Classical Music

With HEALING SPACE, saxophonist / flutist / composer Tia Fuller continues building on the buzz she's created with her high profile performances in New York City. Between touring with Beyonce Knowles, teaching, mentoring, and being an "In Demand" session player, Fuller finds time to return to her first love - Jazz. On HEALING SPACE, her Mack Avenue debut, Fuller is backed by a seasoned team of young, talented players including Miki Hayama, Mirian Sullivan, Kim Thompson, Khalil Kwame Bell and Mack Avenue label mates Sean Jones and Ron Blake.

We Are is a career-changing album from musician and activist Jon Batiste. We Are celebrates Black American culture and music while exploring themes of lineage, authenticity, excellence and evolution. This album is about honoring roots and traditions, while looking forward to the future and constantly evolving. Featuring Mavis Staples, Zadie Smith, PJ Morton, Trombone Shorty, Kizzo, Autumn Rowe, Steve Jordan, and many more.

Once in a while, a new jazz artist arrives on the scene who reminds us of the power and glory of this music, and shows how jazz can still stir our emotions and get our pulses racing in the present day. Cecile McLorin Salvant is that sort of artist. WomanChild is the stunning Mack Avenue debut of a once-in-a-generation artist.

The third album from Beatles Jazz is consistent with their previous two. But this time the trio has enlisted help from some of jazz's big names, such as John Scofield, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker and Mike Stern. This album is full of musical virtuosity but remains true to the essence of each song.

Louis Armstrong was without question one of the most important artists in the development of jazz - his technical skill, his powerful presence and his improvisational genius was such that his peers rapidly recognised him as a model, and his work helped shape the way the language of jazz evolved over the years. From quite early in his career, from the late '30s onwards, he became an entertainer who transcended the genres, appearing in many films, and acquiring a role and relevance outside pure jazz, although his influence continued to pervade the way the music was performed, especially during the New Orleans revival of the '50s and '60s. This collection, however, focuses on that first key decade, when he helped shift the emphasis from collective improvisation to virtuoso solo performance simply through the power and quality of his contribution to the ensembles he played with and led. It includes some of his first recordings as part of the hugely important King Oliver Creole Jazz Band along with selected recordings with the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra and Clarence Williams' Blue Five, before drawing most particularly on his landmark recordings with his Hot Five and Hot Seven, which are such an important element of the entire jazz canon. The final section of the collection comprises recordings with his orchestra during the early '30s as he developed his technique further and established his role as a singer and entertainer as much as virtuoso trumpeter and cornettist. It's a great value 48-track 2-CD set at budget price, which provides an insight into a vital formative decade of jazz

2021 release from the iconic musician In the 2010s, Herb Alpert released a prolific run of eight new studio albums. This year, the iconic leader of the Tijuana Brass shows no signs of slowing down with his latest effort, Catch The Wind. This new collection features nine original compositions, covers of beloved Beatles hits "Eleanor Rigby" and "Yesterday", and American classics "Smile", "America The Beautiful", and "Summertime". So, charge up your iPhone, dust off your Hi-Fi, put batteries in your boombox, plug the headphones into your Walkman, and get ready to listen to Herb Alpert's Catch The Wind.

On March 3, 1978, Buddy Rich took one of the best bands he ever had (he called them the Killer Force) to a gig at a Sacramento high school. What was captured will make jazz fans flip: no producers, no set lists just electrifying jazz the way Buddy felt like playing it that night: Grand Concourse; Slow Funk; West Side Story Suite; Someday My Prince Will Come, and more!

On his 2019 album, Over The Rainbow, Herb Alpert began the same way he has done for all of his albums over the years: searching for great melodies. That search has resulted in the prolific trumpeter's latest offering, a collection of 11 classics and one brand new, original track. That original song, "Skinny Dip", opens the album with a quirky, fun vibe before things move on to recognizable tunes from the great American songbook, which are included for various reasons close to Herb's heart. He felt the danger in the tightrope walk of recording his own version of the iconic "Over The Rainbow", which was cemented within pop culture by Judy Garland's performance and many other fantastic recordings. And whether it's a tribute to Gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt on "All Love", Bill Withers on "Ain't No Sunshine", or the great Louis Armstrong on "What A Wonderful World", there is always a deeper connection and meaning for Herb on every cover selected for this album, making it one of the most personal projects he has ever worked on.

2019 archive release. Miles Davis shocked the music world in 1985 when he left Columbia Records after 30 years to join Warner Bros. Records. In October of that year, he began recording the album Rubberband in Los Angeles at Ameraycan Studios with producers Randy Hall and Zane Giles. The musical direction Davis was taking during the sessions marked a radical departure, with the inclusion of funk and soul grooves; with plans to feature guest vocalists Al Jarreau and Chaka Khan. Eventually, the album was shelved and Davis went on to record Tutu, leaving the Rubberband songs unheard and untouched for over 30 years. It was finished by the original producers Hall and Giles; with Davis' nephew, Vince Wilburn, Jr., who played drums on the original sessions for the album in 1985-86.

