INTERNAL EXTERNAL - AYELET ROSE GOTTLIEB   GENEVIEVE RECORDS GR 30602

This is Israeli-born vocalist/composer Ayelet Rose Gottlieb’s adventurous debut CD, chosen by All About Jazz as the ‘Best Debut CD of 2004’. The 25-year old’s original compositions represent a range of musical approaches, including free improvisations inspired by her explorations of colour and sound to robust compositions infused with Middle Eastern sounds and erotic Biblical texts. The covers include Ornette Coleman’s ‘Peace’ and Charles Mingus’ ‘Portrait’, but the Ayelet Rose Gottlieb is perhaps strongest when interpreting the exoticism of her own work. Her remarkable voice is a provocative instrument used to explore her unusual heritage and influences in ways that are both wonderfully surprising and compelling. Ayelet Rose Gottlieb is joined by Avishai Cohen (trumpet), Matana Roberts (alto sax), Shahar Levavi (guitar), Matt Mitchell (piano), Ed Schuller (bass) and Bob Meyers (drums).

GATEWAY TO VIENNA - WESTON/EDWARDS/SANDERS     EMANEM 4214

In live and studio recordings, the British trio of Veryan Weston (piano), John Edwards (double bass) and Mark Sanders (percussion) play freely improvised music that is both jazzy and meditative. ‘Each person’s playing makes all play, and the collective playing creates the stakes in this game. Playing and making play. Playing the game means being faithful to what is at stake but also discarding - digressing and stepping aside. The game is to make others play.’ The resulting sounds are adventurous and unique, especially in the percussion department (Mark Sanders uses, among other sources, sheet-iron, sticks and piles of logs). Weston’s often inspired piano (influenced by Cecil Taylor and Thelonious Monk) is suitably complemented by the inventive bass-playing of John Edwards. The two extended live recordings on the second of this double CD set were made in Vienna in 2002 and show the trio at their challenging best. Disc one features shorter improvisations recorded at Gateway Studios in London in December 2003.

SIMPLY JAZZ           UNION SQUARE RECORDS  SIMPLYCD001

This superb four CD collection showcases some of the biggest names in jazz, including Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Charlie Parker, Stan Getz and George Shearing. The first disc - Cool Summer Jazz - features such performers as the fashionable Jamie Cullum, tenorist Zoot Sims, the brilliant Stan Getz (And The Angels Swing), Clark Terry and alto master Lee Konitz. The second disc, Jazzin’ The Blues, has 18 tracks by the likes of Lester Young (with no less than Count Basie on piano), Jimmy Rushing, Otis Spann, Joe Williams (Everyday I Have The Blues) and the white blues singer Doc Pomus. Disc three includes Miles Davis (Little Willie Leaps, with Charlie Parker),  Cannonball Adderley, Dexter Gordon, tenor virtuoso Sonny Stitt, the legendary Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker (Billie’s Bounce) and the Modern Jazz Quartet. The fourth disc, Jazz After Dark, features seductive music by Clare Teal (Billie Holiday’s You’re My Thrill), Stacey Kent (All Too Soon),  the magnificent Big Maybelle (Irving Berlin’s Say It Isn’t So), guitarist Kenny Burrell and the wonderfully melodic cornet player Ruby Braff.

LES PAUL & MARY FORD - THIS IS GOLD           DISKY  HR 902611

Before Les Paul began recording his distinctive multi-layered hits for the pop music market, he made his name as an outstanding jazz guitarist, influenced by Django Reinhardt but with a smooth, virtuoso style that was all his own. Even the popular hits of the late 1940s and early 50s show a decidedly jazz/blues sensibility. His pioneering use of the electric guitar and multitrack recording with various electronic effects subsequently influenced such jazz musicians as George Benson, Al DiMeola, Stanley Jordan, Pat Martino and Bucky Pizzarelli. In 1948, he teamed up with his future second wife, a country singer and guitarist called Colleen Summers (soon renamed Mary Ford), and recorded a series of  multi-layered hits for Capitol. This great value 3-CD set features 54 of these recordings, including How High the Moon, Tiger Rag, Whispering, Lover and Runnin’ Wild. Between 1953 and 1960, Paul and Ford had their own television program, The Les Paul and Mary Ford at Home Show, and recorded together until they divorced in 1964. The Wizard of Waukesha went into semi-retirement from music in 1967 and Mary Ford died 1977, aged only 49, but these inimitable tracks are a monument to their unique sound.

