Released in the same few months as Money Jungle and Duke Ellington Meets John Coltrane, this is equally unmissable.
The opening calypso establishes the joyful, extravagant mastery of the date. Apparently the musicians were unaware that they were being recorded (by Van Gelder), and — thinking it was just a warm-up — drummer Sam Woodyard rhythm-a-nings, burbles, and scats away to himself, happy as Larry, and the Hawk doesn’t show up till two-thirds of the way through… nailing it, of course. Then a rapturous version of Mood Indigo, with more sublime Hawkins… a kicking Ray Charles tribute… Wanderlust, the Johnny Hodges classic from the thirties…
‘One of the great Ellington albums, one of the great Hawkins albums and one of the great albums of the 1960s,’ according to the New York Times.

Love You Madly is a behind-the-scenes profile, including various interviews, and performance footage recorded in Basin St. West Jazz Club, at the 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival, and at the first Concert of Sacred Music in Grace Cathedral. Ellington reckoned it ‘the best film about Duke Ellington ever made.’
Recorded on September 16, 1965, A Concert of Sacred Music more fully commemorates the first of the three evening performances at Grace Cathedral between 1965 and 1973, combining classical, jazz, spirituals, gospel, blues music, and dance.

Outstanding post-bop from Norway, including the jazz dance classic Cordon Bleu, and a killer version of Footprints. Erik Andresen on alto saxophone, Roy Hellvin piano, Tore Nordlie double bass and Svein Christiansen drums. Recorded in 1970; originally released on Arne Bendiksen’s Flower label in 1971.

After recent recordings with Mark Turner and Billy Hart, the pianist leads his own quartet through a programme of standards and blues, live at the Village Vanguard.
‘Its prime melodic voice is the veteran trumpeter Tom Harrell. Iverson extols the poetic vulnerability in his playing, particularly in such ballads as The Man I Love and Polka Dots and Moonbeam. The album’s effervescent swing is thanks to the top-flight rhythm team of bassist Ben Street and drummer Eric McPherson, whose subtle invention helps drive Denzil Best’s bebop groover Wee and two irresistibly bluesy Iverson originals.’

The Barca-born pianist back to wow us again on piano, Fender Rhodes, Chinese gongs, and a little whistling; with longtime collaborator Masa Kamaguchi, and Detroit drum wizard Gerald Cleaver. ‘Where melodic density meets contrapuntal dialogue, a free interplay of rich textures and riveting, masterly improvisation. This smooth complexity is what gives rise to the group’s uniqueness.’
The Wire magazine hailed the first volume: ‘deep and thoughtful’.

Top Wayne Shorter; marvellous extras.

Stone classic BE, recorded live at The Village Vanguard in New York on June 25, 1961. With Scott LaFaro — ten days before his death in a car accident — and Paul Motian.

Giddily lovely ballads from 1962, with Chuck Israels taking over from Scott LaFaro.
That’s Nico on the cover.