A crowning classic from maestro Waltel Branco – a Brazilian talent who could be smooth and sophisticated, but also pretty darn funky too – especially on this famous album from this 70s! The set takes off in a large ensemble vein of Brazilian grooves from a few years before – kind of more of a kick to the Blue Brazil/Odeon generation, as Branco works with a large string and horn section, but also ensures lots of tightness in the rhythms, and sweet electric touches on keyboards. There's a bit of Brazilian percussion at times – which let you know you're not in familiar CTI territory – and as with so many other great Brazilian albums of the time, the production is superb – really different than on American records of this nature. Titles include "Lady Samba", "Jael", "Satiricon", "Walking", "Luar Do SErgao", "Petit Fils", and "Zoraia". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing document of one of Peter Brotzmann's greatest albums from the time – a set that includes the album on CD, plus a book of photos taken during its creation! The record features spare duets between him and percussionist Han Bennink – recorded in the Black Forest, in a very nature-oriented setting that often has Bennink playing on rocks, sticks, and whatever else he could find – even some water, which sounds especially amazing! Han turns in some of his most inventive percussion ever – and proof that he's easily one of the most creative musicians on the European scene! There's a real focus on sound and feeling on the album – an organic sensibility that's quite different from other Brotzmann sessions, and which often comes across with a surprisingly gentle feel – and the album's a perfect example of the FMP formula at its best, when applied with the right sense of freedom. The whole thing comes in a softcover book with a fantastic presentation – loads of photos that were taken on the way to the forest where the set was recorded, then during the recording of the material too – really beautiful images that live up to the aesthetic of the cover art. The book also features an introductory essay – and the whole thing is 120 pages, with the CD inside the cover – black and white images throughout. CD

Easily the crowning moment of genius for the legendary Dave Brubeck Quartet – the moment when all things came together magically, and the group somehow elevated themselves to a whole new level in jazz! At the time of the set, Brubeck, Paul Desmond, and the rest had already been making plenty of waves with their creative yet swinging approaches to modern jazz – heard on a number of successful albums for Fantasy and Columbia in the 50s. But with this record, they really knocked one out of the park – blending Desmond's cool alto, Brubeck's unusual piano phrasing, Joe Morello's melodic drum work, and Eugene Wright's pulsating bass into a waltzing, almost modal groove that crossed over to many camps at the time! The classics "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo Ala Turk" were both hits on their own – but all titles are great, and include "Kathy's Waltz", "Strange Medow Lark", "Everybody's Jumpin", and "Pick Up Sticks". 2CD version features a set of previously unreleased Dave Brubeck material recorded at Newport in the early 60s – 8 rare bonus tracks on a separate CD – plus a DVD that features an interview with Dave on Time Out, historic Brubeck performance footage, a piano lesson, and a photo grallery too! CD

While some of this material was released later by Carlos in a different recording, this is the soundtrack to the film, with several orchestral songs and the Gene Kelly version of "Singin In The Rain" included next to Carlos' electronic versions of Beethoven and his own great work for the film, "Timesteps" and "Theme From A Clockwork Orange". CD

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Walter Carlos (now Wendy) performs electronic versions of many classics on the Moog. If nothing else, this is an interesting period piece, though on a certain level we're quite fond of it, oth in it's performance and it's motivation. Moogy takes of Monteverdi's "Orfeo" suite, several Scarlatti sonatas, Handel's "Water Music", Brandenberg's "Concerto no 4 in G Major" and Monteverdi's "Domine Ad Adjuvandum". LP, Vinyl record album

A haunting and unusual batch of tracks from bassist Ron Carter – working here with a group that includes spiritual modernists Eric Dolphy on reeds and Mal Waldron on piano – both players who really add a lot to the set! In a way, the album's more like Dolphy's own work as a leader from the time than the sort of music usually associated with Carter – and Ron really seems to let the reedman shape the overall sound of the set with his tremendous work on alto, flute, and bass clarinet. Carter plays a bit of cello in addition to his bass – giving the record a nicely eerie sound at points – and Waldron's piano, as always, is excellent during this point in his career. Titles include Randy Weston's "Where" and "Saucer Eyes", plus "Bass Duet", which features Carter dueting with George Duvivier, and a very nice version of "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". LP, Vinyl record album

Four late 60s gems from Perry Como – all records that really have him pushing beyond his pop style of the 50s! First up is Lightly Latin – one of the most sublime albums we've ever heard from Perry Como – a set that definitely takes its Latin lightly, and instead really goes for the best sort of mellow side of the Como sound! There's definitely a few bossa touches in the mix – a bit of acoustic guitar or light percussion – but they're added in very sparely, and couched with a beautifully subtle wall of sound from arranger Nick Perito, who works here with a lot more understatement than on some other records. Como's vocals are very far from pop – and the album brings out his maturing style wonderfully with a spacious, soft-toned style of production. Titles include "Dindi", "Once I Loved", "Stay With Me", "How Insensitive", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Baia", and "Manha De Carnaval". Next is Perry Como In Italy – one of the most haunting albums we've ever heard from Perry Como – a session recorded in Italy during the mid 60s – featuring arrangements by Nick Perito, and backing vocals by the Alessandro Alessandroni Singers! The tunes include a fair bit of older Italian numbers – some sung in the language of their origin, some in English translations that we've come to know on this side of the Atlantic – and Como takes them all with a sad-tinged style that makes the album one of his moodiest ever – a record that oozes melancholy with every song, and which has a late nite, heartbreaking appeal that goes beyond even the understanding of language. The set's a great one to convey the popularity of Italian work on the American market in the 60s – and Como carries off the session even better than some of the more likely singers on the scene during the period. Titles include "Souvenir D'Italie", "Forget Domani", "Anema E Core", "One Day Is Like Another", "Arrivederci Roma", "Oh Marie", and "E Lei". Look To Your Heart is the kind of record that moves so far beyond familiar pop vocalizations, it's almost like Perry's in a universe all by himself! The words seem to just be sneaking out of the singer's voice – these mutterings that are almost to himself, which makes his readings of the tunes feel even more personal than you might expect – even amidst larger backings from Nick Perito – like Como is off to the side of the room, ruminating on love lost and life lived! That quality comes through tremendously on the eerie "Father Of Girls" – a tune that's worth the price of admission alone – and other titles include "Try To Remember", "Look To Your Heart", "In These Crazy Times", "Sunrise Sunset", and "When You're In Love". Seattle is a record that has Perry Como taking on a bit of a country tinge at times – working with Chet Atkins production that almost seems as if the singer is trying to match the Dean Martin spirit of the late 60s, right down to phrasing that feels a bit like ol Dino himself! A few other cuts have more familiar Como modes, with backings by Nick Perito – and titles include the lively title cut "Seattle", plus "Happiness Comes Happiness Goes", "Together Forever", "Sunshine Wine", "Deep In Your Heart", "Hearts Will Be Hearts", "Turnaround", and "Beady Eyed Buzzard". CD

