We hope that pianist Russ Lossing doesn't get run down, standing in the street like that – partly because we don't like to see folks get hit by cars, but also because we're really gaining a new appreciation of his music with the complex original material on this album! The set features one long "Mood Suite" – and Lossing's got this way of approaching the piano that's maybe more modern than we remember at times – with some dark corners that are almost in Ran Blake territory, and a similar way of mixing modern inflections with a return to subtle swing at just the right points – aided perfectly by the bass of Mark Helias and drums of Eric McPherson! Helias has an especially nice way of shading things in similar tones to Lossing – and Russ sometimes blows out with these incredibly deft runs on the keys, almost as if he's about to go off the rails, but always making a hell of a lot of sense. Sections of the suite include "Paranoico", "Obsessed", "Introspectiv", "Curieux", "Postlude", and "Naughty". CD

Tracks include "Airegin", "Lush Life", "Giant Steps", "Apartment 512", and the medley "Oleo/Come Sunday/Oleo". CD

Trio recording with John Heard on bass and Albert Tootie Heath on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Tete Montoliu on piano, John Heard on bass & Albert Tootie Heath on drums. CD

Trio recording with Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass and Albert Tootie Heath on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Features George Mraz on bass & Al Foster on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

With Benny Bailey on trumpet, Oscar Pettiford on bass, and Rune Carlsson on drums. CD

With Benny Bailey on trumpet, Oscar Pettiford on bass, and Rune Carlsson on drums. Tracks include "Confirmation", "Vierd Blues", "My Ship", "Walkin", and "Celia". CD

A set that's mostly a trio date from reedman Adam Niewood – who blows both soprano and tenor on the set – the latter with a wonderfully rich tone! The core group features Tony Marino on bass and Ian Froman on drums – and both musicians keep things open and spacious, so that Niewood is able to express himself in a mode that's complex, yet swinging – bursting with energy in all the right ways! Guitarist Gene Segal joins the group on three tracks – adding in some nice waves of sound and color – and titles include "Grace", "Pisces", "Wonder Wheel", "Shoulda Coulda Woulda", "Blue As A Whistle", and "The Healer". CD

Old Time Musketry is Adam Schneit on saxophone & clarinet, JP Schlegelmilch on piano, Wurlitzer, glockenspiel & synth, Phil Rowan on bass, and Max Goldman on drums & melodica. Includes 9 tracks – all originals. CD

Trumpeter Jason Palmer has given us some great creative projects in recent years – but this time around, he's in a wonderfully back-to-basics mode – working with an excellent combo in a small club in Boston – on long tracks that really stretch out and let us hear his imaginative skill on solos! The core group is a quintet – with the excellent Noah Preminger on tenor, and Max Light ringing out nicely on guitar – driven by rhythms from Simon Willson on bass and Lee Fish on drums – players who keep a nice sense of structure in the tunes, even while things are open enough to really let the solos expand! Chris McCarthy plays Fender Rhodes on one track on each volume – and all titles are great originals by Palmer – really showing his dynamic vision as a leader. Titles on this first volume include "Gabby", "Kemerovo", "Preservation Of The Lower 9th Ward", "Be Aware", and "Stop Drop & Roll". CD

With Wilbur Little on bass and Dannie Richmond on drums. CD

With Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass and Tony Inzalaco on drums. CD

Also with Billy Higgins on drums, Philip Catherine on guitar, and Albert Tootie Heath on percussion. LP, Vinyl record album

Features Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass – with John Scofield on guitar, Billy Hart on drums, and Dave Liebman on tenor, soprano, and flute! CD

A live large group session from Don Redman & His Orchestra featuring Don Byas, Billy Taylor, Peanuts Holland, and vocals by Inez Cavanaugh. Tracks are a mostly standards plus a few originals by Redman including "Chant of the Weeds", "Frantic Atlantic", " Dark Glasses". CD

