Williams was one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, but she was also a victim of geography. Her technical brilliance, complete control of the piano, creative imagination, wit, and constant desire to stretch herself put her at the top of her field although relatively few (beyond her fellow pianists) seemed to realize it during her lifetime.

Trumpet legend Dr. Eddie Henderson celebrates the 50th anniversary of his debut album with a stunning new recording, WITNESS TO HISTORY, reflecting on his musical evolution with pianist George Cables, saxophonist Donald Harrison, bassist Gerald Cannon and drummers Lenny White and Mike Clark.

Balancing a career in psychiatry with his love of forward-thinking post-bop and fusion, trumpeter Eddie Henderson has cut a distinctive path in modern jazz. Mentored by Miles Davis in his teens, Henderson emerged as an original member of Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi band in the 1970s, appearing on the landmark jazz-funk album Sextant. From there, he embarked on a solo career, issuing several of his own cross-pollinated funk and disco-infused albums for Capricorn, Blue Note, and Capitol Records. These albums, and especially his breakthrough U.K. hit "Prance On" from 1978's Mahal, were influential touchstones for later hip-hop, electronic, and acid jazz musicians…

Shuffle and Deal finds trumpet great Eddie Henderson with a brilliant all-star quintet featuring pianist Kenny Barron, alto saxophonist Donald Harrison, bassist Gerald Cannon and drummer Mike Clark.

On the Corner is yet another excellent Blue Note U.K. compilation of absolutely killer cuts from Blue Note's prime jazz-funk years in the wake of the soul-jazz explosion of the 1960s and Miles Davis' electric innovations in the late '60s and '70s. Typical of Blue Note in the period, these tracks all came from albums that were, in one sense, birds of a feather. In other words, whatever was "happening," Blue Note recorded it almost exclusively and forced even established artists to fit into that mold. While there were some mixed results, obviously, there is also a wealth of great material to choose from, as this funk-centric compilation makes very clear. One can already judge where the set is headed when it begins with Gene Harris' truly grooving "Losalamitoslatinlovesong." Harris cut three terrific electric jazz-funk sets for the label in the 1970s, only one of which has ever been available on CD. But other selections – such as Eddie Henderson's "Kumquat Kid," Ronnie Foster's "Cheshire Cat," Ronnie Laws' "Always There," and Moacir Santos' "Route" – offer funky fusion delights as well. There are 20 tunes on two discs, each of them jam-packed with gems.

Of course, if you’re going to be cool it helps to surround yourself with the coolest of the cool, and Henderson has done just that: his smokin’ quintet also features saxophonist Donald Harrison, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Essiet Essiet, and drummer Mike Clark. Together, the band conjures smoldering funk, lush ballads, broad-shouldered swing, and bristling bop — in all, a prismatic display of the many facets of cool.