Cheesy packaging, to be sure – but a pretty decent collection of smooth soul cuts from the 70s and 80s! Titles on this volume include "Between The Sheets" by The Isley Brothers, "Cause I Love You" by Lenny Williams, "I Just Wanna Be Your Girl" by Chapter 8, "Wildflower" by New Birth, "Tonight Is The Night (live)" by Betty Wright, "Why Have I Lost You" by Cameo, "I'm Going Down" by Rose Royce, "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye, and "You & I" and "Lady I Love You" by O'Bryan. CD

Trio features Hal Galper on piano, Steve Gilmore on bass, and Bill Goodwin on drums. CD

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The sound here is definitely timeless, thanks to some always-strong work on piano from Don Friedman – one of those players who first shone brightly in the early 60s, then dropped off the radar for many years – but has reemerged lately with a new level of brilliance in his work! Friedman's touch on the piano is confident and compelling – still prone to some of the nicely bright and round tones of earlier years, but also imbued with a stronger sense of presence that well suits the rhythm team of John Patitucci on bass and Omar Hakim on drums. Titles include "Star Eyes", "Alone Together", "Emily", "Turn Out The Stars", "What Is This Thing Called Love", and "Body & Soul". CD

Sweet, laidback beats from a producer who really knows his stuff – a set of easygoing grooves that really fit the intimate, late nite vibe of the cover image! The set's an abstraction of the earlier Timeless hip hop compilation – with plenty of lean instrumentals that use very old school beats, but in a way that's more spaced out and mellow – so that keyboard lines can come in and snake all around the set to color in and shade the grooves. The set lists collaborators on different tracks – such as Renz or Izumi – but we're not sure if they were on the original cuts, or appear here. Titles include "Far Out", "Hibachi", "Raw", "Dear", "Last Night", "Sunset", and "Mind Game On Bm9". LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "These Foolish Things", "Tickle Toe", "Chili Pepper", "Nutmeg", "Surf Ride", "Deep Purple", and "Thyme Time". 14 tracks total. CD

Cheesy packaging, to be sure – but a pretty decent collection of smooth soul cuts from the 70s and 80s! Titles on this volume include "Slow Jam" by Midnight Star, "Sparkle" by Cameo, "The Agony & The Ecstasy" by Smokey Robinson, "Hurry Up This Way Again" by The Stylistics, "Love Can Be So Wonderful" by The Temprees, "Sweet November" by The Deele, "This Time" by The Whispers, "So Easy" by 101 North, "Sweet As Sugar" by Brass Construction, "Just A Memory" by Carrie Lucas, "Remember The Rain?" by 21st Century, and "You're Sweet You're Fine You're Everything" by Tomorrow's Promise. CD

One of the most unique albums ever recorded by the legendary bassist Jaco Pastorious – and one of the most outside as well! The set features duets recorded with drummer Rashied Ali for French Radio in 1984 – and as with John Coltrane, Ali is something of a muse here with Pastorius – really setting him free into more improvised, outside territory – nicely unbound, although still very much in command of those talents and touches that made Jaco such an influential musician during the short time he was on the planet! Ali comes on full at times, punctuates the proceedings at others – and Jaco moves between round notes and more abstract elements – sometimes even upping the fuzz in a really great way. Titles include "Broadway Blues", "Slang", "Fannie Mae", "Purple Haze", "Continuum", and a version of "Naima". CD

A brilliant 80s set from Pharoah Sanders – a record that has him a much more understated setting than some of his other albums from the time – but one that's maybe even more soulful and searching overall! The great one plays blistering tenor right from the start – in a quartet with John Hicks on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass, and Idris Muhammad on drums – all players who have this way of doing a lot with a little, especially in the rhythm department – where they seem to give Sanders some of his strongest sense of groove since the key albums for Theresa. Muhammad's got this tight sense of timekeeping, but with a looseness that we love – and Lundy's warm soulful bass does more than enough to give the set a sound bottom – and Hicks' free lyrical piano works nicely with Sanders' spiritual horn. Titles include a remake of "You've Got To Have Freedom", plus "Naima", "Origin", "Speak Low", "After The Morning", and "Africa". Also features the tracks "Duo" and "Heart To Heart" – not on the vinyl release! Great 2CD version – with a bonus CD that features two alternates of "Speak Low", and one more of "After The Morning". CD

A really fantastic setting for the tenor genius of Pharoah Sanders – and a record that's very different than just about anything else he ever recorded! As the title implies, the album's a duo recording with pianist John Hicks – just his piano and Pharoah's tenor – working beautifully, and warmly together on these long tracks that are full of imagination and subtle spiritual energy – a style that echoes Hicks' own tremendous recordings in a solo mode (including his album for Strata East), yet which definitely has an extra something in the presence of Sanders! Titles include extended takes on "After The Morning", "Giant Steps", "When Lights Are Low", and "After The Rain". CD

