... LP, Vinyl record album

A classic Christmas album of makeout music from British bandleader Stanley Black! It's clear that the guy on the cover has his mind on a lot more than what's under the tree – and after pouring some bubbly, and treating his lady to some diamonds, he's ready to put on the moves – either that, or he's somehow got his teeth stuck in her hair! Regardless of the setting, though, Stanley Black serves up some nicely mellow music for the later hours of Christmas Eve – string-laden readings of Holiday tunes, done up in a nice mix of familiar and original tunes – with titles that include "Dreaming", "Christmas Island", "Santo Natale", "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", "Christmas Alphabet", and "By The Fireside". CD

The story of Charlie Parker is often draped in hyperbole and exaggeration – which is why it's extra great that this biography is handled by Stanley Crouch – one of the few writers we could trust to get past the hype and really find a way to link Parker's life and music! As you might guess from the title, the book spends a lot of time looking at Bird's early years in Kansas City – and draws a great portrait of that vivid environment in the years between the wars, which is almost as enthralling as the information on Parker himself. Crouch writes with a great sense of story, as well – and he holds us rapt throughout, going way past any of the over-told tales from later years. 365 pages, softcover, with some black and white images. Book

2 electric soul jazz classics from Joe Henderson! In Pursuit Of Blackness features both live and studio material, all of which show Henderson at the height of his powers! George Cables is on electric piano throughout, and his backing of Joe Henderson is excellent – bringing out a whole new edge for the saxophone giant – one that's spacious, and searching, and much more open than before! The album features 2 tracks from the legendary 1970 Lighthouse concert with Woody Shaw on trumpet and Lenny White on drums – plus 3 more from a studio session that includes Curtis Fuller on trombone, Pete Yellen on saxes, and Stanley Clarke on bass. Titles include "Gazelle", "Mind Over Matter", "Invitation", and "A Shade Of Jade". Black Is The Color is some of the most ambitious electric work from Joe Henderson to date – a record that really has him stretching out from his previous small combo keyboard sets, into a space that's much fuller and even more righteous! Frequent partner George Cables is very much in force on electric piano – helping create that floating middle-level sound that really lets Henderson find some new space on tenor – as well as soprano sax and flute. Other players are a range of different musicians with a similar spirit – and include David Horowitz on synthesizer, Ralph MacDonald and Airto on percussion, Jack DeJohnette on drums and electric piano, Dave Holland on acoustic bass, Ron Carter on electric bass, and Georg Waldenius on guitar. Some of the cuts have a Brazilian tinge, others have a moody fusiony feel – really stretching out with intensity! Titles include "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Mind", "Terra Firma", "Current Events", and "Vis-a-Vis". CD

A righteous cover, a righteous title, and a righteous little session that features one long song that spans the entire length of the album! "Black Unity" may well be Pharoah Sanders' freest expression on record to date – but it's also still got all the hallmarks of his best moments on Impulse – especially the tighter rhythmic focus that always makes his work so compelling – and which has kept his legacy fresh for generations and generations of new jazz listeners! The group here is wonderfully put together – with Joe Bonner on piano, Carlos Garnett on tenor, Marvin Hannibal Peterson on trumpet, Cecil McBee and Stanley Clarke on basses, and Norman Connors and Billy Hart on drums – all with plenty of space to stretch out, open up, and really do their thing! In contrast to some of the totally free work coming out of the European scene during the same stretch – especially that by American players overseas – the album's a great reminder that rhythm in jazz is always a key component – as Pharoah finds a way to make things swing, even at unexpected moments! CD

