Bob Anderson

As the title implies, this is indeed Bob Marley & the Wailers captured in performance at the Lyceum Ballroom in London during the final U.K. leg of the Natty Dread tour. Passionate and symbiotic energies constantly cycle between the band and audience, the net result of which is one of the most memorable concert recordings of the pop music era…

Portraits of Bob Dylan is the title of Yes guitarist Steve Howe's ninth solo album, released in 1999. The album features his son Dylan Howe on drums and several other guest artists, including (former) Yes band members Jon Anderson and Geoff Downes, performing cover versions of Bob Dylan songs. Keith West, lead singer of the 1960s band Tomorrow (in which Howe was the guitarist), sings lead on "Lay Lady Lay."

Arguably the most influential live reggae album ever, Babylon by Bus captures Bob Marley and the Wailers during the European leg of their Kaya tour in the spring of 1978…

This project, interpretations of ten songs written by , would not seem to have much potential from a jazz standpoint. But by reharmonizing the tunes and contributing inventive charts for a notable group of jazz players, arranger Bob Belden put together a very memorable set, turning pop material into creative jazz. Belden (who takes a tenor solo on "Children's Crusade") allocated solo space to such players as guitarists John Scofield, John Hart and Fareed Haque, pianists Billy Childs, Benny Green, Joey Calderazzo, Marc Copland and Kevin Hays, trumpeter Tim Hagans, tenors Rick Margitza and Kirk Whalum and altoist Bobby Watson. In addition, there is a vocal apiece by Dianne Reeves ("Wrapped Around Your Finger"), Phil Perry ("Sister Moon"), Mark Ledford ("Every Breath You Take") and Jimi Tunnell ("I Burn for You"), but the emphasis is on jazz improvizing.

Yellowjackets reedman Bob Mintzer, best-known outside that group for his big band recordings, steps out in a more straight-ahead jazz direction with Quality Time. Several of the tracks have a feel similar to the Yellowjackets acoustic work, while "All Is Quiet" sounds like a Coltrane ballad from the mid-'60s. On eight of the album's ten tracks, Mintzer's supporting cast includes pianist Phil Markowitz, bassman Jay Anderson and drummer Peter Erskine. The remaining two cuts are probably outtakes from recent Yellowjackets' recording sessions, with Mintzer playing bass clarinet beside Russell Ferrante's clavinet on the group-written "Emit A1," and the quartet showing its acoustic chops on "Family."