Bassist Christian McBride works here with a mighty striking group – a quartet that features Josh Evans on trumpet, Marcus Strickland on tenor and bass clarinet, and Nasheet Waits on drums – all players who give this record an edge that we're not used to hearing from Christian! The music was recorded live in St Louis, which might be part of the sound – but there's clearly a new mode of expression going on here from McBride, especially when he works his bass with lots of offbeat tones and bold moments that really seem to go past the usual! Waits really keeps the energy up too, and Strickland and Evans soar in all the right moments – on titles that include "The Middle Man", "Ballad Of Ernie Washington", "Ke-Kelli Sketch", "Walkin Funny", "Seek The Source", and "Kush". CD

The Modern Jazz Quartet with a very noteworthy addition – the great Sonny Rollins, whose work on this record really makes it a cut above the usual MJQ outing for Atlantic! As on the quartet's previous Music Inn album with Jimmy Giuffre, the addition of a reed player really inflects their trademark sound with a new range of sounds and feelings – and Rollins himself cuts back on the hardbop influences, and shows some great restraint in matching some of the group's more modern modes. Sonny only plays on 2 of the album's 6 tracks – but that's enough to open it up nicely – and on other numbers, the MJQ begin in their usual mellower mode, but then seem to step things up with more boppish inflections, almost anticipating Rollins' arrival on the last 2 numbers. Sonny plays on the tunes "Bag's Groove" and "Night In Tunisia" – and other titles include "Midsommer", "Festival Sketch", "Yardbird Suite", and an opening medley. LP, Vinyl record album

A great no-nonsense session from Chet – blowing here with Russ Freeman on piano, blocking out backgrounds that work perfectly with the fragile tone of Chet's horn. The rest of the group is completed by Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Shelly Manne on drums – and the tracks are simple and elegant, but with well placed solo work. Titles include "Fan Tan", "Love Nest", "Summer Sketch", and "Say When". CD

Back in the 90s, the DKV trio were one of the strongest forces in the Chicago improvising scene – a great group that featured Ken Vandermark on reeds, Kent Kessler on bass, and Hamid Drake on drums – working together with a really boundless sense of energy! This set has the group making a great appearance at the Wels Music Festival in 1998 – stepping out in a way that's a bit different than some of their previous recordings. At the festival, the trio played their incredibly haunting version of Don Cherry's "Complete Communion", drawn out into an extended suite, with the addition of the group's "Memory Sketch", in homage to Cherry. That set is paired here with some material captured on the group's home turf in Chicago – featuring 3 long improvised tracks recorded at Fred Anderson's Velvet Lounge. The Chicago material comprises a second disc in this 2CD set, and it includes the titles "Blues For Tomorrow", "Open Door", and "Burning Sky". CD

Acoustic magic from Herbie Hancock – proof that he wasn't only cutting electro records in the 80s! The set's got a fluid, open feel that's a bit like some of the VSOP Quintet work – although the group here is slightly different, with Hancock on acoustic piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – plus a young Wynton Marsalis on trumpet – stepping in where Wayne Shorter and Freddie Hubbard left off. The tracks are somewhat sharp-edged and modern, but never in a way that's too outside – more just a continuation of the VSOP mode, with some of the Marsalis love of darker colors and tones. The double-length set has plenty of room for long solos – and titles include "Well You Needn't", "Round Midnight", "Clear Ways", "A Quick Sketch", "The Eye Of The Hurricane", "Parade", "The Sorcerer", "Pee Wee", and "I Fall In Love Too Easily". CD

A double-length set of work from The Modern Jazz Quartet – a collection of material from their first decade or so on Atlantic Records! The package captures the group when they were really rising to international fame – recorded here both in the US, and in front of their growing audience overseas – mostly with the core quartet of Milt Jackson on vibes, John Lewis on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Connie Kay on drums – but also featuring occasional work from guests who include Sonny Rollins on tenor, Jimmy Giuffre on clarinet, and an orchestra conducted by Gunther Schuller. Titles include "The Golden Striker", "Cortege", "England's Carol", "Today (Home)", "Lonely Woman", "Django", "Bluesology", "Sketch (For Double Quartet)", "Fun", "Summertime", "Concorde", and "Ralph's New Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

The Modern Jazz Quartet with a very noteworthy addition – the great Sonny Rollins, whose work on this record really makes it a cut above the usual MJQ outing for Atlantic! As on the quartet's previous Music Inn album with Jimmy Giuffre, the addition of a reed player really inflects their trademark sound with a new range of sounds and feelings – and Rollins himself cuts back on the hardbop influences, and shows some great restraint in matching some of the group's more modern modes. Sonny only plays on 2 of the album's 6 tracks – but that's enough to open it up nicely – and on other numbers, the MJQ begin in their usual mellower mode, but then seem to step things up with more boppish inflections, almost anticipating Rollins' arrival on the last 2 numbers. Sonny plays on the tunes "Bag's Groove" and "Night In Tunisia" – and other titles include "Midsommer", "Festival Sketch", "Yardbird Suite", and an opening medley. CD

