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.

Peter Brotzmann (sax), Toshinori Kondo (trumpet), Frank Wright (sax), Willem Breuker (sax), Hannes Bauer (sax), Alan Tomlinson (trombone), Alexander Von Schlippenbach (piano), Harry Miller (bass), Louis Moholo (drums).
LP from Cien Fuegos.

Monumental free jazz, still blinding.
With Willem Breuker and Evan Parker also on saxophones, Fred Van Hove on piano, Peter Kowald and Buschi Niebergall on double basses, Han Bennink and Sven-Ake Johansson both playing drums.
The CD is on FMP, with two extra takes.

Our favourite of all his records.
From 1984, inspired by a Kenneth Patchen chapbook, it favours tenderness, lyricism and expressivity, but without foregoing Brötzmann’s characteristic squalling ferocity and angst. It never drags: he plays baritone, tenor and alto saxes, different clarinets including bass clarinet, and tarogato, bringing every trick and technique to bear on a whirl of feelings and emotions, in pieces nearly all less than five minutes. Bar the gorgeous opening reading of Lonely Woman, it’s all improvised, but utterly compelling, reflective, melodious, ravishing and rawly personal.
Beautiful music; hotly recommended.

Two albums from the early 80s which made this king of Malian music known to the world. Here nicely packaged with notes, lyrics, photos. Highly recommended.

The Groupe Asko recorded in 1991, with Taj Mahal on two tracks.

Pure Malian blues for the heart and soul.