The title and cover here are super-simple, but the sound is anything but – a continuing evolution of the talents of tenorist Ralph Bowen, who just seems to grab us more and more with each new album! The core of the record is the long "Phylogeny Suite", which has some of the most complex writing we've ever heard from Bowen – almost like he's hitting a second chapter of his career, while still finding a way to soulfully swing with the quality that first made us love him a number of years ago. There's almost a Monk-like sense of angularity at points – accented by the piano work of Jim Ridl, who plays in the quartet alongside Kenny Davis on bass and Cliff Almond on drums. Titles include "A Cast Of Crabs", "A Leap Of Leopards", "Cache Cache", "A Rookery Of Ravens", and a version of McCoy Tyner's "Search For Peace". CD

Tenorist Ralph Bowen blows some strong magic here – the kind of tone and timing that really transforms the more familiar numbers chosen for the set – so that older standards are turned inside out and opened up as new vehicles for expression – yet all while still managing to swing! The rhythm trio is tight, but fluid – and features Bill O'Connell on piano, Kenny Davis on bass, and Donald Edwards on drums – yet to our ears, Bowen's the main star on the record – and we've never heard him sounding so powerfully creative! Most tracks have a strong focus from start to finish, but cover a surprising amount of ground – and titles include "Yesterdays", "No Moon At All", "Isn't It Romantic", "Dream Dancing", "By Myself", and "You Stepped Out Of A Dream". CD

Bassist Peter Brendler is at the helm of the set, but we're especially enamored of the trumpet work here – played by Peter Evans on both standard and piccolo trumpet – the latter of which has this wonderfully personal sound! Almost all tunes are originals from Brendler, who turns out to be a pretty great writer – and sets up these strong showcases for Evans' trumpet lines, which seem to leap right out front even before his solos – when he's still sharing the lead with tenorist Rich Perry. Perry's pretty great, too – but there's a freshness to Evans' phrasing that's really great – bold at some minutes, with lots of offbeat twists and turns – and more fragile and honest on the piccolo trumpet tunes. Drummer Vinnie Sperrazza completes the group – and titles include "Blackout Reunion", "Drop The Mittens", "The Darkness", "Blanket Statement", "Lawn Darts", and a surprisingly nice cover of "Walk On The Wild Side". CD

The title of the album might sound a bit whimsical, but the music of saxophonist Roxy Coss is hardly that at all – and instead a rock-solid approach to rhythm and tone that's very well-crafted throughout! The set features Roxy on saxes and bass clarinet – some shifting sonic elements that are matched nicely with the guitar of Alex Wintz, piano of Glenn Zaleski, bass of Rick Rosato, and drums of Jimmy MacBride – a lineup that deftly turns and shifts to follow the spirit of the leader. Roxy contributed a few of her own tunes to the record – "Free To Be", "You're There", "Never Enough", "Endless Cycle", "Unwavering Optimism", and the title tune – and the set also features versions of Wayne Shorter's "Virgo" and Joe Henderson's "A Shade Of Jade". CD

Roxy Coss's second album as a leader for the Posi-Tone label – and it's her strongest to date, both by design and in performance! Where her Chasing The Unicorn album set up a whimsical sensibility, this one obliviously sets up a tone of strength and determination – undercurrents of all her work we've heard thus far, but are front-and-center thematically here. The titles are strident and topical, while the sound is timeless, with some thematic touches – like the almost foreboding intro to "Mr. President" that leads into marching drums, or the slyly easygoing swing that starts "Feminist AF" leading to some of the most energetic soloing by Roxy on the whole set – but she never casts off the neo-classic jazz she's always had such a strong voice for. Recorded in a single day with her excellent band including Alex Wintz, Miki Yamanaka, Rick Rosato and Jimmy Macbride, titles include "Nevertheless, She Persisted", "Little Did She Know", "She Needed A Hero, So That's What She Became", "Females Are Strong As Hell", "#MeToo","Nasty Women Grab Back" and "Ode To A Generation". CD