A killer hardbop session from the early years of MPS/Saba Records – and one of the boldest statements on record from the mighty American reedman Nathan Davis – then residing in Europe, and really making some great waves on the scene! As with so many of the best Saba gems, the record has a way of taking Blue Note/Prestige Records inspiration, and pushing it with a fresher sensibility picked up overseas – elements of spiritual and modal jazz in the mix, served up by Davis on tenor, flute and soprano – in a wonderful combo that also features Carmell Jones on trumpet – with Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – that ultra-hip rhythm section who opened up so many Gigi Campi productions! The album's a prize in the collection of any serious jazz collector – and titles include "The Hip Walk", "Train Of Thought", "B's Blues", and the nice groover "That Kaycee Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

Two fantastic American players – both coming together here on a rare European session for the Saba/MPS label in Germany! "Carmell's Black Forest Waltz" features not just great saxophone from leader Nathan Davis, but also a strong trumpet solo from Carmell Jones – blowing over this excellent modal groove from Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums! "B's Blues" is a bold soul jazz number – stunning work from both horn players, with Davis on a soprano sax for his solo! 7-inch, Vinyl record

The only Blue Note album ever cut by pianist Walter Davis Jr – but a heck of a hard-swinging set, and possibly his greatest album ever! Although Davis is more frequently heard in trio formation as a leader, this set brings him back to the mode used during some of his bop sideman dates of some years before – two completely solid horn players in the frontline, Donald Byrd on trumpet and Jackie McLean on alto – both blowing with a tremendous amount of soul and spirit on each track! Jackie's nicely sharp edges helps push Davis strongly – and rhythm work by Sam Jones on bass and Art Taylor on drums also add strongly to the punch of the set as well. Titles are all original compositions by Walter – and tracks include "Smake It", "Rhumba Nhumba", "Minor Mind", and "Millie's Delight". CD

A post-ECM set from drummer Jack DeJohnette – one that's got a bit more electricity in the mix than before, yet which still has that great sense of energy that Jack gave us with his Special Edition group! The lineup here is youthful – Greg Osby on alto and soprano sax, Gary Thomas on tenor and flute, Michael Cain on acoustic and electric piano, and Lonnie Plaxico on acoustic and electric bass – and while the keyboards and bass definitely inform the rhythm at points, Jack's own bold command of the drums still holds the session tight – and moves things forward with a boundless sense of energy that really sets the horns on fire. Titles include "Blue", "Where Or When", "Earth Walk", "On Golden Beams", "Monk's Plumb", "Lydia", and "It's Time To Wake Up & Dream". CD

A rare set from vibist Walt Dickerson – one of the most compelling jazz musicians to ever lay hold of a set of vibes! The album was originally issued as a Japanese-only session by the Why Not label in the mid 70s, and it features Dickerson playing on 5 tunes that have a slightly different feel than a lot of his other work from the time. First up is "Sky", which features some electric bass work by Jamaaladeen Tacuma, which makes for a more full-on sound than you usually get with Dickerson. Next up is "Awareness", an extremely haunting solo track that features this incredible tone on the vibes. The last three tunes feature a trio with Wilbur Ware on bass and Edgar Leon Bateman on drums – and Ware's bass work brings out a swing in Dickerson's vibes that we rarely ever hear. Titles include "Key Of Wisdom", "Yesterdays", and "I Love You". Essential work for any fan of this enigmatic vibist – and great to have back out again! CD

This is really some different sh*t. Divine Styler takes abstract to the next level, about as out as you can get and still be hip hop, if this is hip hop – playing a ton of instruments himself, and backed by a live band for the most part, singing and delivering spoken word as often as he's rhyming. We seem to recall something in an interview well after the fact about a lot of mind altering substances being dabbled in around this time. Includes "Am I An Epigram For Life?", "In A World Of U", "Love, Lies And Lifetime's Cries", "Livery", "Grey Matter", "Mystic Sheep Drink Electric Tea", "Width In My Depth", "The Next", "Euphoric Rangers", "Walk Of Exodus", "Aura", and more. CD

Sublime early work from Bonnie Dobson – really spare, really beautiful tracks recorded years before Dobson became more of a pop phenomenon – with a classic sound that's instantly mesmerizing, right from the very first note! The record just features Bonnie's guitar and her amazing voice – recorded perfectly by Rudy Van Gelder, who did as great of a job here as with any of his jazz sessions for Prestige Records – maybe even more so, given the intimacy of the record. Titles include "The Cruel War Is Raging", "Mistress Bond", "Envoyons De L'Avant", "The Road To Grandmere", "The Old Maid's Lament", "Across The Blue Mountain", and "Frankie Slide". CD

A pivotal album in the career of saxophonist Lou Donaldson – a set that really has him finding his own groove – a slow-stepping, soul-drenched mode that's a nice change from the bop of his roots! A key part of the record's charm is conga work by Ray Barretto – a player used often on early soul jazz dates like this – not in the Latin style of Ray's bigger work to come, but more in this extra-percussion mode that's a great blend with the drum work in the group by Dave Bailey – creating this mellow groove that's a great platform for Lou's smoking solos on alto! The rest of the group is great too – the wonderful Herman Foster on piano, plus Peck Morrison on bass – a great match for Bailey – on titles that include "Play Ray", "Callin' All Cats", and "Blues Walk". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album in the career of saxophonist Lou Donaldson – a set that really has him finding his own groove – a slow-stepping, soul-drenched mode that's a nice change from the bop of his roots! A key part of the record's charm is conga work by Ray Barretto – a player used often on early soul jazz dates like this – not in the Latin style of Ray's bigger work to come, but more in this extra-percussion mode that's a great blend with the drum work in the group by Dave Bailey – creating this mellow groove that's a great platform for Lou's smoking solos on alto! The rest of the group is great too – the wonderful Herman Foster on piano, plus Peck Morrison on bass – a great match for Bailey – on titles that include "Play Ray", "Callin' All Cats", and "Blues Walk". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album in the career of saxophonist Lou Donaldson – a set that really has him finding his own groove – a slow-stepping, soul-drenched mode that's a nice change from the bop of his roots! A key part of the record's charm is conga work by Ray Barretto – a player used often on early soul jazz dates like this – not in the Latin style of Ray's bigger work to come, but more in this extra-percussion mode that's a great blend with the drum work in the group by Dave Bailey – creating this mellow groove that's a great platform for Lou's smoking solos on alto! The rest of the group is great too – the wonderful Herman Foster on piano, plus Peck Morrison on bass – a great match for Bailey – on titles that include "Play Ray", "Callin' All Cats", and "Blues Walk". CD