PEGGY LEE - SIMPLY THE BEST         DISKY  DO 901973

Peggy Lee was born Norma Deloris Egstrom in 1920 in Jamestown, North Dakota, and became one of the most popular singers of her generation. As well as being a singer and songwriter she was also a fine actress, appearing on film in Mr. Music (with Bing Crosby) and Pete Kelly’s Blues (in which she was nominated for an Oscar). She also contributed to the score and soundtrack of Disney’s cartoon feature, Lady and the Tramp. After joining Benny Goodman in 1941 she enjoyed hits such as I Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good, Blues in the Night and Somebody Else Is Taking My Place, before leaving to marry the guitarist Dave Barbour. After a brief retirement she began recording for Capitol (1945-52) and it’s mostly her recordings from those years that are included on this excellent value double CD. The 40 tracks include It’s A Good Day and Mañana (number one in 1948), both of which she wrote with Barbour. Other top ten hits include Golden Earrings and The Old Master Painter (an immaculate duet with Mel Tormé). The opening track is her smooth Decca recording of Black Coffee, with Jimmy Rowles and Pete Candoli in the band (the latter as ‘Cootie Chesterfield’). ‘Her wonderful talent should be studied by all vocalists; her regal presence is pure elegance and charm’ - Frank Sinatra.

KATHLEEN WILLISON - CLOSE TO YOU       BASHO RECORDS SRCD 8-2

Singer Kathleen Willison and award-winning pianist Gwilym Simcock first met at the Royal Academy of Music whilst studying there on the Bmus undergraduate jazz course. The renowned tenor saxophonist Tim Whitehead invited Kathleen Willison to ‘sit-in’ with him at the 606 Jazz Club and was so impressed that he asked her to work with him as a regular member of his quintet and sextet. Gwilym Simcock was later picked to join his New Standards Quartet, quintet and sextet, TW6. The trio have worked together in different capacities for more than three years and can be found performing on this highly enjoyable album, featuring an astute mix of standards such as Bacharach’s Close To You and Falling in Love With Love by Richard Rodgers, as well as several attractive original compositions. This accomplished CD fits right in with the current vogue for accessible yet sophisticated jazz music. ‘the brilliant Gwilym Simcock, one of the great new discoveries of the London scene’ - BBC Radio 2. ‘Kathleen Willison...handles jazz and classical scores with equal conviction’ - The Guardian.

FABIEN DEGRYSE - JAZZ         AZETO AZ 1002

Belgian virtuoso Fabien Degryse began playing the guitar at the age of 10 and gave his first concerts in his early teens. A graduate of Berklee School of Music, he has played with Toots Thielmans, Philip Catherine and Calvin Owens, and is now established as one of Europe’s leading jazz guitarists, specialising in a sophisticated fusion style that winningly combines jazz, rock and hip hop with European folk music. This latest album contains 10 tracks written by Fabien Degryse, including Day By Day, Arlequin, Traffic Jam, The Long White Haired Man, Pretty Nat, Un Soir D'hiver and Petite Annonce. As well as the brilliant Degryse on steel string guitar, the other musicians featured on the album are Jozef Dumoulin (keyboards), Roman Korolik (electric bass) and Laurent Mercier (drums). ‘A completely personal jazz-rock’n’roll’ - Le Soir.

