Konitz plays alto, and Mitchell plays bass and a bit of piano – on titles that include "I Love You", "Night & Day", "I Love Paris", "Love For Sale", and "It's All Right With Me". CD

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One of many fine recordings Chet cut in Europe during the 70s – not as mindblowing as his original sides, but with a reticence and sadness that makes it pretty compelling overall. The setting here is spare – with backing by Doug Raney on guitar and Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass – and Chet's mostly blowing on trumpet, but also gets in some sad vocals on two tunes: "But Not For Me" and "The Touch Of Your Lips". Other trakcs include "I Waited For You", "Blue Room", and "Star Eyes". CD

This isn't the first album from Parisian pianist Marc Benham, but it might be the first that really caught our attention – a strong trio set that really has Benham exploding on the keys from the very first note! Benham's got an especially strong touch on the low notes – really making all this resonance on the keyboard in ways that dominate even on the ballads – force that's full, but never overdone – but a pointed presence that really sets him apart from the rest, in ways that aren't easy to explain, yet which come through right away after even just a casual listen to the album! The trio also features John Hebert on bass and Eric McPherson on drums, who can be as lively as Benham, but who also seem very much driven by the energy of the leader – on titles that include "Year Of The Monkey", "Pablo", "Con Alma", "La Suite De Fibonacci", "Samurai Sauce", and "Airegin". CD

Features Bley on piano, Marc Johnson on bass, and Jeff Williams on drums – and all tunes are Carla Bley compositions! CD

Beautifully open work from Paul Bley – heard here with just he bass of Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen! CD

Wonderful work from Anthony Braxton – an album that has him playing straight ahead jazz – but at a time when he was also making some of his most complex recordings of the 70s! The approach here is sublime – as Braxton's reputation has ears already anticipating some far-out playing, but then marvel at his restraint – his care for keeping alto and bass clarinet work inside a straight jazz tradition, yet always hinting at the modern inflections he can bring to his music! Tunes are almost all jazz standards, blown beautifully – with a tone that's crisp, cool, and very inviting – surprisingly soulful, and never cold at all – matched well with the rhythm trio of Tete Montoliu on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Albert Tootie Heath on drums. Titles include "Goodbye Porkpie Hat", "Ornithology", and "Marshmallow". CD

The album's titled after an old jazz standard by Victor Young, but the whole thing is very much a personal statement from tenorist Chris Byars – who wrote every other track on the record, and who really comes across here with a voice that seems even more distinct than ever! Maybe part of that voice is the album's setting – as Byars blows in a piano-less sextet alongside John Mosca on trombone, Zaid Nasser on alto, and Stefano Doglioni on bass clarinet – a trio whose unified sound often provides a nicely colorful backdrop for Byars' solos, and who also swing in ways that are a bit unusual too. The approach is rooted in older west coast modes, but comes across here in a very fresh way – given a nice snap on rhythm from Ari Roland on bass and Phil Stewart on drums. Titles include "Flight", "Incognito", "Mountain Top", "Intention", "Lovelace", and "All The Things Are Redd". CD

We always love the work of Hammond organist Brian Charette – and here, the album offers up a chance to hear the keyboardist in all his glory – as there's no other instrumentation at all, which makes for a very unusual solo organ set! Charette handles all the basslines with his feet, so there's still a pretty strong rhythmic pulse on most numbers – but there's definitely a stronger sense of freedom on the keyboard, and the record bristles with all these tones and colors that seem to surpass even some of Brian's previous albums! And if you're worried about the album being a spare, sleepy effort – get past all of that – because Charette keeps things moving nicely on most numbers, and mixes in a few Ellington themes with his own original compositions. Titles include "Silicone Doll", "Yolk", "Wish List", "Chelsea Bridge", "Public Transportation", "Herman Ernst III", "5th Of Rye", and "Good Tipper". CD

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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

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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

Brilliant work from a great player who never stopped growing! After a 70s career laced with some free and spiritual playing, Foster moves back to basics here by teaming up with pianist Horace Parlan and some European rhythm accompaniment – in a set that concentrates on tone, sound, and color! Foster's tenor solos alone seem to carry the album on some tremendously strong and soulful shoulders – and the set's filled with great original compositions that include "John R & Garfield", "The House That Love Built", "Dunbar's Delight", and "Lightly Stroking". CD features an unissued bonus track – Kenny Dorham's "Scandia Skies". CD

A fitting title, as there's plenty of Lester Young nestled down there deeply in the horn of Von Freeman – yet given that the album was recorded during Von's 70th year on this planet, there's also a hell of a lot of his own sound there too! Freeman's one of those talents that we're especially happy to have grown up with – a musician who taught us plenty on the inside that we thought could only happen on the outside – subtle sounds, twists, and turns in his music that always kept us listening, even when the setting might seem familiar. And here, the tunes are all ones you've heard, but Freeman delivers them in a deeply personal way – blowing tenor with a gutbuckety depth, yet none of the gutbuckety cliches that always make us hate the word "gutbuckety" so much. No too-hard Texas tenor, no bop retro rehash, just clear Chicago soul – handled by Von in ways that nobody else can touch. Players include Jodie Christian on piano, Eddie DeHaas on bass, and Wilbur Campbell on drums – and titles include "All About Ronnie", "I Love You", "A Nightingale Sang In Berkely Square", "Lester Leaps In", and "Scrapple From The Apple". CD

