The Nightfly is the debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Donald Fagen. Fagen was previously best known for his work in the group Steely Dan, with whom he enjoyed a successful career in the 1970s. The band separated in 1981, leading Fagen to pursue a solo career. Although The Nightfly includes a number of production staff and musicians who had played on Steely Dan records, it was Fagen's first release without longtime collaborator Walter Becker.

"In a Temple Garden" is an album by American multi-instrumentalist and composer Yusef Lateef recorded in 1979 and released on the CTI label. This is his second release for CTI. Album's music in whole is more or less what you can expect from CTI release coming from late 70s: smooth and soulful jazz, quite polished, in moments even close to new age, but enough professional to be listened without being totally disappointed.

A first-time release comprising over two hours of extraordinary, groundbreaking high fidelity music, this live album from electric bass genius Jaco Pastorius and the Word of Mouth Big Band, featuring guest harmonica virtuoso Toots Thielemans, was recorded at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City in June 1982 and is presented from beginning to end exactly as it happened. Mastered with 2xHD’s proprietary Fusion Process, it is now available in all high-resolution formats on the 2xHD label…

Jobim himself described Adnet's voice as "deep, rich and mysterious" not just because of the alliteration. Adnet's beautiful instrument gets the perfect setting from these musicians and arrangements: not only is the estimable Trio da Paz on this recording (Romero Lubambo, Nilson Matta, Duduka Da Fonseca), but there are wonderful performances from trombonist Jay Ashby, flugellers Claudio Roditi and Randy Brecker, and pianist Hugo Fattoruso, whose spare, lyrical style evokes The Man himself. Songs I Learned From Jobim contains a full range of moods, fine musicianship and excellent material. It's also a must-hear for Jobim completists, since it offers such unexpected and delightful insights into his musical self.

The Brecker Brothers, Michael and Randy, were one of the most successful of the jazz/fusion groups that arose in the 1970s, recording six bestselling albums for Arista between 1975 and 1981. For their acclaimed debut, the siblings recruited all-star players including David Sanborn, Chris Parker, Harvey Mason, Sr., Bob Mann, Ralph MacDonald, Don Grolnick and Will Lee. Integrating their taste for jazz, fusion, R&B, funk and pop, the recording features their hit single, “Sneakin' Up Behind You” and the emblematic “Skunk Funk”. Widely received, the album reached the top five on Billboard’s Top Jazz albums.

Following the success of Word of Mouth Revisited, the critically acclaimed and award winning 2003 release on Heads Up International, the Jaco Pastorius Big Band has crafted a second chapter in their ongoing tribute to the brilliant legacy of the bassist/composer/arranger from whom they've taken their name. The Word Is Out!, an album that features an array of guest artists-not only on bass, but on a variety of other instruments.

Second release from the outstanding Runar Norsett Trio on Losen Records, Endless Journey features the trio with special guests Randy Brecker on trumpet and Ada Royatti (Randy's wife) on tenor saxophone. Featuring original compositions by Norsett that range from upbeat swingers to thought provocking and melencholic ballads, this is a worthy follow up to the trio's highly recommended album, My Funny Quarantine (LOS2572).

"Unbreakable" is the 11th studio release from Swedish band the Nils Landgren Funk Unit. The brainchild of trombonist Nils Landgren, this record features legends such as Ray Parker Jr., Randy Brecker, and Tim Hagans, making for an undeniably funky listen. The album was recorded in November 2016 in the legendary Atlantis Studios in Stockholm, also the recording site for artists like ABBA, Scorpions, Elvis Costello and Esbjörn Svensson.

At the finale of the "Musikfest Berlin" 2022, the musicians of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and their BigBand performed “Epitaph” as a tribute to the 100th birthday of Charles Mingus.

In the mid '70s, trumpeter Randy Brecker and his saxophonist brother Michael were the Wynton and Branford Marsalis of their jazz fusion day. This live date features the brothers performing with the WDR Big Band in Koln, Germany in 2003. Augmented by conductor/arranger Vince Mendoza, bassist Will Lee, and drummer Peter Erskine, the Breckers revive some of their hits from their classic LPs Back to Back, Don't Stop the Music, Heavy Metal Be-Bop, Detente, and Strap-Hangin'. Randy's full-bodied trumpet tones and Michael's Tranish sheets-of-sound sax appeal reveal their tradition-born technique applied to funk, world, and pop-oriented soundscapes. The peppery title track and the mid-tempo backbeat on "Sponge" reveal their mainstream jazz cred, and the oblique "Wayne Out" is a tribute to Wayne Shorter. The Latin-tinged "Shanghigh" is a shout-out to Randy's former boss Horace Silver, while the percussive "For Barry" reveals Michael's type of tenor madness. Contrary to some critics, these fusion cats could swing.

When it comes to jazz musicians improving with age, pianist Richie Beirach is a perfect example. With the release of "Live at Birdland New York" in May 2017, the pianist and composer celebrates his 70th birthday, demonstrating that he’s still at the top of his game. His congenial partner of two decades, the Stuttgart-born, New York-based violinist Gregor Huebner reaches half-a-century on the exact same day as Beirach. This double birthday tribute to two talented artists features highlights recorded in August 2012 during their annual live residence at the illustrious Birdland in New York, joined by a powerful lineup of trumpeter Randy Brecker, bassist George Mraz and drummer Billy Hart.

Esther Phillips was an American singer, best known for her R&B vocals. She was a versatile singer and also performed pop, country, jazz, blues and soul music. In 1975, she released a disco-style update of Dinah Washington's "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes", her biggest hit single since "Release Me". It reached the Top 20 in the United States and the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart. The accompanying album of the same name became her biggest seller yet, with arranger Joe Beck on guitar, Michael Brecker on tenor sax, David Sanborn on alto sax, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Steve Khan on guitar and Don Grolnick on keyboards.

"Good King Bad" is a studio album by American guitarist George Benson featuring performances recorded in 1975 and released by CTI Records in 1976. The Allmusic review states "The R&B elements get stronger, the sound and mix are more attuned to the dancefloor, yet this brings out the best in George Benson's funky side. Thanks in part to the more rigid beat, Benson pares down his style to its rhythmic essentials, refusing to spray notes all over the place at random, and as a result, the record cooks and dances".

Chuck Owen's Florida-based and Grammy-nominated Jazz Surge is back in the saddle with another series of impressive musical portraits, Whispers on the Wind, whose genesis harkens back to Owen's childhood in windy Omaha, NE, and whose inspiration derives in part from the works of three contemporary authors: Larry McMurtry, Cormac McCarthy and Stephen King (the last, as Owen writes, from King's Dark Tower series). To help cast the spell, Owen uses a number of instruments not generally associated with big-band jazz including violin, dobro, steel guitar, harmonica, accordion and hammered dulcimer (the last two played by Owen himself).

"Giant Box" is a double album by American arranger/conductor and composer Don Sebesky featuring performances recorded in 1973 and released on the CTI label. The Allmusic review states "This may have been Creed Taylor's most ambitious single project… Thankfully the musicmaking lives up to the billing. Everything that gave CTI its distinctive sound and identity is here – the classical adaptations, elaborate orchestrations and structuring, pop-tune covers, plenty of room for the star soloists to stretch out in a combo format… Giant Box still ranks as a sensational coup and a reminder of how potent CTI was at its peak".