A sweet set of jazzy grooves and reggae rhythms – the late 90s Clement Dodd production Reggae Au Go Jazz – which features Roy "Bubbles" Burrows on trumpet and fluegelhorn and players that include Clifford Jordan, Charles Davis, Jackie Mittoo, Ernest Ranglin, Clement Dodd and others! Just a few of the tracks have programming that giveaway that it's a fairly recent production. For the most part it's classic styled, breezy reggae rhythms and laid back jazzy horns. Titles include "Wet Land", "Jkericho Jazz", "Bubbles' Bubble", "My Father's Jazz", "Mount Zion Rock", "Reggae Au Go Jazz", "Jazz Ville Funk" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous set from Jamaican trumpeter Roy Burrowes – a musician who's never been as recorded as often as he should, which is what makes this lost live set so special! The set was recorded live in Paris at the start of the 80s – with Burrowes on trumpeter, in a group that also features Mal Waldron on piano – at a time when he was doing some really wonderful work on the European scene, at a level that's almost a new wave of spiritualism in his music – which really seems to bring out the best in Roy! Also great is reedman Richard Raux – who plays some soulful tenor and soprano sax that works wonderfully alongside Burrowes – on long titles that include "Old Compton Street", "Seagulls", "Jamaica", "Searching", Going Back Home", "Symphony In Blues", and "Hard Talk". CD

Attica Blues, and beyond – a great late 70s performance that has Archie Shepp turning the clock back towards that famous album – but also making some very new grooves with a richly expanded lineup! The double-length set was recorded in Paris, in front of a very lively crowd – and it's honestly one of Shepp's most dynamic records from the time – definitely inspired by all the freedom he'd had in the French scene for the previous decade – yet also brought together with a great sense of focus too. The lineup is excellent – with vocals from Joe Lee Wilson and Irene Datcher – trumpets from Malachi Thompson, Charles McGhee, and Roy Burrowes; trombones from Charles Greenlee, Dick Griffin, and Steve Turre; reeds from Marion Brown, James Ware, and Marvin Blackman; plus piano from Art Matthews, some added strings, great percussion, and piano, tenor, and soprano sax from Shepp himself! Ray Copeland directs the group – giving it the hip focus of his few key recordings like this – and titles include "Star Love", "Moon Bees", "Attica Blues" (in two parts), "Steam", "Quiet Dawn", "Hi Fly", "U-Jaama", "Ballad For A Child", "Simone", "Crucificado", :A Change Has Come Over Me", "Goodbye Sweet Pops", and "Skippin'". CD

A real revelation from pianist Cedar Walton – an unusual electric album from the 70s – quite a surprise, given the mostly-acoustic sound of most of Cedar's other records! The album's a killer, though – and has this fresh, full take on funky jazz for the time – not the usual CTI copycat mode, and instead this compelling hybrid of elements that includes lots of Fender Rhodes from Walton, sweet guitar likes from Ryo Kawasaki, and lots of rootsy percussion from Ray Mantilla and Omar Clay – two players who really make the album nice and earthy at the bottom. The rest of the group is wonderful, too – and includes tenor from Frank Foster, alto and baritone from Charles Davis, and trumpet from Roy Burrowes – all fresh players who open up a big can of soul for the set – on titles that include a classic break version of "Off Minor", plus "Blue Trane", "Soho", and "Road Island Red". LP, Vinyl record album