Joe Derise was great male vocalist from the 50s – one who only recorded a few sides under his own name, but really left his mark on music! Joe's got an easily swinging style that's a bit in the mode of other 50s male singers, like Bobby Troup or Jackie Paris – but he's also a bit more fragile, in that intimate style used more by female singers like Chris Connor or June Christy – not nearly as icy, but with a sense of care that really comes through strongly in this rare Bethlehem release. This album features Joe working with a trio that includes Osie Johnson on drums and Milt Hinton on bass – and Joe accompanies himself on piano, gently coaxing warm feeling out of tunes that include "Maybe", "Comes Love", "My Romance", "It Might As Well Be Spring", and "How High The Moon". CD

Sublime late live work from Bill Evans – a well-recorded performance for French radio, and one that really stands out from some of the scratchier late 70s concerts on the market! Bill's working here with a sound as sensitive and picturesque as the cover image – never pushing things too hard, but letting each tune unfold organically in waves of sound few other players could conjure up! Trio musicians include Marc Johnson on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums – and titles on this first volume include "Quiet Now", "My Romance", "Noelle's Theme", "I Loves You Porgy", and "Up With The Lark". CD

A trio date with Marc Johnson on bass a Joe Labarbera on drums. Tracks include "Laurie", "My Romance", "Turn Out The Stars", and "But Beautiful" – 7 tracks in all. CD

An incredible album from Bill Evans – and maybe THE record you need in your collection if you're trying to understand his contribution to jazz! The album's one of Evan's first sides from the Village Vanguard – and features the legendary trio that included Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums – both players who could shake free from conventional rhythmic roles in a piano trio, yet who also support Evans' lyrically modal playing here beautifully! The tracks are a bit longer than Bill's studio sides from the time, allowing for even more magical interplay on the keys – and titles include "My Foolish Heart", "Waltz For Debby", "Detour Ahead", "My Romance", "Some Other Time", and "Milestones". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album from Bill Evans – and maybe THE record you need in your collection if you're trying to understand his contribution to jazz! The album's one of Evan's first sides from the Village Vanguard – and features the legendary trio that included Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums – both players who could shake free from conventional rhythmic roles in a piano trio, yet who also support Evans' lyrically modal playing here beautifully! The tracks are a bit longer than Bill's studio sides from the time, allowing for even more magical interplay on the keys – and titles include "My Foolish Heart", "Waltz For Debby", "Detour Ahead", "My Romance", "Some Other Time", and "Milestones". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous comeback for the Art Farmer/Benny Golson Jazztet – recording here in the mid 80s with original members Farmer, Golson, and Curtis Fuller – plus tremendous rhythm support from the trio of Mickey Tucker, Ray Drummon, and Marvin Smitty Smith! The session has less of the tightly snapping groove that was the initial Jazztet calling card in the 60s – and comes across with some of the warmer, more chromatic tones that showed up on the group's last few recordings – and even more so in Art Farmer's work for many years to come. Tracks are all longish, and filled with many interesting twists and turns – and overall the album recalls the brilliant economy of Farmer's best work from the period, with some of the subtle soul that made Golson a player to keep an ear on strongly during the 80s. Titles include "From Dream To Dream", "Back To The City", "Vas Simeon", "Write Soon", and "Without Delay/Time Speaks". LP, Vinyl record album

Obscure trio material from pianist Al Haig – recorded later than most of his more famous bop sides, with a trio that includes Bill Crow on bass and Lee Abrams on drums. The setting is pretty open ended on most tunes – with Haig playing solo on 3 numbers, and the rhythm team joining in gracefully, but still letting Al take the lead on the other tracks. Titles include "Royal Garden Blues", "Isn't It Romantic", "If I Should Lose You", "On The Alamo", "My Old Flame", and "April In Paris". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album from guitarist Jim Hall – different than some of his other work, and with a slightly harder edge! The unique session has him playing in an MPS 60s mode – more straight-on than some of his more airy moments – with a sound and tone that still recalls his work with Paul Desmond or Art Farmer, but a more direct approach, and an occasional groove as well! The trio's as unique as the record – the great Jimmy Woode on bass and drums from Daniel Humair – and titles include "Blue Joe", "Romaine", "Young One For Debra", "Body & Soul", and a great version of "Up Up & Away", which soars to the sky in a way you'd never expect from Jim! LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning live work from piano genius Ahmad Jamal – still very young at this point, but already working with the fluid sense of imagination that would only unfold even more in the 60s! As with most of Jamal's live dates of the time, the balance of lyrical energy on the keys and rhythmic sensitivity at the core is fantastic – given sublime support from Israel Crosby on bass and Vernell Fournier on drums – a trio who were as unique in their own way as the three piece combo of Ramsey Lewis was as well – although in a completely different style. The tunes are all familiar, but given these really fantastic readings – and titles include "April In Paris", "I'll Take Romance/My Funny Valentine", "Falling In Love With Love", and "The Second Time Around" – plus the Jamal original "Night Mist Blues". CD

One of two albums that Lee Konitz cut with the trio of Marial Solal in 1968 – originally issued only very briefly in Europe on the small Campi label, and some of Konitz' most groundbreaking work of the 60s! Solal had been transforming the sound of jazz piano for most of the 60s by this point – working in a modernist mode that pushed far past most other American players of the time. His trio with Henry Texier and Daniel Humair is honed to perfection by this point – and the addition of Konitz's icy, angular horn really gives the set a compelling finish that you don't even find on Solal's own albums of the 60s. Titles include "Impressive Rome", "Anthropology", "Roman Blues", and "Stella By Starlight". LP, Vinyl record album

The layers here come from the wonderful interplay between the guitar of Julian Lage and his trio members Jorge Roeder on bass and Dave King on drums – both musicians who lay back nicely, and find a way to resonate with those trademark chromatic notes that Lage seems to spin out effortlessly! The album's billed as a precursor to the previous View With A Room album – looser and more exploratory than that one, but also pretty darn great on its own. Titles include "The Layers", "Mantra", "Everything Helps", "This World", "Missing Voices", and "Double Southpaw". LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful setting for the piano of Junior Mance – not a trio date, but a live session with a quartet – and one that features some very strong contributions from Houston Person on tenor! The vibe is almost more like some of Person's records of the time, but handled with a bit more care and class by Enja – and in addition to Houston's tenor and Junior's piano, the group also features Calvin Hill on bass and Alvin Queen on drums – two players who do a great job of keeping up with the boundless energy of the others on the album's nicely long tracks! Titles on this second volume include "Mercy Mercy Mercy", "Blues In The Closet", "Some Other Blues", "My Romance", and "Do Nothin Till You Hear From Me". CD