THE-OUT-OF-TOWNERS             ECM 981 9610

This live recording, made at the State opera in Munich, captures vital performances by the outstanding trio of Keith Jarrett (piano), Gary Peacock (double-bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums). The outstanding 19-minute title track is an original, blues-based composition by Jarrett that features his eloquent piano playing as well as a wonderful solo by Gary Peacock. Other tracks include a sublime Keith Jarrett intro to the Billie Holiday/Frank Sinatra standard I Can’t Believe That You’re In love With Me, Gerry Mulligan’s swinging Five Brothers, You've Changed, an engaging version of Cole Porter's I Love You, and a solo encore by Jarrett of the classic It's All In The Game. The atmosphere of a great gig by ‘the Standards trio’, who have been playing together for more than 20 years, is brilliantly captured on this exhilarating album. ‘This trio sets the standard of performance for all others on the scene’ - Downbeat.

MILES DAVIS PLAYS IT COOL         UNION SQUARE RECORDS METRO METRCD140

The legendary Miles Davis, born in1926 in Alton, Illinois, was a phenomenally talented and influential trumpet player as well as an innovative bandleader and composer. When he was eighteen, he studied at the Julliard School of Music in New York but dropped out to join the city’s exciting jazz scene. After playing with with Coleman Hawkins and Rubberlegs Williams, Davis replaced Dizzy Gillespie in the leading modern jazz ensemble of its day, the Charlie Parker group. He became not only a formidable bop player but also the founder of a new school of trumpet playing, as revealed in these 22 classic recordings from the trumpeter’s formative years (1945-48) when he learned to play bop and learned to play it cool. Outstanding tracks include Yardbird Suite (with Davis on cup mute), Parker’s riff blues Buzzy, a powerhouse version of The Hymn, Scrapple From The Apple, the leisurely Quasimado and Steeplechase (one of Davis’s last recordings with the Charlie Parker group in 1948).

FATS WALLER - THE CENTENNIAL COLLECTION       BLUEBIRD 82876599522

A true giant of early recorded music, the legendary pianist/vocalist Thomas Wright ‘Fats’ Waller was born in New York City in 1904 and learned to play the organ at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem. He obtained a used piano at age of six and by 1915 was regarded as a professional. In his teenage years he played theatre organ backgrounds for silent movies and began recording in 1922. During the 1930s he enjoyed stardom on the radio and in  nightclubs, toured Europe, and came to dominate the worlds of jazz and popular music. He scored numerous hits, appeared in many films, and pened Broadway musicals. Over an incredibly productive career, ‘Fats’ Waller recorded over 500 titles but sadly, he died suddenly and unexpectedly of bronchial pneumonia at the age of 39 on board a train near Kansas City, Missouri in 1943. Bluebird’s excellent Centennial Collection tribute celebrates Waller’s 100th birthday with a unique CD/DVD set. The CD showcases Waller’s greatest recordings, from his extraordinary piano solos and playing the blues to his exceptional songwriting and edgy vocal satire. All the tracks have been scrupulously remastered in 24-bit sound. A bonus DVD offers a rarely seen cartoon, performance footage, and promotional film shorts known as ‘soundies’.

THE ESSENTIAL CHARLIE PARKER   UNION SQUARE RECORDS  METRO METRDCD531

Charles Christopher ‘Bird’ Parker, Jr. was born in Kansas City, Kansas in 1920. By the age of 17 he was playing with Jay McShann and after moving to New York City, he played alto sax with Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines, Cootie Williams, Billy Eckstine and Dizzy Gillespie. He also played tenor sax, doubled on clarinet and experimented on practically every brass and woodwind known. During a short life of 34 years, his musical genius was phenomenally innovative and influential. The definitive recordings on this fine double album  represent, session by session, 40 tracks from Parker’s most vital years when he was making music at the cutting edge of 1940s modernism that continues to inspire and dazzle each new generation of musician and listener. Among the other featured players are Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet), Curly Russell (bass), Erroll Garner (piano), Barney Kessel (guitar) and Max Roach (drums). Outstanding tracks include Ko-Ko (the tune that almost single-handedly gave rise to bebop), Ornithology, a tremendous version of A Night In Tunisia, Cheryl (an elegant blues), How Deep Is The Ocean? and the brilliant Bird Gets The Worm. This is a great album for Parker fans and makes a perfect introduction for anyone new to the music.