We've really grown to love pianist Orrin Evans in a trio setting, but he's a surprisingly strong talent at the helm of this large group too – an ensemble with a rich sound and a sense of feeling that really matches Evans' own piano! There's a boldness to the music that really brings out a whole new side of Evans – this sense of majesty that's always lurking in the way he approaches the keyboard in a smaller group, but which takes off here with work from a larger group of saxophones, trumpets, and trombones. Evans gets in many great solos – and other key moments come from Marcus Strickland on tenor or soprano sax, Stacy Dillard on tenor, Todd Bashore on alto, Conrad Herwig on trombone, Tatum Greenblatt on trumpet, and Ralph Peterson on drums. Titles include the originals "In My Soul", "Explain It To Me", "Dita", "Prayer For Columbine", and "Mother's Touch (parts 1 & 2)". CD

We last heard tenorist Ken Fowser in the company of vibist Behn Gillece – on a pair of excellent recent albums for the Posi-Tone label – but here he works as the sole leader, and maybe knocks it out of the park even more! All the tunes here are originals by Ken – who continues to be a hell of a writer, and comes up with songs that are bright and bold, yet also filled with deeper lines of feeling too – almost like some of Wayne Shorter's excellent early compositions in the first half of the 60s. Like Shorter in those days, Fowser has a way of working in a deeply soulful mode, but with strong lyrical currents too – echoed nicely here by the trumpet lines of Josh Bruneau, in a quintet that also include Rick Germanson on piano, Paul Gill on bass, and Jason Tiemann on drums. The album's the kind of subtle gem that we've really come to love from Posi-Tone – and titles include "Off The Path", "Mode For Red", "Brick's Tune", "Hanging On", "Head Start", "Filling In The Blanks", and "Timeless". CD

Wonderfully romping piano from Theo Hill – a musician who's clearly got some earlier soul jazz inspiration in his style, but who also knows how to warm things up with a bit of lyricism too – in a manner that reminds us of the direction that Cedar Walton took from the 60s into the 70s! Theo has a way of making complex ideas come across with a very natural pulse – and he gets great help here from trio members Yasushi Nakamura on bass and Mark Whitfield on drums – both players who share the same rolling spirit that Theo brings to his piano. Titles include the original track "The Phoenix", plus great takes on "Hey It's Me Your Talking To", "Finger Painting", "Blasphemy", "This Here", "Litha", and "Is That So". CD

Art Hirahara is a beautifully fluid pianist – one who really won us over with his last album on Posi-tone, and who seems to soar even more here – working in a fantastic trio that includes Linda Oh on bass and Rudy Royston on drums – plus some occasional tenor from Donny McCaslin! Oh and Royston have this round presence that really resonates strongly with Art's piano – creating this wave of soulful energy from the ground up, even on the mellower moments – with a tonal depth that's sophisticated, yet never forced at all. When McCaslin comes into the mix, his sound is a bit more separate from the three – yet in a way that only underscores their cohesion and beautiful sensitivity together. Titles include "Little Giant", "Sensitive Animal", "Central Line", "Kuroda Bushi", "Astray", and a version of the Chico Buarque tune "As Minhas Meninas". CD

Maybe the first album we've ever seen from trumpeter Josh Lawrence – and a set that will definitely have us looking out for more! Lawrence composed almost every tune on the set, and works with a sense of color that really lives up to the title – on lines that are sometimes nicely compressed and subtle, and blown on flugelhorn – sometimes bold and vibrant, soaring out in the company of an excellent group that includes Caleb Curtis on some especially nice alto and flute! The keyboards shift throughout – as Orrin Evans plays acoustic piano on five titles, and Adam Faulk handles Fender Rhodes on seven more – creating a nice shift in color that furthers the spirit of the tunes, driven by rhythm work from Madison Rast on bass and Anwar Marshall on drums. Titles include "Black", "An Uptown Romance", "Yellow", "Presence", "The Conceptualizer", and "Green". CD

Trumpeter Josh Lawrence works here with his Color Theory group – a great name for the combo, given how vivid they can be with their many hues! The music is soulful and swinging, yet also quite lyrical too – maybe in modes that recall some of the late 60s Blue Note work of McCoy Tyner or Horace Silver, but much more horn-heavy overall – as Lawrence blows alongside Caleb Curtis on alto and David Gibson on trombone – both players who are very well-suited to the mission of the group. Zaccai Curtis plays piano – and Fender Rhodes on one track – and Orrin Evans guests on the acoustic keys on two tunes. The group's completed by Luques Curtis on bass and Anwar Marshall on drums – and most tunes are originals by Josh, with titles that include "Accompanied Contrast", "Circles On Black", "Dominant Curve", "Blues On The Bridge", and "In The Black Square". CD

