Haunting stuff – and one of June Christy's darkest albums! June's singing here with her old boss, Stan Kenton, at the piano – no other real backing, just the pair of them working together in a session that's uniquely stripped down for the time. June's vocals are frail and tender – with even more sadness than in some of her more fully arranged sessions, all of which we love to death. Titles include "Come To The Party", "Angel Eyes", "Lonely Woman", "Every Time We Say Goodbye", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "We Kiss In A Shadow", and "You're Mine You". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Artistry In Rhythm", "Eager Beaver", "Artistry Jumps", "Painted Rhythm", "Intermission Riff", "Collaboration", "Lover", "Unison Riff", "The Peanut Vendor", "Interlude", "Love For Sale", "Laura", "23 Degrees North - 82 Degrees West", "Invention For Guitar And Trumpet", "Stompin' At The Savoy", "La Suerte De Los Tontos (The Fortune Of Fools)", "Waltz Of The Prophets", and "Malaguena". CD

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A genius set from Stan Kenton – seductively simple, but featuring some great arrangements from Lennie Niehaus! Despite the title, the album's less of a showtune affair than you might think – as Stan and his group run through a number of popular tunes from the 50s, remaking them in washes of color and sound – working beautifully with the Niehaus arrangements to give them all the Kenton touch! Players include Bill Perkins, Jack Sheldon, and Niehaus himself – and titles include "The Party's Over", "Lullaby Of Broadway", "Hey There", "Bali Hai", "Whatever Lola Wants", "All At Once You Love Her", and "I Love Paris". CD

With Lee Konitz & Vinnie Dean on alto saxophone, Bob Gioga & Hank Levy on barritone saxophone, Don Bagley on bass, George Roberts on bass trombone, Stan Levey on drums, Sal Salvador on guitar, Stan Kenton on piano, Bill Holman & Richie Kamuca on tenor saxophone, Bill Russo, Bob Burgess, Frank Rosolino, Keith Moon & Tom Shepard on trombone, – Buddy Childers, Conte Candoli, Don Dennis, Don Smith, Ernie Royal, Maynard Ferguson & Ruben McFall on trumpet & Chris Connor on vocals. CD

Features radio transcription sessions plus some early 40's studio material. Players include Kai Winding, Pete Rugolo, Shelly Manne, June Christy, and Anita O'Day. CD

Easily the most successful album that Stan Kenton ever recorded – a brilliant reworking of older Kenton band standards, done with the dynamics of the 50s hi fi scene! The album's a much-needed one to any fan of Stan's genius – as the tunes are presented here in recordings that really sparkle a lot more than their original 40s readings – recordings that not only benefit from the better fidelity of the time, but also from Kenton's finer-tuning on the arrangements, in a way that pushes his original vision even more strongly than before. Players include Lennie Niehaus, Maynard Ferguson, Pete Candoli, Jack Nimitz, Vido Musso, and Bill Perkins – and titles include "Artistry Jumps", "Interlude", "Minor Riff", "Painted Rhythm", "Southern Scandal", and "Eager Beaver". CD

Late Kenton on Capitol – but great Kenton too! In a way, Stan was almost best when he was working with standards – as on a set like this, he has an incredible way of transforming the sound of familiar numbers into something dark, moody, and modern. It's amazing to hear the way he raises the edge of tunes we thought we'd already heard too much of – and working with players like Charlie Mariano, Don Sebesky, and Rolf Ericson, Stan's in perfect company to really work magic with the material. Titles include "Django", "Willow Weep For Me", "I Get Along Without You Very Well", "The Thrill Is Gone", and "When Sunny Gets Blue". CD features the bonus track "Lazy Afternoon". CD

Stan reprises his famous modernist swing in a great little album that's one of his best works from the early 60s. The tracks are longish, with the mixture of dark shading and breakout solos that grace some of his best early work – and although the players in the group aren't the famous west coasters that Stan first brought to fame, they all do a fine job when the solo moment comes. Titles include "Waltz Of The Prophets", "Turtle Talk", "Malaguena", and "Body & Soul". CD features the bonus tracks "Body & Soul (first version)" and "Waltz Of The Prophets (first version)". CD