A really fantastic setting for the tenor genius of Pharoah Sanders – and a record that's very different than just about anything else he ever recorded! As the title implies, the album's a duo recording with pianist John Hicks – just his piano and Pharoah's tenor – working beautifully, and warmly together on these long tracks that are full of imagination and subtle spiritual energy – a style that echoes Hicks' own tremendous recordings in a solo mode (including his album for Strata East), yet which definitely has an extra something in the presence of Sanders! Titles include "The Creator Has A Master Plan", "Little Rock's Blues", "Central Park West", and "Heart To Heart". CD

With Arthur Blythe on saxophone. CD

Straight, soulful work from Archie Shepp – an overlooked gem from the start of the 90s, and a set that we'd rank right up there with his classics from his great "straight" period of the late 70s! The album's got frequent partner Horace Parlan on piano – who already helps things get grounded in all the right territory – and the excellent Wayne Dockery is on bass, a player with subtle power that really helps give the album all the right depth. George Brown completes the group on drums – and Shepp blows both tenor and alto sax – the latter of which has this raspy quality that's maybe overblown, but in this really powerful way. Title sinclude "Ask Me Now", "Party Time", "Billie's Bossa", "Go Down Moses", and "Now's The Time". LP, Vinyl record album

Late life genius from the mighty Ben Webster – a record that captures him in a live setting, and features much longer solo space than some of his other European dates of the time, which sometimes compact his work into shorter moments! The great pianist Tete Montoliu is working here on piano – with superb accompaniment from Rob Langereis on bass and Erik Ineke on drums – two players who always sound wonderful – and Webster's tone has that superb mature quality throughout – raspy, soulful, and completely charming, even in understated moments. Titles include "Set Call", "Ben's Blues", "Our Love Is Here To Stay", and "I Got It Bad". LP, Vinyl record album

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Post-Mingus work from reedman George Adams and pianist Don Pullen – three albums in a single set! Decisions is one of those key records that has George Adams and Don Pullen reinventing expectations of jazz for the 80s – both musicians with plenty of ear for the outside, but also coming back home with a well-rounded, deeply-rooted approach that's crucial in taking the American jazz legacy another step forward! Like some of their similar contemporaries, who could also be avant at times, and straight at others – Adams and Pullen have no concern with setting themselves in one camp or another – and not only flesh out the spirit of the record with both of those aspects of their playing, but also have some surprisingly bluesy undercurrents at times. The group features George Adams on tenor, Don Pullen on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums – and titles include "Decisions", "Triple Over Time", "I Could Really For You", "Message Urgent", and "Trees & Grass & Things". Life Line is a strong outing from this key post-Mingus collaboration – and a record that really shows both Don Pullen and George Adams really coming into their own! Pullen's piano can have plenty of edges, as can Adams' tenor – but there's also some warmer, lyrical moments that really round things out – kind of a balance between righteous energy and deeper quietude that the musicians might have learned during their time with Charles Mingus – taken to a logical small group extension here. Adams also plays a bit of flute, which is especially nice – and the group also includes Cameron Brown on bass and Dannie Richmond on drums. Titles include "The Great Escape Or Run John Henry Run", "Seriously Speaking", "Soft Seas", and "Protection". Live At Montmartre is solidly soaring work from tenorist George Adams – recording live here with pianist Don Pullen, one of his best musical partners during the 80s! The album's got a bit more of a bite than some of the pair's studio sessions – a bit straighter overall, but recorded with a nice degree of energy, and some long tracks that really let both players open up nicely – in a combo that also features John Scofield on guitar, Cameron Brown on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums. The inclusion of Scofield's guitar changes up the group's sound in a nice way – adding in some more chromatic elements that really stand out – and titles include "IJ", "Flame Games", "Song Everlasting", and "Forever Lovers". CD

Dizzy Gillespie meets the Phil Woods Quintet – a group that already has a great trumpeter in the form of Tom Harrell – which makes the album here a double-horn delight! Dizzy's on trumpet throughout, and Harrell plays both trumpet and flugelhorn – and the pair work well with Woods' alto in the front line, sharing back and forth, and creating a lively interplay between the different voices of their instruments. Dizzy is impeccable – as he always is at this point in his career – and rhythms are nice and tight, thanks to piano from Hal Galper, bass from Steve Gilmore, and drums from Bill Goodwin. Titles include a great reading of Galper's Loose Change" – plus "Terrestris", "Love For Sale", "Oon Ga Wa", and "Whasidishean". LP, Vinyl record album

A really bold, really freewheeling performance from the great McCoy Tyner – an 80s live album that may well stand as one of his most powerful of the decade! The group here is billed as an All-Star one – and it's a tight quintet that also features Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Joe Henderson on tenor, Avery Sharpe on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – a combo who sound even better on record than they do on paper! Henderson is wonderful – playing with that special edge he had at the time – and Hubbard, as always, opens up in a live setting in modes that really blow away his studio work. Tunes are all nice and long – and titles include "Just Feeling", "Caravan", "Ask Me Now", and "Inner Glimpse". CD

