Unfortunately it's not very often that we get to hear Mike LeDonne, world-renowned Hammond B-3 organist and leader of the acclaimed Groover Quartet, fronting a piano trio session-especially one that unfolds in as swinging, soulful and intuitive fashion. But given the caliber of artists involved, this won't come as a surprise since on this CD LeDonne works two of his closest and most accomplished friends: bassist Christian McBride and drummer Lewis Nash. It's no coincidence, then, that this unprecedented studio alliance sparks instant chemistry and conviviality. With a stack of new arrangements under his arm, LeDonne and company made the trek across the Hudson to the famed Van Gelder Studio and emerged with an album remarkable for it's spontaneity, creativity and sheer joy in the act of making music.

2021 release. Smooth jazz superstar Marion Meadows is without question one of the most popular and unique talents on the jazz scene today. Blessed with movie star looks and the smoothest saxophone tone on the on the planet, Marion has sold over one million albums in his brilliant career. His constant string of radio hits and relentless touring have garnered legions of fans, and his appearances with such varied artists as The Temptations, Michael Bolton and Will Downing are a testament to his broad audience appeal. Twice As Nice, Marion's most intimate and heartfelt album to date, takes the listener on a sensuous journey through a soundscape of brilliant original compositions and masterful improvisations. The album is produced by smooth jazz superstars in their own right: Grammy winners Jeff Lorber and Paul Brown plus Marion's long-time collaborator, Chris "Big Dog" Davis (Will Downing, Gerald Albright, Maysa).

If you trace the path of alto saxophonist Jim Snidero's varied output for Savant, you'll note transitions with regard to instrumentation and personnel: from organ combo to quartets with guitar or piano, to the animated quintet music of tributes to Miles (MD66) and Cannonball Adderley (Jubilation!). With Waves of Calm, the veteran altoist enters a period of zeroing in on the essentials. As the saxophonist himself says, "I find myself editing more and more. I've been playing saxophone for a long time, and could easily play a lot more notes...[but now] you're just looking for the right note at the right moment, searching for that one perfect thing." With trumpeter Jeremy Pelt on half the tracks, piano phenom Orrin Evans at the Steinway & the Rhodes and Nat Reeves and Jonathan Barber completing the rhythm section, it would Jim Snidero has indeed found that"perfect thing."

Mike LeDonne belongs to an elite group of musicians - those who have mastered the piano AND the organ while creating original voices for each. However, here on It's all Your Fault, LeDonne sits down at the organ, puts his foot on the pedals and lays down some of the hippest organ licks you're likely to hear. Two groups are featured on this recording. Mike LeDonne's Groover Quartet has had the rare opportunity to play and record together for twenty years and counting. They had no difficulty integrating their sound into this all-star big band put together by Mike and his preferred arranger and conductor, Dennis Mackrel. Recorded in the famed Van Gelder studio and actually using the original Hammond C-3 organ that Jimmy Smith et al. Used to record the music within this recording is adventurous. It's a continuation of the groove that was established years ago by organists interacting with big bands and it reveals to us the Blues, the Rhythm & Blues and the Jazz that Mike heard coming up through the jazz ranks.

With Project-K, Jim Snidero breaks new ground. Absorbing and refracting varied aspects of Korean folkways, he delves into a topic near and dear to his home and heart. "Having a Korean wife, family and friends, I've been immersed in Korean culture for more than 20 years," he shares. "Between Korean history, culture and philosophy, I felt that there was much to explore musically." Bridging his own wide-ranging aesthetic with those very traditions, Snidero turns out one of the most distinctive dates of his career. In choosing the personnel to flesh out this music, Snidero's decisions proved shrewd and sound. The rhythm section, comprised of pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Rudy Royston, brings a rare balance of sensitivity, strength and insight to these ventures. And trumpeter Dave Douglas serves as the perfect front line foil for the saxophonist. "I wanted to use a traditional Korean instrument on Project-K and the gayageum appealed to me the most. My goal was to fully integrate the instrument within some of the arrangements," says Snidero, and Do Yeon Kim was the natural choice. As a group, we were all able to create what I believe is both unique and inspired music."

