One of the most fantastic hardbop albums of all time! Tommy Turrentine was the less-famous trumpet-playing brother of Stanley Turrentine – but he was a hell of a player in his early days, and he cut some amazing records with his brother during the younger years of his career. This is the only record we've ever seen that features him as a leader – but the session's a monster, with the kind of razor-sharp hardbop playing we'd stack up there with must-have LPs like Art Blakey's Freedom Rider, Hank Mobley's Caddy For Daddy, or the legendary Young Lions session on Vee Jay. The group features a number of players who were working with Max Roach at the time – including Stanley Turrentine on tenor and Julian Priester on trombone – as well as Roach on drums, Horace Parlan on piano, and Bob Boswell on bass. Titles include "Gunga Din", "Too Clean", "Time's Up", "Long As You're Living", "Blues For JP", and "Webb City". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most fantastic hardbop albums of all time! Tommy Turrentine was the less-famous trumpet-playing brother of Stanley Turrentine – but he was a hell of a player in his early days, and he cut some amazing records with his brother during the younger years of his career. This is the only record we've ever seen that features him as a leader – but the session's a monster, with the kind of razor-sharp hardbop playing we'd stack up there with must-have LPs like Art Blakey's Freedom Rider, Hank Mobley's Caddy For Daddy, or the legendary Young Lions session on Vee Jay. The group features a number of players who were working with Max Roach at the time – including Stanley Turrentine on tenor and Julian Priester on trombone – as well as Roach on drums, Horace Parlan on piano, and Bob Boswell on bass. Titles include "Gunga Din", "Too Clean", "Time's Up", "Long As You're Living", "Blues For JP", and "Webb City". CD

A tremendous package of work from this overlooked soul and gospel legend – four classic albums, plus other rare material too – all packaged with detailed notes in the wonderful Numero Group style! First up is Like A Ship Without A Sail – a gospel album from Pastor TL Barrett, but one that's gone on to legendary status among funk and soul collectors over the years! Barrett works here with his Youth For Christ Choir – a south side ensemble that's filled with genuine spirit and passion, aimed towards lofty ideals – but set up with some deep secular soul production touches and instrumentation that keep things razor sharp throughout! The album was supervised by Chess Records sax player and arranger Gene Barge – with other Chess players Richard Evans and Phil Upchurch on the sessions too – and the music is filled with raw drums, heavy bass, and lots of great organ lines! Next is Do Not Pass Me By Vol 1 – an album that's got a nice balance between intimate soul numbers and larger tracks that have the whole Mount Zion Baptist Church along for support! The set's definitely got the strongly soulful vibe of Barrett's Like A Ship album – a strong ear for the best secular elements of the time, which are used liberally in the instrumental backing – to really send home the message in the music! Most tunes really soft-pedal the religion, and instead go for an overall feel that really crosses over to regular soul music. Next is the great second volume of Do Not Pass Me By – like the first, the product of a wonderfully spiritual setting on Chicago's south side – music created in the church, but with all the same vibe as the hippest secular soul coming from the Windy City in the early 70s! The set does a great job of alternating strong lead singers with the rest of the group – a bit like Voices Of East Harlem, but with more of a larger ensemble feel – and there's some really wonderful moments on the record throughout – even a bit of funk amidst the more righteous soul-styled tunes. I Found The Answer is one of the biggest-circulating albums from this fantastic figure in Chicago gospel – a unique set done for the Gospel Truth subsidiary of Stax Records, but a set served up in the same blend of soul-based inspirations as some of TL Barrett's indie label releases back home in the Windy City! Plus, the package features a full album of Singles & Sermons – rare non-LP material by this seminal figure in both soul and spiritual music. CD

One of the few albums ever cut as a leader by pianist Ronnell Bright – a player best known for his accompaniment behind famous vocalists, like Sarah Vaughan and Nancy Wilson – but who's also a jell of a jazz musician when he gets to shine on his own! This rare date was cut in Paris – at a time when Bright was visiting the city with Vaughan – and it's a stripped-down trio date with a nicely relaxed feel – one that has Bright really opening up on the keys, in ways you don't always hear on his material with singers. Other players in the trio include Richard Davis on bass and Art Morgan on drums – and titles include "Johnnie Pate's Blues", "Sail Em", "Doxology", "Chasing Sarah", and "R&R Groove". CD

A very groovy set of short vibes-based instrumentals – played by Chicago jazzman Bobby Christian, a great player who did a fair bit of studio work in the city (including some for the Gus Giordano dance studio series), but who rarely ever got to record much on his own. The cuts are all short and pop/jazz sounding – with a self professed "tuned-in, turned-on" sound – and titles include "Boogaloo", "Mooganga", "To Whom May We Turn", and groovy covers of "Sunny" and "Games People Play". LP, Vinyl record album

A groundbreaking record – and one that set a whole new standard for guitar funk in the 70s! By the time of this set, Dennis Coffey had been playing, arranging, and producing all over the Detroit soul scene for many years – so it wasn't like he really needed a hit to get paid or anything – but the record forever marked him as a guitar player to be reckoned with, and is a perfect showcase for Coffey's fuzzed-out funky style – instantly recognizable and still extremely popular today! The album contains the monster breakbeat cut "Scorpio" – kind of a seminal text of hip hop – plus plenty of other groovers like "Getting It On", "Garden Of The Moon", "Big City Funk", and "Sad Angel". LP, Vinyl record album

When tenor player Ken Vandermark moved to Chicago in the early 90s, his presence began a set of ripples that ran through the city's jazz scene, and left traces that continue to transform the city to this day! One of those ripples became the DKV trio – a brilliant ensemble featuring Vandermark, bassist Kent Kessler, and percussionist Hamid Drake – a crack avant trio, with no end of imagination and creativity – stepping out here on a flagship recording for the Okka Disk label, maybe the most important force to document Vandermark's mighty talents during these early years! The recording features 5 tracks of varying length, from the 35 minute "Baraka" to the 8 minute "Soft Gamma Ray Repeater" – plus the titles "Figure It Out", "Consequence", and "Double Holiday". CD

