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[g] 'Round Midnight [prestige Version]

Jazz by Sun Ra, Vol. 1.


Released in 1957 on the Transition label, this album is important because it features Sun Ra's first recordings before the Saturn sessions, recorded in 1956 when the Chicago musicians were searching for something more, something beyond.

High-definition audiophile pressing - 180g premium vinyl - the complete album plus bonus track from the same session, but not included on the original LP

This special edition presents the complete Grant Green LP 'Gooden's Corner' (1961) with an additional track recorded at the same session with saxophonist Ike Quebec joining the quartet on the seldom heard standard, Count Every Star by Bruno Coquatrix and Sammy Gallop. Grant Green - guitar Sonny Clark - piano Sam Jones - bass Louis Hayes - drums Ike Quebec - tenor sax (on 'Count Every Star' only) Rudy Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, December 23, 1961. Original sessions recorded by Rudy Van Gelder & produced by Alfred Lion. "This is an album of real beauty and synergy between Green and pianist Sonny Clark, who along with Sam Jones on bass and Louis Hayes on drums rounds out the quartet. Green, an expert with standards, offers 'Moon River', 'What Is This Thing Called Love?', and 'On Green Dolphin Street'." - ****1/2 Michael Erlewine, All Music

"Pithecanthropus Erectus was Mingus’ breakthrough as a leader, the album where he established himself as a composer of boundless imagination and a fresh new voice that, despite his ambitiously modern concepts, was firmly grounded in jazz tradition. The tune that gave the album its name is one of Mingus’ true masterpieces: a four-movement tone poem depicting man’s evolution from pride and accomplishment to hubris and slavery, and finally to ultimate destruction. This was the first album where Mingus tailored his arrangements to the personalities of his musicians, teaching the pieces by ear instead of writing everything out.
THE COMPLETE ALBUM + 2 BONUS TRACKS 180-GRAM VIRGIN VINYL • LIMITED EDITION"

Duke Ellington and Count Basie, despite rivalry, were close friends and admirers of each other.

The Magic City is a testimony of the evolution in Sun Ra's music in the mid-60s. This album is among Ra's most definitive studio recordings.

THE COMPLETE ALBUM + BONUS TRACK - 180g VIRGIN VINYL - LIMITED EDITION. 2-3-4 was not a typical album for Shelly Manne who was primarily associated with West Coast Jazz. For this session though he flew from Los Angeles to New York by arrangement with producer Bob Thiele to be reunited with pioneering tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins and pianist Hank Jones, both of whom he had recorded with at various times in the 1940s. In an unusual session lasting through the wee hours of the morning, Manne ended by recording one tune as a duet with Hawkins.

Sonny Stitt replaced John Coltrane when he left the Miles Davis Quintet in April 1960.




[c] B1 Walkin [incomplete]

Although both Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong had met and performed together previously, they wouldn't be heard on record together until January 18, 1946, when they waxed a single 78-rpm disc ("You Won't Be Satisfied) for Decca. They went on to record a few more singles together until in 1956 when producer Norman Granz paired the two together between 1956 and 1957 on three albums that were both critically acclaimed and commercial successes - appealing to audiences in and beyond the confines of jazz per se: Ella & Louis, its sequel Ella & Louis Again, and the selection of songs from George Gershwin's opera Porgy & Bess. While Porgy & Bess was recorded with a big band, the first two albums (featured in this release) were made in small group formats with the great Oscar Peterson Trio plus drummers Buddy Rich or Louie Bellson, resulting in some of the most fascinating jazz and popular music ever produced

Created in 1954 and originally based in Newport, Rhode Island, the Newport Jazz Festival became one of the most celebrated and emblematic jazz festivals in the world. Immortalized in 1958 by Bert Stern's movie Jazz on a Summer's Day, it provided the setting for some of the most talked about events in jazz history, such as Miles Davis' 1955 performance of 'Round Midnight

First exposed to the sounds of Samba and Bossa Nova while
touring South America with Dizzie Gillespie in 1956, Jones recalls
hearing Gillespie sitting-in with a Samba combo at Rio's Gloria
Hotel and how he was fascinated by the thrilling fusion of Jazz and
Samba. Some years later in 1962, he took a stellar big band into
NYC's A&R Studios to record the Big Band Bossa Nova album. It
was the culmination of a dream for Jones, who had never
forgotten the musical experiences he had encountered in Brazil.