Fantastic work from this legendary group – a special set of live material that really has them stretching out on extended tunes that are maybe even more powerful than the group's famous work in the studio! A key part of the sound here is tenorist George Coleman, who always sounds wonderful when he gets a chance to open up like this – very spiritual and deep, and perfect in the company of Cedar Walton on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums! Most tracks push well past the 10 minute mark – which also allows for some stunning solos from Walton – and titles include great takes on "Naima", "Seven Minds", "Firm Roots", "Bolivia", and "Blue Monk". CD

The lesser-known third album by Cedar Walton's landmark Eastern Rebellion combo – one of the most important indie soul jazz groups of the late 70s, still going strong on this set! The lineup is still the same as on the second set – with Bob Berg on tenor, Curtis Fuller on trombone, and the wonderfully solid team of Billy Higgins and Sam Jones on rhythm. However, the sound here is slightly different – with a more conscious sense of disharmony at times – creating an unsettling edge that replaces the warm, fluid feel of earlier records. The change shows that Walton and the group were still growing and searching – and titles include "Incognito", "Firm Roots", "Seven Minds", and "Never Never Land". LP, Vinyl record album

George Adams and Don Pullen knock it out of the park on this one – finding great company in each other's presence, and really moving things forward in the process! The set begins with a long track titled "Mingus Metamorphosis", and that really sums up the spirit of the record – an 80s reworking of all the ideas that the players had learned from Mingus, but with an individual, personal sense that's all their own – and very different than some of the more standard modes of the Mingus Dynasty group that continued the legacy in a more direct manner. Adams is bold one minute, lyrical the next – and plays both tenor and flute – alongside Pullen on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums. Titles include "Mingus Metamorphosis", "Samba For Now", "City Gates", "Thank You Very Much Mr Monk", and "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of wonderful tenorists – each of them important players on their respective local scenes – coming together tremendously here in an all-star set! Tracks are often long, and really allow each individual plenty of personal expression on their solos – and although Edwards was getting some good time on record at this point in his career, the set's maybe even more special for the way it presents both Buck Hill and Von Freeman – each of whom is great. Backing is by the trio of Rein De Graaff on piano, Koos Serierse on bass, and Eric Ineke on drums – and titles include "Perdido/Wahoo", "Red Top", "I Can't Get Started", "Out Of Nowhere", "Loverman", and "Old Folks". CD

Fantastic work from piano legend Bill Evans – recorded at the Keystone club in San Francisco just a month before his too-early death – and a batch of material that shows us that Bill still had plenty to offer the world! This isn't the work of a musician on his last legs – and instead, Evans is a master of imagination, phrasing, and timing – working with his superb late trio that features Marc Johnson on bass and Joe Labarbera on drums – and further opening up tunes we've already heard him open up before – leaving us breathless all over again, at that level that makes Bill Evans live material maybe even more important to understanding his genius than his studio material! Titles include "Tiffany", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Theme From MASH", "Knit For Mary F", "Two Lonely People", "Your Story", "My Romance", and "Re Person I Knew". CD

Fantastic work from piano legend Bill Evans – recorded at the Keystone club in San Francisco just a month before his too-early death – and a batch of material that shows us that Bill still had plenty to offer the world! This isn't the work of a musician on his last legs – and instead, Evans is a master of imagination, phrasing, and timing – working with his superb late trio that features Marc Johnson on bass and Joe Labarbera on drums – and further opening up tunes we've already heard him open up before – leaving us breathless all over again, at that level that makes Bill Evans live material maybe even more important to understanding his genius than his studio material! Titles on this second volume include "Gary's Theme", "Letter To Evan", "Like Someone In Love", "Tiffany", "My Romance", "I Do It For Your Love", and "Days Of Wine & Roses". CD

Fantastic work from piano legend Bill Evans – recorded at the Keystone club in San Francisco just a month before his too-early death – and a batch of material that shows us that Bill still had plenty to offer the world! This isn't the work of a musician on his last legs – and instead, Evans is a master of imagination, phrasing, and timing – working with his superb late trio that features Marc Johnson on bass and Joe Labarbera on drums – and further opening up tunes we've already heard him open up before – leaving us breathless all over again, at that level that makes Bill Evans live material maybe even more important to understanding his genius than his studio material! Titles on this fourth volume include "Knit For Mary F", "MASH", "Your Story", "Tiffany", "Two Lonely People", "Like Someone In Love", and "Polka Dots & Moonbeams". CD

Really special magic from pianist Tommy Flanagan – exactly the of record that shows why his approach to the piano can be so great – this wonderful balance of fuller rhythms and lighter lyrical moments – given some equal spin here by guitarist Kenny Burrell, whose work in the quartet is every bit as great as Tommy's! There's a nicely understated vibe to the record – but just because the players make things seem so effortless – such a command of their instruments the moments of beauty just keep coming at a level that's breathtaking once you stop to think about the way they're spinning things out! The group also features George Mraz on bass and Lewis Nash on drums – the last of whom is perfect here – and titles include "Bluebird", "Yesterdays", "Blues In My Heart", "Barbados", "The Con Man", and "Bluebird After Dark". CD

