One of the few large group sessions ever recorded by the Posi-Tone label, but a set that definitely keeps the soulful vibe of the well-respected imprint – as you might guess from the "Swinget" in the group's name! The lineup is a nonet, but moves with the energy of the smaller combos on the label – no surprise, as players include Farnell Newton on trumpet, Michael Dease on trombone, Diego Rivera on tenor, Patrick Cornelius on alto, Lauren Sevian on baritone, Art Hirahara on piano, Theo Hill on piano and Fender Rhodes, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums! The rhythm players are more than enough to keep things moving – and the group soars strongly through a set of original material that allows plenty of room for the very strong individual voices in the lineup – titles that include "Simon", "Major Waltz", "Dry Clean Only", "You Dig", "Avalanche Suspended", "Projection", and "Where With All". 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 smoking little set from tenorist Sam Dillon – a musician who's really coming into his own as a leader, after a number of years working in the ensembles of others! Sam's got this nice bite on his reed – which makes for a sharp tone on the numbers here that feature just a quartet, and creates even more fire when Sam adds in a few other horns to the mix – which he does on tracks here that feature extra work from Michael Dease on trombone, Max Darche on trumpet, and Andrew Gould on alto. There's a cascading sense of colors on the numbers with added horns that we really love – but Dillon also balances things out with his own rich voice on the quartet numbers – which feature work from Theo Hill on piano and Fender Rhodes, David Wong on bass, and Anwar Marshall on drums. Titles include "Shift", "Two Part Problem", "Flight Of Mind", "Force Field", "Go For The Jugular", and "Straight Up & Down". 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

A really lovely album from pianist Art Hirahara, and a set that maybe draws its title from the careful balance on the record between Art's lyrical approach to the piano, and the overall energy of the group when they really move together! Hirahara continues to develop fantastically as a pianist with each new record – with a touch that's very personal, but always soulfully swinging – and here, the quartet emphasizes those latter modes when they really pick up – thanks to bass from Joe Martin and drums from Rudy Royston – on a record that also features some well-placed tenor contributions from Melissa Aldana, whose sound adds in just the right amount of color. Titles include "Like Water", "Ascent", "Lament For The Fallen", "Mother's Song", "Blessed Son Mr Weston", and "Fulcrum". CD

A striking debut from Markus Howell – a hell of a talent on both alto sax and flute, and one that we're sure we'll be hearing more from in years to come! Markus has a bold, brash style on alto – one that mixes his edge with the trumpet of Joe Magnarelli and trombone of Michael Dease – both wonderful leaders in their own right, providing a great balance of tone that gives the record a richness right from the start! The rest of the group is equally great, too – with Art Hirahara on piano, Rodney Whitaker on bass, and Luther Allison on drums – and Howell provides loads of his own great compositions on the record, marking him as a fresh musical voice in more ways than one. Titles include "Get Right", "One For Craig", "Blues For WJ", "Bruh Slim", "Dear Sir", and "Warfare". CD

There's nothing idle about these hands – as the group have a tightness that makes you think they've been together for years – which is maybe partly the case, as many of the artists are part of the great and ever-growing legacy of the Posi-Tone label! And while the company has given us great albums with single artists in the lead over the years, they've maybe been hitting even more strongly of late with groups of this nature – almost an all-leader effort, but in which all players come together with great sympathy for each other – in a lineup that features Will Bernard on guitar, Behn Gillece on vibes, Sam Dillon on tenor sax, Art Hirahara on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Donald Edwards drums. The album's overflowing with fresh, original material – and titles include "Barreling Through", "Silver Bullet", "Maxwell Street", "Ashes", "Sock's House", "Motion", and "Event Horizon " – plus nice takes of Stevie Wonder's "You And I" and Freddie Hubbard's "Theme For Kareem". CD

