The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra has its roots in the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, which began as a rehearsal band that took over the Village Vanguard on its once closed Monday nights. Even with the departure of Thad Jones and the death of Mel Lewis, the orchestra has lasted for over four decades, drawing some of the top players in New York City into its ranks, buoyed by outstanding works collected in its library over time.

The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra continues the tradition of excellence that was the core ingredient when it began life as the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra during the 1960s. Now led by pianist/conductor/composer/arranger Jim McNeely, the band brings life to his stimulating charts with tight ensembles and strong solos throughout the session. The first track is a bit of a surprise, a breezy jazz setting of rocker Jimi Hendrix's "Up from the Skies" that is a good bit more harmonically adventurous than the original record.

Forty-two songs cut between November 1940 and August 1946, and the perfect companion to Bear Family's It's Magic box set – anyone who's been even tempted to own that will have to get this more modestly priced precursor to that material. Day's period singing with Les Brown is, today, regarded with a degree of love and affection reserved for Ella Fitzgerald's era with Chick Webb, or Frank Sinatra's work with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey. Yet Sony Music's own releases devoted to Doris Day and Les Brown spread the music around to several different CDs, and suffered from sound that, today, seems substandard. These newly remastered tracks, offered in chronological order, including one previously unissued song ("Are You Still in Love with Me"), not only display a far richer, warmer sound, but have been presented with the kind of care that is normally reserved for the best parts of a label's catalog – which these sides definitely are. Day's voice during this period (she was 16 when she cut her first sides with Brown) was an astonishingly expressive instrument.

The Manchester Craftsman's Guild in Pittsburgh offers another rousing live concert date in this varied program led by the eclectic saxophonist who is best known as one of the Yellowjackets – but whose early résumé also boasts everyone from Tito Puente to Thad Jones and the Mel Lewis Big Band. A dash here and a dollop there of each of these influences make this a varied date whose appeal extends beyond big-band fans and embraces those who love bebop, a touch of the avant-garde, the progressive spirit of the Yellowjackets (most notably Russell Ferrante, who contributes stunning percussive solos on pieces like the crazed, polyrhythmic "Mofongo"), and the great contemporary vocalist Kurt Elling.

Jerry González took a global view of jazz in creating his unique brand of improvised music. While his trumpet and flügelhorn reflected the influence of Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, his personal cultural roots gave him a natural understanding of Afro-Cuban rhythms. As he explained to The Detroit News, "I am bilingual - I speak Spanish and English. I can play the blues and I can play the rumba." Launching his musical career in 1970 as a member of Dizzy Gillespie's band, González briefly joined Eddie Palmieri in the group El Son the following year. He soon left to join timbale player Manny Oquendo's band, Conjunto Libre…

Arranger Kenichi Tsunoda's big band has been one of the top jazz orchestras in Japan since its formation in 1990. This set is particularly impressive for the wide range of the arrangements, the band's musicianship, and the individual solos. "Be Bop" is given a rapid treatment worthy of Jon Faddis, "My Favorite Things" has two heated soprano saxophonists (Yuji Kawamura and Tatsuya Sato) trading off at its climax, and altoist Hideo Oyama sounds very close to Johnny Hodges on "Memories of Duke." Also quite memorable are an explosive "For J.G.," an unusual jazz waltz version of "Shiny Stockings," and rollicking renditions of "Donna Lee" and "Night Train." Despite the lack of name recognition in the United States, the Kenichi Tsunoda Big Band should greatly interest fans of modern jazz orchestras.

Featuring prime Latin jazz cuts from the heyday of the mambo, Afro Cuban Jazz: 1947-1960 is really a better than average showcase for one of the music's best: Machito. In fact, this disc contains 13 sides by Machito & His Orchestra, including two bebop gems featuring Charlie Parker ("Mango Mangue," "No Noise, Pts. 1-2"). That's not to overlook the presence of one of the supreme champions of Latin jazz, Dizzy Gillespie ("Manteca"), Stan Kenton and his mathematically frenetic bongo jams, and J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding teaming up for a couple of classics. Truthfully, however, the real meat here is heard on such Machito dancefloor fillers as "Oyeme" and "Minor Rama." So, when you've got a jones for jazz in a mambo mood, this disc will provide the needed salve.

