Anyone who knows anything about Victor Wooten knows that he's one of those rare souls: he gains a rep for playing the bass. Soul Circus, however, isn't just an extravaganza for bass players. Wooten, as it turns out, is also a heck of a writer and, as the listener will learn on the first track, a fine singer. The unusual first track, "Victa," is a funky, soulful hymn in praise of – who else – Wooten himself, while "Bass Tribute" offers accolades to those who've come before him.

The youthful old jazz master has a new dream team: clear, with buckets of soul and unconfined joy, solidly grounded in the groove, this trio has a way of going straight to the heart of the matter.

John Patitucci, a brilliant bassist best known for his fusion playing with Chick Corea's Elektric Band, leans strongly in the direction of Brazilian pop music on this CD. Most of the selections have vocals, and although Patitucci takes a lot of excellent acoustic bass solos (and there are occasional solo spots for keyboardist John Beasley and saxophonist Steve Tavaglione), this CD is more in the world music than fusion vein. The vocalists include Joao Bosco, Dori Caymmi, Kleber Jorge, Ivan Lins, Cathy Brandolino and Kevyn Lettau.

Johnson's sophomore outing is quite a departure from the solo guitar format of Fingertip Ship, his debut. Determined to showcase his skills as a writer and orchestrator, Johnson assembled an unlikely cast of guest musicians: from electric bassist Reggie Washington of the M-Base Collective to Warren Haynes of the reformed Allman Brothers Band. Paul McCandless's oboe and soprano sax and Andy Reinhardt's accordion also create arresting musical colors. Those who don't care for the old-world quality of the accordion ought to hear what Reinhardt is capable of making the instrument become. Upright bassist Glen Moore, drummer Matt Wilson, and percussionist Cyro Baptista also join Johnson, bringing influences from their diverse musical worlds to the project…

All great human passions – whether romantic, creative, inventive, or transformative – begin with a single spark. On her tenth album as a leader, Japanese pianist/composer Hiromi traces the path of the flame ignited by that spark as it consumes and inspires. Over the course of nine expressively charged songs, the listener is carried away on an impassioned spiritual journey that might tell the story of a personal discovery, a love affair, or the creation of the music itself.

Short Wave Live is the only album by Short Wave, a UK band related to the Canterbury Scene, consisting of Hugh Hopper (bass), Didier Malherbe (sax), Phil Miller (guitar) and Pip Pyle (drums). The band was formed in 1991. Miller and Pyle had been playing together in In Cahoots, which had previously also included Hopper. In 1993, they released a live album that contains material from concerts in England, 1991 and France, 1992. Short Wave was short lived - all members were also busy in other projects and bands. The album was reissued on CD in 2005 on Voiceprint Records.

This quiet, lovely record, in which the Gambian kora virtuoso Foday Musa Suso is given equal billing, was generally ignored when it came out, probably because it fit no one's preconceived idioms — be they jazz, funk, MTV, or even world music. The only performers are Hancock on a detunable Yamaha DX-1 synthesizer and drum machine and Suso spinning his webs of delicate sound on the zither-like kora, vocalizing a bit and playing a talking drum — all in real time in a Tokyo studio. The results are absolutely mesmerizing, with Herbie aligning himself perfectly within Suso's unusual, complex rhythmic conceptions and folk-like harmonies. On the 20-minute "Kanatente," Hancock does introduce some of his own advanced harmonic ideas, and he contrasts and interweaves them with Suso's deceptively simple lines in a splendid jam session that eventually ends in a dance that can only be described as Gambian funk.

This single CD gives one a definitive look at Miles Davis' live show from his last three years. Using funky but unpredictable rhythm sections and leaving space for plenty of solos, Davis created a unique brand of fusion that has yet to be satisfactorily duplicated. Among his more notable sidemen during this era are altoist Kenny Garrett, Foley on lead bass (which he used as a lower-toned guitar), one or two keyboardists chosen from Joey DeFrancesco, Adam Holzman, Robert Irving III, Kei Akagi, and John Beasley, various bassists, drummers, and percussionists, and on "Amandla," the tenor of Rick Margitza. Davis is in consistently strong form throughout the numbers, which include "In a Silent Way," "New Blues," "Human Nature," "Tutu," and "Time After Time." Quite often the live versions of these songs are more creative and exciting than the ones previously issued.

This set of Edgar Winter's jazzy remakes of older tunes and some new ones is all over the place. With a cast that includes guitarists Robben Ford and Hiram Bullock, Steve Lukather, and Michael Hakes, and bassists like Will Lee, Mark Meadows, and Tom Lilly, as well as trumpeter Lee Thornburg, one gets exactly what one expects: a slick, groove-infested ride through Winter's past and present.

Tuki is the song of one given to many. As the ECM leader debut of master drummer Momodou “Miki” N’Doye, it houses multiple fates under one roof and collates them into discernible rhythms and voices. N’Doye hails from Gambia, where in the mid-70s he met Norwegian musician Helge Linaae. This encounter brought him to Oslo, where, after coming into contact with such influential movers as Jon Balke, his future as shaker in the far north was secured.

First time reissue of this forgotten album of Don Cherry. This album was recorded in 1978 in Paris and released only in France in 1981. That was the first meeting between Don Cherry and Indian percussionist Latif Khan and the result is an incredible mixture of jazz and Indian music. This unsung album is only known by hardcore fans of Don cherry who considered it as one of his best effort.

Silence-Light is flamenco percussionist and composer Nacho Arimany’s debut album. The great creativy and power of Javier Vercher is present on saxophone and percussion atmospheres. Lionel Loueke is on amazing guitars from Africa and other galaxies; joined with his personal and unique voice. Pablo Suarez supports the melodies with the piano; the flamenco harmony going beyond his own gipsy soul. The great voice and talent of the flamenco gipsy singer Antonio Campos and the superb jazz bass sound of Massimo Biolcati, work in real tandem with flamenco dancer Concha Jareno, who gives new percussive melodies and feelings to the music. This fantastic group of musicians got together to record at Systems Two Studio in New York in the Spring of 2006. This work is a journey through different worlds and feelings. The real compromise with music as an experience to share in freedom.

Small Places is double bassist/composer Michael Formanek’s follow-up to “The Rub and Spare Change”, his widely lauded ECM debut as a leader. If anything, Small Places is a step beyond this quartet’s first release, with the compositions and improvisation blending so seamlessly that a listener is scarcely able to tell where one leaves off and the other begins. Earthy yet atmospheric, this is very 21st-century American jazz, the music brimming with piquant riffs and muscular ostinatos, rich in melodic possibility and the sound of surprise.