Not a record with four cellos in the lead – but a set that features bassist Mike Richmond picking up the instrument in a glittering tribute to the genius of Oscar Pettiford! The set features all Pettiford compositions, played by a swinging group that features Peter Zak on piano, Jay Anderson on bass, and Billy Drummond on drums – players who provide a warm core while Richmond mostly plucks the cello, and uses the instrument in wonderfully melodic ways – that mixture of deep groove and lyrical swing that Pettiford brought to his most unique recordings of the 50s. Zak's piano has a harder bite, which makes for a nice contrast in tones – and titles include "Why Not That's What", "Laverne Walk", "Cello Again", "The Pendulum At Falcon's Lair", "My Little Cello", "Tamalpais Love Song To The Winds", and "Oscalypso". CD

A really great pairing on this set – a record that sparkles not just from the rich tenor sound of Stephen Riley, but also from the very distinct cornet work of Kirk Knuffke! Knuffke's got this breathy, almost mouthy style on the instrument – which makes both a balance to the depth of Riley's reedwork, and also a contrast with his sharpness – so that the pair together work this kind of wide-voiced magic that's really wonderful – before each breaks off into solos of their own! There's no piano in the group, either – just the bass of Jay Anderson and drums of Billy Drummond – which means that you really get to hear plenty of horn interplay on the longish tracks on the set. Titles include "Four", "Love For Sale", "Gingerbread Boy", "Hoe Down", "Round Midnight", "Willisee", and "Freedom Jazz Dance". CD

No need to hold 'em here – as tenorist Stephen Riley is warmly fluid, right out of the gate – working in a loose trio formation that gives him a huge amount of space to express himself! Riley's got this crispy tone, but one that's also down to earth – able to hit modern moments, yet never too in love with itself to forget to swing – which Stephen does nicely in the company of Jay Anderson on bass and Adam Nussbaum on drums! There's a depth of tenor feeling that goes back to the early modern innovators – but the setting is also hipper than a straighter swing date, too – and without the piano, Riley really opens up tunes that include "Woody N You", "Hold Em Joe", "I Never Knew", "The Song Is You", "You've Changed", and "Three Little Words". CD

With Buster Williams on bass and Billy Higgins on drums – on titles that include "Straight Street", "Arrival", "One For Hakim", "Medi II", and "Misty Thursday". LP, Vinyl record album

Trumpeter Dave Scott has a sense of urgency here that we may never have heard before – a real edge in his horn, with a quality that comes through right from the very first note – and which continues to grow and shift in a set of all original compositions that definitely has us listening to Scott with a new sense of attention! The group is very well-suited to his shifting musical moods here – sometimes swinging, but sometimes more tentative and moody – served well by the quintet lineup of Rich Perry on tenor, Gary Versace on piano, John Hebert on bass, and Billy Mintz on drums. Titles include "Special Sauce", "Song For Janie", "Ambiguity", "Diligence", and "Obscurity". CD

Beautiful! Just duets between Archie Shepp on tenor and soprano and Horace Parlan on piano – a surprisingly wonderful pairing that really brings out some soulful sides of Shepp's horn! LP, Vinyl record album

Duo recordings of standards made famous by Charlie Parker, with titles including "Moose The Mooche", "Ornithology", "Billie's Blues", "Yardbird Suite" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Sweetly soulful work from trumpeter Louis Smith – and one of his wonderful comeback sets for the Steeplechase label! Smith was first known for his two excellent Blue Note sides of the late 50s – but then disappeared for years as a leader on the recording scene. Here, he's working with a quintet of old masters that include Junior Cook on tenor, Roland Hanna on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – all crafting a sound that's almost a 70s take on the Blue Note spirit of older years. Smith contributed a number of original tunes to the set – most of the titles, in fact – and tracks include "Rhyan's Groove", "Prancin", "Chanson De Louise", "One For Nils", and "Fats". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent trio work from baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan – and a set that's nicely different than some of the tenor trio dates of a similar nature! Maybe it's the baritone, or maybe it's just Gary's robust phrasing – but the tunes have this bold, chunky sort of energy – very blocky, and inherently rhythmic – even when Smulyan's taking off on some fast flurries of notes, or nicely complicated lines on his solos! David Wong handles bass and Rodney Green handles drums – and both players are a perfect match for the unique sort of energy that Gary's going for – on titles that include "How Deep", "Miles Tones", "Drink Up", "Homebody", "It Happens", and "Quarter Blues". CD

