More than any other genre, jazz seems best suited for the live environment. An artist can improvise in the studio, certainly, but in concert a musician can ignore time limits and stretch creative possibilities. This is especially true of all-star collaborations; they can seem contrived or forced, but when chemistry exists between the players, the result is jazz in its purest, most exciting form. Such is the case on this disc, which features five contemporary giants: Clarke, Larry Carlton, Najee, Deron Johnson, and Billy Cobham. Seventy minutes for seven songs allows the players to interact and solo at length, stretching originals and Miles and Mingus covers to their limit. While each member is a monster improvisor, all base their musings on a definite wave of melodic brilliance. Najee is the real surprise here, as Clarke says in his liner notes. While the others are respected as top fusion cats, the saxman has always faced criticism for the commercialism of his albums; here, Najee proves he can blow with the best of them, getting the energy flowing on tracks like his own "Buenos Aires." Other highlights include the light intro "Minute By Minute," which L.C. popularized as an instrumental; Cobham's explosive "Stratus"; Carlton's simmering "Her Favorite Song"; and the final piece, an increasingly frenetic, 22-minute explosion of Clarke's classic "School Days."© Jonathan Widran /TiVo

The first volume of GRP's Larry Carlton Collection takes the listener from the beginning of his solo career up to 1990. Starting off with one cut from his first Warner Bros. album, Larry Carlton, the collection goes on to include two tracks each from Sleepwalk and Friends, two each from the acoustic guitar albums Alone/But Never Alone and Discovery, and one from On Solid Ground. In addition, the CD throws in two then-new tracks, "Small Town Girl" and "For Heaven's Sake" -- pleasant melodic pieces with acoustic guitar lead, nothing extraordinary. Along the way, you'll hear some very catchy tunes long identified with Carlton ("Smiles and Smiles to Go," "High Steppin'," and "Minute by Minute"), a mellower rendition of "Nite Crawler" than the version he recorded as a Crusader, and the relaxed, funky "Bubble Shuffle." For some changes of pace, there is an affectionate tribute to the surf sounds from near his hometown of Torrance ("Sleepwalk"), and one harder-edged number, "Blues for TJ," that finds Carlton crossing swords with B.B. King virtually as an equal. Mostly, though, this is ingratiating smooth jazz that very often transcends the conventions of the idiom.© Richard S. Ginell /TiVo

With Tom Johnston gone from the lineup because of health problems, this is where the "new" Doobie Brothers really make their debut, with a richly soulful sound throughout and emphasis on horns and Michael McDonald's piano more than on Patrick Simmons' or Jeff Baxter's guitars. Not that they were absent entirely, or weren't sometimes right up front in the mix, as the rocking, slashing "Don't Stop to Watch the Wheels" and the bluegrass-influenced "Steamer Lane Breakdown" demonstrate. But given the keyboards, the funky rhythms, and McDonald's soaring tenor (showcased best on "What a Fool Believes"), it's almost difficult to believe that this is the hippie bar band that came out of California in 1970. There's less virtuosity here than on the group's first half-dozen albums, but overall a more commercial sound steeped in white funk. It's still all pretty compelling even if its appeal couldn't be more different from the group's earlier work (i.e., The Captain and Me, etc.). The public loved it, buying something like three million copies, and the recording establishment gave Minute by Minute four Grammy Awards, propelling the group to its biggest success ever.© Bruce Eder /TiVo

Five years between records can be a long time for most artists. James Hunter's not one of them. He's always recorded sporadically, preferring to be a road warrior. He went through some rough stuff between 2008's The Hard Way and 2012: namely, the diagnosis, illness, and eventual death of his wife Jacqueline in 2011 from cancer. Minute by Minute is billed to the James Hunter Six; it's an acknowledgment and thank you to his band -- Lee Badau (baritone saxophone), Damian Hand (tenor saxophone), Kyle Koehler (organ), Jonathan Lee (drums), and Jason Wilson (double bass), who've been playing with him for over 20 years. The set also marks the first time the Essex songwriter has recorded in America. Beautifully and organically produced and engineered by Daptone co-founder Gabriel Roth, and completely self-written, Minute by Minute is Hunter's most consistent collection of songs. They are drenched in his familiar meld of Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, Bobby "Blue" Bland, and the Five Royales, but one can also hear the great British soul-blues of early Graham Bond in the mix -- every producer but Roth has missed this about Hunter: the "Britishness" in his take on American soul and R&B. Hunter knows it's impossible to emulate his idols, but he can -- and does -- reveal how much their influence means to him as a modern musician. His voice here is more weathered but also far more expressive; he takes chances with it he hasn't before. Whether it's the rolling pop of horns and B-3 on opener "Chicken Switch," the put-up-or-shut-up, James Brown-tinged phrasing in "Drop on Me," or the rhythmic nod to "Evil Ways" in the wrenching "Heartbreak," Hunter digs deep into the fabric of each tune to wrench every ounce of meaning from it lyrically and emotionally. The smoky horn backings never overwhelm that voice but highlight its many nuances. Lee's drum kit rolls throughout, punctuating just enough to make these tracks pop. Check "Gold Mine," where his shuffle sets up just atop Koehler's organ and Andrew Kingslow's upright piano; Wilson's steady rolling, deceptively knotty bassline lays down a sprightly foundation for Hunter's vocal to celebrate the wonders of love even as it carries the weight of the world in its grain. This tune and "If I Only Knew" -- which features Hunter in his sweetest croon -- openly celebrate Cooke's influence. "Nothin' I Wouldn’t Do" and "Look Out" are stone dancefloor killers with great guitar breaks. While "Minute by Minute" is a tune the James Hunter Six have always done, it's brighter, tougher, leaner, far more expressive, and drenched in the joy of soul music. It's very close to what they deliver on-stage. His intelligent lyrics and melodies inside the arrangements of these beautifully crafted songs underscore the integrity and passion in his trademark voice. This is inarguably his finest album.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

Angel Air gives listeners another chance to experience this slick but slow-burning mid-'90s effort from this all-star assemblage led by Ray Fenwick and Polle Eduard, who played together in the '60s Dutch rock band Tee Set. They're joined by former Focus guitarist Jan Akkerman, former Deep Purple and Rainbow drummer Cozy Powell, saxophonist Candy Dulfer (who made a name playing with Prince), and session vocalist Lisa Boray (who scored a major '80s disco hit, "Break Out"). With so many different talents aboard, this affair might have been a mess, but the sound is smooth and self-assured. Eduard and Fenwick's lyrics revolve around romance and affairs of the heart. "Don't Mess With Fire" and "A Million Miles Away" are cautionary tales cloaked in a gentle, bluesy swagger, while Dulfer's sax powers the sultry, mid-tempo groove of "Short Avemue," which also gives Akkerman a chance to shine. Powell, on the other hand, gives his naturally exuberant drumming style a rest; he's more of a team player than on other projects. The standout track is unquestionably "Black & Blue," a smoky pop duet where Eduard and Boray push their voices to the limit and Dulfer weaves a compelling sax line behind him. Boray also contributes some nifty backing vocal lines on the moody pop ballad "It'll Be All Right on the Night" ("If you leave today, you'll be on your way"). "Three Times Your Age" is a funky denunciation of a lover whose experience betrays his wayward nature. Akkerman soars again on the closing instrumental "Katie's Love," where he and Fenwick swap atmospheric solos with Dulfer. It's a fitting end to such a well-crafted adult pop album. Fenwick's liner notes say that the late Powell called Long Hot Night his favorite project; three cheers to Angel Air for letting people find out themselves -- they'll definitely like what's going on here.© Ralph Heibutzki /TiVo