From piano playing composer/conductor/arranger and Music Director of the Arthur Godfrey TV Show Dick Hyman, are these two best-selling LPs 'Provocative Piano' and 'Provocative Piano II', originally issued on the Command label and now on CD for the first time. Piano favourites from all areas of music are here, from Liszt's immortal Liebestraum, "Autumn Leaves", "Heart and Soul", "Deer Purple", the Theme From "The Apartment" and Tchaikowsky's Piano Concerto No. 1. Originally released on the Command label and produced by Enoch Light, this is a musical presentation of brilliantly performed and recorded piano recordings accompanied by a full-bodied orchestra.

For over forty years, Carla Bley has written music that infuses jazz traditions with her own personality. She continues to lead a variety of ensembles, from small combos to large-scale big bands. With Looking for America, Bley returns to the big band format. Totaling 18 pieces, the group is a rich blend of 13 horns, two keyboards, and a rhythm section. She has worked with many of the featured musicians for decades, and Bley consequently composes and arranges with their individual voices in mind.

AVID Jazz here presents two classic Jack Parnell albums plus two classic E.P's plus 27 additional recordings including the complete recorded output of The Vic Lewis and Jack Parnell Jazzmen and previously unissued recordings of Kenny Bakers Swing Group featuring Jack Parnell. Including original LP and E.P. liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD. To coin a phrase from one of the featured E.P's in our new release, we certainly do have a parade of Parnells for your entertainment!

When one considers the large number of great players who participated in this project (including trumpeters Arturo Sandoval, Randy Brecker and Chuck Findley, trombonist George Bohanon, the reeds of Eric Marienthal, Nelson Rangell, Tom Scott, Ernie Watts and Bob Mintzer, such keyboardists as Dave Grusin, Chick Corea, Ramsey Lewis and Russell Ferrante, bassist John Patitucci, drummer Dave Weckl, and guests B.B. King and tenor great Michael Brecker), the rather predictable results are a disappointment. With the exception of Chick Corea's recent "Blue Miles," this album could have been titled "Warhorses" due to the very familiar material. The arrangements by Michael Abene, Scott, Grusin, Mintzer and Ferrante contain no real surprises (other than some unexpected moments on "Misterioso"), and none of the solos are long enough to really build…

A star in her native Denmark, jazz singer Sinne Eeg has been weaving her spell in performances throughout Europe, the United States and Asia, where audiences and critics alike have responded enthusiastically to her dark, alluring voice, rich timbre, impeccable intonation, inherent sense of swing and remarkably natural scatting ability that recalls her own vocal jazz heroes, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Anita O'Day. On We've Just Begun, her winning collaboration with the 19-piece Danish Radio Big Band and 9th album overall, Eeg sings with signature soulfulness, sassy spirit and jazzy abandon on a program of three well-chosen standards, a swinging adaptation of a tune from a vintage Danish film, and five affecting originals with Eeg as composer and/or lyricist.

Clarinetist, saxophonist, big band and dance band leader and composer Les Brown started his musical career with his own band, Les Brown & His Blue Devils in the early 1930’s before transforming the band into the now famous Band Of Renown in 1938. By 1945 the band had introduced Doris Day to the world via the hit song Sentimental Journey, and would go on to have another nine Number One hit songs. The Band Of Renown became a mainstay as the house band for Bob Hope during his radio, stage and TV show career. During one of the Hope shows Les Brown backed a new, unknown singer named Tony Bennett, and the rest of course is history! During a long career Les Brown played with all the greats including Sinatra, Ella and Nat King Cole.

Our first selection “Sing Sing Sing” re-visit a Krupa classic known as the “killer driller” when the great showman drummer stole the show from his band leader, Benny Goodman at the historic Carnegie Hall concert of 1938. For this particular version recorded in New York 1954 we hear Krupa alongside Eddie Shu on clarinet and Teddy Napoleon on piano for a fine ten minute workout! Nice! Our next selection “Gene Krupa Quartet” finds Krupa in a “first” as this is his first recording as a Quartet. Recorded in New York and Los Angeles in 1954 and 1955 he is joined again by Eddie Shu and Bobby Scott with Milt Hinton on bass in L.A. and John Drew on bass in New York…

Felix Slováček is a Czech clarinetist, conductor, film composer, and saxophonist. In youth he studied piano and violin, but disliked doing so. His interest in clarinet, and later, saxophone began after finishing high school. He has worked in classical music, children's music, jazz, and he conducts the Felix Slováček Big Band.