A really wonderful album from trumpeter Josh Lawrence – a very strong-voiced talent who's got a way of being bright and sharp at the same time, and who can always bring lots of his own compositional strengths to bear as well! The core group is a quartet – with Lawrence blowing beautifully over piano from Zaccai Curtis, bass from Luques Curtis, and drums from Anwar Marshall – and the set also features some great alto from Caleb Curtis on two tracks, balancing out the sound of Josh in this strongly soulful spirit! Brian Charette brings some organ to the album's final track – a great remake of the Earth Wind & Fire tune "That's The Way Of The World" – and all other titles are Lawrence originals, with tunes that include "We're Happiest Together", "Composition #2", "Wind", "Earth", "Sugar Hill Stroll", and "Sunset In Santa Barbara". CD

An all-female jazz combo – hence the name – but one who've got a sound that's strong enough to quickly make you fit any gimmick behind their creation! The group's got a compelling blend of instrumentation – sounds that move from the depth of a baritone to the lightness of a Hammond – often given some very fresh rhythmic modes through the original compositions by the members of the combo. We've heard a few of these musicians in the past, but they sound especially great here together – in a sextet lineup that features Alexa Tarantino on alto, Jenny Hill on tenor, Lauren Sevian on baritone, Amanda Monaco on guitar, Akiko Tsuruga on organ, and Allison Miller on drums. Most tunes are relatively tight, with a strong soul jazz vibe – and titles include "Jelly", "Mad Time", "Funky Girl", "Mocha Spice", "Hurry Up & Wait", "Down For The Count", "Identiy", and nice takes on "Ida Lupino" and "Think". CD

This might be the first date as a leader we've ever seen from trumpeter Farnell Newton – but it's already one that will have us looking out for more! Newton's got a tight, soulful sound on his horn – deft at times, but often more concerned with a longer, wider flow – which is balanced sonically by the trombone of Kyle Molitor – and given a nicely lyrical twist from the piano of Greg Goebel, a musician who may well be the second star of the set! We love Goebel's presence – which maybe reminds us of early Cedar Walton at times – and his warmly ringing tones are supported by work from Dylan Sundstrom on bass and Christopher Brown on drums. As with many of the best Posi-Tone label releases, much of the work here is original, and written by the leader – with titles that include "The Roots", "Transcendentals", "Crossing The Tracks", "Sons Of The Sun", "Gazillionaire", and "Road To The South". CD

A fantastic all-star group of players who've recorded separately for the Posi-Tone label – coming together here with a very fresh sound! You'll definitely recognize a few names in the quintet – which features Michael Dease on trombone, Behn Gillece on vibes, Tim Green on alto, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums – and the mix of vibes and trombone in the frontline is really fantastic – maybe no surprise, though, as we've always been huge fans of Gillece – who wrote a good number of tracks on the set – although Kozlov, Royston, and Dease also contribute some numbers. There's a very fresh sense of rhythm on the record too – thanks in part to the work of Kozlov and Royston, and the lack of a piano – and titles include "Day Zero", "Blue Sojourn", "Night Glow", "Rio", "Spun Around", "Grave Concerns", "Two Down", and "Pay The Piper". CD

Mighty strong work from Lauren Sevian – maybe one of the few female baritone saxophonists we can think of, and a hell of a bold talent – from her work on the reeds to her range of strong material composed for the album! The whole thing comes on with a force that we really weren't expecting – especially for a record with a flower on the cover – this rich, soulful sound that doesn't just come from Sevina's baritone, but also from the united power of the quintet that includes Alexa Tarantino on alto, Robert Rodriguez on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and EJ Strickland on drums! The rhythm core is especially strong, and really helps to give the album a strong sense of focus – but then again, with compositions as great as these, they could hardly do anything but – as you'll hear on titles that include "Goldie's Chance", "Bluesishness", Square One", "Triple Water", "Bliss", "In The Loop", and "Lamb & Bunny". CD

