A real classic from Yusef Lateef – and like the rest of his best albums from the time, an incredible blend of hardbop, soul jazz, and some really wonderful exotic touches! Lateef plays a bit of oboe on the album – sounding really weird and snakey over laidback orientalist rhythms on the album's most out there tracks. On other tunes he picks up tenor, grooving more straight ahead, and also hits a bit of flute for the more gentle moments. The group's a quartet – with Barry Harris on piano, Herman Wright on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and titles include "P. Bouk", "Koko's Tune", "Water Pistol", and "Rasheed". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful stuff from Brother Yusef, cut during his early days with Savoy, when he was hitting a perfect mix of soul jazz, hardbop, and more exotic instrumentation. This set features his great quintet with Curtis Fuller, Hugh Lawson, and Louis Hayes – and Yusef plays a number of other strange percussive and reed instruments, in addition to his usual tenor. The tracks are haunting, and all originals. Titles include "Blues In Space", "Morning", "Metaphor", and "The Beginning". Very nice! LP, Vinyl record album

Finally! Yusef Lateef's live set at Pep's in 1964 is the stuff of legend. Not only is it one of his best-ever recordings, but it also yielded a huge amount of material that was not issued at the time, and which only ever came out on later, badly-annotated issues. Now, the proper "part 2" set is finally issued – with all the lost cuts fully intact, and a great set of notes to explain everything. The set features one of Lateef's best cuts ever – "Brother John" – plus other great ones like "P-Bouk", "Nu-Bounk", and "Delilah". Throw away your beat up copy of Club Date, and check out this great new CD! CD

Features Adam Rudolph, Momenta String Quartet, Taka Kigawa, Marty Erhlich, and Yusef Lateef performing his poem "When". CD

Although often lost to the sands of time because of the small pressing/small reissue history of the sides cut for the label, Yusef Lateef's work for Impulse was certainly some of his strongest of the 60s, and it showed him moving way past the spacey mysticism of earlier albums, into a tighter vein that still kept a lot of the older elements, yet which also really knew how to groove. This 2LP set brings together plenty of nice moments recorded for Impulse – and it features Lateef in the company of great players like Roy Brooks, Mike Nock, George Arvanitas, Reggie Workman, and Richard Williams. Titles include "Feather Comfort", "One Little Indian", "Number 7", "Sound Wave", "Psychiemotus", "Kyoto Blues", and "Warm Fire". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most spiritual work we've heard from Yusef Lateef in years – a set cut with AACM legends Roscoe Mitchell and Douglas Ewart, and done with a sound that takes us back to the legendary sounds of both players in the 70s! Adam Rudolph also joins the quartet, bringing in some great percussion – and the album's a really collaborative affair, with all the musicians shifting through a wide range of instrumentation in their own spheres of expertise – at a level that recalls the work of the Art Ensemble of Chicago at their best. Lateef plays tenor, flutes, oboe, and even vocalizes a bit – as does Ewart, who along with Roscoe Mitchell plays a range of reeds and percussion instruments. Titles include "Voice Prints", "Sound Search", "Harpers Ferry", and "Morning Moves". CD

A rare treasure from Yusef Lateef – one of his hardest to find albums, recorded right around the same time as his magical work for Savoy! The record has Lateef playing in his local Detroit area – working with Terry Pollard on piano, William Austin on bass, and Frank Gant on a host of percussion instruments. The tracks have that open, percussive, and exotic feel that we love the most in Lateef – soul jazz taken to a very righteous territory, and one of the first powerful flowerings of the Detroit underground. Includes a really long version of "Morning", plus "Let Every Soul Say Amen", "Brazil", and "Woody N You". LP, Vinyl record album

Yusef Lateef's Detroit is a mighty funky one – a great summation of all the soulful sounds he'd crafted on previous records, but with a full groove that really points the way towards the 70s! Lateef's reeds are still the main attraction – great solos on tenor and flute – but there's also some wonderful electric elements on the record, which offer Yusef a very different setting than usual, and one that has some wickedly offbeat funky touches too! The groove's exotic, and has this unusual feel that's very different than most other Atlantic jazz of the time – much more in the mode of some of the hippest electric sets from the underground. Bernard Purdie handles drums – which ensures the funky elements of the set – and titles include "Eastern Market", "Bishop School", "Belle Isle", "Livingston Playground", "Woodward Avenue", and "Raymond Winchester". LP, Vinyl record album

Yusef Lateef creates a solo symphony of reeds, flutes, percussion, and electronics – all through magic of overdubbing! CD