Really haunting solo work from pianist Roberto Olzer – a player who's already got this incredibly sensitive command of the keyboard on his trio records, which only comes through even more strongly here! Olzer seems trained in the best modes of the romantic composers, especially Chopin – yet he's also a jazz musician too – and blends a sense of improvisation with an impeccable understanding of the piano, with a balance of notes, sounds, and silence that's completely sublime! The set does reference another world in its use of a few compositions by Puccini, mixed with others by Pat Metheny, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Bill Evans – in a set list that includes "We Will Meet Again", "Pezzo In La", "Luiza", "In Her Family", "Straight To Dream", "Torre Del Lago", "Remembering Pramila", and "Coro A Bocca Chiusa". LP, Vinyl record album

Really haunting work from Wadada Leo Smith – a key 70s session that features some of his sharpest trumpet work on record, plus some unusual instrumentation that really makes the album stand out! Half the tracks feature some wonderful vibes from Bobby Naughton – spare and dark-sounding, very much a great companion to Smith's spacious trumpet and flugelhorn lines – in a group that also features Dwight Anderson on wooden flute, tenor, and clarinet, Pheeroan Ak Laff on drums, and Wes Brown on bass and a bit more wooden flute! The other two tracks on the session feature Smith's trumpet with a trio of harp players – Irene, Carol, and Ruth Emmanuel – all very interesting players on their instrument, using the strings in these carefully chromatic ways that are really wonderful – quite different than any sort of Dorothy Ashby vibe, but with a similar sense of spiritual energy. Titles include "Images", "The Burning Of Stones", "Spirit Catcher", and "The Burning Of Stones (first version)". CD

Really haunting work from Leo Smith – a key 70s session that features some of his sharpest trumpet work on record, plus some unusual instrumentation that really makes the album stand out! Half the tracks feature some wonderful vibes from Bobby Naughton – spare and dark-sounding, very much a great companion to Smith's spacious trumpet and flugelhorn lines – in a group that also features Dwight Anderson on wooden flute, tenor, and clarinet, Pheeroan Ak Laff on drums, and Wes Brown on bass and a bit more wooden flute! The other two tracks on the session feature Smith's trumpet with a trio of harp players – Irene, Carol, and Ruth Emmanuel – all very interesting players on their instrument, using the strings in these carefully chromatic ways that are really wonderful – quite different than any sort of Dorothy Ashby vibe, but with a similar sense of spiritual energy. Titles include "Images", "The Burning Of Stones", "Spirit Catcher", and "The Burning Of Stones (first version)". CD

Killer trio material from drummer Daniel Villarreal – a lean, clean record that's a really great showcase for all three players involved! The music's got a vibe that's more live and spontaneous than some other efforts on the International Anthem label, and a sound that's almost funky at times – as Daniel's snapping drums get plenty of encouragement from the basses of Anna Butterss, which really sets fire to the guitar of Jeff Parker! Parker's back here at a level that we haven't heard on record in awhile, and the record seems to resonate with all his long experience with a variety of players – while also standing as a showcase for his ability to really deliver some warmly chromatic tones on the guitar. Titles include "Things Can Be Calm", "Daytime Nighttime", "Salute", "Sunset Cliffs", "Republic", "Chicali Outpost", and "Bring It". CD

Killer trio material from drummer Daniel Villarreal – a lean, clean record that's a really great showcase for all three players involved! The music's got a vibe that's more live and spontaneous than some other efforts on the International Anthem label, and a sound that's almost funky at times – as Daniel's snapping drums get plenty of encouragement from the basses of Anna Butterss, which really sets fire to the guitar of Jeff Parker! Parker's back here at a level that we haven't heard on record in awhile, and the record seems to resonate with all his long experience with a variety of players – while also standing as a showcase for his ability to really deliver some warmly chromatic tones on the guitar. Titles include "Things Can Be Calm", "Daytime Nighttime", "Salute", "Sunset Cliffs", "Republic", "Chicali Outpost", and "Bring It". LP, Vinyl record album

The music of Jerome Kern is explored here in territory that's nicely far from the original – really open, fluid trio instrumentals from Enrique Villegas – who's very much at the height of his more modern, open style here! The tunes are familiar, but really pulled apart as well – as Villegas makes them his own through inventive arrangements and a very freewheeling approach to the piano – much less structured than his earlier work, and given equally open support from Oscar Alem on bass and Osvaldo Lopez on drums! Titles include the side-long "Temas De La Comedia Musical Showboat" – plus "Dearly Beloved", "The Way You Look Tonight", "A Fine Romance", and "Long Ago & Far Away". CD

One of our favorite Walter Wanderley albums ever – and a record that moves past the more familiar bossa trio style used on his hits for Verve, into groovier new territory with added players who include Dom Um Romao on drums and Marcos Valle on guitar! And not only is the lineup expanded, but the styles are too – as Wanderley moves away from the straighter bossa and samba jazz of his roots, into the world of more unusual, more complicated rhythms that were showing up in the Brazilian scene at the end of the 60s. Marcos Valle's contribution is felt strongly here – as the album includes a fantastic instrumental take on his classic "Crickets Sing For Anamaria" (aka "Os Grilos") – plus other Valle compositions that include "Ainda Mais Lindo", "Batucada", and "E Preciso Cantar". Other tracks include "Wave", "So What's New", and "O Barquinho". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Walter Wanderley albums ever – and a record that moves past the more familiar bossa trio style used on his hits for Verve, into groovier new territory with added players who include Dom Um Romao on drums and Marcos Valle on guitar! And not only is the lineup expanded, but the styles are too – as Wanderley moves away from the straighter bossa and samba jazz of his roots, into the world of more unusual, more complicated rhythms that were showing up in the Brazilian scene at the end of the 60s. Marcos Valle's contribution is felt strongly here – as the album includes a fantastic instrumental take on his classic "Crickets Sing For Anamaria" (aka "Os Grilos") – plus other Valle compositions that include "Ainda Mais Lindo", "Batucada", and "E Preciso Cantar". Other tracks include "Wave", "So What's New", and "O Barquinho". CD