Tenorist Doug Webb jumps into the fray right from the very first note on this excellent set – a further continuation of his recent development as both a soloist and writer! Webb's got a style that's deeply classic, yet very personal too – not just a rehash of older tenor modes, but a way of drawing on their depth, and refocusing it into these surprisingly nimble lines – beautifully rhythmic passages that have the tonal colors really lighting up along the way – as Doug's horn resonates strongly with the piano lines from Peter Zak, over the more than able rhythms from Ben Wolfe on bass and Rudy Royston on drums! The whole record's got a simple, understated power that comes across very well on first listen – and only seems to delight more and more upon repeated spins – and titles include the Webb originals "Back East", "Sally's Song", "RDW Esq", "Stanley", "Mr Green", and "Snicker's Lament". CD

Great Hammond work from Brian Charette – served up in a style that's a bit different than most contemporary organ jazz sessions! The tracks here are sometimes short – like the old soul jazz organ singles back in the 60s – and Charette mixes things up nicely with a few great covers of soundtrack and pop moments – a bit like some Jimmy McGriff album on Sue Records! Yet Charette's also got a much wider range of sounds than McGriff ever did – a knowledge of the Hammond that embraces all the changes from Larry Young forward – worked out with a sweet trio that includes either Avi Rothbard or Yotam Silberstein on guitar, and Mark Ferber or Jordan Young on drums. Joe Sucato guests on tenor on the album's one long track – and titles include "The Kicker", "Good Tipper", "Another Quarter", "Standing Still", "You Only Live Twice", "Up Up & Away", and "Time Of The Season". CD

A killer guitar and Hammond session with a really sublime sort of sound – a groove that's wonderfully free of cliche – and which has an open, spacious quality that few artists can match! Given the instrumentation, the album's steeped in tradition, but never tries to just rehash an older Prestige Records vibe – and instead guitarist Ed Cherry and organist Kyle Koehler find a way of soaring out in their own spirits – opening up strongly in a bass-less trio that only features the drums of Anwar Marshall to keep things snapping along. The pairing is perfect – on the level of Grant Green with Larry Young, or Pat Martino with Don Patterson – yet very much with its own spirit, too. Cherry's arrangements are great, too – providing very fresh takes on familiar tunes, alongside his own compositions. Titles include "Central Park West", "A New Blue", "Rachel's Step", "Ode To Angela", "Little Sunflower", "Little Girl Big Girl", and "Peace". CD

A corker of a set from tenorist Diego Rivera – a player who's been around for a bit, but who really seems to find his groove in this Posi-Tone setting! The album's got Diego working with some great labelmates – including trombonist Michael Dease on all cuts, a name that's worth us checking out the album alone – plus work on various tracks by Joe Magnarelli on trumpet, Markus Howell on alto, and Behn Gillece on vibes! The core quintet also includes Luther Allison on piano, Andea Owens on bass, and Jason Tiemann on drums – all playing nice and tight, so Rivera and Dease can really soar on their solos – taking off on tunes that include the Rivera originals "Connections", "Ties That Bind", "Nueva York", "O Moderno", and "Mother's Nature" – plus Dease's "Seiko Time", and a nice bold-voiced version of "Naima" – done very differently than usual! CD

Wow, we knew almost nothing about this record! Freddy Briggs is the main force behind Coldwater Stone – as he wrote and produced all the tracks, and sings lead vocals throughout the record. His style's sort of a mix of funk and soul, and he works in the heavier style that was used by some of the other bands on the legendary GSF imprint – but also has a nice southern soul style in the best moments! Not as grittily funky as the Skullsnaps, but a fitting labelmate – and with a smoldering, geniune soulfulness that's positively killer – a record that's as rare as any other on the label, if not more so! Titles include "End Of the World", "Jefferson Park", "Outside Love Affair", "You're the One", "Biggest Mistake In The World", and "Without The One You Love". This excellent CD version from Outta Site UK packages the remastered Coldwater Stone's Defrost Me album with 2 bonus tracks: "Sound Off" and "I'm So Sorry", with credit and top billing to Freddy Briggs – with notes that provide some insight in the man that we simply didn't have before and we appreciate it! CD

