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

Guitarist Vic Juris has always been a master of tone – a player who takes the chromatic modes of the postwar jazz years on the instrument forward to newer generations – always leaving his own touch on the strings with a deeply personal approach! This set's a nice balance of two different modes – as there's some very mellow moments that feel more acoustic than electric – balanced with those that have that richer tone that we always love from Juris – set up nicely in a group that also features Gary Versace on piano, Jay Anderson on bass, and John Riley on drums. Juris contributed a few originals to the set – "Long Story", "Lost Keys", and "Robin's Hood" – and other titles include "Avenue", "The Glide", "Moon & Sand", and "Everything I Love". CD

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We really love the way that Kirk Knuffke shapes the sounds that come from his horn – blowing cornet with this earthy, mouthy style that's extremely personal – and which takes on an even more unique quality in the setting of this album! The record's got Kirk in an unusual trio – Kenny Wollesen on drums and percussion, and Bob Stewart on tuba – using the instrument often in a bass-like way, ala the years of jazz before the string bass became the dominant instrument for its role – but also making a space to match the rhythm of the drums and the phrasing of Knuffke's horn! There's an obvious connection to brass band modes, but that's hardly part of the sound at all – as the record is more in the creative legacy that Stewart's been giving us on his instrument for many years – particularly those key contributions in the 80s, when he really exploded the potentials of his instrument. Titles include "Jungle Soul", "Any Again Again", "Shake A Lady", "Chicutz", "Cyclops", "Dozen A Day", "Bring A Bell", "Four Butch Two", and "Wind Spirit". CD

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Surprisingly wonderful work from multi-reed player Ken McIntyre – one of his overlooked 70s sides for the Steeplechase label, nearly all of which are a bit more open and more together than some of his 60s modern work. By this point in his career, McIntyre's fused his earlier Dolphy-inspired approach with some of the more spiritual sides of later Coltrane – creating a sound that's immediately evocative, and which opens up and dominates the rest of the group with a tremendous amount of soul. On this set, he's backed by the Kenny Drew trio – and plays alto, flute, oboe, and bass clarinet. Titles include "Ariebil", "Naima", "Mercedes", "Bootsie", and "Sonnymoon For Two". LP, Vinyl record album

A great meeting of these two alto giants – and a wonderfully soulful session that matches Gary Bartz's own great work from the same time! The overall feel of the session is quite spiritual – as Bartz and McLean seem to egg each other on, into far-reaching lines and freespirited grooves that are totally great. Rhythm is by a European trio of Thomas Clausen, Bo Steif, and Alex Riel – but the trio does more than enough of a good job to set the mood – especially on the excellent track "Great Rainstreet Blues", which sounds like some lost dark groove from the Black Jazz label! Other titles include "Watercircle", "Monk's Dance", and "Ode To Super". CD features a few bonus alternate takes, too. CD

Plenty of fire here – 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". CD

A double-helping of trio material from the great Tete Montoliu – a pianist with plenty of power to really open up in a setting like this! The album features Tete in clear command of the keyboard – playing with that amazing sense of flow that made him one of the leading European pianists from the 60s onward – really matured here to a point where he's constantly creating, but without any overdone sense that calls attention to itself – the kind of piano work that's initially quite subtle, but then really breathtaking when you sit back and realize how much has happened in such a short space! And on this album, the spaces are surprisingly large – lots of really long tracks that not only give Montoliu room to stretch out plenty, but which also feature great work on bass from John Heard and drums from Albert Tootie Heath. Titles include "Jo Vull Que M'Arcariciis", "Blue Bossa", "El Neu Carrer", "A Child Is Born", "Tune Up", "Doxy", "D&E", "Ladybird", and "My Old Flame". CD

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

Jason Palmer strikes an Anita Baker pose on the cover, and takes on her music as well – but all in a jazz-based style that's completely his own, and which follows up strongly on his tribute albums to Janell Monae and Minnie Riperton! The group is nice and lean – a quartet with Domi Degalle on piano, Max Ridley on bass, and Lee Fish on drums – and Palmer gets plenty of space to voice his own interpretations of tunes from the Baker songbook – numbers that have surprising depth when taken out into territory like this, especially on all the very long readings, most of which push towards the ten minute mark without losing any energy or imagination at all. Titles include "Sweet Love", "No One In The World", "Angel", "Same Ole Love", "Fairy Tales", and "Caught Up In The Rapture". 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

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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

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

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

Gene Segal's got a great tone here – maybe a bit harder than usual, and maybe in part because he's got some really great accompaniment on the session from Brian Charette – who plays acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, and Hammond B3! Segal's really wrenching some great chromes out of his instrument – with an approach that seems to change slightly when the keyboard source changes, but never in a way that loses its intensity – in a lineup that also features Sean Conly on bass and Tiago Michelin on drums and percussion. Almost all the tunes are originals by Segal, save for one Monk number – and titles include "ROW", "Last Time We Spoke", "Charisma", "Curiosity", "Light Blues", "Ole", and "Reverend BG". CD