Spiritual jazz genius – two Pharoah Sanders albums back to back on a single CD! First up is Thembi – recorded with an all star lineup that includes Lonnie Liston Smith, Cecil McBee, Roy Haynes, and Michael White. The album's got a strong influence from the members on the set – particularly Lonnie Liston Smith, who seems to bring in a very nicely soulful approach to a few of the numbers, and Michael White, whose spiritual consciousness is still a bit rough-hewn and personal at this point. The record oddly shifts mood from track to track – going from the mellow soul of "Astral Traveling", into the loud free jazz of "Red Black & Green", to the modal grooving of "Thembi", and into the spiritual joy of "Love" and "Bailophone Dance" – all of which makes for a really wonderful album, one of Pharoah's strongest statements of the time! Black Unity is a record with a righteous cover, a righteous title, and a righteous little session that features one long song that spans the entire length of the album! "Black Unity" may well be Pharoah Sanders' freest expression on record to date – but it's also still got all the hallmarks of his best moments on Impulse – especially the tighter rhythmic focus that always makes his work so compelling – and which has kept his legacy fresh for generations and generations of new jazz listeners! The group here is wonderfully put together – with Joe Bonner on piano, Carlos Carnett on tenor, Marvin Hannibal Peterson on trumpet, Cecil McBee and Stanley Clarke on basses, and Norman Connors and Billy Hart on drums – all with plenty of space to stretch out, open up, and really do their thing! In contrast to some of the totally free work coming out of the European scene during the same stretch – especially that by American players overseas – the album's a great reminder that rhythm in jazz is always a key component – as Pharoah finds a way to make things swing, even at unexpected moments! CD

A late life session from Sonny Stitt – and a great one, too – as the set's got the saxophone giant really opening up in the relaxed, easygoing space of the Black & Blue label studio – which allows Sonny to hit the soulful vibe of his classic recordings on Roost and Verve! The setup is nothing fancy, but Stitt really makes magic with his solos – those strongly-blown, always-imaginative passages that always make his music seem so effortless – so much so that sometimes Sonny doesn't always get his due in the jazz history books! This set's one to put up there with any testament to his genius – and Sonny blows both tenor and alto, alongside Gerald Price on piano, Don Mosley on bass, and Bobby Durham on drums. Titles include "Duty Free", "My Little Suede Shoes", "Simone's Blues", "Streamline Stanley", and "Back To My Own Home Town". CD

A righteous cover, a righteous title, and a righteous little session that features one long song that spans the entire length of the album! "Black Unity" may well be Pharoah Sanders' freest expression on record to date – but it's also still got all the hallmarks of his best moments on Impulse – especially the tighter rhythmic focus that always makes his work so compelling – and which has kept his legacy fresh for generations and generations of new jazz listeners! The group here is wonderfully put together – with Joe Bonner on piano, Carlos Garnett on tenor, Marvin Hannibal Peterson on trumpet, Cecil McBee and Stanley Clarke on basses, and Norman Connors and Billy Hart on drums – all with plenty of space to stretch out, open up, and really do their thing! In contrast to some of the totally free work coming out of the European scene during the same stretch – especially that by American players overseas – the album's a great reminder that rhythm in jazz is always a key component – as Pharoah finds a way to make things swing, even at unexpected moments! LP, Vinyl record album

2 electric soul jazz classics from Joe Henderson! In Pursuit Of Blackness features both live and studio material, all of which show Henderson at the height of his powers! George Cables is on electric piano throughout, and his backing of Joe Henderson is excellent – bringing out a whole new edge for the saxophone giant – one that's spacious, and searching, and much more open than before! The album features 2 tracks from the legendary 1970 Lighthouse concert with Woody Shaw on trumpet and Lenny White on drums – plus 3 more from a studio session that includes Curtis Fuller on trombone, Pete Yellen on saxes, and Stanley Clarke on bass. Titles include "Gazelle", "Mind Over Matter", "Invitation", and "A Shade Of Jade". Black Is The Color is some of the most ambitious electric work from Joe Henderson to date – a record that really has him stretching out from his previous small combo keyboard sets, into a space that's much fuller and even more righteous! Frequent partner George Cables is very much in force on electric piano – helping create that floating middle-level sound that really lets Henderson find some new space on tenor – as well as soprano sax and flute. Other players are a range of different musicians with a similar spirit – and include David Horowitz on synthesizer, Ralph MacDonald and Airto on percussion, Jack DeJohnette on drums and electric piano, Dave Holland on acoustic bass, Ron Carter on electric bass, and Georg Waldenius on guitar. Some of the cuts have a Brazilian tinge, others have a moody fusiony feel – really stretching out with intensity! Titles include "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Mind", "Terra Firma", "Current Events", and "Vis-a-Vis". CD