One of the most sensitive, almost fragile albums we've heard from the legendary Globe Unity Orchestra – a set that makes beautiful use of brass patterns from players that include Enrico Rava, Gunther Christmann, Paul Rutherford, Manfred Schoof, Kenny Wheeler, and Albert Mangelsdorff! The tones and colors of the set are wonderful – out there at times, but often a bit more restrained than you'd expect from these players – almost in the mode of some of Mangelsdorff's best work in a more subtle time from the decade. Other players include Steve Lacy, Evan Parker, Gerd Dudek, Paul Lovens, and leader Alexander Von Schlippenbach – and titles include "The Forge", "Nodagoo", "Trom-bone-it", "Flat Feet", and "Boa". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Antonio Carlos Jobim's greatest records – and a perfect blend of his subtle bossa genius with the moody electric sound of CTI! Jobim plays electric and acoustic piano, guitar, and sings a bit – and Deodato handled the arrangements with a breezy brilliance that matches all the magic of Jobim's wonderful compositions, but gives them a slightly more fluid feel too – in a way that's somewhat more sophisticated than the sound of Jobim's previous CTI outings – Tide and Wave. Other players on the album include Joe Farrell on soprano sax, Hubert Laws on flute, and Airto on percussion – and there's a great mix of Brazilian and American styles on the set – electric, sinister, breezy, and always wonderful! Includes the titles "Sabia", "God & The Devil In The Land Of The Sun", "Children's Games", "Stone Flower", "Brazil", "Tereza My Love", and "Choro". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of CTI records gems from Antonio Carlos Jobim – back to back on a single CD! First up is Tide – an incredible record from the first off-key note to the last! The album's filled with some wonderfully moody LA studio sounds, arranged by Deodato, and a has a great swirling mix of sound that weaves around Jobim's lofty guitar and piano beautifully – complex, but still with the airy sense of space that Antonio Carlos first brought to his music in the 60s. From the very first note, you can feel the strange magic of Jobim and Deodato at work – as the album appears to be smooth and mellow, yet has a strangely unsettling undertone that keeps us coming back after all these years! Tracks include "Tema Jazz", "Carinhoso", "Rockanalia", and a nice remake of "Girl From Ipanema". Stone Flower is one of Antonio Carlos Jobim's greatest records – and a perfect blend of his subtle bossa genius with the moody electric sound of CTI! Jobim plays electric and acoustic piano, guitar, and sings a bit – and Deodato handled the arrangements with a breezy brilliance that matches all the magic of Jobim's wonderful compositions, but gives them a slightly more fluid feel too – in a way that's somewhat more sophisticated than the sound of Jobim's previous CTI outings – Tide and Wave. Other players on the album include Joe Farrell on soprano sax, Hubert Laws on flute, and Airto on percussion – and there's a great mix of Brazilian and American styles on the set – electric, sinister, breezy, and always wonderful! Includes the titles "Sabia", "God & The Devil In The Land Of The Sun", "Children's Games", "Stone Flower", "Brazil", "Tereza My Love", and "Choro". CD

Really wonderful work from pianist Bobby Scott – a perfect showcase not just for his young talents as a composer and arranger, but also for a host of key solo performers as well! This full album brings together two previous 10" LP sessions – both of them brilliant, and graced by some of the most modern talents Bethlehem Records had to offer – which makes for extremely fresh sounds from Scott's wonderful music – jazz that's at a level that's really hard to peg – neither west coast cool, nor east coast arranged – but a really special space of its own! Even when tunes are short, they're full of feeling – and really make tremendous use of the individual players – who include Hal McKusick on alto, Eddie Bert on trombone, and Ronnie Woellmer on the first session – and the amazing Charlie Mariano on alto for the second, sounding incredible here – alongside Conte Candoli on trumpet, Bill Holman on tenor, Jimmy Giuffre on baritone, and Frank Rosolino on trombone. Titles include "Moon Tan", "Kwan Youen", "Wigwam", "The Creed", "A Parable", "The Wig", "Count Bill", and "Cerebellum". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Tompkins on flute – with Joe Farrell on tenor, Pepper Adams on baritone, Ron Carter on bass, Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, and Elvin Jones on drums! LP, Vinyl record album