A pretty ambitious album from easy arranger Claus Ogerman – a hell of a talent, and the man who provided backings for some of our favorite albums! The album's kind of a "jazz meets orchestra" affair – done in the mode of some of Ogerman's backdrops for artists with a soloist as the lead act – but flipped around this time, although with some definite help from famous guests along the way! Key solos come from Joe Sample on Fender Rhodes, George Benson on guitar, Michael Brecker on tenor sax, and David Sanborn on alto – all sliding in and out of the lush string backings arranged by Ogerman – some of his best of the decade, with sweeping finish on the top, but a surprising degree of soul that bubbles forth as things move on. Tracks include "Night Will Fall", "A Sketch Of Eden", and "Time Passed Autumn", in 3 parts. CD

A group with a nice balance of structure and freedom – an unissued recording by a very hip quintet that features Steve Swell on trombone, Gebhard Ullmann on tenor and bass clarinet, Hilliard Greene on bass, and Barry Altschul on drums! At some level, the vibe here is a bit like some of Altschul's classic albums from the early days – as there's a sense of rhythm that pulsates through the record, although in ways that are nicely loose – yet still given some cohesion to the proceedings when the horn solos get very free! The approach has been used before by Swell, too – and his horn sounds wonderful next to the work of Ullmann – on titles that include "Planet Hopping On A Thursday Afternoon", "Sketch #4", "We're Playing In Here", and "La Mariposa". LP, Vinyl record album

Roland P Young is reclining on the cover, in an image that's almost a sketch for a major label release by one of the UK singers of the new romantic years – and at some level, that's almost the vibe for the entire set here – a nicely lean take on more popular modes of the time, delivered with plenty of craft and charm from this underground artist! Roland's not afraid to serve up a catchy hook and go for a tune that could cross over big – but the lean production of the record gives the whole thing a vibe that's more in the territory of the cold wave scene – although Young is a lot warmer at the core. Some cuts feature additional vocals from Risa Young – and the LP features the rare EP releases I-Land and Hearsay – with titles that include "Victim", "Go Away", "Don't Make Me Wait", "Don't Ever Take Your Love Away", "It Hurts So Bad", "Different Package", and "Edge Of Disaster". LP, Vinyl record album

An earnest, kinda lovable hard rock soundtrack to the modern classic movie version of the earnest, TOTALLY lovable SNL-sketch Wayne's World! Naturally opening with Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", thanks the flick's most unforgettable scene, the soundtrack is a goofy, but fun mix of glammy and hard rock, classic 70s jams and early alt rock of the time, plus glam pop tunes by co-star Tia Carrarre and Mike Myers and Dana Carvey on the Wayne's World theme. Party on! Includes "Foxey Lady" by Jimi Hendrix, "Ballroom Blitz" by Tia Carrere, "Feed My Frankenstein" by Alice Cooper, "Dream Weaver" by Gary Wright, "Time Machine" by Black Sabbath, "Loving Your Lovin" by Eric Clapton and more. CD

Nice later Muse work from Cecil Brooks III – working here with a "collective" that includes Gary Thomas on tenor, Greg Osby on alto, Geri Allen on piano, and Lonnie Plaxico on bass. Tracks are all quite soulful, and have that strong in the pocket groove we've come to love in Brooks' drum work – and titles include "Ace Boy", "Temptation", "Sunshine", "Are You Real", and "The Sketch Is The Key". CD

Pure and lovely sounds from the early days of Durutti Column – music from a time when guitarist Vini Reilly's conception was quite fresh, and deeply personal – so much so, his music really stood out amidst the darker sounds of his post-punk generation! As with the first Durutti Column album on Factory Records, this one often features Reilly's electric guitar overdubbed in cool ways – spare, but flowing – almost as if he's a Pat Metheny for the UK underground – but serving up short songs that are never overindulgent. But unlike the first record, Reilly also sings a bit – with this light, haunting style that's surprisingly compelling – one of those rare cases where a thin voice can often carry a lot of power – especially with spare instrumentation like this. Titles include the sublime "Missing Boy" – plus "Sketch For Dawn", "Jacqueline", "Messidor", "The Act Committed", "Detail For Paul", and "Portrait For Frazer". CD features bonus tracks too – including "Belgian Friends", "For Mimi", "Danny", "Enigma", and "One Christmas For Your Thoughts". CD

Acoustic magic from Herbie Hancock – proof that he wasn't only cutting electro records in the 80s! The set's got a fluid, open feel that's a bit like some of the VSOP Quintet work – although the group here is slightly different, with Hancock on acoustic piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – plus a young Wynton Marsalis on trumpet – stepping in where Wayne Shorter and Freddie Hubbard left off. The tracks are somewhat sharp-edged and modern, but never in a way that's too outside – more just a continuation of the VSOP mode, with some of the Marsalis love of darker colors and tones. The double-length set has plenty of room for long solos – and titles include "Well You Needn't", "Round Midnight", "Clear Ways", "A Quick Sketch", "The Eye Of The Hurricane", "Parade", "The Sorcerer", "Pee Wee", and "I Fall In Love Too Easily". CD