A tremendous trumpeter, set up here in his best format to date – a really heavy duty quartet that features tenor from Brandon Wright, drums from Rudy Royston, and Hammond from Brian Charette – who blows us away even more than usual with his skills on both the keys and the pedals at the bottom! Royston's drums are always great – and here, he's got this snapping, crackling energy that seems to light a fuse right from the very first note – which Charette fans into full flames of sound, topped by these bold lines and soaring solos from Newton and Wright – two horns that have a really rich power together, before breaking off into really wonderful solos. The whole thing's great – a cut above for even the always-great Posi-Tone label – and titles include "Holding Still", "The Roots", "Another Day Another Jones", "Gas Station Hot Dog", and "The Five AM Strut". 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

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

An incredibly well-crafted set of soulful hardbop – the kind of record that the Posi-Tone label seems to do better than just about anyone else these days – and which is so tight, so together, the whole thing almost seems effortless! Yet there's clearly a lot of effort going in here – original songs by some members of the group, and a crack cohesion of all the players, right from the start – an ace lineup that features Alexa Tarantino on saxes and flute, Caili O'Doherty on piano, Tony Davis on guitar, Adi Meyerson on bass, and Joe Strasser on drums! The album bursts out of the gate, filled with color and life – and there's an especially magical combination of the piano, bass, and guitar as they trade tones and colors together in the rhythms. Titles include "Reach Within", "Le Var", "Lake Sebago", "Mr M", "Salt & Vinegar", "Your Smile Keeps Me Sane", and "El Gran Birane". 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

A brilliant record from tenorist Ken Fowser – a player who seems to grab our attention more and more with each new record – both as a soloist and as a rock-solid leader who always brings something special to a session! Ken dedicates this record to the inspiration of pianist Harold Mabern – and you can really feel a lot of Mabern's warmth and soul flowing through the record – as the tunes bristle with the kind of soulful imagination that we always loved in Mabern's music from years back – even though they're all originals by Ken, with piano handled beautifully by Tadatka Unno! This might be the first time we've ever heard Unno on record, but we're already in love – and the rest of the group features Josh Bruneau on trumpet and flugelhorn, Vince Dupont on bass, and Joe Strasser on drums. Titles include "This That & The Other Thing", "Moving Forward", "Three For Leathers", "Morning Light", "Firefly", "The Instigator", and "Without Saying". CD

A fantastic step forward for saxophonist Alexa Tarantino – a set that really shows all her strengths as a soloist, songwriter, and a leader – a record that should have the rest of the world finally taking notice of her talents! Alexa's already a great saxophonist – working here on both soprano and alto, the latter of which she uses especially well, with well-crafted, thoughtful solos that are full of soul – and she also blows a bit of flute and alto flute on the record, really deepening the color palette, and keeping things interesting throughout! The rest of the group is great, too – with Steven Feifke on piano and a bit of Fender Rhodes, Joe Martin on bass, and the great Rudy Royston on drums – all swinging along effortlessly, and with plenty of soul throughout. Titles include the Tarantino originals "Through", "A Race Against Yourself", "A Unified Front", and "Thank You For Your Silence" – plus a nice take on the Horace Silver tune "Gregory Is Here". CD

The first we've heard as a leader from saxophonist Alexa Tarantino – a great talent who's really been bubbling under on other ensemble records for the Posi-Tone label, and who's very much at the start of a great career of her own! Alexa plays some mighty nice soprano sax on the album – plus tenor and flute – all with this nice sense of edge in her tone, mixed with a more forward-moving flow – this subtle quality that really keeps things interesting, and which has us held surprisingly rapt whenever one of her horns stretches out in a solo. Most tunes are originals, with this fresh sense of timing that really works with her tone – and the rest of the group features Christian Sands on piano, Joe Martin on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums – and a few tracks also feature trombone from Nick Finzer. Titles include "Wisp After Wisp", "Breeze", "Face Value", "Seesaw", "Without", "Ready Or Not", "Zingaro", and "Square One". 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

Tony Davis is a jazz guitarist with a difference – an artist who's not out to revolutionize his instrument in jazz, but who still finds a way to play with a very distinct approach! Tony's quality isn't easy to put in words – he's not working the fret in a weird way, or using any sort of effects or gimmicks – but he does get a very specific sound out of the instrument, one that's full of shimmering colors and light – often quite chromatic, but usually with a dexterity that might match more sharper-toned musicians! Davis' sound springs into life from the very first note on the set – given nice direction from David Bryant on piano, Dezron Douglas on bass, and Eric McPherson on drums – and the record also features work from Steve Wilson on flute and alto on two tracks, and Steve Davis on trombone on two as well. Alina Engibaryan sings on two of the album's tracks – "Lake Sebago" and "Orange Feathers", both originals by Davis – and other tunes include "Night Ride", "Braeburn", "El Gran Birane", "Hypnagogia", and a nice version of "Con Alma". CD