A quadruple pack of albums from The Bar-Kays – four records on two CDs! First up is As One, a record that definitely has the Bar-Kays definitely grooving as one – with amazing choppy guitar, bumping basslines, and brassy horns – all wrapped up with some wonderfully warm production! The group have come a long way from their fuzzier funk roots by this time, but they're still sounding great – thanks to a matured outlook on their music, one that has them fitting nicely alongside some of their Mercury ensemble funk contemporaries – but in ways that still make them stand out from the pack! Titles include "Body Fever", "As One", "Say It Through Love", "Open Your Heart", "Deliver Us", and "Take The Time To Love Somebody". Nightcruising is a tight little set! There's a key ear for a bassline and beat that keeps The Bar-Kays standing stronger than most of their contemporaries – a sense of rhythm schooled in years of indie funk that comes through even on the mellower cuts here – which themselves show an even better side of the group in this generation, one that comes across great here on a few slower numbers that have a sweetly stepping groove. Titles include "Nightcruising", "Freaky Behavior", "Feels Like I'm Falling In Love", "Touch Tone", "Hit & Run", "Unforgettable Dream", "Traffic Jammer", and "Backseat Driver". Propositions is a set that's light years away from the sound of their Memphis roots, but still plenty darn funky overall! The album's got a tight bass-heavy approach to the music – the well-forged ensemble sound that graced the later years of the Bar-Kays' career, with nary a note out of place, and a sweet blend of keyboards over the bass, giving the tunes a strong electric feel – gliding wonderfully over romping rhythms on the upbeat tracks, and stepping sweetly on the album's few mellow gems. Titles include "Tripping Out", "Propositions", "Anticipation", "Do It (Let Me See You Shake)", "She Talks To Me With Her Body", and "You Made A Change In My Life". Dangerous has a tighter sound than before for The Bar-Kays – that lean approach to funky grooves that some of their contemporaries were hitting as the 80s moved on – yet still served up here by the full ensemble with a relatively fresh feel overall. Amidst the beats and keyboards, there's still lots of nice funky inflections on bass and guitar – often handled in a skittish mode that energizes things nicely, especially alongside the more electro-styled vocals. The vibe of the record is definitely in keeping with the cover – but in the best way possible – and titles include "Dangerous", "Dirty Dancer", "Make Believe Lover", "Freakshow On The Dance Floor", and "Sexomatic". CD

An album recorded in Scotland, but done with all the strong fire as some of our favorite Latin classics from the New York scene! These guys are fantastic, right from the start – tight percussion, mighty sharp horns, and this great use of Fender Rhodes that recalls those late 70s moments when Mongo Santamaria was employing the keyboard to such great effect – further enriching the jazzy currents in the music, while the rest of the combo comes down hard with plenty of soul! There's a few Spanish Harlem touches in the lyrics – but most of the set is percussively salsa, and super-strong throughout. Titles include "Vulcano V El Gato", "Hermanos Latinos", "Bailalo Y Muevelo", "Somos Latinos", "Enciendelo", "The Sun From Above", "Papa Was A Rolling Stone", and "Vampiras". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing work from a tenorist we only just discovered with this amazing debut album – a deeply spiritual player who comes off beautifully on this set of original compositions! Nat Birchall blows with a range of feeling that takes us back to the 70s best of Pharoah Sanders, Billy Harper, and Clifford Jordan – and he puts his tunes together with a similar feel too – letting them build organically, often with the group just finding the rhythm at the start – then hitting a groove that lets Birchall's horn blossom wonderfully in sound – reaching forth with rich tones that are simply wonderful – over piano, bass, drums – and some guest trumpet by Matthew Halsall on one track (by the way, check out Halsall's album on the same label – it's another gem!) Titles include "Akhenaten", "Many Blessings", "Nica's Dance", and "A Prayer For". CD

There's nothing broken about this set – as the album's one of the strongest, most spiritual sessions we've ever heard from the Chicago Tentet of Peter Brotzmann – a really great group who gave us some amazing albums on the Okka Disk label! The set features two great guests – trumpeter Roy Campell and bassist William Parker – and at some level, the rest of the lineup seem to be opening up into modes that welcome the territory of both jazz giants – especially on the long first track, which is a very different reworking of a composition the group explored on another album! As usual, reedman Peter Brotzmann is at the helm – on tenor, alto clarinet, and tarogato – with Ken Vandermark, Mars Williams, and Mats Gustafsson on other reeds – plus Joe McPhee on trumpet and valve trombone, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and violin, Kent Kessler on bass, Michael Zerang on drums, and Hamid Drake on drums and frame drum, plus some great vocalizations. Titles include "Stonewater" and "Broken English". CD

