Recorded when Hooker was well into his '60s "comeback," Get Back Home features the bluesman in a solo performance (a mode that best reveals the subtleties of his work). The session was recorded in France, and Hooker must have been feeling a bit homesick, as the first song is "Get Back Home In The USA," where he describes in detail, over his trademark boogie rhythm, his return to his homeland and the joy he knows he will feel. After this momentary ray of sunshine, though, things soon return to more familiar climes, with the bleakness of the slow blues "T.B. Is Killing Me" and the unbridled despair of "When My First Wife Left Me." Hooker recorded this tune many times over the years, but this is one of the finest versions, plumbing the depths of shame and regret. Hooker's raw, biting guitar work is at its best here. Even the umpteenth recording of the Hooker chestnut "Boogie Chillen" is invested with uncommon verve. With the addition of six powerful bonus cuts, Get Back Home is both an excellent introduction into the sultry, menacing world of Hooker and a vital addition to the collections of his hardcore fans.

	Get Back Home In The USA
	TB Is Killing Me
	Cold Chills
	I Had A Dream Last Night
	Love Affair
	Little Rain
	When My First Wife Left Me
	Big Boss Lady
	Back To Your Mother
	Boogie Chillen’
	Sitting Here Thinking
	I Wanna Ramble
	Hi-Heel Sneakers
	I’m So Worried Baby
	I’m Going Upstairs
	Crazy ‘Bout You

Few saxmen could create a "warm mood" like Ben Webster; pair that one-of-a-kind tone of his with a string quartet like on this 1960 album, and you're talking some serious, adult mood music! Includes "The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi," "Stella by Starlight," "But Beautiful," "I'm Beginning to See the Light," "Time After Time," and more.

	Side 1
	1. The Sweetheart Of Sigma Chi
	2. Stella By Starlight
	3. With Every Breath I Take
	4. Accent On Youth
	5. But Beautiful
	6. Time After Time
	Side 2
	7. Nancy
	8. I’m Beginning To See The Light
	9. It Was So Beautiful
	10. The Whiffenpoof Song
	11. It’s Easy To Remember
	12. There’s No You

"Recorded over two days in December of 1972 at Rudy Van Gelder's Englewood, New Jersey home studio, vibraphonist Milt Jackson's Sunflower is the first — and best — of his three albums for Creed Taylor's CTI imprint. (And one of the finest offerings on the label.)

"With a core band consisting of Herbie Hancock (playing electric and acoustic piano), bassist Ron Carter, drummer Billy Cobham, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, drummer/percussionist Ralph McDonald, and guitarist Jay Berliner. A chamber orchestra exquisitely arranged and conducted by Don Sebesky adorns the session as well. Jackson's 'For Someone I Love,' opens the five-tune set, with Berliner playing solo flamenco guitar before the vibes, trumpet, and elements from the chamber orchestra delicately, impressionistically color the background.

"It gradually moves into a languid, bluesy ballad that slowly gains in both texture and dynamic until the strings trill tensely. Hubbard and Hancock engage them in solos that gently swing out the tune. The reading of Michel Legrand's 'What Are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life' is a gorgeous showcase for Jackson; his solo dominates the arrangement. Carter gets downright funky on his upright to introduce Thom Bell's 'People Make the World Go Round,' and Hancock follows him on Rhodes. Jackson takes the melody, striking a layered contrast as Hubbard slips around all three playing an extension of the melody with requisite taste, fluidity, and taut phrasing. Hancock gets funky to the bone in his brief solo, as the vibes soar around and through his phrases. The title track is a Hubbard composition that floats and hovers with a Latin backbeat before shifting tempos as the solos begin. The expanded harmonic palette of trumpet with the reeds, woodwinds, and strings on the melody add an exotic textural palette for his solo. Jackson's 'SKJ' closes the set with an old-school, swinging hard bop blues with barely detectable embellishments by Sebesky. While Sunflower sometimes feels more like a group session rather than a Jackson-led one, that's part of its exquisite beauty." — AllMusic.com

	Side 1
	For Someone I Love
	What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
	Side 2
	People Make The World Go Round
	Sunflower

180-gram vinyl

Remastering by: Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

This album is made of six numbers from the famous Town Hall concert of 1947, plus offerings from four others, which if not perhaps quite so famous are nevertheless all more than worthy of your attention. Armstrong's playing in these days was something to marvel at, and his presence a vitalising effect upon any musicians who teamed up with him. Teagarden never played or sung better than he did here (St. James Infirmary to note), but nor for that matter did Bigard. Vic Dickenson, Johnnv Hodges, or any of the other musicians who haunt these tracks.