A beautiful set of mostly original music from pianist Mark Soskin, and a set that draws equal strengths from the soprano sax and bass clarinet of Billy Drewes – who plays with a great style that mixes lyrical modes with more of an edge – a mode that's a really wonderful complement to Soskin's piano! There's a slow-building sense of growth to most tunes – tracks that have a nice way of building up, finding their sound, then really flowering once the time is right – as the Soskin/Drewes pairing is given just the right sort of rhythmic pulse from Jay Anderson on bass and Matt Wilson on drums. Titles include the originals "Chutes & Ladders", "Tribute", "Once More", "Elvin's Tune", "Stretching", and "Hymn For Her" – plus versions of "Pretending To Care", "Happy House", and "Guinnevere". CD

Tenorist Gregory Tardy comes on here with a surprising degree of complexity – a range of expressions on his instrument that run from straightforward, to sharply angular, to dark-toned and sonorous – all in the space of a single session! The sense of individual spirit is stronger than ever with Tardy – as he reaches into so many different areas with his well-developed approach to the music – especially sharp on his own compositions, which make up a good amount of the album here. The group also features well-matched trumpet from Philip Dizack, who seems to shift his mood to match Tardy's – and the rest of the quintet includes John Chin on piano, Sean Conly on bass, and Jaimeo Brown on drums. Titles include "The Law Of Biogenesis", "Lil Patient One", "Ancient Of Days", "Song For Joshua", "The Myth Of Privacy", "The Narrow Door", and "Precious Abby". CD

A strong quartet set from Walton – with Bob Berg blowing on tenor, recalling the feel of the older Walton/Hank Mobley sides in the same manner, and featuring a lithe rhythm section of Sam Jones and Billy Higgins. The set was recorded live at Club Montmartre in 1977 – and Walton is, as ever, fully in command of his soulful talents. Titles include "Blue Train", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", "The Sunday Suite" and "The Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the last recordings ever made by the late tenor great Bill Barron – and some of the best as well! The CD presents previously unheard live recordings from Cobi's nightclub – a late 80s New York club where Barron played often upon his return from the European scene in the years before his death – and an extremely comfortable setting that let Bill stretch out on long tenor solos, in a style that's quite different than a lot of his studio work for other labels. There's still a very modern feel to the work – especially in Barron's tone – but the tunes also have a solidly inventive solo approach, one that rivals that of classic live recordings by Dexter Gordon or Sonny Rollins. The group's a quartet with Fred Simmons on piano, Santi Debriano on bass, and Ben Riley on drums – and most tracks stretch out for quite some length, dominated by Barron's beautiful solos. Titles include Kenny Barron's "Row House" and "Voyage", and Bill's own "Until Further Notice", "This One's For Monk", and "Easy Does It". CD

Bassist Paul Brusger heads up this quartet, but the group's got strong contributions on all its four corners – tremendous baritone work from Gary Smulyan, who's becoming one of our favorite contemporary players on the instrument – plus soulful piano from Mike Ledonne, and just the right sort of swing from the great Louis Hayes! The players come together with a freshness that's noteworthy – really standing apart from even their other recent recordings – quite possibly due to the fact that every tune on the set (save one) is an original composition by Brusger, a writer with a really old school way of balancing lyricism and soul – a compositional strength that almost takes us back to Horace Silver or Duke Pearson. Titles include "In A Minor Funk", "When Will You Ever Learn", "All But One", "Bringin Home The Silver", "Waiting For The Next Trane", and "Andrea's Delight". CD

