Pianist Ray Bryant's debut for Columbia was named after "Little Susie," a hit single he had a short time earlier recorded for Signature. The trio LP with bassist Tommy Bryant and either Gus Johnson or Eddie Locke on drums has a remake of "Little Susie," a few other originals that did not catch on as hits and Bryant's interpretations of such songs as "By Myself," "Willow Weep For Me" and Cole Porter's "So In Love."

On this powerhouse, deeply rooted, and electrifying 1992 studio release, legendary guitar master Phil Upchurch gathers a staggering lineup of blues, soul, and jazz icons to deliver a profound, high-fidelity exploration of the American musical lineage. Appropriately titled Whatever Happened To The Blues, this Go Jazz album perfectly positions Upchurch’s fluid, expressive guitar bends and sharp, rhythmic phrasing right at the intersection of greasy soul-jazz and raw, house-rocking blues grandeur. The session boasts an incredible, unmatched roster of special guests: a monumental vocal cast featuring Mavis Staples, Pops Staples, Les McCann, and the Steele family, backed by the legendary JB Horns brass section consisting of Maceo Parker, Pee Wee Ellis, and Fred Wesley. With funk icon Clyde Stubblefield behind the drums and B3 organ giants Jack McDuff and Ricky Peterson anchoring the groove, the band delivers absolute, unfiltered magic. From their smoky, midnight take on Miles Davis's "All Blues" to the hard-shuffling grit of the title track, this pristine album stands as a fiery, essential monument to modern soul-blues history.

On this immensely smooth, deeply soulful, and brilliantly syncopated 1975 collaborative masterpiece, legendary Chicago guitarist Phil Upchurch teams up with exceptional keyboardist and vocalist Tennyson Stephens. Released on Creed Taylor’s iconic soul-jazz imprint Kudu Records, Upchurch/Tennyson stands as a definitive, high-fidelity monument to the mid-1970s CTI/Kudu production aesthetic. The album seamlessly blends Upchurch’s fluid, blues-tinged jazz guitar runs with Stephens’ elegant piano phrasing, Fender Rhodes textures, and warm, expressive vocals. Backed by an absolute powerhouse lineup of legendary studio session titans—and elevated by Bob James' sophisticated, lushly cinematic string and horn orchestrations—the record cooks with a tight, irresistible groove. The immaculate tracklist features high-octane, funky re-imaginings of Stevie Wonder's "Evil," Rufus & Chaka Khan's "Tell Me Something Good," and Syreeta's "Black Maybe." This pristine session remains an essential, ultra-grooving classic for collectors of vintage soul-jazz and urban fusion grandeur.

On this exceptionally soulful, grooving, and masterfully executed 2001 studio album, legendary Chicago guitar virtuoso Phil Upchurch delivers a spectacular, 76-minute high-fidelity masterclass in jazz-fusion and blues-infused artistry. Released via Evidence Records, Tell The Truth! showcases Upchurch's brilliant, fluid phrasing and trademark warm tone that effortlessly bridges the worlds of hard-driving soul jazz, funky fusion, and sophisticated straight-ahead swing. Backed by an incredible, tight-knit rhythm engine featuring pianist David Arnay, bassist Kevin Axt, percussionist Mike Smith, and powerhouse drummer Vince Wilburn Jr., the ensemble locks into an infectious, irresistible pocket. The brilliant tracklist is a masterfully curated blend of reimagined classics and deep grooves, ranging from a blistering, jazz-rock-tinged take on Steely Dan's "Jack Of Speed" and a soulful reading of Paul Desmond's iconic "Take Five," to a high-octane workout on LTD's R&B anthem "Back In Love Again." This pristine session remains an absolute, essential tour de force for collectors of world-class, groove-laden jazz guitar craftsmanship.

Veteran tenor saxophonist Ammons is accompanied by a funky 12-piece band arranged by David Axelrod on this commercial but interesting release, one of his last recordings. The repertoire consists of a couple of Ammons originals, two by Axelrod, Wes Montgomery's "Cariba," Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Once I Loved," and the Monk standard "'Round Midnight." Ammons plays well and even if the arrangements are somewhat dated (George Duke's keyboards do not help), this set has its strong moments.