A seminal album that defined the fresh sound of a whole new generation in jazz – that "third stream" movement that was different from the cool jazz of the west coast, and the fire of New York! The style here follows that same mix of jazz and higher-concept elements you'd hear on other Modern Jazz Quartet albums for Atlantic – but the music is expanded here with some great help from outside parties too. The Jimmy Giuffre trio join the quartet on most of side one – adding in Jimmy's snakey clarinet and Jim Hall's fluid guitar lines for a really fresh take on the MJQ groove. The remainder of the album brings in the Beaux Arts String Quartet – who shade in the mix of vibes and piano with these dark strains that are really beautiful – and bring even more drama than usual to the music. Titles include "Da Capo", "Fine", "Exposure", "Sketch", and "Conversation". LP, Vinyl record album

The Modern Jazz Quartet with a very noteworthy addition – the great Sonny Rollins, whose work on this record really makes it a cut above the usual MJQ outing for Atlantic! As on the quartet's previous Music Inn album with Jimmy Giuffre, the addition of a reed player really inflects their trademark sound with a new range of sounds and feelings – and Rollins himself cuts back on the hardbop influences, and shows some great restraint in matching some of the group's more modern modes. Sonny only plays on 2 of the album's 6 tracks – but that's enough to open it up nicely – and on other numbers, the MJQ begin in their usual mellower mode, but then seem to step things up with more boppish inflections, almost anticipating Rollins' arrival on the last 2 numbers. Sonny plays on the tunes "Bag's Groove" and "Night In Tunisia" – and other titles include "Midsommer", "Festival Sketch", "Yardbird Suite", and an opening medley. CD

Hard to find soundtrack to this early Don Siegel film that starred John Cassavetes, Sal Mineo, and James Whitmore as a bunch of JD's. The score has a dramatic crime jazz sound, similar to Elmer Bernstein's work in the same vein – and the LP also includes Waxman's "Three Sketches for Jazz Orchestra", which features nice solo passages by the likes of Pete Candoli, Joe Mondragon, and Jack Dumont. A classic Decca score, and one that we never see! LP, Vinyl record album

Features Mick Abrams on lead vocals and guitar – and titles that include "Variations On Nainos", "San Francisco Sketches", "Toys", "Send Your Son To Die", "The Squirreling Must Go On", and "Meanie Monday". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 12 tracks from Miles Ahead, Porgy & Bess, and Sketches Of Spain. CD

Never-failing genius from Art Farmer – recording here in his later years, and working in that long and open-ended mode we love so much! There's few trumpeters who could make a record like this work – but Farmer's got a tremendous ability to stretch out on longer tunes with well-crafted solos that make beautiful use of soundspace and texture – letting his trumpet almost float along in the air and find its own notes, while the trio of Geoff Keezer piano, Kenny Davis bass, and Lewis Nash on drums provide just the right sort of accompaniment. The album's got a grace that matches any of Art's excellent mid 70s sides from Japan – and is proof that his talents never waned as the years went on – making him one of the few talents from his generation who continued to create and invent beautifully over time. Titles include "Soul Eyes", "Isfahan", "Will You Still Be Mine", "Sad To Say", "Time On My Hands", and "Recorda Me". CD features the bonus track "Cherokee Sketches". CD