One of Stan's excellent later sides for Capitol – recorded during a flurry of incredible sessions that really pushed the already-great Kenton sound over the top! Here, Stan's working with a host of familiar ballads – but in a way that completely transforms the tunes, and turns them into sound sculptures crafted on blocks of rich color, tone, and hue. The sound is incredible – with perfectly-poised horn passages that shift in the dark like a musical version of the Northern Lights – all topped off by Stan's piano lines, recorded in a magical way that floats them effortlessly over the rest of the group. Titles include "Early Autumn", "How Am I To Know", "We'll Be Together Again", "The End Of A Love Affair", and "When Stars Looked Down". CD also features the bonus track "Ill Wind". CD

A huge range of recordings with two of the best arrangers who ever worked with Stan Kenton! Includes material from a great variety of records and sessions – a really unique package. CD

One of Kenton's greatest records, and the one in which he proves his dedication to Latin styles, by serving up a killer batch of Afro-Cuban tracks with an incredibly authentic feel. The great Johnny Richards handled the arrangements, and the tracks are long and drawn out, with plenty of solo space for the group. Titles include "Fuego Cubano", "Quien Sabe", and "La Quera Baila". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful modernist work from Kenton – one of the first albums to cull his genius together as a whole, filled with the kind of tracks that perfectly sum up his unique approach at the time! If you've ever wondered what makes Kenton so great, this is the album to begin with – as it's filled with fantastic original tunes that provide a shimmering solo showcase for work of players like Lee Konitz, Frank Rosolino, and Bill Holman. Titles include "23 N - 82 W", "Young Blood", "Improvisation", and the haunting "Invention For Guitar And Trumpet", which features Sal Salvador and a young Maynard Ferguson. CD adds 4 bonus tracks to the original 10" LP. CD

Notable sidemen include Zoot Sims, Lee Konitz, Conte Candoli, and Art Pepper – on tracks that include "Baia", "Autumn In New York", "Me Reverie", "April In Paris", "You And The Night And The Music", and "Street Of Dreams". CD

Wonderful work from Kenton – warm and seductive, yet also modern and adventurous, tunes that are familiar, yet inexplicably transformed by the Kentonite approach! The record's got a similar feel to some of the best work coming out of the Kenton school at the time – and players on the set include Lee Kontiz, Frank Rosolino, and Conte Candoli – all of whom get in some good solos on the record. Arrangements are by Bill Russo and Kenton – never too over the top or complicated, but complex enough to please our modern ears, and to make the set much more than a package of big band standards! Titles include "There's A Small Hotel", "Lover Man", "Fascinatin Rhythm", "Sophisticated Lady", "Shadow Waltz", and "Pennies From Heaven". Plus, the CD features 6 bonus tracks – including "Dark Eyes", "Malaguena", "Spring Is Here", and "Stella By Starlight". CD

One of Kenton's greatest records, and the one in which he proves his dedication to Latin styles, by serving up a killer batch of Afro-Cuban tracks with an incredibly authentic feel. The great Johnny Richards handled the arrangements, and the tracks are long and drawn out, with plenty of solo space for the group. Titles include "Fuego Cubano", "Quien Sabe", and "La Quera Baila". Plus, this killer CD reissue also features a whopping 6 bonus cuts that weren't on the original – including "Wagon", "Carnival", and "Malibu Moonlight". CD

A cool collection of Capitol material from Stan Kenton – mostly sides from his classic years of the early 50s! The work here shows a lively, more upbeat side of Kenton's music – one that still has some modern moments, but which is more in a west coast big band style overall. All tracks are from the years 1950 to 1952 – recorded after the financial failure of Stan's Innovations orchestra, and before his New Concepts group – all sessions that were supposedly "commercial" in nature, to help Kenton recoup some losses – but which still represent the forefront of jazz on the west coast at the time! Arrangers include Shorty Rogers, Pete Rugolo, Gene Roland, Bill Russo, and Johnny Richards – and soloists include Art Pepper on alto, Bud Shank on reeds, Bob Cooper on tenor, and Conte Candoli on trumpet. 20 tracks in all – including "Riff Raff", "Dynaflow", "Easy Go", "Viva Prado", "Francesca", "Soliloquy", "Lazy Daisy", "Beehive", "Cool Eyes", "Bill's Blues", "Night Watch", and "Jump For Joe". CD