David "Fathead" Newman was never a jazz purist. The big-toned saxman held jazz and R&B in equally high regard, and he was as comfortable playing hard bop and soul-jazz as he was backing Aretha Franklin or Ray Charles. Newman recorded more than his share of commercial projects in the 1970s; one of the more memorable ones was 1973's The Weapon, which was produced by Joel Dorn and finds the Texan on tenor and alto sax as well as flute. Far from a bop album, this instrumental soul-jazz LP isn't for jazz purists. But from a soul-jazz perspective, The Weapon is generally enjoyable. Unfortunately, Dorn tends to overproduce, and Newman would have been better off without all the excessive string arrangements that William Eaton burdens him with…

Much like its predecessor, Blue Mode, A Groovy Situation finds organist Reuben Wilson turning in a funky collection of R&B and pop covers. Supported by guitarist Eddie Diehl, alto saxophonist Earl Turbinton, and drummer Harold White, Wilson runs through familiar soul hits like ("If You Let Me Make Love to You) Then Why Can't I Touch You," "A Groovy Situation," and "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours," plus the Turtles hit "Happy Together." With songs like this, there's no question that Wilson is going for a wide audience, and while these smooth, funky grooves will do nothing for jazz purists, it's an entertaining record, and some of the grooves are quite hot indeed.

On Encores, Vol. 2: Blue 'N' Boogie, the legendary American guitar icon, generational multi-instrumentalist, and masterfully panoramic architect of modern jazz phrasing Wes Montgomery is celebrated in a towering, historically volcanic, and beautifully swing-heavy archival document. Released in 1996 by Orrin Keepnews' specialized legacy reissue vanguard imprint Milestone Records, this monumental milestone stands as an exceptionally fluid, high-octane monument compiling brilliant unissued alternative takes and rare performances from Wes's absolute peak creative era. Spanning over 56 minutes of immaculate remastered spatial design across 10 expansive tracks, the historical landscape operates with an intense, beautifully syncopated, and masterfully balanced acoustic kinetic energy. Montgomery acts as a brilliant sonic visionary, weaponizing his revolutionary thumb-plucking technique, pristine parallel octaves, and peerless chordal blues geometries—tracking spectacular landmarks from the staggering 11-minute hard bop firestorm of Dizzy Gillespie's title cut Blue 'N' Boogie and a soaring, extended modal drive through Miles Davis's Tune-Up to a deeply poetic, space-conscious reading of Born To Be Blue. Surrounded by an absolute pantheon of hard bop royalty including Wynton Kelly, Johnny Griffin, Mel Rhyne, and Philly Joe Jones, this pristine archive remains an indispensable masterpiece for serious bop purists and classic jazz guitar collectors worldwide.

On this historical anthology, the legendary American guitar icon, generational multi-instrumentalist, and masterfully panoramic architect of jazz guitar phrasing Wes Montgomery is celebrated in a towering, historically volcanic, and beautifully swing-heavy archive document. Released in 1995 by the specialized independent European archival legacy vanguard imprint Giants Of Jazz, this monumental milestone stands as an exceptionally fluid, high-octane monument compiling Wes's absolute definitive early-1960s small group masterworks. Spanning over 73 minutes of immaculate remastered spatial design across 13 expansive tracks, the historical landscape operates with an intense, beautifully syncopated, and masterfully balanced acoustic kinetic energy. Montgomery acts as a brilliant sonic visionary, weaponizing his revolutionary thumb-plucking technique, pristine parallel octaves, and peerless chordal blues geometries alongside a legendary pantheon of hard bop royalty—tracking timeless, world-famous landmarks like Four On Six, West Coast Blues, Airegin, D-Natural Blues, and Twisted Blues. Backed by the unmatched piano artistry of Tommy Flanagan and Hank Jones, the resonant bass telemetry of Percy Heath, and a powerhouse rotation of master drummers, this pristine collection remains an indispensable masterpiece for serious bop purists and classic jazz guitar collectors worldwide.

On Classics Volume 22, the legendary American guitar icon, generational multi-instrumentalist, and masterfully panoramic architect of modern jazz phrasing Wes Montgomery is celebrated in a towering, historically luminous, and beautifully lush anthology document. Released in 1987 as part of the specialized legacy archival series by A&M Records, this monumental milestone stands as an exceptionally fluid, high-fidelity monument compiling Montgomery's absolute definitive late-1960s pop-jazz masterworks tracked under the visionary production umbrella of Creed Taylor and arranged by Don Sebesky. Spanning over 67 minutes of immaculate, widescreen spatial design across 20 tracks, the compilation operates with an intense, beautifully layered, and emotionally charged creative energy. Montgomery acts as a brilliant sonic visionary, weaponizing his revolutionary thumb-picking technique, pristine parallel octaves, and soaring chordal geometries against rich, cinematic orchestral and brass frameworks. Together, they trace spectacular landmarks including his charting pop-jazz anthems Windy and California Nights, his definitive, deeply soulful readings of The Beatles' classics A Day In The Life and Eleanor Rigby, and his legendary, groove-heavy signature standard Road Song. This pristine archive remains an indispensable masterpiece for serious jazz guitar purists and crossover soul-jazz collectors worldwide.

