Pianist's quintet/trio w. Tom Harrell, Gary Smulya Dennis Irwin, and Kenny Washington, recorded January 2, 1990.

Original, striking jazz from trombonist in a sextet setting, feat. Walt Weiskopf, Stefon Harris, Bill Charlap, Peter Washington & Billy Drummond.

This is Eric Alexander's 4th release as a leader, and is his most cohesive to date. His trademark big-sound tenor sax is joined here by 74 year old baitone sax legend Cecil Payne, pianist David Hazeltine, bass player John Webber and Joe Farnsworth on drums.

Hot rising tenor sax player & quartet is presented here in an organ context w. veteran Melvin Rhyne that transcends the traditional organ-tenor session w. a sensitive & swinging modern presentation, joined by Bobby Broom-guitar, Joe Farnsworth-drums.

Tenor saxophonist's second Criss Cross release, swinging tour de force from hard bop to ballads, standards & originals, w. John Swana-trumpet, Peter Bernstein-guitar, Kenny Barron-piano, Peter Washington-bass, Carl Allen-drums.

New York-based trumpeter plays w. fire & authenticity; his tunes on this debut represent the essence of modern mainstream jazz, feat. Eric Alexander, Larry Goldings, Dwayne Burno, Billy Drummond. (Previously deleted 4/1/12. Original release date: 3/18/97)

Pianist's trio with Buster Williams on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums, recorded December 29, 1988 and January 2, 1989.

Not one to be typecast by a decidedly mainstream background that included stints with Wynton Marsalis & the Lincoln Center Jazz Orch., Wycliffe shows more sides to a versatility first hinted at by the the sounds of his album "The Gospel Truth". This new work finds his trombone in a number of settings, from funk to Ellington & even an impressive solo display. Joining him is Ryan Kisor, Victor Goines & Herb Harris.

Pianist Kikoski returns to a piano trio setting for a collection of provocative, often unconventional, original compositions; features bassist John Patitucci & drummer Jeff "Twain" Watts.

Alto saxophonist's quintet w. Brian Lynch, Benny Green, Peter Washington, and Jeff "Tain" Watts, recorded December 24, 1987.

Surrounded by his colleagues from the notorious sextet collective One for All (Eric Alexander, Steve Davis, David Hazeltine & others), trumpeter/flugelhornist reaffirms his charter membership in the no-holds-barred society of improvisers.

On his eighth Criss Cross leader date, Wycliffe Gordon (awarded 2012 Trombonist of the Year by both the DownBeat Critics Poll and the Jazz Journalists' Asssociation) distills his exhaustive knowledge of the oeuvre of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn on a wellcrafted, ten-piece program spanning a timeline from 1927 (Creole Love Call) to 1967 (The Intimacy of the Blues).

It would be fellow Criss Cross associate Walt Weiskopf who would bring Conrad Herwig into the label's fold back in 1992. The trombonist would then go on to record his own Criss Cross debut, Heart of Darkness (CRC 1155) in 1998. Now some 15 years into his tenure, Herwig has recorded eight remarkable and engagingly diverse albums with A Voice Through the Door being his latest breakthrough. Highlighting a distinguished composer, this inspired recital includes seven new Herwig originals along with a reworking of the standard All or Nothing At All. Then emphasis is on shared communication, an aspect that is clearly evident through Herwig's long track record with pianist Orrin Evans and drummer Donald Edwards. Adding something new to the mix, however, are new associations with tenor man Ralph Bowen and bassist Kenny Davis, thenselves frequent collaborators going back to their days with the band Out of the Blue.

On his seventh Criss Cross date, and second two-trombone pairing with Steve Davis, Conrad Herwig offers a tribute to eight trombone heroes. Joined by the rhythm section with whom Herwig plays regularly in the Mingus Big Band and Mingus Dynasty, pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Donald Edwards, the trombonists navigate from bebop to modal, to Brazilian to Afro-Cuban, playing with invention and joie de vivre.

ANACAPA

Between 2004 and 2016, alto saxophonist David Binney made nine albumsfor Criss Cross as either leader or co - leader, presenting predominantly his distictive original music. The tenth Criss Cross album with Binney's imprimatur, A Glimpse Of The Eternal, is, Binney says, completely different than anything I've ever done - chilled out, an honest and pleasant vibe, nothing too complicated or intense. The album was recorded June 29, 2021 at the Samurai Hotel Recording Studio and mixed and mastered by Mike Marciano at the Systems Two Recording Studios.

Trombonist Conrad Herwig continues his spiritual journey here on his fourth Criss Cross release. Long reknown for his work with Slide Hampton's World of Trombones, the Mingus Big Band, Eddie Palmieri and, more recently, Joe Lovano & Tom Harrell, Herwig's trombone playing is bold, brash & unpredictable. Through musical conversations with the wonderful rhythm section of Bill Charlap, James Genus & Gene Jackson, Conrad's new album speaks equally well to his prowess as a leader & composer.

With.. It Was Beauty, pianist Orrin Evans presents his seventh Criss Cross leader date, returning to the label for the first time since 2005. The title tells the story: On a reflective, immensely satisfying ten-piece program comprising mainly originals, the 36-year-old Evans-joined by bass titan Eric Revis and master drummer Donald Edwards, both partners of long standing-plays with old soul focus, presenting a deeply personal vision that privileges notions of dynamic contrast, immediately identifiable tonal identity, meaty harmonies, tension and release, and three-way conversation.

Countless gigs have come and gone for musical buddies David Hazeltine and Eric Alexander since the first volume of Blues Quarters (CRC 1188) came out in 1998, making this second edition an even stronger statement, with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Joe Farnsworth completing the line-up. Among an already fine set of originals are outstanding updates to the classics "Going Out of My Head" and "Unforgettable" with a Latin groove adding some extra spice.