The standard throughout is very high, but no one, however well they play, can approach the brilliance of Louis as he soars into his first chorus on "Misbehavin'" with the control and majesty of a seagull on the wing. Teagarden plays well enough on this track, but sandwiched between Louis' solo and a fantastic lead-in to his final chorus, he sounds almost dull by comparison. "Save It, Pretty Mama" is another tour de force, with Louis playing a solo that is supreme for tightness, and relaxation. The two tracks with Duke are full of interest. Hodges blows beautifully. Duke plays some pleasant piano on "Journey," and Pops comes on with a blues vocal which is quite inimitable.

"Snafu," a boppish kind of tune, doesn't suit Louis quite so well, but as usual he can dig his way out of any situation with his horn. "Little Girl" and "Mahogany Hall" feature a much more basic beat and Louis plays in a style much nearer New Orleans than was usual in these days. Ory takes a splendid chorus on the second named tune, and the work of both drummers is exceptional.

But everything is good and Armstrong's work so consistently brilliant and vastly entertaining, that it is a set you must not miss on any account.

Recorded April 24. 1947 at Town Hall, New York City

	Side A :
	1. Rockin' Chair
	2. Ain’t Misbehavin’
	3. Back O'Town Blues
	4. Long Long Journey
	5. I Want A Little Girl
	6. Mahogany Hall Stomp
	Side 2
	1. Pennies >From Heaven
	2. St. James Infirmary
	3. Save It, Pretty Mama
	4. Someday You’ll Be Sorry
	5. Sugar
	6. Snafu

Remastering by Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

"Capra Black remains one of the seminal recordings of jazz's black consciousness movement. A profoundly spiritual effort that channels both the intellectual complexity of the avant-garde as well as the emotional potency of gospel, its focus and assurance belie Billy Harper's inexperience as a leader.

"Backed by an all-star supporting unit including trombonist Julian Priester and drummer Billy Cobham, Harper's tenor summons the brute force and mystical resolve of John Coltrane but transcends its influences to communicate thoughts and feelings both idiosyncratic and universal. This is music of remarkable corporeal substance that somehow expresses the pure language of the soul." — AllMusic

Musicians:
Billy Harper, saxophone
Reggie Workman, bass
Billy Cobham, Elving Jones, Warren Smith, drums
George Cables, piano
Dick Griffin, Julian Priester, trombone
Jimmy Owens, trumpet
Barbara Grant, Gene McDaniels, Laveda Johnson, Pat Robinson, voices

	Side A:
	1. Capra Black
	2. Sir Galahad
	3. New Breed
	Side B:
	1. Soulfully, I Love You/Black Spiritual Of Love
	2. Cry Of Hunger

It's impossible to talk about this album without acknowledging the spectre of death that hangs over it — not only is it the third entry in Strata-East Records' Dolphy Series, a collection of archival recordings from some of the label's close associates honoring the recently deceased multi-instrumentalist, but it is actually dedicated to two members of the band, Wynton Kelly and Kenny Dorham, who died in between the recording sessions and its release.

The point is driven home even further by the fact that the album begins with a tribute from Payne to the fallen Martin Luther King, Jr., a piece that acts as a de facto solo for Dorham — his playing all rosy elegance and regal warmth — before shifting into the lighter (though equally coolly-paced) "I Know Love," a showcase for Payne's sax. While not the most somber jazz track ever recorded, this opening suite is a low-key and mournful way to open the affair, but thankfully the album really picks off and shows these musicians more in their element the rest of the way.