One of our favorite Atlantic albums by the great Yusef Lateef – an incredible session that has him dipping back into his earlier exotic roots with those great reed styles of the early 60s – yet also hitting a mix of soul and funk like some of his other albums from the time! The sound is tremendous – wonderfully righteous, at a level that really set the tone for more ambitious soul jazz projects of the 70s by other artists – including the best of the soul jazz underground who were often as inspired by Lateef as they were by Coltrane! The group's great, too – and features Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Sonny Red on alto, Hugh Lawson on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Roy Brooks on drums – next to Yusef's own work on tenor, flute, bamboo flute, tamboura, and percussion. Titles include "Sun Dog", "Moon Cup", "Othelia", "Like It Is", and the groovy "Juba Juba". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Yusef's fantastic LPs for the Savoy label, featuring the great multi-reed player amidst a tight quintet of Detroit players like Terry Pollard on piano, Bernard McKinney on euphonium, Bill Austin on bass, and Frank Gant on drums. Clear evidence that the Detroit spiritual jazz scene stretched back way before the Tribe records years, and a great document of the blending of in and "out" styles that were taking place in the local scenes of American cities in the post war years. Excellent Lateef material, including "Oboe Blues", "Arjuna", and "The Dreamer". LP, Vinyl record album

The title says it all – as Yusef Lateef works here in that wonderful mixture of hardbop, soul jazz, and Eastern stylings that he brought to all of his best early sessions as a leader! Lateef himself is playing tenor, flute, and oboe – which he uses to craft these eerie snakecharmer lines that work perfectly with the modal grooves of the tracks – very unusual rhythms for the time, and a real precursor to some of the world jazz experiments to come from overseas. The rest of the group features pianist Barry Harris, drummer Lex Humphries, and bassist Ernie Farrow, who also plays a strange instrument called a rabat – which further adds to the charm of the record. Titles include "Plum Blossom", "Purple Flower", "Three Faces Of Balal", and "Chinq Miau". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most amazing work that Yusef Lateef ever recorded! All tracks were recorded on June 26, 1964 – at Pep's Lounge in Philly, and the group's a hard-wailing batch of soulful players that are one of the tightest that Lateef ever worked with! The 2LP set features Lateef's incredible Live At Pep's album on disc one, plus a full disc of other material that was recorded during the same set, but not issued until the time of this 1978 release. Some of the tracks have since appeared on CD – but combined with the Club Date LP issued around the same time, this set forms kind of a trilogy of material from that fantastic date. The group features some amazing piano from Mike Nock – vamping and grooving along at a pace that brings out the best in Lateef's reeds and the shimmering trumpet of Richard Williams – and the record combines all of Lateef's exotic work on flute and saxes with a groove that you'll hardly hear on other albums. Titles include "Listen To The Wind", "Number Seven", "Twelve Tone Blues", "The Magnolia Triangle", "The Weaver", and "Sister Mamie". LP, Vinyl record album

Four of Yusef's Atlantic records spread out over 3 CDs. CD

A sweet budget collection, includes the albums The Sound Of Yusef Lateef, Other Sounds, Cry Tender!, Eastern Sounds, Into Something, Jazz Round The World, Live At Pep's, and 1984. CD

A very unusual album for Yusef Lateef – and that's saying quite a lot, given how quirky most of his work can be! The session has Lateef exploring both rootsy and modern modes – working in a unique quartet that features George Arvanitas on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and legendary New Orleans musician James Black on drums and assorted percussion. Arvanitas has an excellent style with a very dark edge, and his playing is augmented strongly here by Workman's exploratory basslines, and Black's creatively rhythmic way of approaching the percussion. The whole thing's a very moody session, with a subdued sound, and a nice edgey approach to the material that differs nicely from some of Lateef's other recordings – an earthy feel that grabs the listener from the very first track. Yusef plays flute, tenor, and other wind instruments – and tracks include "Psychicetmotus", "Medula Sonata", "Semiocto", and a version of Satie's "First Gymnopedie". LP, Vinyl record album

Yusef Lateef's Detroit is a mighty funky one – a great summation of all the soulful sounds he'd crafted on previous records, but with a full groove that really points the way towards the 70s! Lateef's reeds are still the main attraction – great solos on tenor and flute – but there's also some wonderful electric elements on the record, which offer Yusef a very different setting than usual, and one that has some wickedly offbeat funky touches too! The groove's exotic, and has this unusual feel that's very different than most other Atlantic jazz of the time – much more in the mode of some of the hippest electric sets from the underground. Bernard Purdie handles drums – which ensures the funky elements of the set – and titles include "Eastern Market", "Bishop School", "Belle Isle", "Livingston Playground", "Woodward Avenue", and "Raymond Winchester". CD

A soulful late 60s outing for Brother Yusef – one of his first, and one of his best, albums for Atlantic! Despite the misleading title, this isn't really the "complete" Yusef Lateef (it would have to be a 50 LP set for that!) – but the record is a nice slice of Yusef's playing from the late 60's, a record that shows him tightening things up a bit, and adding a bit of a soul jazz touch – but still keeping some of the jazz exotic roots of earlier recordings. The group includes Roy Brooks on drums, Cecil McBee on bass, and Hugh Lawson on piano – all Detroiters who have a keen sense of Lateef's style and poise on material like this! Titles include "Kongsberg", "See Line Woman", "Brother", and "You're Somewhere Thinking Of Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet collection and one the label could have called The Diverse Yusef Lateef if that title wasn't already taken. This anthology goes way past Yusef Lateef's Atlantic years and includes material recorded for Savoy, Prestige, and Impulse – it even has a track recorded with Grant Green for Blue Note! CD