Never-issued material from modern jazz giant Joe Harriott – and a set of tracks that stands strongly next to his classic albums Free Form and Abstractions! The energy of those records is definitely present here – as Harriott's late 50s hardbop styles are taking shape with more modern inclinations, especially in the timing and structure of the tracks – such that Joe is really beginning to find himself, both as a player and a leader! All tracks are originals by Harriott, save one by Dizzy Reece – and the group features Les Condon on trumpet, Pat Smythe on piano, Coleridge Goode on bass, and the great Phil Seamen on drums – on titles that include "Coda", "Compound", "Calypso Sketches", "Shepherd's Serenade", and "Formation" LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set from that second chapter on the California scene – that moment when the big initial wave of successful groups had rose and broke, leaving behind all sorts of new creative partnerships! This set's a great example of one of those – as Jefferson Airplane members Paul Kantner and Grace Slick come together with David Freiberg of Quicksilver Messenger Service – then open the door to a whole host of guests who really help make the whole thing an all-star Bay Area affair! You can definitely hear some echoes of Quicksilver, especially some of the more down to earth modes of the later records by that group – which fit perfectly with the vocals – and the lineup features work by Jerry Garcia on guitar on most tracks, plus Mickey Hart on percussion, Papa John Creach on violin, Jorma Kaukonen on guitar, Jack Casady on bass, The Pointer Sisters on backup vocals, and even David Crosby on guest vocals on one track. Titles include "White Boy", "Fishman", "Sketches Of China", "Ballad Of The Chrome Nun", "Flowers Of The Night", and "Across The Board". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic album from Mourning A BLKstar – even more powerful than their set dedicated to Eric Garner, and a batch of material that really gets at the righteous energy of this Cleveland combo! The group see themselves as part of the James Baldwin tradition of the artist bearing witness – and their genre-bending, gender non-confirming style really pushes forward the energy of underground soul music – as they worked together in an empty storefront in Cleveland to craft this beautiful cycle of songs initial sketches they all fleshed out together – in a mix of shifting vocal leads, heavy drums, dark guitar lines, and proud horn parts. Titles include "Sense Of An Ending", "Something JD Said", "Been Around", "Devil Get Behind Me", "Whom The Bell Tolls", "The Wants", "Deluze (Solange say rmx)", "So Young So", "The Box", and "4 Days". LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just a bop-heavy set – a landmark record that shows a side of the Chicago scene that hardly ever made it on record! In the years after Charlie Parker passed away, tributes to his greatness were a very common thing in local jazz scenes across the US. This is a prime example of that tradition, but way more than that, it's also a killer Chicago jazz session from the old days – featuring trumpeter Ira Sullivan at his best, along with some great local players that include tenorist Nicky Hill, pianist Jodie Christian, and bassist (Raphael) Don Garrett. The music is what you'd expect – loving renditions of Bird standards like "Klacktoveedesesteene" and "Love Letters" – but there's also a lot more going on underneath, and the album's as much a Charlie Parker tribute as it is a batch of bop and soul jazz numbers with a good underground feel. Titles include "Si Si", "Inchworm", "Milestones", "Sketches", "Fly Me To The Moon", and "Shaw Nuff" – and this 2CD reissue adds a heck of a lot more material to the original album – for a total of 15 tracks in all! CD

Really beautiful work from pianist Horace Tapscott – working here in a mode that crosses some of the freer inclinations of his solo sessions for the Nimbus label with some of the deeper spiritual currents of his large group recordings of the time! The group's just a trio – with Sonship on percussion and the mighty Roberto Miranda on bass – the last of whom does a really fantastic job of setting the tone, with this round, rich sound that really holds things together – even when Horace is getting a bit free on his solos! All tracks are nice and long, and thanks to Miranda, there's a nice sort of modal energy on the set – a balance between structure and freedom that's really wonderful, and which gets at the core of Tapscott's best achievements on record. The album features a great 21 minute reading of Tapscott's perennial favorite "The Dark Tree" – done with a great throbbing bassline – plus the tracks "Raisha's New Hip Dance" and "Sketches Of Drunken Mary". LP, Vinyl record album

A never-issued performance from Horace Tapscott and his Pan Afrika Peoples Arkestra – the large ensemble that provided a perfect platform for the bigger ideas he was bringing into his music in the 70s! A record like this marks Tapscott as every bit the spiritual visionary as Charles Tolliver or Sun Ra at the time – as Horace is recording in California with a series of long, extended compositions – showcased beautifully by a lineup that includes Jessee Sharps on soprano sax, Adele Sebastian on flute, Gary Bias and Michael Session on alto, Linda Hill on piano, and both James Andrews and Charles Chandler on tenor saxes – many of them names you'll know from their own great recordings on the Nimbus label a few years later. Kamau Daaood provides a bit of spoken word on the set – and titles include "Ancestral Echoes", "Sketches Of Drunken Mary", "Eteral Egypt Suite", and "Jo Annette". CD

One of the landmark classics of the rising British jazz scene of the late 60s – an unusual pairing between modern trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and famous arranger John Dankworth – both coming together in this sublime set of instrumental tracks based on the story of Don Quixote! The music is something that stands alone from the story completely – a key moment in Wheeler's rise to genius, as he crafts these tremendous solos over a larger group directed by Dankworth – almost a Sketches Of Spain for the Brit scene – with work from an array of players who include Dankworth, Tony Robert, Tony Coe, and Ray Swinfield on saxes – plus John McLaughlin on guitar and Dave Holland on bass – all working together in a really inventive lineup that instantly made the record a classic on the scene. Includes "Preamble", "Don The Dreamer", "Sweet Dulcinea Blue", "Bachelor Sam", "The Cave Of Montesinos", "Altisidora", and "Don No More". LP, Vinyl record album

We love pianist Denny Zeitlin so much on his own, we're almost suspicious of a tribute album to Miles Davis – but once again, Zeitlin finds a way to really make the whole thing come out sounding completely individual – with a transformative power that really blows us away! The songs are from the Davis songbook – some by the trumpeter, some famously recorded by Miles – but Denny's solo piano approach here is more to use the songs almost like loose backdrops for sonic poetry – these incredibly complex lines on the piano that are at once free and melodic, modern and meaningful – with a balance that Zeitlin's brought just a key slice of his work in recent years. The album is as revolutionary as anything the pianist recorded decades back – and titles include two variations on "Milestones", plus "Stablemates", "Solar", "Flamenco Sketches", "So Near So Far", "The Theme", "Weirdo", "Time After Time", "Tomaas", and "Circle". CD