Drummer Eddie Marshall never cut many albums as a leader, but we'll always love him for this one – a sublime San Francisco 70s session that features tremendous vibes from the great Bobby Hutcherson! But actually, the whole group's great – and also includes George Cables on piano, James Leary on bass, and Manny Boyd on tenor and soprano sax – who works alongside Hutcherson's vibes with some of the same soulful currents as Harold Land from earlier years! The tunes are well-paced – mostly by Marshall, with a slight undercurrent of spirituality – and a lyrical beauty that almost has Bobby in "Little B's Poem" territory at times. Titles include "The Stroll", "The High Priestess Of Gone", "Andree", and "But I Refuse To Come Down". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful little album from Dutch pianist Cees Slinger – one that features a quartet with Clifford Jordan on tenor, Philly Joe Jones on bass, and the wonderfully-toned Isla Eckinger on bass! The presence of Jordan adds a deep edge to the set that really opens things up – bringing in a strong degree of soul to the session, and reminding us a lot of the work by the Jordan/Cedar Walton team back in the mid 70s. Slinger has a touch on the keys that's a bit like Walton too – lightly expressive, yet also rhythmically soulful – and the bass work of Eckinger drives things along with the same sort of bounce as Sam Jones on the classic Jordan/Walton outings of the 70s. Tites include "Slingshot", "Growing Up", "Waltonia", "Eye Witness Blues", and "Dizzizzit". LP, Vinyl record album

Three full albums from this great Dutch pianist! Miss Dee is a heck of a set from Dutch pianist Rob Agerbeek – easily one of the most soulful European pianists of the 70s, even in an acoustic setting like this! Rob's got a bite on the keys that reminds us a lot more of American players from the 60s – not a straight soul jazz groove, but a style that definitely draws from that mode – then opens up into some more lyrical elements that are more in keeping with overseas expression in the 70s. The trio matches his energy nicely – especially on the upbeat numbers that rule the set – with bass from Harry Emmery and drums from Eric Ineke – on titles that include "Little Miss Dee", "Cup Bearers", "Birk's Works", "Caravan", and "Out Of This World". Second Opinion is a trio set from the great Rob Agerbeek – one that lets him open up on familiar tunes, but with a sense of imagination that really packs a lot into a small space! The lineup features Paul Berner on bass and Ben Schroeder on drums – and titles include "Summertime", "East Of The Sun", "Lover Man", "Besame Mucho", "Mad About The Boy", "Girl Talk", "As Time Goes By", and "Things Ain't What They Used To Be". Lock Stock & Barrell is a relatively recent set from Dutch piano Rob Agerbeek – who locks it up nicely, in a trio with Erik Albjerg on bass and Tjeerd Klapwijk on drums! Titles include "Lock Stock & Barrel", "A Child Is Born", "Round Midnight", "O Morro Nao Tem Vez", "Thora's Dance", "Cubano Chant", "Nearest & Dearest", and "Footprints". CD

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Freddie Hubbard is reunited with drummer Art Blakey – in a sweet little set that recalls the power of the Jazz Messengers during the stretch when Hubbard was with the group! Both players are in fine form – with Hubbard blowing shimmering trumpet lines over Blakey's full-on style of drumming – and the supporting cast is another key element in the success of the session – with either Benny Green or Mulgrew Miller on piano, Lonnie Plaxico or Leon Dorsey on bass, and Javon Jackson on tenor sax. Titles include "Arieties", "Feel The Wind", "Of Minor", "Up Jumped Spring", and "Big Foot". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums as a leader from tenorist George Coleman – an artist who we feel often never gave us enough with himself in the lead as well! George brings in that great edge he used on earlier sessions with other leaders, while still also really establishing himself as one of the most expressive tenorists of the 70s in a mainstream mode – almost that balance between straighter swing and sharper corners that Joe Henderson brought to key recordings at the time. The group here are very fluid, and able to shift wonderfully with George's lead – Hilton Ruiz on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a masterful lineup who make magic throughout, on titles that include "Amsterdam After Dark", "New Arrival", "Lo-Joe", "Autumn In New York", "Apache Dance", and "Blondie's Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful album that definitely lives up to its title – and delivers some of the wonderfully impressionistic piano work that Kenny Drew was recording in the 80s – music that's very different than both his early American albums in the 50s, and some of the key accompaniment he'd provide on European dates with tenor players in the 70s! Here, Kenny's very open and fluid, sometimes almost painterly in his approach to sound – yet still able to swing, too, thanks to accompaniment from Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass and Alvin Queen on drums. The set features a killer version of "Last Tango In Paris" – plus "Cafe Flore", "Evening In The Park", "My Ship", "Morning Mist", and "Rouge Blues". CD

A great later session from pianist Red Garland – recorded in the early 80s with support from Ahmad Jamal's old trio-mates – Jamil Nassar on bass and Frank Gant on drums! The Garland heard here is a gentler one than on his earlier recordings – playing with a nice Jamal-like sense of spacious exploration and mellow grooving. Tunes are mostly standards, but they're handled here in a manner that makes them feel much more like personal statements of expression than familiar chestnuts – and titles include "This Can't Be Love", "Misty", "But Not For Me", "Over The Rainbow", and "If I Were A Bell". CD

