Anyone who's been listening to modern jazz has been aware of Jeff "Tain" Watts ever since the classic Wynton Marsalis quintet of the mid-'80s. The general public was introduced to him through his stint on Jay Leno's The Tonight Show – a profitable excursion that nevertheless meant there was an eight-year gap between his debut, Megawatts, and its 1999 successor, Citizen Tain. It was worth the wait, however. Watts scored an enormous coup by reuniting Wynton and Branford Marsalis for the first time in a decade, and he surrounded them with excellent musicians – their trombonist brother Delfeayo Marsalis, alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett, bassist Reginald Veal, and pianist Kenny Kirkland, in what sadly turned out to be one of his final sessions.

Tenor giant Joe Henderson worked with Milestone Records for eight years. While he is best remembered for his Blue Note period, Henderson issued some truly great recordings for Milestone. His volume in the label's Milestone Profiles series is one of the best in the bunch. While fans can argue endlessly about what to include or leave off in a best-of series, it's difficult to argue Nick Phillips' choices.

Riverside Profiles contains previously released tracks taken from the alto saxophonist and bandleader's stint with the label from 1959 to 1963. The nine tracks, aimed at the casual listener, include the classics "This Here," "Dizzy's Business," "Jive Samba," "Work Song," and "African Waltz." Cannonball Adderley is backed by an extraordinary roster of jazz musicians, including cornetist brother Nat Adderley; saxophonists Yusef Lateef and Oliver Nelson; trumpeter Blue Mitchell; pianists Bobby Timmons, Bill Evans, and Barry Harris; bassist Sam Jones; and drummers Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, and Louis Hayes. The stellar band lineups and musicianship make this an excellent sampler for the novice. For a limited time, the first pressings in this series include a free bonus compilation CD of Riverside artists. ~ AllMusic Review by Al Campbell

This is a fine all-around set from the Cannonball Adderley Quintet of 1960 with the altoist/leader, cornetist Nat Adderley, pianist Victor Feldman, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Louis Hayes. The fifth of seven LPs reissued by Orrin Keepnews and taken from Adderley's Riverside years finds his band in top form on the original version of "Sack O' Woe," a previously unissued "Our Delight," Jimmy Heath's "Big 'P'" and "Blue Daniel" among others. It's a strong introduction to the music of this classic hard bop group. ~ AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow

Still considered an expatriate as he resided in Europe, Dexter Gordon (tenor sax) returned stateside in mid-1972 long enough to lay down two sessions' worth of material that would primarily be split between Tangerine (1972), Generation (1973), and Ca'Purange (1973). The opening update of the Johnny Mercer staple "Tangerine" gets things underway with a mid-tempo treatment allowing Gordon, Thad Jones (trumpet), Hank Jones (piano), and Stanley Clarke (bass) plenty of room to groove on their own as well as in the quintet with Louis Hayes' (drums) rock-solid downbeat.

"As full-bodied and comforting as home-baked apple pie" is one apt description of Houston Person's saxophone sound. Inasmuch as this simile attempts to convey the comforting, warm-hearted and accomplished nature of the tenorman's art, it is spot-on, but it must be remembered that Person's roots are in organ-centred R&B. So in addition to a velvety ballad technique Person also possesses an ability to imbue up-tempo material with an irresistible wailing intensity, so his crowd-pleasing bluesy numbers provide welcome variety to this judiciously balanced set.

Whether at the helm of a record date or as a sideman, Clifford Jordan was known for giving his all. These studio recordings were originally made for Strata East, a label known for its adventurous spirit. The tenor saxophonist leads two separate groups. The sextet selections include trombonist Julian Priester, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassists Wilbur Ware and Richard Davis, drummer Albert Heath, and trumpeter Don Cherry. Jordan's pensive "Vienna" is given an extended workout, with Cherry's somewhat abstract playing fitting in rather well. The second piece, Jordan's "Doug's Prelude," is also a bit brooding, showcasing the leader, Priester, and Kelly.