A fantastic debut from guitarist Mansur Brown – a player you might recognize from earlier work with Kamaal Williams – now stepping out on his own, but with production from Williams on his own label too! Brown's got this incredibly open approach to the guitar – a flurry of styles on the strings, with echoes that go back maybe to the great Canadian player Sonny Greenwich, with a few all-over-the-strings echoes of Stanley Jordan – but set to a mode that's complete contemporary London – these moody, airy soundscapes that have lots of abstract elements that provide a nice contrast to the sharper presence of the guitar! Brown definitely solos and has a jazz-based sensibility – but the record's very different than a standard jazz guitar record too – really mixing up modes, a bit like some of the recent Blue Note generation – or maybe like some of Mansur's labelmates on Black Focus too. Titles include "The Beginning", "Godwilling", "Me Up", "Shiroi", "Motions", "Simese", "Flip Up", and "Hands Tied". CD

Landmark early work from the legendary Weldon Irvine – recorded way back when he was first coming to fame with Nina Simone, but done as an obscure indie effort for his tiny Nodlew label! The set's a wicked batch of keyboard-heavy funk – at a level that's similar to some of the best titles on Black Jazz or Strata East at the time, but also filled with an even richer array of colors and musical ideas. Weldon's work on electric piano is worth the price of admission alone – often spare, spacious, and perfectly placed – especially on the funky classics "Homey", "Mr Clean", and "Sister Sanctified" – a tune later cut by Stanley Turrentine, but heard here in Weldon's original version! Other cuts include "Gloria", "Juggah Buggah", "Blues Wel-Don", and "Liberated Brother". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set of searing soulful spiritual material from Oliver Nelson – and one of his best albums of the 70s! There's hardly anything "Swiss" in the music – save for the fact that it was recorded at the Montreux Jazz Fest – as the large ensemble recording has Nelson at the helm of a very hip group of musicians – really stretching out into territory that's more Strata East than any of his other work, especially on the title track! In addition to the tenor from Gato Barberi and alto from Eddie Vinson – both featured on the title – the set also features Charles Tolliver and Harry Beckett on trumpets, Bosko Petrovic on vibes, Na Na on barimbau, Bernard Purdie on drums, and Stanley Cowell on piano. Side one features the soaring "Swiss Suite" – an extended number done for the set – and side two has a bit more Nelson touches coming into play with the progressive lineup – on titles that include "Stolen Moments", "Black Brown & Beautiful", and "Blues & The Abstract Truth". CD

2 mid 50s sets by a young Phil Woods! Record one features Pairing Off – a well-blown album with lots of room for solo space! – Working with a group that includes Donald Byrd, Gene Quill, Kenny Dorham, and Tommy Flanagan – and the 4 tracks off of that album are all quite long, with an open, hardbop-driven blowing session feel, including "The Stanley Stomper", "Cool Aid", "Suddenly It's Spring", and "Pairing Off". Record 2 features material from Bird Feathers, an alto player anthology, & the album Phill & Quill, including the tracks "Creme de Funk", "Solar", "Black Cherry Fritters", and "Altology". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic debut from guitarist Mansur Brown – a player you might recognize from earlier work with Kamaal Williams – now stepping out on his own, but with production from Williams on his own label too! Brown's got this incredibly open approach to the guitar – a flurry of styles on the strings, with echoes that go back maybe to the great Canadian player Sonny Greenwich, with a few all-over-the-strings echoes of Stanley Jordan – but set to a mode that's complete contemporary London – these moody, airy soundscapes that have lots of abstract elements that provide a nice contrast to the sharper presence of the guitar! Brown definitely solos and has a jazz-based sensibility – but the record's very different than a standard jazz guitar record too – really mixing up modes, a bit like some of the recent Blue Note generation – or maybe like some of Mansur's labelmates on Black Focus too. Titles include "The Beginning", "Godwilling", "Me Up", "Shiroi", "Motions", "Simese", "Flip Up", and "Hands Tied". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet electric rendezvous from guitarist Al Di Meola – and a record that stands in sharp contrast to some of the mellower acoustic sessions he was cutting at the time! The album's got a mix of fuzz and funk that's a bit like some of Stanley Clarke's albums for Columbia in the same stretch – never too rocking, and always with a sense of jazz firmly in place – but definitely tuned towards a new electric generation for the 80s! The other players really support that energy – and include Jan Hammer and Philippe Saisse on keyboards, Anthony Jackson on bass, and Steve Gadd on drums – and although Al plays acoustic guitar at a number of points, the overall setting is highly electric. Titles include "Cruisin", "Black Cat Shuffle", "Somalia", "Jewel Inside A Dream", "God Bird Change", "Passion Grace & Fire", and "Ritmo De La Noche". LP, Vinyl record album

