In what I consider the top jazz album of 1998, the brothers Heath perform with the knowledge that age brings, spiced with the reckless abandon of youthful enthusiasm. The combination is stunning, delightful, and satisfying to the soul of any devoted jazz afficionado. Ladies and gents, this is the real thing.

Middle brother Jimmy plays the daylights out of his alto and tenor saxophones, delivering solos with spunk, innovation, and winning personality. Elder brother Percy long has been considered one of the premiere bass players in all of jazz history and was part of the Modern Jazz Quartet for many years. Seldom have the glories of the acoustic string bass sounded so good. And "Tootie" Heath plays drums with a precise, yet groovy style that provides solid and unobtrusive support.

The brothers assembled a brilliant cast of characters for "Jazz Family." The absolutely great Jeb Patton plays piano with confidence. His solos are always a pleasure. Joe Wilder, Earl Gardner and Tom Williams contribute nicely on trumpet and flugelhorn. The always delicious Benny Powell gets in his licks on trombone, while Bob Stewart does some soothing blowing on the tuba. Tony Purrone does yeoman work on the guitar.

Four compositions by Jimmy, and one new chart from Percy are simply marvelous, particularly Jimmy's "13th House," which opens the album. The standards include "East of the Sun" and "Easy Living," the latter receiving a warm, lush reading by the band. The old Kenny Dorham composition, "None Shall Wander" is seven minutes and 52 seconds of paradise.

"Jazz Family" belongs in the collection of every jazz fan.

LIVE! -- Pianist Gene Harris leads a superb sextet in this live recording featuring the Phillip Morris All-Stars (Concord Jazz). Here are some of the greatest living jazz players, working together as if they'd worked the road for at least a decade. Recorded in San Francisco in 1995, "Live!" again demonstrates that capturing a great group in concert can be a sublime experience.

The performers include Kenny Burrell on guitar, Harry "Sweets" Edison on trumpet, George Marz on bass, the inimitable Stanley Turrentine on sax, and Lewis Nash behind the drum kit. The incredible Ernie Andrews sings with his special combination of blues and jazz two sensational medleys. The blues medley includes "Parker's Mood," "Goin' to Chicago," and "Rocks in My Bed." The jazz "Collage in Blue," delves into Miles Davis's "All Blues," the Count Basie/Joe Williams hit, "Every Day I Have the Blues (written by Memphis Slim), and "Goin' Down Slow" and "CC Rider." Andrews deserves to be heard more often.

It's nice to hear Turrentine show that his jazz chops are intact, after so many years of working in the Smooth Jazz category.

Gene Harris plays with a percussive attack that is precise, measured, yet oh so soulful. He's one of the unsung heroes of the idiom.

JUST FRIENDS -- The small independent record label, Arbors, produces a steady stream of wonderful jazz recordings from its home base in Clearwater, Fla. Seeing the insignia of Arbors on a CD is practically a guarantee that great music will be inside.

That's certainly the case with "Just Friends," which offers a long-overdue showcase to the trumpet mastery of Irvin Stokes. While he may be in his 70s, you'd never guess this mainstream jazzman for someone long qualified for Social Security. His sound is clear, full, and magical. The backing trio of pianist Lloyd Mayers, bassist Earl May and drummer Eddie Locke provide sure-footed accompaniment, keeping the focus solidly on Stokes's simple but evocative playing.

The album opens with "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?" and slides smoothly along to such gems as "Sweet Lorraine," "I Cover the Waterfront," and "Laura." Even the war-horse "When the Saints Go Marching In" receives new strength in the playing of the playful Stokes. This is a good one.

MOON SONG -- Dan Barrett is one of those musicians with wide-ranging expertise. His band, the Extra-Celestials, contains nine outstanding players. On the swing arrangements of "Moon Song" (Arbors), he's the leader, wrote all the charts, plays trombone and cornet and sings. As the album notes report, "It just glows in the light of a timeless and inspired musicianship."

Tracks include "I'll Never Say Never Again," "I Surrender, Dear," and "Got a Date With an Angel." Rebecca Kilgore sings sweetly on five of the 13 songs. The band includes Dave Frishberg on piano and celeste, and the always entertaining Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar.

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