"Girl, You Got a Home" is a funky piece, beginning very soulfully with some tight interplay among the rhythm section of Kelly, bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Albert Heath. Ware is in especially fine form on this track, tying together the disparate passages of the piece by grounding the more ponderous moments in a deep funk, while Kelly's playing is especially ear catching in the way he stabs at his piano like it's an organ. After the first two tracks take up nearly twenty minutes, the four-minute "Slide Hampton" feels almost impossibly brief, a feeling that's enhanced by its quick, jittery, and infectious rhythm, driven by some really dexterous work from Kelly.

The final track, "Flying Fish," may be the album's highlight, a Caribbean-inspired composition that casts the rhythm section as flighty ground for both Payne and Dorham to vamp on. The track is oddly danceable for something released on Strata-East, maybe the most fun moment ever for the label, and relentlessly uptempo. Though this release may be in part defined by the deaths that preceded it, it's clear that the recording process was actually a lot of fun for everybody, as their enthusiasm and energy jumps right out of the speakers. This is one of the first Strata East records I really got into and is still one of my favorites, a must-hear for any fans of the flightier moments of Dorham or Kelly's career, and a fitting tribute for both master musicians.

	Side A:
	1. Martin Luther King, Jr.
	2. Girl, You Got A Home
	3. Slide Hampton
	Side B:
	1. Follow Me
	2. Flying Fish

180-gram LP

Remastering by Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

"John Hicks (1941-2006) gave much to jazz over several decades but never really received the appreciation he so richly deserved. As a pianist, he proved himself in the Art Blakey and Betty Carter universities. He was also the prototypical musician's musician, a first-call pianist for many jazz greats and a magnificent accompanist to the art's best saxists, including Pharoah Sanders, Arthur Blythe, Chico Freeman, Archie Shepp, and David Murray.

"He was often accused of hovering in McCoy Tyner's shadow, which is unfair and untrue. But he evinced a great fondness for Coltrane's music and was often heard on many a Coltrane tribute, showing affection for the saxophonist and his appreciation for Tyner's contribution to Coltrane's finest music.

"Another facet of John Hicks' career, which gets even less attention than his wondrous playing, is his ability to craft identifiable compositions that are wandering and melodic, suggestive and malleable yet memorable all at once.

"It would be difficult to conceive the ideal tribute to John Hicks. As a jazz contributor, he wasn't easily pigeon-holed. While he was always a (straight) jazz player, he skirted the edges of free jazz and pure romanticism that neither side ever appreciates in the other. But both camps could find moments of joyous life in all the ways Hicks chose to express himself. He was an unmistakably perfect accompanist in any mode." — AllAboutJazz.com

	Side A:
	1. Hells Bells
	2. Avojca
	Side B:
	1. Yemenja
	2. Angie’s Tune

180-gram vinyl

Remastering by Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

John Gordon, a trombone master, brings us another gem from that most renowned of '70's record labels, Strata-East. The trombone is a difficult instrument. In the hands of an artist like John Gordon, however, it can create vivid images and conjure up beautiful music. And when the cohort of other players includes the likes of Charles Tolliver & Stanley Cowell, you know you're in for an extra treat.

	Side A:
	Step By Step
	Dance Of The Ymas
	Side B:
	No Tricks/No Gimmicks
	Making Memories
	Activity

Remastering by Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

"Around the time of this recording, Stanley Cowell had achieved a degree of prominence as the pianist for the advanced bop quartet Music Inc., which he co-led with trumpeter Charles Tolliver, as well as for unusual projects like his Piano Choir. With Regeneration he chose another path, essentially trying to produce a jazz-infused pop album with strong African roots, perhaps owing a little bit to Stevie Wonder. He assembled an extremely strong cast of musicians for the venture, including Marion Brown, Billy Higgins, and Ed Blackwell, as well as several African string and percussion masters and, by and large, succeeded conceptually if not commercially.