CLAIRE MARTIN BOX SET               LINN AKD 123

Born in Wimbledon in 1967, Claire Martin studied singing and dancing and formed her first music quartet at the age of 21. In 1991 she was discovered at the Pizza on the Park by Linn Records producer Phil Hobbs, and was soon acclaimed as the outstanding new British voice of the decade. Her 1992 debut album, The Waiting Game, was chosen as one of the Times records of the year and is included in this fine triple-CD box set. In 1994, Claire Martin received the Rising Star award at the British Jazz awards and by the following year had produced three more critically acclaimed albums as well as making her American debut with sell-out shows in Washington DC. She won the Best Vocalist Award at the British Jazz Awards and took her group to Ronnie Scott's Club to make her first live album, Offbeat, which featured guest appearances by Martin Taylor, Mark Nightingale and Anthony Kerr. This album is also included here, as is the excellent Devil May Care. ‘In an era when young jazz singers tend to sound far too much like their idols, there is no mistaking the voice of Claire Martin who combines a cool, burnished tone with the ear of a born musician’ - New York Times. ‘Talented and hip beyond her years....the most exciting jazz star to soar to my attention in a decade’ - The New York Observer.

THE LULU WEISS ENSEMBLE       K& K JAZZ SERIES

These three atmospheric albums capture lively performances by the legendary gypsy-jazz-guitarist Lulu Weiss and his quartets. The first disc, Guitares & Gitanes (ISBN 3-930643-34-0), features standards such as What Is This Thing Called Love, Some Of These Days and All Of Me, as well as more gypsy-influenced tracks such as Csárdás and Zwing Waltz. The second disc, Petit Noir (ISBN 3-930643-36-7), includes On the sunny side of the street, Day by day; I can´t give you anything but love, I´ll see you in my dreams, and Days of wine and roses. Disc 3, Allez Hopp (ISBN 3-930643-50-2), has Blue Day, Almost like being in love, the evergreen Stardust and Django Reinhardt’s composition, Tears. The featured musicians are Lulu Weiss and Caruso Lehmann (guitars), Rudi Haag (violin), Ringo Haag (piano) and Hugo Haag (bass). ‘Gypsy jazz guitarist Lulu Weiss swings like there's no tomorrow. The sum is a driving, rollicking sound that is more rootsy and grounded in traditional gypsy music than anything recorded by Django Reinhardt and his famous Hot Club’ - Vintage Guitar Magazine.

THE ESSENTIAL GLENN MILLER   UNION SQUARE RECORDS METRO METRDCD505

Alton Glenn Miller, born in 1904 in Clarinda, South Iowa, received at the age of eleven a mandolin that he later swapped for an old trombone. After college, he worked with such luminaries as Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa and British bandleader Ray Noble, but it was 1936 before he decided to form his own band. This became without doubt the most popular American band in the UK, and still has a huge following. From the spring of 1939 to the fall of 1943 he dominated popular music with an astonishing 61 top ten hits. To watch either of the Miller Bands was a thrill, particularly the Army Air Corps Orchestra which made many morale-boosting broadcasts from London for the BBC during the war. These two CDs feature all the best of Glenn Miller’s hugely successful ‘civilian’ band, including the multi-million selling hits, as well as his great Glenn Miller Army Air Corps Band. Unforgettable music.