When tenor player Ken Vandermark moved to Chicago in the early 90s, his presence began a set of ripples that ran through the city's jazz scene, and left traces that continue to transform the city to this day! One of those ripples became the DKV trio – a brilliant ensemble featuring Vandermark, bassist Kent Kessler, and percussionist Hamid Drake – a crack avant trio, with no end of imagination and creativity – stepping out here on a flagship recording for the Okka Disk label, maybe the most important force to document Vandermark's mighty talents during these early years! The recording features 5 tracks of varying length, from the 35 minute "Baraka" to the 8 minute "Soft Gamma Ray Repeater" – plus the titles "Figure It Out", "Consequence", and "Double Holiday". CD

A rare early session from trumpeter Tony Fruscella – done before his classic first album on Atlantic Records! The set features tony working on some tracks with the very obscure alto player Chick Maures – plus work from Bill Tiglia on piano, Red Mitchell or Teddy Kotick on bass, and Art Madigan or Dave Troy on drums. The earliest cuts, with Maures, were recorded in New York in 1948 – the others in the same city around 1953. LP, Vinyl record album

Genius work from the Detroit underground of the 70s – one of the greatest records ever on the now-famous Tribe Records label, and a masterpiece of soul, jazz, and righteous spirit! The session's headed by tenor player Wendell Harrison – and it's got an all-star Motor City lineup that includes Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Phil Ranelin on trombone, Jeamel Lee on vocals, Charles Eubanks on electric piano, and Charles Moore on flugelhorn. The tracks have a spacious spiritual approach that recalls some of the later Archie Shepp on Impulse – a blend of soul jazz with slight touches of electric instrumentation, some vocals, and a very progressive spirit overall – stepping proud in the new freedoms of the 70s, yet still swinging and very groovy. Titles include "Angela's Dilemma", "What We Need", "How Do We End All Of This Madness", "Merciful", and "Beneficent". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost jazz treasure from one of the most enigmatic pianists of the 60s – the legendary Hasaan, who recorded famously with Max Roach on Atlantic Records, but who also left behind this rare session that's never seen the light of day until now! Hasaan hails from Philly, where he was a player who'd made huge waves in that city, with a technique that rivaled the modernism of Elmo Hope or Herbie Nichols – but a musician who rarely ever got exposure outside of the city, which is what makes this album so essential! Even more essential is the fact that the set features work from a very young Odean Pope on tenor – really sounding tremendous here next to Hasaan – maybe the Charlie Rouse to his Thelonious Monk, although both musicians work in territory that's even more mindblowing! All titles here are originals by Ali, filled with all these amazing changes and angles – driven forth even more strongly by the work of Art Davis on bass and Kali Madi on drums – on tunes that include "True Train", "Richard May Love Give Powell", "Atlantic Ones", "Viceroy", "El Hasaan", "Epitome", and "Metaphysics". Album also features three shorter alternates of titles on the record. CD

An amazing set from one of the best young players on the Swedish jazz scene – tenor saxophonist Jonas Kullhammar, a player with boundless depth and imagination! The title of the set may be "plays loud for the people" – but we'd like to amend that to "plays proud for the people" – because Kullhammar's tone, timing, and sense of color are tremendous – extremely well-developed and mature, with a soulful intensity that takes us back to some of our favorite work by players that include Frank Foster and Benny Golson. Like Foster, Jonas often goes for a rhythmic approach to his tunes – blowing in a way that directs the overall sound of the set every bit as much as the bass and drums – and like Golson, he's got a raspy warmth in his tone that's beautifully human throughout. The group on the set is a quartet (mostly) – with Torbjorn Gulz on piano, and a great set of original tunes that include "Snake City East", "Slow Drop", "Miss Mira", "Behind Delight", "Peace 2003", and "Instant Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

Spacey electric work from guitarist Pat Martino – a record that seems to be as concerned with sound overall as it is with the jazz stylings of Martino's guitar – and we mean that in a good way! The older modes of Martino's 60s soul jazz work are very far gone by now – but in their place is a new sense of space and tone, one that makes him a completely different player altogether! A few cuts get hard and funky – pairing Martino with the fierce keyboard work of Gil Goldstein – while others are mellower and atmospheric, with lots of moody sounds floating along. Titles include "Fall", "Nefertiti", "City Lights", "Blue Macaw", "Prelude", and "Masquerade". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible meeting of two massive Chicago talents – with results that are even more amazing than you might think! We've always loved the music of flute player Nicole Mitchell – and have reveled in watching her get even more righteous and sophisticated in her projects in recent years – and we've always had deep respect for the words and wisdom of Haki Madhubuti, a writer who makes us incredibly proud to live in the Windy City. Yet together, these two genius talents resonate with even more strength than we might ever have imagined – as Nicole turns in some of her deepest music in years, to set up the right kind of setting for Haki's words – all served up in a mixture of jazz and spoken passages that almost blows away most classics of this nature from the 70s! The group is wonderful – with Mitchell on flute, alongside Pharez Whitted on trumpet, Tomeka Reid on cello, Harrison Bankhead on drums, Renee Baker and Zara Zaharieva on violins, Tomas Fujiwara on drums, and Jovia Armstrong – and singer Ugochi provides additional vocal support for Madhubuti's spoken lead – as the group also soars out on some strong instrumental passages too. The scope of Mitchell's writing is even broader than before – and titles include "Rise Vision", "Move Into Our Own", "Gwendolyn Brooks", "Often Hard To Believe", "Woman Black", "We Walk The Way Of The New World", "Peace Starts Inside You", "Blackman Unfinished", and "Too Many Of Our Young". CD