Three albums from this great guitarist! Common Cause is a spare trio outing from guitarist Attilla Zoller, done with support from Ron Carter on bass and Joe Chambers on drums – and in a groove that nicely slips from mellow straight material one moment to more adventurous tunes the next! The straighter work is oddly some of the most appealing here – and is a refreshing change to some of Zoller's more experimental (but still great) work from the period – a great illustration of his strong tone on a simple line, in a way that we don't often get to hear on record. Straight numbers include "Lady Love" and "Kaybee" – juxtaposed with the more "out" "Tshitar", and the soaring number "Meet". Dream Bells is a hell of an album from guitarist Attila Zoller – one that's just a trio date, but which almost seems to have a fuller feel than some of his records from the time! The rhythms are wonderful – this warm, round bass from Frank Luther, whose tones alone really create a soulful energy on the record – and drummer Sonny Brown's got this nicely skittish tone that percolates even the mellow moments in this really great way – leaving Zoller to solo spaciously over the top with a sublime tone, and maybe a slightly deeper sense of soul than usual. Titles include "Dream Bells", "Seascape", "In Your Own Sweet Way", and "Sudden Romance". Overcome is beautiful live work from guitarist Attila Zoller – stretching out here on long, spacious tracks that are maybe even more majestic an example of his tone than some of his studio work of the time! The group is a quartet – with Kirk Lightsey on piano, Michael Formanek on bass, and Daniel Humair on drums – nicely subtle players at all the right moments, on titles that include "Overcome", "Starry Night", "Lullabye", and "Lev Blues". CD

A wonderfully wide-ranging collection of work brought together in support of a long-running music festival in France – done here as a double-length set that offers up a "Past" disc of material recorded at the festival in previous years – and a "Future" disc that points the way towards new directions in European jazz! The set's worth it for the Past disc alone – as it offers up some never-heard recordings in jazz, Latin, and Brazilian modes – a nicely diverse array of tracks that have that open vibe of a really special live moment at a concert – similar to some of the best Montreux jazz recordings over the years! Titles include "Toda Menina Baiana" by Gilberto Gil, "Panamerica" by Lalo Schifrin with David Sanchez on tenor, "Chan Chan" by La Banda De Santiago De Cuba, "Delilah" by the Milt Jackson/Hank Jones Quartet, "Manalyuca" by McCoy Tyner with Gary Bartz & Ravi Coltrane, "I'll Stay" by Roy Hargrove & RH Factor, and "Soweto Sorrow" by the trio of Louis Sclavis on bass clarinet, Henri Texier on bass, and Aldo Romano on drums. The Future disc is great too – with new recordings in a range of jazzy styles, mostly by younger French artists – with titles that include "On Dimanch Maten" by Arnaud Dolmen, "Baby Rover" by Jasual Cazz, "Strength" by Emile Londonien, "Olioqui Valley" by Ishkero, "Soulful" by Leon Phal Quintet, and "Tryin Times" by Abraham Reunion. LP, Vinyl record album

Magical trio recordings from the classic trio that featured Bill Evans on piano, Scott LaFaro on bass, and Paul Motian on drums – a massive 3CD set of music, and one that brings together the complete June 1961 Village Vanguard recordings! The revolutionary bass work of LaFaro, and free-thinking rhythms of Motian really helped open up Evans' work on piano at the time – and their influence is heard to best effect on this spontaneous live set, spread out over the course of 22 tunes, recorded throughout the afternoon and evening on June 25, 1961. The package features one newly-discovered take, plus a number of alternates, spoken bits from Bill, and even a few final bars of music. Titles include "Solar", "Milestones", "All Of You", "Gloria's Step", "My Man's Gone Now", "Detour Ahead", "My Romance", and "Waltz For Debby". Special box is on 180 gram vinyl, with new liner notes, limited poster, and even recording sheets with original producer notes! LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from piano legend Bill Evans – recorded at the Keystone club in San Francisco just a week before his too-early death – and a batch of material that shows us that Bill still had plenty to offer the world! This isn't the work of a musician on his last legs – and instead, Evans is a master of imagination, phrasing, and timing – working with his superb late trio that features Marc Johnson on bass and Joe Labarbera on drums – and further opening up tunes we've already heard him open up before – leaving us breathless all over again, at that level that makes Bill Evans live material maybe even more important to understanding his genius than his studio material! Tracks on this second volume include "Tiffany", "Your Story", "Like Someone In Love", "My Romance", "Turn Out The Stars", and "Days Of Wine & Roses". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime late live work from Bill Evans – a well-recorded performance for French radio, and one that really stands out from some of the scratchier late 70s concerts on the market! Bill's working here with a sound as sensitive and picturesque as the cover image – never pushing things too hard, but letting each tune unfold organically in waves of sound few other players could conjure up! Trio musicians include Marc Johnson on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums – and titles on this first volume include "Quiet Now", "My Romance", "Noelle's Theme", "I Loves You Porgy", and "Up With The Lark". CD

Stunning live work from piano genius Ahmad Jamal – still very young at this point, but already working with the fluid sense of imagination that would only unfold even more in the 60s! As with most of Jamal's live dates of the time, the balance of lyrical energy on the keys and rhythmic sensitivity at the core is fantastic – given sublime support from Israel Crosby on bass and Vernell Fournier on drums – a trio who were as unique in their own way as the three piece combo of Ramsey Lewis was as well – although in a completely different style. The tunes are all familiar, but given these really fantastic readings – and titles include "April In Paris", "I'll Take Romance/My Funny Valentine", "Falling In Love With Love", and "The Second Time Around" – plus the Jamal original "Night Mist Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

The layers here come from the wonderful interplay between the guitar of Julian Lage and his trio members Jorge Roeder on bass and Dave King on drums – both musicians who lay back nicely, and find a way to resonate with those trademark chromatic notes that Lage seems to spin out effortlessly! The album's billed as a precursor to the previous View With A Room album – looser and more exploratory than that one, but also pretty darn great on its own. Titles include "The Layers", "Mantra", "Everything Helps", "This World", "Missing Voices", and "Double Southpaw". CD

The Ritchie Family continue the exotic themes of their disco work started on the Brazil album – and step out here with a surprisingly righteous look on the cover! The mighty Jacques Morali gets some studio help from old Philly soul talent Ritchie Rome – and the pair of them create these soaring grooves that are perfect for the soulful vocals of the trio! Side two features the extended "Arabian Nights Medley" – which features disco-fied takes on older tunes "Istanbul", "Lawrence Of Arabia", and "In A Persian Market" – and side one features more conventional cuts that include "Best Disco In Town", "Baby I'm On Fire", and "Romantic Love". CD features bonus tracks – 1979 remixes of "The Best Disco In Town", "In A Persian Market", "Istanbul", and "Romantic Love" – plus the 7" single mix of "Best Disco In Town (parts 1 & 2)". CD

