... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Everyone on the cover's wearing a mask – but don't worry, they take them off during the performance – or at least that's the case with Michael Marcus and Joe McPhee, who bring some really wonderful reed work to the session! The group's a quartet – Marcus and McPhee on reeds, and Warren Smith and Joe Rosen on percussion – working here with a nice sense of structure, but plenty of freedom in the way the instruments come together – a really timeless session with a strong sense of spirit – and a meeting of the players that will last much longer than the cover's dated pandemic reference! Titles include "Joe's Train", "Love Exists Everywhere", "East Side Dilemma", "Coney Island Funk", and "Bluer Than Blue". CD

A great duet – Warren Smith on drums and Japanese reedman Hidefumi Toki on alto and soprano sax – just playing two long spare tracks on this direct-to-disc recording! Plays at 45rpm! LP, Vinyl record album

Jimmy Smith serves up a bucket of soul here – on an album that's one of his last for Blue Note, and still very much in the strong trio mode that launched his work for the label! The group's that super-sharp early 60s combo of Jimmy's – with Quentin Warren on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums – both players who have a groove that's maybe a bit under-stated at times, but which really lets Smith dominate the record – on both the keys of the Hammond, and the great work he brings to the bass pedals too. The tracks are short, but very groovy – with a tighter sound than on some of Smith's early Blue Note trio albums, and the same kind of in-the-pocket sound that made his Crazy Baby album a big hit. Includes a very groovy remake of "John Brown's Body", the original groovers "Bucket" and "Sassy Mae", and a nice modal tune called "3 for 4". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Jimmy's most classic albums for Blue Note – and a key example of why his solo skills on the organ surpassed most of his contemporaries! The record's got a stripped-down trio group of Jimmy, guitarist Quentin Warren, and drummer Donald Bailey – working through mostly familiar numbers, but taking them to places previously unheard of! The best example of this is the album's amazing version of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" – a classic groover that takes the old snoozer and pumps it up with a snapping rhythm, then features Jimmy really working the whole thing over with an incredible solo! A similar format's applied to numbers that include "Mack the Knife", "Night in Tunisia", "What's New", and "Makin Whoopee" – and the album soars with an easy groove that's every bit of Jimmy at his best! CD features 2 bonus tracks too! CD

One of Jimmy's most classic albums for Blue Note – and a key example of why his solo skills on the organ surpassed most of his contemporaries! The record's got a stripped-down trio group of Jimmy, guitarist Quentin Warren, and drummer Donald Bailey – working through mostly familiar numbers, but taking them to places previously unheard of! The best example of this is the album's amazing version of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" – a classic groover that takes the old snoozer and pumps it up with a snapping rhythm, then features Jimmy really working the whole thing over with an incredible solo! A similar format's applied to numbers that include "Mack the Knife", "Night in Tunisia", "What's New", and "Makin Whoopee" – and the album soars with an easy groove that's every bit of Jimmy at his best! LP, Vinyl record album

A classic Blue Note meeting of two of the label's top talents in the early 60s – Hammond hero Jimmy Smith, and the up-and-rising Stanley Turrentine on tenor! Turrentine's simply great at this point – playing with a raspy edge on the bottom of his tone, sounding dark and mysterious – not nearly as sweet as in later years – and Smith is wonderful too – still with traces of the rough experimental approach to the Hammond that he used in his first few Blue Note sides, but with a bit more of a defined and swinging sound – all given a nice kick by the drums of Donald Bailey and guitar of Quentin Warren. Titles include "Stone Cold Dead in the Market", "Red Top", "Prayer Meetin", "I Almost Lost My Mind", and "Picknickin'". CD features 2 bonus tracks! CD

A nice little set from Jimmy Smith – often overlooked amidst the flurry of early 60s Blue Notes, but a really strong session! The group on the set is Jimmy's trio with Quentin Warren on guitar and Don Bailey on drums – but they're augmented here by Lou Donaldson, whose crafty work on alto really opens the set up. Tracks are shortish and mostly familiar, but done with a laidback and easy groove that brings out the best in Jimmy's late Blue Note Hammond stylings. Titles include "Matilda Matilda", "Pork Chop", "Can Heat", and "Trust In Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Jimmy Smith serves up a bucket of soul here – on an album that's one of his last for Blue Note, and still very much in the strong trio mode that launched his work for the label! The group's that super-sharp early 60s combo of Jimmy's – with Quentin Warren on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums – both players who have a groove that's maybe a bit under-stated at times, but which really lets Smith dominate the record – on both the keys of the Hammond, and the great work he brings to the bass pedals too. The tracks are short, but very groovy – with a tighter sound than on some of Smith's early Blue Note trio albums, and the same kind of in-the-pocket sound that made his Crazy Baby album a big hit. Includes a very groovy remake of "John Brown's Body", the original groovers "Bucket" and "Sassy Mae", and a nice modal tune called "3 for 4". CD reissue also features previously unissued bonus tracks "Trouble In Mind" and "Sassy Mae", done in an alternate take! CD