Sweet electric fusion from violinist Noel Pointer – a player so great, you'll forget that he's using an instrument you normally associate with sleepier music! Like others of the 70s generation, Pointer plays the violin in a way that's clearly heavily influenced by keyboards of the time – electric in amplification, and worked in a mode that uses the instrument to create waves of sound that flow out amongst the tighter fusion rhythms of the set. Dave Grusin arranged and produced the set – in his best lean soulful mode of the time – and other players include Earl Klugh, Ralph MacDonald, Steve Gadd, and Grusin himself. Titles include "Mirabella", "Night Song", "Living For The City", "Phantazia", and "Wafaring Stranger". LP, Vinyl record album

Very tasty stuff indeed – one of the few rare sessions cut for Prestige by Chicago pianist John Wright – a very soulful player who emerged from the Windy City at the end of the 60s! Wright's got a really fluid style here – one that nicely links some of the uptown class of Ahmad Jamal and Ramsey Lewis with some of the grittier, bluesier modes that had been coming from the south side for many years before! There's a sense of grace and poise here that goes way beyond simple soul jazz cliches – a sense of depth that's really great, even on the more blues-based numbers. The rest of the trio features Wendell Marshall on bass and JC Heard on drums – and titles include the Wright originals "Pie Face", "Yes I Know", "You Do It", and "The Wright Way" – plus versions of "Things Are Getting Better" and "Witchcraft". CD

A groundbreaking record – and one that set a whole new standard for guitar funk in the 70s! By the time of this set, Dennis Coffey had been playing, arranging, and producing all over the Detroit soul scene for many years – so it wasn't like he really needed a hit to get paid or anything – but the record forever marked him as a guitar player to be reckoned with, and is a perfect showcase for Coffey's fuzzed-out funky style – instantly recognizable and still extremely popular today! The album contains the monster breakbeat cut "Scorpio" – kind of a seminal text of hip hop – plus plenty of other groovers like "Getting It On", "Garden Of The Moon", "Big City Funk", and "Sad Angel". CD

A groundbreaking record – and one that set a whole new standard for guitar funk in the 70s! By the time of this set, Dennis Coffey had been playing, arranging, and producing all over the Detroit soul scene for many years – so it wasn't like he really needed a hit to get paid or anything – but the record forever marked him as a guitar player to be reckoned with, and is a perfect showcase for Coffey's fuzzed-out funky style – instantly recognizable and still extremely popular today! The album contains the monster breakbeat cut "Scorpio" – kind of a seminal text of hip hop – plus plenty of other groovers like "Getting It On", "Garden Of The Moon", "Big City Funk", and "Sad Angel". CD

A great pairing of Concord Records rising stars from the late 70s – tenorist Scott Hamilton and cornet player Warren Vache – working here in a group with Norman Simmons on piano, Chris Flory on guitar, Phil Flanigan on bass, and Chuck Riggs on drums. Sue Melikian sings a bit on the record – and titles include "Raus", "I Love You", "Darn That Dream", and "Freego". LP, Vinyl record album

Piano genius Ahmad Jamal is really taking off here – letting his solos stretch out and his impeccable sense of timing really move things forward from his studio sides of the time – allowed plenty of freedom in the space of the Penthouse nightclub in Seattle during the mid 60s! The package features three different performances, all of which have sublime work on bass from Jamil Nasser – easily one of Jamal's greatest accompanists, and a player whose sense of rounded energy seems tied to the keys of Ahmad's piano at every single moment. Drums are by a different player on each date – Chuck Lampkin, Vernel Fournier, and Frank Gant – and titles include long versions of "Concern", "Feeling Good"," My First Love Song", "Who Can I Turn To", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", "Invitation", and "Poinciana". CD

Piano genius Ahmad Jamal is really taking off here – letting his solos stretch out and his impeccable sense of timing really move things forward from his studio sides of the time – allowed plenty of freedom in the space of the Penthouse nightclub in Seattle during the mid 60s! The package features three different performances, all of which have sublime work on bass from Jamil Nasser – easily one of Jamal's greatest accompanists, and a player whose sense of rounded energy seems tied to the keys of Ahmad's piano at every single moment. Drums are by a different player on each date – Chuck Lampkin, Vernel Fournier, and Frank Gant – and titles include long versions of "Concern", "Feeling Good"," My First Love Song", "Who Can I Turn To", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", "Invitation", and "Poinciana". LP, Vinyl record album

Reedman Oliver Lake at his most creative – stepping out here on a sublime set of 70s improvisations – all put together with a really spiritual feel! There's a very open, collaborative feel to the music – and the set was recorded in St Louis, at a time when Lake was a key part of that city's scene – and who here also seems able to attract some other musicians from the AACM in Chicago as well! As a result, the album's a wonderful document of the new ideas bursting forth at the start of the 70s – that richly creative moment when local scenes were coming together in various cities to find new ways of jazz beyond Coltrane and Dolphy – giving a player like Lake some of the most imaginative outlets of his career. Oliver plays alto, soprano, flute, and other small instruments – and other players include Baikida Carroll and Floyd Leflore on trumpets, Joseph Bowie on trombone, John Hicks on piano, Clovis Bordeaux on electric piano, Don Officer on bass, Charles Bobo Shaw on drums, and Don Moye on congas too. Titles include "Africa", "Tse Lane", "Eriee", "Zip", and "Electric Freedom". CD

A fantastic lost set from the Detroit jazz scene of the 60s – by a group who was years ahead of their time, and who bridged a number of different parts of the city's scene! The group's listed here under the name of drummer Bert Myrick, but was actually co-led by George Bohanon on trombone – who also blew on sides for Motown, and went onto a big range of west coast work in the 70s – but has a razor-sharp edge here! The other co-leader was tenorist Ronnie Fields – a lesser-known player, but a great one too – and a perfect pairing with Bohanon for a soaring, soulful voice on the record. A young Kenny Cox is also in the group on piano – best known for his later albums for Blue Note, which were some of the most modern the label issued at the time – and the last member of the group is Will Austin on bass. Myrick's drums are great – as powerful a force in leadership as Art Blakey with the Messengers – and all tracks are nice and long, and all originals too. The groove is soaring, modal, and very soulful – and titles include "Sevenths", "Paramour", "Scorpio's Child", and "The Latin Bit". CD