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A strong return to form for trumpeter Louis Smith – emerging here in the late 70s with a wonderfully fluid sound! Smith's trumpet and flugelhorn work are very much in the spirit of the recordings he and his soul jazz contemporaries made for Blue Note back in the late 50s and early 60s – but the nature of the session also brings in some more open touches to the tunes, especially in the rhythm section. Smith is joined by George Coleman on tenor, Harold Mabern on piano, Jamil Nasser on bass, and Ray Mosca on drums – and a number of the tunes on the set are originals, with titles that include "Blues For Jimmy", "Lulu", "Vaughn's Bounce", "Minor Bit", and "I Remember Clifford". CD also features a bonus track – a sweet reading of Jobim's "Quiet Nights". CD

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

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Features Dave Stryker on guitar, Brian Lynch on trumpet, Conrad Herwig on trombone, Bruce Barth on piano and organ, and Rich Perry on tenor! CD

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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

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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

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 "Body & Soul", "Donna Lee", "My Funny Valentine" and "Half Nelson". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet trio session featuring Peter Washington on bass, Kenny Washington on drums, and George Cables on piano. Tracks include "In Walked Bud", "Just Friends", "Waltz For Debby", "Con Alma", and the Cables originals "Lullaby", "Helen's Song", and "Sweet Rita Suite". CD

A strong quartet session from bassist Johnny Dyani – recorded with John Tchicai on sax, Harry Beckett on trumpet, and Billy Hart on drums! The sound on the session is quite "outside" – letting Tchicai and Beckett plenty of room to solo freely – but there's also a soulful component at the bottom of the set, with warm rolling basslines that show that Dyani's still very much in charge of the session, and some great work on drums from Billy Hart. Titles include "Blues For Moyake", "UDF", "Year Of The Child", and "Angolian Cry". LP, Vinyl record album

Key work as a leader from Johnny Dyani – the legendary bassist from the pioneering South African combo The Blue Notes – recorded with a great quartet featuring Don Cherry, Makaya Ntshoko, and Dudu Pukwana! The album features a wonderful extended tune, running for all of side two, entitled "Jo'Burg–New York" – a musical journey that's worth the price of the album alone – and the set also features a number of great shorter tunes that include "Wish You Sunshine", "Song For Biko", and "Confession of Moods". CD also features a bonus 21 minute track – "Lonely Flower In The Village" – recorded at the original session, and never issued before! CD

Extremely solid work from Clifford Jordan, recorded during one of the richest points in his career – the mid 70s, when he was working with pianist Cedar Walton and bassist Sam Jones, plus drummer Albert Tootie Heath on this session (replacing regular drummer Billy Higgins.) This quartet period of Jordan's career yielded some fantastic sides – open-ended records that were as steeped in bop as they were 70s modal soul jazz. Like this set, recorded at the Half Note, most of the sides were live – and show Jordan and company shifting easily from mode to mode across a single set. Titles include the classic originals "Glass Bead Games", "Midnight Waltz", "The Holy Land", and "The Highest Mountain". CD

Excellent work by Jordan – recorded right at the same time as his classic sides for the Strata East label, and with a similar feel! The group on the set is the same as heard on the Glass Bead Games album – Cedar Walton on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and it's hard to imagine a tighter 70s soul jazz ensemble, especially one with such a capacity for sounding both exploratory and open, while also managing to keep things always at a nicely swinging pace. The album's filled with original tracks by the members of the group – including "Seven Minds", "Impressions Of Scandinavia", "The House On Maple Street", and "Miss Morgan". LP, Vinyl record album

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

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". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem! During the mid 70s, Jackie McLean cut a few fantastic records that had a very spiritual vibe, and which added in a lot more soul than in previous sessions from the 60s. Part of the strength of these recordings – including this one – is the other musicians in the group – like the great Billy Gault, who wrote 2 tracks on the record, and who plays some very spiritual piano – or the excellent Billy Skinner, a young trumpeter who also emerges as a strong writer on this session. Other players include Rene McLean on alto and soprano, and Michael Carvin on drums – and tracks include "Camel Driver", "Some Other Time", "Adrian's Dance", and "Star Dancer". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Jackie McLean's most avant recordings of the 70s – a set of duets with percussionist Michael Carvin, handled in a way that feels more like an AACM session than any of his other sides for Steeplechase! In addition to his usual alto, Jackie plays bells, bamboo flute, percussion, piano, and kalimba – and Carvin's not only on drums, but a range of similar instruments as well. The feel is really great, and a good reminder that McLean was still incredibly inventive at the time – nearly a decade after his best Blue Note "new thing" work! Titles include "Gong Go Lye", "Ti Ti", "Down In The Bottom", and the extended "Antiquity" suite. LP, Vinyl record album

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. LP, Vinyl record album

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

With Jeff Hirshfield on drums, Vic Juris on guitar & Gary Versace on organ. CD

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Just vibes and piano – a mighty nice set! CD

Personnel includes Wilbur Little on bass and Dannie Richmond on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

