Wednesday 31 December 2014

John Coltrane - Black Pearls (1958) {2008 Prestige Rudy Van Gelder Remaster}

EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG | MP3 @320
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png)
© 2008 Concord / Prestige | 0888072306578 | 24-bit remaster
Jazz / Hard Bop / Bop


In addition to their positions of importance in the Miles Davis quintet of the mid-fifties, John Coltrane and Red Garland a series of studio dates for Prestige in 1957 and '58. Here, as in several of the others, Paul Chambers is the bassist and Arthur Taylor is the drummer, with Donald Byrd on trumpet making it a quintet.

There are only three numbers, the title song "Black Pearls", an extremely swift version of "Lover Come Back To Me", and the fast "Sweet Sapphire Blues" which begins with Garland soloing from the gitgo in a long, upbeat exploration before Trane unfurls his "sheets of sound". Byrd gets into that rapid fire mode, in and among his evenly-cadenced lines and Chambers (plucked) and Taylor (brushes into sticks) solo before Garland ends it with a riff credited to Prestige's then-president, Bob Weinstock.


Personnel:
John Coltrane - tenor saxophone
Donald Byrd - trumpet
Red Garland - piano
Paul Chambers - bass
Art Taylor - drums

tracklist:
01 - Black Pearls
02 - Lover Come Back To Me
03 - Sweet Sapphire Blues

Sam Most - I'm Nuts About The Most....Sam That Is! (1955) {2014 Japanese Bethlehem Album Collection 1000}



Sam Most - I'm Nuts About The Most....Sam That Is! (1955) {2014 Japanese Bethlehem Album Collection 1000}
Jazz / Bop / Cool / East Coast Jazz / Flute

Sweet flute work from the great Sam Most – a player who really shone brightly during his 50s recordings for Bethlehem Records – of which this is one of the best! Sam's got a mean, lean quality to his solos – a mode that rivals that of Frank Wess on the instrument at the time, and may well beat Herbie Mann – able to step lively on more boppish numbers, but step back into these soulful lines at just the right moments. The rest of the group has a tight feel too – modern, but a bit playful too – with Marty Flax on baritone, Barry Galbraith on guitar, Billy Triglia on piano, and Oscar Pettiford on bass. Titles include "Deed I Do", "Broadway", "Smiles", "Don't Worry Bout Me", "How Deep Is The Ocean", and "Tea For Two".

Milt Jackson - Ballads & Blues (1956) {2012 Japan 24-bit Remaster} [Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series]



Milt Jackson - Ballads & Blues (1956) {2012 Japan 24-bit Remaster} [Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series]
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Vibes

Features 24 bit digital remastering. Comes with a mini description. Ballads & Blues is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Milt Jackson featuring performances recorded in 1956 and released on the Atlantic label. The unassuming title of this compilation understates the fact that Milt Jackson is a master of ballad and blues forms, and an inspired collaborator when working flautists.

Captain Beefheart - Bat Chain Puller (1976) {2012 Vaulternative Records Remaster}



Captain Beefheart - Bat Chain Puller (1976) {2012 Vaulternative Records Remaster}

Rock / Experimental Rock

A long-lost Captain Beefheart album is to finally be released, on what would have been Don Van Vliet's 71st birthday. Bat Chain Puller was recorded in 1976 but shelved later that year, due to a dispute between Frank Zappa and his former manager, Herb Cohen. Bat Chain Puller was originally intended to be the follow-up to 1974's maligned Bluejeans & Moonbeams, after Vliet recruited a new band. Zappa produced the sessions, and tracks like Owed t'Alex and The Floppy Boot Stomp made it all the way to Beefheart's label, Virgin, as well as several journalists. Unfortunately that's as far as things got. When Zappa sued Cohen, Bat Chain Puller was caught in the litigation and the album was shelved. Although many of Bat Chain Puller's songs were re-recorded for subsequent Beefheart releases, the original record has only been available among fans, as a popular bootleg.