Walt Dickerson and Sun Ra are reunited – after only playing together on the seminal 60s album Impressions Of A Patch Of Blue! The session's a very spare one, in the typical mode of Dickerson's Steeplechase work of the late 70s – and most titles have Dickerson taking the main lead on vibes, with Ra providing flourishes of color and tone to the tracks – unusually restrained, but in a way that also adds a whole new level to our understanding of his genius! Titles include "Space Dance", "Constructive Neutrons", "Astro", and "Utopia". LP, Vinyl record album

Great live work from Kenny Dorham – wonderfully recorded by Danish Radio from an early 60s performance in Copehagen – one that also features flugelhorn from Allan Botschinsky as well! The mix of trumpet and flugelhorn is totally great – a shifting, shimmering palette of colors and sound that steps right out with a bold, righteous energy – that sense of force that Dorham was beginning to show in some of his American recordings too – before his studio appearances were cut down all too quickly. Rhythms are extremely tight too – with Tete Montoliu on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums – and the tracks are nice and long, with versions of "Short Story", "Bye Bye Blackbird", "Manha De Carnival", and "The Touch of Your Lips". LP, Vinyl record album

Kenny Dorham in Scandinavia – playing on a set of extended live numbers that are all a fair bit different than his studio work in the US at the time! The date features twin trumpets, too – those of Dorham and Rolf Ericson, blowing together in a bold frontline, then breaking out for beautiful long solos that each have their own sort of voice – driven on nicely by rhythms from Tete Montoliu on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums! The recording quality is excellent, and there's a sharpness here that matches Dorham's hardbop best – but a freewheeling energy that really takes things even further. Titles include "Manha De Carnival", "Scandia Skies", "Solar", and "Woody N You". LP, Vinyl record album

Onaje Allan Gumbs on piano. CD

Some of the best Billy Harper work of the past decade or two – a 3 volume series of live performances, all recorded in the Far East in 1991! This first volume features Billy recorded in Korea, with a group that includes Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Francesca Tanksley on piano, Louis Spears on bass, and Newman Baker on drums – stretching out on long tunes that recall the brilliance of Harper's incredible Japanese recordings of the 70s – a masterful blend of searching and soulfulness! Titles include "I Do Believe", "If One Could Only See", "Croquet Ballet", and "Insight". CD

One of a few great albums cut by vibist Khan Jamal with South African bassist Johnny Dyani! The session has Khan's vibes and Johnny's bass supported by drums from Leroy Lowe – in an open trio format that's filled with lots of rich tonal colors – and which has the players shading each other in nicely, never going for gimmick, and always enriching the overall sound of the set. There's a swirling majesty here that's like small group Bobby Hutcherson at times – but with a lighter touch overall – and titles include "Thelonious", "Unsung Heroes", "Bells Of Joy", "The Traveller" and "Bloom". CD

Excellent work from Clifford Jordan – far better than the usual Steeplechase session of the time! The vibe here is similar to Jordan's work at the time on the Strata East label – played in a very similar group, with Cedar Walton on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – way more than just a standard rhythm section, and with Jordan in tow, a compelling quartet with a really unique sound! There's a great depth to the work here – hardly the American soloist taking up space that you might get on other European live dates from the period – and the tracks are long, with an angular soul jazz finish. Both Jordan and Walton get plenty of room for expression – and titles on this first volume include "Pinocchio", "The Highest Mountain", "That Old Devil Moon", and "The Maestro". CD

Excellent work from Clifford Jordan – far better than the usual Steeplechase session of the time! The vibe here is similar to Jordan's work at the time on the Strata East label – played in a very similar group, with Cedar Walton on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – way more than just a standard rhythm section, and with Jordan in tow, a compelling quartet with a really unique sound! There's a great depth to the work here – hardly the American soloist taking up space that you might get on other European live dates from the period – and the tracks are long, with an angular soul jazz finish. Both Jordan and Walton get plenty of room for expression – and titles on this third volume include "Seven Minds", "Shoulders", "St Thomas", and "Bleecker Street Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful little album that's as sparely evocative as its title! Ken McIntyre's playing a wonderful Dolphy-inspired assortment of reeds that include alto sax, flute, oboe, and bassoon – working with a quartet that includes Jaki Byard on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Andrei Strobert on drums. The tracks are short, with a focus on simple melodies and rhythmic conceptions – delivered by McIntyre with a tone that's immediately captivating, very much in the spirit of the few straighter moments we've heard from Kalaparusha at the time. All tracks are original, with a very fresh feel – and titles include "Undulation", "Cousin Emma", "Charlotte", "Amy", "Sea Train", "Home", and "Kheil". CD