Easily the hippest of the Clarke-Boland Big Band Records from the classic years – a set of hard grooving tracks that really pushes the envelope of their style! There's a few elements here that are different than usual – such as the presence of electric piano on a few tracks, which creates a very new sound for the group, the presence of some exotic jazz influences (perhaps borrowed from the MPS Jazz Meets The World series), and the use of some edgier compositions on the set, including work by late 60s European free-thinkers, like Eddie Louiss, Albert Mangelsdorff, and John Surman. The reed work is really incredible in this setting – and is handled by Sahib Shihab, Ronnie Scott, Billy Mitchell, and Derek Humble – all of whom seem to blow with inspiration from Surman – using tones that are far more out there than usual. Titles include "Exorcisme", "Sakara", "Our Kind Of Sabi", "Osaka Calling", "Wintersong", and "Astrorama". CD

Easily the hippest of the Clarke-Boland Big Band Records from the classic years – a set of hard grooving tracks that really pushes the envelope of their style! There's a few elements here that are different than usual – such as the presence of electric piano on a few tracks, which creates a very new sound for the group, the presence of some exotic jazz influences (perhaps borrowed from the MPS Jazz Meets The World series), and the use of some edgier compositions on the set, including work by late 60s European free-thinkers, like Eddie Louiss, Albert Mangelsdorff, and John Surman. The reed work is really incredible in this setting – and is handled by Sahib Shihab, Ronnie Scott, Billy Mitchell, and Derek Humble – all of whom seem to blow with inspiration from Surman – using tones that are far more out there than usual. Titles include "Exorcisme", "Sakara", "Our Kind Of Sabi", "Osaka Calling", "Wintersong", and "Astrorama". LP, Vinyl record album

A different sound than usual from the Fire Orchestra of Mats Gustafsson, Johan Berthling, and Andreas Werliin – a set that still features the large spontaneous composition style of the group, but which also has them working with singer Mariam Wallentin – whose vocals really add a lot to the whole process! Wallentin's a singer with a very powerful presence – and a style that's more innately tuneful than usual for the Fire ensemble – which makes for a very unusual, very creative mix with instrumentation that includes Mats Gustafsson on baritone sax, Per Texas Johansson on bass clarinet and oboe, Isak Hedtjarn on b sharp clarinet and alto, Susana Santos Silva on trumpet, Johan Berthling on bass, and Andreas Werliin on drums. The set also features keyboards from Tomas Hallonsten, which changes things up a bit too – as does the slight use of violin and viola – all of which makes for a record that has the group going way beyond jazz, and opening up a new audience for their sound. Titles include "At Last I Am Free", "I Am A Horizon", "Weekends The Soil Is Calling", "Blue Crystal Fire", "Silver Trees", and "Dressed In Smoke Blown Away". CD

A different sound than usual from the Fire Orchestra of Mats Gustafsson, Johan Berthling, and Andreas Werliin – a set that still features the large spontaneous composition style of the group, but which also has them working with singer Mariam Wallentin – whose vocals really add a lot to the whole process! Wallentin's a singer with a very powerful presence – and a style that's more innately tuneful than usual for the Fire ensemble – which makes for a very unusual, very creative mix with instrumentation that includes Mats Gustafsson on baritone sax, Per Texas Johansson on bass clarinet and oboe, Isak Hedtjarn on b sharp clarinet and alto, Susana Santos Silva on trumpet, Johan Berthling on bass, and Andreas Werliin on drums. The set also features keyboards from Tomas Hallonsten, which changes things up a bit too – as does the slight use of violin and viola – all of which makes for a record that has the group going way beyond jazz, and opening up a new audience for their sound. Titles include "At Last I Am Free", "I Am A Horizon", "Weekends The Soil Is Calling", "Blue Crystal Fire", "Silver Trees", and "Dressed In Smoke Blown Away". LP, Vinyl record album

The debut as a leader from trumpeter Jared Hall – and a set that very firmly announces his talents! Hall's had a recent legacy of work that includes both small group performances and large ensemble activity – and he really manages to bring that all into play here, as the set has this compositional vision that swings nicely between tight groovers and larger ideas – held strong by a quintet that includes Troy Roberts on tenor, Josh Allen on bass, Kyle Swan on drums, and either Martin Bejerano or Tal Cohen on piano. The cover, title, and everything else about the outside appearance of the record is somewhat understated – but musically, the whole thing bursts out nicely and really stays strong all the way through – on titles that include "Wanderer", "Visions & Dreams", "Brother Spiro", "Apehlion", "Tones For Jones", and "Allure". CD