Soft Machine Legacy - Live Adventures (2009) {2014 Japan Mini LP SHM-CD Remaster}



Soft Machine Legacy - Live Adventures (2009) {2014 Japan Mini LP SHM-CD Remaster}
Jazz / Jazz Rock / Rock / Avant-Garde Jazz / Prog Rock

Cardboard sleeve reissue from Soft Machine Legacy features SHM-CD format. This series features the following albums: "The Soft Machine Legacy," "Live In Zaandam," "Live Adventures," and "Steam." On their rousing new live disc for MoonJune (recorded during the European tour in October of 2009), Live Adventures, Soft Machine Legacy covers more vintage Soft Machine repertoire than on any of their previous releases. Creating fresh arrangements and new instrumentations like only they could, SML reinvigorates this classic songlist -- giving the tunes intriguing new dimensions, different textures, and decorating them with expansive, protean improvisations of the highest order.

Frank Zappa - Thing-Fish (1984) [2CD] {1995 Ryko Remaster Complete Series}



Frank Zappa - Thing-Fish (1984) [2CD] {1995 Ryko Remaster Complete Series}

Rock / Experimental Rock / Jazz Rock / Art Rock

Of all of Frank Zappa's discography, Thing-Fish must be his most controversial, misunderstood, overlooked album. Obviously, it is not a masterpiece, but reducing it to a compilation album with a racist plot distorts the reality. First released as a three-LP set (and reissued on two CDs), this album is the "original cast recording" of a never-produced Broadway show. Working-class joes have been mutated into potato-headed, duck-mouthed creatures by a government experiment gone wrong. They put up a Broadway musical in which reality and fiction become one for two members of the audience.

Chick Corea - Tones for Joan's Bones (1966) {2012 Japan 24-bit Remaster} [Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series]



Chick Corea - Tones for Joan's Bones (1966) {2012 Japan 24-bit Remaster} [Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series]

Jazz / Hard Bop / Piano

Features 24 bit digital remastering. Comes with a mini description. Tones for Joan's Bones, Chick Corea's first session as a leader, is a blazing, advanced hard bop set from late 1966, with writing that reveals an affinity with McCoy Tyner's seminal hard bop structures from this period. Tenor player Joe Farrell and trumpeter Woody Shaw are ideal for this music. They deliver virtuoso performances that are both visceral and cerebral.

Miles Davis Quintet - Live At The Oriental Theatre 1966 (2010) [2CD] {2014 Sunburn Reissue}



Miles Davis Quintet - Live At The Oriental Theatre 1966 (2010) [2CD] {2014 Sunburn Reissue}

Jazz / Hard Bop / Trumpet

This release contains a complete previously unissued concert by the 1966 Miles Davis Quintet. Recorded at the impressing Oriental Theatre in Portland shortly before it was demolished, it presents the only existing testimony of bassist Richard Davis playing with Miles. Among its many highlights are many great trumpet solos by Miles, including his only existing version of "Who Can I Turn To ?" a free jazzoriented So What, and a beautiful reading of My Funny Valentine.

Various Artists - Produced by George Martin: 50 Years In Recording (2001) [6CD BoxSet] {EMI Records}



Various Artists - Produced by George Martin: 50 Years In Recording (2001) [6CD BoxSet] {EMI Records}

Rock / Jazz / Pop / Fusion / Folk Rock / British Invasion

George Martin is one of the world's most famous record producers and yet, despite a long and varied career, he is most celebrated for his era-defining work with the Beatles. The six-CD box set Produced By George Martin commemorates his 50 years behind the desk. The discs are in chronological order and loosely themed--early years, comedy recordings, 60s hits, orchestral, etc. While generally presented in a chronological fashion, each disc is likewise aptly subtitled. Disc one -- "Crazy Rhythms" -- features pre-rock & roll big band ("High Society"), skiffle ("Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O"), and dance music ("Scottish Polka" and "Saturday Jump"). In addition, there are tracks from other well-known yet rarely heard artists such as Jimmy Shand ("Bluebell Polka") and Rolf Harris ("Sun Arise"). The "Transports of Delight" on disc two highlight spoken-word and comedy sides produced by Martin in the '50s and '60s.

Brian Eno - Music For Films (1978) {2009 Virgin DSD Remaster}



Brian Eno - Music For Films (1978) {2009 Virgin DSD Remaster}

Experimental / Avant-Garde / Ambient

The basic core of tracks making up Brian Eno's Music for Films was originally assembled in 1976 for inclusion in a promotional LP of prospective cues sent to film directors. In early 1978, a bit before Music for Airports, Editions EG released Music for Films with little more than Eno's cryptic comment: "some of it was made specifically for soundtrack material, (and) some of it was made for other reasons but found its way into films." As with most things Eno, this led to a good deal of speculation and controversy. One filmmaker long ago stated, "All of that is crap -- this music was never used in any films," and another film student who had tried out some of the cues: "this is the worst music for films ever. These cues don't synch to anything." However, the second filmmaker unintentionally discovered the essence of Music for Films -- the 18 pieces here are little films, stimulating the visual part of one's brain and thus fulfilling their promotional purpose. In that sense, Music for Films was revolutionary in 1978.