A real genre-setting compilation from the folks at Numero – a set that digs through a lost underground of early 90s computer-based music – work that's very different from both the early digital work of the 80s, and some of the spacier sounds of the new age generation! There's definitely elements of both at play here, but there's also moments of more sound library focus, mixed with a feel of cold wave artists growing up and getting slightly more sentimental – a very unique strand that the folks at the label have dug up on their own, as part of their wonderful "cabinet of curiosities" series. The package is great – like you're getting a 12" floppy disc – and titles include "Rain Dance" by Steve Bach, "Sex Drive" by Slap & Powell, "Sketches Of Anderland" by Angelo Vanotti, "In My Heart" by Jessie Allen Cooper, "Walking The Lonely Streets" by Andrew Gordon, "Hovercraft" by Barry Coates, and "Listen To The Music" by Quiet Force. LP, Vinyl record album

Sure, Louie's always been a bit hokey to us – but this groovy set recorded in London is pretty darn fab! The tracks were recorded with a largeish group of British players, and the overall feel is similar to some of the classic Clarke-Boland recordings from the time – with lots of fire, lots of driving percussion, and some pretty unusual arrangements mixed with odd solo techniques. Notable players include Kenny Wheeler, Stan Reynolds, Harry Roche, and Bobby Lamb – and the album features the tracks "Kings Road Boogaloo", "Sketches From National Gallery", "Carnaby Street", and the groovy "London Suite", which features a bit of vocals from the Mike Sammes Singers. CD

A totally essential book for any Sun Ra collector – redone in a smashing 2nd edition that's about 3 times as big as the first one! The first pressing of Earthly Recordings sold out almost immediately when it came out in the mid 90s, and we've treasured our copy for years as the only way to really navigate the hundreds and hundreds of obscure recordings issued by Sun Ra. Most of Ra's material came out in many different forms, often with sketchy packaging, and the book's helped us a lot over the years to figure out what we have, when it's from, who's on it, and where to place the music in Ra's history. This time around, Campbell's outdone himself – not just correcting a few errors from the first edition, but also adding in loads and loads of extra material, like details on other artists who recorded for Saturn, and a more complete listing of Ra's earlier work. Plus, this version's broken down year by year – so that you can trace the evolution of Ra & The Arkestra not only with recording data, but also with the large amount of text that's written about the circumstances of the recording sessions and the band's status. The book's a perfect complement to John Zwed's bio of Ra – and it's fascinating reading, a lot more so than any other discography we've encountered! Book

The ultimate Miles Davis album – the one that includes so many songs that we've heard way too much in Starbucks, in retail stores, or at a friend's house who claims to be a "jazz expert", but is really a yuppie dilettante. Yet somehow, over all the years, and all those playings, the record manages to still sound fantastic – a truly inspirational piece of music that's long deserved all the attention it gets! The legendary group on the album includes John Coltrane on tenor, Cannonball Adderley on alto, Bill Evans on piano, and Paul Chambers on bass – working with Miles in a relatively modal style, with brilliant rhythm changes and a wonderful sense of space. The whole thing's sublime – and titles include "Blue In Green", "All Blues", "So What", and "Freddie Freeloader". This Legacy edition features 2CDs worth of music, with 21 tracks in all – a few short studio bits, plus alternate takes on "Flamenco Sketches" and "Fran Dance", a 17 minute version of "So What", and the key 1958 cuts "On Green Dolphin Street", "Fran Dance", "Stella By Starlight", and "Love For Sale". CD

The cover's a bit sketchy, but the music is sharp and clear throughout – strong-handled work on piano from Japanese player Masaru Imada, given great support from the work of George Mraz on bass and Billy Hart on drums! The set's got a nice crisp vibe throughout – a bit more punch than some of the softer, lyrical Japanese piano trio sets of the period – although Imada's still got plenty of lyrical touches in his music! The approach is maybe a bit like Tommy Flanagan or Kenny Drew on some of their excellent sets for the Japanese market in the early 80s – and titles include "I Remember Clifford", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Black Orpheus", "Georgia", and "It Could Happen To You". CD

Sound, space, and a hell of a lot more – as Roscoe Mitchell really stretches the limits of his sound on this one – working in different ensemble formats through a variety of musical modes! A few tracks on the set feature Mitchell at his most academic – spare, contemplative, and tentatively moving forward with fragile improvisations that clearly have a deeper concept behind them. Yet at other times, Mitchell's a lot more open and freewheeling – as on the straight jazz groover "Linefine Lyon Seven", which has a sound that almost prefaces that of Eight Bold Souls – or on the hip hop-inspired "You Wastin My Time", which features Roscoe reciting the lead rhyme, also in an early Eight Bold Souls sort of mode. Other titles include "Words", "Views A B & C", "View D", and "Variations On Sketches From Bamboo" – and players include Spencer Barefield on guitar, Mike Mossman on trumpet, Gerald Oshita on baritone sax, Tani Tabbal on percussion, and Tom Bucker on tenor voice. CD