An incredible album from Bill Evans – and maybe THE record you need in your collection if you're trying to understand his contribution to jazz! The album's one of Evan's first sides from the Village Vanguard – and features the legendary trio that included Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums – both players who could shake free from conventional rhythmic roles in a piano trio, yet who also support Evans' lyrically modal playing here beautifully! The tracks are a bit longer than Bill's studio sides from the time, allowing for even more magical interplay on the keys – and titles include "My Foolish Heart", "Waltz For Debby", "Detour Ahead", "My Romance", "Some Other Time", and "Milestones". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album from Bill Evans – and maybe THE record you need in your collection if you're trying to understand his contribution to jazz! The album's one of Evan's first sides from the Village Vanguard – and features the legendary trio that included Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums – both players who could shake free from conventional rhythmic roles in a piano trio, yet who also support Evans' lyrically modal playing here beautifully! The tracks are a bit longer than Bill's studio sides from the time, allowing for even more magical interplay on the keys – and titles include "My Foolish Heart", "Waltz For Debby", "Detour Ahead", "My Romance", "Some Other Time", and "Milestones". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of great Bill Evans albums for Verve – both a very good fit together! The cover of Empathy co-credits Bill Evans and Shelly Manne as the leader of the set – and that distinction's an important one – as the record has a slightly different feel than some of Bill's other 60s work for Verve! The sound is often a bit stronger, somewhat bolder – and although Manne's not a monster on the drums, he does have a way of directing the tunes that's a bit different than some of Evans' other piano-led albums. Bass is by Monty Budwig, who's nicely sensitive to the talents of both players – and there's almost an equally-weighted melodic feel to all three elements of the trio – which really rounds out the record nicely. Titles include "The Washington Twist", "Danny Boy", "Let's Go Back To The Waltz", "With A Song In My Heart", "Goodbye", and "I Believe In You". Simple Matter Of Conviction is a move into a more sophisticated vein than his earlier recordings! The album has him working with bassist Eddie Gomez, a hugely talented bassist that would be one of Bill's best partners during this period, and a player who added a nice dose of soul to the proceedings. The drummer is Shelly Manne, who's pretty nice, too – and really shows off some of his more sophisticated shadings here in the presence of Evans and Gomez – similar to his work on the great Empathy album. Tracks are shortish, but filled with imagination – and titles include "Unless It's You", "These Things Called Changes", "Stella By Starlight", and "A Simple Matter Of Conviction". CD

A relatively short album, at least in terms of hip hop records that can span multiple discs and dozens of tracks – but that also marks the sharp focus that's made Freddie Gibbs such a powerful force in the music – an MC who gets right to the point, and never needs to hide his ideas behind intros and skits! Production here is by a variety of talents – Badbadnotgood, Teddy Walton, Speakerbomb, and others – shifting from track to track, in a nicely varied way – all unified through the subtle majesty of Gibbs! Titles include "Phone Lit", "Homesick", "Alexys", "Amnesia", "Dear Maria", "Crushed Glass", and "20 Karat Jesus". LP, Vinyl record album

A 60s album that collects earlier 10" sessions from the young tenor genius Stan Getz – one from 1949, and one from 1954! The 1949 sessions have Stan playing in a group with Terry Gibbs, Shorter Rogers, and George Wallington – on tunes that include "Michelle (parts 1 & 2)", "T&S", "Cuddles", and "Terry's Tune". The 1954 sessions are a bit more in the classic "Early Stan" mode – as they feature Getz working in a quintet with Jimmy Raney on guitar and Hall Overton on piano – very much in the Roost mode that first got Stan his fame, with that amazing tone really opening up on numbers that include "Motion", "Lee", "Signal", and "Round Midnight". LP, Vinyl record album

Kind of a dream combination in one little album – especially if you dig breezy bossa from the 60s! Back in 1966, Verve Records got the great idea of teaming up its (then) biggest Brazilian imports – vocalist Astrud Gilberto and organist Walter Wanderley – both of whom were selling plenty at the time! Astrud's lovely vocals are matched beautifully with the lean, rhythmic bossa grooves of Wanderley's trio – and the result is a record that's near-perfect in execution. Most of the tracks are quite short, as is the record itself – but it's a perfectly concentrated dose of the Verve bossa sound at its best, with tracks that include "Portuguese Washerwoman", "Tu Meu Delirio", "A Certain Smile", "Call Me", "Here's That Rainy Day", "A Certain Sadness", "It's A Lovely Day Today", and a vocal version of Wanderley's big hit "Summer Samba", redone here as "So Nice"! LP, Vinyl record album

Steve Grossman joins the Cedar Walton Trio – on a sweet little set that makes for one of Grossman's deepest records of the 80s! Although Steve can really blow with a lot of power when he wants to, he hits a much more lyrical mode here – one that's clearly in line with the warm tones of Walton's piano, opened up nicely in the album's collection of familiar tunes that provide plenty of gentle ballad space for Grossman to blossom. Walton plays piano with David Williams on bass and Billy Higgins on drums – and titles include "Naima", "Easy To Love", "My Old Flame", "Easy Living", "415 Central Park West", and "What's New". LP, Vinyl record album