An ultra-hip set of soul jazz from 70s Detroit – recorded back in the day by saxophonist Sam Sanders, but never issued at the time! The album's got this wonderfully warm, open sort of vibe – a quality that's kind of like an indie take on the CTI mode of the time, but much more relaxed – and nicely directed towards soul as well, given the vocals that grace some of the album's best moments! Some tunes are right on the money, with an undercurrent of funk – but other moments get a bit wilder and more righteous, in the style you'd expect from the legendary Strata Records imprint! Core instrumentation is by a combo that features Sanders on alto, plus lots of great keyboards, and guitar, baritone, and percussion. Vocals are by Jamil and Kenneth Harris – plus an unnamed female singer too – and titles include "Inner City Player", "Face At My Window", "Loser", "Funked Up", "Love's Gain", and "Summer Mist". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic record – and one of those rare moments when an avant group can serve up a bit of funk! This lost bit of work was recorded live in St Louis in 1973 – part of the Black Artists Group scene that was the city's answer to Chicago's AACM movement of the late 60s. Alto player Luther Thomas heads up the group, which features Charles Shaw on drums, JD Parran on reeds, Marvin Horne on guitar, Eric Foreman on bass – plus guest work from AACM visitors Joseph and Lester Bowie! The set kicks off with the 18 minute monster track "Funky Donkey" – an unbridled funky jam that mixes tight fast rhythms with skilled way-out solos, very much in the mode of "Nation Time" from Joe McPhee's album of similar vintage. The cut's a stone monster – and it's backed here by "Una New York", which has a more avant feel, but an equally exciting mix of styles. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic record – and one of those rare moments when an avant group can serve up a bit of funk! This lost bit of work was recorded live in St Louis in 1973 – part of the Black Artists Group scene that was the city's answer to Chicago's AACM movement of the late 60s. Alto player Luther Thomas heads up the group, which features Charles Shaw on drums, JD Parran on reeds, Marvin Horne on guitar, Eric Foreman on bass – plus guest work from AACM visitors Joseph and Lester Bowie! The set kicks off with the 18 minute monster track "Funky Donkey" – an unbridled funky jam that mixes tight fast rhythms with skilled way-out solos, very much in the mode of "Nation Time" from Joe McPhee's album of similar vintage. The cut's a stone monster – and it's backed here by "Una New York" and "Intensity", which has a more avant feel, but an equally exciting mix of styles. CD

It's a little-known fact that Memphis had a huge influence on the sound of late 50s/early 60s soul jazz – probably because most of the city's best players had to leave and go either to Chicago or New York to make their name. This set's a great reminder of that fact, as it brings together an important batch of players, most of them only freshly departed from Memphis at the time of the session – an assemblage that includes Frank Strozier, Phineas Newborn, Booker Little, Louis Smith, George Coleman, and Calvin Newborn. The tracks are long open-ended blowing session tunes – very different than the usual format for just about every player involved, which also makes for quite a striking record. Titles include very long takes on "Blue N Boogie", "Star Eyes", "After Hours", and "Things Ain't What They Used To Be". CD

A beautiful album from this very hip trio – and like the first, a set that's got a vibe that's very different than most other work of its nature! Sure, it's a guitar trio album – Oren Ambarchi on guitar, Johan Berthling on bass, and Andreas Werliin on drums – but the way the instruments relate is often very different – especially the use of guitar from Ambarchi, which often has this sort of subtle sonic energy rather than tautly plucked notes – qualities that get a lot of resonance next to the always-fantastic basswork of Berthling, a player we've really come to love for fresh ideas in music! Titles include "Tre", "TVA","Fyra", and "En". LP, Vinyl record album

Two very unusual albums from the great Graham Bond – back to back in a single set! Holy Magick is quite spiritual, almost supernatural at times – very much what you'd expect from the cover and title! The record's light years away from Bond's British beat group work of a few years before – and has a quality that almost mixes headier rock influences with the spiritualism of the post-Coltrane generation – as the record almost goes farther in a direction that was somewhat initiated by Albert Ayler's more rock-like leanings at the end of his life. Many numbers have chorus vocals rising up behind Bond's lead – and while his own work on alto sax is somewhat displaced by strong use of guitar on many tracks, there's still a fair bit of jazzy elements going on in the mix – particularly on side two, which features Graham laying down some strong lines on the Hammond. Titles include "Aquarius Mantra", "Praise City Of Light", "12 Gates To The City", "Invocation To The Light", "The Qabalistic Cross", "The Pentagram Ritual", "The Holy Words", "The Judgement", and "The Magician". Holy Magick is an equally unusual record from a very unusual player! Altoist Graham Bond had a long and varied career before he made this groovy rock/jazz album in the early 70s. He started as a committed Brit modernist, playing in Don Rendell's early group, then moved into the Beat Group era, with his Graham Bond Organization that featured him on organ and alto. This session recorded with his group Magick shows a similar extension from the Beat Group sound that was taken by Brian Auger – lots of longer jamming cuts, still with the R&B tinged jazzy playing at its base, but with spiritual jazz on the vocals at times, and almost a bit of prog as well. The heart of the whole thing's still nice and jazzy, though – and titles include "Druid", "Ajama", "Forbidden Fruit", and "Moving Towards The Light". CD

