hancock or George Duke! The vibe here is a bit between the looser styles of Duke's MPS recordings, and the tighter grooves of the Mizell generation – and arrangements are by Harris, Harvey Mason, and Jerry Peters, the latter of whom really adds some great elements to the record. Harvey's drums make for a great funky undercurrent – and the album features the funky break track "Higga-Boom", the great groover "Losalamitoslatinfunklovesong", and the cuts "Rebato Summer", "Don't Call Me N*gger, Whitey", "Love Talkin", "I Remember Summer", "Green River", and "My Roots". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful late 50s work by Yusef Lateef – played in that "jazz exotic" style he was using to perfect form at the time, a mixture of the lyrical hard bop of the Horace Silver group, with some of the more spare and eastern styles used by groups like the early Sun Ra Arkestra. The drummer, Frank Gant, makes ample use of brushes and mallets to keep the rhythms in a mode that works with the overall sound – and other players include trumpeter Lonnie Hillyer and pianist Hugh Lawson, both of whom were part of the super-hip Detroit scene that spawned Lateef. Titles include "Cry Tender", "Butter's Blues", "Dopolous", "Sea Breeze", and "The Snow Is Green". LP, Vinyl record album

A much-needed addition to the small catalog of music that features trumpeter Henry Lowther as a leader – a key player in the UK jazz scene during that revolutionary late 60s/early 70s moment – but one who only gave the world one important record for the Deram label at the time! This double-length set really fills in the space in Henry's catalog – and offers up some wonderful live material from the London scene of the mid 70s – with Lowther on trumpet and flugelhorn, stepping out in a core quartet that has some really wonderful guitar from Phil Lee, next to bass from Dave Green and drums from Trevor Tompkins! Lee is a fantastically diverse player, as is Lowther, and together the pair really break down expectations – with music that's neither too free, nor too rock-influenced – and instead has a sensitivity we've never heard from Lowther at this level. Some tracks feature guest reed work – either from Art Themen or Alan Wakeman – both of whom play tenor and soprano – and titles include "Chinese Wand", "Never Never Land", "The Story So Far", "Night In Amnesia", "Richie Street No 1", "Your Dancing Toes", "No Surprises", and "Zemlja". CD

A seminal bit of Latin funk from the Bay Area scene of the early 70s – the second album from Malo, and an even harder-hitting jam session than the first! The group are really in top form here – taking off with Santana-inspired riffs that are filled with heavy percussion, soaring organ, and guitar from Carlos' brother Jorge – all matched by some incredible horn work from trumpeter Forrest Bachtel and a young Hadley Caliman – sounding especially great here before his solo years as a jazz artist! The legendary Francisco Aguabella is on conga, and tracks include "Momolombo", "Oye Mama", "I'm For Real", "Midnight Thoughts", "Hela", and "Latin Bugaloo". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary group from the British modern jazz scene of the 60s – captured here in all their young brilliance, in a double-length live date recorded between the space of their first two albums! We've raved about the partnership of trumpeter Ian Carr and saxophonist Don Rendell many times before, so they likely need no introduction here – yet there's also something special in this live date too – as it's got the group still working very much with their own music and new ideas, but in a way that's got maybe a slightly more down to earth quality too, maybe from the setting of the club. The whole lineup is great – and pianist Michael Garrick is a key member on both his instrument, and his contributions of key songs to the date – working alongside Carr on trumpet and flugelhorn, Rendell on tenor, soprano, and flute – and Dave Green on bass and Trevor Tomkins on drums. The package features a huge amount of notes, really giving background on all aspects of the recording – on titles that include "Ursula", "Promises", "Blues By Five", "Jonah & The Whale", "The Sixth Seal", "Shades Of Blue", "Hot Rod", and "No Blues". CD

One of the greatest of all Dusty Springfield albums – a gem of a record that mixes British pop, soul, and some very groovy orchestrations! The whole session has that kind of soaring, soulful bounce that Dusty had on her best records – but which was possibly never done nearly as well as on this one! Backings are conducted by Alan Tew, Peter Night, Arthur Greenslade, and Wally Stott – Brit Easy giants all of them – and tracks include sublime gems like "Bring Him Back", "Don't Let Me Lost This Dream", "I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face", "Sunny", "Welcome Home", and "Broken Blossoms". CD features 3 bonus tracks too – "Don't Forget About Me", "Time After Time", and "I've Got A Good Thing". CD