The sonic intensity of saxophonist Mats Gustafsson gets a perfect foil here in the electronics of Joachim Norwall – a musician who really helps Gustafsson to reach some of the most powerful sounds we've heard from his horns in years! Mats can have a way of blowing his instruments as if they're almost modular electronics – not in a cold sort of approach, but one that works the reeds and pads with a pulsating sort of energy – waves of sonic activity shifting in pace, as he creates this incredible magic on baritone sax, slide saxophone, bass saxophone, alto fluteophone, and flute – while Norwall delivers work on analogue electronics in a range of different styles. Sometimes the electronics are more in the background of the saxophone improvisations, sometimes more actively upfront – and titles on the set include "There Are Some Worlds Where All Dreams Die", "Their New Life Was Their Final Life", "Birdbrain", "His Fingers Moving In The Air Produced A Soft Organ Like Music", "Here Eyes Were Like Cold Fires", and "The Day Of Days Was There". LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Louis Armstrong, Jimmie Noone, Darnell Howard, Walter Fuller, Budd Johnson, Billy Eckstine and more. CD

An amazing little record – easily one of the coolest albums ever on the legendary Ovation label – and a set that has the small imprint almost hitting the heights of their Chicago neighbor Cadet Records! The core sounds here are from the folksy duo of Chuck Hollins and Dave Starr – but their music is really expanded with some key studio touches – jazzy inflections from session players, some slight fuller arrangements – and an overall vibe that carries the same sense of hope and new voice that you'd find in records by Terry Callier or Rotary Connection! The dawn of the 70s was a great time to push the boundaries of what could be done with folk and psychedelic trappings, and these guys really find a great little space – balancing trippy lyricism, lots of ethereal atmosphere, and a few heavily percussive jams! Titles include "Talking To Myself", "Krishna Dov", "Cry Baby Cry", "Twin City Prayer", "John Hurt", "Hard Headed Women", "Lovable", "Digress", "Staying High", "Sidewalk's Talkin'", and "Feelin' Good". CD features bonus tracks that include a 9 minute outtake of "Hard Headed Woman" – plus single versions of "Feelin Good" and "Lovable". CD

Great early work recorded for the United label – including a few unissued tracks! CD

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A group pop classic from this early 60s trio – with tight small combo backing, and titles that include "Girl Of My Dreams", "Chiquita", "Honest I Do", "Walking Along", "Hog For You", "I Believe In You", and "My Baby Hully Gullys". LP, Vinyl record album

A great later effort from the 5 Stairsteps family – a later offshoot of the initial enterprise, still working here under the production helm of father Clarence Burke! Keni Burke's a member of the group, and the work here has a very similar groove to his own RCA material of the time – offset with some warmer elements that also echo the previous Stairsteps records on Warner, especially given that a number of the cuts have group vocals. Keni's bass does a nice job of kicking in the grooves, and the album's got a nicely warm sound for the time – almost more late 70s group funk than early 80s boogie. Titles include the sweet harmony track called "Along The Way" – plus "Party Time", "Circles", "Rated X", "Really Wanna See You", and "Same Thing". CD

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An obscure little live set – recorded at the end of the 70s, at a time that makes it some of Sonny Stitt's last work on record! The format is straight and boppish – with some lyrical touches, and a strong open solo mode that goes well with the live setting. Stitt seems to dominate a bit more than Jackson, but that's ok with us – as he's in his best "back to basics" format of the 70s. The rest of the group features Gerald Price on piano, Don Moses on bass, and Bobby Durham on drums – and titles include "Loose Walk", "Star Eyes", "SKJ", and "Parking Lot Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Forget the million times you've heard the schmaltzy title tune of this one – and check out Walter's version! Like most of his work from the time, the album's an incredibly mature batch of soul tracks – recorded in a very adult style that was similar to Teddy Pendergrass' work from the same period. The arrangements are great, and the mix of tunes that includes "Send In The Clowns", "The Meeting", "Golden Rays", "Magic Man", and "Girl You're A Woman" is handled with a perfect modern style by Carl Davis. LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet smooth soul from Walter Jackson – recording here in his later years, with a style that's a lot more modern than his classic 60s recordings for Okeh, but still surprisingly nice, and a great evolution of his "Iceman" soul sound! The set features Eugene Record's great title cut, "Tell Me Where It Hurts", plus a version of Stevie Wonder's "If It's Magic", a remake of "At Last" – and the tunes "What If I Walked Out On You", "When I See You", and "Living Without You". LP, Vinyl record album

"Where Have All The Flowers Gone" was once a familiar folk song – but it gets a great new sound here in the hands of Walter Jackson – who sings the tune with a nicely deep vocal style, setup here in some cool backings with vibes right up front! 7-inch, Vinyl record

This hip Chicago group reference our mighty 606 urban trail here – and come across with a sound that's equally city gritty – served up in a blend of elements borrowed from blues, funk, soul, and rock! There's plenty of great harmonica in the grooves – performed by lead singer James Porter, a vocalist with a very distinct, powerful sound – one that really resonates with some of the work he's given our city over the past few decades as both a force in radio and in print! Titles include "Walkin The 606", "What's The Deal", "Play Me Or Trade Me", "Your Way Ain't Workin", and "Hidey Hole". CD

Really wonderful work from Jazzhole – a record that goes far beyond some of the simpler modes bubbling around the Neo Soul underground these days! Lead vocalist Marlon Saunders will be familiar to Dusty Groove customers for his other great solo work – but here his sound is somewhat different – a bit more introspective and sophisticated, with a warm rasp in his voice that sounds beautiful alongside the flowing keyboards and jazzy phrasing of the backings. The style is one that's really all its own – certainly inspired a bit by the classics, but hardly a simple copy of them – and Jazzhole prove once again that they're a great little combo who don't need to hit you over the head to hook you into their soul! Titles include "Poet's Walk", "All The Ways", "Jonesing", "One More Time", "Do It Right", "Timeless", and "It Would Have Been Enough" – plus a surprisingly great cover of Boz Scaggs' "Lowdown". CD

A soul jazz treasure from the LA scene of the early 80s – a fantastic record that we'd rank with the best Strata East sides of the time! The group's led by alto saxophonist Dadisi Komolafe, and features vibes by Ricky Kelly, piano by Eric Tillman, bass by Roberto Miranda, and drums by Sunship Theus – all working together in a style that's infused with soulful, post-Coltrane exploratory energy, never going too far outside, and always staying true to the rhythmic pulse at its core. Kelly's vibes are really great – sparkling underneath solos by Komolafe that remind us a lot of Gary Bartz's earliest work – and titles include "Calvary", "Speak No Evil", and "Hassan's Walk". LP, Vinyl record album