A quirky little session from Ken McIntyre – one of his few great records after his re-emergence in the mid 70s. The album features McIntyre's Vibrations group – a sextet with trumpeter Terumasa Hino firmly in the lead, and featuring work by Andy Vega on conga, Andrei Strobert on percussion, Richard Harper on piano, and Alonzo Gardner on bass. McIntyre plays a range of reed instruments on the session, and tracks include "Theme", "Eileen", "Shortie", "Clear Eyes", and "Miss Priss". CD

Tete Montoliu on pinao & Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass. CD

A really great pairing on this set – a record that sparkles not just from the rich tenor sound of Stephen Riley, but also from the very distinct cornet work of Kirk Knuffke! Knuffke's got this breathy, almost mouthy style on the instrument – which makes both a balance to the depth of Riley's reedwork, and also a contrast with his sharpness – so that the pair together work this kind of wide-voiced magic that's really wonderful – before each breaks off into solos of their own! There's no piano in the group, either – just the bass of Jay Anderson and drums of Billy Drummond – which means that you really get to hear plenty of horn interplay on the longish tracks on the set. Titles include "Four", "Love For Sale", "Gingerbread Boy", "Hoe Down", "Round Midnight", "Willisee", and "Freedom Jazz Dance". CD

Stephen Riley on tenor & soprano sax & alto clarinet, Neal Caine on bass & Greg Hutchinson on drums. CD

Magnificent long-blown solos from tenorist Stephen Riley – on an album named after a Sonny Rollins tune, and which definitely carries a bit of the Rollins approach in its sound! Yet the album's also got plenty of Riley's strengths in the mix, too – that great raspy sound he can get on the tenor, which also echoes a bit of Ben Webster, but with more contemporary phrasing – matched in the frontline by the trumpet of Joe Magnarelli, who we always love in an open date like this – with just the bass of Jay Anderson and drums of Adam Nussbaum for support. The lack of piano allows for plenty of structural freedom on the tunes – and titles include "Oleo", "Minority", "Doxy", "Valse Hot", "Lazy Bird", "On Green Dolphin Street", and "St Thomas". CD

Louis Smith on trumpet, Doug Raney on guitar, Hugo Rasmussen on bass & Keith Copeland on drums. CD

As a rule, we shouldn't like sessions that have a Marvin Gaye tune as the title – but in this case, we'll make an exception! The album's great one – filled with warmth, fire, and imagination – and key proof that Frank Strozier was still going strong in the 70s – after some early breakout work on the Chicago scene, and two brilliant early 60s albums on Riverside. The session has Strozier reunited with Memphis hometown partner Harold Mabern – a perfect accompanist to his fluid sound and soulful tone – and the rest of the group features Stafford James on bass, Louis Hayes on drums, and Danny Moore on trumpet. Tracks include some great originals – like "Chelsea Drugs", "The Chief", "Ollie", and "Psalm For John Coltrane". CD also features 5 other bonus tracks – all alternates. CD

A strong quartet set from Cedar Walton – with Bob Berg blowing on tenor, recalling the feel of the older Walton/Hank Mobley sides in the same manner, and featuring a lithe rhythm section of Sam Jones and Billy Higgins. The set was recorded live at Club Montmartre in 1977 – and Walton is, as ever, fully in command of his soulful talents. Titles include "Fantasy In D", "Bolivia", and "Angel In The Night". LP, Vinyl record album