A nice collection of one of the jazz organ's greatest players, pulled from Smith's classic Blue Note sides. Sidemen include Lou Donaldson, Stanley Turrentine, Lee Morgan, Tina Brooks, Kenny Burrell, Thornell Schwartz, Quentin Warren, Art Blakey, and Donald Bailey. 8 tracks in all, including "All Day Long", "The Champ", "The Sermon", "Midnight Special", "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", "Can Heat", "Flamingo" ad "Prayer Meetin'". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly nice little album – a Jimmy Smith Blue Note session dedicated to Fats Waller, one of the first jazz musicians to work out his skills on the organ! Jimmy's working with a tight trio that includes Quentin Warren on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums – and although Waller never wowed anybody on the instrument in the same way that Smith did, he did come up with a nice way of getting a good sound out of the instrument – one that Jimmy rightly acknowledges here, then takes to the next level! The album features familiar tunes from the Waller songbook, but the performance is definitely prime Jimmy Smith on Blue Note – a set with titles that include "Lulu's Back In Town", "Honeysuckle Rose", "Ain't Misbehavin", "I've Found A New Baby", "Ain't She Sweet", and "Squeeze Me". CD

Features Thurman Barker on drums, Warren Smith on vibes and timpani, and Jack Walrath on trumpet! CD

Gil plays Jimi? Sounds like a gimmick, but it comes off pretty darn great – and it helps you forgive him for trying to convince the kids that he's not as old as his grey hair might make you think! As always with Evans, the key to the album is a beautiful balance between the strength of the players and vision of the arrangements – a hip mix of musicians who include Billy Harper on tenor and flute, Marvin Hannibal Peterson on trumpet, and both Ryo Kawasaki and John Abercrombie on guitars! Arrangements are great too – handled by Tom Malone, Warren Smith, and Howard Johnson – all of whom make the album way more than just an instrumental reading of Jimi Hendrix tunes – and instead a great platform for improvisation that uses tunes that include "Up From The Skies", "Foxy Lady", "Gypsy Eyes", "Voodoo Chile", "Angel", "Crosstown Traffic", and "Castles Made of Sand". Plus, the CD features 4 bonus alternate tracks – not on the original album! CD

A really cool album from The Fugs – one that almost comes across as more of a multimedia effort than their earlier records – yet still delivers all the wit and politics of those gems too! The set was recorded at the Fillmore East, and features a few spoken parts in between some songs – the group are clearly enjoying that freedom that Warner was giving groups on record – mixed with some great raw numbers that equal their ESP material, plus some augmented elements put together by Warren Smith, which include guest organ from Richard Tee! Titles include "Supergirl", "Nothing", "Slum Goddes", "Saran Wrap", "CCD", and "I Couldn't Get High". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice change from some of Sam Rivers' more extended modes of the time – with tracks that are a bit shorter, with a bit more focus – yet still a relatively loose approach overall! The album features a few differeing trios – with Rivers on flute, tenor, soprano sax, and piano – plus Richard Davis, Cecil McBee, or Avild Andersen on bass – and either Norman Connors, Warren Smith, or Barry Altschul on drums. Titles include "Amber", "Rose", "Mauve", and "Violet". LP, Vinyl record album

With Thad Jones on cornet and flugelhorn, George Adams on tenor and flute, George Lewis on trombone, Stanley Cowell on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Lenny White on drums; and special guests Warren Smith on tympani and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last completely intense albums from Tony Williams' Lifetime group – a slightly changed lineup from the original trio – one that includes guitarist Ted Dunbar, bassist Ron Carter, and percussionists Don Alias and Warren Smith. The group still features some searing organ work from Larry Young (recording here as Khalid Yasin), but the overall sound is also a bit spacier, and even more percussion-driven than before. Dunbar's tripped-out guitar is a nice change from the more rock-focused sound of John McLaughlin on earlier records – and he seems to free the players from their fuzzed out sound, and let them hit some nicely organic moments. Titles include "Clap City", "There Comes A Time", "Two Worlds", "Some Hip Drum Sh!t", "Lonesome Wells" and "The Urchin's Of Shermese". CD

With selections by Howlin' Wolf, Ma Rainey, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ike Turner & His Kings Of Rhythm, Lou Sargent, Johnny Cash, Warren Smith, Carl Perkins, Billy Love, James Cotton, and Frank Frost. LP, Vinyl record album

22 songs from Buddy Cunningham, Smokey Joe, Carl Perkins, Billy Riley, Jean Chapel, Malcolm Yelvington, Sonny Burgess,and Warren Smith. CD

22 songs from Warren Smith, Wade & Dick, Jim Williams, Ray Harris, Carl Perkins, Edwin Bruce, Billy Riley, Tommy Blake, Hayden Thompson, Barbara Pittman, and Bill Justis. CD

