Mainstream Jazz: Best Sellers

Much like Eric Dolphy transformed the bass clarinet from its primary role in providing orchestral color, bassoonist Daniel Smith also seeks to turn his instrument into a legitimate [more]

As part of the Fantasy Definitive series, pianist and composer Vince Guaraldi is spotlighted on 31 tracks recorded for the label between 1955 and 1966. This noteworthy [more]

Cedar Walton continues to produce consistently good mainstream jazz recordings, approaching a sum total of 50. This effort revisits previous original compositions or tackles some [more]

Quincy Jones had jazz fans wondering when he released his killer Gula Matari album in 1970. That set, with gorgeous reading of Paul Simon's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" with a lead [more]

Although Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond made many rewarding recordings together, this was their only duo album; it was inspired by several duo performances on board a [more]

When the late President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, the world lost not only a prominent politician, but one [more]

Gerry Mulligan's quartet recorded this studio date about seven years before his death, and it's a beautiful statement of where the refined, seasoned veteran of cool jazz was at [more]

Cyrus Chestnut's straight-ahead mainstream jazz has always been shaded by the church, gospel, and spiritual music of his heritage. So it is no surprise that he would turn to this aspect of [more]

Brothers Jimmy Heath and Albert "Tootie" Heath carry on together in the tradition of the Heath Brothers band, minus their deceased brother, bassist Percy Heath. David Wong ably fills [more]

The multi-award-winning Rodgers & Hammerstein musical {+South Pacific} had been languishing in obscurity until its Lincoln Center revival in 2009. [more]

It had been quite some time in between releases for Archie Shepp, and this 2009 issue adds to his reputation as a musician who has always been known for mixing progressive modern [more]

As part of the Essential Standards series from OJC, pianist and composer Vince Guaraldi is spotlighted on 12 tracks recorded for Fantasy in the '50s and '60s. While this [more]

Straight-ahead jazz vocalist Karrin Allyson came from Kansas City to the world at large, becoming as popular as any singer of her generation. These 12 [more]

In 1964, Count Basie handed the reins of his band over to composer and arranger Billy Byers, purportedly to modernize his sound to the times. More accurately, Byers energized the band [more]

The then-32-year-old trumpeter Ruby Braff was fond of show tunes, and took for his concept the songs from the Gershwin brothers' Broadway stage play {+Girl Crazy} for this [more]

Jerome Kern's stage tunes -- going back to the late '20s with the acclaimed presentation {+Show Boat} -- right up to the '40s, will forever be at the [more]

Wes Montgomery acceded to the whims of producer Creed Taylor for this, one of the very first CTI productions that would, over the next decade, popularize jazz with string [more]