A great later session from pianist Red Garland – recorded in the early 80s with support from Ahmad Jamal's old trio-mates – Jamil Nassar on bass and Frank Gant on drums! The Garland heard here is a gentler one than on his earlier recordings – playing with a nice Jamal-like sense of spacious exploration and mellow grooving. Tunes are mostly standards, but they're handled here in a manner that makes them feel much more like personal statements of expression than familiar chestnuts – and titles include "This Can't Be Love", "Misty", "But Not For Me", "Over The Rainbow", and "If I Were A Bell". LP, Vinyl record album

The Jamfs are definitely coming on this one – as Johnny Griffin opens up into some of his most badass soloing of the 70s, caught here in an open-ended European styled mode! The album really features only 2 long tracks – recorded in the Cafe Montmartre style that Dexter Gordon used most famously at the time, but which Griffin also got a chance at as well, often with even more dynamic results. The group here features Art Taylor on drums, Rein De Graaff on piano, and either Henk Haverhoek or Koos Serierse on bass – and titles include "The Jamfs Are Coming/Wee Dot" and "All The Things You Are" – each taking up one side of the record! LP, Vinyl record album

A real gem from Woody Shaw's greatest period – a very hip sextet session, recorded with Hayes, Cook, Shaw, and a rhythm section that includes Ronnie Matthews on piano, Stafford James on bass, and Guilhermo Franco on percussion. Tracks are long, and stretch out in that searching, modal style that Shaw was using a lot at the time – and although the Hayes/Cook team are listed as the leaders on the set, the record clearly owes a lot to Shaw's influence and style. A wonderful record that we just don't turn up often enough! Titles include "Ichi Ban", "Book's Bossa", "Pannonica", "Brothers & Sisters", and a great take on "Moontrane". CD

A bold statement by one of the best underground jazz players of the 70s! Carter Jefferson cut his chops with Art Blakey in the years after Blakey had Billy Harper in the group – and seemed to follow Harper into some of the same highly spiritual, soulful territory at the time! Jefferson's a bit more inside, but equally searching in his style – and this key album as a leader is quite possibly one of the best-ever demonstrations of his talents. Carter's recorded here on tenor and soprano sax, in two different groups – one with Terumasa Hino on trumpet, and one with Shunzo Ono on trumpet – with a great lineup that includes Harry Whitaker on piano, Clint Houston on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums! Lani Groves sings on one track – and titles include "Why", "Rise Of Atlantis", "Blues For Wood", and "Changing Trains". LP, Vinyl record album

A very hip group, and a wonderful meeting between trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and pianist Kirk Lightsey! We always like Kirk, but love him even more when he's working with a horn player – as his sound seems to catch fire, and move with even bolder notes than usual – which is definitely the case on the album's opener, a nice take on Hubbard's classic "Gibraltar" – in a spirit that continues strongly throughout! Bass is from Santi Debriano, drums are from Eddie Gladden, and Jerry Gonzalez plays percussion on one track – and Freddie's in that great 80s sound of his – a mode that's a return to the straighter hardbop of his Blue Note years, but with the phrasing learned during his 70s funk years – on titles that include "Gibraltar", "Evidence", "Brigitte", "Temptation", and "Society Red". CD

Ronnie Mathews is a pianist we always love, no matter what the context – but here he's in this extra-great trio with bassist Stafford James, who almost seems to take center stage at times! James' deep, round tone is a perfect match for Mathews' approach to piano – and while Ronnie takes off on lyrical flights at times, Stafford has this grounding that balances things out beautifully – given some extra inspiration by the drums of Tony Reedus, who is the third key member of the trio. The title track alone – "Selena's Dance" – is worth the price of admission, and is this nine minute modal workout that shows everyone at top form. Some other numbers are mellower, but no less captivating – and tunes include "Stella By Starlight", "Blue Bossa", "Fee Fi Fo Fum", and "Body & Soul". CD

Beautiful work from pianist Tete Montoliu – three full albums served up in a single package! First up is Man From Barcelona – a set cut late in Tete's career, but one that has this beautiful way of building up a tune – maybe even more lyrical and sincere than some of Montoliu's earlier music! The trio features nicely understated work from George Mraz on bass and Lewis Nash on drums – both players who often step aside and let Tete pace the tune, find his groove, and bring in all sorts of really lovely colors even before things start swinging – served up on tunes that include "Tune Up", "Stella By Starlight", "Autumn Leaves", "Django", and "Concierto De Aranjuez". On Secret Love, pianist Tete Montoliu gets some Cedar Walton backing – in a trio with Sam Jones on bass and Billy Higgins on drums – both musicians who really make the record stand out from the pack! Tete himself is at the peak of his powers – able to play with this commanding sense of majesty from the very first note – but with a style that also has plenty of room for more lyrical flourishes, too – although often with these soulful strides that we don't seem to hear that well in other trio sessions of this vintage! We're not going to credit Jones and Higgins with bringing this on – but heck, they sound wonderful here, and really make the whole thing crackle with warm imagination throughout. Titles include "Four", "Stella By Starlight", "Secret Love", and "Confirmation". The title's correct on the third album – as that's yellow dolphin street, not "Green Dolphin Street" – a very special place where Tete Montoliu unfurls a beautiful selection of solo piano numbers! Tete's really at the height of his powers here – and spins out wonderfully without any bass or drums, yet with all the complex, fluid feel that you might expect from a trio. The range of tonal colors is wonderful – and always delivered with a rhythmic impulse, even when Montoliu is flying free – on titles that include "Yellow Dolphin Street", "Napoleon", "Where Are You", "Waltz For Nicolien", and "I Hate You". CD