11 songs from Johnny Hammond, Hank Crawford, Stanley Turrentine, Lonnie Smith, Fats Theus, Milt Jackson, Ray Barretto, Idris Muhammad, and Yusef Lateef. CD

Features work by Yusef Lateef, Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakey, Ray Charles, John Coltrane, David Newman, Lennie Tristano, Shorty Rogers, and many others! LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by Mongo Santamaria, Johnny Lytle, Cal Tjader, Cannonball Adderley, Montego Joe, Pete Terrace, Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers, Yusef Lateef, and Billy Taylor. CD

There's few people we'd trust more with our ears than Gilles Peterson – and once again, the man shows that our trust in him wasn't misplaced! This time round, Gilles takes us on a heady trip through the hippest side of the Impulse Records label – the imprint that's quite well known for its groundbreaking jazz of the 60s and 70s, but which is presented here with a special flair that's really amazing! As usual, Peterson goes way past the obvious hits and classics, and digs even deeper into the many great albums issued by Impulse – all to find special tunes and wonderful tracks that might have slipped past us otherwise – put together with even greater care to assure a even-keeled mood throughout the entire set. Gilles has a way of re-igniting the fire that first made these records great – by setting the tunes up in an order, and with a pacing, that allows each number to resonate even more strongly alongside its partners in the tracklist. Only 10 tracks in all – but all of them are great – and titles include "First Gymnopedie" by Yusef Lateef, "The Blessing Song" by Michael White, "Enchanted Lady" by Milt Jackson & Ray Brown, "Alamode" by Art Blakey, "Lonesome Lover" by Max Roach, "See You Later" by Dave MacKay & Vicki Hamilton, "Patterns" by Oliver Nelson, "Wise One" by John Coltrane, and "Three Flowers" by McCoy Tyner. CD

Rock-solid live material from the classic Cannonball Adderley Sextet – a combo who could usually groove even better on a concert date then they could in the studio! The album's one of a number of key live sides from Cannon in the 60s – and although it pre-dates his work on Capitol, it's done in a similar spacious mode – with plenty of longish tracks that build upon the core groove set down by Joe Zawinul's piano, Sam Jones' bass, and Louis Hayes' drums – a perfect backdrop for the creative and complicated solos of Cannon on alto, Nat Adderley on cornet, and Yusef Lateef on tenor, flute, and oboe! The date was recorded live at the Village Vanguard in 1962 – and titles include "Gemini", "Planet Earth", "Dizzy's Business", "Syn-anthesia", "Scotch & Water", and "Cannon's Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem in the Dave Brubeck Columbia catalog – and a very hip set of "Eastern" tinged tracks! The album's theme is obvious from the title – as Dave pens a set of tracks reflecting his experiences on recent visits to Japan – but the sound and the style moves way past the simple approach that might have been used, into territory that has the exotic feel of early 60s work by Yusef Lateef, Horace Silver, and some of the other hardbop-exotics around at the time. Of course, a big factor in the success of the record is the crisp and willowy alto of Paul Desmond – working here to create snakey lines that really support the mood of the tracks. Titles include "Osaka Blues", "Koto Song", "Zen is When", "Tokyo Traffic", and "Toki's Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

A really early nugget from the Detroit jazz scene of the 50s – and a record that marks a key moment for players who would soon become huge on a variety of different labels! The group here features a very young Donald Byrd on trumpet, with Yusef Lateef on tenor, Barry Harris on piano, Alvin Jackson on bass, and Frank Gant on drums – plus Bernard McKinney blowing euphonium – an instrument he would use on a number of other important recordings over the years to really deepen their sound. The date was originally issued by the Transition label, and very quickly disappeared when they quickly closed up show – brought back over the years in a few variations by Delmark, to keep the memory of this moment alive. Tracks include "Yusef", "Parisian Thoroughfare", "Blues", "Dancing In The Dark", and "Tortion Level". CD

A beautiful live set from trumpeter Roy Campbell – a piece of music that's every bit as majestic as its title, and handled by Roy in a wonderfully spiritual way! The album's a real high point – not just in Campbell's career, but in that of the associated group members too – including violinist Billy Bang, who moves us here maybe more than on any of his own albums from the same time – plus Bryan Carrott on vibes, Hilliard Greene on bass, and Zen Matsuura on drums. Campbell's larger musical vision is wonderful – rich enough to move all the rest of the group into a very special player – and Roy also plays a bit of recorder and arghul too, which add some nice exotic currents to the sound, almost recalling an older Yusef Lateef mode. Titles include "Aten & Amarna", "Ahkenaten", "Pharaoh's Revenge (part 1)", and "Sunset On The Nile". CD

Never-issued live work from British jazz legend Graham Collier – a performance that follows hot on the heels of his classic Down Another Road album, and which continues with a very similar vibe! That album is a modal masterpiece that stands as one of the key moments in British jazz at the end of the 60s – and here, bassist Collier furthers the magic of that wonderful album, but with a freer, more spontaneous sort of live energy – leading a very cool group that features Nick Evans on trombone, Harry Beckett on trumpet and flugelhorn, Stan Sulzman on tenor and alto, Karl Jenkins on piano and oboe, and John Marshall on drums. Collier's basslines alone are worth the price of admission – but there's so many other wonderful touches too – even the oboe work by Jenkins, which echoes some of the exotic tones of Yusef Lateef a few years earlier. Titles include "Molewrenceh", "The Barley Mow", "Aberdeen Angus", "Down Another Road", "Lullaby For A Lonely Child", and "Burblings For Bob". CD

