Funk group that started life in the early 1970s in Southern California. They formed out of the ashes of an earlier R&B covers group, The Creators (6) (who also recorded as The Romeos and Señor Soul), initially naming themselves Nightshift before producer Jerry Goldstein discovered them and gave them a more distinctive name.

Recorded in early 1975, Tale Spinnin', Weather Report's fifth studio album is filled with sunny textures of Latin and African flavors. During the '60s and early '70s Weather Report began to move towards a more cosmopolitan groove, and a melding of song with jazz in new and refreshing ways. The recording stands with anything recorded during the so-called "jazz-rock fusion" era, if only on the basis of the range of fresh, intriguing originals by the band's co-founders and principle composers, the keyboardist Joe Zawinul and the saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Zawinul's pioneering interest in what we now call world music is more in evidence with the exotic percussion, wordless vocals, and sandy sound effects of "Badia," and his synthesizer sophistication is growing along with the available technology. Wayne Shorter's work on soprano sax is more animated than on their previous albums and Alphonso Johnson puts his melodic bass more to the fore.

Weather Report is generally regarded as the greatest jazz fusion band of all time, with the biggest jazz hit ("Birdland") from the best jazz fusion album (1977's Heavy Weather). But the group's studio mastery sometimes overshadows the fact that it was also a live juggernaut – so don't overlook the outstanding live and studio album from 1979, 8:30. This was a rare quartet version of Weather Report, with co-leaders in keyboardist Joe Zawinul and saxophonist Wayne Shorter. The bassist was the inimitable Jaco Pastorius, the drummer a young Peter Erskine. Pastorius is otherworldly on early gems like "Black Market," the breakneck "Teen Town," and his solo showcase, "Slang" (in which he quotes Jimi Hendrix's "Third Stone from the Sun"). Shorter is most involved on the CD's slower pieces like "A Remark You Made," "In a Silent Way," and his own solo piece, "Thanks for the Memory"; Zawinul and Erskine shine on the swinging version of "Birdland" and roller coaster ride of the "Badia/Boogie Woogie Waltz" medley. Four studio tracks (composing what was side four of the original album version) close 8:30 with a flourish – and some surprises.

The Rippingtons featuring Russ Freeman are back with a new album "Open Road". The Rippingtons are a Grammy-nominated contemporary jazz group, founded by guitarist and composer Russ Freeman in 1985. The group has passed the thirty year mark, and continues to innovate. Under Freeman's production, the group has released 22 albums, all of which have attained top 5 Billboard status, with 5 of them reaching #1. Their debut album, "Moonlighting", which Jazziz magazine has called "the number one most influential contemporary jazz album of all time."

2018 debut album, by prodigious keys player, composer and producer Joe Armon-Jones, is buoyant, celebratory and welcoming. With a background in jazz, he draws from influences in dub, hip-hop and soul. Different traditions are infused and commingled together. Soulful brass arrangements are colored with carefully-tuned atmospherics; individual flashes of brilliance are bound into the album's bigger picture. He's part of London's young, jazz-influenced music scene. Drawn from that same close-knit circle, the album features the likes of Moses Boyd, Nubya Garcia and Oscar Jerome. It's playing with those - along with Ezra Collective, which he co-founded, and touring with the likes of Ata Kak and Pharoahe Monch - which has honed his playing and grown his ideas. It's made for a record with an unmistakable depth. He draws on deep musical understanding, making music which is warm and has a feeling of joy. A document of his vision for bringing together his different influences, it's also a testament to hard-earned, head-turning musical virtuosity.

Santana Arriving at the twilight of the 1960s, Santana were psychedelic pioneers who ushered Latin rock into the mainstream with their first three albums: Santana, Abraxas, and Santana III. Thanks to their appearance at Woodstock, their eponymous album was a smash hit right out of the gate, with its single "Evil Ways" making it into the Billboard Top Ten in 1969. They remained at the top of the charts until 1973, when leader and namesake guitarist Carlos Santana began exploring esoteric, spiritual jazz fusion on his own. Carlos may have wandered away from the band who shared his name, but he always returned to the group, sustaining them through years both productive and fallow.

