”Eastern Rebellion” by Eastern Rebellion (led by Cedar Walton) on Timeless SJP 101

September 12, 2025

Cedar Walton led session from 1975 and released 1976. Recorded i New York City for the Dutch Timeless imprint, the first title to be released by the label.

The music could be described as straightforward post-bop and is very enjoyable. We have a lovely band with Walton joined by George Coleman on tenor, Sam Jones on double bass and Billy Higgins on drums.

Been after this one for quite some time so happy to finally have crossed it off the list. There are several different Dutch pressings of this title so impossible to know which one came first, but I’d consider any of the versions released the same year as originals.

Favorite tune is perhaps the first tune on the second side ”5/4 Thing” penned by Coleman. The sound overall is great. A well balanced recording. I especially love the dry sound of Higgins’ kit.

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”In The Beginning” by Woody Shaw on Muse MR 5298

September 11, 2025

Demo tapes originally recorded 1965 in the hope of securing a record deal with Blue Note. Later released by Muse in 1983. Two bands are featured on each side, both superb. On side A we have Shaw on trumpet, Joe Henderson on tenor, Larry Young on piano, Ron Carter on double bass and Joe Chambers. On side B Herbie Hancock and Paul Chambers replaces Young and Carter.

This was probably recorded by Van Gelder, though it’s unclear from what I’ve gathered. George Klabin is also mentioned. The sound of the recording is lovely so it wouldn’t be a suprise if was Van Gelder. I just wonder how that went about. Could you record demo tapes with Van Gelder? And with the top cats present as side men? How was the session financed? Intriguing for sure. But the one thing that is hard to grasp when you listen to these cuts is how Shaw didn’t manage to secure a record deal as a leader with Blue Note back in the 60’s, cause this stuff is gold.

Muse definitely did the jazz community a heavenly favor in releasing this music.

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”Sempre Amore” Mal Wadron & Steve Lacy on Soul Note SN 1170

September 11, 2025

Waldron and Lacy recorded several albums together and I’m trying to find their stuff whenever I can. This one on Soul Note, recorded in Milano in 1986 and released the following year, finds the pair in a duo setting giving their take on Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn compositions.

Quite a different mood and style on this album compared to what I have usually experienced from the pair both individually and collectively. A tribute to what came before them. It’s lyrical, warm and passionate, and I love that. Listen to the lovely ”Prelude to a Kiss” or ”Sempre Amore” for example, and you’ll appreciate the range of these mostly angular players.

Beautiful stuff and very affordable.

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“Soran-Bushi, B.H.” by Billy Harper on Denon Jazz YX-7522-ND

September 7, 2025

Japanese only release by Billy Harper released in 1978. Harper tears it up as usual on the first track. Just wailing. Fantastic, fiery playing. The rest of the band supports him on all fronts as well. We have Everett Hollins on trumpet, Harold Mabern on piano, Greg Maker on bass and Billy Hart and Horacee Arnold on drums.

On the second tune Harper plays a lovely solo piece that displays a more subtle approach while still mesmerizing with fast runs baked in.

The title tune on the second side is a Japanese work song, sung by fishermen on the northern island of Hokkaido since the Meiji era. It takes up the whole side and is my favorite tune on the album.

If you’re a fan of Harper this one is a must. Highly recommended.

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“The Sojourner” by The Ensemble Al-Salaam on Strata-East SES-7418

September 5, 2025

Supremely spiritual and profound Strata-East title here by The Ensemble Al-Salaam, recorded in 1974. One of the rarest titles in the entire catalogue and one of the best, so naturally I’m elated to have acquired it.

Vocals are present on several of the tunes, which is something I’ve shied away from in the past, but this is absolutely brilliant. Beatrice Parker is featured and her voice is righteous, confident and I definitely connect with it. We have instrumental pieces as well which are superb. When it comes to ballads I have a few favorites. The instrumental ballad on this album though is probably tied as my favorite of all time together with Gullin’s “Danny’s Dream”. It’s called “Vibration Love Call” and the solo by Khaliq Abdul Al Rouf (Edgar Drew) is beyond beautiful. I’ve mentioned two of the musicians and the other members of the ensemble include Bevin Turnbull, Mashujaa Aliye Salamu, Leroy Seals, Fred Kwaku Crawley and Andrei Strobert. Fantastic group.

