Geoff Keezer (Art Farmer, Slide Hampton, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers+)-pno, Steve Nelson-vibes Neil Swaison-bs, live at Toronto's Montreal Bistro, 1993.

Doc Cheatham-trumpet & voc, w. Rosemary Galloway-bass & voc, and her Swing Sisters Sarah McElcheran-trumpet, Jane Fair-cl & tenor sax, plus Jim Galloway-sop & baritone saxes, Norman Amadio-piano & Don Vickery-drums.

Trio whose playing reaches back to the earliest days of jazz. 1900-1920 were considered "the Mauve Decades," so on this Sackville CD, pianist Keith Ingham (in a trio with clarinetist Bobby Gordon and clarinetist Bobby Gordon) performs 17 songs written during that period. Although one might think that the music would be ragtime-oriented, in reality many of the songs retained their popularity into the 1920s and beyond, including "Glow Worm," "Ida," "My Gal Sal," "Some of These Days" and "Love Nest." The interpretations, which are a little reminiscent of the Benny Goodman Trio, fall into mainstream jazz, between swing and Dixieland. Everyone plays up to par, making this a good acquisition for pre-bop collectors.

This 2-CD collection brings together three LPs from the 1970s which illustrate superbly the attributes of Jay McShann's piano stylings. "Tuxedo Junction," the title track, salutes Erskine Hawkins. Also recalled are Sir Charles Thompson and Illinois Jacquet ("Robbins Nest"), Mary Lou Williams ("Froggie Bottom"), Don Redman ("Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You") and Duke Ellington ("Do Nothing Until You Hear from Me"). This collection includes two previously unreleased vocal performances by Jay McShann of "Baby Won't You Please Come Home" and "Keep Your Hands Off Her."

(2-CD set) This reissue features the powers of four master pianists, Willie "The Lion" Smith, Don Ewell, Claude Hopkins and Sir Charles Thompson. On 10 tracks recorded in Toronto in 1967, Smith and Ewell perform as a duo. Hopkins performs solo in the style of the Harlem pianists of the 1920s on 8 tracks recorded in 1972, while Hopkins performs solo on 6 tracks from 1984.

This performance recording captures the genuine excitement and swing when top quality musicians get together in the creation of jazz music. Baritone saxophonist Joe Temperley and tenor saxophonist Harry Allen blend together into a highly distinctive tonal mix. Their irresistible desire to play music with swing turns whatever they play into explosively dynamic music. The recording took place at Sunnie Sutton's Rocky Mountain Jazz Party in October 2006 and the tracks include Oscar Pettiford's classic line Blues in the Closet, jazz standards in a Mellotone and Jumpin' at the Woodside, as well as popular songs like Cocktails for Two, Sweet & Lovely, I've Got a World on a String, Polka Dots & Moonbeams and Everything Happens to Me.

This album was recorded in Toronto following a concert performance for the Classic Jazz Society. It showcases the brilliant piano work of David Boeddinghaus, along time resident of New Orleans, who works primarily as music director for Banu Gibson's Hot Jazz. His mastery of the classic piano styles (Morton, Waller and Wilson) are clearly evident here. Underpinning every selection is the classic New Orleans snare/bass drum centered percussion of Trevor Richards. Since studying with Zutty Singleton in the 1960s Trevor has led bands in New Orleans and other parts of the world. He often tours in Germany with trios stylistically similar to the music heard on this recording.

New Orleans, and it's music, has been in everyone's thoughts following the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina. This recording salutes the city and it's musical heritage with a program put together over 4 nights of performance at Toronto's Montreal Bistro. John Sheridan's elegant piano stylings laid down a harmonic carpet for the burnished brilliance of Barnard's cornet - deeply etched within the "hot" traditions of New Orleans. Everything is held together by the rhythmic sparkle of Don Vickery's drums. The program contains echoes of many facets of the city's musical traditions: The marching bands, the joyful exuberance of the city's good times as well as songs reflective of the city's more somber moments.

