Eddie Higgins has headed his own trio at several leading Chicago night clubs for many months. Some of the best musicians of the area have played with him (Junior Mance, Johnnie Pate, Bob Cranshaw). He recorded with Coleman Hawkins, Don Goldie, Al Grey, Lee Morgan, Bill Henderson, Wayne Shorter, Jack Teagarden, Sergio Mendes. "Prelude to a Kiss" is is first work as leader….

Pianist Joe Sample was a pioneer at creating melodic and accessible pop-jazz. His recordings of the 1970s and '80s were consistently popular, especially this best-seller. Sample is joined on most selections by fellow Crusader Stix Hooper on drums; electric bassist Abraham Laboriel; percussionist Paulinho Da Costa; and, often, guitarist Dean Parks. Flutist Hubert Laws guests on "Midnight and Mist." Although it would not be considered creative jazz, the catchy and often-memorable melodies, and Sample's fine playing, makes this CD reissue a pretty definitive example of his solo recordings.

Joe Sample returns to the smooth jazz style of his popular albums Rainbow Seeker, Carmel, and Voices in the Rain on 1983's The Hunter. The keyboardist fills up a studio with like-minded session musicians including trumpeter Tom Browne, horn players Chuck Findley, Jerry Hey, and Ernie Watts, guitarists Dean Parks, David Spinozza, and Phil Upchurch, bassists Abraham Laboriel and Marcus Miller, percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, and drummer Steve Gadd, and sets them loose on some rhythmic tracks with a rock/R&B feel.

The 150th anniversary of Charles Koechlin's birth in November 2017 is marked by the reissue of all the Koechlin recordings made by the Sudwestrundfunk. This release of Koechlin's orchestral works includes many world premiere recordings and gives a comprehensive overview of Koechlin's output- from the early orchestral songs to his orchestrations of works by other composers and to his huge later works. Koechlin's compositional style was very subtle, full of delicate, colorful combinations of instrumental sounds. Many of his colleagues allowed him to orchestrate their works, simply because Koechlin was a master of the art.

Demian as Posthuman is saxophonist Steve Lehman’s most experimental release to date. With a solid acoustic quintet record, Artificial Light, and trio release, Interface, under his belt, Lehman is also one-third of the collaborative trio Fieldwork, whose Simulated Progress is easily one of 2005’s best jazz releases. Lehman has upped the ante on this album, which dispenses with typical notions of jazz and popular music by combining the two in an effort to document the creation of a new, hybrid music.

During the early '80s, the South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim released a flurry of small-group albums that concentrated on essentially the same relatively small repertoire. At Montreux is one of these. Thus we have pieces like "The Perfumed Forest Wet With Rain" and "Ishmael," which are available on several other recordings, and "The Wedding," which – while a beautiful song – seemed to appear on every recording Ibrahim issued during this period. This is not to say that it's a mediocre or unenjoyable recording. The band is tight and energetic, featuring the usual stellar work from the unsung saxophonist Carlos Ward as well as an early recorded appearance by the young trombonist Craig Harris. Ibrahim chose to have an electric bass with this group, giving a slightly funkier sound than usual and, as was typically the case, the pianist himself stays in the background, preferring to lead and prod the band rather than solo.

Hank Jones is marvelous in this 1978 trio date with bassist George Duvivier and drummer Alan Dawson, one of several dates they made together for Black & Blue in the latter part of the decade. It's hard to imagine any of these three superb musicians being in anything other than top form, and they do not disappoint. Jones' delightful tradeoffs with Dawson (on brushes) are the highlight of "A Foggy Day." The leader swings mightily in the oldie by Franz Lehár, "Yours Is My Heart Alone." The pop song "Come to Me" is successfully recast as a samba. "Alan's Allies" is a virtual master class for aspiring jazz drummers. The often low-key Duvivier provides terrific support without result to gimmickry. Like many of the reissues by the label during the late '90s, bonus tracks consisting of alternate takes of several numbers have been added.