An early moment of brilliance as a leader for bassist Peter Kowald – and maybe a record of his that matches the early FMP albums of Peter Brotzmann for sheer, raw intensity! There's almost a Machine Gun-like power here – as the group comes on with all the amazing energy that the early European free jazz scene had to offer – that moment when music like this was as much a force in politics and the larger cultural world as it was in jazz – with Kowald at the head of a group that also features Gunter Christmann and Paul Rutherford on trombones, Peter Van De Locht on alto, and Paul Lovens on drums. The trombones alone are worth the price of admission – and Kowald sometimes joins in on tuba and alphorn – on improvisations that include "Pavement Bolognaise", "Guete Luuni", "Platte Talloere", and "Wenn Wir Kehlkopfoperierte Uns Unterhalten". CD

The strings have it – in this sweet little set from bassists Peter Kowald and Kent Kessler, and the great Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello! The combination of instruments is wonderful – very free, but often quite tuneful nonetheless – as each player seems to glide between rhythm and melody, very much awash in their strong senses of sounds! The recording is a vintage one – captured in the WNUR studios in Chicago, at a very formative time for each player, especially Kessler and Lonberg-Holm – and it's issued here for the first time ever. Tracks vary in length from 17 minutes to 55 seconds – and the CD features 16 titles in all. CD

Produced by the Beatnuts, with an early guest appearance by Lord Sear. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Very experimental work from this loose Canadian collective of the late 60s – but a set that's filled with some surprisingly cool touches too! The album's almost more of a "happening" in the studio at times – with free-flowing energy between jazz musicians, rockers, poets, electronocists, and more experimentally sonic scientists – shifting styles quickly from track to track, but occasionally hitting some straighter, funkier moments that are totally great – almost a more tripped-out version of some of the French electronique work we love so much from the 60s – and a record that's mindblowingly beautiful in its sense of freedom and creativity. The whole thing's a sonic trip through incredibly fresh territory – never too overindulgent, and beautifully balanced both in sound and execution. Titles include "Ode A L'Affaire", "J'Ai Perdue 15 Cents Dans Le Nez Froid", "Finale", "Viens Danser Le OK La", "Agnus Dei", "Desafinado", "She's Leaving Home", and "Intermezzo". LP, Vinyl record album

Pianist Walter Lang brings all his own compositions to this beautiful trio set – a record of understated genius that's handled with a really beautiful approach to recording! Lang's tunes are complex, but never in a way that's cold – and although he clearly can really work his way around the keyboard, he also does so in ways that aren't showy or overdone – really just these light painterly strokes in sound at times, given gentle groove through the work of Thomas Markusson on bass and Sebastian Merk on drums. Titles include "Still Gone", "Dawn Song", "Precious Love", "I Wonder", "Translucent Red", and "Afterglow". LP, Vinyl record album

A southwestern group, and one with a very groovy vibe – thanks to a great way of mixing together well-crafted guitar lines and harmonized vocals, all at a level that competes with some of the bigger names out in LA at the time! The set features recordings done in sessions from 1964, 1966, and 1967 – the latter two of which really have the Lewallen Brothers stepping into Sunset Strip territory – both in the catchy quality of their vocals, and in the way they use very slight psych touches in their music. CD features 14 tracks in all – and titles include "Together Forever", "Kind Hearted", "Think It Over", "Alone Again", "It Must Be Love", "What More Can I Say", "Only A Dream", and "If I Were You". CD

A great example of why Little Milton was always one of the few Chicago blues artists who could also break strongly in the soul camp at the time – and a beautifully balanced set that perfectly shows both sides of the Chicago scene of the time! Production is by old Vee Jay maestro Calvin Carter, and arrangements by Gene Barge, who manages to slide effortlessly between blues and soul on the set – almost pushing Milton into Tyrone Davis territory, but keeping things a bit more rougher and down home on some of the other numbers. The sound is wonderful – very deep and rich, and with a sound that's head and shoulders above most other albums of this type in the late 60s. Titles include "Baby I Love You", "If Walls Could Talk", "Things That I Used to Do", "Let's Get Together", "I Play Dirty", "Blues Get Off My Shoulder", "I Don't Know", and "Poor Man". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic set – 46 Chess Records recordings, including a few unissued titles! CD

With 20 tracks including "Juke", "Sad Hours", "Blues With A Feeling", "It Ain't Right", "Tell Me Mama", "Mean Old World", and "You're So Fine". CD

The secret history of Chicago house music – a side of the scene that's even more obscure than its many rare records or long-departed clubs! The book is a fantastic follow up to the first volume – and like that one, features rare flyers, posters, and ads for some of the underground Chicago house music events and venues – some of them legitimate entertainment venues, but others more obscure hole-in-the-wall places – including some churches that were surprising hosts to house music events back in the day! The book has no text, but features full color reproductions of dozens of flyers and posters – most of them very detailed and vibrant, with loads of information on obscure artists, DJs, and other forces helping to make house music happen – often emblazoned with addresses that will come as a real surprise if you only know the Chicago of the 21st Century! A beautiful book – and one that makes us proud to call Chicago our home. Book

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the most unusual disc guides we've ever seen – a book that coins its own genre of music, Walearic – then finds a whole host of vintage records that fall under that new category! The book is filled with listings of rare records from Japan – music in many styles, and which represent the real flowering of Japanese musical creativity in the 70s and 80s – a time when the pressing plants were going at full steam, and the nation was really crafting its own amazing legacy in music! As with other Japanese books of this nature, most of the text is not in English – but the all-color volume does feature page after page of record covers, titles, dates, artist, and label information – hundreds of listings for records that will definitely expand your crate digging efforts in years to come. The book is divided up into chapters that focus on the original styles of the records – with many entries in chapters that include "Psychedelic/Avant Garde", "Easy Listening/Mood Music", "New Wave", "Disco/Fusion", and "OST/Anime" – almost 200 pages of listings, with 4 records to a page, all in color – which makes for a heck of a lot of new records to discover! Book

Beautiful early work from Cannonball Adderley – and a record that's quite different than most of his better known sets from the time! The album's more spare and stripped-down than usual – with Cannon's alto in a quartet alongside Bill Evans on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Connie Kay on drums. The style is almost more that of Evans than it is Cannonball – lightly lyrical, with a good sense of space – in a way that has Adderley playing out front very strongly, cutting some beautiful lines with his solos, in a really unfettered way! Titles include versions of two of Evans' tracks – "Waltz For Debby" and "Know What I Mean?" – plus nice moody takes on other material, like John Lewis' "Venice", Clifford Jordan's "Toy", and Gordon Jenkins' "Goodbye". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Work Song", "Stay On It", "Walkin' Shoes", "Sweet And Slow", "Blueport", "Billy Boy", "Cubana Chant", "Lorraine", "Norms Norm", and "A Night In Tunisia". CD