A large group date from leader Ernie Wilkins, who is joined by four other players on saxophone, two trombones, and three trumpets in the front line. Rhythm section features Kenny Drew on piano, Jesper Lundgaard on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums. Tracks are mostly originals by Wilkins, plus a reading of Monk's "I Mean You". CD

Way more than just a part 2 to the first set of material from Bill Barron at Cobi's in New York – because although this set, like that one, is previously unreleased – it was recorded three years before the first volume, and also features a completely different lineup, a quartet with brother Kenny Barron on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Ben Riley on drums! With a lineup like that, the session has a tightness that's really great – a sense of dynamic energy that matches Barron's studio sessions from the same later years of his life – and which, like those sides, hangs beautifully in a space between angular modernism and straighter soulful expression! The Bill Barron of these years is one who barely misses a step from the brilliance of his early 60s experiments with Ted Curson – and there's still plenty of that young fire here in these recordings, possibly even deepened nicely with age. Bill is playing both tenor and soprano sax, and titles include "Spring Thing", "September 1979", "Interpretation", "Tragic Magic", and "What's New". CD

Ronnie Cuber's always a hell of a swinger, but he sounds especially nice here – really letting his baritone hit some bold, soulful sounds in the company of Hammond organist Brian Charette, guitarist Ed Cherry, and drummer Adam Nussbaum! The record's got this soul jazz vibe that's a bit different than some of Cuber's other records – and features a number of tunes penned by older heroes of the genre – like Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, Stanley Turrentine, and others – which makes for a set of songs that has Ronnie sounding completely wonderful all the way through. There's few cats who could ever make a baritone sax sound this wonderful – and we think you'll agree after hearing tracks that include "Four", "Battery Blues", "Bluesette", "Coming Home Baby", "Sugar", and "Motivation". CD

A wonderfully expressive trio date with Dickerson on vibes, Andy McKee on bass, and Jimmi Johnsun on drums. Tracks include "You Can", "You Will", "It Is Done", and the beautiful solo number "To My Son". CD

There's a really great pairing going on here – the always-amazing sound of Pierre Dorge's New Jungle Orchestra, and the tenor of Stephen Riley – a guest who's brought into the fold after a successful European tour with the group, and a perfect match for their ever-inventive sound! Dorge's guitar sets the scene and colors the music right from the start – with plenty of the blue elements you might expect in the title – and Riley seems as if he's challenging all the other group members to do their best with the strength of his own tenor – a lineup that includes Tobias Wiklund on trumpet, Kennet Agerlhom on trombone, Jakob Mygind on tenor and soprano, Anders Banke on tenor and bass clarinet, and Irene Becker on piano and keyboards. The tracks are mostly originals by Dorge, plus a few by Becker – and they've got that angular, shape-heavy vibe that marks the work of the NJO – on titles that include "Dancing In The Jungle", "Aburu Kuwa", "Mingus' Birthday Party", "Witchdoctor In The Burial Mound", "Fulani", and "Blue Afriki". CD

Bassist Michael Feinberg has a round, rich tone on this record, right from the start – a great way of setting up a superb lineup that features Dave Liebman on soprano sax, Noah Preminger on tenor, Gary Versace on piano, and Ian Froman on drums! Liebman's sharpness is balanced wonderfully by the depth of Preminger – a twin-reed pairing that really makes the album sound like something special, and different – very much living up to the spirit of the strong original material by Feinberg, which comprises the entire set. The quality of the record is a bit hard to describe in words, but if you know the players, the meeting is even better on record than it is on paper – on titles that include "Louisville", "Cairo", "Nogales", "Tokyo", "East St Louis", and "Pontiac". CD