JO STAFFORD - MEET JO STAFFORD         SEPIA 1014

Jo Stafford was the biggest selling female artist in post-war America. From 1944 to 1954 she had sixty seven Top 30 hits as a solo performer, another ten hits with Gordon MacRae and a further eight with Frankie Laine. As Darlene Edwards (her alter-ego) she satirised emerging musical trends by hilariously singing a half-tone sharp. Blessed with perfect pitch and control, she was one of the most versatile singer of the period, recording pop songs, show tunes, standards, country, folk and religious music. This album features her impeccable versions of 25 songs, many making their first appearance on CD. It’s one of an excellent value series of nostalgic issues on the Sepia Records label (www.sepiarecords.com). Among the other celebrated artists are Doris Day (SEPIA 1000), the Andrews Sisters (SEPIA 1020), Billy Daniels (SEPIA 1017) and Billy Eckstine (SEPIA 1019).

THE ESSENTIAL BILLIE HOLIDAY     UNION SQUARE RECORDS  METRO METRCD098

Billie Holiday was possibly the greatest ever jazz singer and her life was full of conflict and contradictions. Brought up a staunch Catholic, she was - in the words of Catholic priest and Holiday enthusiast Peter O’Brien - a woman ‘filled with a kind of joy of living and on the other hand tortured and disturbed.’ Although unschooled in music she who produced work of great sophistication, much of which is included on this fine album. The 24 songs date from her classic period, 1934-1949, and include such gems as Lover Man, You're My Thrill, God Bless The Child, That Ole Devil Called Love, the wonderfully playful Mean To Me (with Lester Young), I’ll Get By and her still-provocative version of Strange Fruit.

HEART OF THE SUN - THEO TRAVIS           33 RECORDS 33JAZZ063.

The first studio album for five years by the brilliant saxophonist Theo Travis features seven of his own highly melodic compositions, including the epic and moody Bass Rock. Other outstanding tracks include the haunting Northern Lights and a fine arrangement of the standard Here’s That Rainy Day. As well as Travis on tenor, Heart Of The Sun features outstanding work by David Gordon (piano and Hammond organ), Andy Hamill and Stefan Weeke (double bass), Mark Wood (guitar), Daevid Allen (glissando guitar), Stewart Curtis (clarinet), Marc Parnell and Bjorn Lucker (drums) and the acclaimed Danish trumpeter, Palle Mikkelborg. ‘An exceedingly rich and atmospheric album’ - BBC Music Magazine.

ONE WHO WHISPERS - CIPHER             GLISS RECORDS GLISSCD 007.

Cipher an ambient electronic project by the saxophonist/flautist Theo Travis and bassist/sound designer Dave Sturt. This adventurous and beguiling album ingeniously mixes live flute, sax and bass with dark soundscapes and hypnotic layers of looped instrumental atmospheres to produce uniquely original music. Also featured in this inspired recording, co-produced by Steven Wilson, are Daevid Allen (glissando guitar) and Richard Barbieri (keyboard, electronics). ‘A brave and restless talent to watch for’ - MOJO.

RESPONSORIUM - DINO SALUZZI                 ECM 017 069-2

Following the critically praised ‘Cité de la Musique’, Argentinian bandoneonist Dino Saluzzi and his guitarist son José are joined by one of the great figures of European modern jazz, the Swedish double-bass player Palle Danielsson. These three gifted musicians explore the intriguing structures of Saluzzi's compositions, stylishly embellishing songs filled of yearning and sadness and hope. Tracks include A mi hermano Celso; Mónica; Responso por la muerte de Cruz; Dele..., Don!!; Reprise: Los hijos de Fierro; La pequeña historia de...!; Cuchara; Vienen del sur los recuerdos; Pampeana ‘Mapu’. A beguiling blend of jazz, South American sounds and European chamber music.

TERRA NOSTRA - SAVINA YANNATOU             ECM  067 172-2

The expressive Greek singer Savina Yannatou and her band Primavera en Salonico play exciting, colourful and innovative music that combines folk songs with flowing improvisation. The performers on this recording are Savina Yannatou (voice), Lamia Bedioui (voice), Lefteris Ahgouridakis (percussion), Yannis Alexandris (oud, guitar, tamboura), Kostas Vomvolos (Kanoun, accordion, caliba, tamboura), Kyriakos Gouventas (violin), Haris Lambrakis (nay), Michalis Siganidis (double-bass), Antonis Maratos (percussion) and Tassos Misyrlis (cello). Tracks include With the moon I'm walking; Ivan Nadõnka Dúmashe; A Fairy's Love Song; Ballo sardo; El Barquero; No Seas Capritchioza; Chant Des Belles Mères; I've told you and I say again; Los Bilbilicos, Hey het; Ah Mon Dié.