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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

One of the most unusual albums we've ever heard from cornet player Kirk Knuffke – and that's saying a lot, as all of his albums are always pretty darn unique! The set has Knuffke working with singer Steven Herring – whose rich baritone vocals are very much out front in the arrangements – which are very loose and open, and just feature Kirk on cornet, Russ Lossing on piano, and Ben Goldberg on clarinet and contralto clarinet! The setting is very moody throughout – full of darkness and unusual tones – and as with some of Knuffke's other records, the approach to song format is always very striking – even when the tunes are familiar. The set features an original number based on a Carl Sandburg poem, titled "Subway" – plus a great take on Sun Ra's "Satellites Are Spinning", and other titles that include "The Voice", "Iago's Credo", "Lush Life", "Ride On King Jesus", "Storm", "Charade", and "Aria Mustafa". CD

Konitz plays alto, and Mitchell plays bass and a bit of piano – on titles that include "I Love You", "Night & Day", "I Love Paris", "Love For Sale", and "It's All Right With Me". CD

Pianist Andy Laverne has some strong help on horns here – Alex Sipiagin on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Jerry Bergonzi on tenor sax – both working together to give the album a very strong sound! The tunes are all originals by Laverne, and filled with the right sort of color to bring out the best in Alex and Jerry – players who really complement each other with their sense of phrasing. Laverne's chord structure is also a key part of the album's sound – given a nice bump by the bass of Mike Richmond and drums of Jason Tiemann – who keep things crisp and crackling, and really encourage the colors of the horns to ring out. Titles include "Noteification", "It's All Good", "Waltz King", "Bluestrain", "Resolute Pursuit", and "Two In One". CD

One of the hippest albums we've ever heard from bassist Johnny Dyani – and that's saying a lot, given his tremendous records of the 70s! The album's different than the album that Johnny recorded with fellow Blue Notes members on the Steeplechase label – and instead, the group here is led by percussionist Okay Temiz, and mixes Johnny's round, bold lines on acoustic bass with additional electric bass, plus clarinet and saxes too! The tunes are heavily rhythmic – still jazz, but with very strong global currents too – an even rootsier vibe than most jazz of the South African scene from whence Dyani came – in a mode that really seems to set him free. Johnny also plays a bit of piano, too – and the tracks are a mix of Dyani originals, plus Temiz arrangements of traditional Turkish tunes. Titles include "Gece", "Yesl Fener", "Ben Muslumanim", "Moriva", "Hepimiz Icin", "Elhamdulillah Marimba", and "Doktur". LP, Vinyl record album

A triple-trumpet session with a really wonderful sound – the kind of all-star date that only a label like Verve could have done so well! As you'll guess from the title, the record's a showcase for the three trumpeters in the lead – and the tracks are long, with plenty of space for each player to state their case in a very distinct solo voice. Rhythm is by a familiar quartet that features Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Buddy Rich on drums – and the use of guitar in a set like this creates an especially ringing tone at the bottom, one that often seems echoed by the brighter notes of the trumpet over the top. The album's got a great extended "Ballad Medley", plus long takes on "Tour De Force" and "Steeplechase". LP, Vinyl record album

You'll be hard pressed to find a better collection of Charlie Parker's classic work on vinyl! Bird's great recordings for Savoy have often been poorly packaged over the years, but here you get the whole batch of seminal bop sides by the pioneering artist of the genre! Bird's the leader on most of these sides, but there's a nice set of recordings under Tiny Grimes and a very young Miles Davis too, with a host of players from the dawn of the bebop age, including Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Sadik Hakim, John Lewis, Duke Jordan, Curly Russell, Tommy Potter and Max Roach. An as you'd expect from this kind of set, you get loads of multiple takes so you can hear these pioneering players creating the style that would change the face of jazz forever. Put together in 1978, this set features 66 tracks in all, spread out over 5 LPs, with a nicely annotated book, and includes "I'll Always Love You Just The Same","Romance Without Finance", "Billie's Bounce", "Now's The Time", "Thriving On A Riff", "Koko", "Donna Lee", "Chasin The Bird", "Buzzy", "Milestones", "Half Nelson", "Another Hair Do", "Bird Gets The Worm", "Barbados", "Ah-Leu-Cha", "Constellation", "Parker's Mood", "Perhaps","Marmaduke", "Steeplechase" and more! LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most cooking work of the 70s from Dexter Gordon – and that's saying a lot, given all his overseas sessions and late-life work for Columbia Records! The format here is different than both of those, though – in that it's both a sharp hardbop set, with a real back-to-basics vibe – but also one that has much more of an overall group feel, instead of some of the longer-form solo vehicles that Gordon recorded for Steeplechase Records. There's definitely a blowing session vibe – tracks are long, and there's multiple soloists who each get extended time in the spotlight – but there's also a careful sense of structure, brought to the record no doubt by producer Don Schlitten – who'd handled classic dates in the past for Prestige. The group features both Gordon and Al Cohn on tenors, Blue Mitchell and Sam Noto on trumpets, Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – a hell of a lineup that really makes magic on "Lady Bird", "How Deep Is The Ocean", "True Blue", "On The Trail", "Allen's Alley", and "Silver Blue". CD