A great one from Fab Trio – and proof that the group may be one of the best outlets for Billy Bang's talents in recent years! There's a spare, lean quality here – free interactions between the group members, but some of the warmth of Bang's more composed projects – a blend that almost takes us back to the Revolutionary Ensemble work of Leroy Jenkins – one of Bang's precursors on his chosen instrument by a few years! The lineup features Billy on violin, playing some really amazing sounds, plus Joe Fonda on bass and Barry Altschul on drums – on titles that include "Chan Chan", "From Here To There", "History Of Jazz In Reverse", "From The Waters Of New Orleans", and "Homeward Bound". CD

With Reggie Workman on bass and percussion and Andrew Cyrille on drums. CD

Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith works here with a hell of a lineup – Henry Threadgill on alto and flutes, John Lindberg on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – all soaring free on a double-length set of work dedicated to the great lakes! Despite the "suite" in the title, the work feels very loose and free – much more improvised than compositional – which is an especially nice setting for the reedwork of Threadgill, who somehow seems even more expressive than usual. DeJohnette is great too – and the album's a great reminder that he can still play with a hell of an edge, but in ways that also can have the soulfulness of his roots – and maybe not some of the more "arch" styles of some of his other recent work. Smith adds an extra lake to the lineup for the recording – and titles include "Lake Michigan", "Lake Ontario", "Lake Superior", "Lake Huron", "Lake Erie", and "Lake St Clair". CD

A righteously powerful piece from trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith – a tribute to the political power of Rosa Parks, and her lasting legacy in American history – served up as an oratorio of seven songs, performed with a nicely shifting lineup! The album is one of the most ambitious we've heard from Smith in years – and in addition to participation from the Red Koral string quartet, the set also features the Blue Trumpet quartet, the Diamond Voices vocal group, and other solo performances as well! Amidst the changing instrumentation and focus of each passage, Smith also finds space to add in excerpts from older avant jazz recordings too – the somewhat surprising appearance of Anthony Braxton, Leroy Jenkins, and Steve McCall amidst the performances that create the album. The whole thing's a bit difficult to describe in words, but it definitely lives up to any promise you might expect for a project like this from Wadada Leo Smith – with selections that include "The Truth", "No Fear", "Pure Love", "Resistance & Unity", and "The First Light Gold". CD

Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith teams up here with two different legends in avant jazz – bassist Bill Laswell and percussionist Milford Graves – in a triple-length collection that offers up the music in three different settings! Smith and Graves work together on CD1 – a sublime set of trumpet/percussion duets that really take us back to the spirit of avant improvisation in the wake of the early years of the AACM – modes that both players evoke here in their really timeless work together, on long tracks that remind us that aging improvising great never seem to lose their edge at all! Smith works with Bill Laswell on CD2 – in a series of duets that has the tones of Bill's electric bass turned down nicely – never dominating too much, so that Wadada is often ringing out in the lead with a soulful, acoustic presence. CD3 brings all three players together in trio formation – in a surprisingly balanced performance that we never would have expected if you told us the group was working together a few decades ago. 3CD set features almost three hours of music – and comes with a huge amount of notes, in a booklet that also presents some of Smith's paintings as well. CD

After coming up with classic compilations of MPB and Samba, David Byrne and the Luaka Bop crew turn their interests to Forro – folksy party music from the Northeast of Brazil, with surprising ties to Tex/Mex traditions, but an overall approach that's more sophisticated. There's a total of 18 tracks in all, with the requisite great set of notes – and titles include "O Fole Roncou" by Luiz Gonzaga, "Asa Branca" by Gonzaguinha, "Rejeicao" by Trio Nordestino, "Chiclete Com Banana" and "Tum Tum Tum" by Jackson Do Pandeiro, "Vou Com Voce" by Dominguinhos, "Festa Do Interior" by Gal Costa, and "Recordacao De Vaqueiro" by Clemilda. CD