Three later albums from pianist Horace Parlan – all cut overseas, many years after his early work for Blue Note! On Joe Meets The Rhythm Section, the "Joe" is Dutch tenorist Joe Van Enkhuizen, who's a great fit with a trio that features Horace Parlan on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Al Harewood on drums! The album's got that subtle approach that marks Parlan's later years – a less all-out style than his start on Blue Note, but one that's maybe even more rewarding if you're willing to let yourself slide into it – something that's easy to do when you've got Joe pointing the way with his well-blown, raspy-edged tenor! Reid is mighty nice too – with those instantly-deep notes that always grab us strongly when he's recorded this well – the sort of presence that most other bassists would need to be electric to reach. Titles include "Alfie's Theme", "Bluesville", "FSR", "Wadin", and "Willow Weep For Me". Ellington Ballads is a nice little record that's very much along the lines of the duet sessions that pianist Horace Parlan cut with Archie Shepp – done with a similar open, soulful style that really brings a lot of personal energy to these tunes penned by Duke Ellington! This might be the first time we've ever heard tenorist Joe Van Enkhuizen, but he's a surprisingly great player – and one who carves out these raspy lines on his instrument that fit really well with the well-crafted lines from Parlan's piano – a lot more subtle and spacious than during his Blue Note years, but maybe even more powerful because of that. Titles include "Serenade To Sweden", "I Got It Bad", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Melancholy", "Sophisticated Lady", and "Creole Blues/Tonight I Shall Sleep". Pannonica is a tight little live set from pianist Horace Parlan – recorded with a wonderful trio that features Reggie Johnson on bass and Alvin Queen on drums – both players who seem to effortlessly match Parlan's shifts at every stage of the proceedings! The tracks are relatively long, and showcase all those changes that Horace had made on the European scene since his earlier years on Blue Note – that move towards warmer, more lyrical elements in his music – but still shaped with his ear for soulful modernism too. The titles are all familiar, but served up at the level that can make the right sort of live piano date sound so great – on selections that include "Hi Fly", "Who Cares", "No Greater Love", and "Pannonica". CD

The great Italian pianist Enrico Pieranunzi is featured here in three great records! First up is New Lands – a warmly-crafted trio set from Enrio Pieranunzi – a set that still shows his modern tones on the piano, but which also has a sensitivity that really makes things open up overall! The group is a trio – with Marc Johnson on bass and Joey Baron on drums – both subtle players who really let the piano take the lead at times, as Enrico stretches out on long tracks that include "New Lands", "A Child Is Born", "The Mood Is Good", and "If There Is Someone Lovelier Than You". Daedalus Wings is an unusual record, and one that features twin piano work from Bert Van Den Brink and Enrico Pieranunzi – not on long, free tracks, but on these beautiful shorter numbers that really seem to resonate strongly with the voices of each player! Titles include "Daedalus Suite", "Si Peu De Temps", "Pour Claude", "Guitar Blues", "Woods", and "O Toi Desir" – plus two solo takes by each player on "I Can't Get Started". Improvised Forms For Trio is a really different album from pianist Enrico Pieranunzi – and one that really lives up to its title! Rather than being song-based – featuring compositions by Enrico or some of his contemporaries – the record features the trio improvising, but never in a free jazz way – always with a groove, and a strong sense of rhythmic cohesion – but clearly improvising their way through the 18 short numbers that make up the set! The energy is great – in ways that maybe make the record one of Pieranunzi's most compelling records – and the rest of the group features Hein Van De Geyn on bass and Hans Van Oosterhout on drums. Titles include "Forms" 1 through 18. CD