Never-issued live work from British jazz legend Graham Collier – a performance that follows hot on the heels of his classic Down Another Road album, and which continues with a very similar vibe! That album is a modal masterpiece that stands as one of the key moments in British jazz at the end of the 60s – and here, bassist Collier furthers the magic of that wonderful album, but with a freer, more spontaneous sort of live energy – leading a very cool group that features Nick Evans on trombone, Harry Beckett on trumpet and flugelhorn, Stan Sulzman on tenor and alto, Karl Jenkins on piano and oboe, and John Marshall on drums. Collier's basslines alone are worth the price of admission – but there's so many other wonderful touches too – even the oboe work by Jenkins, which echoes some of the exotic tones of Yusef Lateef a few years earlier. Titles include "Molewrenceh", "The Barley Mow", "Aberdeen Angus", "Down Another Road", "Lullaby For A Lonely Child", and "Burblings For Bob". LP, Vinyl record album

Notable sidemen include Sam Jones, Louis Hayes, Sonny Clark, Ike Quebec, Kenny Drew, Yusef Lateef, Art Blakey and others. CD

A wonderfully experimental album from drummer Philly Joe Jones – and one that has just the right sort of "ethnic" feel to earn its "Around The World" title! Mostly, the ethnicity comes through in exotic reed work by Sahib Shihab, Herbie Mann, and Cannonball Adderley – who all play wonderfully on the album – alongside straighter sidemen who include Lee Morgan and Blue Mitchell on trumpets, Benny Golson on tenor, and Curtis Fuller on trombone. There's a bit of the Yusef Lateef late 50s sound on here – mixed with Philly's killer crack sock drum approach – a blend that comes off wonderfully throughout, and really makes the album a standout in Philly Joe's catalog from the time. Titles include "Land Of The Blue Veils", "Blue Gwynn", "El Tambores", and "The Tribal Message", which is a nice drum solo! CD also features a bonus take of "Stablemates". CD

An unusual chapter in the label-hopping career of Charles Mingus – a one-off date recorded for Mercury right after Mingus' legendary sessions for Columbia! The format here may well be Mingus' most ambitious to date – as the album features larger groups than before, exploring a range of musical ideas that run from Charles' own highly political expressions of the Civil Rights era to some of his landmark explorations of Duke Ellington! As always, the individual players in the group are given a strong voice in the proceedings – and the record bristles with energy from solos by Ted Curson, Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, Jimmy Knepper, Yusef Lateef, and a young Joe Farrell – as well as vocal performances by Lorraine Cousins, who sings on the classic "Weird Nightmare" and the haunting "Eclipse". A tremendous record throughout – filled with life, imagination, and boundless creativity – with titles that include "Mingus Fingus no. 2", "Weird Nightmare", "Eclipse", "Bemoanable Lady", "Half Mast Inhibition", and "Prayer for Passive Resistance". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Olatunji's best LPs, and a record that breaks out of his usual straight hard percussion stuff by adding some jazz players like Yusef Lateef, Clark Terry, and George Duvivier. There's also some singers augmenting the ensemble, but they drop out in parts, and the percussion and jazz take over. Olatunji's joined by Ray Barretto and Montego Joe on congas, and the whole thing grooves like one of Art Blakey's jazz/percussion experiments. 7 tracks: "Masque Dance", "Zungo", "Ajua", "Esum Buku Wa-Ya", "Gelewenwe", "Jolly Mensah" and "Philistine". LP, Vinyl record album

The music of Chip Wickham just seems to get deeper and deeper with each new release – the kind of "instant classic" territory that few jazz musicians seem to hit so effortlessly – and exactly the kind of record that's had us loving Chip's music from the very first record! The groove is mostly modal, and the group has this great blend of bass, drums, and percussion that rolls along with a wonderfully fluid quality – almost in the nascent spirituality of a player like Yusef Lateef in the early 60s, but with a lot more contemporary understanding too – especially as Wickham adds in elements from the harp of Amanda Whiting, trumpet of Eoin Grace, and vibes of Ton Risco! Phil Wilkonson handles the piano with a majestic sort of grace – and Chip blows both flutes and tenor, on titles that include "Dark Eyes", "Tubby Chaser", "Winter", "Lower East Side", "Stratospheric", and "The Hit". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the hippest jazz tracks ever recorded by Atlantic Records – a great blend of numbers that mixes together modal groovers, funky jams, and hard-hitting soul jazz tracks! The music here nicely steps around a number of different styles, and a number of different artists – and represents the cooler side of the Atlantic jazz catalog – instead of some of their better-known, crossover hits – mixed with a few funk and soul numbers too! The set was compiled by London DJ Russ Dewbury – and he did an excellent job of dipping into all the right parts of the Atlantic catalog, and timed out the set so that the cuts fit together extremely well. Titles include "I Walk On Gilded Splinters" by Dr John, "Jagger The Dagger" by Eugene McDaniels, "It's Your Thing" by Shirley Scott, "See Line Woman" by Yusef Lateef, "Mean Greens" by Eddie Harris, "The Windjammer" by Mongo Santamaria, "Black Root" by Roland Kirk, "The Fakir" by Duke Pearson, "Witchi Tai To" by Jim Pepper, "Sufur" by Rufus Harley, and "Foxy Brown" by David Newman. CD

