Venere Imperiale 1963

An intimate 1963 collection of Sonny Boy Williamson in solo and duet (with guitarist Matt Murphy) formats; on three tracks, pianist Memphis Slim hops aboard. This delightful addendum to Williamson's electric output of the same era was cut in Denmark and first issued on Storyville.

Recorded in New York with Tommy Tucker, Lowdown Back Porch Blues is Louisiana Red's first album and, in many ways, it's his best. Supported by a bare-bones rhythm section, Red plays a number or traditional tunes and originals. His guitar is nearly as powerful and overwhelming as his vocals, making this a truly compelling listen.

The various white lead guitar gods who began to garner so much critical press during the rock explosion of the late '60s owe more than a lot to Elmore James. While working as a radio repairman in the early '50s, James spent hours rewiring speakers and amplifiers so that they would deliver the kind of harsh and distorted sound he favored when he played electric guitar through them, and that act of rebuilding amps alone would have made him an unsung hero to rock guitarists everywhere a decade or so later, but James also happened to be a pretty damn good player himself, and there may well not be a more powerful and exciting sound on Earth than James' trademark "Dust My Broom" slide guitar riff, which bottled megawatts of power, energy, and passion into one swooping rush…

Mongo at the Village Gate finds Mongo Santamaria entering the boogaloo era with a variety of funky pieces that show the influence of R&B and soul-jazz without losing the group's roots in Cuban music. The infectious live set teams the conguero with trumpeter Marty Sheller, the reeds of Pat Patrick and Bobby Capers, pianist Rodgers Grant, bassist Victor Venegas, drummer Frank Hernandez, and the percussion of Chihuahua Martinez and Julian Cabrera. Such tunes as "Fatback," "Mongo's Groove," and "Creole" have happy, soulful, and simple melodies. This is one of Marty Sheller's best dates on trumpet, while Santamaria takes "My Sound" as a colorful unaccompanied solo. A remake of "Para Ti" is a welcome addition.

The title Page One is fitting for this disc, as it marks the beginning of the first chapter in the long career of tenor man Joe Henderson. And what a beginning it is; no less than Kenny Dorham, McCoy Tyner, Butch Warren, and Pete La Roca join the saxophonist for a stunning set that includes "Blue Bossa" and "Recorda Me," two works that would be forever associated with Henderson. Both are bossa novas that offer a hip alternative to the easy listening Brazilian trend that would become popular with the masses. Henderson and Dorham make an ideal pair on these and other choice cuts like the blistering "Homestretch" and the engaging swinger "Jinrikisha." These both show the already mature compositional prowess that would become Henderson's trademark throughout his legendary career. The final blues number, "Out of the Night," features powerful work by the leader that only hints of things to come in subsequent chapters.

Trombonist Lou Blackburn's contributions to jazz have been long overlooked, but Complete Imperial Sessions, a collection of his two jazz albums for Imperial, include the full contents of Jazz Frontier and Two Note Samba, plus a previously unissued track, and shows the potential of his early-'60s West Coast quintet, even though they worked infrequently. Trumpeter Freddie Hill is a capable foil for the leader, while Blackburn's fluid chops on his instrument invite an obvious comparison to J.J. Johnson. The potent rhythm section includes pianist Horace Tapscott, bassist John Duke, and drummer Leroy Henderson. Most of the disc is devoted to Blackburn's originals, sticking to bop and hard bop vehicles during the initial sessions…