Pure genius from Horace Tapscott – a record that really lights a new fire under his talents – and takes us back to some of the most expressive, most righteous jazz from the LA scene of the 70s! The quartet here features key LA player John Carter on clarinet – an instrument that he'd embraced heavily during the decade in which this set was recorded, but managed to use with a sense of boldness and fire brought to earlier work on saxes – a sound that's quite different than just about any other player on the instrument! Carter's a perfect match for Tapscott's long-woven lines on piano – heard to great effect on the album's reworking of his classic "Dark Tree" – but cast out perfectly on all the other tunes too – thanks in part to tremendous rhythm work from Cecil McBee on bass and Andrew Cyrille on drums! The set's brilliant all the way through – one of the greatest things Hat Art ever recorded – and a record to rival any of the great indie underground sets of the 70s. Titles include "One For Lately", "The Dark Tree", "Sketches Of Drunken Mary", "Lino's Pad", "Sandy & Niles", "A Dress For Renee", and "Nyja's Theme". CD

A great and unusual album from pianist Horace Tapscott – a bit straighter than some of his 70s classics for Nimbus Records, but a real delight throughout! Tapscott's normally associated with the LA underground of the post-cool jazz years, but this unique set has him working in New York with a trio that includes Art Davis on bass and Roy Haynes on drums – both accompanying Horace in a set of four long tracks that spin out with a beautifully fluid sense of grace and soul! Some of the bright spots of the solo Tapscott sessions are tied to more progressively rhythmic moments here from the team of Davis and Haynes – letting Horace really soar on the keys, but still explore with the bolder touch of his solo sets. Titles include "If You Could See Me Now", "Lino's Pad", "Akirfa", and "Sketches Of Drunken Mary". CD

Really beautiful work from pianist Horace Tapscott – working here in a mode that crosses some of the freer inclinations of his solo sessions for the Nimbus label with some of the deeper spiritual currents of his large group recordings of the time! The group's just a trio – with Sonship on percussion and the mighty Roberto Miranda on bass – the last of whom does a really fantastic job of setting the tone, with this round, rich sound that really holds things together – even when Horace is getting a bit free on his solos! All tracks are nice and long, and thanks to Miranda, there's a nice sort of modal energy on the set – a balance between structure and freedom that's really wonderful, and which gets at the core of Tapscott's best achievements on record. The album features a great 21 minute reading of Tapscott's perennial favorite "The Dark Tree" – done with a great throbbing bassline – plus the tracks "Raisha's New Hip Dance" and "Sketches Of Drunken Mary". CD also features the bonus track "Inception" – a full 29 minutes worth of extra music! CD

A trio of excellent Gary Burton albums from the 60s – collected together in a single set! Something's Coming is the launch of vibist Gary Burton as a leader – a force in jazz that would continue strongly for decades to come! At the time of the record, Burton had already been making waves as a session player on the Nashville scene – where RCA had some especially strong ears – but he's launched here in a mode that's quite far from those roots, and already filled with those modern, chromatic modes that would have Burton pushing the sound of the vibes forward strongly throughout his career – even on an early record like this! The group is very like-minded, and well-chosen – players who are spacious and modern, but never too much so – a quartet with Jim Hall on guitar, Chuck Israels on bass, and Larry Bunker on drums. Titles include "Melanie", "Careful", "Six Improvisatory Sketches", "Something's Coming", and "Little Girl Blue". Next up is a very cool take on the music of Sound Of Music – handled with some help from arranger Gary McFarland, in a way that really unlocks the modal potentials of the tunes! As you might expect from the revolutionary vibist Gary Burton, the approach here is quite different than the usual jazz album of Broadway material – and instead, both Burton and McFarland do a heck of a lot to open up the coolest potential of the songs – as they bring in other hip players who include Bob Brookmeyer on trombone, Phil Woods on alto, Joe Puma on guitar, and Steve Swallow on bass. Titles include "An Ordinary Couple", "Sixteen Going On Seventeen", "Do Re Mi", "Edelweiss", and a great take on "My Favorite Things". Time Machine is filled with beautiful sounds from Gary Burton – a seminal 60s session that really has the vibist coming into his own, and finding that new path towards musical expression that would flower even more strongly in the 70s! The album has Burton really strengthening up his sense of chrome – matching the boldness of other important 60s vibes players on the rise – like Karel Velebny or Bobby Hutcherson – but also working this really special magic in the way he lets each note resonate in the air – often with a much longer decay on the sound than the actual moment of its creation! Burton also plays a bit of piano on the record, overdubbed with his vibes – but in a way that's quite different than the vibes/piano combo of earlier acts – like the MJQ, or George Shearing Quintet – thanks to work from Steve Swallow on bass and Larry Bunker on percussion. Tracks include "Six Nix Quix Flix", "The Sunset Bell", "Deluge", "Chega De Saudade", and "Falling Grace". CD

