Chuck Wayne's participation in some of the earliest bebop recordings have lead many to conclude that he was purely a bop-style guitar player. Yet on the recordings he made in the mid-1940s, first with the Billy Eckstine Band and later with Dizzy Gillespie, his swing-oriented guitar collides with the "new music" being played by the more modern musicians on the set. It was with George Shearing that Wayne had his greatest success, making a major contribution to the Shearing sound. This particular album reissues two sets cut by Wayne during the 1950s…

For the first time on CD, the magnificent and complete score for 'Laura'. The previous CD release on Arista was missing about ten minutes of cues. Additionally, what was presented was compiled into a twenty-seven minute suite with no track breaks - one long track. That release was taken from a reel-to-reel tape, but for this complete release the original elements were used. Additionally, included as a bonus are some test demos and the entire suite from the previous release. In total, eighteen tracks of prime David Raksin, and a score that truly stands the test of time.

At one time a listener could place a CD like guitarist Mundell Lowe's A Grand Night for Swinging in the disc player and immediately date it to the 1950s. But the revival of many older styles by younger musicians like guitarist Howard Alden in the '80s and '90s has led to an overlapping of styles. This may make it difficult to match an album to a particular date, but it does help to make older styles more familiar and, thus, accessible. A Grand Night for Swinging is a nice set, featuring Lowe and a good supporting cast including pianist Billy Taylor, bassist Les Grinage, drummer Ed Thigpen, and, on three cuts, alto saxophonist Gene Quill. Known for his cooler tone and lighter touch at the time, Lowe had decided to record an album that proved he could swing a little harder.

Bebo is considered one of the figures of the golden age of Cuban music and also performer of Afro-Cuban jazz. Since his departure from Cuba in 1960 to settle permanently in Sweden in 1963, Bebo disappeared from the musical memories of his Cuban people and spent more than 30 years out of his career until he reappeared in 1994 managing to recover his memory and triumphing with several of his jobs at the Grammy Awards. This album is a reissue of a compilation of recordings made in 1959, shortly before his departure from Cuba, with his orchestra (the first 11 issues), to which is added 4 Bebo cuts playing piano and featuring the ensemble 'Los Cordobeses'.

The music on this LP recalls the airy "Four Brothers" sound that tenor saxophonists Stan Getz, Zoot Sims and Herbie Steward, and baritone saxophonist Serge Charloff, plied in Woody Herman's band of 1947. For this outing, Steward and Charloff exit, and four become five with the addition of tenor luminaries Al Cohn, Brew Moore, and Allen Eager. The set appropriately kicks off with Gerry Mulligan's "Five Brothers," a tune reminiscent of Jimmy Giuffre's original "Four Brothers" in its fluid and bouncy arrangement. Three other attractive and similarly disposed originals (one more by Mulligan and two by Cohn) complete the saxophone session from 1949, all featuring swinging statements by each soloist. A 1952 sextet date led by Sims and Cohn is also included, offering up another round of original and buoyantly swinging cuts, bolstered by lively contributions from trombonist Kai Winding and solid rhythmic support by pianist George Wallington, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Art Blakey. A fine release that nicely showcases the cool, proto-West Coast bop forged by both these soloists and Miles Davis.

Charlie Parker did all the things I would like to do and more – he really had a genius, see. He could do things and he could do them melodiously so that anybody, the man in the street, could hear – that’s what I haven’t reached, that’s what I’d like to reach. -John COLTRANE. The aim of 'The Complete Charlie Parker', compiled for Frémeaux & Associés by Alain Tercinet, is to present (as far as possible) every studio-recording by Parker, together with titles featured in radio-broadcasts. Private recordings have been deliberately omitted from this selection to preserve a consistency of sound and aesthetic quality equal to the genius of this artist.

Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound from the original master tapes to vinyl and PCM. Small jazz groups brought out the best in Billie Holiday - especially groups as good as the one heard on this classic 1957 recording. Ben Webster, Harry "Sweets" Edison and the other members of this stellar ensemble were not just gifted soloists but sensitive accompanists as well. Lady Day was rarely more ably supported than she was on this program of sturdy standards, including three gems by the Gershwin brothers -and she rarely sounded more luminous. Originally released in 1957.

