Una brillantísima mezcla de Jazz y música étnica en la que este genio del bajo -sobretodo conocido por sus trabajos para Thelonious Monk- contó con las colaboraciones de grandes del Jazz como Johnny Griffin, Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller y Benny Golson. Editado en 1960 a través del sello RCA.

Amazing stuff from Ahmed Abdul-Malik -- one of the early 60s most enigmatic jazz talents! Malik was Monk's bassist for a few years, but by the time of this record, he was working in a very sophisticated cross-cultural mode -- pulling together many different strands of jazz and Eastern music, forging them into a very unique sound. Unlike some of Malik's other records, which featured a style that was very heavy on Middle Eastern instrumentation, this one's got a very even blend of jazz, and features excellent work by Tommy Turrentine on trumpet, Calo Scott on cello, Eric Dixon on tenor, and Andrew Cyrille on drums. Malik himself plays bass and oud, and the record's got a snaking mix of jazz and exoticism that's roughly similar to Yusef Lateef's work on Savoy, or some of Sun Ra's work from the time. Titles include "Nights On Saturn", "La Ibkey", "The Hustlers", and "Oud Blues".

All-star session recorded in NYC in the autumn of 1958, led by Cannonball Adderley on alto sax, and Milt Jackson on vibes. The rhythm section is also no less noteworthy with Wynton Kelly on piano, Percy Heath on bass and Art Blakey on drums. This date represents an interesting and successful juxtaposition of the two sides of jazz at the time, with Adderley coming from the more improvisational and swinging side of downtown jazz and Jackson coming from the more cerebral side of jazz as 'high art'. But despite hailing from different sides of the scene, both men are considered venerable "practitioners of the blues" and this is perhaps the tie that binds these men together on this memorable date. The group plays a range of tunes including two of Adderley's own compositions: the title track "Things Are Getting Better" and "Sounds For Sid" (dedicated to a favorite disc jockey of the time). Jackson also contributes one of his own themes with the original "Blues Oriental", which leads off the disc. They also play Dizzy's bop-era classic "Groovin' High", while Adderley presents his own modern take on "The Sidewalks of New York". An important meeting of top shelf jazz musicians in a critical year in jazz history.

Sexteto de puro Neo-Bop jazzístico con cierto sabor latino, donde el saxo y el vibráfono llevan la voz cantante sobre una base rítmica compuesta por piano, bajo, timbales y conga.

Mahmoud Ahmed es una de las más rutilantes estrellas del Jazz etíope, y en este álbum vocal grabado en los 70 da buena prueba de ello. Música exquisita y sedosa en una reedición de lujo para el amante del buen World Jazz.