One of three amazing albums the Fatback Band cut for the Perception label in the early 70s – and a set that's definitely the most soulful of the bunch! The difference here is that the group opens up some space for lead vocals from the great Johnny King – a singer with a really unique sound, and one whose special touch brings plenty to the already-great funky instrumentation of the group – deepening their sound in all the right ways! The set features both vocal and instrumental versions of Weldon Irvine's great cut "Feeling Mellow" – done even better than the original – and other cuts include "Makin' Love", "Sketches of Life", "Meet Me Over My House", and "Three Dimensional World". CD

A fantastic album – one of our favorite-ever records from Charles Mingus! The album was recorded in the same breath as his legendary works Tijuana Moods, The Clown, and Pithecanthropus Erectus – and it features the same sort of fire and emotion that made those classics so great. The group alone is amazing – with Horace Parlan on piano, Shafi Hadi on alto and tenor, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, and the amazing Clarence (aka Gene) Shaw on trumpet – all getting plenty of room to open up on the album's longer tracks! The work bristles with a sense of imagination and dark energy that Mingus hardly had in his music in later years – and each new tune brings a fresh sense of vision that never fails to astound us! In keeping with the "poetry" title, the album begins with an incredible 12 minute track "Scenes in the City" – which features a long spoken bit written by Langston Hughes about one man's love of jazz and the way that it affects his life in the city – all supported with excellent instrumentation from the group. Other titles are instrumental, and include "Nouroog", "New York Sketchbook", "Slippers", and "Duke's Choice". CD also features 3 bonus tracks – "Woody N You", "Billie's Bounce", and an alternate take of "Slippers". CD

A fantastic album – one of our favorite-ever records from Charles Mingus! The album was recorded in the same breath as his legendary works Tijuana Moods, The Clown, and Pithecanthropus Erectus – and it features the same sort of fire and emotion that made those classics so great. The group alone is amazing – with Horace Parlan on piano, Shafi Hadi on alto and tenor, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, and the amazing Clarence (aka Gene) Shaw on trumpet – all getting plenty of room to open up on the album's longer tracks! The work bristles with a sense of imagination and dark energy that Mingus hardly had in his music in later years – and each new tune brings a fresh sense of vision that never fails to astound us! In keeping with the "poetry" title, the album begins with an incredible 12 minute track "Scenes in the City" – which features a long spoken bit written by Langston Hughes about one man's love of jazz and the way that it affects his life in the city – all supported with excellent instrumentation from the group. Other titles are instrumental, and include "Nouroog", "New York Sketchbook", "Slippers", and "Duke's Choice". CD also features 3 bonus tracks – "Woody N You", "Billie's Bounce", and an alternate take of "Slippers". CD

Wonderful work from a pre-SNL crowd that includes John Belushi, Harold Ramis, Gild Radner, Brian Doyle Murray, Christopher Guest, Bill Murray, and Chevy Chase! Includes "The Immigrants" – one of our favorite National Lampoon sketches ever. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible leap forward for Max Roach – mindblowing work recorded after the death of Clifford Brown – from albums that include Max Roach + 4, Jazz In 3/4 Time, Max Roach + 4 & More, Max Roach 4 Plays Charlie Parker, Max Roach + 4 On The Chicago Scene, Max Roach + 4 At Newport, Many Sides Of Max, Rich Versus Roach, Quiet As It's Kept, Moon-Faced & Starry-Eyed, and Parisian Sketches. CD

Way more than just a bop-heavy set – a landmark record that shows a side of the Chicago scene that hardly ever made it on record! In the years after Charlie Parker passed away, tributes to his greatness were a very common thing in local jazz scenes across the US. This is a prime example of that tradition, but way more than that, it's also a killer Chicago jazz session from the old days – featuring trumpeter Ira Sullivan at his best, along with some great local players that include tenorist Nicky Hill, pianist Jodie Christian, and bassist (Raphael) Don Garrett. The music is what you'd expect – loving renditions of Bird standards like "Klacktoveedesesteene" and "Love Letters" – but there's also a lot more going on underneath, and the album's as much a Charlie Parker tribute as it is a batch of bop and soul jazz numbers with a good underground feel. Titles include "Si Si", "Inchworm", "Milestones", "Sketches", "Fly Me To The Moon", and "Shaw Nuff" – and this 2CD reissue adds a heck of a lot more material to the original album – for a total of 15 tracks in all! CD

