Thelonious Monk – Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane ★★★★★
Riverside/OJC Remaster Thelonious Monk (p), Ray Copeland (t), Gigi Gryce (as), John Coltrane, Coleman Hawkins (ts), Wilbur Ware (b), Art Blakey and Shadow Wilson (d).
Five-Star Albums
Thelonious Monk – Brilliant Corners ★★★★★
Poll Winners Records Thelonious Monk (p), Clark Terry (t) Sonny Rollins (ts), Ernie Henry (as), Oscar Pettiford, Paul Chambers, Tommy Potter (b), Max Roach and Art Taylor (d).
Eric Dolphy – The Complete Last Recordings In Hilversum And Paris 1964 ★★★★★
Domino Jazz Dolphy (as, b clt, fl), Kenny Drew, Jacques Dieval, Misha Mengelberg (p) Jacques Hess, Guy Pedersen, Jacques Schols (b), Franco Manzecchi, Han Bennink and Daniel Humair (d).
Sun Ra – Arkestra Sunrise In Different Dimensions ★★★★★
HatOLOGY Sun Ra (p), Marshall Allen(as,ob,f), John Gilmore (ts, cl, f), Nöel Scott (as, bs, f), Danny Thompson (bs, f), Kenneth Williams (ts, bs), Michael Ray t, flhn), Chris Henderson and Eric Walker (d).
Miles Davis – Bitches Brew (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) ★★★★★
Columbia Legacy (3 CD, DVD, 2 LP box) Miles Davis (t),Wayne Shorter (ss), Bennie Maupin (b cl), Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea (el p), John McLaughlin (g), Dave Holland (b), Harvey Brooks (el b), Lenny White, Jack DeJohnette (d), Don Alias and Jumma Santos (perc) plus others.
Anita O'Day – Sings for Oscar; Cool Heat ★★★★★
Poll Winners Records Pete Candoli, Conte Candoli, Conrad Gozzo, Uan Rasey, Manny Klein (t), Frank Rosolino, Lloyd Ulyate, Joe Howard, Milt Bernhart, Si Zenter (tb), Bud Shank (as), Stan Getz (ts), Jimmy Giuffre (bar), Wilbur Schwartz, Maury Stein, Bob Cooper, Ted Nash, Dale Issenhuth (reeds), Oscar Peterson (p), Paul Smith (p cel), Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown, Joe Mondragon (b), John Poole, Shelly Manne, Alvin Stoller (d).
Art Pepper – Meets The Rhythm Section ★★★★★
Contemporary/Original Jazz Classic OJC Remasters Art Pepper (as), Red Garland (p), Paul Chambers (b) and Philly Joe Jones (d).
Gary Burton and Chick Corea – Crystal Silence: The ECM Recordings 1972-79 ★★★★★
ECM Gary Burton (vbs) and Chick Corea (p) This four-CD set brings together Crystal Silence (1972), Duet (1978) and the live double album In Concert: Zürich, October 28, 1979, the latter two albums winning Grammy Awards and their first collaboration from 1972 selling in excess of 400,000 copies.
Charles Mingus – Mingus Ah Um (50th Anniversary Edition) ★★★★★
Sony Legacy Mingus (b, p) with various line-ups incl.