"A few songs use vocals in a fairly standard pop framework, and, while they are performed capably enough, the lyrical content leaves something to be desired in typical mid-'70s fashion. But much of the rest of the music makes up for this with, among other things, a delightful fife and drum piece by Brown and strong bass work by Bill Lee (Spike's dad). Regeneration is an interesting, often enjoyable album which, aside from its own small pleasures, provides a snapshot of some of the cross-fertilization in genres occurring at the time." — AllMusic

	Side A:
	1. Trying to Find A Way
	2. The Gembhre
	3. Shimmy Shewabble
	4. Parlour Blues
	Side B:
	1. Thank You My People
	2. Travelin’ Man
	3. Lullabye

Remastering by Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

One of the most unique albums on the Strata East label — and that's saying a heck of a lot, given the creative energies flowing through that legendary jazz outlet! Descendents Of Mike & Phoebe is a righteous little project put together by Spike Lee's father, Bill Lee, and his brothers and sisters (Cliff Lee, Grace Lee Mims, and Consuela Lee Moorhead) — working here in a group named after their slave ancestors, who are paid tribute in a beautifully flowing batch of tunes!

Lee's round, warm bass tones are firmly at the head of the group on most numbers — recorded at a similar level to his excellent work with Clifford Jordan on Strata East during the same time — and other instrumentation includes piano from Consuela, flugelhorn from Cliff, and percussion from Sonny Brown and Billy Higgins — all used in a wonderfully evocative style that's even better than some of Lee's later soundtrack work. A few numbers feature vocals from Grace — singing wordlessly and with a really heavenly sort of quality — and together, the whole group have an undeniable sense of power and majesty, yet also one that's touched by a really personal sense of poetry too. Titles include a great version of Lee's "Coltrane," which was more famously recorded with Clifford Jordan.

By Drago Museveni

Recorded at Minot Studios, White Plains, New York, December 19, 20 and 21, 1973

Musicians:
Consuela Lee Morehead, piano
Bill Lee, string bass
Grace Lee Mims, soprano
Cliff Lee, fluglehorn
Sonny Brown, percussion
Billy Higgins, percussion

	Two Songs For a Boy Named Mark
	Little Bitty Baby
	Soliloquy To A Man-Child
	–
	Coltrane
	Chick Chick
	Well Done, Weldon
	A Spirit Speaks
	Attica
	Take My Hand, Precious Lord
	Boll Weevil
	Don't Be A Stranger
	Too Little, Too Late

"Based upon the diversity of music, quality of product and their extraordinary rate of progress, Pure Pleasure Records is our re-issue record company of the year." – hi-fi+

Eunice Kathleen Waymon's beautiful, mellifluous voice is one of the most distinctive and celebrated in music. As Nina Simone she recorded more than 40 albums during a long and distinguished career that stretched over five decades.

In the intimate ambiance of The Village Gate nightclub in New York, Nina Simone made pure magic with her voice and on the keyboard, one Manhattan evening back in 1961. She sang and played with a trio, which featured her favorite guitarist, Al Shackman. We are so fortunate that the moment was captured and recorded.

	1. Just in Time
	2. He Was Too Good For Me
	3. House of the Rising Sun
	4. Bye Bye Blackbird
	5. Brown Baby
	6. Zungo
	7. If He Changed My Name
	8. Children Go Where I Send You

Like the 1963 LP Nina Simone at Carnegie Hall, this was recorded in front of a devoted and enthusiastic live audience at Carnegie Hall on May 12, 1963. It isn't just unworthy leftovers, but a strong set in its own right, concentrating on material that could be seen as traditional or folk in orientation. It's not exactly strictly folk music, in repertoire or arrangement (which includes piano, guitar, bass, and drums, though not every tune has all of the instruments); 'Twelfth of Never' certainly isn't folk music. However, there was also an uptempo piano blues, Leadbelly's 'Silver City Bound'; covers of the Israeli 'Erets Zavat Chalav' and 'Vanetihu' which served as further proof that Simone's eclecticism knew no bounds; and the stark, moody, spiritually shaded ballads at which she excelled ('When I Was a Young Girl,' 'Hush Little Baby'). 'Lass of the Low Country' is as exquisitely sad-yet-beautiful as it gets." — AllMusic

Pianist and singer Nina Simone defied categorization by blending classical, jazz and popular music into an unconventional and highly personal idiom: over four decades, she galvanized audiences with albums and performances replete with deep passion and keen attention to emotion.

