Track Listings
1 : Free Love
2 : Protect Your Light
3 : Our Land Back
4 : Soundness
5 : Root/Branch
6 : Celestial Pathways
7 : Sunshine
8 : Degrees of Freedom

Impulse! Records proudly announces the signing of free jazz collective Irreversible Entanglements with their label debut Protect Your Light. Fusing elements of jazz, hip-hop, global music traditions and spoken word, the new album sees the quintet (vocalist/poet Camae Ayewa, saxophonist Keir Neuringer, bassist Luke Stewart, trumpeter Aquiles Navarro, drummer Tcheser Holmes) break molds with adventurous improvisation driven by poetry about the Black experience, love, power, community, liberation.

This was her penultimate album, recorded when her body was telling her enough was enough. During the sessions with arranger Ray Ellis she was drinking vodka neat, as if it were tap water. Yet, for all her ravaged voice (the sweetness had long gone) she was still an incredible singer. The feeling and tension she manages to put into almost every track sets this album as one of her finest achievements. 'You've Changed' and 'I Get Along Without You Very Well' are high art performances from the singer who saw life from the bottom upwards. The CD reissue masterminded by Phil Shaap is absolutely indispensable.

Very Alive at Ronnie Scott's is the European version of the 1972 U.S. single-LP called Buddy Rich in London . In England and in the rest of Europe it was released as a double album and that is reflected in this beautifully remastered double-CD by BGO. The 1972 lineup of Rich's band featured arrangements by no less than Oliver Nelson and Herbie Phillips. The main soloist (beside the drummer himself) is saxophonist/flutist Pat La Barbera, with big contributions from trombonist Bruce Paulson, pianist Bob Dogan, and trumpeter Lin Biviano. Other bandmembers include saxophonists Joe Calo and Jimmy Mosher, master conguero Candido, and guitarist David Spinozza. "That's Enough" is a lone vocal number for Kathy Rich and Michelle and Carlene Hendricks, and it's a barn burner. Other highlights include "Dancing Men," "Two Bass Hit," "Little Train," "Milestones," and "In a Mellow Tone." This baby is a smoker from start to finish. ~ Thom Jurek

AVID Jazz here presents three classic albums plus by Gene Ammons, including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD. Son of legendary Boogie Woogie/Stride pianist Albert Ammons we feature son Gene on 'Groove Blues', 'Boss Tenor', 'Blue Gene' and three tracks from 'The Happy Blues' (currently only available as an expensive import). 'Groove Blues', driven by Billie Holidays' pianist Mal Waldron who wrote three of the four featured tracks also features one of the rare occasions when legendary Tenor sax giant John Coltrane is featured on alto sax. As described in Joe Goldberg's liner notes 'These solos are, I think, some of his very best on any horn!' Gene Ammons breaks out of his unfair label as a rhythm and blues player rather than a jazz player with a classic line up of solid jazz musicians including Coltrane, Waldron, Art Taylor, Pepper Adams and Paul Quinchette. 1960's 'Boss Tenor' finds Ammons with perhaps one of his finest rhythm sections including Tommy Flanagan, Doug Watkins, Art Taylor and Ray Barreto who between them had played with the likes of JJ Johnson, Miles Davis, Art Blakey and Thelonius Monk. 'Blue Gene' from 1958 again finds pianist Mal Waldron writing all four of the featured tracks accompanied by Idrees Suliman on trumpet and again the rhythm section from 'Boss Tenor'. Finally 'Happy Blues' features a superb line up including Art Farmer, Jackie Mclean, Duke Jordan, Addison Farmer and Art Taylor. 'It's a happy session, a blowing session, featuring a blues, a standard and an old but not so standard!' All three albums plus have been digitally re-mastered for probably the finest ever sound quality!