180-GRAM VIRGIN VINYL - THE COMPLETE CONCERT. TOTAL TIME: 59 MINUTES - LIMITED EDITION

The complete April 8, 1960 concert at the Kongresshaus in Zurich, Switzerland by the splendid Miles Davis Quintet with John Coltrane on tenor sax, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums. Along with the frequently heard “All Blues” and “So What”, the Zurich concert has versions of “Fran Dance” and “If I Were a Bell”. “If I Were a Bell” had been first recorded by Miles and Coltrane in a quintet format in the celebrated October 26, 1956 studio session for Prestige and the Zurich version heard here is the only surviving appearance of this song from the 1960 European tour

The first regular Dave Brubeck Quartet with Paul Desmond included Joe Dodge on drums and, alternatively, brothers Bob or Norman Bates on bass. In 1956 Joe Morello took over as the quartet’s drummer in place of Dodge (the Bates brothers would be replaced by Eugene Wright on bass a few months after the recording of this album, and with his arrival the “Classic Quartet” was born). Jazz Goes to Junior College is, therefore, a recording that shows a transitional phase of the quartet. It also marks a return to “live” albums after making various studio LPs. This was a “sequel” to the Brubeck Quartet hit Jazz Goes to College, recorded during various college concerts in 1954. THE COMPLETE ALBUM - 180-gram VIRGIN VINYL - LIMITED EDITION -

Groovy was the third album to be released by acclaimed jazz drummer Red Garland. Originally released on Prestige Records in 1957 this energetic jazz album was performed by a trio made up of Garland alongside Paul Chambers (bass) and Art Taylor (drums). This new edition is released as part of the Original Jazz Classics Series and is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI with all-analogue mastering from the original tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and presented in a Tip-On Jacket.

So Much Guitar! war Wes Montgomerys erste Aufnahme mit dem Pianisten Hank Jones und auch seine erste Aufnahme mit Ron Carter, mit dem er bei drei weiteren Alben zusammen arbeitete.

»So Much Guitar!« enthält die einzige bestehende Zusammenarbeit des Gitarristen mit dem Schlagzeuger Lex Humphries. Alle weiteren möglichen Kooperationen wurden durch Wes' plötzlichen und unerwarteten Tod aufgrund eines Herzinfarkts am 15. Juni 1968 im Alter von 45 Jahren brutal unterbrochen. Es enthält den Klassiker »Twisted Blues« und Wes' Solo-Gitarre-Interpretation von »While We're Young«.

Der großartigen Sängerin Billie Holiday nähert man sich immer sehr respektvoll, behutsam ihrem tragischen Leben gegenüber, aber auch voller Bewunderung der fantastischen Musik, die sie erschaffen hat. Die aktuelle Analogue Productions/Verve Edition in 45rpm, verteilt auf zwei super sauber gepressten Vinyl-Scheiben, unterstreicht dies akustisch mehr als deutlich. Dabei ist die Tatsache, dass die Aufnahmen in Mono sind, ein soundtechnischer Haupt-Gewinn. Der Klang gewinnt dadurch definitiv an Intensität, Tiefe und Druck. Die Scheibe erschien erstmals 1955. Eine geniale Band bannte damals 12 wunderbare Lieder auf die analogen Studiobänder. Neben Sängerin Billie Holiday agieren noch die Schlagzeuger Larry Bunker und Alvin Stoller, Harry „Sweets“ Edison an der Trompete, Barney Kessel an der Gitarre, Jimmy Rowles am Piano und Ben Webster am Saxophon. Den Bass teilen sich Red Mitchell und Joe Mondragon. Der Opener „Do NothingTill You Hear From Me“ ist maximal fesselnd. Holidays Stimme erfüllt den ganzen Hörraum. Kessel spielt dazu wunderschön bluesig-trockene und wohlklingende blue notes. Websters Saxophon ist so unendlich präsent, dass man unschwer meinen könnte, man säße inmitten des Ensembles. Mit Swing und Maxi-Groove kommt „But Not For Me“. Jazz as Jazz can! Herrlich perlen die Klavierfiguren von Rowles. Der Kontrabass kommt dabei so unendlich druckvoll und dynamisch. Das muss man hören, fühlen und spüren. Holidays Stimme hat dabei soviel Klangfarbe, dass man nur noch Schwärmen kann. Die zwei 180 Gramm schweren LPs kommen im ästhetisch gestalteten Klappcover. Dieser audiophile Edelstein gehört in jede gut sortierte Schallplattensammlung, und zwar definitiv schrankenlos Genre-übergreifend. wb

Original sessions recorded by Rudy Van Gelder.+ Bonus track

Limited edition high-definition premium vinyl for super fidelity, 180g audiophile pressing - the complete LP + 2 bonus tracks Coltrane's sessions for Atlantic in late October 1960 were prolific, yielding the material for 'My Favorite Things', 'Coltrane Plays the Blues', and 'Coltrane's Sound'. 'My Favorite Things' was destined to be the most remembered and influential of these, and while Coltrane Plays the Blues is not as renowned or daring in material, it is still a powerful session. As for the phrase "plays the blues" in the title, it's not so much an indicator that the tunes are conventional blues, but more indicative of a bluesy sensibility.