WHERE IS THE CHET...                   K&K ISBN 3-930643085-5.

The stimulating Torbjørn Sunde Octet perform a variety of music, including jazz standards such as Cole Porter’s Love For Sale and Gershwin’s But Not For Me. The talented group consists of Torbjørn Sunde (vocal & trombone), Jon Eberson (guitar) Jens P. Antonsen (flügelhorn & trumpet), Morten Halle (flute & tenor saxophone), Håvard Lund (bass clarinet), Rob Waring (vibraphone), Trude Eick (french horn) and Aslak Hartberg (acoustic bass). Torbjørn Sunde is one of Scandinavia’s top jazz trombonists and has worked with Rickie Lee Jones, Randy Crawford, Dr. John and Jan Gabarek.

JAQUES LOUSSIER TRIO - HANDEL            TELARC CD83544.

The Jacques Loussier Trio was formed in the late 1950s and toured extensively, playing tastefully swinging versions of the classics, especially Bach, and selling over six million albums. The Trio reformed in 1985 with two new members and on this latest recording, composer/pianist Loussier, bassist Benoit Dunoyer de Segonzac and drummer Andre Arpino play vibrantly joyful versions of two Handel masterworks: Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks. Also featured is the Passacaglia from Suite No. 7 in G Minor. Much of this music will be familiar to many listeners but Loussier skilfully maintains the essence of the composer’s intentions whilst bringing fresh improvisation to his brilliant arrangements, using colour and rhythm to recast them in his unique swinging style.

QUIRKY - PETE MITCHELL QUARTET         MOVE  MCD 224.

This is the debut album features the up and coming young Melbourne saxophonist Pete Mitchell, together with his quartet and guest musicians, playing ten original compositions varying in style, mood and tempo. All but one track composed by Mitchell himself, the styles ranging from groove oriented funky jazz and a beautiful ballad with delicate improvisations, through haunting atmospheric, to easy listening modern jazz with often a comical quirky twist. Playing soprano, alto and baritone saxophones (even two at once on occasion), Pete Mitchell is supported by some of Melbourne's leading musicians, including the guitar work of Jack Pantazis, the creative drummer Michael Rochford and the smooth tone of Andrew Albanis on double bass.

SAX SUMMIT - PHIL DWYER         CBC TRCD 3001.

This exhilarating CD is the first in a new jazz sub-label series from CBC and celebrates that quintessential jazz instrument, the saxophone. Music director Phil Dwyer, a brilliant tenor and soprano saxophonist, has brought together an outstanding collection of musicians for this live studio recording. Among those present are the fine young tenor sax player Seamus Blake, the award-winning Mike Murley and P J Perry, the prolific Yannick Rieu and Perry White, whose experience ranges from working with Shuffle Demons to recording jazz scores for TV and radio. The assured rhythm section consists of Mark Eisenman (piano), Neil Swainson (bass) and Terry Clarke (drums).

ART TATUM - ON THE SUNNY SIDE           TOPAZ TPZ 1066.

These recordings date from 1944-45 and show Art tatum at his best. The child prodigy became an adult genius and his subsequent contribution to jazz is inestimable. This mastery CD contains ten tracks with his trio and twelve solos, all with that phenomenal flair and supreme musicianship. Tracks include I Know The Man I Love, Dark Eyes, Body and Soul, On the Sunny Side of the Street, It Had to Be You, If I Had You, Poor Butterfly, Runnin' Wild and Yesterdays.

RIVER STORY - TONY GOULD/PETER PETRUCCI        MOVE MD3221.