A brilliant collection of work from Stan Kenton – recordings from his Innovations Orchestra, the groundbreaking group from the years 1950 and 1951, which featured players that include Art Pepper, Bob Cooper, Shorty Rogers, and Laurindo Almeida! The work features Kenton in some of his most modern modes – taking the broad range of colors and tones he first started forging in the late 40s, and fusing them onto some modern jazz ideals of the early 50s. The result is some incredible music that still sounds extremely fresh today – tracks that still have a swinging rhythm and jazz-based solos, but which also have a keen ear towards the 20th Century Classical Music of mid century. Titles include "Solitaire", "Soliloquy", "June Christy", "Shelly Manne", "House Of Strings", "Cello-logy", "Art Pepper", "Halls Of Brass", "In Veradero", "Blues In Riff", and "Coop's Solo". 2CDs, great notes, and 30 tracks in all! CD

A classic jazz interpretation of the score to West Side Story – served up in ultra-hip fashion by the Stan Kenton Orchestra! Although the tunes are familiar, the readings are extremely creative – and use Leonard Bernstein's original music as the starting point for a rich tapestry of tones, colors, and sounds that really open things up! Arrangements are by Johnny Richards, and very swinging throughout – and soloists include Gabe Balthazar on alto, Conte Candoli on trumpet, and Sam Donahue on tenor – plus some great standout piano from Stan himself. Titles include "Something's Coming", "Officer Krupke", "Tonight", "Cool", "I Feel Pretty", and "Taunting Scene". CD

Features Maynard Ferguson & the Big Bop Nouveau Band, the Bill Holman Big Band, the Bob Florence Limited Edition, the Lighthouse All-Stars, the Buddy Childers Big Band, the Lee Konitz Quartet, the Bob Cooper Quartet, the Tom Talbert Jazz Orchestra, the Bud Shank Quartet, and the Mark Masters Jazz Orchestra. CD

A great album that has arranger Pete Rugolo working with some of the bigger tunes from the Stan Kenton band – all in a tribute to the time when Pete was Stan's number one arranger, and a key force behind the success of the group! The groove is a mixture of west coast cool and sharper modern touches – played by a very Kentonish batch of players – including Bob Cooper and Dave Pell on tenor sax, Bud Shake and Harry Klee on flute and alto, Milt Bernhart and Frank Rosolino on trombones, Buddy Childers and Don Fagerquist on trumpets, Howard Roberts on guitar, Red Callender on tuba, Claude Williamson on piano, and Shelly Manne on drums. The tunes are nearly all Kenton originals – save for a few co-composed by Rugolo and Kenton – and titles include "Capitol Punishment", "Eager Beaver", "Painted Rhythm", "Concerto For Doghouse", "Minor Riff", and "Opus In Pastels". LP, Vinyl record album

Sal Salvador was one of the 50's more accomplished modernist talents on jazz guitar – and his work ranks up there with players like Tal Farlow, or Gil Melle's great bandmate Joe Cinderella. This long-overdue CD brings together some of his best work from the mid 50s – by pairing one rare Blue Note 10" jazz session with another album that Salvador cut as part of Capitol's "Stan Kenton Presents" series. The Blue Note session's got some great tracks that feature tenorist Frank Sokolow, an icy toned genius who's never gotten his just dues. Other cuts (on both the Blue Note and Capitol sessions) feature Eddie Costa on piano and vibes, and titles from both include "See", "Round Trip", "Wheels", "Salutations", "Down Home", and "Yesterdays". 18 cuts in all, in a great looking package that replicates the orignal cover art! CD

A later Capitol gem by June – where she reprisies a number of classics from her early years with Stan Kenton – new versions of late 40s tunes, done here with Pete Rugolo arrangements that go a good way towards showing how both he and June had grown during the 50s. Titles include "How High The Moon", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "Easy Street", "Across The Alley From The Alamo", "She's Funny That Way", and "A Hundred Years From Today". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few key recordings issued by baritone saxophonist Serge Chaloff before his untimely early death – a tremendous little record that really helped redefine the place of his instrument in jazz! The album is one of a number produced by Stan Kenton for Capitol at the time, but it's far from the cooler jazz outings of other "Kenton Presents" sessions – a real Boston Blow up that has Serge standing starkly out front on the baritone, hitting some tremendous notes that show a command and dexterity on his instrument that few other players could match! Also noteworthy is the presence of the great Boots Mussulli on alto sax – a sharp-edge player with a lot of Charlie Mariano touches, and an artist who's rarely heard in a setting so stripped-down as this. Other artists include Herb Pomeroy on trumpet, Ray Santisi on piano, and Jimmy Zitano on drums – and titles include the original numbers "Kip", "Unison", "Bob The Robin", and "Sergical" – plus versions of "What's New", "Yesterday's Gardenias", and Jaki Byard's "Diane's Melody". CD

