After leading albums on Delmark that featured jazz vets Pharoah Sanders and Archie Shepp, Kahil El'Zabar is back with a pride of young lions. Tenor saxophonist Kevin Nabors has studied with Von Freeman, Ari Brown and recorded with Corey Wilkes. Keyboardist Justin Dillard is in many bands in various styles of music including his own D-O-3-O organ group. Bassman extraordinaire Junius Paul has recorded with many Chicago jazz greats including Corey Wilkes, Ernest Dawkins and Dee Alexander. Kahil is featured on drums, African hand drum and kalimba. What It Is features seven songs including a burning "Impressions".

Jazz cornet player Rob Mazurek has created a sound world that is uniquely his own, sculpting a total sound environment, by fully utilizing the beautiful instrumentation of the Exploding Star Orchestra and sounds from a variety of sources, including: rain from the Brazilian Amazon, insects at the turn of an eclipse, the hammering overdrive of bicycles in Copenhagen, stacked muted cornets run through various filters, drones built from electric eels and piano feedback, hi-frequency sinuous lines from tone generators, pitched bass guitars, and other prepared instruments. With Nicole Mitchell, Jason Adasiewicz, Greg Ward, Josh Abrams, Mike Reed. Also on LP; CD has one extended track and one bonus track not on the LP.

This live recording takes US back to just a few months after the release of the legendary Hoodoo Man Blues (DMK 612) album. Junior is accompanied by the Aces - Louis Myers, guitar; Dave Myers, bass; Fred Below, drums. Eleven songs and great bits between Junior and the audience in between songs comes to over 60 minutes of pure blues delight. "I Wanna Boogie", "Messin' with the Kid", "Man Downstairs", "Worried Life Blues", "Hideaway", "That's All Right", "Look on Yonder's Wall", "Fattening Frogs for Snakes", "Got My Mojo Workin'" and more.

AT CAFE DE COPAINS

Live archive release from the late Blues great. Before Magic Sam scored with 1967's West Side Soul, his recorded legacy included a handful of sides for Cobra in the late '50s, Chief in the early '60s and a few miscellaneous 45s in the mid-'60s. But just when it looked like things were going to really take off for Sam he passed away on December 1, 1969 at the age of 32. Delmark issued 1968's Black Magic and there have been several posthumous releases of live recordings including the classic Live. This album comes from a June 22, 1968 live concert recorded at the Avant Garde in Milwaukee. It features Magic Sam, vocals, guitar; Big Mojo Elem, bass and Bob Richey, drums. Over 65 minutes.

Add Cripple Clarence Lofton, Henry Brown and Speckled Red to the boogie woogie triumvirate cited in the album title, and you've got one solid, piano-pounding collection! Includes Pinetop's Blues Albert Ammons; Doll House Boogie Meade Lux Lewis; Dirty Dozens Speckled Red; Boogie Woogie Prayer Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson & Meade Lux Lewis; Deep Morgan Henry Brown; G-Flat Blues Pete Johnson; Streamline Train Cripple Clarence Lofton, and more.

NIGHT AFTER NIGHT

Ever since he burst on the scene in the late 60s Archie Shepp has been recognized as one of the great avant-garde jazz artists of all time. The New York Contemporary Five are Archie Shepp, tenor sax; John Tchicai, alto sax; Don Cherry, cornet; Don Moore, bass; J.C. Moses, drums. Recorded November 11, 1963 at Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen. Features six compositions: "Cisum", "Crepuscule with Nellie", "O.C.", "When Will the Blues Leave", "The Funeral" and "Mik". "Since this was a recording of a performance, one is treated to a display of raw, highly emotional music. At turns the music is sloppy, powerful, imperfect, moving, irritating - but always alive and distinctly human." - Cadence.

Nicole Mitchell's Ice Crystal project explores water and glass chemistry of flute and vibes, by combining the creative flutist with young luminary Jason Adasiewicz on vibraphone. Ice Crystal's sound reminds US of the legendary collaboration between flutist Eric Dolphy and vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, but with a Chicago twist. Expression of yet another color in Mitchell's kaleidoscope of approaches, Aquarius is blues-inflected serenity, playfully swinging to the ethereal. Mitchell may have migrated to California, but her Chicago story continues, as she teams up with veteran improvisers Joshua Abrams (bass), Frank Rosaly (drums) and Jason Adasiewicz to take free swing to the ninth degree.

Sharon Lewis made her Delmark debut in 2007 as a special guest vocalist with Dave Specter on Live in Chicago (CD DMK 794, DVD DMK 1794). Born in Fort Worth, Texas Sharon's earliest musical experience was as a member of a gospel choir. She moved to Chicago permanently in 1975 and became active on the Chicago blues scene in the early 90s. In 2005 Sharon formed her own band, Texas Fire. "... it's Sharon Lewis who provides the disc's (Live in Chicago) most exciting moments. Her powerful pipes inject a strong gospel vibe into her originals "In Too Deep" and the head-turning ballad "Angel". - Blues Revue.

Blues guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and bandleader Dave Weld got his start on Chicago's west side in the late 70's. At the 1815 Club on Roosevelt Road, Dave was in the house band with Chico Chism, Shorty Gilbert, Hubert Sumlin, Detroit Junior, and Eddie Shaw. Dave played there with Otis Rush, Guitar Junior, Tail Dragger, Little Arthur, Johnny Littlejohn and more. Weld was under the tutelage of Grammy winning slide guitarist JB Hutto. JB introduced Dave to his nephew, Lil Ed. They started the band "Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials" and played every joint in the West side for ten years. Burnin' Love is Weld's Delmark debut and it features Lil Ed on guitar and the legendary Abb Locke on saxophone.

PLAYS VICTOR YOUNG

This CD and DVD features Coleman Hawkins, Sun Ra, George Lewis, Curtis Fuller, Deep Blue Organ Trio, Francine Griffin, Nicole Mitchell, Ari Brown, Fred Anderson, Chicago Underground Trio, and many more.

Here are some of the rarest hot piano solos ever made. These performances were originally recorded in Chicago during the mid to late 1920s by the Capitol Music Roll Company and issued as nickelodeon piano rolls. In 2007 Delmark issued Jimmy Blythe, Messin' Around Blues (DMK 792) from the same set of rolls. With the help of digital technology these rolls will sound more full and rich than ever before. This CD feature rolls transcribed by Clarence Johnson, another of the finest blues players of the 20s. The piano roll performances presented here provide a clearer record than do their 78s because these solos were recorded using modern recording techniques from a "live" player piano.

Chicago tenor saxophone legend and proprietor of the longest standing and most adventurous avant garde jazz club in Chicago, Fred Anderson celebrated his 80th birthday this past March and Delmark was there to capture it. All three of Fred's earlier Delmark albums were live at the Velvet but the excitement level here is unmatched as the show was sold out weeks in advance. Fred is joined by Kidd Jordan - tenor saxophone, Jeff Parker - guitar, Harrison Bankhead - bass, Chad Taylor - drums. Also available: On the Run (DMK 534), Back at the Velvet Lounge (DMK 549), Timeless (DMK 568, DVD 1568).