Doug Hall

This fine club date features guitarist Jim Hall in Toronto with two of the top Canadian jazzmen, bassist Don Thompson and drummer Terry Clarke. The interplay between the three players is sometimes wondrous, and although the five selections are all familiar standards (such as "'Round Midnight," "Scrapple From the Apple" and "The Way You Look Tonight"), Hall makes the music sound fresh and full of subtleties. This enjoyable LP has yet to be reissued on CD.

This debut album from Gottlieb is one of the great hidden gems of jazz fusion. It is intricate and funky, bright and colorful all at the same time. All the instrumenalists are virtuosos, and if you happen to be a drummer, you'll be in awe of the mastery of Danny Gottlieb, who hails from the early incarnation of the Pat Metheny Group and Mahavishnu.

My absolute favorite Black Jazz album was Infant Eyes, by pianist Doug Carn and his wife, Jean Carn. The record had a sensual, powerful feel. What made the album a hit were the soulful lyrics the Carns crafted for jazz standards such as Bobby Hutcherson's Little B's Poem, Wayne Shorter's Infant Eyes, John Coltrane's Acknowledgment from A Love Supreme, and Horace Silver's Peace. Doug's arrangements and Jean's searing, passionate vocals gave the album a distinctly 1970s African-American feel.

For decades, rumors have circulated among Creedence Clearwater Revival’s fans about a long-lost recording of their legendary 1970 show at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Today, the long-fabled performance is available in its entirety on multiple formats (available below) as Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall. Coinciding with the album release, the new documentary concert film, Travelin’ Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall, is available now streaming on Netflix.