‘Classic Vinyl Series.’

Shepp’s Impulse! debut, co-produced by Coltrane and featuring four of his compositions, arranged for four horns, including Wayne Shorter’s brother Alan, John Tchicai, and the one and only Roswell Rudd.

‘Classic Vinyl Series.’

With Blue Mitchell, Lonnie Smith, Jimmy Ponder and Leo Morris (aka Idris Muhammad) in 1967. Peepin’ steals the show.

‘Classic vinyl.’

Many people rate this his best solo album, for murder like Pusherman, Freddie’s Dead and Give Me Your Love (and less persuasively because it trespassed most deeply into rock audiences).
‘This heavy script… I could relate with a lot of it… It allowed me to get past the glitter of the drug scene and go to the depth of it — allowing a little bit of the sparkle and the highlights lyrically, but always with a moral to that.’
Superior Rhino reissue, with die-cut sleeve.

Riveting 1965 review of his own staggering classics like Death Letter and John The Revelator, rinsed by everyone from Captain Beefheart to Jack White.

His ambitious 1974 breakthrough as leader, superbly mixing funk and jazz improvisation on a major-label recording budget, with strong political and spiritual themes, even a nod to the Duke.

From 1961 — with Fred Jackson and Grant Green.

His swansong, in 1962, setting his warmly bluesy, swooping beseechments within the new jazz bossa sound. With Willie Bobo on drums. Kenny Burrell is superb.

Superb organ jazz from 1965, with Grant Green, Bobby Hutcherson and Otis Finch. Latona was the Jazz Dance weapon; One Step Ahead is knockout, too. A classic Blue Note.
‘Ultimate HQ CD’ from Japan, using the same Craft transfers and mastering.

‘Classic vinyl series.’

Dave Bailey (drums), Ben Tucker (bass), Bill Hardman (trumpet), Billy Gardner (piano), Frank Haynes (tenor sax).

‘Jazz Dispensary Top Shelf Series.’

Congo Call, such a killer. With Sonny Simmons.

Kicking off with the sublime Stolen Moments, featuring stunningly beautiful solos by Freddie Hubbard and Eric Dolphy. Bill Evans is here, Roy Haynes, Paul Chambers…

‘Acoustic Series.’

‘Classic Vinyl Series.’

The first fruits of Land’s long, luxuriant collaboration with Bobby Hutcherson, from 1968. Jazz Crusaders Buster Williams and Joe Sample are here; and Jimmy Smith’s drummer Donald ‘Duck’ Bailey (with whom Land had recently worked on Roy Ayers’ Virgo Vibes).
Land’s older albums — Harold In The Land Of Jazz, for example, and The Fox — have been HJ touchstones since our very early days. But this is something else. The saxophonist’s dark, schooled lyricism remains unmistakable, but by now hard bop machismo is ceding to the thorough-going influence of the gentler side of John Coltrane — his intentness, key signatures, modal swing.
The eight recordings here are compact and focussed; lit up with a consecratory loveliness. The titular opener and the ballad Imagine share a stricken, abiding, sublime serenity; hailing from the same hallowed ground as Trane knockouts like Tunji, Dear Lord, and After The Rain. Music as the healing force of the universe.

This is a genuine lost classic; handsomely reissued in the ‘Verve By Request’ series, with excellent sound. Hotly recommended.