This might be the first time we've ever heard tenorist Ken Fower with a Hammond organ in the mix – and it makes for a great change that really opens up the colors in his horn! Ken's always had a strong sense of tone, and we love his acoustic records – but this time around, Brian Charette handles the Hammond with a very groovy vibe – one that takes Ken back into 60s soul jazz territory, yet without any copycat cliche modes at all – kind of a sweet blend of Fowser's strong sense of writing and rhythm, just given a nice kick by the organ, which also handles the basslines too. The rest of the group is great as well – with Joe Magnarelli on trumpet, Steve Davis on trombone, Ed Cherry on guitar, and Willie Jones III on some nicely snapping drums. Titles include "No Filter", "On My Way", "Stand Clear Of The Closing Doors", "Samba For Joe Bim", "Knights Of The Round", "Fowser Time", and "Don't Let Life Pass You By". CD

Maybe the first album we've ever seen from guitarist Jocelyn Gould – a hell of a player, and one who fits right in with the strong quality of work we've come to expect from the Posi-Tone label! Jocelyn's got this round, firm tone throughout – balanced with the boldness of pianist Addison Frei – whose work here is equally great, and kind of fills things up around the sides while Gould comes straight down the middle – driven on nicely by the bass of George DeLancey and drums of Quincy Davis – all in modes that really feel a lot different than most other guitar quartet albums, even though these guys aren't trying to do any thing too fancy or gimmicky. The group also features guest horn work along the way – the tenor of Brandon Wright on two tracks, and the trombone of Michael Dease and trumpet of Anthony Stanco on three others – on titles that include the Gould originals "A Fleeting Moment", "Change Of Plans", "Center Of The Universe", "Kindling", "The Game Changer", and "Argyle". CD

We really love the music of Theo Hill more and more with each new record – and here, the pianist is working in a quartet with Joel Ross on vibe – a player who makes a perfect partner for his music! Both Hill and Ross have this open sense of sound and timing – often using the spaces between the notes as much as the notes themselves – even when things are moving at a more full-on level, which they do often – thanks to contributions from Rashaan Carter on bass and Mark Whitfield on drums! Yet it's the sonic interplay between the vibes and keys that really blow us away – maybe especially at the few points when Theo picks up Fender Rhodes, and balances out the record with even more warmth next to his acoustic tracks. Titles include a version of the Stevie Wonder classic "Superwoman" – plus originals "Guardians Of Light", "Afrofuturism", "Scene Changes", "Mantra", "Swell", and "Song Of The Wind". 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

Drummer Steve Fidyk does a great job here – driving on a group that bristles with energy, and which also showcases a large number of original tunes by Steve himself! We first heard Fidyk as a leader on some of his dates for the Posi-Tone label – and there's definitely a bit of that spirit here, maybe because labelmate Joe Magnarelli does such a great job in the group on trumpet and flugelhorn – alongside Xavier Perez on tenor, Peter Zak on piano, and Michael Karn on bass. Yet there's also a different quality going on than those earlier records – maybe more of a sense of urgency, and a slight current of darkness – on tracks that include "Battle Lines", "Loophole", "Lullabye For Lori & John", "Churn", "Bootlickers Blues", and "Bebop Operations". 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

Excellent work from this hip Czech ensemble – thanks in part to the compositions of Pavel Blatny, and the performances of Jaromir Hnilicka on trumpet, Josef Andes on baritone, and Mosmir Bartek on trombone! 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