I will not try to describe the album further, so instead I’ll refer to the short but powerful liner notes which says it all. Written by Crawley.

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”Mingus Lives” by Mal Waldron on Enja 3075

September 2, 2025

My favorite pianist here with a solo album released on Enja. Recorded live at the Chapati Club in Spa, Belgium in 1979.

All tunes are composed by Mal Waldron. A fantastic set, which highlights his immense talent and later style. It’s beautifully dark and introverted in many ways. I love him most when he plays in that dark, brooding way. He was a very adaptable player though, and when he plays more conventional and with a lighter approach, he’s outstanding too.

It’s a privilege to sit here and listen to a solo Waldron record while drinking my coffee. A special player and composer.

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”The Eighth Wonder” by Dick Griffin on Strata-East SES 19747

August 30, 2025

Contains a soprano sax solo for the ages.

Continuing my explorations of the Strata-East catalogue and I seem to discover a new gem on a regular basis. This is one of them. Mississippi born trombonist Dick Griffin is the leader and he is joined by a stellar cast of sidemen in Sam Rivers on tenor, soprano and flute, Cecil McBee on double bass, Freddie Waits on drums, Warren Smith on vibes and percussion and Leopoldo F. Fleming on congo, bells and percussion.

The music ranges from spiritual to light-hearted melodic soulfulness to bursts of the avant-garde. I find this album intriguing in many ways. The style of Griffin, who I hadn’t listened to before, paired with two of my favorites Rivers and McBee, is an interesting proposition.

Trombone is an instrument I appreciated in the early days, but maybe not fully embraced. But it has been exciting for me now for a good number of years, listening to players like Moncur, Ranelin, Rudd and now Griffin.

Favourite tune on the album is the last one on the second side, the feathery, latin-tinged ”Come Be With Me”, which features an outstanding solo by Rivers on soprano sax. I would go as far as to say this solo is probably my favorite soprano sax solo by any artist from any era. So full of passion, lyricism, warmth, romanticism and virtuoso technique. Can listen to it over and over again.

This is perhaps an under the radar Strata-East title, but what a gem. Check it out if you’re unfamiliar.

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”Lanquidity” by Sun Ra on Philly Jazz 666

August 27, 2025

I’ve listened to Sun Ra sparingly through the years and been mostly into his early work. But since exploring the 70’s a lot during the last year this title from 1978 is right up my alley. Released on the small Philadelphia based label Philly Jazz. Recorded in it’s entirety during one night.

I got a note that this was for sale, so I streamed it and listened to it intently for the last week or so, and I must say, this is a brilliant album. It has really pulled me in and I can already say, that for me, this is a definite highlight when it comes to 70’s jazz. It blends of all kinds of flavors; spiritual, avant-garde, funk, jazz fusion. It makes for a lovely concoction that warrants repeated listening.

We have a large group here with some familiar names like Eddie Gale on trumpet, Marshall Allen on alto sax, oboe and flute, John Gilmore on tenor sax, to name but a few. This group creates beautiful soundscapes, funk-driven grooves, spiritual pieces and a cohesive understanding of what the different tunes need and the execution formula is impeccable.

Sun Ra plays many different instruments on this one; Fender Rhodes, ARP, Yamaha organ, Hammond B3 organ, Moog, acoustic piano, bells and keyboard. His genius is apparent.

I’m aiming to dive deeper into Sun Ra’s catalogue and try to navigate through the plethora of releases he recorded. Who knows, someday I’ll perhaps find myself throwing an original El Saturn on the turntable.

Very much recommended.

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”Journey Without End” by Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy on Victor SMJX-10134

August 17, 2025

The combination of Waldron and Lacy was brilliant.

Japan only release by Waldron and Lacy, recorded in 1971 in Paris and released in Japan on Victor. This was the first collaboration effort between these two giants of the avant-garde.