An essential bit of funkiness from this obscure New Orleans funk combo! The Gaturs' frontman was keyboardist Willie Tee – who went on to greater fame as a jazz and session player – but we like him best at this early point, when he was wailing away on organ in a tight choppy small group setting. The Gaturs clearly deserve any praise you could heap on them – and their work on this album's a perfect match with the New Orleans funk of Eddie Bo and The Meters. Most of the material was recorded in New Orleans, but only ever issued on 7" singles – and this is the first LP that the group have ever had under their name. Titles include "Cold Bear", "Booger Man", "Gatur Bait", "Hunk Of Funk", "Funky Funky Twist", "Wasted", and "Yeah, You Right". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime session that's co-led by two of the greatest figures on the Chicago jazz scene at the time of the recording – drummer Hamid Drake and tenorist Fred Anderson – both musicians that had been working in the city for years, but who really seemed to blossom in the new light that the 21st Century was bringing to their music! The tracks here are long and beautiful – maybe more spiritual than most anything else that Anderson ever recorded – still with enough edges to please his fans of freer improvisation, but building with more rhythmic currents and modal energy – thanks in part to contributions on the record from the great Jeff Parker on guitar, and bassist Joshua Abrams – a player who's really starting to find his way on a record like this! Harrison Bankhead plays piano – but throughout, it's the work of Anderson and Drake that really shines in the spotlight, as it should – on long titles that include "Planet E", "Strut Time", "For Brother Thompson", "From The River To The Ocean", and "Sakti/Shiva". CD

An essential bit of funkiness from this obscure New Orleans funk combo! The Gaturs' frontman was keyboardist Willie Tee – who went on to greater fame as a jazz and session player – but we like him best at this early point, when he was wailing away on organ in a tight choppy small group setting. The Gaturs clearly deserve any praise you could heap on them – and their work on this album's a perfect match with the New Orleans funk of Eddie Bo and The Meters. Most of the material was recorded in New Orleans, but only ever issued on 7" singles – and this is the first LP that the group have ever had under their name. Titles include "Cold Bear", "Booger Man", "Gatur Bait", "Hunk Of Funk", "Funky Funky Twist", "Wasted", and "Yeah, You Right". Plus, the CD contains 5 great bonus cuts, including "Sweet Thing"! CD

John Scofield's the leader here – but at times, we almost think the record's the vision of pianist Hal Galper as much as it is the guitarist – as both their efforts leap from the grooves with a really wonderful sense of energy! Maybe part of the album's strength is the rhythm duo – as the great Stafford James is on bass, a player we always love, next to drummer Adam Nussbaum – who can also really take off, and keep things driving in ways that have Scofield moving with all these fast flourishes of sound – quickly spinning out those chromatic lines that made him such a distinct player in the 70s! Galper has a great sense of boldness – and titles include "Alter Fields", "Rough House", "Slow Elvin", "Triple Play", "Air Pakistan", and "Ailleron". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic full-length debut from Nubya Garcia – a tenor saxophonist who's been making big waves on the London scene in recent work – and who, like most of her contemporaries in that city, is determined to push jazz into new dimensions that will keep the artform growing and alive for decades to come! At the core is Nubya's quartet – an excellent group that features Joe Armon-Jones on piano and Wurlitzer, Daniel Casimir on bass, and Sam Jones on drums – all working with energy that's boundless, and always has us running to the notes to figure out of there's more people working than just those four! And in most cases, that's not what's going on – save for a few spots that feature guest trumpet from Ms Maurice, and the occasional vocal appearance – hardly distractions from the amazing spirit and energy of the quartet at the core. Really wonderful work from a player who is rising up to be a key part of the next generation of jazz – on titles that include "Together Is A Beautiful Place To Be", "Source", "The Message Continues", "Pace", "La Cumbia Me Esta Llmando", and "Boundless Beings". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album from Chicago vibist Jason Adasiewicz and his Rolldown group – giving us some of the best vibes-led jazz in years! The group features players from the Chicago scene that are truly at the forefront of an exciting wave of modern jazz in the city, and anywhere else on the planet – coronet player Josh Berman, Aram Shelton on alto sax and clarinet, Frank Rosaly on drums, and Jason Roebke on bass – rolling along with sound that combines an avant energy with classic dexterity. The interplay is intuitive and dynamic, balancing tense and playful moments with precision. Wonderful! Includes "Green Grass", "Varmint", "Dagger", "Hide", "I Hope She Is Awake", "Punchbag" and "The Griots". CD

A love letter to the city of New York from saxophonist Jacques Schwarz-Bart – a player with roots in Guadeloupe, but who's also had plenty of experience in New York as well – the latter of which really shines through in a wonderfully soulful set of work – some original, some very well-chosen jazz remakes! Jacques blows tenor here, in a group with players who include Victor Gould and Sullivan Fortner on piano, Matt Penman on bass, and Marcus Gilmore and Terri Lyne Carrington on drums – and the set features vocals from Malika Trolien on a version of "Butterfly", and Stephanie McKay on the tracks "Look No Further" and "Dreaming Of Freedom". Other tracks include "Equivox", "Twisted", "Ambrosia", "From Gore To Harlem", and "Sun Salutation". CD

A killer batch of funky guitar work from the Miami scene of the 70s – very different than the later disco hits the city would be known for! Little Beaver is one of those players we'd put right up there with Shuggie Otis, O'Donell Levy, or Eddie Fisher (of "Third Cup" fame) – a player who was more underground, and worked in a blend of soul, jazz and funk – delivered superbly here over these spare backings that almost echo work at the time by Timmy Thomas! The lean groove brings plenty of focus on Beaver's guitar – and that hollow-body he's holding on the front cover has a warm and wonderful sound. Beaver also sings a bit too – and titles include "I Can Dig It Baby", "Money Vibrations", "Let The Good Times Roll", and "Party Down (parts 1 & 2)". CD