CLASSIC 1973 BROADCAST RECORDING FROM THE LOVE, DEVOTION, SURRENDER TOUR 1973 was a transformative year for both Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin, as they each entered periods of musical and spiritual change. Santana, following the enormous success that his ensemble achieved in the wake of their breakthrough performance at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, now wanted his recently found interest in the philosophy of Guru Sri Chinmoy, to be reflected in his music. Likewise, McLaughlin, a devotee of Chinmoy s too, wished for similar results. In a joint attempt to reflect their desires, in July 73 the pair released Love, Devotion, Surrender, an album inspired by Chinmoy s teachings, dedicated to John Coltrane. The record peaked at number seven on the UK album chart and at 14 on the Billboard 200, impressive feats considering its challenging nature. The album consisted of two John Coltrane covers, a traditional folk song, and a pair of McLaughlin originals. The duo subsequently toured together across the USA and Canada in 1973 and 1974, accompanied by a handful of world class musicians, including Billy Cobham on drums and the pioneering organist Larry Young, both of whom had appeared on the LP. On 1st September 73 the band played The International Amphitheater, Chicago, IL, a show which was recorded for a live FM broadcast in the United States. Featuring numbers from Love, Devotion, Surrender, plus a couple of rarities, in completion this performance provides for a veritable masterclass in improvisation and musicianship.

The first ever live performance and recording by Marc Moulin's sought-after jazz-funk band Placebo, captured at Casino Kursaal during the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1971 and never released before.

Bozzio Levin Stevens is a supergroup power trio of rock, fusion, jazz and instrumental classical music, consisting of drummer Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa, U.K., Missing Persons, Steve Vai, Jeff Beck), bassist and Chapman Stick player Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Liquid Tension Experiment) and guitarist Steve Stevens (Billy Idol, Michael Jackson). They have recorded two albums via Magna Carta. Situation Dangerous is the second studio album by the supergroup Bozzio Levin Stevens, released on August 8, 2000 by Magna Carta Records.

Ivory Coast (1988) is an album by the legendary Bob James, an influential American jazz keyboardist, composer, and arranger. Known for his innovative contributions to jazz fusion and smooth jazz, Bob James has had a long career that blends traditional jazz with contemporary styles, such as funk, R&B, and pop. Ivory Coast is one of his notable works from the late 1980s, showcasing his ability to merge smooth jazz with elements of world music, particularly drawing inspiration from African rhythms and sounds.

Song of the Sun (1991) is an album by Jim Beard, an American jazz keyboardist, composer, and arranger known for his versatility in blending jazz, rock, and classical elements into his music. This album represents his unique fusion style, incorporating jazz with Latin and world music influences. Beard's work is often associated with sophisticated, intricate arrangements, and his ability to create rich harmonic textures while maintaining groove and melody.

Mianca (2009) is an album by The Code, a jazz band known for blending various influences and creating a distinctive sound that fuses elements of jazz fusion, post-bop, and world music. The band’s approach to jazz is marked by intricate melodies, complex rhythms, and an overall sense of innovation, typical of modern jazz ensembles pushing boundaries.

I.O.U. Live (1997) is a live album by renowned British jazz fusion guitarist Allan Holdsworth, featuring his band I.O.U.. The album captures a performance by Holdsworth and his group during the mid-1990s, showcasing their virtuosic musicianship and Holdsworth's signature complex, genre-blending style. Released on the Tone Center label, I.O.U. Live is a powerful showcase of Holdsworth's guitar playing, both in terms of his technical mastery and his ability to create emotional, improvisational music.

Then! (2004) is an album by the British guitarist Allan Holdsworth, known for his highly sophisticated approach to jazz fusion and his pioneering work on the guitar. Released on the Tone Center label, this album features a collection of live recordings by the Allan Holdsworth Group. The album is notable for showcasing Holdsworth's exceptional virtuosity on the guitar, his complex compositions, and his innovative fusion of jazz, rock, and progressive music.

There are many reasons why albums slip through the cracks. This one was only ever released in Japan and never made it to CD. Why? The story goes that when Vitous was nudged out of Weather Report in 1974, he allegedly sold these recordings to Sony Japan for big bucks, none of which reached the rest of the musicians involved. If true, it's a shame. Recorded in 1970, just prior to the formation of Weather Report, the session abounds in funky looseness and a diaphanous sense of space, providing a bridge between In a Silent Way and Weather Report's early sound. Mostly a trio date, McLaughlin contributes laid back guitar to just one track, and doesn't appear at the same time as Zawinul, so we're denied the opportunity to hear what Mahavishnu-Report might have sounded like. Vitous burns, though, overdubbing deep basslines with sonorous, cello-like arco. Call it a missed opportunity.