"Fiercely honest, Simone was admired for her eccentricity and individualism. She was known for her spirited personality on and off the stage, which included flirting with audience members and voicing her opinions about social topics of the time. " — Jazz.com

	Side 1
	1. Silver City Bound
	2. When I Was A Young Girl
	3. Erets Zavat Chalav
	4. Lass Of The Low Country
	Side 2
	5. The Young Night
	6. Twelfth Of Never
	7. Vanetihu
	8. You Can Sing A Rainbow
	9. Hush Little Baby

Remastering by: Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

For a label that wasn't around long, Strata East achieved the same sort of label recognition that Impulse! or Blue Note managed to build. In other words, you knew what you were getting when you bought a record on the label, even if you didn't know the names on the outside of the cover.

"Don't Look Back" is an album led by American saxophonist Harold Vick recorded in 1974 and released in the wake of Harold Vick's recovery from a heart attack, which may partially explain the passion with which he approaches his playing throughout.

One of the best-ever Strata East sessions! The album's a masterfully conceived session by reed player Harold Vick — best known to the world as the funky tenorist from albums by John Patton and Jack McDuff in the '60s, but emerging here as an incredibly sensitive soul jazz player, capable of turning out some incredibly sophisticated and emotional compositions. Vick produced and wrote all the material on the album. A treasure all the way through.

	Side A:
	Don't Look Back
	Melody For Bu
	Senor Zamora
	Side B:
	Stop And Cop

Remastering by Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

"For a label that wasn't around long, Strata East achieved the same sort of label recognition that Impulse! or Blue Note managed to build. In other words, you knew what you were getting when you bought a record on the label, even if you didn't know the names on the outside of the cover. This is no exception. Who is Shamek Farrah? Who knows? Who cares? It's the music that's important. This is the standard spiritually intense new jazz one learns to expect from the label, soaked in some Eastern influences but always with its ear to the street. Musicians took their roles as leaders and spokesmen very seriously back then.

"This very adult statement from a group of very serious men is no exception. However, what might be an average, forgettable session is rescued by the propulsive engine of Milton Suggs' bass. He adds the fire and the drive that keeps things interesting and prevents the music from wandering into a circular spiritual morass. For fans of the sound or the label, this can be heartily recommended." — AllMusic

Musicians:
Shamek Farrah, alto saxophone
Milton Suggs, bass
Calvert "Bo" Satter-White, congas
Ron Warwell, drums
Kenny Harper, percussion
Sonelius Smith, piano
Norman Person, trumpet

	Side A:
	1. Meterologicly Tuned
	2. Watch What Happens Now
	Side B:
	1. Umoja Suite
	2. First Impressions

Remastering by Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

Most of the musicians who gathered to record this fantastic spiritual jazz record for the Strata-East label on May 24, 1974 had crossed each other's paths in various musical pairings over the preceding few years. Husband and wife team Dee Dee Bridgewater (vocals) and Cecil Bridgewater (trumpet) had been working together on albums such as Frank Foster's Loud Minority, and Roy Ayers' Coffy and Virgo Red.

Ten weeks before the Freedom Of Speech session, the couple had been joined in Tokyo by Cecil's brother Ronald Bridgewater (tenor saxaphone) to record Dee Dee's debut album, the beautiful Afro Blue. Also in the studio on May 24th, 1974 was Donald Smith, (piano, vocals), fresh from recording on his older brother Lonnie Liston Smith's Cosmic Funk — on which Ronald Bridgewater had also played percussion. Cecil McBee (bass) was also there — just two weeks before, he'd completed his own Strata East date Mutima, and in February he'd played on Mtume's Rebirth Cycle — with both albums also featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater on vocals. He'd also played on Lonnie Liston Smith's Astral Travelling.

So 1974 was a huge year for all five of these people. Donald Smith and Cecil McBee were six months away from recording on Lonnie Liston Smith's massive Expansions, with McBee fitting in a few Pharoah Sanders albums in between.

