Improvvisare su ogni tipo di repertorio. Liberarsi dalla gabbia degli accordi per arrivare alla forma libera, alla melodia pura. È la nuova sfida di Danilo Rea, che qui si confronta con i grandi compositori classici: "L'improvvisazione nasce in Europa, loro ne erano maestri. Il jazz ha riscoperto questa attitudine, smarrita da chi oggi interpreta rigidamente le loro partiture". Rea ha scelto il piano solo, per avere massima libertà interpretativa, ma in alcuni brani spicca la voce di sua figlia Oona. "Canta tre brani originali e poi The Man I Love di Gershwin, trait d'union tra la classica e il jazz, nonché doverosa dedica al suo papà". Romantico.

April in Paris, 1950. James Moody is making records with a band led by trumpeter Ernie Royal. While two originals by Royal are based on textbook bop themes, Moody's own "Date With Kate" shows greater depth of invention. "Mean to Me" prances at a healthy clip and "Embraceable You" is presented as a slow-dance delicacy. Jumping to July of 1950, Moody leads his own "Boptet" through four remarkable exercises in modernity. Marshall "Red" Allen, who subsequently worked for decades with Sun Ra, is heard in Moody's band playing alto saxophone. These must be Allen's earliest appearances on record. "Delooney" surges ahead with peculiar chords that do in fact slightly resemble what Ra's Arkestra would be playing by 1957…

By the time Illicit was released in 1992, Scott Henderson & Tribal Tech had been established as one of the premier, if not the premier, experimental fusion outfits on the globe. That's "fusion" as in the fusion of jazz and rock, not the vanilla instrumental musings of artists like Kenny G, which are occasionally mislabled as such. Henderson's dramatic and powerful soloing and his incredibly refined chord work were the greatest causes for the early attention the group received, and Illicit only furthered the guitarist's reputation with its fire and musical vigor.

One of the better albums in Rova's confusingly expansive discography, From the Bureau of Both features some of the quartet's most immediately rewarding moments, as well as a few on the opposite end of the spectrum. Rova can be surprisingly accessible when the group's free explorations are tethered to strong frameworks, and that's the case with much of this album. "Swang" became something of a signature piece for the group, featuring a jaunty, rhythmic opening riff that builds into a more complex main passage with several different parts, followed by some spirited group interaction. "Swapmeet! Swapmeet!!" and "Streak" follow a similar pattern: driving rhythms and catchy themes in the lower register, plus interlocking melodies over the top, all of which gives the group members solid bases from which to take flight in their solos.

Maretimo Records present Winter Time Vol. 9: 18 Premium Trax: Chillout, Chillhouse, Downbeat, Lounge. Enjoy the wonderful winter season, with high quality lounge sounds selected by DJ Michael Maretimo.

Originally released on the limited-edition Super Deluxe edition of Wildflowers….And All the Rest, Finding Wildflowers contains alternate versions of most of the album's songs. Notably, the single "You Don't Know How It Feels" is absent, along with "Time to Move On," but the B-side "Girl on LSD" is here, as are two versions of "Cabin Down Below," including a nicely shambling version of the blues tune. The sequencing on Finding Wildflowers doesn't attempt to replicate the original album, which works in its favor. "A Higher Place" opens the proceedings on a bright note with its harmonies and jangle, sounds that set the stage for the rest of the record.

Hungry for Kicks: Singles & Choice Cuts 1965-69 does an effective job of chronicling the majority of Paul Revere & the Raiders' biggest hits from the mid- to late '60s. Most of the familiar radio tracks are featured, including "Kicks," "Hungry," and "Good Thing." Also included are the 45 versions of seven tracks and several great album cuts, many of equal quality to the hits. Tracks like "Why? Why? Why? (Is It So Hard)," "Ballad of a Useless Man," and "Louise" are would-be chart-toppers that got away. What separates this set from similar PR&R compilations is the omission of the R&B cover versions that were prevalent on their original LPs. Raucous and fun as they are, the discarded R&B covers leave the listener focused on the Raiders as an innovative pop band as opposed to the kings of frat party rock. Rev-Ola did a fantastic job putting this package together, with rare photos, picture sleeves, and informative liner notes.