Also available on CD!

 

Christian McBride solidifies his role as the champion of the past, present and future of jazz with his GRAMMY® Award-winning Big Band's new album in tribute to Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery and Oliver Nelson. Featuring special guests Joey DeFrancesco and Mark Whitfield, "For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver" honors the historical legacy of the jazz legends who shaped the soul of music for generations to come.

I remember the Great Unus of Ringling Brothers Circus placing a round glove on top of his upright cane-then proceeding to balance himself by standing on his forefinger. Of course that's the answer-it can't be done. Like the Great Unus, is this some kind of magician's trick Mr. Rich is putting on us? - that we really don't hear or see what we think we do? I recall standing with Shelly Manne and Bobby Rosengarden at the Nice Jazz Festival in 1978. We stood to the right side of the bandstand so Shelly and Bobby could watch Buddy's right foot! Just his right foot! After the set, they looked at each other in disbelief. It was obviously an illusion they had seen. During a Rich engagement in Los Angeles some years ago, twenty-two drummers were in the audience. At the conclusion of the "Channel One Suite" half of them were openly crying. One should not try to explain the magician's trick-once you know the modus of operandi, the thrill is gone. So keep your secrets, Buddy Rich, and let the audience forever be amazed and in wonderment of your art. The Great Unus may have retired, but Traps, the Drum Wonder makes US all believers. - Johnny Carson Includes: Machine, Best Coast, One O'Clock Jump, Sophisticated Lady, Norwegian Wood, Love for Sale, No Exit, Channel One Suite.

Born 25th August, 1925 in Montreal, Canada, Oscar Emmanuel Peterson grew up in Little Burgundy, a predominantly black neighbourhood in greater Quebec. He took up piano and trumpet at age five, quickly becoming adept on both instruments. At seven he was diagnosed with tuberculosis which prevented him from playing the trumpet, he thus concentrated on the piano during this time, practising four to six hours a day. Studying under the Hungarian-born player Paul de Marky - himself a student of virtuoso Istvan Thoman - the young Oscar began learning classical piano but later switched to jazz styles, most notably 'boogie-woogie'. By 1961, with the piano-bass-drums line up now firmly established, the OPT performed a week's residency at The London House, a renowned jazz spot in Chicago. These performances were among the finest the new line-up ever gave, and were released on Verve as four separate albums; The Trio, Something Warm, The Sound Of The Trio and Put On A Happy Face, in '61 and early '62. The following year, Peterson's most commercially successful record Night Train (Verve, 1963), was released, another Trio masterpiece that due to it's shorter track times, received considerable radio play. Oscar Peterson's extraordinary career spanned more than 60 years during which time he won eight Grammys among a host of other awards and honours, and played on over 200 albums. His live repertoire was equally impressive and the great man remains among the most respected jazz musicians of all time. This 4CD collection brings together eight of Oscar Peterson's finest albums, all recorded for the esteemed Verve label during his heyday in the late 1950s and early 1960s. A dynamic introduction to Peterson's best work, this box set equally serves as a welcome reminder for those already familiar.

• 1 I'm a Fool to Want You
• 2 For Heaven's Sake
• 3 You Don't Know What Love Is
• 4 I Get Along Without You Very Well
• 5 For All We Know
• 6 Violets for Your Furs
• 7 You've Changed
• 8 It's Easy to Remember
• 9 But Beautiful
• 10 Glad to Be Unhappy
• 11 I'll Be Around
• 12 The End of a Love Affair
• 13 I'm a Fool to Want You [Take 3 Alternate] [Take]
• 14 I'm a Fool to Want You [Take 2 Alternate] [Take]
• 15 The End of a Love Affair [The Audio Story]
• 16 The End of a Love Affair [Stereo Version]

This release collects the best soundtracks from the 30-year collaboration between jazz legends Benny Carter, Dizzy Gillespie and Quincy Jones and Academy Award winning animators John and Faith Hubley. The music (all previously unreleased material) is powerful, soaring and exciting jazz from the beat era through the exploratory '60s and funky '70s. 15 selections featuring performances by Lionel Hampton, Jean-Luc Ponty, Maynard Ferguson, Shelly Mann, Thad Jones and others, as well as vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater.

George Cables should be declared a National Treasure. As a pianist he is surely second-to-none on today's jazz scene. Listen only to "A Valentine for You" on Cables' current offering to hear what a jaw-dropping beauty of tone he can produce from the pile of wood and metal we call a piano, and how much critical mass is behind every sonorous voicing of his chords. As a musician he possesses endless imagination and creativity, shown by his strikingly new takes on tunes we thought we knew, particularly the title track, "Too Close for Comfort," which retains little trace of it's pop song origin. As a composer he has quietly amassed a catalog of works of extremely wide range and extraordinary quality, such as his compositions on this new release, "Circle of Love," "This is My Song," "Klimo" and the aforementioned "A Valentine for You." And finally, the album's cover photo perfectly captures George Cables the man - full of boundless energy, a love of his instrument and the music he makes on it and an impish sense of humor, evidenced by his titling the record Too Close for Comfort during a pandemic where social distancing has become the order of the day. The artist Edward Hopper said, "Great art is the outward expression of an inner life of the artist, and this inner life will result in his personal vision of the world." That would explain why the world according to George Cables is such a wonderful place to be.