A trio of albums from this great tenorist! First up is Beboppin, from Ferdinand Povel – a tenorist who may not be one of the bigger stars on the European scene, but one who always finds a way to serve up something special! Povel's got a nice edge in his horn at times – a mode that's always inside, but often sharply spoken – even when he's going for some mellower moments too – a bit of old school bite in the way he approaches the reed, maybe – and a definite sense of attack that really comes on when he's in a more swinging mode! The group here has some great guitar from Wim Overgaauw, whose ringing tones bring a bright balance between Povel's horn and the piano of Frans Elsen – and the rest of the group features Victor Kaihatu on bass and Ruud Pronk on drums. Titles include "Off Minor", "I'm Old Fashioned", "Beboppin", "Deception", "Nobody Else But Me", and "I Fall In Love Too Easily". Some Other Blues features great work as a leader from reedman Ferdinand Povel – a player who's sparked up some great moments on albums by other players over the years, but who hardly ever records as a boss on his own! This set's a "forgotten tape" – recorded in the late 80s, but only issued recently – and it features Povel both on tenor and soprano sax, playing with an angularly expressive tone that even makes familiar standards sound fresh – working with players who include Wim Overgaauw on guitar, Rob Langereis on bass, and John Engels on drums. The mix of guitar and saxophone is pretty lively on the upbeat numbers – especially in the way that Wim uses these sustained notes that almost ring out like an organ – and titles on the set include "Workout", "Some Other blues", "Mr Syms", "Old Folks", "UMMG", and "Waltz New". Good Bait is a live album, and one that features the twin-tenor leadership of Ferdinand Povel and Pete Christlieb – both excellent soloists who get plenty of room here to really stretch out and soar! Other players include Rein DeGraaf on piano, Marius Beets on bass, and Eric Ineke on drums – and titles include long takes on "Milestones #1", "Good Bait", "All The Things You Are", and "Parker 51". CD

Beautiful late 80s work from Pharoah – a wonderfully uncomplicated session that still has a great degree of soul! The album was recorded in Paris, with a quintet that includes William Henderson on acoustic piano, Stafford James on bass, Eddie Moore on drums, and Cheikh Tidiane Fale on percussion – and the overall approach is a bit more straight ahead than on some of Sanders' other albums – but in a really great way! The tunes are long and introspective – all done with spiritual rhythmic approaches, letting Pharoah open up on tenor and soprano sax – but never in a way that's overblown or overdone. The solos are perfectly placed – with wonderful phrasing and tone, rich in the colors that we've always loved on Sanders' work, but which can sometimes get lost in the confusion of an over-ambitious session. Titles include "Moon Child", "Moon Rays", "Soon", "Moniebah", and "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful late 80s work from Pharoah – a wonderfully uncomplicated session that still has a great degree of soul! The album was recorded in Paris, with a quintet that includes William Henderson on acoustic piano, Stafford James on bass, Eddie Moore on drums, and Cheikh Tidiane Fale on percussion – and the overall approach is a bit more straight ahead than on some of Sanders' other albums – but in a really great way! The tunes are long and introspective – all done with spiritual rhythmic approaches, letting Pharoah open up on tenor and soprano sax – but never in a way that's overblown or overdone. The solos are perfectly placed – with wonderful phrasing and tone, rich in the colors that we've always loved on Sanders' work, but which can sometimes get lost in the confusion of an over-ambitious session. Titles include "Moon Child", "Moon Rays", "Soon", "Moniebah", and "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Woody Shaw albums from his later years – and an album that's got the same joyous spirit and free soaring feel of his best 70s work on Muse – really soaring with a sense of life and freedom in a really great way! The core group on the album is the Tone Jansa Quartet – led by European reedman Jansa, and working in a space that's quite similar to that of Shaw's backing groups on previous sessions – strong modal currents in the rhythms, and with Tone's work on soprano, tenor, and flute turning out to be a great partner for Woody's trumpet! Jansa wrote all the tunes on the set, and gave them a soaring feel that we really love – just the right mix of introspection and exploration found on classic Shaw sessions like Little Red's Fantasy or Lovedance. Titles include "Midi", "Boland", "Call Mobility", "River", and "May". LP, Vinyl record album

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Three albums by this wonderfully unique keyboardist! First up is Eyeball – a really nice mix of modes from keyboardist Jasper Van'T Hof – as some cuts feature the heavy electric modes we know from his MPS recordings of the 70s – but others feature a much more personal approach on acoustic piano! As with other records from the time, Jasper plays a range of keyboards here – from piano to Fender Rhodes to organ – and the group shifts a bit from track to track, depending on the mood – and features Wim Overgaauw on guitar, John Lee on bass, Zbigniew Seifert on violin, and Gerry Brown on drums. Lee and Brown kick in heavily on the jamming cuts, but lay back more on the mellower ones – and titles include "One Leg Missing", "Bax", "Viper Snake", "Eyeball 1", "The Rev", and "Schwester Johanna". Next is Solo Piano – a record that's a bit more down to earth than some of the electric 70s material from Jasper Van't Hof, but equally great in its own sort of way! The session has Jasper playing solo acoustic piano, mixing a few standards with even cooler original material that really makes the record shine! Titles include "Eyes", "7th Day Ticket", "Dinner For Two", "Skyline", "The Dodge", and "New Bob". Tomorrowland is a cool trio set from pianist Jasper Van't Hof – one that has him joined by the great Bob Malach on tenor, a player Jasper's worked with for years, and who really gets some great space to open up here! The third member of the group is the wonderful JF Jenny Clarke on bass – and titles include "Ventre A Terre", "The Quiet American", "Round About", "Ma Belle", "Mr Woof", and "Rutherford" – all nice original material! CD

An excellent set of Latin jazz from this mighty trombonist – with Steve Berrios and Milton Cardona on percussion, Andy Gonzalez on bass, and Larry Willis on piano! CD

