Jazz /
Dream Talk
German pianist Wolfgang Dauner's early session sounds as fantastic as the title suggests! The "dream talk" component comes from Dauner's gentle, yet modern approach to the keys, which is clearly learning from 50s modernists like George Russell or Bill Evans but is stretching out here in some of the bolder freedoms of the European scene at the time. It's a precursor to later modes on MPS and Saba, but performed here with more restraint. The record is acoustic and inventive, with a "set free" soun…
Hip Harp / On A Minor Groove
Doxy present a combined reissue of legendary jazz harpist and poly-instrumentalist Dorothy Ashby's Hip Harp and In A Minor Groove, both released separately in 1958. Both albums feature Frank Wess. Dorothy Ashby had a unique soul jazz harp sound, and although the instrument she used is probably more thought of in terms of bedtime lullabies, she actually makes it swing nicely, and with a soulful sound that draws back to traditions of African stringed instruments. Ashby was part of the same scene a…
Sahib Shihab And The Danish Radio Jazz Group
Sahib Shihab (Edmund Gregory) played with many of jazz’s finest musicians. Shortly after he became one of the first jazz players to change their names due to an Islamic conversion, he joined Thelonious Monk for his Blue Note sessions. He also played with Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Pettiforn and Quincy Jones. A unique musician, he was at home in every musical style, from the experimentalism of Thelonious Monk to the more direct hard bop of Art Blakey. Sahib Shihab’s distinctive sound was …
Evolution
*2024 stock* "This release Shintaro Quintet’s private press release ‘Evolution’. It’s another well-chosen release that comes with superb packaging, high sound quality and some interesting sleeve notes which give a fascinating in-depth insight into the music and the musicians in Japan within the specified time period.
Recorded in New York, the one-off recording by bassist Shintaro Nakamura and his quintet features the brilliant trumpeter Shunzo Ohno, who has played on many of the quintessential J…
East Plants
*2023 stock* "A genuine ‘under the radar’ album known only to a handful of Japanese jazz collectors, ‘East Plants’ is now available once more, reissued as CD and digital formats. Originally released in 1983 on the Japanese VAP label, ‘East Plants’ is an essential album in the J Jazz canon. It’s an album that distils several key characteristics of Moriyama’s music: clearly articulated and inventive rhythms, open yet orderly arrangements, and an accessible groove balanced with a graceful control. …
Black Orpheus: Date In Daté
*Limited Edition* Album released in 1977 by Japanese jazz pianist Kunihiko Sugano, who started playing in a trio with Isao Suzuki and George Otsuka in the early 1960s and recorded the classic album Blow Up with the aforementioned two and Takashi Mizuhashi on Three Blind Mice in 1973. Recorded live in Date City, Hokkaido in 1976 as a trio with Osamu Kawakami and Hiroshi Murakami. The air from the venue was recorded to give a realistic impression, and standard numbers such as Luiz Bomfa's A1, whic…
Live: First Flight
Delight in Hiroshi Fukumura's live brilliance, where his unusual approach to the instrument shines. This quartet, featuring Hiroshi Tamura on piano, Tsutomu Okada on bass, and Shinji Mori on drums, delivers open, flowing tracks reminiscent of Japanese piano trios. Fukumura's solos, crafted like trumpet lines, boast a gritty yet lyrical power, this live session captures the essence of Fukumura's unique artistry and musical strides.
Moonflower
A 1978 piece composed by pianist Fumio Karashima with legendary drummer Elvin Jones. The trio with bassist Andy MacLeod will feature original songs and standards, including the title track. This is the work that gave Karashima an opportunity to become active on the world stage.