Wycliffe Gordon's fourth Criss Cross release features tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake and drummer Bill Stewart, who appeared also on the trombonist's critically acclaimed 2002 recording, "United Soul Experience" (CRC #1224), plus Hammond B3 organist Sam Yahel and guitarist Peter Bernstein. The mixture of familiar and new company fuels Gordon's prodigious talents as a composer, arranger, and soloist. Utilizing various combinations of instruments, he creates an eclectic yet coherent program out of funky jazz grooves, blues, and ballads.

Lifted Land, David Binney's sixth recording for Criss Cross, is also his third wholly original program for the label (after Cities and Desire (CRC 1285) and Barefooted Town (CRC 1325). One of the most gripping and distinctive alto players and composers of his generation, Binney leads a powerfully expressive quartet with longtime allies Craig Taborn on piano and Eivind Opsvik on bass. Drummer Tyshawn Sorey, an acclaimed leader and composer in his own right, makes his first Criss Cross appearance here, in place of Binney's go-to drummer for previous releases, Dan Weiss.

For his eighth date for Criss Cross as a leader or co-leader, alto saxophonist-composer David Binney documents the quartet with which he most frequently works in New York City (pianist Jacob Sacks, bassist Eivind Opsvik, and drummer Dan Weiss) for the first time since the 2009 recording Aliso. It's an episodic, thematically cohesive, 65-minute suite on which Binney and his upper echelon bandmates solo through the shifting moods and environments, tracking his responses to the diurnal cycle, with characteristic inspiration and derring-do.

Moments Captured is trumpeter Alex Sipiagin's third Criss Cross date to feature a three-horn lineup, after Equilibrium in 2004 and Destinations Unknown in 2011. While the earlier discs featured David Binney on alto, here it is the fiery Will Vinson displaying his prodigious talents alongside the leader and master tenorist Chris Potter. Rounding out the lineup on this exploratory all-original session are the players from Sipiagin's 2015 album Balance 35/58: John Escreet on piano and keyboards, Matt Brewer on bass, and Eric Harland on drums. The intricate, polyphonic aspect of Sipiagin's writing continues to flower and grow, but it is Escreet's extensive use of the Prophet 6 synthesizer that marks this album's biggest departure. Wringing a seemingly limitless array of tonal colors from the instrument, Escreet gives Sipiagin's music a refreshing and wholly unpredictable edge.

Orrin Evans' sixth date as a leader for Criss Cross reunites the award-winning pianist and composer with his mentor and longtime colleague, saxophonist Ralph Bowen. The quartet session introduces five exciting new original compositions by the leader and reexamines three songs from his first two releases for the label. Tenor saxophonist J.D. Allen is added to the group on Evans' stirring of Horace Silvers' "Song for My Father." in the rhythm section bassist Mike Boone or Eric Revis, and drummer Rodney Green or Byron Landham.

After his successful gospel and mainstream albums, trombone star Wycliffe Gordon presents his new all-star band on "United Soul Experience" playing some groovy, soul-oriented, hard swinging jazz. The band features new star tourist Seamus Blake, David Kikoski on piano, Larry Grenadier on bass and Bill Stewart on drums.

Trumpeter Alex Sipiagin's ninth Criss Cross album may be his most conceptually ambitious. The 43-year-old trumpeter is these days garnering broad international recognition as a solo artist, as well as for his inspired virtuoso playing in various Dave Holland and Mingus Orchestra, offers seven original pieces - performed by a distinguished band of A-listers - that contain heady polyphony, substantial melodies, beautiful voicings, and intoxicating rhythms. It's a cutting edge of the 21st century jazz. The band: Chris Potter, tenor sax and flute; David Binney, alto sax; Craig Taborn, piano and fender rhodes; Boris Koslov, bass; and Eric Harland, drums.

This is trombonist Wycliffe Gordon's fifth outing as a leader on Criss Cross and perhaps his most personal statement. Augmenting a strong roots-to-modern jazz sextet with a gospel choir from Georgia, his home state, Gordon presents a joyful noise, referencing the vocabularies of Armstrong, Ellington and Jelly Roll Morton with an eye keenly honed in on the present day. In the band: Marcus Printup on trumpet, Victor Goines on saxes and clarinet, Eric Reed on piano with bassist Reginald Veal and drummer Alvin Atkinson Jr..

During his 13-year association with Criss Cross, which includes six prior leader dates and another five with the nonpareil hard bop collective One for All, trumpeter Jim Rotondi has consistently maintained high standards of excellence in his playing and writing. The Move is no exception - Rotondi's strong sextet, all long-time colleagues (Ralph Bowen, tenor sax; Mike DiRubbo, alto sax; David Hazeltine, piano; John Webber, bass; Joe Farnsworth, drums), play the stimulating charts with heat, creative spirit, and deep craft, each member stamping themselves as personal voices in the mainstream jazz timeline.

On his sixth session as a leader for Criss Cross Jazz, One for All trumpeter Jim Rotondi pushes the hard bop envelope, broadening the music's horizons with a new quintet that utilizes veteran vibraphonist Steve Nelson in place of the usual piano. Criss Cross. 2006.

For his fourth Criss Cross leader date, alto saxophonist-composer David Binney convenes his primary New York working quartet of the 2000's (pianist Jacob Sacks, bassist Eivind Opsvik, and drummer Dan Weiss), adds to the mix guitar hero Wayne Krantz, with whom he works frequently in an electronica-oriented group, and augments the proceedings with several appearances by British pianist-composer John Escreet, a frequent partner in recent years. The leader plays with deep emotion and the concision of an old master; it's as strong a date as any in Binney's now sizable discography.