Soaring disco vocals from the Ritchie Family – a trio who get plenty of great clubby help here from Richie Rome and Jacques Morali, both of whom ensure that the whole thing is a super-charged powerhouse of late 70s disco elements! The strings glide in nicely next to the vocals, and the rhythms are live and played with a nice intensity – maybe more New York than the usual TK Records release of the time, but that's probably Morali's work on the set! The trio vocals follow in the tradition started for 70s disco by Three Degrees – and titles include "Life Is Music", "Lady Luck", "Super Lover", "Disco Blues", "Liberty", and "Long Distance Romance". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic start to the second chapter of Roxy Music – a time when the group was stripped down to a trio, and almost seemed to arise as a way to answer the newer music that was coming up from all the younger groups that Bryan Ferry had influenced with his work in the 70s! Things aren't as weird and wild as at their start, but the instrumentation is impeccable – thanks to guitars from Phil Manzanera and saxes from Andy MacKay – and an approach that has the group bringing in some key other players from track to track, expanding the sound but never going too far. The vibe is a bit like the feel of some of Bryan Ferry's best solo work from the years before – but more Roxy-like too – and still head and shoulders above anything the new romantics had to offer. Titles include "Same Old Scene", "Flesh & Blood", "My Only Love", "Oh Yeah", "No Strange Delight", and "Running Wild". LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool live set from the last decade of Chet's life. Recorded in Paris in 1981, the session features backing by a great French rhythm trio that includes Rene Urtreger, Pierre Michelot, and Aldo Romano. Tracks are standards – like "Just Friends", "Chasing the Bird", and "But Not For Me" – but the group's lively, and like some of these other Norma sessions, the live session stretches the players past the expectations you might have from their studio recordings from the same period. CD

A mid-80s classic from Cameo – one that showed the world that the group was still very much in the funky music game, even if their lineup had been reduced to a trio! Larry Blackmon's still at the head of the group – singing, drumming, and playing bass throughout – with plenty of support on keyboards and a variety of instruments from an army of session players called in for the record. The style's a bit less on the heavy funk tip of earlier Cameo records, but also steps along nicely in that mellower, midtempo groove that proved to be a great refuge for funk bands as the 80s wore on – a mode that's slightly romantic at times, but always handled with a bit of bounce at the bottom. Titles include "Word Up", "Candy", "She's Mine", "Don't Be Lonely", "Back & Forth", and "You Can Have The World". LP, Vinyl record album

Magical trio recordings from the classic trio that featured Bill Evans on piano, Scott LaFaro on bass, and Paul Motian on drums – a massive 3CD set of music, and one that brings together the complete June 1961 Village Vanguard recordings! The revolutionary bass work of LaFaro, and free-thinking rhythms of Motian really helped open up Evans' work on piano at the time – and their influence is heard to best effect on this spontaneous live set, spread out over the course of 22 tunes, recorded throughout the afternoon and evening on June 25, 1961. The package features one newly-discovered take, plus a number of alternates, spoken bits from Bill, and even a few final bars of music. Titles include "Solar", "Milestones", "All Of You", "Gloria's Step", "My Man's Gone Now", "Detour Ahead", "My Romance", and "Waltz For Debby". CD

An expanded version of Bill Evans' first album as a leader – and a well-titled set that went onto transform the sound of the piano in jazz! The core session isn't as lyrically free as some of Evans' later classics, but already has an undeniably fresh approach to the keys – one that's modern, yet never academic – fluid, but never flowery – pure genius of economy and understatement, while also at the same time opening bold new worlds in sound. The trio features drummer Paul Motian and bassist Teddy Kotick, and titles include the classics "Five" and "Waltz For Debby", the latter of which is performed solo by Evans – plus tracks that include "Displacement", "I Love You", "My Romance", "No Cover, No Minimum", and "Our Delight". Added to the original album is a full record of (then) previously unissued tunes – mostly solo piano numbers recorded in 1958 and 1962 – on titles that include "Easy To Love", "Some Other Time", "Danny Boy", and "In Your Own Sweet Way". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime late live work from Bill Evans – a well-recorded performance for French radio, and one that really stands out from some of the scratchier late 70s concerts on the market! Bill's working here with a sound as sensitive and picturesque as the cover image – never pushing things too hard, but letting each tune unfold organically in waves of sound few other players could conjure up! Trio musicians include Marc Johnson on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums – and titles on this first volume include "Quiet Now", "My Romance", "Noelle's Theme", "I Loves You Porgy", and "Up With The Lark". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album from Bill Evans – and maybe THE record you need in your collection if you're trying to understand his contribution to jazz! The album's one of Evan's first sides from the Village Vanguard – and features the legendary trio that included Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums – both players who could shake free from conventional rhythmic roles in a piano trio, yet who also support Evans' lyrically modal playing here beautifully! The tracks are a bit longer than Bill's studio sides from the time, allowing for even more magical interplay on the keys – and titles include "My Foolish Heart", "Waltz For Debby", "Detour Ahead", "My Romance", "Some Other Time", and "Milestones". Features bonus tracks – "Porgy", plus alternates of "Waltz For Debby", "My Romance", and "Detour Ahead". CD

Simple and soulful elegance from the great Red Garland – prime mid-50s material for Prestige, recorded here with incredible backing from Paul Chambers and Art Taylor! The tightness of the trio is amazing – but never so much so that it gets in the way of Red's warmly introspective modes on the keys – a sound that's never overindulgent, nor as flowery as some of his mainstream contemporaries – and which really paves the way towards a rhythmic sensitivity that influenced generations of later players on the instrument. The tracks are a bit shorter than on some later Garland dates, but that shortness only further illustrates the sublime economy of the group. Titles include "What Is This Thing Called Love", "September In The Rain", "Constellation", "My Romance", "Blue Red", "A Foggy Day", and "Makin Whoopee". CD