The heart of a jazz fan beats like Fambrough's bass, driving the lifeblood of warm sounds through the speakers and into the brain. Some bassists, in their own sessions, favor percussive and percolating arrangements that place the instrument in the role of soloist. Charles Fambrough actually seems to downplay the bass on Upright Citizen, ceding the spotlight to guests like Grover Washington, Jr. and Joe Ford. Fambrough's domain here is the rhythm section, adding programmed drums to his basslines in order to get the right foundation in place. As the captain of this ship, Fambrough ensures a smooth ride, absorbing the shock in Alex Bugnon's potentially bumpy "In Stride" and making sure a track like "D's Song" has the right amount of snap to it.

Recorded in 1972, a decade removed from the last of Horace Silver's classic quintet recordings, In Pursuit of the 27th Man has never been regarded as one of the pianist's prime releases, which likely explains why Blue Note took this long to make it available on CD. But the album, which moves gracefully between quartet performances featuring vibraphonist David Friedman and quintet numbers featuring the young Brecker brothers (Randy on trumpet and Michael on tenor saxophone), has its distinctive charms. While maintaining the crispness and sense of adventure with which he has always signed his music, Silver and bands ease through some of his most appealing melodies. Songs such as Weldon Irvine's "Liberated Brother" have the early '70s written all over them, but even in those cases their light-handed lyricism and boppish vitality keep them fresh. Friedman's idiosyncratic sound adds a sense of mystery to the music, which, with Bob Cranshaw on electric bass and Mickey Roker on drums, never lacks for a solid and soulful center.

This 1959 concert in Paris by Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers has been sporadically available on various labels, but this reissue in Verve's Jazz in Paris series is the best sounding and best packaged of the lot. Blakey's group of this period (Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Jymie Merritt, and Walter Davis, Jr.) is in great form during an extended workout of Morgan's intense blues "The Midget," and Dizzy Gillespie's timeless "A Night in Tunisia" is kicked off by Blakey's an electrifying solo. But it is the addition of some special guests for the first two numbers that proves to be extra special. Bud Powell, sitting in for Davis, and French saxophonist Barney Wilen, on alto rather than his normal tenor sax, are both added to the band for inspired versions of Powell's "Dance of the Infidels" and "Bouncing with Bud." Morgan's trumpet playing is outstanding throughout the concert. This is one of the essential live dates in Art Blakey's rather extensive discography.

Cherrywood Records is pleased to announce the release of For Being There, the latest recording from critically acclaimed saxophonist, composer and arranger Elias Haslanger and his award-winning band, Church on Monday.

Jack Rivers Lewis (born June 4, 1944), known professionally as Jack Wilkins, is a jazz guitarist. A native of New York City, Wilkins grew up listening to his parents' music, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Billie Holiday. He started playing guitar when he was ten. He had an older cousin who played albums for him by Charlie Christian, Tal Farlow, Django Reinhardt, and Johnny Smith. He cites Smith's Designed for You as one of the albums that meant the most to him, in addition to Sounds of Synanon by Joe Pass, Poll Winners by Barney Kessel, The Swinging Guitar of Tal Farlow, and Interpretations of Tal Farlow.

This Blue Note 80 Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

The exciting second release from Jae Sinnett’s Zero to 60 Quartet Just When You Thought… features Ralph Bowen on tenor saxophone, Allen Farnham at the piano and Fender Rhodes and Terry Burrell playing both electric and acoustic bass continues their incredible and versatile musical journey. Sinnett wrote and arranged all the music himself. It’s a remarkable demonstration of compositional variety. Many styles are represented from modern syncopated funk and jazz fusion to straight ahead, hard core swinging jazz. His compositions are deeply melodic, intricate, rhythmically and harmonically sophisticated, memorable and played to perfection! Each song presents unique musical challenges for the musicians. There’s a masterful balance between the composed and the improvisation. Few drummers playing today write with his amazing versatility. Just When You Thought… has something for everyone.

This Blue Note 80 Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180 gram vinyl at Optimal.