Bobby Hutcherson - Happenings (1966) {2013 Japan SHM-CD Blue Note 24-192 Remaster}



Bobby Hutcherson - Happenings (1966) {2013 Japan SHM-CD Blue Note 24-192 Remaster}

Jazz / Post Bop / Vibraphone

Reissue. Features the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD player) and 24bit remastering. Bobby Hutcherson's first quartet outing, Happenings, casts the brightest spotlight on the vibraphonist's soloing abilities, matching him once again with pianist Herbie Hancock (who is also heavily featured) and drummer Joe Chambers, plus bassist Bob Cranshaw. For that matter, the album also leans heavily on Hutcherson's compositional skills; save for Hancock's "Maiden Voyage," six of the seven numbers are Hutcherson originals.

Bobby Hutcherson - San Francisco (1970) {2014 Japan SHM-CD Blue Note 24-192 Remaster}



Bobby Hutcherson - San Francisco (1970) {2014 Japan SHM-CD Blue Note 24-192 Remaster}

Jazz / Post Bop / Vibraphone

Features the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD player) and 24 bit remastering. Bobby Hutcherson's late-'60s partnership with tenor saxophonist Harold Land had always produced soulful results, but not until San Francisco did that translate into a literal flirtation with funk and rock. After watching several advanced post-bop sessions gather dust in the vaults, Hutcherson decided to experiment with his sound a bit, but San Francisco still doesn't wind up the commercial jazz-funk extravaganza that purists might fear. Instead, Hutcherson and Land stake out a warm and engaging middle ground between muscular funk and Coltrane-style modality; in other words, they have their cake and eat it too.

Brian Eno - Another Green World (1975) {2009 Virgin DSD Remaster}



Brian Eno - Another Green World (1975) {2009 Virgin DSD Remaster}


Experimental Rock / Avant-Garde / Art Rock / Ambient


A universally acknowledged masterpiece, Another Green World represents a departure from song structure and toward a more ethereal, minimalistic approach to sound. Despite the stripped-down arrangements, the album's sumptuous tone quality reflects Eno's growing virtuosity at handling the recording studio as an instrument in itself (à la Brian Wilson). There are a few pop songs scattered here and there ("St. Elmo's Fire," "I'll Come Running," "Golden Hours"), but most of the album consists of deliberately paced instrumentals that, while often closer to ambient music than pop, are both melodic and rhythmic; many, like "Sky Saw," "In Dark Trees," and "Little Fishes," are highly imagistic, like paintings done in sound that actually resemble their titles.

Charlie Haden & Jim Hall - Charlie Haden & Jim Hall (2014) {Impulse!}



Charlie Haden & Jim Hall - Charlie Haden & Jim Hall (2014) {Impulse!}

Jazz / Post Bop / Chamber Jazz / Modern Creative

This recorded, intimate document was recorded at Jazz Beat during the Montreal Jazz Festival in 1990 and sees its first official release on this Impulse! volume. Bassist Charlie Haden and guitarist Jim Hall played a number of duet concerts together over the years, but this was certainly among the very earliest. Given their respective careers up to this point, both men had nearly perfected the artistry of playing in this particular chamber jazz setting. That all said, it does not prepare the listener for the canny, intimate, yet absolutely electric interplay on offer here.

XTC - Drums and Wires (1979) [CD+BLU-ray] {2014 Ape House Remaster} [mix by Steven Wilson]



XTC - Drums and Wires (1979) [CD+BLU-ray] {2014 Ape House Remaster} [mix by Steven Wilson]

Rock / New Wave / Alternative / Indie Rock


The revolutionary Drums And Wires, from 1979, is the second in a series of expanded XTC album reissues, including 5.1 Surround mixes, new stereo mixes and High-Resolution stereo mixes of the original material, along with a wealth of extra audio and visual material. All copies come with an exclusive postcard signed by Andy Partridge (while stocks last). Steven Wilson produced the mixes with the input of founder band member Andy Partridge and the full approval of the band. This cd/blu-ray edition is presented in special packaging with an expanded booklet and sleeve-notes by Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding and Dave Gregory.