Beautifully sensitive work from pianist Geri Allen – a session cut with a core trio of Ron Carter on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums, but one that sparkles even more from guest contributions by Wallace Roney and Carmen Lundy! Geri's piano is at the forefront of the set – sliding out gracefully with a sound that's not exactly timeless, but which has a soulful energy that reminds us a lot of some of the best styles of her roots – focused a bit more here, and augmented on a few tracks by the Atlanta Jazz Chorus, a vocal group who hardly dominate the record, but float in very gently alongside Geri's piano – almost in a style that's similar to the use of voices on some of Duke Pearson's last recordings for Blue Note. Titles include "Portraits & Dreams", "Oh Freedom", "Melchezedik", "Well Done", "La Strada", "I Have A Dream", "Nearly", "In Real Time", "Our Lady", and "Timeless Portraits & Dreams". CD features a bonus disc with a version of "Lift Every Voice & Sing" by vocalist George Shirley with the Atlanta Jazz Chorus. CD

A landmark album from The Allman Brothers – and a set that forever set the standard for double live albums in the 70s! The expanded format really let the group open up and show the strengths they had already developed as a live act, long before they walked into the studio for their initial album – as the tracks are often quite long, and let you hear the way they approached the process of creation – using lots of jamming energy that's really let loose here on the longer tunes, which are awash in amazing guitar and organ solos! Dickey Betts and Duane Allman are fantastic together – and titles include the side-long "Whipping Post" and "You Don't Love Me" – plus "Hotlanta", "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed", "Statesboro Blues", "Stormy Monday", and "Done Somebody Wrong". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album from The Allman Brothers – and a set that forever set the standard for double live albums in the 70s! The expanded format really let the group open up and show the strengths they had already developed as a live act, long before they walked into the studio for their initial album – as the tracks are often quite long, and let you hear the way they approached the process of creation – using lots of jamming energy that's really let loose here on the longer tunes, which are awash in amazing guitar and organ solos! Dickey Betts and Duane Allman are fantastic together – and titles include the side-long "Whipping Post" and "You Don't Love Me" – plus "Hotlanta", "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed", "Statesboro Blues", "Stormy Monday", and "Done Somebody Wrong". This version features lots of great bonus material too! CD

The album's definitely got a big sound – thanks to superb tenor from the great Gene Ammons, who stretches out on some nice long tracks that also feature solo work from Jerome Richardson on flute, Paul Quinichette on tenor, Pepper Adams on baritone, and a young John Coltrane on alto – billed here as his first-ever recording on the instrument! The rest of the group is equally great – Mal Waldron on piano, George Joyner on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – stretching forth in a nicely relaxed, open way on the album's four long tracks – "Blue Hymn", "The Real McCoy", "Cheek To Cheek", and "That's All". CD

Way more than just an album with Gene Ammons as a leader – and instead, a set that truly earns the "all stars" listed on the cover – thanks to a great array of supporting players, and a very loose, open-ended jam session style that lets everyone get in plenty of solo space! Ammons' tenor is tremendous, but he's also a great collaborator here, too – working with Idrees Suliman on trumpet, Pepper Adams on baritone, Mal Waldron on piano, Art Taylor on drums, Doug Watkins on bass, and Ray Barretto on conga – in a mode that's maybe slightly tighter than some of the blowing sessions Prestige was doing at the time, but which still has that key longform creative energy that made the hardbop generation so great. Titles include "Blue Gene", "Scamperin", "Blue Greens n Beans", and "Hip Tip" – and all tracks are long, with plenty of focus on solos! CD

A great meeting of tenor talents – a collection of some fantastic early material recorded by Jug for Prestige. This collection of great sides, originally issued as 78s, features Ammons and Stitt locking horns on "Blues Up And Down", "You Can Depend On Me", "Easy Glide", "Walkin", "Touch Of The Blues", "Who Threw The Sleeping Pills In Rip Van Winkle's Coffee?" and "Chabootie", with sidemen that include Duke Jordan, Bill Massey, Tommy Potter, Gene Wright, Jo Jones, Art Blakey and Wesley Landers. Classic blowing material! LP, Vinyl record album

Gene Ammons may be the leader, but the tenor giant is in great company here – stretching out over four long tracks, with help from Jackie McLean on alto, Art Farmer on trumpet, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Mal Waldron on piano! The rhythm is kicked in nicely by Doug Watkins on bass and Art Taylor on drums – and titles include "Pint Size", "King Size", "Stella By Starlight", and "Funky". LP, Vinyl record album

Not to be confused with the Jammin' With Gene LP, this set was later reissued as The Twister. Classic blowing session material from Jug – with 4 long tracks that are all a superb example of how great Prestige could be when they wanted to! The group is filled with great players – Jackie McLean, Mal Waldron, Idrees Sulieman, and Kenny Burrell – and the band plays with a free easy groove that produces some beautiful solos, especially from Jug! Titles include "Cattin", "The Twister", "Four", and "Pennies From Heaven". CD

One of the tasty blowing session albums that Jug cut for Prestige – remarkable in the quality of the players (Coltrane, Mal Waldron, Pepper Adams, and others), and in the relaxed easy groove of the solid soulful tracks. There's 4 long cuts, and they all swing nicely nicely nicely! Titles include "Ammon Joy", "Groove Blues", and "Jug Handle". CD

A nice little 2-fer collecting two great meetings of two greats! Jug and Stitt go head to head on Boss Tenors, a classic album of tracks that perfectly captures the joy and fury of their live performances from years before! The record was cut in Chicago with a very hard rhythm section that includes John Houston on piano, Charles Williams on bass, and George Brown on drums – and it's way heavier than the usual Verve "meeting of the masters" session, and feels more like a record that should have been issued on Prestige or Argo. Both players are impeccable, and the solos stretch out for a long long very live time. Titles include "Blues Up & Down", "The One Before This", and "Counter Clockwise" – but these guys even groove amazingly on standards like "Autumn Leaves" and "No Greater Love". Boss Tenors In Orbit was a follow up one year later, an obscure little session with the pair once again recreating the energy of their live shows – as they stretch out nicely on very long tracks that have spare backing by the Don Patterson trio! The cuts are mostly standard stuff – "John Brown's Body", "Walkin", "Long Ago And Far Away" – but the twin-tenor sound is great, and Patterson's free organ lines riff away nicely! LP, Vinyl record album

