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: [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

John Handy – Recorded Live At The Monterey Jazz Festival

John Handy’s performance at the 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival was a sensation and arguably the high point of his career. The altoist, using a quintet that included violinist Michael White, [...]

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 […]

The Mahavishnu Orchestra* With John McLaughlin – The Inner Mounting Flame

This is the album that made John McLaughlin a semi-household name, a furious, high-energy, yet rigorously conceived meeting of virtuosos that, for all intents and purposes, defined the fusion of [...]

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 […]

Les McCann Ltd. • Stanley Turrentine • Blue Mitchell with Frank Haines*, Herbie Lewis, Ron Jefferson – Les McCann Ltd. In New York (Recorded “Live” At The Village Gate)

*Japanese Import CD* “A thoroughly satisfying live date. The good-time pianist forgets singing on this Village Gate outing, and the band just cooks. Silky saxman Stanley Turrentine and [...]

Milton Nascimento – Geraes

*Japanese Import CD* “Geraes was recorded in 1976. At this point, Nascimento had had an experience with fusion in the Som Imaginário, and with jazzers such as Herbie Hancock (who […]

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 [...]

Curtis Fuller – Bone & Bari

*Japanese Import CD* “Curtis Fuller emerged during the 1950s as a leading hard bop trombonist. A native of Detroit, Fuller was initially inspired by hearing J.J. Johnson, who became a […]

Carmell Jones featuring Harold Land – The Remarkable Carmell Jones

*Japanese Import CD* “The Kansas City born trumpeter Carmell Jones was quickly signed by Pacific Jazz soon after his arrival in Los Angeles in 1960, and in addition to appearing […]

Toquinho & Vinicius – Vinicius & Toquinho

*Japanese Import CD* The Bossa Nova songwriting duo deliver smooth samba on this album, featuring tracks such as Samba Da Volta and Sem Medo.

Bud Powell – Bud Powell’s Moods

*Japanese Import CD* Bud Powell plays a variety of standards and original tunes in his delightfully idiosyncratic style.

Roberto Menescal E Seu Conjunto – A Bossa Nova De Roberto Menescal E Seu Conjunto

*Japanese Import CD*  

Laurindo Almeida & The Bossa Nova Allstars – It’s A Bossa Nova World: International Hits In Jazz Samba Arrangements

*Japanese Import CD* Laurindo Almeida and his All-Star band cover traditional songs from all over the world in a Samba style.

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – 3 Blind Mice

*Japanese Import CD* “Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers rode through the rough waters of significant record label, personnel, and sound changes in 1962. A young Freddie Hubbard took the [...]

Elvin Jones – Dear John C.

*Japanese Import CD* “The second album by Elvin Jones as sole title rights leader (excluding the co-op ensemble that recorded the stunning and essential progressive jazz icon Illumination!) [...]

Hermeto Pascoal E Grupo – Festa Dos Deuses

*Japanese Import CD* An intense later album from Hermeto Pascoal’s group. Absolutely smokes.