Classical Music

Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers were a major influential creative force in modern jazz for over three decades, with Blakey actively leading different incarnations of the band through to his death in 1990. They were legendary as representing the archetypal hard bop school of jazz, with a driving blues-flavoured approach. These performances came from early in the development of the Messengers soon after drummer Art Blakey and pianist Horace Silver had formed the group with tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, trumpeter Kenny Dorham and bassist Doug Watkins, and these recordings were the first 'live' performances by this line-up to be recorded and released, and so represent something of a landmark. This set comprises the performances which were subsequently released on the Blue Note label. In addition, by way of a bonus, we also feature three studio tracks which this line-up had recorded at their first session together in November 1954, which were released by Blue Note as The Horace Silver Quintet. Including several extended performances where the full range of the group's skill and style can be fully appreciated, this is a great showcase for one of the most admired ensembles in modern jazz, capturing the modern jazz zeitgeist of those years.t.

The third album from Fourplay (Lee Ritenour, Nathan East, Bob James, and Harvey Mason) is a lightly sauteed jazz offering, low-key and relaxed, bringing a sublime sense of form and interplay to the contemporary jazz genre. Vocals this time feature Phil Collins, Nathan East, Patti Austin and Peabo Bryson (the latter two on a smooth version of The Closer I Get to You). Phil Collins adds his special touch on the vocals of the track that he wrote, Why Can 't It Wait Till Morning, a poignant and beautiful song. Tracks in this album are a good mixture of upbeat and reflective. Ritenour's flexible guitar playing is one of the gems of the album, and this is the last album with him in the team. Elixir was the third gold album from Fourplay and it reached the number one position on Billboard's contemporary jazz chart and remained on the chart for more than 90 weeks.

This highly-requested classic from instrumental superstar Chuck Mangione finally makes it's U.S. CD debut! The LP is highlighted by the Spanish-tinged title track, which won a 1978 Grammy Award as Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

The fourth studio album by the second great Miles Davis quintet (and the second recorded in 1967), Nefertiti marked yet another metamorphosis in Miles' career. Includes Fall; Hand Jive; Madness; Riot; Pinocchio, and the title track, plus alternate takes on Hand Jive; Madness, and Pinocchio.

The parallels of John Coltrane teaming up with Johnny Hartman in 1963 are strikingly similar and yet very different when compared to Kirk Whalums newest recording with his brother Kevin, ROMANCE LANGUAGE. Both are, we feel, among the most romantic jazz albums of their respective eras. Features special guest Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum.

The music of Glenn Miller's orchestra was central to the style and atmosphere of the Swing Era and is inextricably associated with the Allied victory in WWII, his hits keeping people's spirits up on both sides of the Atlantic, with Miller himself becoming part of the war effort until his mysterious disappearance in 1944. Such was his popularity that in the period of less than a decade from his launching his orchestra in the mid-30s through to his demise, he had over 120 hits, both with his instrumental classics and with the new songs of the time. This great value124-track 5-CD set comprises just about all of recordings on the Columbia, Brunswick, Bluebird, Victor and RCA-Victor labels which are listed as hits in standard industry sources, many from the era after the launch of the Billboard record sales charts in 1940. It features an extraordinary tally of 21 No. 1s, including "A String of Pearls", "(I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo", "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree", "Moonlight Cocktail", "Chattanooga Choo Choo", "Tuxedo Junction", "In the Mood", "Blueberry Hill", "Fools Rush In" and many more. The featured vocalists include Ray Eberle, Marion Hutton, Tex Beneke, Kathleen Lane, Jack Lathrop, Dorothy Claire, Paula Kelly, Skip Nelson and The Modernaires. It's a substantial and entertaining showcase for one of the most important orchestras of the times, and an enormously evocative journey through the popular music landscape of a remarkable era in modern history.

Classical Music

Out of print LP with NO new vinyl & used copies available. This deluxe package includes: an OBI strip, Single cardboard album jacket, printed inner sleeve, orginial record label and speciality "double split" Red translucent & Yellow translucent vinyl. Larry Coryell (The Godfather of Fusion) & The Eleventh House is one of the best known 70s fusion groups. At Montreux was recorded live at the Montreux Jazz and Pop Festival, Montreux, Switzerland, July 4, 1974. The album is critically acclaimed as "The cutting Edge of Jazz-Fusion" and "A Coll Fusion Good Time".