Bill Evans / Jim Hall – Undercurrent

Other than four piano solos from April 4, 1962, this set was pianist Bill Evans’ first recordings after a hiatus caused by bassist Scott LaFaro’s tragic death in a car […]

Wayne Shorter – Speak No Evil

On his third date for Blue Note within a year, Wayne Shorter changed the bands that played on both Night Dreamer and Juju and came up with not only another […]

Charles Lloyd New Quartet – Passin’ Thru

Though the Charles Lloyd New Quartet has been together for a decade, they haven’t recorded as a group since 2011’s Athens Concert, when the saxophonist was still signed to ECM. […]

Eberhard Weber – The Following Morning

“In some ways this is a more contemplative work, lingering longer upon the tones of the individual instruments. The title track opens with backwards piano and slides into a pensive […]

Dave McMurray – Grateful Deadication

Dave McMurray made his Blue Note debut in 2018 with Music Is Life, an album that focused largely on his own assertive original tunes. Now, the saxophonist returns with Grateful […]

Cautious Clay – Karpeh

On Cautious Clay’s deeply personal Blue Note debut KARPEH, the singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer takes an artistic leap forward with an ambitious yet introspective [...]

Roland Kirk – Introducing Roland Kirk

This title is part of GRP’s new Chessmates series, which culls from Chess, Argo, Cadet, Coral, Dot, Decca and associated label analog source materials from the ’50s and ’60s. [...]

Charles Mingus – The Clown

The Clown was Charles Mingus’ second masterpiece in a row, upping the already intense emotional commitment of Pithecanthropus Erectus and burning with righteous anger and frustration. With [...]

John Coltrane – Blue Train

Although never formally signed, an oral agreement between John Coltrane and Blue Note Records founder Alfred Lion was indeed honored on Blue Train — Coltrane’s only collection of [...]

Frederick Knight – I’ve Been Lonely For So Long

The Bessemer, AL native has his finest hour with this, his first and only album for Stax Records. The title track, co-written by his wife Posie, was his biggest hit […]

Keith Jarrett – Facing You

Facing You is one of the most important recordings in contemporary jazz for several reasons, aside from being beautifully conceived and executed by pianist Keith Jarrett. It is a hallmark […]

Nduduzo Makhathini – Modes Of Communication: Letters From The Underworlds

After collaborations with Wynton Marsalis and Shabaka Hutchings, the visionary South African pianist and composer Nduduzo Makhathini is set to release his Blue Note debut Modes of Communication: [...]

Yusef Lateef – The Gentle Giant

Yusef Lateef’s music from the early ’70s commands large doses of both appeal and skepticism. At a time when funk and fusion were merging with the intensely volatile and distrustful [...]

John Coltrane – Olé Coltrane

The complicated rhythm patterns and diverse sonic textures on Olé Coltrane are evidence that John Coltrane was once again charting his own course. His sheer ability as a maverick — […]

John Coltrane & Don Cherry – The Avant-Garde

This album is rightfully co-credited to Don Cherry (trumpet), who ably trades blows with John Coltrane (tenor/soprano sax) throughout. The Avant-Garde also boasts the debut studio recording of [...]

Steve Kuhn Trio – Live At Birdland

Steve Kuhn has been recording professionally for close to five decades, most of which time he’s operated stealthily, rarely achieving the level of recognition he so richly deserves for [...]

Billy Cobham – Reflected Journey

Cobham live in Japan with Ira Coleman & Joe Chindamo. A little wild but VERY new age & more esoteric sounding instrumentation around Cobham going apeshit.

The Dave Brubeck Quartet – Brubeck Plays Bernstein

John Coltrane – A Love Supreme

One of the most important records ever made, John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme was his pinnacle studio outing, that at once compiled all of the innovations from his past, spoke […]

The Blackbyrds – Night Grooves

Despite the fact that 1989’s Greatest Hits rendered this earlier Fantasy compilation obsolete — Greatest Hits contains all seven songs found here, plus four others — Fantasy [...]

Decent set featuring the highly stylized, often erratic vocalist Lorez Alexandria doing conventional jazz and jazz-centered pop tunes and standards. She’s backed by a capable band, and [...]

Steve Tibbetts – Northern Song

With percussionist Anderson, Tibbetts explores urban landscape, especially on “Nine Doors/Breathing Space.” Tibbetts is reminiscent of Ralph Towner. Northern Song Review by Michael G. [...]

Thelonious Monk – Thelonious Monk Trio

Any Thelonious Monk album that kicks off with a seven-minute version of “Blue Monk” is worth listening to. Backed alternately by bassists Percy Heath and Gary Mapp and drummers Art [...]

Larry Coryell & The Eleventh House – At Montreux

The Eleventh House, lead by Larry Coryell, were arguably the best Jazz-rock-fusion band of the time when they appeared on July 4th, 1974 at Montreux. The band effectively existed only […]

Miles Davis – Sorcerer

Sorcerer, the third album by the second Miles Davis Quintet, is in a sense a transitional album, a quiet, subdued affair that rarely blows hot, choosing to explore cerebral tonal […]

Monk – Straight, No Chaser

This is the sixth studio album cut by Thelonious Monk under the production/direction of Teo Macero for Columbia and as such should not be confused with the original motion picture […]

Charlie Parker / Benny Carter / Johnny Hodges – Norman Granz’ Jam Session

Jackie McLean – Let Freedom Ring

Jackie McLean had always been a highly emotional soloist, so it makes sense that he was one of the first hard bop veterans to find a new voice in the […]

Miles Davis – Miles In The Sky

With the 1968 album Miles in the Sky, Miles Davis explicitly pushed his second great quintet away from conventional jazz, pushing them toward the jazz-rock hybrid that would later become […]

Miles Davis – Filles De Kilimanjaro

Since it’s billed as “Directions in Music by Miles Davis,” it should come as little surprise that Filles de Kilimanjaro is the beginning of a new phase for Miles, the […]

Thelonious Monk – Solo Monk

The mystery and haunting angular beauty of Thelonious Monk’s unadorned keyboard sides are the focus of Solo Monk. As if holding the history of jazz in his hands, Monk’s solo […]

Miles Davis – E.S.P.

ESP marks the beginning of a revitalization for Miles Davis, as his second classic quintet — saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams [...]

Wayne Shorter – The Soothsayer

*Japanese Import CD* “Part of an explosion of solo albums Wayne Shorter recorded just after he joined Miles Davis’ band, The Soothsayer wasn’t released until the late [...]

Lou Donaldson Quintet – Wailing With Lou

*Japanese Import CD* “Wailing With Lou is an appropriate title for this enjoyable set of straight-ahead bop. Whether he’s riding the propulsive rhythms of “Caravan” or [...]

Stanley Turrentine – Mr. Natural

*Japanese Import CD* “Stanley Turrentine’s supporting cast is a strong one, including Lee Morgan, McCoy Tyner, Bob Cranshaw, Elvin Jones, and Ray Barretto. The leader’s [...]

Horace Silver – Horace Silver Trio

*Japanese Import CD* A collaboration album between The Horace Silver Trio and the conga player Sabu. Absolutely top tier rhythms.