David Bowie - Nothing Has Changed (2014) [3CD Deluxe Edition] {Parlophone Records}



David Bowie - Nothing Has Changed (2014) [3CD Deluxe Edition] {Parlophone Records}


Rock / Art Rock / Contemporary Pop / Glam Rock / Alternative / Dance-Rock / Experimental Rock / Blue-Eyed Soul


Nothing Has Changed is a bit of a cheeky title for a career retrospective from an artist who is known as a chameleon, and this triple-disc compilation has other tricks up its sleeve. Chief among these is sequencing the SuperDeluxe 59-track set in reverse chronological order, so it opens with the brand-new, jazz-inflected "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)" and concludes with David Bowie's debut single, "Liza Jane." On paper, this seems a bit like a stunt, but in actuality it's a sly way to revisit and recontextualize a career that has been compiled many, many times before.

Captain Beefheart - Sun Zoom Spark: 1970 to 1972 (2014) [4CD Box Set Limited Edition] {Rhino}


Captain Beefheart - Sun Zoom Spark: 1970 to 1972 (2014) [4CD Box Set Limited Edition] {Rhino}

Rock / Experimental Rock / Psychedelic

On November 11, Rhino Records will celebrate the music of avant-garde iconoclast Don Van Vliet, a.k.a. Captain Beefheart, with a new four-CD box set. SUN ZOOM SPARK: 1970 to1972 focuses on the period following the release of his career-defining 1969 album Trout Mask Replica. During that creatively fertile patch, Beefheart released three albums that have long lingered in the shadow of Trout Mask and even of Beefheart’s Richard Perry-produced debut Safe as Milk. SUN ZOOM SPARK revisits these three albums – Lick My Decals Off, Baby, The Spotlight Kid, and Clear Spot- in freshly remastered editions, and adds a fourth disc containing fourteen previously unreleased outtakes and alternates from Beefheart and his Magic Band cohorts. Housed in a 7½ x 7½ picture box - still sealed in stickered shrinkwrap.

The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night (1964) [Blu-ray] {2014 The Criterion Collection}


The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night (1964) [Blu-ray] {2014 The Criterion Collection}
Nominated for two Academy Awards, Richard Lester's "A Hard Day's Night" (1964) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include original rerelease trailers for the film; documentary film produced by Walter Shenson; Richard Lester's early short film "The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film" (1960); audio commentary featuring various members of the film's cast and crew; exclusive new video piece featuring story editor and screenwriter Bobbie O'Steen and music editor Suzana Peric; Martin Lewis' documentary "Things They Said Today" (2002); and a lot more. The release also arrives with an illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic Howard Hampton. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

Marc Bolan and T. Rex - Total T. Rex 1971-1972 (2004) [5CD+DVD BoxSet] {Easy Action Recordings}


Marc Bolan and T. Rex - Total T. Rex 1971-1972 (2004) [5CD+DVD BoxSet] {Easy Action Recordings}


Rock / Glam Rock / Proto-Punk

Total T. Rex is a beautiful collector's box set, individually numbered and limited to 5000 copies worldwide. This six disc box set contains previously unreleased material from the personal collection of Marc's family for the first time! Box set includes five CDs, a DVD, Electric Warrior stickers and an illustrated booklet containing liner notes by T. Rex members Mickey Finn, Steve Currie, Bill Legend, and several unpublished photos. This set captures the four piece group at the height of their popularity during the period when Marc's success was dubbed by the press as “T-Rextasy”. Across the six discs is a wealth of previously unheard material including home demos of Marc and the band rehearsing and working on songs for the legendary Electric Warrior album and features the song Electric Warrior which was to give the band the title of the album although the song was left in the vault at the time and has never previously been heard! Marc's son Rolan Bolan has personally overseen all the aspects of this lavish boxed set.