Tracks from Gene Ammons, Zoot Sims, Johnny Griffin, Paul Gonsalves, Johnny Hodges, Yusef Lateef, Sonny Stitt, Roland Kirk, Benny Golson, James Moody, Budd Johnson, Illinois Jacquet, Harold Land, and Dexter Gordon. CD

Genius jazz, at a rock-bottom price – 10 key classics from the legendary Impulse Records catalog, all offered up on one CD! The tunes on the set are the originals used in the Impulsive remix project – and are all groundbreaking numbers from the 60s and early 70s catalog of Impulse – home to John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Charles Mingus, and many others during the years of their best work! And while it's clear that Universal issued this set at a low price to help spark interest in the remix CD, we're more than happy to offer it on its own – because the collection's a heck of a great little jazz set, filled with numbers we've loved for years – at a price that's cheaper than a bottle of fancy beer! Titles include "Spanish Rice" by Clark Terry & Chico O'Farrill, "Mizrab" by Gabor Szabo, "Attica Blues" by Archie Shepp, "A Helluva Town" by George Russell, "II BS" by Charles Mingus, "El Toro" by Chico Hamilton, "Stolen Moments" by Oliver Nelson, "Bamboo Flute Blues" by Yusef Lateef, "Astral Traveling" by Pharoah Sanders, and "Swing Low Sweet Cadillac" by Dizzy Gillespie. CD

Music from Mongo Santamaria, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Sonny Rollins, Wes Montgomery, Chet Baker, Ernie Henry, Barry Harris, Budd Johnson, Yusef Lateef and more. CD

A really early nugget from the Detroit jazz scene of the 50s – and a record that marks a key moment for players who would soon become huge on a variety of different labels! The group here features a very young Donald Byrd on trumpet, with Yusef Lateef on tenor, Barry Harris on piano, Alvin Jackson on bass, and Frank Gant on drums – plus Bernard McKinney blowing euphonium – an instrument he would use on a number of other important recordings over the years to really deepen their sound. The date was originally issued by the Transition label, and very quickly disappeared when they quickly closed up show – brought back over the years in a few variations by Delmark, to keep the memory of this moment alive. Tracks include "Yusef", "Parisian Thoroughfare", "Blues", "Dancing In The Dark", and "Tortion Level". CD

A killer album from funky jazz combo The Fourth Way – one of the best groups of the progressive jazz era in America, thanks largely to the work of its excellent members! First to get big credit is Mike Nock – the Aussie pianist who worked with Yusef Lateef in the mid 60s, and really came into his own by the time of this album – grooving on electric piano in a stone cold way that still sounds great today, and also doing wonderful on the acoustic keys. Next up is Michael White, one of the few jazz violinists to really know how to groove – and how to avoid getting too flowery at the wrong moments. The group's completed by a fantastic rhythm team – drummer Eddie Marshall and bassist Ron McClure, who plays a range of electrified basses! The album kicks off with the incredible break track "Everyman's Your Brother", and the whole thing's great – with tracks that include "Bucklehuggin", "Dance Of The Mechanical Men", "Openings", "Gemini Trajectory", and "The Sybil". LP, Vinyl record album

An early moment of genius from the great Grant Green – a set that's a real standout from his other Blue Note albums of the time – even though all of those are plenty darn great as well! Grant's working here with an unusual group – Yusef Lateef on tenor and flute, making a rare Blue Note appearance, and playing with a very soulful, very hardbop edge – and the excellent Jack McDuff on Hammond – a musician who wouldn't show up more at the label for a few more years! Tracks are nice and long, with an open, loping rhythm that's perfect for all three soloists – thanks to Al Harewood on drums, who really helps open things up for Green. Titles include "Grantstand", "My Funny Valentine", "Blues In Maude's Flat", and "Old Folks" – all done in nicely relaxed takes. CD also features a bonus track – "Green's Greenery". This is the newly remastered version, with crisp sound and additional notes and photos! CD

