A live performance at the Club Bohemia in New York, this is the first Mingus recording to feature mostly his own compositions. Some are his future standards. Here are his first attempts at future techniques such as combining two songs into one. His bass playing really stands out.

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.

The lonely cover photo and title of this Japanese import give away most of the story; this is a haunted, introspective album of piano-trio jazz very much indebted to Bill Evans and, to a lesser extent, George Shearing…

Originally cut for the Japanese Baystate label and then later released by French RCA, this trio set by pianist Duke Jordan (with bassist Harry Memmery and drummer James Martin in Holland) differs from his usual recordings in putting an emphasis on blues, although not exclusively. Jordan performs six of his originals (including "No Problem," "Ben Sugar Blues," "Jordu" and "From Duke to Duke") plus "All the Things You Are," "C Jam Blues" and "St. Louis Blues." The classic bebop pianist's consistency holds up on this set (cut when he was 61), making the obscure LP worth searching for.

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 These studio recordings were originally made for Strata East, a label known for its adventurous spirit.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.

Rare unreleased 1972 concert recording from saxophonist Pepper Adams with the Tommy Banks Trio.

Cookin' is the first of four albums derived from the Miles Davis Quintet's fabled extended recording session on October 26, 1956; the concept being that the band would document its vast live-performance catalog in a studio environment, rather than preparing all new tracks for its upcoming long-player…

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.

John Hicks is heard with his working trio on what is likely his final recording, made two months to the day prior to his unexpected death. With bassist Buster Williams and drummer Louis Hayes, also seasoned veterans and bandleaders themselves, the set list for this well-recorded studio session is a hard bop lover's feast, drawing from both familiar and less frequently heard repertoire. Hicks throws quite a few curves into Gigi Gryce's "Minority" by tossing in a few vamps then getting right to business with improvising rather than bothering to offer a chorus of its theme, with Williams' fleet bassline and Hayes' brushwork powering him in full flight. The leader's sole original is a salute to Cedar Walton, an upbeat piece called "As Birds Fly (Walton's Mountain)" in which the musicians easily scale its heights. The bassist contributed two originals, including the lush, somewhat moody "Strivers Jewels" and the delicate tribute to his then-young niece "Christina." Hayes is an asset throughout the recording, particularly standing out in the powerful interpretation of Dexter Gordon's "Cheesecake".

Veteran pianist Junior Mance has worked and recorded with Jazz greats like Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, Cannonball Adderley, Lionel Hampton, Art Blakey. He accompanied singers like Dinah Washington and Aretha Franklin. Since the late 1980s he has been an acclaimed member of New Yorks New School and has given piano lessons to rising stars like Brad Mehldau, Larry Goldings and Stephen Scott. On "Nadja" Mance shows his gentle lyrical and thoughtful side as well as his blues-drenched and soulful take on bop and hard bop. The Junior Mance Trio delivers classicism the way it’s supposed to be! Clear, unpretentious, prodigiously swinging piano improvisations on standards and originals.

Chet Baker's West Coast cool comes to the Big Apple on Chet Baker in New York. The project would be Baker's first – in a four album deal – with the Big Apple-based Riverside Records. The bicoastal artist incorporates his decidedly undernourished sound and laid-back phrasing into the styling of Al Haig (piano), Johnny Griffin (tenor sax), Paul Chambers (bass), and Philly Joe Jones (drums)…

Enrico Pieranunzi is one of the most recognized jazz pianists in Europe, but he doesn't get enough exposure in the United States, since he has recorded almost exclusively for European-based labels. These sessions are a bit unusual since the pianist omits a bass player, utilizing only veteran drummer Paul Motian, with saxophonist Chris Potter guesting on three tracks. All of Pieranunzi's compositions were written specifically for these studio sessions, while "Double Excursion" consists of three separate improvisations, all of which sizzle. Potter's tenor sax is added for the mournful "Doorways," with Motian's drumming providing a bit of tension…