With Dave Samuels on vibes & Jay Anderson on bass. CD

One of Jackie McLean's beautiful recordings for Steeplechase from the early 70's – a real return to basics that helped form the groundwork for his soulful playing of later years! This set features two long compositions by Billy Gault, the magical young pianist who graced some of McLean's best work – and although Billy's not actually playing on this session, his presence is more than felt on the excellent tunes "Mode For Jay Mac" and "Ghetto Lullaby". The set was recorded live, with backing by a European group that includes (then expat) Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums – and other tracks include "Callin", "Jack's Tune", and "Where Is Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Adam Niewood has always been a wonderfully sensitive saxophonist, but here he's got a group that seems especially well-suited to his sound – a quartet with John Scofield on guitar, John Patitucci on bass, and Jack DeJohnette – all heavyweights who've worked often under their own names, but who hit a very special sound here in support of Adam's work on tenor and soprano sax! Scofield is especially nice – with sharp colors one minute, gentler waves the next – and the loose, open rhythm work of both Patitucci and DeJohnette really suit the flow of the songs – all originals by Gerry, brought into nice focus with his reed lines up front. Titles include "Home With You", "Gentle Soul", "Home With You At Last", "Essence", and "Winds Of Change". CD

Rich Perry has a great way of shaping his sounds here – sometimes rhythmically, sometimes more spatially – but all with a very distinct approach to his work on the tenor! The group is open and as fluid as the leader – Gary Versace on piano, Jay Anderson on bass, and John Riley on drums – all great players, but clearly driven with a sensitivity to the needs of the leader's tone, which is great – as Perry really commands a lot of attention, but without ever hitting us over the head. Part of the strength of the set is the material – all original compositions by Rich, which really suit his approach – titles that include "Other Matters", "Transparency", "Sono", "Neta", "Written Image", and "Mndfl". CD

A great later date from this trumpeter who made a few key 50s sessions on Prestige! The quintet date features Idrees on trumpet and flugelhorn – with Per Goldschmidt on tenor, Horace Parlan on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums! LP, Vinyl record album

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

Bassist Ron McClure's a might generous leader – as he sets the sound up with a really rich vibe right from the start, but also lets his other quartet members really get some time to shine in the spotlight! The album's awash in great tones from Anthony Ferrara on tenor, and Rob Block on piano and guitar – the latter of whom shifts instruments on different tracks, which adds a further level of color palette to the album! Ferrara's especially great – bold, thoughtful, and very creative when he's in the lead – and the group's completed by work from Pete Zimmer on drums. Block, McClure, and Ferrara all contributed a fair bit of original material to the set – and titles include "Deep Sea Urban Planning", "Lucky Sunday", "What's Due", "To Begin", "Mending Ties", "Quiet Life", and "You & The Salt". CD

Rich, round tones from Mike Richmond – one of the few improvising cellists we know in jazz – a musician who can pluck the instrument with all the depth of a bassist, and whose work here takes us back to classics in the tiny genre by Ron Carter, Oscar Pettiford, and Eldee Young! The setting is lean, and the cello lines are clean – really inflected with a mix of melodic and rhythmic vibes – the latter of which are underscored by deeper conventional bass work by Jay Anderson, in a quartet with Peter Zak on piano and Billy Drummond on drums! The lineup have a great way of swinging gently, as Richmond moves between plucking and bowing – on titles that include "Stranger In Paradise", "Come Sunday", "La Vie En Rose", "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love", and "Zingaro". 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

Gene Segal's got a great tone here – maybe a bit harder than usual, and maybe in part because he's got some really great accompaniment on the session from Brian Charette – who plays acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, and Hammond B3! Segal's really wrenching some great chromes out of his instrument – with an approach that seems to change slightly when the keyboard source changes, but never in a way that loses its intensity – in a lineup that also features Sean Conly on bass and Tiago Michelin on drums and percussion. Almost all the tunes are originals by Segal, save for one Monk number – and titles include "ROW", "Last Time We Spoke", "Charisma", "Curiosity", "Light Blues", "Ole", and "Reverend BG". CD

The tight Trio Trio combo gets some great horn help here – as the trumpet of Dave Scott and tenor of Rich Perry are added to the core lineup of Jacob Sacks on piano, Dave Ambrosio on bass, and Vinnie Sperrazza on drums! The tunes include two older gems by Thad Jones, two more by Herbie Nichols, and a Blue Note classic from Kenny Dorham – and there's definitely an old school sense of interplay here – not just in the way the trio gives these guys such great attention at the core, but also in the way that Perry and Scott have this way of leaping out with great colors and tones on the head arrangements, then really spinning off into strong solos of their own, along with Sacks – who sounds especially great on the Nichols numbers. Titles include "50 21", "Hangover Triangle", "Step Tempest", "The Interloper", "Grooveyard", "Lotus Blossom", and "Never Let Me Go". 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

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

A nice little set from Andrew – one of his few from the time that's not a trio or solo session! The album features a group with Chris White on bass and Leroy Williams on drums – plus some great work on soprano, alto, and flute by Jimmy Vass, a player we know little about, but who has a meandering soulful style that's in that post-Coltrane mode that showed up a lot in the mid 70s. The title cut – "Divine Revelation" – is a long piece, running for over 25 minutes, and going a bit out – and other tracks include "Snake Hip Waltz", "July 10th", and "East 9th Street". CD