Fantastic work from a lost chapter of Coltrane's career! Sure, you may know his early work with Miles Davis, or his groundbreaking later recordings on Atlantic and Impulse – but in the late 50s, 'Trane recorded some fantastic sides with trumpeter Wilbur Harden for Savoy Records, and the material is unlike anything he ever did for other labels. In a way, the Harden tunes are similar to Yusef Lateef's work for the label – hardbop at the core, but with touches of exoticism and spiritualism that brings out whole new modes of playing from the musicians. Most tracks are long and modal, a perfect platform for Coltrane's new ideas of soloing that were beginning to take shape at the time. Harden's a much different horn player than Miles Davis ever was – with a fiercer approach to rhythm that kind of drives Coltrane along in a more souful groove than ever before. This CD features 19 tracks from the Savoy Sessions – lovingly packaged in a way that really helps you navigate the confusing structure of the LP releases. Titles include "Gold Coast", "Dial Africa", "BJ", "Once In A While", "Tanganyika Strut", "West 42nd Street", and "Rhodamagnetics" – and the CD includes alternate versions of some tracks. CD

A really fantastic early record from the great Eddie Harris – a set that shows that he was already carving out a very unique sound for himself on the Chicago scene, long before his bigger hits later on in the 60s! The music mixes soul jazz with some of the slightly more exotic currents that Eddie used so well during his Vee Jay years – and the group features a young Willie Pickens on piano –plus Joe Dorio on guitar, William Yancy on bass, and Harold Jones on drums. The exotic moments echo some of the lighter tinges that Yusef Lateef was putting into his work at the time – and titles include "There Is No Time", "Mighty Like A Rose", "Spartacus", "Fontessa", and "Sally T". CD

A fantastic take on the music of Sun Ra – a set that looks at the way his sounds dovetailed with the exotica movement in American music of the postwar years! Given that he claimed to be from outer space, Ra was already pretty darn exotic himself – but his music also arose at a time when artists like Martin Denny and Les Baxter were taking global sounds and fusing them into more mainstream American music, including jazz – with results that have become legendary over the years! And while Denny, Baxter, and other contemporaries were more involved with mood music, Ra was part of a generation of jazz musicians – such as Yusef Lateef or Wilbur Harden – who were working a richer vein of the territory for jazz – as you'll hear in these wonderful tracks. The set brings together key sides from the earliest Ra recordings, plus some unissued material too – done in the really great style of the other Modern Harmonic reissues in recent years. Unissued titles include "April In Paris", "Paradise", "Star Bright", "Spontaneous Simplicity", "Somewhere In Space", and "Cha Cha In Outer Space" – and other titles include "Overtones Of China", "Tiny Pyramids", "The Nile (part 1)", "Kingdom Of Thunder", "Ancient Aiethopia", "India", "Friendly Galaxy", and "Africa" – plus the complete version of "Island In The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare treasure from British trumpeter Dizzy Reece – quite different than his albums at the time for Blue Note! Dizzy's playing here with a style that has a fair bit of exotic touches – not entirely in the Yusef Lateef mode, but definitely with a similar blend of hardbop, soul jazz, and some of the Eastern-styled themes that you might expect from an album entitled Asia Minor. His trumpet is still firmly in the lead, but it's boldness is inflected by some great work from reed players Cecil Payne on baritone and Joe Farrell on tenor sax and flute – making a young appearance here, but already showing a great talent for soulful exploration. The rest of the group features Hank Jones on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Charlie Persip on rhythm – and all players are surprisingly well matched, and led strongly by Reece through a visionary set that includes the titles "The Story Of Love", "The Shadow Of Khan", "Yamask", "Spiritus Parkus", and "Ackmet". CD

12 tracks by David Newman, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Hank Crawford, Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh, Yusef Lateef, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and more. CD

Rock-solid live material from the classic Cannonball Adderley Sextet – a combo who could usually groove even better on a concert date then they could in the studio! The album's one of a number of key live sides from Cannon in the 60s – and although it pre-dates his work on Capitol, it's done in a similar spacious mode – with plenty of longish tracks that build upon the core groove set down by Joe Zawinul's piano, Sam Jones' bass, and Louis Hayes' drums – a perfect backdrop for the creative and complicated solos of Cannon on alto, Nat Adderley on cornet, and Yusef Lateef on tenor, flute, and oboe! The date was recorded live at the Village Vanguard in 1962 – and titles include "Gemini", "Planet Earth", "Dizzy's Business", "Syn-anthesia", "Scotch & Water", and "Cannon's Theme". CD