Simple and soulful elegance from the great Red Garland – prime mid-50s material for Prestige, recorded here with incredible backing from Paul Chambers and Art Taylor! The tightness of the trio is amazing – but never so much so that it gets in the way of Red's warmly introspective modes on the keys – a sound that's never overindulgent, nor as flowery as some of his mainstream contemporaries – and which really paves the way towards a rhythmic sensitivity that influenced generations of later players on the instrument. The tracks are a bit shorter than on some later Garland dates, but that shortness only further illustrates the sublime economy of the group. Titles include "What Is This Thing Called Love", "September In The Rain", "Constellation", "My Romance", "Blue Red", "A Foggy Day", and "Makin Whoopee". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most compelling tributes to Duke Ellington we've ever heard – a performance of his music that really deviates from the sound of the original, yet which also keeps all the complicated spirit of Duke intact! Trumpeter Franz Koglmann is really at the helm of the core groups on the set – leading the Monoblue Quartet on some tracks, an ensemble that features Tony Coe on clarinet and tenor, Burkhard Stangl on guitar, and Klaus Koch on bass – and the Pipe Trio on others, with Rudolf Ruschel on trombone and Raoul Herget on tuba. Lee Konitz joins in on alto with both ensembles, save for one track – and the whole record is a brilliant piano-less and drum-less outing that has the horns coming together in ways that are almost inspired by Jimmy Giuffre, but which take on some richer chromatic tones in their exploration of Ellington themes. The whole record really opens up the Ellington concept tremendously – and titles include "Love Is In My Heart", "Lament For Javanette", "Ko Ko", "Zweet Zurzday", "Pyramid", and "The Mooche" – plus a few variations on "Thoughts About Duke", an original by Koglmann. CD

An open, beautiful, and really well-recorded album from guitarist Lage Lund – a set that really lets all the careful tones and colors of his music come across beautifully – as he plays in a spacious trio with Matthew Brewer on bass and Tyshawn Sorey on drums! Lage is always a chromatic master, but that quality seems even more foregrounded here, in a way that certainly marks Lund as one of the most distinct talents of his generation on guitar – and a player who really advances some of work of the important masters on his instrument, in ways that hits territory that they never would have even expected – yet all while working with a subtle sense of beauty that easily avoids any gimmicks or tricks. Titles include "Vashkar", "En La Orilla Del Mundo", "Bobby's Tune, "Ashes", "Everything Means Nothing To Me", and "Erato" LP, Vinyl record album

One of the nicest records we've heard from Jeff Parker in years – a trio date with some wonderfully rich sounds, and a great showcase for some of the more lyrical sides of his music! Parker plays in these great chromatic modes throughout – using some slight effects with his hollow-body electric, in the company of bassist Chris Lopes and drummer Chad Taylor – the latter of whom really helps make the album great, thanks to a fluid, open sense of rhythm – yet one that still always knows how to swing! There's more of a groove here than you might usually expect from Jeff, and a sensitivity too – and the album almost feels like the beginning of a rich new chapter in his career. Titles include "Mainz", "Swept Out To Sea", "Freakadelic", "Istvan", "Occidental Tourist", and "The Morning Of The 5th". CD

An early trio recording – with JF Jenny Clark on bass and Aldo Romano on drums – on titles that include "Christmas Dreams", "Gattito", "Juste Un Moment", and "Hommage A Enelram Atsenig". LP, Vinyl record album

A Letter To Evans, and not a tribute to him – and that distinction is quite important, as the record's no mere copycatting of modes from the late great Bill, but a new imagining of his early ideas – spun out with a bit more rhythm and dynamic force than Evans might have used! As usual, the trio of Renee Rosnes, Bill Drummond, and Ray Drummond is in perfect form here – a well-balanced unit that still lets it star take the most space on the piano, but which pulsates with equal warmth from all members. Titles include "Emily", "Pas De Trois", "My Romance", "You & The Night & The Music", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", and "How My Heart Sings". CD

A fantastic start to the second chapter of Roxy Music – a time when the group was stripped down to a trio, and almost seemed to arise as a way to answer the newer music that was coming up from all the younger groups that Bryan Ferry had influenced with his work in the 70s! Things aren't as weird and wild as at their start, but the instrumentation is impeccable – thanks to guitars from Phil Manzanera and saxes from Andy MacKay – and an approach that has the group bringing in some key other players from track to track, expanding the sound but never going too far. The vibe is a bit like the feel of some of Bryan Ferry's best solo work from the years before – but more Roxy-like too – and still head and shoulders above anything the new romantics had to offer. Titles include "Same Old Scene", "Flesh & Blood", "My Only Love", "Oh Yeah", "No Strange Delight", and "Running Wild". CD

A really great album from Billy Taylor – way fresher than most of his other records of the time, especially his trio work! The main reason for this is Oliver Nelson – who crafts some incredibly soulful backings for Billy on the album's tracks, twisting through soul jazz big band numbers, easily grooving mellow tracks, all in the style of some of his best backing work for other players of the time. Billy's freed up to let himself groove around the tracks with an easy floating tone – almost like Ahmad Jamal or Ramsey Lewis on some of their sessions with Richard Evans. Titles include "You Tempt Me", "Don't Ever Say We're Through", "Love For Sale", "Miss Fine", "A Secret", "My Romance", and "Midnight Piano". LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks from Charles Silence Trio, Romanthony & DJ Predator, Rick Preston, LHK Productions, Idjut Boys & Quakerman, Q, Mateo & Matos, Alex Moran, Slam Mode, Daniel Ibbotson, and more. CD

Massive grooves from Schema Records – a special Japanese-only collection that features some of the best recent work on the label, mixed in with a few key classics from the early days! There's a simple, elegant feel to most of the tracks here – a sound based in older jazz and bossa roots, carried off in a blend of acoustic instrumentation with slight contemporary programs and processing – but never too much to obscure the warmth of the sources! Most titles have a warmth that's undeniable – far more than you might guess from the stark black cover image – and tracks include "Stay In Mood" by Paolo Fedreghini & Marco Bianchi, "This Is What You Are" by Mario Biondi & High Five Quintet, "Samba Royale" and "Afro Impression" by Paolo Achenza Trio, "Cortante" by Gerardo Frisina, "Missione A Bombay" by Nicola Conte, and "Cinemaroma 3", "Destination Moon", "No Problem", and "Driving" by The Dining Rooms. CD

A nicely varied live set from this trio of key ECM players of the 80s – captured here with the same sense of sound as some of their studio recordings – which must have been something amazing to hear in person! Abercrombie's still very chromatic at this point in his career – playing fluid, colorful lines on guitar – but also using occasional guitar synthesizer passages too – more waves of sound than individual lines, which sounds especially nice next to more driving drums from Peter Erskine! Marc Johnson's ear for space is perfectly tuned for the proceedings – working at a level that's far beyond standard bassmanship – and titles include "Light Beam", "Drum Solo", "Four On One", "Samurai Hee Haw", "Furs On Ice", "Stella By Starlight", and "Innerplay". CD