A well-done selection of work by some of the biggest singers in Indian film – put together by the folks at Rough Guide, who literally wrote the book on world music! The selection features mostly more recent numbers – but the sound is solid, and there's a timeless quality to the work that keeps the older traditions of the 60s and 70s going strong in Indian film music today. Titles include "Dum Maro Dum", "Piya Tu Ab To Aaja", and "Chura Liya Hai Tum Ne" by Asha Bhonsle, "Ek Pal Ka Jeena" by Lucky Ali, "Phir Bhi Dif Hai Hindustani" by Udit Narayan, "Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein Khayal Aata" by Lata Mangeshkar & Mukesh, "Aap Jaise Koi" by Nazia Hassan, and "Kehna Hi Kya" by Chitra. 15 tracks, with some nice notes! CD

A dozen tracks from Animals On Wheels, Si Begg, Bubbah's Tum, Paddington Breaks, Come On, Feel The Nothing, Value Ape, Mould, Hoarse Operator, Milky Boy,and Vert. CD

A huge 2CD set – one that features important European work that saxophonist Albert Ayler recorded with trumpeter Don Cherry! CD1 brings together six tracks from Albert Ayler's Hilversum Radio sessions from 1964 – plus an additional three tracks recorded in Denmark a few months earlier! The first six titles are a famous performance by a famous group set loose on a European tour in 1964 – Ayler on tenor, Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murry on drums – recorded in The Netherlands for a small audience in a Dutch radio studio! The setting is a wonderful one – a mix of the live freedoms that would really let Ayler stretch out – especially when playing overseas – but recorded with the clarity of some of his studio albums for ESP – that sharp-edged sound that really highlights the groundbreaking style of his playing! The rest of the group here is equally great, and Murray is completely freed up from rhythm at points, to fly beautifully with the rest – on titles that include "Angels", "CAC", "Infant Happiness", "Ghosts", and "No Name". The same group performs on the final three tracks – recorded in Copenhagen for Danish Radio, with an equally great level of clarity – on "Saints", "Spirits", and "Vibrations". The interplay between Ayler and Cherry is especially great – echoing the latter's material with Ornette Coleman, but with a different sort of edge! CD2 features amazing live material from 1964 – work that was recorded at the Club Montmartre in Copenhagen, right around the same time that Albert Ayler recorded his album for Debut Records – and a set that has his quartet in even more firey formation overall! The tracks are long, and Ayler is completely unbridled – at a level that really shows not only how much of a leader he was to the American avant underground, but what an inspiration he was to the European free scene too – who could only help but take a big cue from his work here on tenor! The group also features equally wonderful work from Don Cherry on cornet – sounding quite different than when with Ornette Coleman – plus bass from Gary Peacock, whose dark tones really set the mood – and drums from Sunny Murray, who is also at an explosive point in his career. The material is remastered wonderfully, with permission from Albert Ayler's estate – and titles include "Mothers", "Saints", "Vibrations", Spirits", "Children", and a shorter "Spirits". CD

A seminal criss-crossing of styles from the late 60s Cali scene – served up by a group who were steeped in blues, but a big part of the psychedelic scene at the time – and somehow managed to merge both of their worlds effortlessly, at a level that was even more powerful and effective than most of their contemporaries! Leigh Stephens is a monster on guitar – already using lots more freak and fuzz than the earlier generations who inspired him – and bassist Dick Peterson also sings, almost as if he's channeling his instrument to give him the same soulful depth that would later come from Phil Lynott – all supported by the driving drums of Paul Whaley. The whole thing's got a nice freaky sound, thanks to production from Abe Voco Kesh – and titles include the great long original "Doctor Please", plus takes on "Summertime Blues" and "Parchment Farm" – and the titles "Out Of Focus", "Rock Me Baby", and "Second Time Around". LP, Vinyl record album

Music and themes from Quantum Leap, Sledgehammer, Law And Order, Midnight Caller, Hunter, Thirtysomething, Murder, She Wrote, The Bronx Zoo, China Beach, Hooperman, The Days And Nights Of Molly Dodd, Twin Peaks, B.l. Stryker, and The Young Riders, CD

Calibro 35 have certainly gained momentum in our book – as the group's given us more than a few albums over the years, and just keep sounding better and better with each new one! This set has the group still strongly in their core territory of Italian soundtrack and sound library funk – but they're also pushing the sound with some flavors that are very much their own – newer rhythmic and instrumental modes that fold nicely with the older-style elements, and really help keep the whole thing from just sounding like a retro-inspired set of funk! There's lots of cool sonic textures and colors throughout – and titles include "Stan Lee", "Black Moon", "Tom Down", "Automata", "4 x 4", "Glory Fake Nation", "Death Of Storytelling", and "One Nation Under A Format". CD