Both trumpeter Bob Barnard and pianist John Sheridan are songsters who are inspired by the rich vein of tunes created in the first half of the 20th Century. Their song choices for this collection are an acknowledgement of the extraordinary innovations Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby brought to music. Many of the songs on this CD were associated with Louis and Bing and are from movies and were written in the 1930s - their joyful themes were an antidote to the daily reality of Depression Era America.

From Australia comes veteran cornet player Bob Barnard, whose horn has been heard from Sydney to Santiago and from L.A. to London. He's joined by Scottish saxman Jim Galloway, who now resides in Toronto. Recorded at the Montreal Bistro in Toronto in Sept. 2002 on two dates, this 10 track CD with over 70 minutes of music also features guitarist Reg Schwager, bassist Keter Betts and drummer Jackie Williams.

Pianist Junior Mance, bassist Don Thompson & drummer Archie Alleyne recorded live in 1997 at the Montreal Bistro & Jazz Club in Toronto, Canada - the set features improvised interpretations which are not part of his regular repertoire.

This limited edition reissue features the brilliant trombone work of Ray Anderson, the bass of Mark Helias & the percussion skills of Barry Altschul. The trio had worked together extensively by the time they recorded this album. The cohesion between the instruments & the fluid interaction with which they develop & expand their ideas is remarkable. This recording captures the high level of creativity flowing from the music. It was recorded more than 20 years ago, but it has retained it's freshness, vigour & wit.

Pianist Anthony Davis is joined by Leroy Jenkins, Abdul Wadud & Pheeroan ak Laff on highly creative improvised compositions, written by Davis, and recorded at Downtown sound, New York City, July 30 & 31, 1978.

Berger & Holland were two of the first Europeans to find musical homes for themselves deep in American free jazz, and these improvised duets from 1976 show just how comfortable they were. Berger plays piano, vibraphone & balafon, while Holland plays bass. The compositions are tonal, and as the title insists, it's all about time. It's roots go deep, all the way to Africa, and the overlapping of rhythms suggest the minimalism of Reich, Riley & Glass. Berger's forte is rhythmic dialogue, and the subtle time shifts that are often a music's undercurrent are fore-grounded here.

A solo concert from December 2007 at the Old Mill Inn in Toronto by virtuoso pianist Dick Hyman. Hyman has played with legends Benny Goodman, Charlie Parker and Red Norvo, he has scored Woody Allen films and made in depth tributes to Jelly Roll Morton, Bix Beiderbecke and Duke Ellington. 12 tracks: Ain't Misbehavin', I Can't Get Started, Stompin' at the Savoy, Have a Heart, Honeysuckle Rose, All the Things You Are, Undecided, Blackbird, Christopher Columbus, Ocean Languor, Pass It Along, the Man I Love.

Andrew Scott's latest project for Sackville takes a fresh look at some of the classic bebop tunes of the 40s based upon the harmonies of popular songs. The quartet of Andrew Scott - guitar, Mark Eisenman - piano, Pat Collins - bass and Joel Haynes - drums are joined by Jon Erik-Kellso on trumpet and Don Block on tenor saxophone and clarinet. Tracks: Did You Call Her Today, Hot House, on a Misty Night, Vicky's Dream, Nostalgia, Junior's Soul, Quasimodo, Contrafact, Salute to the Bandbox. Recorded on June 5, 2008 at the Estonian Hall in Toronto.

Debut performance of the trio recorded at Toronto's Old Mill Restaurant February, 2007. Gene DiNovi-Piano, Andrew Scott-Guitar and Dave Young-Bass.

Marty Grosz and Mike Peters recorded these duets informally over a seven year period. It is rare to hear Jazz guitarists performing duets on acoustic instruments and this collaboration is a tribute to Eddie Lang, Carl Kress and Dick McDonough. Such classics as Chicken a La Swing, Eddie's Twister, Danzon and Minuet in Miniature are given sensitive interpretations while the duo improvise on jazz material such as Jubilee, I've Found a New Baby, the Mooche and If Dreams Come True. 20 tracks total.