Internationally acclaimed saxophonist and EWI player Seamus Blake is well regarded as one of the greatest living saxophonists, and an artist with a deep background in jazz, rock, experimental and groove-oriented music. Seamus, a winner of the prestigious Thelonius Monk competition for saxophone, is a true renaissance man, having lived all over the world from Vancouver to NYC, Amsterdam to Rome, and Porto to Paris. He has a truly international audience and currently lives in Cologne, Germany which acts as his base. Seamus Blake spent the last few years touring the world and playing sold out stadiums in dozens of countries as the lead improvising musician and saxophone player with Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters.

On Rollin', the acclaimed American contemporary jazz duo Nelson and Wayne Braxton step into the studio spotlight to deliver a beautifully melodic, soulful, and masterfully panoramic instrumental document. Released in 2004 by the specialized vanguard urban jazz imprint Peak Records, this magnificent milestone stands as an exceptionally fluid, high-octane monument capturing the twin brothers' signature blend of West Coast smooth jazz textures, deep R&B pocket grooves, and sophisticated pop sensibilities. Spanning over 48 minutes of immaculate high-fidelity spatial design, the 11-track landscape operates with an intense, beautifully syncopated, and masterfully balanced kinetic energy. The Braxton Brothers act as brilliant sonic visionaries, layering Wayne's singing, expressive saxophone lines over Nelson's innovative, lead-style piccolo bass work—tracking spectacular landmarks like the infectious opener Don't Stop, the breezy urban cruise of the title track Rollin', the lush atmospheric warmth of Blue Sands, and the deeply reflective closer Best Days. Supported by an elite circle of guest instrumentalists, this pristine archive remains an indispensable masterpiece for serious contemporary jazz purists and smooth jazz collectors worldwide.

The vibe here is almost more Prestige Records overall - with very gutbuckety work from Johnny Griffin on tenor and Matthew Gee on trombone - on gritty tunes that snap along beautifully, and have Geen hitting some of the best tones he'd ever record - trombone that's maybe in the spirit of Bennie Green at his best. The combo also features Hank Jones on both piano and organ - plus Aaron Bell on bass, and Art Taylor on drums.

This is the historic 1981 debut studio album from the definitive British collective Incognito, masterminded by guitarist and composer Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick. Long before they became global icons of the 1990s acid jazz movement, this landmark recording laid the absolute blueprint for the UK jazz-funk scene. Featuring early contributions from multi-instrumentalist Paul "Tubbs" Williams and a stellar array of British session heavyweights, the album bursts with crisp horn arrangements, driving slap-bass lines, and sunny, breezy percussion. From the infectious dancefloor groove of their breakthrough hit "Parisienne Girl" to lush, spacey instrumental fusion pieces and soulful vocal tracks, the music effortlessly balances raw, street-level energy with sophisticated rhythmic execution. It stands as an essential, high-fidelity document of a foundational era that redefined the landscape of contemporary British dance music and soulful jazz fusion.

On this slick and deeply infectious 1999 studio release, The James Taylor Quartet delivers a beautifully polished and expansive vision of late-90s acid jazz. True to its title, A Bigger Picture sees Hammond organ maestro James Taylor widening the band's traditional cinematic jazz-funk blueprint to incorporate lush, radio-ready neo-soul arrangements, deep club-friendly grooves, and sophisticated pop sensibilities. The album brilliantly balances high-energy, horn-drenched instrumental tracks like "Decoding The Pyramids" with soulful, vocal-driven anthems that highlight incredible guest vocal performances. Anchored by Taylor's signature driving, soulful Hammond riffs and a rock-solid, deeply funky rhythm section, the music flows seamlessly between late-night chillout grooves and sweat-soaked dancefloor shakers. It stands as a vibrant, impeccably produced testament to the band's versatility and their unmatched ability to keep the acid jazz movement moving forward with style.