Pretty fierce stuff from Gato Barbieri – a firey avant session that's very much in the mode of his work for ESP, and his playing with Don Cherry in the late 60s. The set was recorded in Milan in 1967, with a trio that includes JF Jenny Clark on bass and Aldo Romano on drums – and Gato's pretty free and unbridled in his tenor solos, playing with the style he was using a lot at the time, part-Coltrane, but with the soulfulness of Pharoah Sanders even in the freer moments. Titles include "Michelle" and "Obsession". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare moment in the major label spotlight for George Coleman – an early 90s session for Verve, and one that should have gotten him the same sort of ongoing recognition as contemporary sessions at the label by JJ Johnson, Randy Weston, and Joe Henderson! The format here is spare, but nicely varied – with Coleman on a tenor, soprano, and alto saxes alongside a trio of Harold Mabern on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. With a rhythm section that strong, you could almost throw just about any player up against them and get something great – but Coleman's also really pushing to the forefront of the tunes on most numbers, blowing with a deep voice and strong sound that almost recalls some of the work that Eric Alexander did in later years with Mabern. Titles include "Old Folks", "Lush Life", "Conrad", "My Romance", "You Mean So Much To Me", and "The Sheik Of Araby". CD

Bill Evans' first album as a leader – and a well-titled set that went onto transform the sound of the piano in jazz! The session isn't as lyrically free as some of Evans' later classics, but already has an undeniably fresh approach to the keys – one that's modern, yet never academic – fluid, but never flowery – pure genius of economy and understatement, while also at the same time opening bold new worlds in sound. The trio features drummer Paul Motian and bassist Teddy Kotick, and titles include the classics "Five" and "Waltz For Debby", the latter of which is performed solo by Evans – plus tracks that include "Displacement", "I Love You", "My Romance", "No Cover, No Minimum", and "Our Delight". CD

Bill Evans' first album as a leader – and a well-titled set that went onto transform the sound of the piano in jazz! The session isn't as lyrically free as some of Evans' later classics, but already has an undeniably fresh approach to the keys – one that's modern, yet never academic – fluid, but never flowery – pure genius of economy and understatement, while also at the same time opening bold new worlds in sound. The trio features drummer Paul Motian and bassist Teddy Kotick, and titles include the classics "Five" and "Waltz For Debby", the latter of which is performed solo by Evans – plus tracks that include "Displacement", "I Love You", "My Romance", "No Cover, No Minimum", and "Our Delight". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album from Bill Evans – and maybe THE record you need in your collection if you're trying to understand his contribution to jazz! The album's one of Evan's first sides from the Village Vanguard – and features the legendary trio that included Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums – both players who could shake free from conventional rhythmic roles in a piano trio, yet who also support Evans' lyrically modal playing here beautifully! The tracks are a bit longer than Bill's studio sides from the time, allowing for even more magical interplay on the keys – and titles include "My Foolish Heart", "Waltz For Debby", "Detour Ahead", "My Romance", "Some Other Time", and "Milestones". Features bonus tracks – "Porgy", plus alternates of "Waltz For Debby", "My Romance", and "Detour Ahead". CD

Unissued live work from the great Shirley Horn – recorded in Las Vegas right before her big comeback recordings of the 90s – at a time when Shirley was hardly getting a chance to make an album! That lack of attention hardly matters to Horn, though – as she faces this performance with all of the class, charm, and undeniable soul of her bigger label material – both singing and playing piano with that unique sense of phrasing that made her a standout from the 60s onward – easily one of the coolest jazz talents of her generation – and an artist that we'd rank up there with Betty Carter, Abbey Lincoln, and a rare few others. The album's got a few especially nice long tracks – which have Shirley stretching out with great long solos on piano, too – in a trio that features Charles Ables on bass and Steve Williams on drums. Titles include "Meditation", "The Boy From Ipanema", "Hi Fly", "Just For A Thrill", "Blues For Big Scotia", "Lover Man", and "Isn't It Romantic". CD

One of the rare few albums cut as a leader by bassist Clint Houston – a player who always worked with very hip collections of musicians, including the lineup for this unusual date! The album's got a wonderfully warm, soulful vibe – a mode that's never polished or commercial, but which has Houston expressing himself in this very personal sort of way – in the company of players who include Onaje Allen Gumbs on piano and moog, Joanne Brackeen on piano, John Abercrombie on guitar, and Al Foster on drums – playing with even more sensitivity than usual. Abercrombie's especially great – and his chromatic notes have a way of ringing out with a slightly sprightly feel that illuminates some of Clint's deeper tones on bass – a balance that's also offset well by the acoustic piano. Titles include "Escape Velocity", "Watership Down", "Lifetrip", "Con Alma", and "Afternoon Moods". LP, Vinyl record album

Plenty of young blood here – a trio of powerful horn players who really make the set stand out nicely! Elvin Jones proves once again that his ear for a horn is almost as great as his work on the drums – and having chosen the trumpet of Nicholas Payton, and tenors of Javon Jackson and Joshua Redman, he really sets about making this session cook! The quintet's completed by bassist George Mraz – who's also a great component to the sound – and although some of the tunes come on with that hard-pounding approach that Jones developed in the post-Coltrane years, there's also a straighter hardbop groove going on that we like even more. Titles include "The Biscuit Man", "Lady Luck", "Ding A Ling A Ding", "Not Yet", "Have You Seen Eleveen", "My Romance", and "Youngblood". CD

Soaring disco vocals from the Ritchie Family – a trio who get plenty of great clubby help here from Richie Rome and Jacques Morali, both of whom ensure that the whole thing is a super-charged powerhouse of late 70s disco elements! The strings glide in nicely next to the vocals, and the rhythms are live and played with a nice intensity – maybe more New York than the usual TK Records release of the time, but that's probably Morali's work on the set! The trio vocals follow in the tradition started for 70s disco by Three Degrees – and titles include "Life Is Music", "Lady Luck", "Super Lover", "Disco Blues", "Liberty", and "Long Distance Romance". CD features bonus tracks – "Life Is Music (7" mix)", and "Lady Luck (12" mix)". CD