The first session from Andy Fusco after a stretch that nearly took him out of the game – and a record that shows that he's very much back in top formation! Fusco's got this way of blowing the alto that's nice and raspy, almost with the depth of a tenor – working here alongside some bold yet bright trumpet work from Joe Magnarelli – who seems to do a nice job of amplifying Fusco's ideas along the way – in a group that also includes Peter Zak on piano, David Wong on bass, and Jason Tiemann on drums! There's nothing too fancy going on here, but the record's the rock-solid sort that Andy Fusco's been giving us for many years – with titles that include "Remembrance", "Conception", "Navan's Apple", "All American", and "Blues For Baileys". CD

Guitarist John Hart has a slightly frowny face on the cover, but that hardly comes through in the music – which is full of bright tones and light little colors – all spun from his fingers alongside Hammond B3 from Gary Versace and drums from Andy Watson! The album's got a different vibe than old school Hammond/guitar sessions – as Hart's got an unusual touch on the strings, one that sometimes seems to echo some of his previous notes, with a wider tone that's really compelling. There's a very special flavor to the set – one that comes not just from the original tunes by Hart, but also from the way the guitar and organ interact – on titles that include "Act Three", "Bad Penny", "Low Point Avenue", "Like My Attitude", "Out Of Somewhere", and "Heretics". CD

A sweet little set – and a strong international meeting of talents, of the sort European labels were fond of putting together at the time! The group has a cohesive sound, as all have experience in both out and more swinging styles – and the great, and under-recorded, Charles Tyler plays alto & bari, and the mighty Johnny Dyani is on bass – with drummer Leroy Lowe finishing up the group. Jamal's vibes provide a dark, rich backdrop for Tyler's expressive blowing over the elastic rhythms played by Dyani and drummer Leroy Lowe. The set features 6 Jamal originals, and titles include "Dark Warrior", "Johnny's In Malmo", "Just Us", "Principal", "Whisper Sweet", and "Hucksterman". CD features a bonus track too! CD

Louis Smith on trumpet, Jon Gordon on alto sax, Michael Weiss on piano, Jay Anderson on bass & Joe Farnsworth on drums. CD

One of the few albums cut by guitarist Monnette Sudler – a quick-paced single-note player with a really soulful feel! The album's got a much more righteous sound than you'd expect from the usual Steeplechase outing of the time – and Monnette's working here with a group that includes Khan Jamal on marimba, Newman Baker on drums, Oliver Collins on piano, and William Duke Wilson on percussion. The tunes have a fresh rhythmic approach that pushes past jazz guitar standards of the time – frenetic at times, but never out of control – and Monnette also sings on the one of the album's gentler moments, a nice tune entitled "Moments Of Love". Other tracks include "Family", "Brighter Days For You", "Natural Accurrance", and "Congo". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent set from John Tchicai – one that really gets at the unique tone of his work on alto! The setting is spare – with Pierre Dorge on guitar and Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass – and Tchicai's doing the bulk of the work on the session, cutting these sharp yet soulful lines on the alto, matching them with Dorge's guitar, but also running free in some beautiful lines. Titles include "Moksha Point", "One Way Ticket", "Monks Mood", "Graceful Visitor", "Nothing Doing In Krakow", and "Blue Barrier". LP, Vinyl record album

Gary Versace's a wonderfully rhythmic player here – working on this trio date with a style that's like subtle building blocks in sound – a mode that's softly chunky, but which has a great way of snatching sonic elements out of the air and nicely building up a tune! The approach is subtle – not as much a hit you over the head mode as some of the younger, flashier piano trios out there – but maybe that's also because Gary gets some nicely sensitive accompaniment from Jay Anderson on bass and Obed Calvaire on drums, both musicians who really adapt in strong ways to Versace's shifts on each tune. Titles include "Anchors", "Ours", "Two Pease", "Backs & All", "Child's Song", and "Favorite Places" – plus a version of Bud Powell's "Celia". CD