The rare first version of Message From The Tribe – still done with all the Detroit underground qualities of the better-known versions – but with a completely different song list overall! As with the more-circulated versions, the record is the brainchild of saxophonist Wendell Harrison and trombonist Phil Ranelin – and the pair work together with other key players from the spiritual avant scene in their city at the start of the 70s – Marcus Belgrave and Charles Moore on trumpets, Will Austin on bass, Ike Daney on drums, and Charles Eubanks on some mighty nice Fender Rhodes! All group members handle other instrumentation too – usually a bit of percussion– and Jaemel Lee comes in with some vocals and poetry as well. The album features two side-long suites – the 20 minute "Evening With The Devil" on side one, with passages that include "Mary Had An Abortion", "Angry Young Men", and "Where Am I" – and the 21 minute "What Now" on side two – with passages that include "What We Need", "Angela's Dilemma", and "How Do We End All Of This Madness". CD

Landmark stuff, and a beautiful album that mixes soulful tracks with Donny's nascent jazz sensibility! The set's a key chapter in the history of soul music – a record that has Donny emerging from shadows of the Chicago studio scene to become one of the most promising soul artists of the 70s. The album was recorded in Chicago, with a host of great players that had been gigging for years in the Chess studios – and the record is the rich culmination of talents that had been brewing in the Windy City for years. Includes the monster hit "The Ghetto" – one of Donny's best-known tracks and a rollicking funky number – in a full extended version with a good instrumental breakdown. Also features a remake of "Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)", which shows Donny's strong ties to the Earth, Wind, & Fire organization – plus moody spiritual numbers like "I Believe To My Soul", "Thank You Master", and "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black". One CD bonus cut, "A Dream", is previously unissued. CD

A great mid 50s recordings by one of the greatest pairings in popular jazz of the time – the twin-trombone lead work of JJ Johnson and Kai Winding, both players who'd come from differing backgrounds, but who created a wonderful new sound together! The interplay between the trombones on thesession is wonderful – a strongly pronounced mini-horn section – yet one that's fluid enough to work at a nice boppish pace, especially when paired with a rhythm section of Dick Katz and Al Harewood. Titles include "Thou Swell", "Gong Rock", "Out Of This World", "Lope City", "Mad About The Boy", "That's How I Feel About You", "Stolen Bass", and "It's All Right With Me". CD

A great mid 50s recordings by one of the greatest pairings in popular jazz of the time – the twin-trombone lead work of JJ Johnson and Kai Winding, both players who'd come from differing backgrounds, but who created a wonderful new sound together! The interplay between the trombones on thesession is wonderful – a strongly pronounced mini-horn section – yet one that's fluid enough to work at a nice boppish pace, especially when paired with a rhythm section of Dick Katz and Al Harewood. Titles include "Thou Swell", "Gong Rock", "Out Of This World", "Lope City", "Mad About The Boy", "That's How I Feel About You", "Stolen Bass", and "It's All Right With Me". CD

A great mid 50s recording by one of the greatest pairings in popular jazz of the time – the twin-trombone lead work of JJ Johnson and Kai Winding, both players who'd come from differing backgrounds, but who created a wonderful new sound together! The interplay between the trombones on thesession is wonderful – a strongly pronounced mini-horn section – yet one that's fluid enough to work at a nice boppish pace, especially when paired with a rhythm section of Dick Katz and Al Harewood. Titles include "Thou Swell", "Gong Rock", "Out Of This World", "Lope City", "Mad About The Boy", "That's How I Feel About You", "Stolen Bass", and "It's All Right With Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Japanese jazz vocalist Junko Mine made a great trip to LA for this album – working here under the leadership of pianist Lou Levy, with a group that includes some of the best west coast jazz players of the 50s! At the time, American labels were often ignoring the talent that was still flourishing strongly in the city of angels – and it was up to Japanese labels like this to give them a chance to shine on record – which they do wonderfully, in a group that features Levy on piano, Bill Perkins on tenor and flute, Conte Candoli on trumpet, Red Mitchell on bass, and Mundell Lowe on drums. Junko handles vocals, but also knows when to step aside for an instrumentalist to solo – and titles include "Easy To Love", "You're The Top", "I Concentrate On You", "In The Still Of The Night", "You Do Something To Me", and "I Get A Kick Out Of You". CD

Genius work from Moody – and a larger session than usual – one that shows his strong talents with an expanded lineup! Moody's working here with players that have a definite Dizzy Gillespie Big Band bent – including trumpeter Dave Burns, trombonist William Shepherd, baritonist Pee Wee Moore, and pianist Jimmy Boyd – but they're working with Moody in a groove that's got equal parts modern alongside the bop, in a way that makes for some complicated arrangements that bristle with electricity. There's almost a bit of Gigi Gryce or Benny Golson in the spirit of the set – and Moody's work on alto is an especially good example of this on the record. Eddie Jefferson makes a great vocal appearance on "Disappointed" – and other tracks include "Little Ricky", "Big Ben", "Show Eyes", "Hard To Get", and "And You Called My Name". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Lee Morgan albums, and one of his least known – a set recorded in the crucial last five years of his life, and a sparkling mix of hard bop, soul jazz, and slight bits of modernism – that magical mix that Lee was hitting as he reached farther and farther with his music – an amazing legacy in jazz that has us loving every Morgan session from 1965 onward! Lee's playing in very comfortable territory, with a group that includes Bennie Maupin on tenor, Cedar Walton on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – but that doesn't mean that the proceedings are relaxed at all, because the interplay between the players is flawless, and they use their familiarity as a great springboard to soar off into rich new territory. Lee wrote all the tunes on the record – like "Caramba", "Suicide City", and "Soulita". An excellent record throughout, and one that we'd never part with! LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Lee Morgan albums, and one of his least known – a set recorded in the crucial last five years of his life, and a sparkling mix of hard bop, soul jazz, and slight bits of modernism – that magical mix that Lee was hitting as he reached farther and farther with his music – an amazing legacy in jazz that has us loving every Morgan session from 1965 onward! Lee's playing in very comfortable territory, with a group that includes Bennie Maupin on tenor, Cedar Walton on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – but that doesn't mean that the proceedings are relaxed at all, because the interplay between the players is flawless, and they use their familiarity as a great springboard to soar off into rich new territory. Lee wrote all the tunes on the record – like "Caramba", "Suicide City", and "Soulita". An excellent record throughout, and one that we'd never part with! CD