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

Positive proof that JJ Johnson's one of the greatest trombone players ever – a sublime quartet session for Impulse Records, and one that features some of his most striking, stripped-down work of the 60s! The focus here is really on Johnson's amazing tone and timing – but the record also benefits greatly by a soulful rhythm trio that includes the mighty Harold Mabern on piano, Arthur Harper on bass, and Frank Gant on drums – all free-thinking cats who are never too stiff with their swing, and really match JJ's fluid sense of energy on the record. The whole thing's brilliant – filled with well-chosen tunes and some sublime performances by all players – and cuts include a 10 minute version of Miles Davis' "Neo", plus "Minor Blues", "Stella By Starlight", "Lullaby Of Jazzland", and "Blues Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

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". CD

Thundering funk from the early 70s Detroit scene – and the complete work of The Propositions, a group who only ever managed to issue a few singles at the time! Due to a typo on the label of one single, the Propositions were also sometimes known as the Prepositions – but whatever the name, the band is pretty darn funky – as you'll hear in this excellent little set. Years back, the folks at Luv N Haight collected together the group's rare singles to make something of a full LP – but now, years later, they've gone back in the vaults and have come up with a huge amount of unreleased work to add to the mix – making for an overstuffed, double-length set that's filled to the rafters with great tunes. Most tracks are in a stone funky 45 mode – but they also groove out a bit longer than the usual single, and give the band plenty of room to roll around some great basslines and horn bits, which are in turn supported by some really wicked work on guitar, organ, and keyboards! Most tunes are instrumentals, and titles include "Funky Disposition", "Live Funk Session", "Do Whatever Turns You On (parts 1 & 2)", "Groovin For The Groove", "Something Different (long edit)", "Sweet Lucy", "Vamping", "Africana", "Free & Easy", "Bad Seed", "You've Been Chose", and "Kool Twist (live garage session 2)". 2CD package is filled with gems – a total of 20 tracks in all! CD

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

A fantastic batch from the great baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams, covering some Mingus gems – accompanied by a crack set of 50s & 60s heavyweights including Thad Jones on trumpet, Hank Jones on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, Zoot Sims on tenor and others! The set is broken up between two sessions – the first two-thirds of it were recorded in a quintet setting, with the last few tracks recorded as an octet – all of it caught on tape in September of 1963. Pepper's rich, fluid lines on baritone make for some really sweet readings of the Mingus compositions, including "Black Light", "Song With Orange", "Carolyn" and "Fables Of Faubus". Things are especially nice late in the set with the larger group! Those cuts, including "Better Git In Your Soul", "Portrait", and "Haitian Fight Son" feature Charles McPherson on alto sax and Zoot Sims on tenor sax. Add Pepper's baritone, and you've got a seriously strong, forwardly-motivated sax frenzy – and the material is perfect for such a setting! 9 tracks in all. CD

The legendary AACM trio makes a memorable appearance at the 1978 Montreux jazz fest, captured live here by Novus. The trio of Henry Threadgill, Fred Hopkins, and Steve McCall are at their best here – and the set features 3 great original compositins ("Suisse Air", "Let's All Go Down To The Footwash", and "Abra"), all with the band's unique mixture of creativity, soulfulness, and sense of humor. McCall plays drums and percussion, Hopkins plays bass, and Threadgill plays alto, tenor, baritone, and hubkaphone! LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from Billy Bang's early 80s years on Soul Note Records – a time when he really seemed to find a new focus in his music – totally taking off in great new directions that are always a joy to discover! There's a positive feel to this record that's undeniable – a pushed-forward quality that has Bang leading a host of avant players through some mostly straighter territory – often vamping nicely with a rhythmic pulse, then letting themselves free at points to reach the outer limits of their sound. Players include Charles Tyler on alto and baritone sax, Curtis Clark on piano, Wilber Morris on bass, and Dennis Charles on drums – and the set features a sublime reading of "Invitation", plus "An Addition To Tradition", "A Pebble Is A Small Rock", "In A Minute", and "Secret Society". LP, Vinyl record album

Spare, solo, and incredibly haunting work from Dollar Brand – recorded in Germany in 1969, and featuring Brand on both flute and piano, playing a set of 14 original compositions designed to provide small sketches of his African homeland. The mood of the work is less sprightly than some of his compositions for larger groups, and carries with it the tone of exile, an extra layer of sadness that gives a real emotional depth to the music. Titles include "Salaam – Peace – Hamba Khale", "Slave Bell", "The Stride", "Tokai", "The Dream", and "The Aloe & The Wildrose". 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