And the music is definitely avant-garde but it’s accessible, with melodic structure present and a clear sense of cohesive interplay.

Mal Waldron, who’s birthday was yesterday, is my favorite pianist. Trying to add his work to the collection whenever I can. Still have a lot of stuff left that I need. He recorded plenty so there is a large treasure to explore, but some titles are not easy to find.

Steve Lacy also recorded a lot and I need to dive deeper into his catalogue for sure. I really enjoy his soprano mastery. A special player with a highly distinctive style. He employs an angular approach but with a lovely ability to make it accessible and beautiful. Influenced to a great degree by Monk.

Will continue to explore the work that these two players recorded together. This is a beautiful album so I’m sure I’ll find plenty to enjoy.

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”The Elements” by Joe Henderson on Milestone M-9053

August 16, 2025

Henderson of course recorded some great albums on Milestone and I’m trying to track them down. Got the brilliant ”Power to the People” in the spring, found Henderson in Japan last year, and now ”The Elements”, which I got in yesterday. Featuring Henderson on tenor and flutes, Alice Coltrane on piano, harp etc. We also have Michael White on violin (a personal favourite instrument in jazz), bass master Charlie Haden, Leon Chandler on drums, Kenneth Nash on percussion and wood flute, and also Baba Duru Oshun on percussion.

We are treated to four Henderson originals, named after the four elements. It’s spiritual, it’s progressive, it’s ethnic, it’s all of the things you’d want from a 70’s jazz album. Henderson is always a revelation every time you sit down and listen to him, but his performance here is quite special to say the least. Haden is one of the true masters on the double bass. Always on point. Alice Coltrane is top notch on this one as well. I especially love her celestial harp playing. I’m on the hunt for some of her output as a leader on Impulse.

So which is my favorite element out of the four? Hard to choose, but the epic and transcendent “Earth” is special.

A splendid album indeed.

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“Spaces” by Doug Hammond on Idibib DB 105

August 14, 2025

Lovely stuff on a small independent label.

Beautiful album by drummer Doug Hammond on Idibib, the independent label he founded. We have a mix of spiritual, post-bop and avant-garde here. This is one of those albums that perhaps flies under the radar, but it’s a lovely effort. As an old drummer myself I love to see drummer led sessions, and Hammond is superb on the skins for sure.

The group delivering the goods besides the leader are Steve Coleman on alto sax, Byard Lancaster on alto sax and flute, Muneer Abdul Fataah on cello and Kirk Lightsey on piano. Very cool that we have the cello present instead of bass. Love that instrument in jazz. Fataah, what a player. Awesome as well that Byard Lancaster is present, even if it’s on one tune only. Steve Coleman tears it up on this one. Very lyrical player, possesses a lovely tone on his alto, technically gifted, and has so many great ideas. Need to look into his other work I reckon.

A lot of wonderful tunes on this album, and as I’m listening and writing this I think the Dolphy-esque “Cüd Bar-Rith”, ”Rizz Biz” and ”Water Moves”, which is hte second part of the suite Spaces and Things, are my favorites right now.

Check this one out If you haven’t already. Highly recommended.

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”Long Before Our Mothers Cried” by Sonny Fortune on Strata-East SES 7423

August 5, 2025

Acquired this one today actually from a local shop. It was Sonny Fortune’s first session as the sole leader. Recorded for Strata-East in 1974 and released the same year. It features a diverse bunch of tunes all penned by Fortune. We have percussion heavy latin stuff, a beautiful ballad, a spiritual excursion, bluesy funkiness and some post-bop. One thing that is very apparent is that Fortune is on fire. What a player. He plays alto, soprano and flute on this session. The band otherwise consists of Charles Sullivan on trumpet, Stanley Cowell on electric piano/acoustic piano, Wayne Dockery on double bass, Chip Lyle on drums and Angel Allende, Mario Muñoz, Richie Pablo Landrum all on assorted percussion.

Favourite pick has to be the spiritual ”Sound of Silents”, which features brilliant solos from both Fortune and Sullivan.

