"One World in Eight - The String Summit" from violinist Didier Lockwood is a sublime conversation in the universal language of jazz, performed by an all-star lineup of international musicians from seven European countries and the US, all major names on the international scene. The results: an amazing mixture of modern jazz, fusion and the avant-garde.

The re-release of Hans Koller's 1966 Relax With My Horns (MPS, Germany) shows a master at the top of his game. For the listeners, the disc is composed, arranged and produced with a sense of cheekiness… Trio of jazz musicians, with overdubbing of up to four saxophones on the session. The sum is a tidy little package of swing, blues and multi-tracked sax that echoes the iconic group Supersax.

Originally released on MPS Records, this is a subtle and fairly creative duet set featuring pianist Monty Alexander and the Jamaican guitarist Ernest Ranglin. On seven standards (including "Just Friends", "If I Should Lose You" and "Fly Me To The Moon") and three originals, Alexander and Ranglin listen closely to each other and indulge in some tight musical interaction. Although boppish, the music is not overly predictable; the musicians' mutual respect is obvious. Well worth searching for.

With his ever-fresh and expansive musical outlook, Slide Hampton is the personification of the composer-arranger-instrumentalist in jazz. His composing and arranging prowess have long been sought by all manner of ensembles, from small groups to orchestras, student ensembles to professional bands. His superb trombone playing once elicited an ultimate seal of approval from the father of the modern jazz trombone and Hampton mentor, J.J. Johnson. From a backstage vantage point at a Kennedy Center performance, Johnson was overheard referring to a solo Slide performed as part of a tribute to Dizzy Gillespie as "one of the most articulate ever given on a trombone".

One of Baden Powell's most popular records does not reveal its recording date. Even extensive research could not answer our questions. "Estudos" is one of his most experimental studio recordings and very well known. Baden Powell recorded only together with the percussionist Alfredo Bessa. Partly he over-dubbed guitar, bass and percussion, now and then he uses sound effects. Some compositions already show harmonies of Apaixonado. Hardly any other record contains so many solo pieces that became guitarist's standard reportoire quickly. It remains unknown if the material was originally intended for the planned solo record to be done in December 1971.

This 1975 MPS release continues Pork Pie’s cutting-edge exploration on the outer boundaries of fusion, jazz, and ethno. Keyboardist Van’t Hof, saxophonist Charlie Mariano, and guitarist Philip Catherine are joined by renowned Danish musician Bo Stief on electric bass and English drummer John Marshall of Soft Machine fame.

"High Voltage" (subtitled "Basic Basie Vol. 2") is an album by pianist and bandleader Count Basie featuring performances recorded in 1970 and released on the MPS label.

This compilation recorded during the 1972 Heidelberg Jazz Festival is a wide-ranging sampler with individual selections by evelen European groups representing a potpourri of musical styles and directions.

This album captures an electrifying live performance from Dutch jazz keyboardist Jasper van’t Hof and his band: Bob Malach on sax, Miroslav Vitous on bass and drummer Alphonse Mouzon, recorded in Montreux in July 1979. The fusion-laden material spotlights the musicians at their best: a pyrotechnical display where everyone solos and all the solos burn, recorded with a beautifully clear, clean live sound.

The Romanian Eugen Cicero was a Wunderkind, performing his first piano concert with a symphony orchestra at the age of six. His first SABA/MPS album, Rokoko Jazz sold over a million copies. Cicero was acknowledged as an "all-around entertainer, someone who gives a damn about stylistic borders and takes whatever is useful, from Bach to Cole Porter".

In this 1980 outing Antolini has once again assembled an impressive ten-man mix of top-flight German and American players, with the inventive compositions written by members of the band.

Swiss drummer Charly Antolini has been a force in European mainstream jazz for over half a century, a super-technician often compared with Buddy Rich and Louis Bellson. Beginning his professional career playing in Paris with such New Orleans legends as Sidney Bechet and Albert Nicholas, he graduated to swing and bop, working with Benny Goodman, Earl Hines, Jimmy Guiffre, and Art Farmer, among others. Antolini is best known for his own all-star ensembles.

A true evaluation of Cicero's creativity requires not only an appreciation of his tremendous technique but also an ability to listen with the heart. Cicero loved music and he loved his audience. He never played for himself, but for his audiences, which he always succeeded in captivating. His careful selection of originals, prior to each performance, was a pure delight not only for the friends of classical music but also for jazz lovers. On this 1967 release Cicero interprets Liszt arranged for jazz ensemble.

Pianist Oscar Peterson is frequently astounding on this solo set. After nearly 20 years of mostly performing with trios, Peterson sounds quite liberated in this setting, throwing in some hot stride, unexpected changes in tempos and keys, and surprises whenever he thinks of them. "Give Me the Simple Life," "Honeysuckle Rose," and the ironically titled "A Little Jazz Exercise" are quite remarkable, yet Peterson also leaves space for some sensitive ballads.

Hungarian violinist Csaba Deseő recorded this modern jazz album, his solo debut, for German label MPS in 1975. He plays both violin and viola here, often amplified and run through effects pedals like an electric guitar. Equally talented performing classical or jazz, Deseő spent over 30 years as a member of the Budapest National Philharmonic and has played with Menuhin and Rostropovich as well as John Lewis and Jean-Luc Ponty. On this album he is accompanied by a cast of international musicians, including German keyboardist Dieter Reith who contributes several songs.