NEA Jazz Master Cedar Walton has enjoyed an up-tempo career, which never seems to slow down. As a composer, Cedar is one of the finest in jazz whose works have been widely recorded with many now being recognized as jazz standards. For his latest HighNote recording, Walton returns to his favored quintet format with poll-winning trombonist Steve Turre adding his luxurious, velvet tone to Vincent Herring's saxophone sound.

Cedar Walton has been a steady contributor to the language of modern jazz for more than fifty years and he hasn't lost a step when it comes to delivering a rewarding listening experience. With saxophonist Vincent Herring, Buster Williams on bass and Willie Jones III on drums Cedar offers a program of standards, jazz tunes and also revisits a few of his own originals from his most fertile compositional period, all recorded at the famed Rudy Van Gelder Recording Studio.

For it's 10th anniversary release, the Black Art Jazz Collective (BAJC), hailed by DownBeat Magazine as "a powerhouse of contemporary jazz talent," offers ten exciting and unique works that speak to both artistic freedom and musical sensibility relative to the tenor of our times. The band features an all-star line-up, including founding members Wayne Escoffery, Jeremy Pelt, James Burton III, Xavier Davis and Johnathan Blake who are joined by current members Victor Gould, Rashaan Carter and Mark Whitfield Jr. Wayne Escoffery tells us, "I formed Black Art Jazz Collective as an ensemble of African American musicians, celebrating Black culture and the origins of the music through original compositions with unapologetic pride."

Any attempt to explain or describe Thelonious Monk's music would be useless. His genius lay in his ability to transcend categorization and create a new musical landscape with each composition. Here are eleven artists exploring Monk's sound-world and commenting on, reinventing and even enhancing the composer's works via their own creativity. With performances by Frank Morgan, Larry Coryell, Houston Person, Arthur Blythe, Larry Willis and others this is one Monk anthology you will return to over and over.

Rare live performances from 1950-1958 featuring Bean a.k.a. Coleman Hawkins with such sidemen as Pee Wee Russell, Charlie Shavers, J.C. Higginbotham and others. Includes some of his best-known tunes, too- Body and Soul; the Man I Love, and a seven and a half minute rendition of Avalon !

Throughout his career, Zoot Sims was famous for epitomizing the swingin musician, never playing an inappropriate phrase. He always sounded inspired and from the 1950s onward, Zoot's enthusiasm and creative never wavered. A freelancer throughout most of his career, Sims often led his own combos and co-led bands with his friend Al Cohn. Zoot started doubling on soprano quite effectively in the 1970s. Through the years, he appeared in countless situations, and always exhibited impeccable musicianship, good taste and no small amount of improvisational heat. Here is a live session which finds Zoot in the company of pianist Jimmy Rowles, bassist, George Mraz and the underappreciated drummer, Mousey Alexander.

The Pantheon of Jazz Piano Greats Is a Very Exclusive Club: Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Bud Powell, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and But a Few More of Their Stature. Certainly, By Now the Membership Has Voted to Admit Cedar Walton to Their Elite Ranks. A Fixture on the Jazz Scene for the Last 50 Years, Walton Is One of the Most Influential Musicians and Have Become Part of the Standard Jazz Repertoire. His Playing Regularly Receives Praise from Critics, Fellow Jazz Musicians and Audiences Around the World. Here He Is Surrounded By Some of His Regular Collaborators Including Vincent Herring Nad Jeremy Pelt in a Program of Standards and Walton Originals. Recorded By Ruby Van Gelder at the Legendary Van Gelder Studios.

The extraordinarily popular, cool-toned and fragile singing trumpeter with the looks of a movie star is back in the jazz world's public eye again, with a new biography out and a movie deal in the works. Chet Baker started out on top in the 1950s gigging with Charlie Parker, joining the Gerry Mulligan Quartet and soon becoming one of the most popular trumpeters in jazz. The late 50s and early 60s found Baker at the nadir of his career and suddenly he was out of music. Against all odds he made a comeback in the mid-70s. This CD documents a set taken from a live performance at San Francisco's Keystone Korner.

David Newman's latest offering, CITYSCAPE, finds him leading a four-horn unit, reminiscent of the Ray Charles little big band sound. David delivers perhaps his most ambitious project yet and provides an auspicious start for the 2006 jazz year.