Guitarist Pierre Dorge has been giving us amazing music for many years – but he sounds especially amazing here in the company of a really great group – the excellent Kirk Knuffke on cornet, plus Stephen Riley on tenor, Conrad Herwig on trombone, Jay Anderson on bass, and Adam Nussbaum on drums – all very dynamic players who seem to make Dorge sound even fresher than ever! There's an especially strong sense of phrasing on the record – no surprise, especially with Knuffke in the mix – and while Pierre can sometimes use his instrument in more abstract ways, that quality is really balanced by all the other members of the lineup. Anderson's bass is great – nicely pointed at the best moments, and a great contrast to Dorge's strings – and all tracks are originals, with titles that include "Lullaby For Sun Ra", "Mingus' Birthday Party", "Afrikaa Mbizo Dyani", "Sim Sim Ba", and "Alligator In Paradise". CD

Von Freeman blows it bold and beautifully here – with just the right sort of sound we first fell in love with when seeing him in small club gigs in Chicago! There's an easygoing soulfulness to Freeman that grabs us right away – but there's also an edge, too – a quality that marks his lineage on a tenor scene that goes back to Johnny Griffin and John Gilmore – and the days when you could play things straight, but still always be inventing as well – never needing to go to the farther reaches, just always working out new feelings, new emotions on the familiar canvas of tunes that gave you plenty of solo space. Of Freeman's few studio recordings, this is one that really gets the sound of his soul just right – that tender feeling and slightly offbeat edge that always made us sit up and take notice. Rhythm is from the comfortable trio of Jodie Christian on piano, Eddie DeHaas on bass, and Wilbur Campbell on drums – and titles include "Four", "There Goes My Heart", "Song For My Father", "There Is No Greater Love", "Dedicated To You", and "My Foolish Heart". CD

Excellent work from Clifford Jordan – far better than the usual Steeplechase session of the time! The vibe here is similar to Jordan's work at the time on the Strata East label – played in a very similar group, with Cedar Walton on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – way more than just a standard rhythm section, and with Jordan in tow, a compelling quartet with a really unique sound! There's a great depth to the work here – hardly the American soloist taking up space that you might get on other European live dates from the period – and the tracks are long, with an angular soul jazz finish. Both Jordan and Walton get plenty of room for expression – and titles on this first volume include "Pinocchio", "The Highest Mountain", "That Old Devil Moon", and "The Maestro". LP, Vinyl record album

Two 70s albums back to back in one package – both great examples of the genius of Spanish pianist Tete Montoliu! Catalonian Fire is filled with the kind of quick-witted piano work we've really come to admire from Tete Montoliu – who really hits a new level of genius on his 70s recordings for the Steeplechase label! Montoliu has this amazing way of hitting hard, with a real edge – then laying back and just letting things flow – kind of a shift between left and right hand emphasis that really makes for some breathtaking runs on the keyboard – especially with backing here from Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass and Albert Tootie Heath on drums. Tracks are nice and long, and titles include "Sweet Georgie Fame", "Blues For Perla", "Falling In Love With Love", and "Old Folks". The album Tete is bold, beautiful piano work from the mighty Tete Montoliu – working here at the height of his powers, in a killer trio with Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass and Albert Tootie Heath on drums! The record soars right from the start – thanks to a sublime reading of "Giant Steps" that brings in all the sheets of sound that Coltrane intended for the tune, but also a freewheeling, highly punctuated groove that really sets fire to the piano! Other tunes are equally important jazz standards – like "Body & Soul", "Solar", and "Hot House" – all handled with Tete's amazing approach to the keys. CD

A beautiful setting for the sparkling trumpet of Marcus Printup – a set that just features the harp of Riza Printup alongside his horn – beautifully intertwined with a gently soulful vibe, in a way that's a bit different than any other jazz harp albums we can think of! Printup is already great on a mellow tune or a ballad – but here, his trumpet is exposed even more, with a sense of honesty and intimacy that's really beautiful – maybe made even more special by the fact that Riza's his wife, and the two seem to share a musical partnership that's very personal. Titles include "Here's To Life", "Madison", "A Child Is Born", "Gentle Rain", "It Amazes Me", and "How Do You Keep The Music Playing". CD

Beautifully soulful duets – Parlan on piano, and Archie Shepp on tenor and soprano sax! CD

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