Walt Dickerson and Sun Ra are reunited – after only playing together on the seminal 60s album Impressions Of A Patch Of Blue! The session's a very spare one, in the typical mode of Dickerson's Steeplechase work of the late 70s – and most titles have Dickerson taking the main lead on vibes, with Ra providing flourishes of color and tone to the tracks – unusually restrained, but in a way that also adds a whole new level to our understanding of his genius! Titles include "Space Dance", "Constructive Neutrons", "Astro", and "Utopia". CD

Excellent album recorded by vibist Walt Dickerson during the mid 60's. Ostensibly a "soundtrack session", Dickerson freely improvises on themes from the movie A Patch Of Blue, and turns the score into a great platform for moody jazz playing on vibes and piano. Even more surprising is the fact that Sun Ra is the pianist in the quartet, making a rare non-Arkestra appearance – and on a major label, too! Titles include "Bacon & Eggs", "Alone In The Park", "Selina's Fantasy", and "Thataway". CD

Solo Sun Ra, and a set that's heavy on Fender Rhodes as well – a record that's maybe a bit more inside than some of Ra's more avant live sessions, yet one that still features a fair bit of improvisation as well! From an electric piano perspective, the set's a gem – and it's great to hear Ra open up on the keys, working in modes that are a bit like some of his Improvising Artists recordings from a few years before – showing the world that although he's sometimes working in a larger ensemble, he's also a hell of a pianist with sold grounding in older jazz modes – displayed strongly here on titles that include "Haverford Impromptu #2", "Love In Outer Space", "Space Is The Place/Over The Rainbow", "St Louis Blues", and "Haverford Impromptu #1". The set also features two never-issued shorter acoustic piano tracks – "We Love To Be" and "Take The A Train". CD also features the excellent "Haverford Encore Duet" – with vibist Walt Dickerson! CD

There's some pretty nice moments on Jerry Goldsmith's great score for the film A Patch of Blue (so many, in fact, that the score was later re-cast by Sun Ra and Walt Dickerson). The overall approach is orchestral – but there's a lot of moments when the instrumentation gets odd, and when the instruments fall out and recombine in interesting ways. Nice titles include "Bead Party", "Help Me", and "Selina's Walk". CD

Quite possibly the freshest vibist we've heard in years – a player whose records are always exploding with amazing sounds on his instrument – and the kind of intensity we'd reserve for a rare few on the vibes – maybe Bobby Hutcherson, Walt Dickerson, or Steve Nelson! Jason Adasiewicz has a talent that's been building and building for the past few years – and here, he really knocks it out of the park – showing a melodic conception that's as bold as his rhythmic inspiration – and control enough to get free, yet swing inside beautifully at just the right moment! The balance is one that's really been bringing some great sounds to the Chicago scene in recent years – and Jason's trio here features very like-minded cats – Mike Reed on drums and Nate McBride on bass, both players who ensure that the record is far more compelling than most other vibes trio sets you'll hope to find. Titles include "Stake", "Life", "Rose Garden", "Overtones Of China", "Warm Valley", and "Off My Back Jack". CD