Boldly brilliant work from tenor saxophonist JD Allen – a player who's always been great, but who seems to be hitting a whole new side of his powers in recent years! The set continues a trio format explored by Allen on a previous date – and like that one, it's got a wonderfully unfettered feel – just the bass of Ian Kenselaar and drums of Nic Cacioppo setting the stage, while JD soars out in these long, soulful solos – filled with energy and power that we might not have imagined a decade ago, making some of his strongest statements as a leader to date! The set includes a fair bit of original titles, but these are just more like sketches for the open energy of the tenor – on titles that include "Die Dreaming", "Red Label", "Toys", "Elegua", and "You're My Thrill". CD

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Dan Berkson's had a hand in many different styles of music over the years, but this set is a wonderfully contemporary expression of his keyboard talents in jazz – served up here both on acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes – as Dan works in a "trio plus" mode that has some other artists joining in the sound from time to time! At the core is the combo with Andrea Di Biase on bass and Jon Scott on drums – musicians who do a good job of blocking them selves around Berkson's keyboard lines, which have this open sense of flow that creates its own structure, even when loose – maybe evolved out of the Bill Evans school, but very much Dan's own bag. The leadoff track "Unity" is a great Rhodes number, with Magnus Pickering on trumpet and Alam Nathoo on tenor – and one more track features Pickering as well, on titles that include "Live Bait", "Sketches", "The Court", and "Maggie's Last Day". LP, Vinyl record album

The excitement on the cover here is very well-placed – and RCA clearly knows they've got something special on their hands – the launch of vibist Gary Burton as a leader – a force in jazz that would continue strongly for decades to come! At the time of the record, Burton had already been making waves as a session player on the Nashville scene – where RCA had some especially strong ears – but he's launched here in a mode that's quite far from those roots, and already filled with those modern, chromatic modes that would have Burton pushing the sound of the vibes forward strongly throughout his career – even on an early record like this! The group is very like-minded, and well-chosen – players who are spacious and modern, but never too much so – a quartet with Jim Hall on guitar, Chuck Israels on bass, and Larry Bunker on drums. Titles include "Melanie", "Careful", "Six Improvisatory Sketches", "Something's Coming", and "Little Girl Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

Two classic 50s albums from Charles Mingus – both recorded for the Bethlehem label, and issued here in an import-only pressing! First up is Jazz Experiments – a pivotal album in the career of Charles Mingus – one that really has him honing his sound, and reaching for that trademark mix of modernism and raw emotion that set a whole generation on fire! The album's a lot more freewheeling than other Mingus material from the time – although still a bit more compact than the Atlantic or Columbia sides – and the group's staffed with key early interpreters of Charles' vision – including John LaPorta on alto, Teo Macero on tenor and baritone, Thad Jones on trumpet, Clem DeRosa on drums, and Jackson Wiley on cello – an instrument that really helps shade in some of the darker corners of the tunes. Titles include great early originals like "Four Hands", "Minor Intrusion", "Thrice Upon A Theme", and "The Spur Of The Moment" – plus his great take on "Stormy Weather", which is a bit stormier than most! Next Is Modern Jazz Symposium – one of our favorite-ever records from Charles Mingus! The album was recorded in the same breath as his legendary works Tijuana Moods, The Clown, and Pithecanthropus Erectus – and it features the same sort of fire and emotion that made those classics so great. The group alone is amazing – with Horace Parlan on piano, Shafi Hadi on alto and tenor, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, and the amazing Clarence (aka Gene) Shaw on trumpet – all getting plenty of room to open up on the album's longer tracks! The work bristles with a sense of imagination and dark energy that Mingus hardly had in his music in later years – and each new tune brings a fresh sense of vision that never fails to astound us! In keeping with the "poetry" title, the album begins with an incredible 12 minute track "Scenes in the City" – which features a long spoken bit written by Langston Hughes about one man's love of jazz and the way that it affects his life in the city – all supported with excellent instrumentation from the group. Other titles are instrumental, and include "Nouroog", "New York Sketchbook", "Slippers", and "Duke's Choice". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic album – one of our favorite-ever records from Charles Mingus! The album was recorded in the same breath as his legendary works Tijuana Moods, The Clown, and Pithecanthropus Erectus – and it features the same sort of fire and emotion that made those classics so great. The group alone is amazing – with Horace Parlan on piano, Shafi Hadi on alto and tenor, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, and the amazing Clarence (aka Gene) Shaw on trumpet – all getting plenty of room to open up on the album's longer tracks! The work bristles with a sense of imagination and dark energy that Mingus hardly had in his music in later years – and each new tune brings a fresh sense of vision that never fails to astound us! In keeping with the "poetry" title, the album begins with an incredible 12 minute track "Scenes in the City" – which features a long spoken bit written by Langston Hughes about one man's love of jazz and the way that it affects his life in the city – all supported with excellent instrumentation from the group. Other titles are instrumental, and include "Nouroog", "New York Sketchbook", "Slippers", and "Duke's Choice". CD also features 3 bonus tracks – "Woody N You", "Billie's Bounce", and an alternate take of "Slippers". CD