A hefty book on the short-lived New Barbarians – a rock and roll supergroup founded by guitarist Ron Wood – with members that include bassist Stanley Clarke, drummer Joseph Modeliste of The Meters, saxophonist Bobby Keys, and the legendary Keith Richards! The book is filled with photos from the group's years of touring in 1979 and 1980 – mostly bold action shots on stage, paired with shorter bits of text that almost serve like diary entries on the music. Plus, the book features a bonus CD – with 10 previously unreleased tracks all taken from 1979 rehearsals and live shows! Book is both color and black and white – depending on the photos – and is 199 pages, hardcover. Book

A trio of wonderful records – plus rare bonus tracks too! First up is the classic Oh Good Grief – one of the coolest, grooviest albums that pianist Vince Guaraldi ever recorded – a set that's got the same Peanuts theme as his earlier dates for Fantasy Records, but which also features some sweet electric touches that only make things even better than before! In addition to his warmly vamping piano, with all those lyrical touches we love so much, Vince is playing an electric harpsichord too – which makes for some very groovy moments – in a cool quartet that features guitar from Eddie Duran, bass from Stanley Gilbert, and drums from the great Carl Burnett! All tunes are Peanut-themed – the music that Guaraldi wrote for the TV specials – but they're sometimes taken at a looser style that's even jazzier overall – as you'll hear on the classic "Linus & Lucy", plus "Red Baron", "Peppermint Patty", "Great Pumpkin Waltz", and "Rain Rain Go Away". The Eclectic Vince Guaraldi nicely expands Vince's sound of earlier years – by taking his lyrical piano groove and adding in a bit of electric harpsichord – plus slightly larger arrangements that feature a bit of electric bass, guitar, and just the right light touches of strings. The resulting sound is wonderful – as deeply reflective as some of Vince's better-known work, but with some cool late 60s touches that really give the album a fresh kind of feel. And heck, Vince even sings on 2 Tim Hardin tracks – "Black Sheep Boy" and "Reason To Believe" – using a great raspy style of vocals that we didn't even know he had! Other titles include a great electric version of "The Beat Goes On", plus cool originals "Nobody Else", "Coffee and Doe-Nuts", and "Lucifer's Lady". Alma-Ville was cut during Vince's late 60s hipster phase – and it combines work on piano with a bit of electric playing, plus hip LA arrangements that include drums by Dom Um Romao, guitar by Herb Ellis, and added percussion by Rubens Bassini. Tracks are mostly originals – short groovers and sing-song numbers, a lot cooler than some of Vince's earlier work – all dancing along in a sweetly breezy groove that makes for a heck of a delightful little album! Titles include "Rio From The Air", "Cristo Redentor", "Uno Y Uno", "Detained In San Ysidro", "Jambos", "Alma Ville", and "The Masked Marvel". 2CD set features 4 bonus tracks – "Oh Happy Day", "The Sharecropper's Daughter", "Do You Know The Way To San Jose (take 15)", and 'The BEat Goes On (alt take 14)". CD

A strangely wonderful album from Marion Brown – quite different from his other work on Impulse, with a mellow electric edge that gives it a warm and laidback feel! The approach here is much more soulful than before – with finely crafted tunes that weave Brown's work on alto with electric piano by Anthony Davis and Stanley Cowell, percussion by Ed Blackwell and Jimmy Hopps, and bass by Reggie Workman. If you're expecting the angrier Brown from earlier years, you'll be disappointed – but if you're ready to hear a Brown that's gently crafting mellow lines in a soulful setting, then you're in for a treat. Tracks include Cowell's "Maimoun", Stevie Wonder's "Visions", Brown's "Vista", "Moment of Truth", "Bismillah Rrahimani Rrahim", and "Djinji". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent electric Joe Henderson album from the 70s – one that features both live and studio material, all of which show Henderson at the height of his powers! George Cables is on electric piano throughout, and his backing of Joe Henderson is excellent – bringing out a whole new edge for the saxophone giant – one that's spacious, and searching, and much more open than before! The album features 2 tracks from the legendary 1970 Lighthouse concert with Woody Shaw on trumpet and Lenny White on drums – plus 3 more from a studio session that includes Curtis Fuller on trombone, Pete Yellen on saxes, and Stanley Clarke on bass. Titles include "Gazelle", "Mind Over Matter", "Invitation", and "A Shade Of Jade". LP, Vinyl record album