A rare Latin outing from trumpeter Art Farmer – one that has him working with the mighty Cuban arranger Chico O'Farrill! The grooves here are hardly "Aztec", as Chico brings a hip postwar vibe to the session – a blend of American jazz and Latin rhythms that's totally great, and played by an all-star array of players conducted by Al Cohn! Side one of the record features the extended "Aztec Suite" – an ambitious number that begins with modern moments that are somewhere in a space between Stan Kenton and Ralph Burns' experiments of this nature, but which always has Farmer's trumpet as the center focus. Side two features tracks that are a bit more conventional Latin jazz – still played by the bigger group, but with an even stronger sense of swing! Titles include "Aztec Suite", "Heat Wave", "Drume Negrita", "Alone Together", "Woody N You", and "Delirio". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare Latin outing from trumpeter Art Farmer – one that has him working with the mighty Cuban arranger Chico O'Farrill! The grooves here are hardly "Aztec", as Chico brings a hip postwar vibe to the session – a blend of American jazz and Latin rhythms that's totally great, and played by an all-star array of players conducted by Al Cohn! Side one of the record features the extended "Aztec Suite" – an ambitious number that begins with modern moments that are somewhere in a space between Stan Kenton and Ralph Burns' experiments of this nature, but which always has Farmer's trumpet as the center focus. Side two features tracks that are a bit more conventional Latin jazz – still played by the bigger group, but with an even stronger sense of swing! Titles include "Aztec Suite", "Heat Wave", "Drume Negrita", "Alone Together", "Woody N You", and "Delirio". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing 2-in-1 CD – filled with sublime work from the mighty Art Farmer! First up is Brass Shout – a great little album by this wonderful trumpeter – and one that we passed up for years because we were afraid of the words "brass" and "shout" in the title! If you're a Farmer fan, though, don't worry about this being some sort of snoozy "bold n brassy" session – because it's a much more subtle record, and features some excellent lead solos by Farmer, set amidst a larger group arranged wonderfully by Benny Golson! Golson brings a great sense of balance to the album – mixing some larger horn passages with soulfully snapping rhythms, all at a level that still allows plenty of space for Farmer to solo sweetly on trumpet. Other players on the record include Lee Morgan on trumpet and Curtis Fuller on trombone, Percy Heath on bass, and either Philly Joe Jones or Elvin Jones on drums – and titles include "Minor Vamp", "Nica's Dream", "Stella By Starlight", "Moanin", "April In Paris", and "Five Spot After Dark". Aztec Suite is a rare Latin outing from trumpeter Art Farmer – one that has him working with the mighty Cuban arranger Chico O'Farrill! The grooves here are hardly "Aztec", as Chico brings a hip postwar vibe to the session – a blend of American jazz and Latin rhythms that's totally great, and played by an all-star array of players conducted by Al Cohn! Side one of the record features the extended "Aztec Suite" – an ambitious number that begins with modern moments that are somewhere in a space between Stan Kenton and Ralph Burns' experiments of this nature, but which always has Farmer's trumpet as the center focus. Side two features tracks that are a bit more conventional Latin jazz – still played by the bigger group, but with an even stronger sense of swing! Titles include "Aztec Suite", "Heat Wave", "Drume Negrita", "Alone Together", "Woody N You", and "Delirio". CD

A pretty hip set of big band arrangements – very much along the lines of early 50s Stan Kenton, with a tight swing, but a nicely modern undercurrent as well! The arrangements, as the title indicates, are all by Gerry Mulligan – and in addition to the piano of Elliot Lawrence, players include Al Cohn and Hal McKusick on saxes, Nick Travis on trumpet, Eddie Bert and Paul Sheldon on trombones, Buddy Saunders on bass, and Don Lamond on drums – all players with a great ear for mixing up tightness on the heads, and a more laidback groove during the solo moments. Tracks are short and angularly arranged – and titles include "But Not For Me", "Happy Hooligan", "My Silent Love", "Mullenium", and "Bweebida Bwobbida". LP, Vinyl record album