Killer trio material from drummer Daniel Villarreal – a lean, clean record that's a really great showcase for all three players involved! The music's got a vibe that's more live and spontaneous than some other efforts on the International Anthem label, and a sound that's almost funky at times – as Daniel's snapping drums get plenty of encouragement from the basses of Anna Butterss, which really sets fire to the guitar of Jeff Parker! Parker's back here at a level that we haven't heard on record in awhile, and the record seems to resonate with all his long experience with a variety of players – while also standing as a showcase for his ability to really deliver some warmly chromatic tones on the guitar. Titles include "Things Can Be Calm", "Daytime Nighttime", "Salute", "Sunset Cliffs", "Republic", "Chicali Outpost", and "Bring It". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest moments of brilliance in Weston's later comeback years – part of a series of trio recordings in which he paid tribute to piano geniuses of years past! This one's quite possibly the best in the series – as it features a strange Monk-ish take on the sound of Ellington – almost picking up where Money Jungle left off, and featuring some of Weston's most adventurous later piano work. The trio features Jamil Nasser on bass and Idris Muhammad on drums, and that rhythm pair give the album a surprising groove – and a solid swing that stays throughout, even in the most modern moments. Titles include "Caravan", "Limbo Jazz", "Chromatic Love Affair", "Heaven", and "Sepia Panorama". CD

Killer live work from the Lyman Woodard Trio – and a split set that shows much much the group kept grooving on the Detroit scene, even after their initial early 70s fame! The first half of the CD features material from 1974 – recorded at JJ's Lounge in the Shelby Hotel in the Motor City – very jazz-based, with soaring organ from Lyman himself, guitar from Ron English, and drums from Leonard King. The whole thing's nicely recorded, with a strong focus on that sweet and super-dope tone that's always made Woodard so great – as you'll hear on the cuts "Even Today", "Jumpin The Blues", "If You Could See Me Now", and "ESP". The second half of the set is from 20 years later – recorded in 1993 at Sully's Roadhouse – with the same trio, equally tight and funky! In fact, the 1993 set's almost funkier, as it's got some originals by Woodard that are mighty nice – the titles "Lyman's Montuno" and "Belle Isle Daze" – next to the cuts "I Got A Woman", "Drown In My Own Tears", and "A Fine Romance". CD

A hell of an album from guitarist Attila Zoller – one that's just a trio date, but which almost seems to have a fuller feel than some of his records from the time! The rhythms are wonderful – this warm, round bass from Frank Luther, whose tones alone really create a soulful energy on the record – and drummer Sonny Brown's got this nicely skittish tone that percolates even the mellow moments in this really great way – leaving Zoller to solo spaciously over the top with a sublime tone, and maybe a slightly deeper sense of soul than usual. Titles include "Dream Bells", "Seascape", "In Your Own Sweet Way", and "Sudden Romance". CD features a bonus track – "Oleo". CD

The third volume in this very groovy series takes a distinct Brazilian turn – and opens up into a sparkling set of bossa jammers and hard jazzy numbers that are extremely well-selected for the set! Not all the tracks are Brazilian in origin, but they are all hard to find – and the groove's extremely solid throughout! Tracks include "Quo Vadis Samba" by Goykovic-Novacek, "Carcara" by Tempo Trio, "Tim Dom Dom" by Joao Donato, "Jangal" by Dom Um Romao, "Batucada Sergiu" by Luis Carlos Vinhas, "Grand Nite For Swinging" by Mary Lou Williams, "Consolacao" by Larry Willis, "Influencia Do Jazz" by Bossa Tres, "Mudei De Idea" by Osmar Milito, "Un Sabor Latino" by Ricardo Marrero, "Cobranca" by Carlos Penha, and "Tema Pro Lins" by Rosinha De Valencia. Lots more, too! LP, Vinyl record album

It's hard to believe that the German Infracom label has been around for 30 years – maybe because the label was so future-thinking at the start, they helped set the tone for so much music to come! And if you're not hip to Infracom, the collection's a chance to dig the label in all its glory – as the set is filled with cosmic soul and jazzy club tracks that still stand as some of the hippest work to come from overseas in the past few decades – music that we've dug for years at Dusty Groove, served up in a package that really does justice to the label's legacy! Titles include "Freedom" by Gabriele Poso, "Hot Pot" by Mop Mop, "Who's Sorry Now" by Nekta, "Smoke & Regret" by Rime, "The Accessory" by Taxi, "Driver (Joash rmx)" by Matthias Vogt Trio, "Herbie's Delight" by Valique, "Love Is A State Of Mind" by Jhelisa, "Celebration Of Life" by Woodland Conclave, "You Can Dig" by Metropolitan Jazz Affair, "Tears" by Re:Jazz, "Calling" by Aromabar, "La Seule Fleur Dans Le Jardin" by Kosma, and "Something's Missing" by Dublex. LP, Vinyl record album

Bill Evans' first album as a leader – and a well-titled set that went onto transform the sound of the piano in jazz! The session isn't as lyrically free as some of Evans' later classics, but already has an undeniably fresh approach to the keys – one that's modern, yet never academic – fluid, but never flowery – pure genius of economy and understatement, while also at the same time opening bold new worlds in sound. The trio features drummer Paul Motian and bassist Teddy Kotick, and titles include the classics "Five" and "Waltz For Debby", the latter of which is performed solo by Evans – plus tracks that include "Displacement", "I Love You", "My Romance", "No Cover, No Minimum", and "Our Delight". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant late work from Bill Evans – his last set of recordings from the Village Vanguard – recorded in the summer of 1980, nearly two decades after his first famous albums at the club! Evans here is a wealth of imagination – really stretching out in relaxed, fluid formation – gentler than before, but also with a deeper sense of feeling too – and getting some great support from trio members Marc Johnson on bass and Joe Labarbera on drums. Tracks mostly hover around the five minute range – but there's some key longer numbers too – and the whole thing's a perfect example of why live Bill Evans is often some of the best Bill Evans you can find! 58 tracks on 6CDs, packaged with a booklet – and titles include "Nardis", "Knight For Mary F", "Emily", "Minha", "My Romance/Five", "But Not For Me", "Bill's Hit Tune", "I Do It For Your Love", "Quiet Now", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Your Story", "Tiffany", and "Re Person I Knew". CD

An early trio recording – with JF Jenny Clark on bass and Aldo Romano on drums – on titles that include "Christmas Dreams", "Gattito", "Juste Un Moment", and "Hommage A Enelram Atsenig". CD

