"Black Widow" is an album by Argentine composer, pianist and conductor Lalo Schifrin recorded in 1976 and released on the CTI label. The Allmusic review called it "one of the peak albums in Lalo Schifrin's lengthy catalogue and a necessity for anyone interested in his jazz work".

"The Rape of El Morro" is an album by American arranger/conductor and composer Don Sebesky featuring performances recorded in 1975 and released on the CTI label.

Packed full of McCann’s raspy vocals and funky riffs, "Another Beginning" finds jazz pianist/vocalist in top form. The soulful album released in 1974 peaked at #15 on Billboard’s Top Jazz Albums. Included on the album are the extraordinary “Someday We’ll Meet Again”, “My Soul Lies Deep” and “Maybe You’ll Come Back”. This mind-bending recording has never sounded better.

Firefly is an album by American flautist Jeremy Steig recorded in 1977 and released on the CTI label. The Allmusic review stated "Jeremy Steig's jazz-funk throwdown, Firefly, is one of the great forgotten masterpieces of the genre… Firefly was designed for the purpose of being a hit in the dance clubs, and it should have been, because it kicks ass on that level as well as on the jazz-funk beam… This is burning".

This is an unusual date for Jon Faddis. Doubling on flugelhorn, Faddis avoids his upper register and performs ballads while backed by an ensemble arranged by Carlos Franzetti. Here we hear Faddis working through charts by Carlos Franzetti on a set composed mostly of well-known jazz pieces, set for an unusual orchestra: Faddis plus three brass, seven winds and rhythm.

Although he has appeared on a countless number of studio sessions, this release was (with the exception of an obscure Japanese date in 1984) drummer Steve Gadd's debut as a leader. The Gadd Gang (comprised of the drummer, guitarist Cornell Dupree, bassist Eddie Gómez and Richard Tee on keyboards) was a likable unit that blended together jazz, R&B and some groovin' funk. With the addition of a horn section arranged by David Matthews, the group plays Bob Dylan's "Watching the River Flow," and Wilton Felder's "Way Back Home," a medley of "Honky Tonk" and "I Can't Stop Loving You," and some basic band originals that can appeal to a wide audience.

"I Hear a Symphony" is the sixteenth album led by saxophonist Hank Crawford and his fifth released on the Kudu (CTI) label in 1973. AllMusic states, "This set is a cooker. Certainly the production is a bit dated, but the funky-butt moves in Crawford's soulful playing and the tough riffing of Gale more than transcend it".

Sadao Watanabe is a Japanese jazz musician who plays alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone, and flute. He is known for his bossa nova recordings, although his work encompasses many styles with collaborations from musicians all over the world.

"Higher Ground" is an album by jazz organist Johnny Hammond recorded for the Kudu label. The Allmusic site stating "Some of the arrangements seem, well arranged, but as soon as Smith kicks in, the groove is established". The song "Big Sur Suite" has been sampled multiple times including The Beastie Boys "Pass the Mic" and Dr. Dre in "A Nigga Wit a Gun".

Hearing tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander is one of the great treats in jazz. There are few artists on stage today who combine chops, imagination and technique with a fluidity of ideas as he does. This imposing improviser is reunited here with pianist David Hazeltine and they're joined by another jazz great , the always daring trumpeter Jon Faddis on a couple of the tracks. Add in the swing engendered by bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth and you have a formula for excellence, if ever there was one. Alexander produced the session and there is a strong latin feel throughout thanks to the contributions of vibrant percussionist Alex Diaz spurring the band on with a whole trunk load of Latin percussion instruments. In addition to the Sergio Mendes & Brazil '66 title tune, the set-list features a satisfying mix of originals and covers all given the patented Alexander treatment.