A rising star on the French jazz scene, Thomas Gaucher has made a name for himself with his sensitive yet virtuosic guitar playing.

This is a fairly typical date from the Oscar Peterson Trio (which features the pianist-leader, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen). Many of the songs on this LP are associated with other musicians (such as "Waltz for Debbie," "This Could Be the Start of Something Big" and "Six and Four") but Peterson has little difficulty swinging them in his usual fashion; a highlight is the original version of Ray Brown's "Gravy Waltz."

Tessie Overmyer has established herself as one of the most exciting, dynamic saxophone players in the Australian jazz scene, rapidly gaining her recognition for a maturity that appears well beyond her years.

Although still a regular Blue Note artist (he would make four more albums for the company within the next year), Bashin' was organist Jimmy Smith's debut for Verve, a label that he would record extensively for during 1963-1972. On the first half of the program (reissued in full on this CD), Smith was for the first time joined by a big band. Oliver Nelson provided the arrangements, trumpeter Joe Newman and altoist Phil Woods have a solo apiece, and "Walk on the Wild Side" became Smith's biggest hit up to that point. The final three numbers feature Smith's regular trio with guitarist Quentin Warren and drummer Donald Bailey swinging with soul as usual. The historical set was a turning point for Jimmy Smith's career.

Composer, choral leader, and pianist Casper Christensen was born in Denmark and moved to the UK in 2006 to study music in London, where he now resides.

On Indus, Norwegian drummer, vibraphonist and composer Skage Larsen delivers a confident debut statement for the Trondheim-based collective label Fjordgata Records.

Don Ellis is often associated with Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, and Cecil Taylor as a proponent of the avant-garde jazz of the late 1950s and early 1960s, However, he generally avoided a radical free-form style, seeking instead to infuse traditional big-band styles with novel or exotic influences, particularly in his use from 1964 of Indian and Near Eastern rhythms. Because he sometimes employed serial and aleatory procedures in his earlier style he has also been identified with the third stream movement; later he renounced these approaches.

Music is an inevitable part of our lives. It is woven into nearly every aspect of human experience, from celebrations and entertainment to work and relaxation. Whether we are watching a film, attending a concert, or simply walking through a shopping mall, music shapes our moods, enhances experiences, and connects us to deeper emotions.

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on New Year’s Eve in 1944, Bernie Senensky has stood as a central figure in Canadian jazz for more than half a century.

Some guest soloists get overshadowed by Oscar Peterson's technical prowess, while others meet him halfway with fireworks of their own; trumpeter Clark Terry lands in the latter camp on this fine 1964 session. With drummer Ed Thigpen and bassist Ray Brown providing solid support, the two soloists come off as intimate friends over the course of the album's ten ballad and blues numbers. And while Peterson shows myriad moods, from Ellington's impressionism on slow cuts like "They Didn't Believe Me" to fleet, single-line madness on his own "Squeaky's Blues," Terry goes in for blues and the blowzy on originals like "Mumbles" and "Incoherent Blues"; the trumpeter even airs out some of his singularly rambling and wonderful scat singing in the process. Other highlights include the rarely covered ballad "Jim" and the even more obscure "Brotherhood of Man" from the Broadway musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. A very engaging and enjoyable disc.

Most of organist Jimmy Smith's recordings for Verve during the mid- to late '60s were with big bands, making this trio outing with guitarist Kenny Burrell and drummer Grady Tate a special treat. This outing is a throwback to Smith's Blue Note sets (which had concluded two years earlier) and gives the organist the opportunity to stretch out on three blues and three standards. This release shows that, even with all of his commercial success during the period, Smith was always a masterful jazz player.

Like In the Movies is a cinematic journey carved from the sounds of our time: searching, courageous, and profoundly human. On this album, listeners are taken deeper into Soderqvist's world of musical storytelling, one that resonates with the anxieties, tensions, and uncertainties of today's global reality.

Paquito DRivera's - NEA Jazz Master, multiple Gramm winner, Downbeat Hall of Fame Inductee - gained worldwide attention as a member of the Grammy Award winning Cuban group Irakere, a revolutionary ensemble co-founded with Chucho Valds in the early 1970s. Blending Afro-Cuban rhythms and jazz, the band was a seminal force and marked a new era in Cuban music. His defection to the United States in 1980 was a turning point, as he became an ambassador of Latin jazz around the world, fusing cultures and genres effortlessly.

The keyboard wizard and his trio present their new European project.

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on New Year’s Eve in 1944, Bernie Senensky has stood as a central figure in Canadian jazz for more than half a century. His musical journey began with classical piano studies at a young age, grounding him in a discipline and technique that would later underpin his jazz mastery. As a teenager, Bernie’s curiosity and passion for jazz began to take hold, initially nurtured by local teacher Bob Erlendson. From there, he largely taught himself the intricate language of jazz, developing a deeply personal approach that balanced sophistication, swing, and emotional clarity.