Thompson's August 1999 engagement at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago was an unexpected gift - the 82-year-old pianist, a mainstay on New York's dynamic 52nd Street scene in the 1940s & '50s, hadn't appeared in Chicago since 1941 when he was a member of Lionel Hampton's first band; on this live recording, his trio contains tenor sax man Eric Schnieder & trumpeter Art Hoyle.

The Dixieland Rhythm Kings were formed in central Ohio in the late '40s and have recorded for many labels including Riverside, Red Onion, GHB, Audiophile and Jazzology. Gene Mayl, founder of the group, has played with Bob Scobey, Muggsy Spanier, Wild Bill Davison, George Brunies and many others. This album comes from a 1965 live concert originally issued on the Blackbird label as "Trip to Waukesha." the personnel is Dick Baars, cornet; Bill Coburn, trombone; Pat Patterson, clarinet; Clarence Hall, piano; Vic Tooker, banjo; Gene Mayl, tuba and Glenn Kimmel, drums. Contains previously unissued material.

Wielding his courtly tenor, Von Freeman can define Chicago-tough or smooth romantic feathers in the manner of his early idol Lester Young - Petersen knows full well to expect the unexpected whenever he locks horns with Vonski.

Percussionist Kahil El'Zabar writes the next chapter in his continuing study of the music that shaped the future of jazz.

Hard bop is where trumpeter Thompson hangs his stylistic hat - he & the Freebop Band embrace everything from cool modes to atonal flights, jazz-funk to the traditional New Orleans sound, feat. bassist Fred Hopkins, Gary Burtz, Kirk Brown & others.

Clarinetist "updates" Benny Goodman & Artie Shaw.

OCEANIC

W. Ira Sullivan, Jodie Christian +.

Former tenor saxist for Shannon Jackson's Decoding Society debut disc.

Chicago's master jazz pianist's debut, 1991.

Originally released on Sackville recordings in 1974 as "The Roscoe Mitchell Solo Saxophone Concerts", this historical reissue has been remastered and contains the same material as the original, which is primarily solo concerts from Montreal, Michigan and Pori, Finland recorded in 1973-1974. It captures Roscoe Mitchell in a very important period in his development as a musician as he started exploring his own solo voice again after a very productive period with the Art Ensemble of Chicago. It beautifully displays his virtuosity and range on the different horns in the saxophone family, and many of the melodies he explores in these recordings were expanded on in his later works. It is truly a peek into how some of his elaborate compositions may have begun.

Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet "For the Love of Fire and Water" - Myra Melford (piano, melodica), Mary Halvorson (guitar), Ingrid Laubrock (tenor and soprano saxophones), Tomek Reid (cello), Susie Ibarra (drums, percussion)

HERE TODAY GONE TOMORROW

Bassist Josh Abrams' quartet embodies a devastating geographic cross section of today's free music. Abrams started in Philly's the Roots and went on to Chicago's Town And Country and the David Boykin Expanse. Quartet member Jeff Parker is well known for his work with Tortoise, Chicago Underground and his first album as leader, "Like-Coping" (DMK #543). Guillermo Gregorio's work spans a lifetime of improvised playing with Fred Lonberg-Holm, Jim O'Rourke and Anthony Braxton to name just a few. Axel Dorner's output as both free improvisor and composer cover multiple continents with John Butcher, Alexander von Schlippenbach and Mats Gustafsson.

Dink Johnson was born in New Orleans around 1880, and was the younger brother of Bill Johnson, King Oliver's great bass player. Dink played a swinging, stomping, Jelly-like piano style. He had a repertoire of tunes as unique as his style, containing many tunes of his own and other tunes long forgotten. Dink had a rollicking, contagious sense of humor which comes through on these recordings. The weirdest thing he ever did by far is, "The Pidgeon Walk." at best, the tune was just another dance tune that never got off the ground but at the hands of Dink it becomes a masterpiece of something or another! It is indeed pathetic that Dink could die and leave so little in reserve for those who belatedly came to appreciate his work.

