Night Dreamer, The Soothsayer, Etcetera, Adam’s Apple, Schizophrenia.

The classic Adam’s Apple album from 1965, with Herbie, Reggie Workman, and Joe Chambers, featuring the first time out for Footprints, and the samba dancer El Gaucho. And the questing Super Nova album from 1969, entangled with Miles’ Water Babies, featuring a wigged-out Dindi: three guitarists (John McLaughlin, Sonny Sharrock, Walter Booker) and three percussionists/drummers (Jack DeJohnette, Chick Corea, Airto Moreira), plus Miroslav Vitous.
‘Michael Brändli’s sound restoration and mastering skills take Ezz-thetics’ carefully curated reissues further into exalted territory. Once again, Brändli has woven his magic and for the listener the result is almost like hearing the material for the first time’ (Chris May, AllAboutJazz).

‘Classic Vinyl Edition.’

Remarkable 1966 lineup, with James Spaulding, Lee Morgan, Howard Johnson and Kiane Ziwadi in the brass line — the title track reminds you where the Hypnotics are coming from — and McCoy Tyner, besides.

It’s a must. The bluesy, grooving title track is essential Sonny. With Art Farmer (playing superbly), Jackie McLean, Philly Joe Jones and Paul Chambers.
Blue Note Classic Vinyl series: all-analogue, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes.

Kind of a dry run for Blue Trane, a couple of months later: with JC, Byrd, Curtis Fuller, Paul Chambers, Art Taylor; a latinized Speak Low, and SC’s own, wicked News For Lulu.
‘Classic Vinyl.’

The 1957 recording with Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones.

Relaxed, maybe, but not subdued. Actually a lovely mixture of swingers, blues and ballads, and one of the great trumpeter’s most unmissable sets, beautiful stuff, with Tommy Flanagan on top form, Paul Chambers, and Art Taylor.

An essential, five-star Blue Note; warm, lyrical and flowing. Adderley was in Miles Davis’ group at this time — over the next year they would record A Kind Of Blue and Milestones — and the trumpeter pays back generously, choosing the tunes, and playing at his very best.

‘10/10 Pop music as it should be: beautiful, heartbreaking, but ultimately uplifting’, NME; ‘*****’, Mojo.

Wayne Shuler always recorded Bettye with a black audience in mind, and despite the high proportion of country songs these are definitely soul records, though like nothing else from the time. Bettye never sings with the desolation of O.V. Wright, the hurt of Percy Sledge, or the sheer pain of the final Linda Jones records. There’s a southern feel to these Swann-Shuler recordings, but they also have a light, almost poppy quality to them. Sometimes they sound like the missing link between Muscle Shoals and Motown.

The LP here is a worthy reissue by Music On Vinyl of the classic Honest Jon’s compilation, on its twentieth anniversary; the CD is from back in the day.