Christina Pluhar states: "Monteverdi's most admirable trait is the enormous diversity of compositional techniques that he masters and interweaves with supreme skill. Our aim in this recording is to bring out the varieta of his secular compositions. The modernity that runs like a constant thread through his pieces and makes his music seem timeless even in the twenty-first century is selfevident if one considers, for example, his use of ostinato basses. Jazz musicians are supposed to have 'invented' the walking bass in the 1940s, but already in Monteverdi we find ostinato basses which diverge from the standard ostinatos of the seventeenth century, that are unique of their kind and sound extremely modern." The BBC Magazine reviews the performance as "technical perfection". The easy informality with each other and the music, with which these pieces are performed, makes for a captivating listen. One of the most exciting Baroque performances to hit the record shelves this year. A Must Listen."

This edition features heavyweight vinyl showcasing the original 1969 BYG Records album, restored & remastered from the original master tapes. It comes in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with a matte laminate finish, along with an insert featuring liner notes by John Masouri. The first of The Art Ensemble of Chicago's renowned trio of albums for BYG's Actuel series now returns in a deluxe, audiophile edition This album is the Art Ensemble's most celebrated release, capturing the American avant-garde jazz collective at their most sensational, provocative, and startlingly original in a historic June 1969 session at Studio Saravah in Paris. Recorded in the aftermath of widespread anti-government protests and student riots, this album showcases what happens when four highly intuitive and accomplished musicians-driven by Black Nationalism and dreams of liberation, and armed with an array of diverse instruments-let their inspiration run free. The tracks on A Jackson in Your House challenge us to view music in a different light-not just as a source of entertainment, but as enlightenment, wonderment born of togetherness, courage, beauty, and surprise, all mixed with terrifying honesty.

Sonny Stitt was well-known for the ability to play saxophone fast, with authority over the most difficult of chord progressions. Sonny recorded his first session as leader in 1946 for Savoy with Kenny Dorham, Bud Powell and Kenny Clarke. In 1950, he made the first of many recordings with Gene Ammons, an association that would last through three decades and produce what is probably his best known records, including "Boss Tenors" from 1961. "It's Magic," from 1969, is a wonderful reminder that Sonny Stitt could burn bebop (check out the marvelous rendition of "Four") and make the hair on the back of your neck stand up when he played a moving ballad (as on "Body And Soul"). with Don Patterson, organ and Billie James, drums.

Vinyl LP pressing. "Twelve days after Louis Armstrong died, his old friend Earl Hines recorded a solo tribute to the great trumpeter/vocalist. This album, one of three that Hines recorded in a two-day period, features eight songs associated with Satch including "Struttin' with Some Barbeque," "A Kiss to Build a Dream On," "Someday You'll Be Sorry" and two versions of Armstrong's theme "When It's Sleepy Time Down South." This set should be of particular interest to Earl Hines collectors for the pianist rarely performed most of these songs, and he gives fresh heartfelt renditions to the standards" (ORG Music / AMG). Available on vinyl for the first time in decades, the historic recordings were remastered for the format at Infrasonic Mastering and pressed at Pallas Group in Germany.

The title refers to the first Chicago jazz clarinetist Volly DeFaut, a former member of the famous New Orleans Rhythm Kings, who also recorded with Jelly Roll Morton, Muggsy Spanier and the Gene Goldkette Orchestra. Russian-born jazz pianist Art Hodes is the leader for these 1972 recordings which also feature Truck Parham, bass; Barrett Deems, drums; and on two songs Nappy Trottier, trumpet and George Brunis, trombone. Volly DeFaut passed away in 1973 making these his very last recordings. (Previously deleted:12/1/04. Original release date:7/22/93)

Art Hodes' career as a pianist (and journalist) started in the 1920s & continued into the 1990s - eight decades! He recorded for Decca, Mercury, as well as what he liked to call "the modest labels." These blues-drenched solo piano performances celebrate the music of jazz' greats, many of who Art knew well, including Louis Armstrong. Part of Delmark's Euphonic series, this album was recorded in 1976 & 1978. 13 of the 15 songs are previously unissued performances.

This album's sound & style is similar to the route Mitchell chose on his "Hey Donald" album, mainly because he uses the same quartet, minus Malachi Favors, who was replaced by Reggie Workman; the remaining players are Jodie Christian & Albert Heath.