An excellent set that brings together Fats Navarro's recordings for Savoy – late 40s sides that were always poorly packaged and annotated on record, which are compiled here wonderfully, with great notes, and a few unissued tracks! Players include Leo Parker, Kenny Dorham, Sonny Stitt, Ernie Henry, Tadd Dameron, Kenny Clarke, Art Blakey, and Charlie Rouse – and the set's got a huge amount of titles, including "Boppin A Riff", "Fat Boy", "Everything's Cool", "Webb City", "Fracture", "Calling Dr Jazz", "Red Pepper", "Spinal", "Fat Girl", "Ice Freezes Red", "A Bebop Carol", and "The Tadd Walk". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful lost relic, and a monster batch of long jazzy grooves! The album was recorded in the great tradition of "musicans in prison" albums, like those by The Escorts in the early 70s, and it features an incredibly soulful band made up of jazz musicians in lockdown at the Ohio State Penitentiary during the mid 70s! We don't recognize any of the names on the album, but the players work with a hell of a lot of soul and spirit – on longer tracks that almost have the feel of 70s work by The Pharoahs or Phil Cohran's Artistic Heritage Ensemble. Way better than anything you'd usually get of this nature – and definitely light years beyond any school or army band recording – and much more like a 70s underground spiritual jazz set. All of the material was written and arranged by Logan Rollins, and the tracks have a large group feel, with long drawn out grooves, and plenty of room for nice nice solos – and titles include "Psych City", "Mantra Dance", "Counterry Bosa Davan", and "Java Man". CD

Max Roach's masterpiece! This album is one of his most perfectly realized visions – and it's a marvelous album that combines politics and modern jazz, yet still manages to swing! The players are some of the hippest that Roach ever worked with – and include Eric Dolphy, Booker Little, Clifford Jordan, and Julian Priester – and the album features some of the best-ever singing from Abbey Lincoln! Abbey's incredible on the track "Mendacity", an incredibly haunting Civil Rights-era number that should go right up there with "Strange Fruit", and which features wonderful alto work from Dolphy! She also sings wordlessly on the track "Garvey's Ghost" – and then sits out the rest of the set so that Max and the group can wail on the tracks "Praise For A Martyr", "Man From South Africa", and "Tender Warriors". Incredibly hip – and a perfect blend of soul, jazz, politics, and pure righteous spirit! CD

If worktime was like this for us, you'd catch us showing up on the job early every day – but sadly, nothing at our office can match the brilliance of early Sonny Rollins here – a sharp-edged genius that perfectly illustrates why he was one of the greatest players on his horn for many decades running! There's a depth of tone on the record that rivals Coleman Hawkins or Lester Young – but a quickness of pace and imagination that shows a clear influence from Charlie Parker, and a deftness that few were bringing to the tenor at the time. The rhythm section here is super tight – and features Ray Bryant on piano, George Morrow on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all supporting Rollins' bold lead with lines that bristle with electricity, but still often fall back to let the sound of the tenor envelop the whole group. Tracks are longish, and titles include "Raincheck", "There Are Such Things", "Paradox", and "It's All Right With Me". LP, Vinyl record album

If worktime was like this for us, you'd catch us showing up on the job early every day – but sadly, nothing at our office can match the brilliance of early Sonny Rollins here – a sharp-edged genius that perfectly illustrates why he was one of the greatest players on his horn for many decades running! There's a depth of tone on the record that rivals Coleman Hawkins or Lester Young – but a quickness of pace and imagination that shows a clear influence from Charlie Parker, and a deftness that few were bringing to the tenor at the time. The rhythm section here is super tight – and features Ray Bryant on piano, George Morrow on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all supporting Rollins' bold lead with lines that bristle with electricity, but still often fall back to let the sound of the tenor envelop the whole group. Tracks are longish, and titles include "Raincheck", "There Are Such Things", "Paradox", and "It's All Right With Me". CD

Vocalist Jimmy Rushing first came to fame working with Count Basie in the 30s, but it wasn't until the 50s that he really got the chance to step out on his own and cut a number of great sessions in the studio! This set features one of Jimmy's finest moments of the 50s – material recorded for Vanguard Records in 1954 and 1955, respectively, and featuring Rushing in the company of great small group trad players like Buddy Tate, Pat Jenkins, Emmett Berry, Lawrence Brown, and Freddie Green. The format is laidback and simple on both records – a style that clearly hearkens back to the Kansas City swing of the 30s, but which is delivered here with a more stripped-down approach that lets us focus even more on Rushing's earthy vocal presentation. Titles include the original tracks "Good Morning Blues", "Take Me Back Baby", "Sent For You Yesterday", and "Goin To Chicago" – plus versions of "How Long", "See See Rider", "Evenin". CD

A landmark pairing of two Chicago avant players at the start of the 80s – and one that shows that the city had plenty going on, even away from the AACM! The set brings together the older Hal Russell – still an underground secret in the city – and the younger Mars Williams, who was just starting out here, but would soon rise to fame in the NRG Ensemble, and on decades of other recordings and alliances in the Windy City. There's a mix of instrumentation that really shows the open-minded sense of improvisation that Russell helped encourage in the younger Generations – and Hal plays drums, C melody sax, cornet, vibes, toy horns, and "lots of other stuff" – with Mars Williams playing tenor sax, slide whistles, bells, newspapers, and "lots of other stuff" too! Titles include "Carnal Concupiscence", "Is This Virginia", "Odoriferous Flambeaus Of The Paranymphs", "Eftsoons", and "Noise Command Blast 1". LP, Vinyl record album