About as classic as you can get for Amon Duul – a double-length set that virtually defined the sound of prog rock for the 70s! Tracks are long, and mighty jamming – with a strong undercurrent of jazz alongside the heavy drums and guitars – set loose at a level that's much madder than most American work of the time – always threatening to trip itself up at various points, but incredibly on track over the length of the extended package. There's a few improvisational moments, and the whole thing has a fluid feel that even makes us swallow the vocals easily, as they fit right in with the rest of the tripped-out instrumentation. Instruments include 12 string guitar, organ, and some especially nice bongos – and titles include "Burning Sister", "Eye Shaking King", "Yeti Talks To Yogi", "Cerberus", and "Archangel Thunderbird". CD

Hard swinging big band material from Sweden – featuring the big band of Harry Arnold arranged by Quincy Jones. Quincy had been spending a lot of time in Sweden during the mid 50s – bringing with him a host of great players that would soon become big names on the European scene. Biggest of these is Benny Bailey, who plays some good solos here with a mostly-Swedish group that includes Arne Domnerus, Bengt Hallberb, Ake Persson, and Bengt-Arne Wallin. The style of the work, and its trans-Atlantic jazz orientation, is a direct precursor of later work by the Clarke-Boland Big Band – of whom Bailey was a big part. Titles all swing nicely, and tracks include "Doodlin", "Room 608", "Quincy's Home Again", "Brief Encounter", and "Meet Benny Bailey". LP, Vinyl record album

The great Brian Auger reaches way back into his catalog here – and brings together both classic cuts from his earliest years playing Hammond on the UK scene, and some unissued material that appears here for the first time ever! The set's maybe most noteworthy for featuring Auger in some more R&B-styled cuts – including versions of "Walkin" and "I See A Man Downstairs" that have Sonny Boy Williamson joining Auger's Trinity combo – and two cuts by the early combo Steampacket, versions of "Watch Your Step" and "Sidewinder"! Yet the set's nice and long, and features plenty more great cuts too – all with killer keyboard work from Brian, on titles that include "Straight Ahead", "Freedom Jazz Dance (live)", "Straight Ahead", "A Better Land", "Red Beans & Rice (live)", "Save Me (live)", "Light My Fire", "Indian Rope Man", "Jeannine", "Poinciana", "Total Eclipse", "Fill Your Head With Laughter", "Planet Earth Calling", and "Splatch". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet set of soundtrack funk – from a film named after one of our favorite streets in Chicago! Although the record's got an approach that's perhaps a bit tighter and smoother than anything going down on Stony in the late 70s, it does manage to share a good deal of styles with the Chi-soul scene of the time – thanks to work on the record from Chicagoans Gene Barge, Sonny Seals, and Tennyson Stephens! Many of the tracks on the set have a bad-walking soul approach – one that's kind of a mixture of funky and bluesy – and these are laid out next to some jazzier instrumentals that we like most of all – tunes that have a great funky soundtrack feel, but with a bit more fusion touches than usual, probably because of the work of David Matthews. Titles include "Percy Fired", "Party Lights", "High Speed Posters", "Back To Business", "Chase The Train", "Gangster City", "Dream Ride", and "Peace Of Mind". CD

A sweet set of soundtrack funk – from a film named after one of our favorite streets in Chicago! Although the record's got an approach that's perhaps a bit tighter and smoother than anything going down on Stony in the late 70s, it does manage to share a good deal of styles with the Chi-soul scene of the time – thanks to work on the record from Chicagoans Gene Barge, Sonny Seals, and Tennyson Stephens! Many of the tracks on the set have a bad-walking soul approach – one that's kind of a mixture of funky and bluesy – and these are laid out next to some jazzier instrumentals that we like most of all – tunes that have a great funky soundtrack feel, but with a bit more fusion touches than usual, probably because of the work of David Matthews. Titles include "Percy Fired", "Party Lights", "High Speed Posters", "Back To Business", "Chase The Train", "Gangster City", "Dream Ride", and "Peace Of Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

We totally dig Basie's work from the mid 60s! He was working with Quincy Jones at the time – and Quince laid down some very soulful arrangements that used the best jazz elements of the Basie group to turn out some great pop instrumental tracks with a very groovy sound. This album's a perfect example of that format, as it features some great Basie sidemen, grooving nicely to Quincy's hip swinging arrangements of pop material like "Walk, Don't Run", "Fly Me To The Moon", "This Could Be The Start Of Something Big", and "One Mint Julep". LP, Vinyl record album

Yes, it was a mega-hit – and yes, it was one of those records that everyone who lived through the 70s seemed to own at one time – but after all these decades, you can't deny the power of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack – especially for the way that it mixed club soul classics with new original material! Obviously, the Bee Gees cover placement make them big stars of the record – but the set's also got some great early disco gems – like "Open Sesame" by Kool & The Gang, "Disco Inferno" by The Trammps, "KJEE" by MFSB, "Calypso Breakdown" by Ralph MacDonald, "Fifth Of Beethoven" by Walter Murphy, "If I Can't Have You" by Yvonne Elliman, "Boogie Shoes" by KC & The Sunshine Band, and "More Than A Woman" by Tavares. The Bee Gees reinvent themselves from the early days – and sing "Stayin Alive", "How Deep Is Your Love", "More Than A Woman", "Jive Talkin", "You Should Be Dancin", and "Night Fever" – and the set also features a few instrumentals by David Shire – "Manhattan Skyline", "Night On Disco Mountain" and "Salsation". CD

Yes, it was a mega-hit – and yes, it was one of those records that everyone who lived through the 70s seemed to own at one time – but after all these decades, you can't deny the power of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack – especially for the way that it mixed club soul classics with new original material! Obviously, the Bee Gees cover placement make them big stars of the record – but the set's also got some great early disco gems – like "Open Sesame" by Kool & The Gang, "Disco Inferno" by The Trammps, "KJEE" by MFSB, "Calypso Breakdown" by Ralph MacDonald, "Fifth Of Beethoven" by Walter Murphy, "If I Can't Have You" by Yvonne Elliman, "Boogie Shoes" by KC & The Sunshine Band, and "More Than A Woman" by Tavares. The Bee Gees reinvent themselves from the early days – and sing "Stayin Alive", "How Deep Is Your Love", "More Than A Woman", "Jive Talkin", "You Should Be Dancin", and "Night Fever" – and the set also features a few instrumentals by David Shire – "Manhattan Skyline", "Night On Disco Mountain" and "Salsation". LP, Vinyl record album