Frank Zappa - The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life (1991) [2CD] {1995 Ryko Remaster Complete Series}


Frank Zappa - The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life (1991) [2CD] {1995 Ryko Remaster Complete Series}

Rock / Experimental Rock / Jazz Rock / Art Rock

Official Release #55. This two-CD set is the second of three albums of material Frank Zappa compiled from the 1988 tour. While Broadway the Hard Way (released in 1988) mostly presented the new songs performed during that tour, this set focuses on older songs (Make a Jazz Noise Here would contain mostly instrumental pieces). This is the best band you never heard in your life because the 12-piece group disintegrated after only four months of touring through the U.S. East Coast and Europe. These shows took place during the Jimmy Swaggart scandal, when the televangelist was caught with a prostitute.

Flora Purim - Butterfly Dreams (1973) {2007 Milestone} [Keepnews Collection Complete Series]


Flora Purim - Butterfly Dreams (1973) {2007 Milestone} [Keepnews Collection Complete Series]

Jazz / Latin Jazz / Fusion / Vocal Jazz

Remastered in 24-bit from the original master tapes. Part of our Keepnews Collection, which spotlights classic albums originally produced by the legendary Orrin Keepnews. The 1974 release of this album on the Fantasy group's Milestone label created an instant impact and launched one of the most exciting and tempestuous vocalists of the decade. Flora Purim and her husband, the brilliant percussionist Airto Moreira, had been part of Chick Corea's "Return to Forever" band, and Airto had gained much attention with Miles Davis, but this record combined their Brazilian rhythms for the first time with the "fusion" jazz of players like George Duke and Stanley Clarke. The result was a high-energy music of enormous appeal.

Bruce Springsteen - The Album Collection Vol.1 1973-1984 [8CD Box Set] {2014 Columbia Remaster}


Bruce Springsteen - The Album Collection Vol.1 1973-1984 [8CD Box Set] {2014 Columbia Remaster}

Rock / Contemporary Rock / Heartland Rock

Today, Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings released Bruce Springsteen: The Album Collection Vol. 1 1973-1984, a boxed set comprised of remastered editions of the first seven albums recorded and released by Bruce Springsteen for Columbia Records between 1973 and 1984. All of the albums are newly remastered (five for the first time ever on CD) and all seven are making their remastered debut on vinyl. The seven albums are recreations of their original packaging and the set is accompanied by a 60-page book featuring rarely-seen photos, memorabilia and original press clippings from Springsteen’s first decade as a recording artist. Acclaimed engineer Bob Ludwig, working with Springsteen and longtime engineer Toby Scott, has remastered these albums, all newly transferred from the original analogue masters using the Plangent Process playback system.

Soft Machine - Bundles (1975) {2012 Japan Mini LP Blu-spec CD Remaster}


Soft Machine - Bundles (1975) {2012 Japan Mini LP Blu-spec CD Remaster}


Jazz / Jazz Rock / Canterbury Scene / Art Rock

Cardboard sleeve (mini LP) reissue from Soft Machine featuring the high-fidelity Blu-spec CD format (compatible with standard CD players) and 2012 24-bit remastering. The cardboard sleeve faithfully replicates the UK LP. Includes a booklet written in English and an inner bag. Part of a three-album Soft Machine Blu-spec CD cardboard sleeve reissue series featuring albums "Bundles," "Softs," and "Alive And Well Recorded In Paris." In the extensive discography of Soft Machine, albums from the band's mid- to late-'70s jazz-rock fusion period are generally afforded the least respect. Fans all have their favorite LPs representing a particular "classic" lineup -- as well as opinions about other albums signifying that Soft Machine's best days were behind them. Some feel it was all over when Robert Wyatt left after Fourth (or stopped singing after Third), and it's probably even possible to find somebody somewhere who lost interest when Hugh Hopper replaced Kevin Ayers after Volume One.

Curtis Fuller - Two Bones (1958) {2014 Japan SHM-CD Blue Note 24-192 Remaster}


Curtis Fuller - Two Bones (1958) {2014 Japan SHM-CD Blue Note 24-192 Remaster}

Jazz / Hard Bop / Trombone

Reissue. Features the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (fully compatible with standard CD player) and the latest remastering (24bit 192kHz). One of the hippest Curtis Fuller albums for Blue Note – and one of the rarest too – a set that was recorded in 1958, but only ever issued on vinyl in this rare Japanese pressing from the 80s! The date's quite unique – as it features "two bones", that is, two trombonists – both Curtis Fuller and Slide Hampton, the latter of whom makes a rare Blue Note appearance with a hard, heavy, soulful groove. Rhythm is from the trio of Sonny Clark on piano, George Tucker on bass, and Al Harewood on drums – and the quality of the record is all super-high – another one of those Blue Note mysteries as to why the label never issued the set at the time. Titles include "Pajama Tops", "Fuss Budget", "Oatmeal Cookie", "Da-Baby", and "Loquacious Lady".