You may not know the name of Boyd Raeburn – but you'll certainly recognize the great players on this album, a hip set that includes Dizzy Gillespie, Hal McKusick, Lucky Thompson, Serge Chaloff, and Oscar Pettiford. Raeburn was a modernist swinger – in a mode that was a bit like some of the work that McKusick was laying down during the mid 50s, but with traces of the postwar work of Stan Kenton, and maybe a hint of the straight side of Raymond Scott. The tracks on this set are some of the finest sides he ever cut – and they sparkle with imagination and modernist zeal, yet never fail to swing hard and tight. Titles include "March Of The Boyds", "Boyd's Nest", "Boyd Meets Stravinsky", "Dalvatore Sally", and "Interlude (Night In Tunisia)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums ever recorded by 50s vocalist Ann Richards – best known for her work with Stan Kenton in the post-June Christy days, stepping out very nicely here in a small group session! Ann's definitely got a touch of the June in her approach – but she's also a bit warmer, and slightly more lusty, and sings here with good backing that includes guitar by Barney Kessel, playing in that spare moody way he used with Julie London on her Liberty sides. Titles include "An Occasional Man", "There's A Lull In My Life", "You Go To My Head", "And That's All", "Bewitched", and "How Do I Look In Blue". CD

One of the excellent albums that Pete Rugolo made away from the company of Stan Kenton, for who he did most of his most famous work. Although the title says "brass", this isn't a loud swinging record in the Billy May sort of way. Instead, Rugolo arranges a haunting set of jazz tracks as showcases for players like Pete and Conte Candoli, Don Fagerquist, John Graas, and Frank Rosolino. The sound has that same dark edge that characterized his work with Kenton and with June Christy, and the track list includes "God Child", "Brass At Work", "Rose For David", and "All The Things You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

Pete Rugolo first came into prominence with Stan Kenton's group of the late 40s/early 50s – and he had a penchant for creating arrangements that dipped heavily into modernism, but never forgot to swing. He went on to do some fantastic arranging works for the likes of June Christy and The Four Freshman – but also managed to cut a few great albums on his own over the years! Rugolo's work for Columbia featured groups that were filled with excellent west coast players, and in a manner that was similar to (but more interesting than) the work of Kenton, Rugolo gave ample space to the skillful soloists in the band. This album's his first for the label, and includes the tracks "Montevideo", "Bobbin With Bob", "Me Next", "4:20 am", and "Hornorama". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful showcase for the arranging talents of Bill Holman – one that steps off with a more straightforward and swinging style than some of his work of the time for the Stan Kenton group! Holman here is in a great mode that bridges the large group styles of the swing years and the changes in big band sounds that would take place in the 60s – and he's almost prefacing the style of the Clarke Boland Big Band by writing charts here that pack a real punch on the ensemble passages, yet which also rely very strongly on breakaway horn solos to tear up the tunes! The strength of the players is a key factor in the success of the album – as soloists include Frank Rosolino, Jack Sheldon, Herb Geller, Richie Kamuca, and Holman himself – on titles that include "Kissin Bug", "You Go To My Head", "Far Down Below", "Aura", "Theme & Variation #2", and "No Heat". CD

An excellent crime soundtrack! Pete Rugolo's best known as the arranger who made Stan Kenton, The Four Freshmen, and June Christy sound so great in the 50s – but in later work, he did some incredible jazz soundtracks, as you'll hear on this batch of work for the TV show thriller. Tunes are played by a heavy group of west coasters – with lots of searing sax solos by Bob Cooper, Bud Shank, and Harry Kiee – plus other instrumentation that runs from percussion by Larry Bunker and Milt Holland, to organ by Jack Cookerly. Titles include "Voodoo Man", "The Hungry Glass", "Child's Play", "Finger Of Fear", "Man In the Middle", "Girl With A Secret", and "Thriller". CD