Two great albums from Chicago's Argo label brough together on one great CD! Norman Simmons is a wonderfully soulful piano player, of the rare kind who always seems to bring something "extra to the table"! The set's more than the usual piano trio side of the time, as Simmons contributes a number of original tunes, and works with bassist Victor Sproles and drummer Vernel Fournier to craft some lean tunes that have a nice dose of modernism from time to time. Titles include "Peppe", "Capacity In Blues", "Jan", "Chili Bowl", and "Tranquility". Richard's Almanac is a rare early trio session from bassist Richard Evans – known much more famously for his late 60s soul and jazz arrangements at Chess! The set's not only unique for it's exposure of Evans as a jazz artist, but it also marks one of the first appearances of pianist Jack Wilson – still a part of the Chicago scene at the time of this album, but already playing with the fluid lyricism we love so much from his 60s LA recordings! Wilson's piano is a really key part of the record, and he works a groove that's simply sublime – filled with lots of flowing, gliding touches on the top of the keys, but also coming across with enough of a bottom to give the record plenty of soul! The drummer in the group is Robert Barry, another noteworthy south sider at the time – and titles include "Consu", "The Preacher", "Trees", "Vera", "Should I", and "Daybreak". Nice cover, too, with a young Evans sitting in front of a globe! CD

Funky funky funky! Lonnie plays live with a tight group that includes tenor, guitar, and some very heavy drumming – really wailing at a level that was surprising for funky organists of the time, and which really set the pace for a whole new generation! The players are more obscure than on the usual Blue Note sides – save for Ronnie Cuber, who played baritone with Mongo Santamaria, and is one of the most underrated 60s funky players. Recorded live at the Club Harlem in Atlantic City, and with a deep raw funky sound that must have blown the roof off the club! Titles include "Move Your Hand", "Layin' In the Cut", "Charlie Brown", and "Sunshine Superman". One of his best ever! Plus, this CD reissue also includes a bonus cut – "Dancin' In An Easy Groove" – which does exactly that, for about 12 minutes long! CD

A seminal early recording from one of our favorite reed players ever! In the late 1950s, the young Frank Strozier came up to Chicago from Memphis, along with his longtime friend, pianist Harold Mabern. The two of them both settled nicely in the city's MJT+3 combo, where they proceeded to record some incredible hardbop sessions for Vee Jay. During that same time, Strozier began to emerge as a strong soloist and a competent leader in his own right, and Vee Jay gave him a much-needed crack at this debut album. The session's a perfect showcase for Strozier's lyrical beauty, and given the quality of the work, it's a wonder he was never more famous. The group's a quintet, and Strozier's ably teamed with Booker Little, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb. Titles include "WK Blues", "Waltz Of The Demons", "Runnin", and "Off Shore". LP, Vinyl record album

Raucous drag strip rockers and driving R&B-fueled instrumentals by The T-Bones – killer material on Liberty from a group of young session wizards – including Hal Blaine, Glen Campbell, Leon Russell, Dave Pell, Steve Douglas and others! It's wildly fun stuff that goes all in with the drag strip novelty – but totally transcends it – with some rubber-burning, rumbling excellence! Killer guitars, sax, organ drums from a one-time relatively anonymous cast of players. Includes "Hey Little Cobra", "Shut Down", "Drag City", "Draggin'", "Scorchin", "Little Deuce Coupe", "Boss Drag" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Plenty of darkness here from Phil Upchurch – those great tones and notes he worked so well back in the 70s – all with that near-perfect quality that made him one of the most in-demand players of his day! The style here is a bit different than some of Phil's previous work in Chicago – as the set was recorded on the west coast with support from players who include Joe Sample on piano, Arthur Adams on rhythm guitar, Chuck Rainey on bass, and Harvey Mason on drums. But that shift of locale hasn't dampened Phil's sound at all – and he's still getting a bit of hometown help from Donny Hathaway, who arranged a few tracks and also plays a bit of electric piano on the record. Other arrangements are by Nick DeCaro, and titles include "Love & Peace", "Darkness, Darkness", "Cold Sweat", "Fire And Rain", "Please Send Me Someone To Love" and "Inner City Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Sarah Vaughan's looking pretty groovy on the cover of this album, and she's sounding pretty groovy too – thanks to some sweet 70s backings from Ernie Wilkins! The style isn't exactly funky, but it's got some fully soulful sounds, and some great electric moments too – modes that almost feel more like some of the best Kudu Records vocal sets from the time, instead of the usual Mainstream Records groove. Sarah really fits well in this sort of setting – stretching out into groovier territory than before with the same sense of change that Ella Fitzgerald or Marlena Shaw were bringing to their music at the time. Players include Jerome Richardson on saxes, Buddy Childers on trumpet, Benny Powell on trombone, Jimmy Cobb on percussion, and Earl Palmer on drums – and titles include "Inner City Blues", "Magical Connection", "Universal Prisoner", "Tomorrow City", "That's The Way I've Always Heard It", "Imagine", "On Thinking It Over", and "If Not For You". LP, Vinyl record album

Really wonderful work from the legendary Tony Williams – a set that has the drummer hitting a whole new sound at the start of the 90s – a groove that's rich and soulful, yet still every bit as sharp as before! The set's straight ahead, and graced with some very youthful energy by a new-generation lineup that includes Wallace Roney on trumpet, Bill Pierce on tenor and soprano sax, Mulgrew Miller on piano, and Robert Hurst on bass – all players who bristle with excitement from the very first notes, expressing a sense of confidence and vision of a new jazz generation that no longer has to battle between its inside and outside impulses. Williams' drumming is superb, and nicely understated at many points – and titles include "Native Heart", "City Of Lights", "Extreme Measures", "Liberty", and "Two Worlds". CD