A pair of gems from the Riverside years of Cannonball Adderley! First up is Cannonball Adderley Quintet In San Francisco – one of the greatest Cannonball Adderley albums from the Riverside years – a completely smoking live date recorded in San Francisco, often with long tracks that really let the group open up and do their thing! The lineup here is that classic one that first grabbed attention – the group with brother Nat on cornet, Sam Jones on bass, Louis Hayes on drums – and a young Bobby Timmons on piano, really cooking things up with tremendous drive, energy, and a sense of the groove! Titles include a great workout on Timmons' classic "This Here", plus originals "You Got It" and Spontaneous Combustion", and a great version of "Hi Fly". Soul jazz at its best, by one of the groups who gave the genre its name in the first place! Next is Cannonball Adderley Sextet In New York – rock-solid live material from the classic Cannonball Adderley Sextet – a combo who could usually groove even better on a concert date then they could in the studio! The album's one of a number of key live sides from Cannon in the 60s – and although it pre-dates his work on Capitol, it's done in a similar spacious mode – with plenty of longish tracks that build upon the core groove set down by Joe Zawinul's piano, Sam Jones' bass, and Louis Hayes' drums – a perfect backdrop for the creative and complicated solos of Cannon on alto, Nat Adderley on cornet, and Yusef Lateef on tenor, flute, and oboe! The date was recorded live at the Village Vanguard in 1962 – and titles include "Gemini", "Planet Earth", "Dizzy's Business", "Syn-anthesia", "Scotch & Water", and "Cannon's Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic live date – one that's not just noteworthy for the piano of leader Walter Bishop, but also for the reed work of a young Harold Vick – recorded here right around the time he was first making waves in the organ combo of Jack McDuff, but coming across with a very different quality overall! Vick here is more of a spiritualist at times, ala Yusef Lateef – and he often hits a vibe that's more like his 70s work than his more soul jazz-styled recordings of the 60s – really stretching out on the album's long tracks, blowing tenor, soprano, and flute with this searching edge that's completely wonderful. The rest of the group features Lou McIntosh on bass and Dick Berk on drums – and titles include "So What", "Pfrancing", "My Secret Love", "Blues", "Quiet Nights", "Days Of Wine & Roses", and "Willow Weep For Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A completely righteous mix of jazz and African percussion – put together by drummer Art Blakey at a time when he was riding high with the Jazz Messengers, but also was willing to work on great experiments like this! The album's years ahead of its time – and arguably opens the door for countless spiritual jazz projects like this in the 70s, more proof that Blakey was a groundbreaking artist who was always opening doors for others! Blakey's own work on drums is joined by percussion from Montego Joe, Chief Bey, Garvin Masseux, James Ola, Folami, Robert Crowder, and Solomon Ilori – the last of whom would record his own record for Blue Note – and the rest of the group features Yusef Lateef on flute and tenor, Curtis Fuller on trombone, and the great Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass – a great choice for the record, given that he was mixing together similar modes on his own records of the time. Titles include "Tobi Ilu", "Love, The Mystery Of", and "Obirin African". CD

Fantastic work from a lost chapter of Coltrane's career! Sure, you may know his early work with Miles Davis, or his groundbreaking later recordings on Atlantic and Impulse – but in the late 50s, 'Trane recorded some fantastic sides with trumpeter Wilbur Harden for Savoy Records, and the material is unlike anything he ever did for other labels. In a way, the Harden tunes are similar to Yusef Lateef's work for the label – hardbop at the core, but with touches of exoticism and spiritualism that brings out whole new modes of playing from the musicians. Most tracks are long and modal, a perfect platform for Coltrane's new ideas of soloing that were beginning to take shape at the time. Harden's a much different horn player than Miles Davis ever was – with a fiercer approach to rhythm that kind of drives Coltrane along in a more souful groove than ever before. Tracks include "Snuffy", "EFFPH", "Count Down", and "Rhodomagnetics". CD

A sweet funky album from Art Farmer– an artist we don't normally associate with 70s funk, but who does a really great job on this CTI session! Art's working here in the frontline with Yusef Lateef on reeds – another unlikely candidate for a record like this – and the pair get some strong backing from the band of Dave Matthews, who manages to provide just the right blend of tight arrangements and jazz funk, so that each player gets plenty of room to soar, but the whole album sticks in a nice smooth groove on the rhythms! Includes a soaring version of Chick Corea's "Spain", a slow funk take on Chris Kenner's "Something You Got", and the cuts "Flute Song", "Hombre Del Sol", "Sauhade", and "Sandu". LP, Vinyl record album

We're not sure what "soul-stream" is as a genre – but given the strength of this record, we'd be more than willing to grant it onto Curtis Fuller all by himself! The record's a gem that's even more obscure than Fuller's already-rare dates for Blue Note at the end of the 50s – a crack set done for the Warwick label, and one that features an all-star group who've got a great blend of modern edges and soulful rhythms. Alongside Fuller's trombone, other players include Yusef Lateef on tenor and flute, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Walter Bishop on piano, Buddy Catlett on bass, and Stu Martin on drums – making a rare early appearance here. Titles include "If I Were A Bell", "Do I Love You", "Chantized", "Flutie", "The Court", and "Mr L". LP, Vinyl record album

An early moment of genius from the great Grant Green – a set that's a real standout from his other Blue Note albums of the time – even though all of those are plenty darn great as well! Grant's working here with an unusual group – Yusef Lateef on tenor and flute, making a rare Blue Note appearance, and playing with a very soulful, very hardbop edge – and the excellent Jack McDuff on Hammond – a musician who wouldn't show up more at the label for a few more years! Tracks are nice and long, with an open, loping rhythm that's perfect for all three soloists – thanks to Al Harewood on drums, who really helps open things up for Green. Titles include "Grantstand", "My Funny Valentine", "Blues In Maude's Flat", and "Old Folks" – all done in nicely relaxed takes. LP, Vinyl record album