Limited edition 180g audiophile pressing, high-definition premium vinyl for super fidelity - the complete LP + 2 bonus tracks 'Monk's Dream' was the first album Thelonious Monk released on Columbia Records after his less than amicable departure from Riverside Records. Even though Monk had already recorded all the tracks on the album before (apart from Bright Mississippi), in a variety of settings, the powerful cohesion of the quartet this Columbia session produced a first-rate work worthy of the praises it received when released, and which it still receives today. It was Monk's best-selling album ever. "This important album, Monk's first after a long absence from the recording studio, is a stunning reaffirmation of his power as a performer and composer. It is a brilliant and absorbing program of five Monk originals and three standards (and they might just as well be originals, so startling is their transformation at his hands). This is a beautiful album in every respect, completely stimulating in each second of its more than 47 minutes" - ***** Pete Welding, DownBeat

Considered by many to be his finest single album, the 1962 LP Coltrane finds John Coltrane displaying all of the exciting elements that sparked brilliance both on tenor and soprano saxophones, The album features his classic quartet, with bassist Jimmy Garrison, drummer Elvin Jones, and especially the stellar McCoy Tyner, all of whom by this time had already integrated their passionate dynamics into the inner whole of the group.

Recorded in Italy in 1962, 'Chet Is Back!' highlights the iconic trumpeter cutting loose on such bop-oriented workouts as "Pent-Up House" and "Well, You Needn't." Backed skilfully by a young cadre of up- and- coming European musicians, including the stellar saxophonist Bobby Jaspar and guitarist Rene Thomas, Baker sounds marvellous in both ballads and up-tempo tunes. It includes a stellar Baker version of the immortal "Over the Rainbow."

Miles Davis and Milt Jackson only recorded together on a few occasions, but those collaborations always produced superb music. Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giantsincludes one such collaborative effort - a unique 1954 quintet session that also features the great Thelonious Monk on piano.

These are the only existing studio recordings presenting Miles and Monk together.

Miles Davis, trumpet
Milt Jackson, vibes
Thelonious Monk, piano
Percy Heath, bass
Kenny Clarke, drums

Original session recorded by Rudy Van Gelder & produced by Bob Weinstock.


[b] A2. The Man I Love [take 2]
[c] A3. The Man I Love [take 1]

[e] B2. Bags Groove [take 2]
[f] B3. Bags Groove [take 1]

Limited Edition Classic LPs - 180g Virgin Vinyl -Audiophile Pressing Gerry Mulligan, Baritone Sax; Thelonious Monk, Piano; Wilbur Ware, Bass; Shadow Wilson, drums. New York, August 1957. Produced by Orrin Keepnews. Thelonious Monk was a creator in the true sense of the word. The current LP includes one of his rare albums that could fit within the standard formula of “jazz star 1 meets jazz star 2”. The pianist seldom shared the bill with other stars or accepted playing second fiddle to anyone. Two rare exceptions include his two 1950 sides backing singer Frankie Passions (“Especially to You” and “Nobody Knows”), and his 1950 studio session backing Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. But Monk is the leader on most of his recordings, and in a way, he was also the leading voice on this meeting with Gerry Mulligan. Most of the tunes played here are compositions by Monk, with the exception of the standard “Sweet and Lovely” - a favourite of Monk’s, who recorded it dozens of times - and Charlie Shavers’ “Undecided”, which could well have been Gerry’s only call for the evening. Although it remains clearly recognizable, the latter tune was slightly modified here, retitled “Decidedly” and attributed to Mulligan himself. No other recording of “Undecided” by Monk is known to exist. “’Round Midnight” was a Mulligan request for the session, as he wanted to record the song with its composer. It is clearly one of the best tracks of the whole album. However, the fact that no new compositions by Monk were recorded on this date seems to indicate that Monk always preferred to make his own albums and didn’t dedicate too much time to such experiments as Mulligan Meets Monk, which he may have regarded as a “commercial” venture. 4.5 Stars - Down Beat “The minutes of this meeting are very interesting indeed. They begin with a lyrical “’Round Midnight” and continue through Monk’s brittle “I Mean You”. In between, there are stretches of good to excellent Mulligan, brilliant Ware, and good to excellent Monk.” (Dom Cerulli)







g b4 | Straight, No Chaser [Alternate Version]