There is not much to fault in this quintessentially Russian opera with the lavish staging and fantastic costumes surely a feat to the eye. You cannot find much fault on the musical side of things either as many have expressed their opinion that this remains the finest version of the opera by a mile. The charismatic and almost demonic Gergiev conducts with his systematic, unabated passion for music which is most certainly in his blood and his players definitely do him proud. The cast is also top notch on all counts with Netrebko and Gorchakova particularly impressive.

The 2017 full-length album by the reunited German band, which already became a popular name in jazz rock/fusion circles as early as in the mid-late '70s. These contemporary tracks were taped with the original line-up, except for the drummer. Featuring all original material.

The debut recording from Italy's favorite sons of progressive rock. The band had been appearing as special guests in support of bands such as Procol Harum, Deep Purple, and Yes, in addition to playing several festivals. Their hard work paid off, and the result is this excellent recording…

Nearly 30 years and nine albums in, Patti Smith shows no signs of giving up, or giving in, despite the fact she expected to be quietly doing her work instead of making rock & roll albums and playing in front of audiences. But then 9/11, Afghanistan, war in Iraq. Smith lives the vocation of a poet in an old-world sense of that word…

John Zorn - John Zorn's Bagatelles (2021) {4CD Set, Tzadik TZ 5211~TZ 5214}
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© 2021 Tzadik | TZ 5211~TZ 5214
Jazz / Classical / Electronic / Abstract / Avant-garde

From March to May 2015, John Zorn composed 300 new tunes that were eventually collected into a book of music he called The Bagatelles. After 5 years of performances around the world in venues large and small, the choicest ensembles have gone into the studio and the recordings are finally being made available in a series of limited edition 4-CD BOX sets. Each set will present four ensembles performing a unique program of Zorn’s Bagatelles.

Bobby Hutcherson - Natural Illusions (1972) {Blue Note–Liberty 4408}
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© 1972 Blue Note / Liberty Records | 4408 / APBC 2301
Jazz / Jazz Funk / Post Bop / Vibes

Vibes and orchestrations – a combination that makes for one of the coolest Bobby Hutcherson albums of the 70s – a really magical set that expands the sound of Bobby's work in ways we wouldn't have expected! The style is similar to that used with Grant Green and Lou Donaldson at the time on Blue Note – a style that's clearly trying for the more sophisticated sounds of CTI, and which beautifully balances the modes of presentation – so that there's still plenty of soulful moments and slyly funky bits alongside the strings and woodwinds in the orchestrations – proof that a record like this can be really brilliant if scored properly!

Anthony Braxton - 19 Standards (Quartet) 2003 (2010) {4CD Set, Leo Records CD LR 572/575}
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© 2003, 2010 Leo Records | CD LR 572/575
Jazz / Modern Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Saxophone

In 2003 Anthony Braxton Quartet went on a European tour which has become legendary. The members of this quartet were Kevin O'Neil on guitar, Kevin Norton on percussion and Andy Eulau on bass. The concept of the tour was to perform jazz standards and during the tour the quartet performed over 60 different ones. The results of the tour were two 4-CD sets entitled 23 Standards (Quartet) 2003 and 20 Standards (Quartet) 2003 released by Leo Records. Both sets received tremendous critical acclaim. Reviewers noted that Braxton performed jazz standards in an entirely new way. Rather than echoing, aping or diminishing the tradition he was reinventing it making both the past and present much richer than it was before. Now we are releasing the remaining 19 standards (no duplication with previous volumes), totalling 4.5 hours of music. The set is a must not only for Braxton's followers but for all jazz fans at large. Limited edition 500 copies.

George Adams & Don Pullen - Live at Village Vanguard, Vol. 2 (1983) {Soul Note 121144-2 rel 1986}
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© 1986 Soul Note | 121144-2
Jazz / Post Bop / Avant-Garde Jazz / Saxophone / Piano

The second album taken from a strong performance by the George Adams-Don Pullen Quartet, this set features three compositions by pianist Pullen (including his catchy "Big Alice") and tenorman Adams' "City Gates." The music swings in its own way while being quite unpredictable, intense and sometimes avant-garde. There is nothing sleepy or routine about the chance-taking (and frequently exciting) music.