Quite possibly one of the most successful Japanese piano trio recordings of the 70s – a super-session performed by a group that includes Joe Sample on acoustic piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums! Given that Sample's best known during the era for his electric keys with the Crusaders (and on countless studio sessions), it's a real treat to hear him tickle the ivories in an acoustic way – and a genuine surprise to hear how strong his work is in such a format. Joe manages to swing the tunes with plenty of creative improvisation, but also keeps a strong focus on the groove too – making for an album that's got some of the rhythmic flourishes of the best work of the Oscar Peterson trio in later years, but with some of the added freedoms of the Japanese scene. Titles include "On Green Dolphin Street", "Round Midnight", "Funky Blues", "Manha Do Carnaval", "Yearnin", and "Satin Doll". CD

A beautiful tribute to the compositional genius of Wayne Shorter – but served up at a level that goes way beyond Shorter's original vision for his music! Trumpeter David Weiss always does a great job of re-exploring the best modern sounds of the 60s – and here, he arranges some key Shorter tunes for a largeish ensemble – a great group that features his own horn in the lead, plus alto from Tim Green, tenor and soprano from Marcus Strickland, tenor from Ravi Coltrane, trumpet from Jeremy Pelt, trombone from Steve Davis, and piano from Geri Allen! Other players in the lineup are great, too – and the set's got this really rich feel – unlocking all the colors and emotions of the compositions with the ensemble, yet still allowing plenty of room for a solo voice too. Titles include "Eva", "Mr Jin", "Fall", "Nellie Bly", and "Prometheus Unbound" – plus David's own "The Turning Gate". CD

The girl here DOES play mean piano – using her instrument in a way that's surprisingly soulful and filled with lyrical touches! We really don't know Collins much at all – but we've always dug this standout album on Jazzland, part of the label's wave of new discoveries right at the start of the 60s – and the set's got almost an Oscar Peterson Trio sort of vibe, with tunes that hit hard rhythmically one minute, then lay back into more intimate expressions the next. Rhythm here is by the team of Roy Green on bass and Frank Butler on drums – and tracks include versions of "Day In Day Out", "The End Of A Love Affair", "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart", "Walkin", and "Ah Moore". CD

A gem of an album – and one of the few rare sides cut by trumpeter Carmell Jones! The album features some hip early 60s LA soul jazz arrangements by Gerald Wilson – played by a group that features work by Jones, trombonists Tricky Lofton and Lou Blackburn, and pianist Frank Strazzeri. The small combo's backed by a larger "trombone choir" with 4 other players (including Wayne Henderson), but the record takes a straight hard solo approach – very much in the "sock" trombone style that you'd get from a record by Slide Hampton or Benny Green. Jones' trumpet wails over the top, adding in some nice tight punctuation to the session's grooves, and blowing hard and fast on a few fast tracks. Titles include "Celery Stalks At Midnight", "Bluer Than That", "Brass Bag", and a great take on "Mood Indigo". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe one of the smallest label dates from trumpeter Terrell Stafford, but also maybe one of his greatest as a leader, too – as the record's got a richly personal feel that grabs us right away! The set was done in collaboration with Herb Harris – who wrote and produced all the tracks, and really gives the record a sense of color and tone that's perfect for Stafford – allowing him to hit the most sophisticated sides of his spectrum, but in a way that's very organic and natural – and matched beautifully by work from quintet members Tim Warfield on tenor, Kevin Hays on piano, Greg Willliams on bass, and Rodney Green on drums. Warfield is an especially wonderful partner for Stafford – and the two of them balance out a lightness next to some of the darker currents of Hays' piano – all opened up beautifully in the space of Harris' writing. Titles include "The Owl Express", "No No No", "A Two Per To Fill", "The Tint Train", and "Forgive & Forget". CD