Much has been written about this album.

An album that can easily be defined as a masterpiece. Coltrane has made different masterpieces, each different from the other.

This album is not a quartet album, but it features a 'big band', there are 21 musicians featured on this album, but not all at once. The core 'band' is Coltrane/Tyner/Workman/Jones, with Dolphy doing the arrangments.

Somewhere I read the whole album is in the key of 'E', making this an even more brilliant album, because it is worlds apart from anything Bop stands for.

This is an album wich so much happening that any time you play it, you discover something new. I think it is more a modern classical album than a straight jazz album.

I don't know if this album propelled Impulse! or later albums by Coltrane. I think that Nelson's Blues and the Abstract Truth was more succesfull, though, but I really don't know these things.

Back to Africa/Brass, a wonderful album with a lot of brass (horns), wonderful musicians, and everyone is really enjoying themselves and giving their best. You can really tell.

A curious album, as it features both Hubbard and Morgan on trumpet. One would expect a lot of fireworks, but instead it's a rather tame album. Does that make it a bad album? No, not in my opinion. This one was released by Limelight and not Blue Note, and because of that it is a rather obscure release. In that sense that I did not even know of its existence.

There are some pleasant suprises on this record like the soprano saxophone of Lucky Thompson on the third track, wich is a played as a quartet (Blakey, Hicks, Sproles and Thompson). It is also a composition by Thompson. So it's kind of at odds on this album, but nevertheless a wonderful song.

Other important things about this album is, that is the last one to feauture Lee Morgan and it is also Gary Bartz's recording debut.

There are a lot of releases after this record, but the recordings are of earlier dates. This album is more of a transitionairy album, where Blakey and the Jazz Messengers make kind of bland albums (at least, the ones I heard of), until the Marsalis-brothers joined the band. Then the fire is back.

Soul Finger sure is a record to search for, Hubbard and Morgan together on trumpet is just a treat. Just listen to the groovy Freedom Monday to get a taste.

A magnificent record blending all styles possible to an almost new style/genre.

Musically this is post-bop, but with all the vocals going on, there's gospel, soul and r&b aswell. This album can be considered a heavy variant on what Marvin Gaye and Aretha franklin were up to.

If only there were more cross-over albums like this. One could also consider this to be spiritual jazz, because of the lyrical concept, but it is too heavy and swinging to be considered spiritual jazz. It is almost impossible to define its genre/style.

Amidst all the vocals there's also Billy Harper playing some heave almost free-ish saxophone. The piano of George Cables really fit the gospel/blues-approach of the album. A wonderful line-up, if you ask me.

The only one really missed here is Abbey Lincoln, but Dorothy White and Ruby McClure can also really sing loud and powerful.

This really is one of Roach's masterpieces, and perhaps one of jazz's masterpieces.

A gifted musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist, Alexa delivers an almost old-school boppish album.

The album sounds gentle and warm. The rhythmsection knows how to swing and groove. And Alexa displays her ability to solo and improvise on a wide array of instruments like flute (1), alto flute (9), soprano saxophone (5) and on the other tracks the alto saxophone.

There's room enough for the members of the band to solo aswell. My guess is that if the song 'A Race Against Time' wich is terrific hardbop, can satisfy and convince you, the album as a whole is a treat.

The songs are upbeat and joyful. As far as I know she composed all the compositions herself. I have bought all three of her albums that are available at this moment, and this one really stands out and is my favourite of her.

The album could have done without the sweet faux-bossa of La Puerta, wich is a little too sweet and soft for my taste.

This album Gregg made with guitarist Jack Pearson, who was brief in the Allman Brothers Band. It has a warm production, courtesy of Tom Dowd. There is no jamming, just straight forward bluesrock, albeit in a mellowish way.

There are some Allman-penned tracks like the classic Whippin' Post, here in a stripped down version. Apparently Gregg was instructed by roady Red Dog, to do so, because of the succes of the unplugged version of Layla by Eric Clapton.

Another great Allman-song is House of Blues and Come Back and Help Me, wich is cowritten by Jack Pearson.

Almost all other songs are oldies, like Dark End of the Street, wich is favorite of Duane Allman.

In fact this album is a return to form, when you compare it to Laid Back. The eighties are all but done for, and Gregg sounds sincere and shows us once more that he is one of the best bluesvocalists around.

Another favorite song of mine on this album is the funky bluessong Rendez-Vous with the Blues.

The cd-booklet offers no extra information but somewhere on the album you can also here Derek Trucks on slideguitar.

If only this album would receive a vinyl reissue, than my Allman-vinyl-collection would be complete.

A great blues-album by one of the best bluessingers around. And some stellar guitaplaying by underrated guitarist Jack Pearson.