A wonderful showcase for the arranging talents of Bill Holman – one that steps off with a more straightforward and swinging style than some of his work of the time for the Stan Kenton group! Holman here is in a great mode that bridges the large group styles of the swing years and the changes in big band sounds that would take place in the 60s – and he's almost prefacing the style of the Clarke Boland Big Band by writing charts here that pack a real punch on the ensemble passages, yet which also rely very strongly on breakaway horn solos to tear up the tunes! The strength of the players is a key factor in the success of the album – as soloists include Frank Rosolino, Jack Sheldon, Herb Geller, Richie Kamuca, and Holman himself – on titles that include "Kissin Bug", "You Go To My Head", "Far Down Below", "Aura", "Theme & Variation #2", and "No Heat". CD

A killer album from Johnny Richards – possibly the best he ever cut! The album sparkles with all the intensity he brought to Stan Kenton's Cuban Fire album – with bits of Latin, jazz, and some of the modernist scoring that Kenton, Richards, and Pete Rugolo were using at the time. However, the main thing about this album is that it swings like a mo-fo – moving past any tricks and gags to hit a strong jazz mode, with excelelnt solo work by players like Frank Socolow, Gene Quill, and trumpeter Burt Collins. Willie Rodriguez brings some nice Latin percussion to the set – and titles include "Cimarron", "Eyes", "Nipigon", and "The Ballad Of Tappan Zee". LP, Vinyl record album

Starkly modernist work from the overlooked Duane Tatro – a wonderful writer with an incredibly fresh voice! Tatro flourished in the LA scene of the 50s, doing work for Stan Kenton and Red Norvo at the time – but oddly, this album is one of the few documents of his work! Tatro's leading a larger group that features well-matched modernists that include Jimmy Giuffre, Bob Gordon, Stu Williamson, Bob Enevoldsen, Lennie Niehaus, Bill Holman, and Shelly Manne – coming together in arrangements that are complex, yet still very nicely swinging – crackling with an electric edge that sets the whole album on fire! The music has the kind of beautiful surprising sparkling modernism that you'd find in the best work of Tatro contemporaries like Jimmy Giuffre or Gil Melle – and titles include "Backlash", "Outpost", "Easy Terms", "Dollar Day", "Low Clearance", and "Turbulence". CD

Music from The Bud Powell Trio, Benny Goodman Orchestra, The Charlie Parker Quartet, Babs Gonzales'Three Bips And A Bop, Dexter Gordon Quintet, Erroll Garner, Dexter Gordon - Wardell Gray Quintet, The Tadd Dameron Sextet,The Thelonious Monk Sextet,Stan Kenton And His Orchestra, Thelonious Monk Trio, The Charlie Parker Quintet, and more. CD

Includes tracks by Erskine Hawkins, Luis Russell, Harry James, Paul Whiteman, Bunny Berigan, Benny Goodman, The Chocolate Dandies, Earl Hines, Duke Ellington, Red Norvo, Stan Kenton, and others! CD

Music from Frank Sinatra, Coleman Hawkins, Stan Kenton, Sidney Bechet, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck, Fletcher Henderson, Peggy Lee, and more CD

One of Duke Ellington's best albums of the 50s – a well-conceived session of dark moody tracks that revisits a few old favorites, hits a few standards, and offers a new gem that's right up there with the classics! The "indigos" title is taken very seriously here – as the album's awash in blue tones and darker hues – a bit Kenton in inspiration, but carried off with a lot more intimacy and sense of soul throughout. The group by this point is completely mature – and old bandmates like Johnny Hodges on alto, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet, Cat Anderson and Ray Nance on trumpets, and Jimmy Woode on bass all fit together perfectly under Ellington's direction. Titles include Duke's great "The Sky Fell Down", plus "Mood Indigo", "Autumn Leaves", "Tenderly", "Dancing In The Dark", "Where Or When", and "Solitude". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Duke Ellington's best albums of the 50s – a well-conceived session of dark moody tracks that revisits a few old favorites, hits a few standards, and offers a new gem that's right up there with the classics! The "indigos" title is taken very seriously here – as the album's awash in blue tones and darker hues – a bit Kenton in inspiration, but carried off with a lot more intimacy and sense of soul throughout. The group by this point is completely mature – and old bandmates like Johnny Hodges on alto, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet, Cat Anderson and Ray Nance on trumpets, and Jimmy Woode on bass all fit together perfectly under Ellington's direction. Titles include Duke's great "The Sky Fell Down", plus "Mood Indigo", "Autumn Leaves", "Tenderly", "Dancing In The Dark", "Where Or When", and "Solitude". CD