Rossano Sportiello command of the jazz language is complete, whether it's within the stride tradition or through the fluid harmonic concepts of beboppers and Bill Evans. Among those enthusiastic about his talents are Dan Barrett and Barry Harris. In the Dark was issued originally on Blue Swing Records in a limited edition with sales made at Rossano's performances. HIs musical profile continues to grow with appearances at major jazz events in Europe and the U.S.. His appearance at Blackpool's Swinging Jazz Party called upon him to match wits with both Dick Hymas and Houston Person.

New York's Kelly's Stables on 52nd Street was a hotbed of innovative musical ideas in the early 1940s. The Coleman Hawkins Band was extending the harmonic boundaries of the music in association with younger musicians laying the seeds of the bebop revolution. Dan Block (a NY tenor saxophonist and clarinetist) and guitarist Chris Flory spent 5 years researching the period in an attempt to find the connection points and transition from Swing to Bop. This recording, Almost Modern, is the musical result of their work, including tunes by Dexter Gordon, Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas, Illinois Jacquet, Dizzy Gillespie, Gil Fuller, Charlie Parker, Thelonius Monk and Sir Charles Thompson.

This CD includes the 1951 sessions with members of Australia's Graeme Bell Band who were on tour in the U.K. at that time. They are notable for the late 1920s feel of the ensembles and the unique solo offerings of alto saxophonist Ade Monsbourgh. Lyttelton tapped into the rich expatriate Caribbean musical community for this early fusion of jazz and Caribbean rhythms (the Habanera touch). Saxophonists Freddie Grant and Bertie King, pianist Mike McKenzie, and guitarist Fitzroy Coleman are all featured alongside Lyttelton's potent trumpet and the warm glow of Wally Fawkes' clarinet. Marie Bryant is featured in four well chosen standards.

BLUE MERCER is Andrew Scott's tribute to Johnny Mercer, the legendary lyric writer who's feeling for jazz is evident in all of his collaborations with such gifted composers as Harold Arlen, Rube Bloom, Henry Mancini, and Richard Whiting.

These are amongst the earliest of pianist Ralph Sutton's solo recordings. The first fifteen selections come from a session in San Francisco in 1949 originally issued on Down Home Records. Even less known are the final eight tracks recorded in London in 1952 and originally issued on the Lyragon label. At the time, Sutton was performing as a jazz concert artist, but still found time to put down on wax these brief interpretations of material he was to rework through his long career. The highlights include three Willie "The Lion" Smith compositions - "Concentratin'" and "Morning Air" remained staples of Sutton's repertoire, but his version here of "No Local Stops" may well be it's only recorded performance.

Cornet master Rex Stewart was selected by Henri Chaix to choose the repertoire for their collaboration on this June 12th, 1966 session recorded in Baden, Switzerland, and produced by Arild Wideroe (this is the first CD issue of this music which was licensed originally for LP release in Europe on Polydor International). The second half of this CD features the Henri Chaix Orchestra's final performance (does not include an appearance by Rex Stewart) at the Montreux Festival on June 16th, 1971, and it's issued here for the first time. The orchestra performs three medleys as a tribute to Fats Wallers.

One of jazz music's great comedians, Marty Grosz is a brilliant acoustic guitarist whose chordal solos bring back the sound of Carl Kress and Dick McDonough of the 1930s, while his vocals are very much in the Fats Waller tradition. The material on this 15 track CD was recorded in Germany on Nov. 19th, 2001 (one track was recorded Dec. 13th, 2000). Marty is joined by trumpeter Randy Reinhart, clarinet/saxophonist Frank Roberscheuten, bassist Nico Gastreich and drummer Moritz Gastreich.