William Bell was one of the singers who first helped the Stax label get going at the start of the 60s – but during the second chapter of Stax, when they broke from Atlantic, his contributions were maybe even more amazing – as his voice had matured wonderfully, and he was able to handle a range of sensitive themes that went even farther than before! The music here is southern soul at its most mature and sophisticated – heartbreaking vocals, but moving past some of the more oft-tread territory of the 60s – as Bell rose in pride and power during the new generation of Stax, with results that are completely sublime throughout! This side of his work isn't nearly as well-known as the first, but is even better to our ears – presented in a string of singles, both a and b-sides, with detailed notes on this really special period in his career. Titles include "I Forgot To Be Your Lover", "Happy", "Born Under A Bad Sign", "A Smile Can't Hide A Broken Heart", "Lonely Soldier", "Let Me Ride", "Save Us", "All For The Love Of A Woman", "The Man In The Street", "Penny For Your Thoughts", "Get It While It's Hot", "Nobody Walks Away From Love Unhurt", "Getting What You Want", "You've Got The Kind Of Love I Need", "If You Really Love Him", "Lovin On Borrowed Time", "Bring The Curtain Down", and "My Whole World Is Falling Down". CD

The complete recording of Tony Bennett and Bill Evans as a duo – the Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album from '75 and the '76 follow up Together Again – back to back, plus a bonus CD of alternate takes! If you've ever doubted the real jazz sensibility of Tony Bennett, the Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album is the one to change your mind – because Tony's working here in a marvelously unadorned setting – with only the piano of Bill Evans to back him up! The record's a rare gem from years after Bennett was cracking the pop charts, but was willing to pull back to the jazz of his roots – and the session's equally rare for Evans, who rarely worked with vocalists at this point in his career. The simplicity of the album is its strength – and together, the pair really sound tremendous – slightly faltering at times, but in a way that exposes a sense of humanity you might not find in other records, especially those by Bennett. Titles include "When In Rome", "Some Other Time", "The Touch Of Your Lips", "My Foolish Heart", "Waltz For Debby", and "Young & Foolish". Together Again is another gem, following the form of the first duos record exceptionally well, perhaps with Evan's piano a bit more prominent in the sound, and another fine batch of tunes, including "The Bad And The Beautiful", "Lucky To Be Me", "A Child Is Born", "Lonely Girl", "You Must Believe In Spring" and more. The bonus CD features alternate takes of material from the 2 albums, with versions of "You And Foolish", "The Touch Of Your Lips", "Some Other Time", "When In Rome", "Waltz For Debbie" and multiple versions of "The Bad And The Beautiful", "A Child Is Born", and more. CD

Fantastic work from the team of Binker Golding and Moses Boyd – a pair who just seem to get more and more fantastic with each new album – as they do here, with some heavy-hitting help from Evan Parker on tenor and soprano sax, and Byron Wallen on trumpet! Yet the most compelling addition might be drummer Yussef Days – who works alongside the drums of Moses, to create this really dynamic two-drum sound to the group – one that's really explosive right from the start, especially when the tenor of Golding gets wrapped around the horns of Parker and Wallen! Tori Handsley also plays harp on the record, and can really change up the sound when her approach is strong – on titles that include "Children Of The Ultra Blacks", "How Land Learnt To Be Still", "The Death Of Light", "The Discovery Of Human Flesh", and "How Air Learnt To Move". CD

A sublime tribute to the music of Bobby Hutcherson – put together by drummer Brian Blade with a group that really lives up to the soulful spirit of some of Bobby's best Blue Note material of the early 70s! Monte Croft is on vibes, and really gets that sense of color right that we love in Hutcherson's music – yet the record also has a nice sense of flavor of its own – thanks to strong use of congas from Rogerio Boccato, guitar from John Hart, and some especially nice flute, tenor, and alto from Myron Walden. John Cowherd colors in things nicely on piano and Wurlitzer piano, Doug Weiss plays bass, and titles include "Now", "Black Heroes", "The Final Four", "Love & Hate", "Hello To The Wind", and "Slow Change". CD

A record of rich textures and layers – music that swings, but also swirls – thanks to work on the set from Kurt Rosenwinkel on guitar, Myron Walden on alto and bass clarinet, and Melvin Butler on tenor and soprano sax – all brewing together over the drums of Brian Blade! Pianist Jon Cowherd has a part in the colors and tones too – punctuating the proceedings, while also illuminating them too – adding his own sound to the mix, as the whole group moves together as a very cohesive whole! There's no bass at all – which further shines a light on the diversity of Blade's drumming – on titles that include "Catalysts", "Peoples Park", "Until We Meet Again", Look To The Hills", "Migration", and "Kings Highway". CD

A great little vocal session on Bethlehem – and maybe the only record we've ever seen from singer Betty Blake! Blake's a great vocalist right from the start – one who balances swing and sophistication wonderfully – amidst some very hip jazz backings from a combo that features Zoot Sims and Roland Alexander on tenor, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Teddy Charles on vibes, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Mal Waldron on piano! The set's got a bit more punch than some other Bethlehem vocal dates, but it also has a nice sense of spontaneity too – never over-arranged or too staid, in ways that really show off Blake's swinging side. Titles include "Moon and Sand", "I'll Be Around", "While We're Young", "Blue Fool", and "Trouble Is A Man". CD

A landmark recording by a whole new chapter in Art Blakey's career! During the early 60s, Blakey expanded the Jazz Messengers from a quintet to an incredibly tight sextet – adding in the trombone of Curtis Fuller for an extra-punched up frontline that also included Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Wayne Shorter on tenor, who had returned to the group after a short departure. The band was augmented by the wonderfully lyrical and soulful piano of a young Cedar Walton – who brought a strong degree of sophistication, and who was a perfect interpreter of Shorter's rich writing talents. The whole group performs together perfectly on this wonderful (and oft-overlooked) session – especially on the tracks "Shaky Jake", "Backstage Sally", and "Bu's Delight". LP, Vinyl record album