A great follow up to Mille Jackson's classic Caught Up album – but one that's also a key turning point too! The theme here is the same as the album before – with tunes that have a woman "caught up" in love and all of its tangles – but the sound is also bolder, more positive, and somehow more righteous than before – with Millie stepping from the weepy shadows very firmly into the mainstream – making a bold move forward for women in general in the process! Production is still by southern soul whiz Brad Shapiro – but he's also brightened things a bit too, in keeping with Millie's bolder spirit – shaking off some of the earthier tones of the music, and hipping things up slightly with some more modern instrumentation. Millie's vocals are completely wonderful throughout – rasping with that badass style that would later explode even more strongly – and there's lots of spoken bits that make the tunes sound even more personal – as if you're listening at the door, or tapping the phone while Millie's talking to her man! Titles include "Loving Arms", "Do What Makes You Satisfied", "Making The Best Of A Bad Situation", "The Memory Of A Wife", "Leftovers", and "Tell Her It's Over". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little trio session from Keith Jarrett – still in the mode of some of his other ECM work, but almost a bit more back to basics as well! The group here features Gary Peacock on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums – both working beautifully with Keith in a flurry of colors, tones, and pulsating rhythms – the latter of which really drive along the two-part composition "Flying", which takes up most of the set. The shorter "Prism" completes the record – a number that's a bit more contemplative overall, and which features some of those beautifully rounded tones that were virtually Peacock's trademark at the time. CD

A wonderful pairing of these two modern boppers from the 50s – heard here on a set of rare Parisian recordings originally issued under the leadership of Henri Renaud! There's a really wonderful feel to the record – the sharp edges of Cohn and Renaud's original compositions, played with a great degree of soul by the soloists. Renaud plays piano on all tracks – and the first batch feature both Johnson's trombone and Cohn's tenor, alongside Gigi Gryce on baritone and Jerry Hurwitz on trumpet – on titles that include "Wallington Special", "Lisa", "Boo Wah", and "Something For Lili". Two more tracks – "Once In A While" and "The Things We Did Last Summer" – feature Cohn in a quartet with Renaud. And one more title – "If I Had You" – is presented in a ten minute long take, played by a group that features Johnson and Cohn with Renaud, plus Milt Jackson on vibes and Percy Heath on bass. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record from William Kurk – an artist who's been giving us excellent music for years, and who deserves to be way more than just a secret force in the contemporary soul underground! William's got a great way with a tune – a vibe that's upbeat and positive, and a sound that's catchy, but never commercial – and maybe a lot more rich in tone than you might guess from the look of the cover – as he draws leanly from classic roots, but finds a way to make music that's very much his own! The whole thing's great – the kind of overlooked soul music gem that we don't hear enough of these days – and which continues to bring us real joy in what we do around here at Dusty Groove. Titles include "Perfect Mutations", "Good", "Stride", "Highway To Humanity", "Let Go", "In Your Loving Arms", "Resurrection Funk", and "Willionaire". CD

Pretty amazing work from one of the greatest under-rated talents of 50s modern jazz! John LaPorta was a brilliant multi-instrumentalist who's probably best known for his work with Mingus in the mid 50s Jazz Workshop years, and for his earlier sides with Woody Herman – but it's on records under his own name that LaPorta really begins to shine. This great set features 14 tracks that were recorded in the 50s, but never issued before – and 9 more that were from the album Conceptions, issued briefly in the 50s by Fantasy Records. The first 14 tracks form a long suite of jazz-based compositions, handled with a modernist chamber-type approach – and based around some really great solo work on trumpet, baritone, tenor, and bass. The feel is almost like a 50s jazz soundtrack – with lots of moody moments paired with others that break out in a stronger swinging groove. The remaining tracks are equally nice – in a similar style, and showing LaPorta as a composer who could have handled just about any ambitious jazz project of the time. Titles include "Forward Motion", "Jazz Canon", "Images", "Lucidity", "Little Fantasy", "Ferme LaPorta", "En Rapport", and "Triplets You Say". CD