This very limited double 45rpm set should have sold out within weeks of its release but that probably didn’t happen.

Here the classic quartet featuring Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner and Jimmy Garrison explore Coltrane’s more lyrical side on “Wise One” and “Lonnie’s Lament,” (where McCoy Tyner gets some space to block out), the struggling Coltrane on the searching title tune and the light, swinging, foot-tapping retro-saxophonist on “Bessie’s Blues.” “Drum Thing” turns the set over to Elvin Jones.

If you want to know what the early 1960’s felt like, listen to this lushly and dramatically orchestrated Sinatra, bathed in opulent, moonlit reverb and surrounded by cushiony strings spread out on an impossibly huge, wide and deep soundstage.

It was a time of urbane, intellectual sophistication. A cool pullback from the “swinging” 1950s. It was a heady, forward-looking time, with Kennedy in the White House and the flying car future seemingly straight ahead.

Freddie Hubbard’s group leading debut may not have been his finest album but it was a great one and an auspicious debut for the then 22 year old who would go on to play on some of the greatest jazz albums ever, some of which he fronted.

This group featuring tenor sax player Tina Brooks, pianist McCoy Tyner, who was then also a relative youngster and playing in the classic John Coltrane quartet, drummer Clifford Jarvis who went on work in free jazz ensembles with Sun Ra and Archie Shepp among others and bassist Sam Jones, then with Cannonball.

I once pissed next to Dave Mason in the Cambridge Boathouse bathroom back in 1970 something. That has nothing to do with this review except that it’s a review of a Traffic album and Dave Mason was in Traffic but you wouldn’t know that from the cover of their first American album.

I once pissed next to Dave Mason in the Cambridge Boathouse bathroom back in 1970 something. That has nothing to do with this review except that it’s a review of a Traffic album and Dave Mason was in Traffic but you wouldn’t know that from the cover of their first American album.

The Bay area based Blue Cheer issued this raw blues-psych record that runs a little more than a half an hour on the Philips label back in January of 1968.

The Bay area based Blue Cheer issued this raw blues-psych record that runs a little more than a half an hour on the Philips label back in January of 1968.

The first two sides of this double record set spotlight Hooker, his incendiary, coiled-snake stinging guitar, his foot stomping, mutable time-keeping and his chant-like, mournful singing all recorded intimately. Canned Heat co-founder Al Wilson contributes harmonica and piano on some of the tunes that are otherwise all Hooker.

Far from the sad, wobbly finale you might be expecting, these last to be released Johnny Cash recordings are uplifting, inspirational and resolutely purposeful thanks to both Cash’s searing artistry and the sensitivity of the A&R work.

The song selection is a playlist of life-reminiscences and reaffirmations of faith that draws from both popular and religious sources. Cash looks back on his life and forward to what he is certain is the next step in life’s journey.

While two of the three previous jazz records guitarist/arranger Anthony Wilson made with producer Joe Harley were guitar/drum/organ sessions, this one also featuring those instruments is much different.

Though it’s definitely a jazz album, the inclusion of legendary rock drummer Jim Keltner instead of a more swinging, lighter touched jazz percussionist gives Jack of Hearts a much different anchor and a mostly retro-feel. The experiment is never less than interesting and often great, but it doesn’t always work as well as intended.