I’m soon into double figures when it comes to Strata-East titles in the collection, with 9 so far. A superb label which I’ll continue to explore. So much great stuff with plenty of variety. Hopefully I’ll be able to add some more titles going forward.

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”Poppy” by Masaru Imada on Three Blind Mice TBM 14

August 3, 2025

Continuing to explore the Three Blind Mice label, which is a real treasure trove of great stuff. This one is by Japanese pianist Masaru Imada and was his second on the label. The first side features standards with Imada playing solo piano and on the second side we have a trio playing originals penned by Imada, with Isao Fukui joining in on bass and Masahiko Ozu on drums.

The solo side is beautiful and contains a great rendition of Mal Waldron’s “Left Alone”. I dig the trio performance on the second side the most though, with the group sounding superb together. Lovely compositions by Imada. My favorite is the seven minutes and change up-tempo ”Ascent”.

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"Mapenzi" by The Harold Land / Blue Mitchell Quintet on Concord Jazz CJ-44

August 2, 2025

Here’s a terrific session from 1977 by the Harold Land/Blue Mitchell Quintet on Concord Jazz. Been exploring Land’s 70’s output a bit and found some real gems. This is one of them. The combination of Land and Mitchell is lovely as they complement each other beautifully. They are joined by Reggie Johnson on bass, Kirk Lightsey on piano and Al ”Tootie” Heath on drums.

We have some wonderfully crafted post-bop here which borrows from the past while staying firmly in the present, in this case the 70’s. It’s a great recording, detailed and balanced. The bass presence and sound is a highlight.

Land And Mitchell’s contribution is stellar. Engaging and lyrical. Really dig Tootie’s playing on this one as well. Recommended!

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”Blackstone Legacy” by Woody Shaw on Contemporary S7627/8

June 3, 2025

I didn’t think I would find this one anytime soon. Been looking for a long time. At first I assumed the 1st pressing was the yellow label version. That was not correct of course as this green label version is the 1st issue. So it became even harder to find an original copy, as most versions I’ve seen have sported the yellow labels. The green label version seems very scarce, or is it just me? Anyway, I somehow managed to acquire this one before anyone else at a recent drop. It’s usually gone in no time when it surfaces. No wonder, it’s one of the best jazz titles of the 70’s.

Woody’s debut as a leader, recorded in 1970 and released in 1971. It features a fantastic line-up consisting of Shaw on trumpet, Gary Bartz on alto/soprano, Bennie Maupin on tenor/bass clarinet/flute, George Cables on piano/electric piano, Ron Carter on double bass, Clint Houston on electric bass and Lenny White on drums.

The music is some highly explorative post-bop which is presented through some very long format tunes. Love that. Four of them are penned by Shaw and two by Cables. Very intricate and complex songwriting which warrants repeated listening for sure. Love the whole concept of the album.

This was my top want, no competition. Needless to say I’m very happy to have been able to file this great copy. Both discs are in great shape and sounds awesome, and while the cover has some wear here and there it’s in respectable condition. I’m just relieved to finally sit here and listen to it now, I never thought I would find it. Time to ease into the summer…

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”Two is One” by Charlie Rouse on Strata-East SES-19746

May 29, 2025

On this album we find Charlie Rouse in a different setting music-wise than I’ve heard him in before. This is a wonderful mix of funk and post-bop with some excellent playing by the leader. I’ve been exposed to the incorporation of funk when exploring 70’s jazz and I’ve really been enjoying it. Love that mix, when the funkier elements are blended with the post-bop/modal stuff during the same tune and between separate tunes focusing on one style or the other.

On this date we have an interesting group, with Rouse on tenor and bass clarinet, George Davis and Paul Metzke on guitar, Calo Scott on cello, Stanley Clark and Martin Rivera on bass, David Lee on drums, Airto Moreira on percussion and Azzedin Weston on conga. There’s a lovely chemistry between the players.

Favorite picks are the Joe Chambers penned ”Hopscotch” and the brilliant, dark and moody ”In His Presence Searching”, written by David Lee.