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Classic Norman Granz swing session, with Roy Eldridge on flugelhorn, Alvin Stoller on drums, and John Simmons on bass. Tatum's up front, with some good laidback solos. The LP has a number of short cuts "Night and Day", "This Can't Be Love", "I Won't Dance", and "Moon Song". Nice David Stone Martin cover too! LP, Vinyl record album

An album of explosive power and imagination from Don Ellis – a set that shows him very firmly shaking off the more academic mode of earlier years, and heading into hipper, more youth-oriented directions! The group's still a bit band on most numbers – but it's one with a lean, well-crafted sound that's not really big band jazz, and which also features some elements of later soundtrack scoring. Players on the date are all great – and include Frank Strozier, John Klemmer, and Ira Schulman on saxes – plus Pete Robinson on clavinet, piano, and electric piano! The set begins with the beautiful extended "Variations For Trumpet" – a suite-type number that has plenty of great colors from Ellis, plus loads of other horn work too. Other titles include "Indian Lady", "Pussy Wiggle Stomp", "Scratt & Fluggs", and "Child Of Ecstasy". LP, Vinyl record album

With Eddie Gomez on bass and Marty Morrell on drums. CD

A double-sized set of live Bill Evans material from the early 70s – a great amount of material that showcases a time when Evans had an especially fluid, open touch on the keys of the piano! The group here features the great trio with Eddie Gomez on bass and Marty Morell on drums – and unlike some other live Evans albums of this nature, which tend to mike the piano more than the rhythm, this one really has all three points of the trio coming out strongly together – especially Gomez' wonderfully rich, round tones on the bass. Titles include "Two Lonely People", "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", "Re Person I Knew", "Elsa", "Emily", "Turn Out The Stars", and "Quiet Now". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most open-ended Tal Farlow albums for Verve – and a wonderfully laidback set that lets him open up with that incredible tone, taking the electric guitar to a whole new place in jazz, and showing that the instrument has volumes to speak in both phrasing and tone! The group's a quartet – with Gerald Wiggins on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Chico Hamilton on drums – an interesting combo that swings with almost a bit more bite than you'd hear on some other Farlow albums, a sound that's every bit as striking as the album's unique cover image. Tal's sound is tremendous, and right out front in the mix – and titles include "And She Remembers Me", "Little Girl Blue", "Have You Met Miss Jones", and "Tal's Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

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A nicely hard-edged set from the key Verve years of the 50s – a fantastic meeting of the vibes of Lionel Hampton, piano of Art Tatum, and drums of Buddy Rich – all given plenty of space to open up! LP, Vinyl record album

A great version of Ralph Burns' "Early Autumn" – and vintage 40s material from the Herman band, with Red Rodney, Ernie Royal, Conte Candoli, and Rolf Ericson on trumpets; Serge Chaloff, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, and Stan Getz on saxes! LP, Vinyl record album

Haunting solo piano from Dick Hyman – recorded in the early 50s with a really echoey quality that brings out a nice sort of darkness in the tunes! As you'd guess from the title, the tracks here are all famous numbers composed by Vernon Duke – and Hyman's renditions are nicely personal, with almost a relaxed, broken-down quality that's different than some of his more polished work of the time. It's great to hear Dick kicking back in a setting like this – taking the tunes with a sort of late nite intimacy, and delivering really nice versions of "April In Paris", "Now", "London In July", "Autumn In New York", "Cabin In The Sky", "Rio Cristal", "Taking A Chance On Love", and "The Love I Long For". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the greatest album we've ever heard from saxophonist Sherman Irby – and that's saying a lot, because he's given us some really fantastic records over the years! Yet while those albums were always graced with Irby's wonderful tone and phrasing on alto sax, this set seems to showcase an even grander musical vision, and portray him as a leader with deep currents of soul and sophistication! Irby's been playing a lot with the Jazz At Lincoln Center orchestra – so that may be part of the shift here – but the music is all still very much his own, just maybe amped up even more than before – and delivered by a wonderful group that features Eric Reed on piano, Gerald Cannon on bass, and Willie Jones III on drums – along with guest work from Vincent Garnder and Elliot Mason on trombone, and performances by trumpeter Wynton Marsalis on two tracks. Reed is especially wonderful – pulling out these dark tones that really deepen the sound of the songs, especially when Irby's taking off on one of his amazing alto flights. Titles include "Racine", "Contemplation", "Smile Please", "Sybad", "Willie's Beat", "Blue Twirl", and "Blues For Poppa Reed". CD