A fantastic start to the second chapter of Roxy Music – a time when the group was stripped down to a trio, and almost seemed to arise as a way to answer the newer music that was coming up from all the younger groups that Bryan Ferry had influenced with his work in the 70s! Things aren't as weird and wild as at their start, but the instrumentation is impeccable – thanks to guitars from Phil Manzanera and saxes from Andy MacKay – and an approach that has the group bringing in some key other players from track to track, expanding the sound but never going too far. The vibe is a bit like the feel of some of Bryan Ferry's best solo work from the years before – but more Roxy-like too – and still head and shoulders above anything the new romantics had to offer. Titles include "Same Old Scene", "Flesh & Blood", "My Only Love", "Oh Yeah", "No Strange Delight", and "Running Wild". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great variation on the trio format in jazz – one that features the really unusual combination of the tenor of Heinz Sauer, piano of Peter Reiter, and vibes of Fritz Hartschuh – the last of whom is a really unique player who brings a heck of a lot to the session! Fritz has a sound on his instrument that's maybe a bit more metallic than most – less chromatic chords than more pointed notes, which are balanced by warmer piano lines from Reiter – then given all these wonderful edges through the inventive phrasing of Sauer on tenor – in a set that's maybe the best sort of showcase for the special, understated genius he could bring to his best recordings. Titles include "The Narrator", "Don't Explain", "Glasscodes", "Round Midnight", "Sui Me", and "Tide Edit". CD

It's hard to believe that the German Infracom label has been around for 30 years – maybe because the label was so future-thinking at the start, they helped set the tone for so much music to come! And if you're not hip to Infracom, the collection's a chance to dig the label in all its glory – as the set is filled with cosmic soul and jazzy club tracks that still stand as some of the hippest work to come from overseas in the past few decades – music that we've dug for years at Dusty Groove, served up in a package that really does justice to the label's legacy! Titles include "Freedom" by Gabriele Poso, "Hot Pot" by Mop Mop, "Who's Sorry Now" by Nekta, "Smoke & Regret" by Rime, "The Accessory" by Taxi, "Driver (Joash rmx)" by Matthias Vogt Trio, "Herbie's Delight" by Valique, "Love Is A State Of Mind" by Jhelisa, "Celebration Of Life" by Woodland Conclave, "You Can Dig" by Metropolitan Jazz Affair, "Tears" by Re:Jazz, "Calling" by Aromabar, "La Seule Fleur Dans Le Jardin" by Kosma, and "Something's Missing" by Dublex. LP, Vinyl record album

A crackling collection of bossa and samba jazz from the 60s – extremely well put together, and featuring tunes by some of the best players Brazil had to offer at the time! There's a nicely grooving vibe running throughout the entire set – no nonsense, just straight ahead jazz tunes with a keen ear for Brazilian rhythms, and a fresh and modern approach that still sounds plenty great today. Titles include "Batida Differente" by Tamba Trio, "Nebulosa" by Tenorio Jr, "Se Voce Disser Que Sim" by Edison Machado, "Coisa No 2" by Moacir Santos, "Olhou Pra Mim" by Raul De Souza, "Jangal" by Dom Um Romao, "Nem O Mar Sabia" by Luiz Carlos Vinhas, and "Naquela Base" by Victor Assis Brasil. 14 tracks in all – and a very nice package! CD

A trio of funky guitar gems – all served up in a single set! Black Velvet is a stone laidback set from O'Donel Levy – one of the greatest soul jazz guitarists of the 70s, and a player who sounds fresher and fresher to us over the years! This album's a bit more laidback than some of Levy's other sets for Groove Merchant – with larger arrangements that feature Charles Covington on electric piano and organ, Fats Theus on tenor and flute, and Billy Skinner on trumpet – but the approach actually works well, as the slow-moving tracks trip out over a lot of space, giving O'Donel plenty of room to craft his uniquely spacious and chromatic solos. Titles include versions of "Watch What Happens", "Love Story", "Call Me", "You've Made Me So Very Happy", and "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time", plus the originals "Granny" and "Nature's Child", both of which have a nice little groove! Windows is a great later album from O'Donel Levy – recorded after his initial flurry of work for the Groove Merchant label, but still plenty darn nice! The sound here is slightly smoother and a bit more electric than before – with Levy's sweet guitar work snaking out over some larger backings that almost have a funky soundtrack feel. The groove is still great, and O'Donel brings plenty of his trademark chromatic lines to the set – guitar parts that almost sound even better in this setting! Titles include "Moisturizer", "Green Machine", "Panama Red", and a track called "I Believe In Miracles", which is not the Jackson Sisters' hit, but a nice mellow groove with vocals that sounds like some of the George Duke soul cuts! Dawn Of A New Day features totally wicked guitar work from the mighty O'Donel Levy – easily one of the hippest talents to ever work for the Groove Merchant label! Levy's got a sound here that's a bit like Wes Montgomery on some of his late 60s sides, but also a fair bit funkier overall – a style that's steeped in soul and schooled on advancements in the 70s generation of funk fusion and blacksploitation soundtracks. Backings are relatively large – arranged by Manny Album, with players who include Charles Covington on organ and electric piano and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet. Tracks include covers like "I Wanna Be Where You Are", "People Make the World Go Round", and "Maiden Voyage" – plus some nice originals, like "Dawn Of A New Day" and "Baa Waa". CD

Strong later sessions from pianist Junior Mance – served up here on three different albums! First up is Softly As In A Morning Sunrise – a record that has Mance working with an excellent trio on the session, which includes the great Jimmy Woode on bass! Jimmy's got a sound that we've loved for decades – and even at this later point in his career, he's got a way of warming things up and getting them going, right from the very first note! Woode's bass brings out a new richness in Junior's piano – and along with drummer Bob Durham, the group really opens up on a set of nice longish tracks – perfect for that open-ended, easy-fingered Mance style that's held up beautifully over the years. One of the best Mance recordings from the time – with cuts that include "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "Lady Bird", "Wee", "Sunday Go To Meetin", "Inside Out", "Deli Blues For Blakey", "Broadway", and "The Man From Potters Crossing". The two Town Hall records feature a really wonderful setting for the piano of Junior Mance – not a trio date, but a live session with a quartet – and one that features some very strong contributions from Houston Person on tenor! The vibe is almost more like some of Person's records of the time, but handled with a bit more care and class by Enja – and in addition to Houston's tenor and Junior's piano, the group also features Calvin Hill on bass and Alvin Queen on drums – two players who do a great job of keeping up with the boundless energy of the others on the album's nicely long tracks! Titles on this volume include "Nadja", "Harlem Lullaby", "Small Fry", "I Cried For You", "Mercy Mercy Mercy", "Blues In The Closet", "Some Other Blues", "My Romance", and "Jubilation". CD