This is one of the odder Joe Henderson recordings. The four lengthy selections not only feature the great tenor-saxophonist but the piano and harp of Alice Coltrane (during one of her rare appearances as a sideman), violinist Michael White, bassist Charlie Haden, percussionist Kenneth Nash and Baba Duru Oshun on tablas. The somewhat spiritual nature of the music (Henderson's compositions are titled "Fire," "Air," "Water" and "Earth" ) and the presence of Alice Coltrane makes these Eastern-flavored performances rather unique if not all that essential: an early example of world music in jazz. This recording has been reissued as part of Henderson's eight-CD Milestone box set.

Bem Bom was tropicalista Costa's bid for superstardom in the mid-'80s, with the involvement of everybody who is anybody (well, almost). The jazz and R&B touches are more mainstream than before – but the Brazilian pop avant-garde has long drawn heavily on U.S. sources, besides being more sympathetic to lushness than its U.S. counterparts.

Walk into Light (1983) is the debut solo album released by Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson. (The album A was originally intended to be released as an Ian Anderson album, but instead was released as a Jethro Tull album.) In many ways Walk into Light is a two-hander, with Anderson working closely with then keyboard player in Jethro Tull, Peter-John Vettese…