The debut CD by Nicole Mitchell – our favorite jazz flute player since Bobbi Humphrey! Nicole's been making the scene in Chicago for the past few years – working with the AACM, 8 Bold Souls, The David Boykin Octet, and other groups around the city. Her playing with others is always great – but on this set, she really comes to the forefront, and gets a chance to express her strong musical vision. Nicole's got a spiritual approach to the music – recalling our favorite moments in the earlier AACM, like work by Kalaparusha or Muhal Richard Abrams, or some of the early work on Savoy by Yusef Lateef. She's working here with a group that includes Hamid Drake and Avreeayl Ra on percussion, plus bass, violin, and lots of fantastic work on various flutes by Nicole. The tracks open up like beautiful little flowers – stretching out in the warmth of Mitchell's playing, unafraid to strike a spiritual and soulful tone, one that's a refreshing change from some of Mitchell's more avant playing. There's a rhythmic pulse to most numbers that keeps a groove afloat through the bulk of the record – and the mellower numbers still sparkle with an honest intimacy that's rare in a session like this. Titles include "Sanctuary: Aaya's Rainbow", "Bird Of Desire", "Sweet Tooth", "For The Brave", "On The Nile", "The Bath", "Vision Quest", and "Daddy Gone". A stunning new chapter in a rich history of Chicago jazz that stretches back to Sun Ra, Phil Cohran, and the Art Ensemble! CD

An excellent live set from James Moody – one that really captures all the creative soulfulness that was part of his genius during the 60s! The set was recorded at the Jazz Workshop in LA, and features a hip group that includes Bernard McKinney on trombone, Musa Kaleem on baritone, Howard McGhee on trumpet, and Moody on flute, alto, and tenor. The groove is a mix of soul jazz and bop – but always with that slightly exotic style that Moody was picking up at the time, kind of a mix of the harder edge of Yusef Lateef, and the more playful Latin grooving of Dizzy Gillespie. The CD features all the tracks from the album Cooking the Blues, plus 3 unissued numbers, and one that had only ever shown up on a compilation. Very nicely done overall, as part of an excellent and short-lived reissue series on Chess. Titles include "Moody's Mood For Love", "Bunny Boo", "One For Nat", "The Jazz Twist", "Little Buck", "Sister Sadie", and "Home Fries". CD

Great early work from Sun Ra & The Arkestra – two never-issued tracks, and a classic Saturn Records groove! "Rocket Number Nine" may well be one of the group's strongest early anthems – a propulsive number that's bold enough to soar to the skies – driven by old school snapping snare, but given a very moody vibe by the group's chanting, and some very offbeat horn solos! "Ankhnation" is a never-issued track – one that has a great mix of comping chords from Ra on piano and right rhythm lines – with lots of nice solos over the top from John Gilmore, Pat Patrick, and Hobart Dotson – almost a Yusef Lateef track overall. Last up is the previously-unissued "Project Black Mass" – a tune that has all these cool percussion bits and piano notes in a flurry – almost a more outside take on the style of Moondog! LP, Vinyl record album

A rare treasure from British trumpeter Dizzy Reece – quite different than his albums at the time for Blue Note! Dizzy's playing here with a style that has a fair bit of exotic touches – not entirely in the Yusef Lateef mode, but definitely with a similar blend of hardbop, soul jazz, and some of the Eastern-styled themes that you might expect from an album entitled Asia Minor. His trumpet is still firmly in the lead, but it's boldness is inflected by some great work from reed players Cecil Payne on baritone and Joe Farrell on tenor sax and flute – making a young appearance here, but already showing a great talent for soulful exploration. The rest of the group features Hank Jones on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Charlie Persip on rhythm – and all players are surprisingly well matched, and led strongly by Reece through a visionary set that includes the titles "The Story Of Love", "The Shadow Of Khan", "Yamask", "Spiritus Parkus", and "Ackmet". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible! This is a stunning set of African-inspired jazzy percussion tracks – similar to some of the work done by Art Blakey on his Orgy In Rhythm albums, but with a lot better horn work, and with an overall conception that's much more unified! AK Salim did some sleepier work for Savoy in the 50s – but by the time of this 1965 recording, he was emerging as a progressive composer with a strong talent for bringing together disparate moods and styles. This rare recording was one of his best works ever, and it's one of the most unusual sides cut by Prestige in the 60s. It features Johnny Coles, Pat Patrick, and Yusef Lateef out front on horns – plus backing by a host of Latin and African percussionists. Tracks are very long – and the reed work of Lateef and Patrick makes the set especially worthwhile for jazz listeners. Titles include "Afrika", "Kumuamkia Mzulu", and "Pepo Za Sarari". LP, Vinyl record album

The great Bud Shank was a real master of many reed forms in the 50s – maybe even in a way that set the scene for Yusef Lateef and Roland Kirk's experiments to come! Here, he blows flute alongside the oboe of Bob Cooper – who's best known as a tenorist – and the pair craft some very cool west coast sounds, all arranged by Cooper! Other players include Howard Roberts on bass and Don Prell on bass – and there's some added work from a small string group, almost tying the thing to some of the Fred Katz experiments of the time. Titles include "Gypsy In My Soul", "In The Blue Of The Evening", "Tequila Time", "I Can't Get Started", "Blues For Delilah", "Sunset & Wine", and "What'll I Do". LP, Vinyl record album