This album features Jermaine Landsberger, Paul Morello and Christoph Huber on a special mission to revive the distinctive sound of the legendary Hammond-B3 plus guitar.For this new production, the three musicians expanded the rhythms of their musical language, incorporating jazzrock and funk. While, on their first album, they presented modern, swinging Hammond jazz, here they are juggling with odd and straight meters (“Back In The Pan”) and are overlapping rhythms deriving from encounters with jazz improvisation and the funky rhythmic intensity of hot rock.

Recorded over a week in 2006, trumpeter Randy Brecker's Randy in Brasil was produced by Ruriá Duprat, and features contributions from Robertinho Silva, Paulo Calazans, André Mehmari, Teco Cardoso, Gilson Penranzzetta, Sizão Machado, Ricardo Silveira, João Parahyba, Rogerio (Duprat's father, the famous classical musician), and Edú Ribeiro. More a contemporary jazz date than a samba one, it is nonetheless kissed everywhere by the intricate, breezy lyricism of the latter form as it melds with light non-intrusive funk, contemporary arrangements, and beautifully crafted tunes. Samba enters at the gate with the opening track, "Pedro Brasil." Silveira's acoustic guitar insistently pronounces a fingerpicked rhythm, and various light percussion instruments announce themselves, followed by keyboards and Brecker's twinned trumpet lines offering the theme. Cardoso repeats it and then the pair is trading two and fours off that infectious lyric line.

Croatian guitarist Ratko Zjaca has already put together an impressive CV having performed with such great artists as Al Foster, Miroslav Vitous, Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb and others. It's no surprise, therefore, that his first recording for In & Out sees this tasteful guitarist in the company of jazz luminaries Randy Brecker (trumpet), John Patitucci (bass) and Steve Gadd (drums) - plus saxophonist Stanislav Mitrovic.Surpassing boundaries, building bridges, bringing people together. It is clear from the biography and discography of the brilliant Croatian guitarist, Ratko Zjaca, that he is very much driven by these concepts. Earlier CDs are called Crossing The Border and The Bag Is Packed and, meanwhile, flights between Zagreb and New York have become a comfortable routine and English the predominant language. Ratko Zjaca stands as a symbol of the ongoing evolution of American classic jazz as it increasingly becomes a country-uniting form of communication.

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.

David Matthews is a keyboardist, pianist, and arranger. Matthews has composed television soundtracks as well as albums with the Manhattan Jazz Orchestra. In 1970, he began working as both an arranger and bandleader for James Brown. Matthews has worked with many musicians, including Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Rich, Idris Muhammad, and the Starland Vocal Band. He was staff arranger for Creed Taylor's CTI Records label in the mid-1970s, working on albums for artists such as George Benson, Esther Phillips, Grover Washington Jr., Hank Crawford, and Idris Muhammad. "Dune" is based on the Hugo award-winning novel, Dune, by Frank Herbert. Matthews has already had plenty of CTI arranging experience by the time of this set – but he really moves into some unusual space with the record – open, evocative tunes that really live up to their inspiration, but also have some of Dave's funky touches too. Matthews gets help from an all-star lineup of CTI players – including Grover Washington on reeds and Eric Gale on guitar.

Having established himself as an imaginative technical wizard in the forefront of the fusion movement during the 1980's, guitarist Mike Stern has left an indelible mark on the way the instrument is utilized in the jazz idiom. But there would be an unforeseen event that would test his physical and emotional will to overcome adversity. In July of 2016 Stern suffered a serious accident when he tripped over construction debris leaving his apartment in New York City. This led to severe fractures in both arms, and critical nerve damage extending to fingers in his right hand. After several operations and intense therapy, he was back on the guitar, and "Trip" proves he has not lost any of his amazing musical prowess.

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.

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.

Originally issued in 1976, "End Of A Rainbow" was Patti Austin's solo debut album for CTI Records. Although less commercial success, this album was one of the first ever to be exclusively devoted to the Quiet Storm "sound" that was just-then blossoming. Patti's soulful, tender and at times wistful and melancholic vocals are nothing short of exquisite. Patti wrote eight tracks herself and CTI boss Creed Taylor obviously spared no expenses in getting the best session players for this cult classic.

A sweet blend of jazz and soul from Patti Austin. Austin works with some great original material that includes the tracks "(Ooh-Wee) He's Killing Me" and "I Can't Stop" as well as surprising covers, like Squeeze's "Another Nail From My Heart", Isaac Hayes' "Body Language", and Bob Seeger's "We've Got Tonight". The sound is surprisingly rootsy on a few numbers and warmly jazzy on others and Patti's still got all the polish she picked up from her years with Quincy Jones, but she's also stepping out a bit more as an artist with a stronger emotional palette.

"The Chicago Theme" is an album by flautist Hubert Laws recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's Studio in New Jersey in 1974 and released in 1975 on the CTI label. The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow state "Rather than performing with a small group, as he did on his best sessions, Laws is joined by strings and funky rhythm sections playing now-dated commercial grooves… The only reason to acquire this out of print LP is for Laws' still-superb flute playing".

"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".

The final recording by legendary jazz fusion pioneers Larry Coryell and Alphonse Mouton in the reformed the Eleventh House in their "Seven Secrets". The late guitarist Coryell assembled founding members Randy Brecker (trumpet), long-timer John Lee (bass), the addition of son Julian (guitar) and the late Alphonse Mouzon (drums) to bring the rock and funk back to jazz again with a batch of eleven powerhouse tracks. The album is truly a group effort with Coryell relying on each member to contribute compositions to the new album, like he did back in the 70s.

"I Thought About You" is the sultry pianist/vocalist’s sophomore album for Concord Jazz. The renowned musician wraps her acclaimed jazz and bossa nova style around classics associated with iconic jazz trumpeter, Chet Baker. Elias interprets classics including “I Thought About You,” “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” “Let’s Get Lost,” “That Old Feeling” and much more. She is joined by Steve Cardenas, Rafael Barata, Victor Lewis, Marivaldo dos Santos, Marc Johnson, Randy Brecker and Oscar Castro-Neves.

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.