A trio of later gems from this legendary South African pianist! Mindif is a great set that features Abdullah Ibrahim's soundtrack music for the 1988 Clair Denis film Chocolat – some of his best group recordings of the 80s! The feel here is a bit more African-styled than usual – even for Ibrahim – with strong use of reeds to inflect the tunes with the right degree of color and tone for their use in the film. The ensemble on the record features Ricky Ford on tenor and soprano, Craig Handy on flute and tenor, Benny Powell on trombone, David Williams on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the tracks have a languid groove that recalls some of Dollar Brand's best South African recordings with Kippie Moketsie. Titles include "Earth Bird", "African Market", "Pule", "Star Dance", and "Serenity". African River is one of the great larger group recordings that pianist Abdullah Ibrahim gave us in the 80s – from a moment when he was able to use added horns to really expand that amazing sense of color and rhythm he'd brought to his music on earlier trio recordings! There's a sense of musical vision here that really lives up to Abdullah's majestic look on the cover – a fantastic merging of flute and tenor from John Stubblefield, soprano and alto from Horace Alexander Young, tuba and baritone from Howard Johnson, and trombone from Robin Eubanks – all vibrant horn players who seem to have just about every tone and mood covered with their horns – given this wonderfully warm support from Buster Williams on bass, and Brian Adams on drums. All titles are originals by the leader – and tunes include "Chisa", "Sweet Samba", "Duke 88", "The Wedding", and "Joan Capetown Flower". Yarona is a beautifully sensitive set from Abdullah Ibrahim – recorded live at the Village Vanguard, and with an open, lyrical sound that almost seems to recall some of Bill Evans' magical moments in the venue! Ibrahim's quite a different player, of course – but there's an open, exploratory quality to his music that's a bit unusual here – maybe not as rhythmically based as it is balanced between sound and silence – given very respectful company in the bass of Marcus McLaurine and drums of George Johnson. Titles include "Cherry/Mannenberg", "Duke 88", "African River", "Stardance", "Tuang Guru", "Tintinyana", and "African Marketplace". CD

A totally fantastic record, and one we'd put right up there next to some of the best soulful hardbop albums on bigger labels of the 60s – even though the set hardly ever saw much circulation back in the day! As you can guess from the cover, the quintet hails from San Francisco – and they work here with a boldly creative vibe that really reflects the energy they were bringing to their club dates in the Bay Area – leadership by pianist Al Tanner, with smoking tenor from Roy Henderson, and a mix of flute and trumpet from George Alexander – both done in these really great ways. Edwar Williams handles bass, and perhaps the biggest name here is drummer Smiley Winters, who would later go on to more avant fame – yet it's the group together as a whole who work so well, often with the cohesive energy and individual voices of the Horace Silver quintet at its best. Titles include the massive modal number "Kuba" – plus "Rolon's Groove", "Bronson's Blues", "The Magi", "Poor Me", and "Zaltanica" – most nice and long. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set from jazz drummer Xaver Hellmeier – recorded in New York and produced by drummer Joe Farnsworth – a mentor of the younger player, and maybe the force for bringing together the top-shelf group on the date – a wonderful lineup that features Eric Alexander on tenor, Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, Peter Washington on bass, and David Hazeltine on piano! The album's got all the snap, crackle, and pop that you'd expect from such a group – sharp, and very much on the money – the sort of record you'd expect from any of the other artists, or Farnsworth too, which is high praise for Hellmeier's work here as a leader! The tracks include some well-chosen numbers – including a great remake of "Book's Bossa", plus "Midnight Waltz", "Tune Up", and "Advance Notice" – plus Hellmeier's originals "Blues For JF" and "Night In Verona". CD

A totally fantastic record, and one we'd put right up there next to some of the best soulful hardbop albums on bigger labels of the 60s – even though the set hardly ever saw much circulation back in the day! As you can guess from the cover, the quintet hails from San Francisco – and they work here with a boldly creative vibe that really reflects the energy they were bringing to their club dates in the Bay Area – leadership by pianist Al Tanner, with smoking tenor from Roy Henderson, and a mix of flute and trumpet from George Alexander – both done in these really great ways. Edwar Williams handles bass, and perhaps the biggest name here is drummer Smiley Winters, who would later go on to more avant fame – yet it's the group together as a whole who work so well, often with the cohesive energy and individual voices of the Horace Silver quintet at its best. Titles include the massive modal number "Kuba" – plus "Rolon's Groove", "Bronson's Blues", "The Magi", "Poor Me", and "Zaltanica" – most nice and long. CD features bonus tracks "Lobby Lizards" and "Kuba (alt)". CD

A great little live set from Von Freeman – and one of his best albums! Like some of his rare few sides from the 70s, this one features Von in a relaxed setting – blowing as the main lead soloist in front of a piano trio recorded at the Dakota Bar & Grill in St Paul, Minnesota, in 1996. Unlike other sets, though, this one really shows the edge that Von can have when he's working at his best. Gone are the easily-blown standards that never really illustrate the genius of Von that's been an influence on decades of players – from Andrew Hill to Malachi Favors to Eric Alexander. Freeman's range on the tenor is incredible – taking in a wealth of influences that runs from Coleman Hawkins to Ben Webster to Coltrane and Wayne Shorter – and while the rhythm section is comprised of younger players from St Paul, Von's the real talent here, and has plenty of room to work. Titles include "Footprints", "Caravan", "Crazy She Calls me", "Blues For Sunnyland", and "Bye Bye Blackbird". CD

One of the most ambitious albums ever from the Globe Unity Orchestra – a set that not only features work from some of the key free jazz musicians you'd usually find on their records, but also the choir of the NDR Orchestra – who make all these amazing vocalizations next to the equally amazing sounds from the musicians! As with other outings, the group is led by pianist Alexander Von Schlippenbach – who's clearly outdone himself here, and who must have been completely worn out by the end of the performance – as he does a masterful effort directing the vocalists alongside a top-shelf lineup that includes Manfred Schoof and Kenny Wheeler on trumpets, Cunter Christmann and Paul Rutherford on trombones, Peter Brotzmann and Evan Parker on reeds, and Han Bennink and Paul Lovens on drums. The album features two extremely long tracks entitled "Hamburg 74" and "Kontraste Und Synthesen". LP, Vinyl record album