Strata-East truly was a great label, with all of it’s different musical flavours to emerge yourself in. This Rouse album is one of the best I’ve heard so far, so I’m happy to file this quite elusive title.

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”Filles de Kilimanjaro” by Miles Davis on Columbia CS 9750

May 28, 2025

A 1st US pressing. The labels and back slick have the Columbia logo covered by CBS stickers intended for the European market. I won’t attempt to remove them. There are a couple of albums by The Second Great Quintet that I’m still after. This was one of them until last week when I managed to secure it.

This title represented a transition between Miles’ acoustic work and his electric period. I honestly haven’t explored the totality of his later work but will take a deep dive sooner or later. Overall, for me at this point, the mostly acoustic work of The Second Great Quintet is the sweet spot in his catalogue.

The quintet remains intact during all tunes except two, when Chick Corea and Dave Holland replaces Hancock and Carter respectively. My favorite tune on the album is ”Petits Machins (Little Stuff)”.

Classic stuff which will see plenty of play in the years to come I’m sure.

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”Re-Entry” by Charles Sullivan on Whynot PA-7152

May 27, 2025

Sullivan handles the trumpet masterfully.

Wonderful Japan-only album from 1976 by trumpeter Charles Sullivan. This guy is amazing, what a master. I love the trumpet in jazz, always have, so to discover a new cat this good is a real treat. I have had him on my radar for a while, courtesy of Strata-East and his album ”Genesis”, which I’m looking for as well. I stumbled upon this title a few weeks ago, listened to it and was completely hooked. Sullivan’s playing is superb and the rest of the band is a great bunch as well. They are; Rene McLean on alto and tenor, Kenny Barron on piano, Buster Williams on double bass and Billy Hart on drums.

Recorded in New York 1976, this LP sounds fantastic. Great engineering. There are a lot of brilliant Japanese-only releases from both foreign and domestic musicians, which I’m discovering now. Very exciting. I mean, ”Re-Entry” if released on Blue Note in the 60’s, would be an expensive and hot item I’m sure. The music is a lovely mix of hard-bop and post-bop played with soul and conviction. We are treated to five tunes, four of which are originals penned by Sullivan.

It’s hard to believe that this outstanding musician didn’t record more than four albums as a leader; two in the 70’s, one in the 90’s and one in the 00’s. Criminally underrated perhaps, but don’t sleep on this cat. Do yourself a favour and check this session out.

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”Damisi” by Harold Land on Mainstream MRL 367

May 26, 2025

What immediately striked me when I put this on was three things, the music is unbelievable good, this album was recorded very loud and it was recorded superbly. The sound just blasts out of the speakers and the detail and balance is off the charts. Fantastic low-end. Hadn’t heard an original Mainstream album before. Very impressive.

I’ve been enjoying some of Harold Land’s dates as a leader lately and just filed this title from 1972 and ”The Peace-Maker” from the late 60’s. Both are outstanding. This one is probably one of my favorites of the year so far.

The band consists of Land on tenor and oboe (wonderful playing and sound from Land on the oboe), Oscar Brashear on trumpet and flugelhorn, Bill Henderson on Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano, Buster Williams on Fender and double bass and Ndugu (Leon Chancler) on drums. The whole group is on point. I really dig Brashear and as a trumpet lover I need to check out his catalogue in depth. Buster Williams was a fantastic bassist and I have managed ro get some of his work into the collection. Will explore further. Ndugu’s drum work is something to behold as well. Another cat to check out.

The music touches the modal, spritual, funk and post bop. What more could you ask for? If you haven’t heard this, go explore. Highly recommended.

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”The Peace-Maker” by The Harold Land Quintet on Cadet LPS 813

May 25, 2025

Here’s a splendid Harold Land title on the Cadet label, which is a label I haven’t explored much. It features Land on tenor, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Joe Sample on piano, Buster Williams on double bass and Donald Bailey on drums.

Fantastic songwriting by Land on this one which features the leaders original compositions except for one tune. He was a great player and every time I hear him he delivers quality.

This is perhaps one of those titles that flies a bit under the radar. But it’s a truly lovely session that you should check out if you’re unfamiliar with it.

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