Groundbreaking material from Bill Dixon – some of his best-remembered recordings of the later years, and a seminal set that showed that his talents were every bit as sharp as they were when he first emerged on the scene in the 60s! The work here has a very compositional feel – one that's still never too serious, and which allows more than enough space for jazz-based expression – especially on the trumpet and piano lines that step out with a singular feel amidst some of the darker tones of the ensemble. Players include Dixon on trumpet and piano, Arthur Brooks and Stephen Haynes on trumpet, Stephen Horenstein on tenor and baritone sax, Alan Silva on bass, and Freddie Waits on drums. Titles include "Summer Song/One/Morning", "Summer Song/Two/Evening", "Firenze" and the lengthy "For Cecil Taylor – Almost Anacrusis/Conversation/New Slow Dance". 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". LP, Vinyl record album

An interesting concept record, with Konitz approaching a variety of material, much of it written by his collaborators, in wide open duet settings. Players include Jim Hall, Joe Henderson, Elvin Jones and Richie Kamuca, and on each piece, both Konitz and his companion have loads of room to extrapolate on the base composition. Perhaps the highlight of the record is to be able to listen to Konitz wrap his warm tone around each piece, and then dance lightly around the melody. 8 numbers, including "Erb" with Jim Hall, "Checkerboard" with Dick Katz, and "You Don't Know What Love Is" with Joe Henderson. LP, Vinyl record album

A bright, positive set from pianist Harold Mabern – one that's overflowing with soul and spirit – and a perfect example of his strengths during the 90s stretch when his career really took off again! The trio's got a well-balanced approach to rhythm – bold basslines from Christian McBride, whose youthful tones seem to warm up Mabern's music more than ever – and tight drums from Jack DeJohnette, who knows nicely that less is more – and never tries to overwhelm the interplay between Harold and Christian! Titles include "Big Time Cooper", "Moment's Notice", "Look On The Bright Side", "Our Waltz", and "Too Late Fall Back Baby" – a number you might remember from Mabern's Strata East years, sounding mighty nice here, too! CD

It certainly was time – time for Jackie McLean to break out of his older bop mode, and hit a whole new level of playing with a tight group of "new thing" compatriots like Herbie Hancock on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Charles Tolliver on trumpet! The record isn't as totally "out there" as some of his other ones from this period, but it's a seminal release in Jackie's modernist period – and it's one of the hardest to find from the era. Filled with warmly wonderful original compositions like "Revillot", "Snuff", "Truth", and "Das Dat" – the record is unpacked and remodeled nicely by the trio of young players, aided by Jackie's moody alto, and given a great spin by Roy Haynes on drums. Striking cover, too – with a huge field of exclamation points! LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous little police soundtrack from 70s Italy – one with plenty of Morricone-like touches, but that's A-OK with us! Luciano Michelini does a great job here of juxtaposing stark sounds with sweeter ones – particularly some great piano that's isolated nicely above the orchestrations, and played in flat, off-kilter tones – as well as some eerie flute that drifts through slowly sometimes, more quickly at others – all with a good sense of variety and dramatic energy. The strings are sometimes stepping, almost with a slight undercurrent of funk – but are slower and more offbeat at other times – creating a great sense of tension in the music. CD features a whopping 25 tracks, remastered from the original tapes! CD

A tremendous little police soundtrack from 70s Italy – one with plenty of Morricone-like touches, but that's A-OK with us! Luciano Michelini does a great job here of juxtaposing stark sounds with sweeter ones – particularly some great piano that's isolated nicely above the orchestrations, and played in flat, off-kilter tones – as well as some eerie flute that drifts through slowly sometimes, more quickly at others – all with a good sense of variety and dramatic energy. The strings are sometimes stepping, almost with a slight undercurrent of funk – but are slower and more offbeat at other times – creating a great sense of tension in the music. Features a whopping 15 tracks, remastered from the original tapes! LP, Vinyl record album