A great package – one that features the self-titled Taana Gardner album from the legendary New York club act on West End Records – plus lots of bonus material too! The core record is the only full length album cut by singer Taana Gardner – quite a surprise, given how much impact she had on the clubs with her 12" singles at the start of the 80s! The album's got Gardner as a much richer singer than you might expect – able to lay back on a mellow track as well as step out on a groover – always with that higher range of vocals that really made her a standout at the time, but in ways that are never gimmicky or poppy at all. And in fact, there's a lot more depth to the record than you'd guess from the dated exercise cover image – a classic soul approach that's also quite a surprise for the mostly disco West End label too. Tracks are all nice and long – and backings are by Sunship, with Bernard Wright on Fender Rhodes. Titles include "Work That Body", "We Got To Work It Out", "When You Touch Me", "Paradise Express", and "Just Be A Friend". 2CD set features lots of bonus material – Kenton Nix extended mixes of "When You Touch Me", "Just Be A Friend", and "Work That Body" – plus two key non-LP singles, "That's The World (12" club)" and "Heartbeat (12" club) – and lots of later mixes that include "No Frills (Larry Levan mix)", "I'm Comin (radio mix)", "Work That Body (MAW re-edit)", "When You Touch Me (MAW re-edit)", "Work That Body (wing it for the A-Man Tom Moulton edit)", and "Paradise Express (Gomi's tribute vocal)". CD

One of Duke Ellington's best albums of the 50s – a well-conceived session of dark moody tracks that revisits a few old favorites, hits a few standards, and offers a new gem that's right up there with the classics! The "indigos" title is taken very seriously here – as the album's awash in blue tones and darker hues – a bit Kenton in inspiration, but carried off with a lot more intimacy and sense of soul throughout. The group by this point is completely mature – and old bandmates like Johnny Hodges on alto, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet, Cat Anderson and Ray Nance on trumpets, and Jimmy Woode on bass all fit together perfectly under Ellington's direction. Titles include Duke's great "Prelude To A Kiss", plus "Mood Indigo", "Autumn Leaves", "Tenderly", "Dancing In The Dark", "Where Or When", and "Solitude". CD

Seminal 80s groove from 70s Miami soul star Gwen McCrae – reinventing herself here for the new decade with a totally different sound! The album's best known for the amazing club track "Funky Sensation" – one of those tracks that crossed over big, and had a huge influence in countless scenes – as the tune burned big on all fronts, including the worlds of disco, hip hop, and even roller skating! Other tunes follow in a similar format – with lots of nice snapping rhythms, thanks to arranger/composer/producer Kenton Nix – who really manages to break Gwen out of the standard Miami soul groove! The whole thing's great, and other titles include "Poyson", "All My Love", "No Deposit/No Return", "Movement", and "Have A Good Time". LP, Vinyl record album

Great early work from Pete Rugolo – a Kentonite who mostly recorded for Mercury, and did some great arrangements on Capitol – but who also turned in some great early work on Columbia too! The work is great – nicely dynamic and modern, but also nicely swinging – and titles include "Come Back Little Rocket", "Early Stan", "California Melodies", "360 Special", "Bazaar" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Two gems by Sonny Stitt! The first set features Sonny blowing clean and soulfully, over larger arrangements by Johnny Richards – in a format that's quite different than any of his other records! The Richards touch is wonderful here – mellow and warm, with some Kentonite styles, but cleaner and leaner, in a way that works perfectly with Stitt's horn. Titles include "Hooke's Tours", "Loose Walk", "Pink Satin", "Opus 202", "Sweet & Lovely", and "Sancho Pozo". The second album features Sonny plus the early genius of Quincy Jones – a really great combination that makes for a standout session on Roost! As you might guess with Quincy handling the arrangements, the group here is bigger than usual for Stitt – especially given that the bulk of his Roost sessions were small group ones – but that aspect makes for a really strong record here, one that has Sonny's alto soaring out over the top of some hiply swinging Jones' charts, already infused with the kind of soul that would burst forth more famously in the 60s. Titles include a few nice originals, like "Quince" and "Sonny's Bunny", but even on the standards – like "Stardust", "Lover", and "Love Walked In" – Stitt's in top form, and solos with creativity and imagination that show him at the top of his talents! CD