Riverside Jazz: Keynote Recordings From One Of Jazz's Greatest Labels 1953-1964 is a 2006 compilation CD highlighting the jazz label Riverside. This was released in conjunction with HearMusic, a service of the Starbucks coffee chain.

The great John Jenkins was one of the lesser-known sax stars to come out of the Chicago scene of the late 50s – but he was also one of the best! Jenkins played alto impeccably – with boppish agility, and a deep sense of soul that worked great on this one and only Blue Note session as a leader. The group features Kenny Burrell playing some of his best work on record – and the rhythm section features Sonny Clark on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums – playing in a rare non-Mingus appearance! Tracks include "Motif", "Sharon", "Blues For Two", and "Chalumeau" – and the session is a wonderful bit of lost Blue Note – great sharp edges from Jenkins' alto, and some warmer, rounder tones from Burrell on guitar. CD also features 2 bonus alternate takes.

Baritonist Gerry Mulligan and a group of West Coast all-stars were heard throughout the soundtrack of the Susan Hayward movie I Want to Live. Although not a soundtrack, this LP features six themes from the movie (all composed by Johnny Mandel) performed by the same musicians, who this time around get an opportunity to really stretch out. Since the band is comprised of Mulligan, trumpeter Art Farmer, altoist Bud Shank, trombonist Frank Rossolino, pianist Pete Jolly, bassist Red Mitchell and drummer Shelly Manne, virtually all of the music is quite interesting with plenty of fine solos and hard-swinging.

The cool-toned altoist Hal McKusick was a flexible, if not all that distinctive soloist. He is heard in four settings on this British LP, ranging from a pianoless quartet to a quintet and an octet. Among the supporting cast are trumpeter Art Farmer, guitarist Barry Galbraith, and trombonist Jimmy Cleveland. George Russell (who plays drums on one number) contributed three songs, and the other composers are a who's who of the era: Johnny Mandel, Gil Evans (a version of "Blues for Pablo" that predates Miles Davis' from Miles Ahead), Jimmy Giuffre, Manny Albam, and Al Cohn. Fine modern mainstream music from the mid-'50s, although this album may be difficult to find.

'Blowin' the Blues Away' is an album by jazz pianist Horace Silver, released on the Blue Note label in 1959 featuring performances by Silver with Blue Mitchell, Junior Cook, Gene Taylor, and Louis Hayes. The Allmusic review by Steve Huey awarded the album 4½ stars and states "Blowin' the Blues Away is one of Horace Silver's all-time Blue Note classics… one of Silver's finest albums, and it's virtually impossible to dislike".

This collection contains the complete Dizzy Gillespie studio LP "Have Trumpet, Will Excite!" (Verve MGV S-8313), made by the outstanding 1959 Gillespie Quintet with Junior Mance and Les Spann. Two additional tunes and the only existing four alternate takes from the sessions have been added here as a bonus.

The first three volumes of the Fats Domino Imperial Singles series (CDCHD 597, 649 and 689) saw New Orleans’ finest ascend from neophyte blues and boogie-woogie stylist to bona fide rock’n’roll star. With gold-plated hits of the calibre of ‘Ain’t That A Shame’, ‘Blueberry Hill’, ‘Blue Monday’ and ‘I’m Walkin’’ receding into history, it was assumed that Fats had peaked artistically. Wrong: One spin of this release will dispel that notion handsomely.

Arnett Cobb's debut for Prestige and his first recording as a leader in three years (due to a serious car accident in 1956) is an explosive affair. Cobb is matched up with fellow tough tenor Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, and there are plenty of sparks set off by their encounter. With organist Wild Bill Davis, bassist George Duvivier, and drummer Arthur Edgehill keeping the proceedings heated, Cobb and Davis tangle on a variety of basic material, alternating uptempo romps such as "Go Power" and "Go Red Go" with slightly more sober pieces highlighted by "When I Grow Too Old to Dream." This is a great matchup (reissued on CD through the OJC imprint) that lives up to its potential.