Psychicemotus
Psychicemotus was released in 1965 and features Yusef Lateef on various flutes and tenor saxophone, Georges Arvanitas on piano, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer James Black. And while the Coltrane era of modal and free jazz was in full swing, Lateef always followed his own muse, and continued looking forward while looking back to ancient musics. His use of bamboo and Chinese wood flutes on the title track and "Bamboo Flute Blues" added not only dimension and texture, but rhythmic invention to…
Once In A Lifetime
Infinitely adaptable, DeMerle's power and rhythmic elasticity underlines his bold presence and command of modern jazz drumming. By the time of 'Spectrum,' Les DeMerle's dynamic 1969 United Artists debut album, Les was a known, prodigious young drumming talent who had been wowing audiences through club and TV performances since he was a teen. The unheard gems was a recorded in 1967 by his band, Sound 67, which was lost in the confusing era at Atlantic Records, never to see the light of day. The a…
Paris 58
A never-before released Donald Byrd & Bobby Jaspar 1958 studio recordings. First official release with the full permission and cooperation INA (Institut National de l’Audiovisuel). Available on vinyl only. No CD, No Digital is scheduled.In July 1958, Donald Byrd made a lengthy visit to Europe, not returning Stateside until December. He fronted a fine quintet that gave concert appearances at festivals held in many countries, Knokke-le-Zoute (Belgium), Cannes (France), Sweden, Norway, Germany – an…
Live At Lovely
Japanese master drummer Takeo Moriyama returns to BBE Music’s J Jazz Masterclass Series in a majestic live set showcasing his exemplary musicianship and stature as one of the leading names in Japanese modern jazz. Recorded in December 1990 at the jazz club Lovely in Nagoya, this set sees Moriyama’s quartet deliver an exemplary session of the finest modal, post-bop and spiritual jazz. Moriyama is backed by long-time colleague Fumio Itabashi on piano and the group perform a stunning rendition of I…
East Plants
*2023 repress* BBE Music is proud to present another instalment in the J Jazz Masterclass Series: East Plants by Takeo Moriyama, one of Japan’s finest jazz drummers. A genuine ‘under the radar’ album known only to a handful of Japanese jazz collectors, East Plants is now available again, reissued for the first time as a double 180g LP, with exact reproductions of the original artwork, obi strip and insert. It also comes with the original notes fully translated. This reissue is fully endorsed by …
Town Hall Concert, 1964
Charles Mingus brought together an amazing lineup spanning the totality of the nation's jazz scene with such luminaries as Eric Dolphy, Buddy Collette, Clark Terry, Zoot Sims, Pepper Adams, Jaki Byard, Grady Tate, and more. Brought together to perform new Mingus compositions for the first time in public, the recording was initially considered weak due to limited rehearsal time but the years have been kind to this recording and it's a fantastic set of Mingus compositions, including the powerful "…
Reaction
*2023 stock* "That this is the first release by the courageous pianist Mario Rusca, born in Turin in 1937, and thus not that young anymore, can only be explained (and not justified) by circumstances such as described above. But there’s more to it. Though I really strive to support Italian jazz and to discover new talents, often by going against the tide, I hadn’t yet heard the name of Mario Rusca three years ago. It was Joe Venuti who introduced me to him in the spring of 1971, while he was stay…
Obeah
Recorded directly to two-track digital Mitsubishi X-80 tape recorder at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ on June 4th & 5th, 1987.
True Or False
A great live Cd by drummer giant Roy Haynes. Roy Haynes's very active and his different approach to drumming comes out very well - hard swinging and with a lot of joy and very spontaneous.
Live Under The Sky, Tokyo, 1982
The short-lived 'Super Star Quintet', which formed specially to play at the Live Under The Sky festival in Tokyo in July and August 1982, was accurately named. After all, those involved - tenor saxophonist Joe Handerson, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Ron Carter, drummer Tony Williams and trumpeter Freddy Hubbard - were all living legends at the time. Famously, the quintet's expressive, exuberant performances - think fizzing grooves, almost telepathic communication, extended improvisations and bl…
Aleksi Heinola Quartet
The Aleksi Heinola Quartet presents a new take on vintage hard-bop with their latest record, featuring original compositions and reinterpretations of works by iconic jazz greats. Impeccable musicianship, groovy swing, and a distinct sense of style are on display, with Gábor Bolla on tenor sax, Jukkis Uotila on piano, and Daniel Franck on double bass. This quartet date is not to be missed!
Sketches
"If music really is a form of rapid transportation, then I have found my mode of transport. Suspense brings apprehension before something happens. It’s a fact. The next time you’re in a snappy nightclub, tap your foot to the memories of your day fading out under the blue lights. The fiercest way to walk anywhere is on your toes. “Here I am,” you blurt out, but everyone already knows you, because a bass is a foghorn that guides us out of exhaustion. The days are doing a little number on us all of…