Trumpeter Malachi Thompson applies his "freebop" approach (a melding of free jazz and bebop) to brass big band again for "Blue Jazz," the third CD from the four trumpet, four trombone with rhythm section group. "Thompson has created another grand statement on the meaning, purpose and beauty of American jazz. Epic effort." - Chicago Tribune from the review of the last Africa Brass CD, "Buddy Bolden's Rag" (DMK #481). Gary Bartz on alto sax and Billy Harper on tenor sax have a strong presence throughout while vocalists Dee Alexander and the Big DooWopper, and Gene "Daddy G" Barge on tenor sax guest, add their special touches.

Clarinet/tenor saxophonist Vandermark forges the jazz sound of the future, while retaining a healthy respect for his musical elders, and the Sound in Action Trio recorded here is built around one of them - former Sun Ra drummer Robert Barry, as well as drummer Tim Mulvenna.

NHE's third Delmark CD is a tribute to trumpeter Ameen Muhammad who made his transition on Feb. 28th, 2003, not long after the release of "Capetown Shuffle - Live at the HotHouse" (DMK #545). "Last summer, Dawkins-a brilliant Chicago saxophonist-bandleader-composer-and his NHE ignited the incendiary music on this CD before a live audience at HotHouse" - Top Ten best jazz recordings of 2003 - Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune. Trumpeter Maurice Brown made his recorded debut last year on Fred Anderson's "Back at the Velvet Lounge" (DMK #549). Charles Walker of Sudden Thoughts commented that "... The veteran has found himself an uncannily interactive front-line foil in Brown."

Born and raised on Chicago's south side, violinist SavoirFaire cut his improvisational teeth at local jazz sessions. His first performance was at age 5 on stage at Chicago Symphony Center's Orchestra Hall as one of 25 special Suzuki students. SavoirFaire continued his musical path receiving scholarships to study with renowned teachers, winning local talent shows and the prestigious Interlochen award. Classically trained, his skill and oneness with his instrument has allowed him to grace the stages of Chicago's world-renowned jazz performance venues. Through swinging jazz, avant-garde free excursions, hip-hop, lush balladry, Latin-tinged movements and cascading Indo-African styled improvisations, this CD expresses SavoirFaire's commitment to the evolution of jazz.

R&b with jazz solos, 21 cuts from 1946-47 w. Babs Gonzales, Loumell Morgan, Artie Simms, Babe Wallace, the Four Blues & Ben Smith, from the Apollo Series.

WATER MUSIC

Two unique jazz guitarists collaborate on "Song Songs Song." Jeff Parker's previous Delmark CD, "Like-Coping" (DMK #543), his first as leader, was more rooted in the classic jazz tradition compared to his other work with Tortoise, Isotope 217, Chicago Underground or Tricolor. The music on "Song Songs Song" is free and stylistically similar to Scott Fields' first Delmark CD. Jazziz Magazine described Fields' music as: "open-ended, freeform sound-scapes filled with noises that are alternately weird, discomfiting and stimulating" - (reviewing "Mamet," DMK #527). "Parker turns in one cogent but disarming performance after another" - Top Ten best jazz recordings 2003 - Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune.

SEVERAL LIGHTS

This is the solo debut by Chicago pianist/synthesist Jim Baker, previously recorded in settings ranging from duets to Ken Vandermark's Territory Bands, and from third-stream projects (with Guillermo Gregorio) to rock groups (with Nicholas Tremulis). Having previously collaborated with reedists (Fred Anderson, Kyle Bruckmann, Nicole Mitchell, Ken Vandermark, Mars Williams) and with various trios (bassists Harrison Bankhead, Josh Abrams; cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm; percussionists Avreeyal Ra, Michael Zerang), Baker set himself the seemingly-paradoxical task of recording an album of free improvisations - on both piano and analogue synthesizer - which would have a "somewhat or somehow tuneful" character. Baker has been described as "deeply unusual."

LIFETIME REBEL: JOELLE LEANDRE'S LIFETIME ACHIEVEM