Peter Petrucci, the young Australian guitarist virtuoso and composer, joins pianist Tony Gould to play an enjoyable mix of original pieces and standards. The performances are splendidly spontaneous and the tracks include Goodby Michel (Tony Gould), Some other time, My favourite things, and River story (Peter Petrucci). ‘It is almost impossible to concentrate on the technical mastery of these songs because of the way the spirits and emotions are lifted into the realms of pure enjoyment - Canberra Times.

MESSAGE FROM THE PAST - PETER PETRUCCI           MOVE MD3213.

Guitarist Peter Petrucci plays with refinement and fluency, whether in contemporary jazz form or in free improvisation. He is joined here by Nick Haywood on acoustic bass and a fine new talent on drums, Tony Floyd, who has played a season at London’s Ronnie Scott's Club. Tracks include Message from the past (Petrucci), There comes a time (Petrucci) and Giant Steps (John Coltrane). ‘Petrucci impresses ... his carefully modulated, sometimes mournful sound possessing a slow, crystalline beauty - The Drum Media.

FROM WITHIN - TONY GOULD/ PETER PETRUCCI       MOVE MD3256.

Peter Petrucci produces many colours and melodic textures in touching renditions of jazz standards as well as more avant garde pieces. He performs here with Tony Gould, the Melbourne born musician known and admired in both classical and jazz music circles. Highlights include Have You Met Miss Jones (Rodgers and Hart), From Within (Gould/Petrucci), Coral (Keith Jarrett) and Bye Bye Baby (Jule Styne).

THE LAST WILL & TESTAMENT - JOHN SANGSTER       MOVE MD3255.

This assured album is a fitting musical tribute to one of Australia's unsung heroes of jazz by some of that country's top performers. The music was written when John Sangster knew he was on borrowed time yet the tracks portray no inkling of self pity. The old humour, optimism, and the knowledge that he had given life a hell of a shake anyway shines through, and there is a refreshing honesty about all of them. The brilliant musicians include Jim McLeoud, Ian Bloxsom, Tony Gould, Graeme Lyall, Len Barnard, Neale Sandbach and Tom Baker. ‘Every track has a sunny, swinging mien and genre-blending originality that stamps it as not just fine jazz but classic Australian jazz’ - Herald Sun.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS, VOL. I - JOHN SANGSTER       MOVE MD 3251.

Move are releasing the fine Australian jazz and film composer John Sangster’s complete Lord of the Rings trilogy, recorded in 1975, together with an equally rare fourth double-LP set, Landscapes of Middle Earth. Not to be confused with Howard Shore's soundtrack to the recent film, this trilogy is wholly Australian and was originally released on three double-LP sets by EMI. John Sangster music is highly ambitious and this epic production juxtaposes ragtime, big band and evocative soundtrack-like creations to portray the many characters and events that inhabit Middle Earth. This double CD also has extras such as the original LP artwork (computer PDF files) and rare video footage of John Sangster in action. Essential listening for fans of Australian jazz or Tolkien. ‘Some of the most important music to come out of Australia as it shows the way out for the impasse modern classical music finds itself in, and it gives new direction to jazz’ - Roger Bell, Australian jazz legend.

BUDDY COLLETTE BIG BAND IN CONCERT         BRIDGE 9096.

The exciting music of William 'Buddy' Collette is played here by the Buddy Collette Big Band, recorded in concert at the Lincoln Theater in Washington, DC. The dazzling compositions featured on this CD are Magali, André, Mr. and Mrs. Goodbye, Blues Number Four, Jazz by the Bay, Blues in Torrance, Point Fermin from ‘Friendships Suite’ and Buddy Boo. The formidaby talented band includes Steven Carr and Ann E. Patterson (woodwinds) Les Benedict and George R. Bohanon (trombones), Albert N. Aarons and Ronald Barrows (trumpets), Gerald Wiggins, Sr. (piano) and the great Chico Hamilton (drums).