One of the last completely intense albums from Tony Williams' Lifetime group – a slightly changed lineup from the original trio – one that includes guitarist Ted Dunbar, bassist Ron Carter, and percussionists Don Alias and Warren Smith. The group still features some searing organ work from Larry Young (recording here as Khalid Yasin), but the overall sound is also a bit spacier, and even more percussion-driven than before. Dunbar's tripped-out guitar is a nice change from the more rock-focused sound of John McLaughlin on earlier records – and he seems to free the players from their fuzzed out sound, and let them hit some nicely organic moments. Titles include "Clap City", "There Comes A Time", "Two Worlds", "Some Hip Drum Sh!t", "Lonesome Wells" and "The Urchin's Of Shermese". LP, Vinyl record album

22 songs from Warren Smith, Wade & Dick, Jim Williams, Ray Harris, Carl Perkins, Edwin Bruce, Billy Riley, Tommy Blake, Hayden Thompson, Barbara Pittman, and Bill Justis. CD

The Texas tenor legend soars again – in three great albums from his later years! Funky Butt is strong later work by tenor sax legend Arnett Cobb – in a quartet session cut in New York in January of 1980 – sounding fresh and revitalized one of his final studio dates! Funky Butt actually isn't a left turn into a funk sound Cobb, but it is a pretty darn great showcase for his rich, full sounding and playful tenor approach – not too out of character from his work in the late 50s on Prestige. He's backed by a great group that includes Ray Drummond on bass, Derek Smith on piano and Ronnie Bedford on drums. It's got a few fairly stomping numbers, particularly the opener "Jumpin' At The Woodside" and their energetic take on "I Got Rhythm" – and the whole set is terrific – with the bluesy Cobb-composed title track, plus "September In The Rain", "Isfahan", "Georgia On My Mind" and "Satin Doll". Wild Man From Texas is a great overseas set from tenor giant Arnett Cobb – a set done after a bit of a late 60s comeback on Prestige Records, and one that takes him back into even grittier territory overall! The great Milt Buckner is on the set on organ and a bit of vibes – and the record also features work from Eddie Chamblee on tenor, Buster Cooper on trombone, Wallace Davenport on trumpet, and Earl Warren on alto – players of a generation who really resonate well with Arnett's lead! Titles include "Where Or When", "Ghost Of A Chance", "Smooth Sailing", "Dutch Kitchen Bounce", and "Flying Home No 2". Again is a set that has the tenor of Arnett Cobb reunited with the Hammond of Milt Buckner – but in an unusual quartet that also features Clarence Gatemouth Brown on guitar! Brown's presence definitely brings out some bluesier currents at times, and the tunes also get plenty of that raw, raspy tenor treatment that Cobb can do so well – on tunes that include "Cobb's Boogie", "Deep Purple", "Cobb's Blues", "Light Like That", and "Willow Weep For Me". CD

An early moment of genius from Warren Zevon – the kind of record that really set his talents part from the singer/songwriter generation that came before – and made Zevon a key part of a new era of much darker songsmiths! Zevon manages to weave in all these strange moody elements while still delivering songs that are tuneful – often with studio talent that goes back to an earlier generation of LA polish, but which manages to have a bit more edge here in Warren's company. The lasting highlight of the record is probably the oft-played "Werewolves Of London" – but the whole thig is filled with gems – titles that include "Accidentally Like A Martyr", "Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner", "Nighttime In The Switching Yard", "Tenderness On The Block", "Veracruz", and "Lawyers Guns & Money". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge dip into the history of hip hop – in a set that's something of a groundbreaking effort from the folks at the Smithsonian! If we're honest, we'll tell you that we're old enough to remember a time when folks thought that hip hop was just a fad – when it was a musical style that would disappear in just a few short years. But now, all these many decades later, the form has had such an impact on American culture that the Smithsonian Institute is giving it some official sort of due – something we never would have believed back in the 80s! The package is huge – 9CDs with a whopping 129 tracks in all, and a 300 page book that supports the recordings with an insane amount of notes, photos, and all sorts of other information – alongside a track list that was put together by folks who include Questlove, 9th Wonder, Chuck D, Jeff Chang, and MC Lyte! The set is especially great on old school tracks up through the golden era hip hop years – but also moves into the 21st century too – and artists include Treacherous Three, Afrika Bambaataa, Fearless Four, Cold Crush Brothers, Herbie Hancock, Run DMC, Fatback, Sugarhill Gang, Kurtis Blow, Funky Four +1, T La Rock, Schoolly D, Beastie Boys, Kool Moe Dee, LL Cool J, Eric B & Rakim, Mantronix, Stetsasonic, Audio Two, Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte, Marley Marl, Tone Loc, Jungle Brothers, NWA, Public Enemy, Slick Rick, 3rd Bass, De La Soul, Queen Latifa, DOC, 2 Live Crew, Dr Dre, Sir Mix A Lot, Digable Planets, Positive K, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Naughty By Nature, Black Sheep, Tribe Called Quest, Geto Boys, Pharcyde, 2Pac, Warren G, Gang Starr, Notorious BIG, and many many more! CD