A trio of classic albums from this legendary prog group – all brought together in a single set! First up is the self-titled Jade Warrior – the fantastic debut of a group who were one of the most unique prog acts to record for the Vertigo label in the 70s! Jade Warrior is just a trio – and unlike some of the harder-rocking power trios of the time, the group have a way of balancing softness and intensity, acoustic modes and electric ones – all with a unique style that also offers up some of the exoticism promised by their name! Yet don't worry about that last aspect – as things here are never too heavy-handed, as the group are Brit to their core – maybe balancing some of the lighter Mel Collins moments of King Crimson and the more personal Ian Anderson songs of Jethro Tull – in a line up that features percussion and flute from Jon Field, guitar from Tony Duhig, and bass and these great raspy vocals from Glyn Havard. Titles include "Masami Morning", "Windweaver", "Petunia", "Telephone Girl", "Psychiatric Sergeant", "Slow Ride", and "A Prenormal Day At Brighton". Next up is Released – the searing second album from Jade Warrior – and a record that shows the world what a mighty guitar powerhouse lurked behind their faux-Japanese aesthetics! The group's a quintet for this record – upped from the debut – and in addition to razor-sharp guitar work from Tony Duhig, there's also some great use of tenor, alto, and flute by newcomer Dave Connors – who works alongside the flute and percussion of group founder Jon Field. Allan Price adds in plenty of drums next to Field's percussion – and the vocals of Glyn Havard are even more powerful here than before – definitely matching the ferocity of his work on the bass! The whole thing's great – a hard rock masterpiece with just the right lighter touches at times, thanks to the reeds – a masterpiece by a group who never got the attention they deserved at the time – apart from hip listeners who really knew where it was at. Titles include "Water Curtain Cave", "We Have Reason To Believe", "Eyes On You", "Barazinbar", "Yellow Eyes", and "Three Horned Dragon King". On Last Autumn's Dream, Jade Warrior have a sound that's unlike anyone else of their generation – a mix of percussion, flute, bass, and guitar – all with the kind of electric/acoustic interplay such a lineup with imply! The cover image of this second album maybe looks a bit dramatic, but the group actually have a sound that's nicely understated at times – they can certainly jam with the best of their Vertigo label prog contemporaries, but they can also get a bit more personal too – and it's the balance of those modes that make a record like this such a unique treasure from the time! Titles include "A Winter's Tale", "Snake", "Morning Hymn", "May Queen", "Lady Of The Lake", "Borne On The Solar Wind", and "Dark River". All albums with original artwork – in a box with a great booklet of notes! CD

Jade Warrior have a sound that's unlike anyone else of their generation – a mix of percussion, flute, bass, and guitar – all with the kind of electric/acoustic interplay such a lineup with imply! The cover image of this second album maybe looks a bit dramatic, but the group actually have a sound that's nicely understated at times – they can certainly jam with the best of their Vertigo label prog contemporaries, but they can also get a bit more personal too – and it's the balance of those modes that make a record like this such a unique treasure from the time! Titles include "A Winter's Tale", "Snake", "Morning Hymn", "May Queen", "Lady Of The Lake", "Borne On The Solar Wind", and "Dark River". LP, Vinyl record album

Elton back when he was genius, and unlike anyone else – with titles that include "Ballad Of A Well Known Gun", "Son Of Your Father", "Burn Down The Mission", "Love Song", and "Where To Now St Peter". LP, Vinyl record album

With J-Treds on "General Principle". 12-inch, Vinyl record

With Aaron Fletcher on alto and soprano saxophone, Marcus Strickland on tenor saxophone, Delfeayo Marsalis on trombone, Richard Johnson on piano, Edwin Livingston on bass, and Jaz Sawyeron drums. CD