Fantastic work from a tenorist who doesn't always get his due on our side of the Atlantic – but who was a key part of the Dutch jazz scene from his work in the Diamond Five onwards! Harry Verbeke's got a quality that's maybe a bit like Sonny Stitt – initially familiar at first glance, but able to really spark imagination right away with his phrasing and tone, even before he launches into the solo passage of a tune! Here, he's paired with the excellent Irv Rochlin on piano, plus Harry Emmery on bass and Max Bolleman on drums – a group who really get the spirit and tone right, even when Rochlin occasionally switches to electric piano. Titles include the Rochlin originals "Will O The Wisp", "Blues For Clara", and "Short Speech", plus a nice take on the Mingus classic "Peggy's Blue Skylight". CD

A seminal work in the development of the career of Cedar Walton – the formation of his excellent Eastern Rebellion ensemble, a group that became a platform for soul jazz expression for the next two decades! The group on this set features George Coleman on tenor, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all working in territory that Walton and Clifford Jordan were exploring heavily at the time – long, drawn-out soul jazz tunes – frequently built upon modal rhythms, and touched with traces of post-Coltrane blowing. The key factor, though, is that the work's never too outside, never too overindulgent – just hard-swinging soul jazz, in a 70s expression of the older Blue Note ideal! Titles include "Bolivia", "5/4 Thing", "Mode For Joe", and "Naima". CD

The second trip into the studio for Cedar Walton's mighty Eastern Rebellion ensemble – and every bit as great as the first! This time around, the lineup's a bit different – with Bob Berg in on tenor, and Curtis Fuller expanding the group on trombone – but the groove is still the same – wonderfully in the pocket soul jazz, swinging with a gentle and fluid glide that's really tremendous. The work ranks up there with the best of Walton's recordings ever – and the tunes are all originals with a rich imagination for tone, soul, and color – and plenty of space for strong solo work. Titles include "The Maestro", "Sunday Suite", "Ojos De Rojo", and "Fantasy In D". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best later albums by French tenor genius Barney Wilen – a true gem that's far better than the title might indicate! The tunes, as you might guess, are all themes from French films – stretching back to the late 50s jazz/new wave days, when Wilen recorded on a few brilliant soundtracks with Miles Davis and Art Blakey – and moving forward into later years to include a few great tunes from the 60s French scene. The group on the set is Mal Waldron's excellent trio with Stafford James on bass and Eddie Moore on drums – the three of them rounding out the tunes with a strong degree of soul, and lots of open notes and space, which lets Wilen do some incredible work on both tenor and soprano saxes. Tunes are all quite long, and really depart from the original structures – and titles include "Un Homme Et Une Femme", "Les Parapluies De Cherbourg", "Manha De Carnaval", "No Problem", and "Julien Dans L'Ascenseur". CD

A later date from Dutch drummer Eric Ineke, but one that maybe burns with even more fire than some of his earlier albums – thanks to the work of some great musicians in the quintet! At some points, the group takes off in strongly soulful hardbop formation – but at others, they can equally slide into a slightly modern mode, but all without losing their swing at all – a performance that's given plenty of focus from Ineke's drumming, and topped with these warmly lyrical piano lines from Rob Van Bavel, plus trumpet from Rik Mol, tenor and bass clarinet from Sjoerd Dijkhuizen, and bass from Marius Beets. Titles include "Oak City", "When We Were One", "Just A Tune For You", "What Is This", "Cruising", and "Seven On The Richter Scale". CD

Strong later work from the great Ben Webster – three albums in a single set! On the first record, Ben Webster plays live in Harlem – not the uptown scene in New York, but the Dutch city that became a surprisingly strong showcase for American players overseas! The date's got that easygoing style of some of Webster's best late live performances – a laidback rhythm trio, and Ben himself blowing these raspy, blue-tinged notes that are full of feeling – even when in a familiar setting – that quality that can make even subtle handling of a standard pop out with such Webster-like charm! The group features Tete Montoliu on piano, Rob Langereis on bass, and Tony Inzalaco on drums – and titles include "Stardust", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "Sunday", "For All We Know", and "Perdido". Live In Stockholm is a posthumous release of live material recorded in Sweden, during a time when tenor genius Ben Webster was doing some of his best work overseas! The tracks here feature Ben in a few different settings – with piano from Teddy Wilson or Lasse Sjosten, bass from Red Mitchell or Sture Nordin, and drums from Ed Thigpen and Frederik Noren. But maybe best of all is the trumpet work on most tracks – played by either Arne Ryskog or Rolf Ericson, both players whose presence really brings a lot – and makes the record a bit different than some of those other "older American soloists with a European rhythm section" dates of the time. Titles include "Indiana", "C Jam Blues", "The Theme", "Satin Doll", "I Got Rhythm", and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore". The last album is a late live set from Ben Webster – recorded in Norway with an unusual rhythm section that really lets Ben open up and do his thing, always with that fantastic twist on his tone he developed later in life! The group features Tore Sandnaes on piano, Bjorn Alterhaug on bass, and Kjell Johansen on drums – and titles include "In A Mllotone", "Sunday", "Satin Doll", "Perdido", "I Got Rhythm", and "Stardust". CD