And then, the mystery … So with all this fervent activity, the question has to be asked …who was Billy Earl Parker Jr. (drums), the leader of this session?

Billy Parker remains unlisted as a musician on all major jazz sites. His only other recording appears to be as a percussionist on Charles Tolliver's Impact in 1975. Then there's nothing.

Finally, by backtracking one of those Zoom info pages, there appears a summary of a "SUNY Rockland Community College" 2002 press release that no longer exists:

"Billy Parker's Fourth World Legacy Concert" The concert, Billy Parker's Fourth World Legacy, is the eighth annual tribute honouring the late percussionist and RCC educator, Billy Parker. A long-time Rockland County resident, Parker began his affiliation with RCC in 1987, building its jazz program and maintaining his life-long tradition of teaching and inspiring others. A lifelong student himself, Parker was near completion of his doctorate in music education at New York University when he died in 1996."

But then people began to read this blog post, and in the comments, Aaron Fuller said :

"Billy Parker was my uncle. He was an incredibly talented, smart, and kind man. I'm very happy to see that folks are still enjoying his masterpiece. Just to give you a bit more information about him… He was born and raised in Buffalo, NY and then attended college at Michigan State University. He met my aunt in Lansing. They lived in NY and toured in Europe for quite a while. Sometime later they relocated to Nyack, NY and he ended up on the faculty of the community college while he pursued advanced degrees from NYU. He was an Ellington scholar. Although his name isn't well-known even among the most avid jazz fans, I think that if you were to talk to some of the great N.Y. musicians that were around in the late '60s and '70s you would find that most knew him. He also had a huge impact as a music educator and I have no doubt that his former students are all over the place, continuing to put his love of the art into practice."

Musicians:
Billy Parker, drums
Cecil McBee, bass violin
Donald Smith, piano, vocal
Dee Dee Bridgewater, vocal
Ronald Bridgewater, tenor saxophone
Cecil Bridgewater, trumpet

	Side 1:
	1. Dance Of The Little Children
	2. Gemini’s Lullaby
	3. Home
	Side 2:
	1. Get With It
	2. Freedom Of Speech

Remastering by Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

"The remarkable Music, Inc. Big Band remains the apotheosis of trumpeter Charles Tolliver's singular creative vision. Rarely if ever has a big band exhibited so much freedom or finesse, while at the same time never overwhelming the virtuoso soloists on whom the performances pivot.

"Built around the core of Tolliver, pianist Stanley Cowell, bassist Cecil McBee, and drummer Jimmy Hopps, the music boasts the kind of give-and-take born equally of talent and telepathy — each player seems to communicate with his colleagues on a higher plane, delivering performances to rival any in their careers. Tolliver in particular plays like a man possessed, summoning an energy and clarity that slice through the big, bold arrangements like the proverbial hot knife through butter." — AllMusic

	Side A:
	Ruthie’s Heart (Charles Tolliver)
	Brilliant Circles (Stanley Cowell)
	Abscretions (Stanley Cowell)
	Side B:
	Household Of Saud (Charles Tolliver)
	On The Nile (Charles Tolliver)
	Departure (Stanley Cowell)

Remastering by Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

Although this is a blues-oriented set, there is plenty of variety in tempos and grooves. The 1968 Quartet featured the leader/pianist, baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan, bassist Jack Six and drummer Alan Dawson. The repertoire on this LP ranges from "Limehouse Blues" (which is not really a blues) to "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" and several originals.

These songs are average for 1968, but the soloing is remarkable and the musicians here are some of the best. "Journey" is a remarkably beautiful piano ballad, while "Blues Roots" narrowly rises above in it's epic scope, and over-the-top ending. It's probably my favourite song here. But, "Broke Blues" is also exceptional. This one, along with "Cross Ties" and "Blues Roots", are fairly progressive, drawing as much from post bop as blues and traditional jazz, pushing toward avante-garde.

	Side 1
	1. Limehouse Blues
	2. Journey
	3. Cross Ties
	Side 2
	1. Broke Blues
	2. Things Ain’t What They Used To Be
	3. Movin’ Out
	4. Blues Roots