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JOHNNY GRIFFIN - The Cat (1991)
~ Johnny is one of the all-time great tenor saxophonists. Not only could he easily negotiate the tricky harmonic changes and swift tempos of modern music, but he could masterfully interpret tender...
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MICK GOODRICK, DAVID LIEBMAN, WOLFGANG MUTHSPIEL - In The Same Breath (1995)
Breathe in, breathe out, breathe out. When Liebs’ sweetly purling soprano saxophone infiltrates the Mick ‘n Wolfie guitar duo, what seemed a perfectly natural process suddenly becomes an out-of-body...
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NIELS HENNING ØRSTED PEDERSEN - Jaywalkin' (1974)
A virtuoso bassist who graced hundreds of recordings during his career (which began in his teens), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen's debut as a leader is a bit of a mixed bag. His band includes guitarist...
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AIR - 80º BELLOW '82 (1982)
Comprised originally of Henry Threadgill on reeds, bassist Fred Hopkins, and drummer Steve McCall, Air emphasized equality of roles by the instruments (without any clear-cut leader) and a smooth...
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MATTHEW SHIPP - One (2006)
Matthew Shipp, the studiously disruptive free-jazz pianist from Delaware, has hovered in and out of accessibility since the early 1990s. In the past he has followed a good many wayward paths, but...
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ROSCOE MITCHELL & THE SOUND ENSEMBLE - Live At The Knitting Factory (1987)
This live set with his Sound Ensemble features several compositions and approaches that Roscoe Mitchell explored with some regularity in the late '80s. The dervish-like, circular breathing on soprano...
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OLIVER LAKE, JULIUS HEMPHILL - Buster Bee (1978)
During the mid- and late '70s, countless duo recordings were released by members of the jazz avant-garde. While the driving force behind this strategy was economic (two could travel much more cheaply...
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MUSIC REVELATION ENSEMBLE - Knights of Power (1996)
James Blood Ulmer's sporadic and ever-evolving Music Revelation Ensemble has featured at one time or another everyone from David Murray and Roland Shannon Jackson to John Zorn and the late George...
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HELGE LIEN TRIO - Asymmetrics (2003)
The ominous cover art and brooding band photo on the cover of the Norwegian Helge Lien trio’s second DIW release, Asymmetrics, promises a stormy affair, but true to the title, the nine tracks surprise...
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HELGE LIEN TRIO - Spiral Circle (2002)
Tracks1. Liten Jazzballong [Small Jazz Balloon] (Helge Lien)2. No Mountains (Helge Lien)3. En Ganske Liten Runding [Quite a Small Circle] (Helge Lien)4. Quiet Now (Denny Zeitlin)5. Quiet Now (Wayne...
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JAKI BYARD - On The Spot (1967)
This album mostly features pianist Jaki Byard (who plays alto on "A-Toodle-oo, Toodle-oo") with a quartet comprised of trumpeter Jimmy Owens, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Billy Higgins in 1967....
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JAKI BYARD - To Them, To Us (1981)
Jaki Byard was captured alone in a Milan studio for this delightful session. As usual, he displays his formidable technique with an ever-present twinkle of humor. Everything from early jazz ("Tin Roof...
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JAKI BYARD - Sunshine Of My Soul (1978)
This High Note Jaki Byard date titled Sunshine of My Soul is not a reissue of the 1967 issue by Prestige. In fact, it was recorded by Todd Barkan in 1978 at the Keystone Korner in San Francisco and...
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BARRY HARRIS SEXTET - Luminescence (1967)
Bebop sessions were comparatively rare in 1967, but pianist Barry Harris and his sextet on this CD reissue perform with the sincerity and enthusiasm that was more closely associated with this music in...
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DAVE HOLLAND & MARC JOHNSON - Solos & Duets (1985)
MARC JOHNSON SOLO1. 7/4 Kids Zoo (Marc Johnson)2. Love Theme From Spartacus (Alex North)DAVE HOLLAND SOLO3. Homecoming (Dave Holland)4. Vassarlean (Charle Mingus)5. Jumping' In (Dave Holland)DAVE...
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CHICK COREA, DAVE HOLLAND, BARRY ALTSCHUL - A.R.C. (1971)
This album features pianist Chick Corea, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Barry Altschul during the brief period that, along with Anthony Braxton, they were members of the fine avant-garde quartet...
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MARK DRESSER - Force Green (1994)
This set of eight adventurous compositions by bassist Mark Dresser has some otherworldly sounds, some free improvising and plenty of spacey stretches. The latter is due to the flexible and chancetaking...
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HELGE LIEN TRIO - Hello Troll (2008)
It's nearly impossible to keep up with the Norwegian jazz scene. Considering the country's population is about one-quarter the size of New York City's Greater Metropolitan Area, the vibrancy, diversity...
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GARY BURTON QUINTET with EBERHARD WEBER - Ring (1974)
Gary Burton is in a class all his own. On the vibraharp he is pliant yet unbreakable with a certain flair for the understatedly powerful. Among the present company, he is perfectly at ease. No one...
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GARY BURTON - Dreams So Real. Music of Carla Bley (1976)
Performing the intricate music of Carla Bley is no mean feat, but if anyone is up for the challenge, it would be vibraphonist Gary Burton. Signifying a high watermark in his career in the mid-'70s,...
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