Lionel Hampton - Sentimental Journey (1985) {2014 Japan 24-bit Remaster} [Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series]


Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra - Sentimental Journey (1985) {2014 Japan 24-bit Remaster} [Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series]

Jazz / Big Band / Swing / Vibraphone / Vocal Jazz

Features 24 bit digital remastering. Comes with a mini description. I have always liked the arrangements in Lionel Hampton & Orchestra recordings. They are powerful, colorful and tasty. As the title 'Sentimental Journey' implies, we're given Lionel Hampton & Orchestra versions of classic standards. And we're blessed with the smooth and lovely vocals of Sylvia Bennett. Made in 1985, the album credits Lionel Hampton for playing not only the vibraphone but also the Yamaha DX-7 (for what? a vibraphone sound? sounds great, though). If you mainly only like Lionel's solo playing, you may not appreciate the big band focus of Lionel Hampton & Orchestra recordings. Solos are shared, but there's a vibraphone solo on every track, of course.

The Buddy DeFranco Quartet - In A Mellow Mood (1954) {2013 Japan Jazz The Best Series 24-bit Remaster}


The Buddy DeFranco Quartet - In A Mellow Mood (1954) {2013 Japan Jazz The Best Series 24-bit Remaster}

In Memoriam. R.I.P. Mr. Buddy. Buddy De Franco, a highly accomplished and exquisite jazz clarinetist who began his career in several leading swing bands of the 1940s before pivoting to bebop in the late 1940s and early '50s and teaming with leading jazz artists throughout the LP era, died on Dec. 24. He was 91. The album may be laidback, but it's hardly mellow at all – thanks to the presence of Sonny Clark on piano! The session's one of those great 50s pairings of Clark's piano and the clarinet of Buddy DeFranco – proof not only that Buddy could sound pretty darn soulful when he wanted, but also that he was always willing to grow and bring in some new ideas to his music.

And the pairing with Clark is one of the best ideas that Buddy ever had – a mode that makes his instrument sound even more soulful than ever, almost like a soprano sax at times. Rhythm is rounded out by bass from Gene Wright and drums from Bobby White – who give the album a nicely easygoing groove – on tunes that include "Sonny's Idea", "The Bright One", "Minor Incident", and "I'll Remember April".

The Jazzinvaders featuring Dr. Lonnie Smith - 'That's What You Say!' (2013) {Unique Records}


The Jazzinvaders featuring Dr. Lonnie Smith - 'That's What You Say!' (2013) {Unique Records}
The Jazz Invaders here are tighter than ever – and not just because they've got some heavy Hammond help from the legendary Lonnie Smith! Smith's definitely a key part of what makes this album so great – and his organ lines have a sharpness and depth that really stands out from the rest of the group – kind of an extra level of sound that really makes the whole thing sparkle! Yet the group themselves are pretty wonderful too – much more righteous than ever before, going past just a combo who can copy the best jazz modes, into the realm of one that's more than capable of making some mighty fresh sounds of their own. Linda Bloemhard sings on a few cuts, with this raspy edge that's pretty cool – but the instrumental push is what really makes the record shine. Titles include "Square Blues", "Little Sunflower", "Buzzin", "Song For Lonnie", "Tastich", "Nelson", "Mellow Mood", and "Tie Am".

Bobbi Humphrey - Flute-In (1971) {2014 Japan SHM-CD Blue Note 24-192 Remaster}


Bobbi Humphrey - Flute-In (1971) {2014 Japan SHM-CD Blue Note 24-192 Remaster}

Features the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD player) and 24 bit remastering. Early Blue Note work from the legendary Bobbi Humphrey – a session cut before she hooked up with producer Larry Mizell, but one that's still got a righteously soulful vibe! The arrangements here are by Wade Marcus, but he still has the great idea of giving Bobbi a bit more expanded sound in the background – a full mix of sounds that lets her flute step out in the lead and find its own soulful space on the solos – all with a wonderful style that definitely marks Humphrey as one of the freshest jazz flute talents in years! The other players are all pretty hip too – and include Lee Morgan on trumpet and Billy Harper on tenor – who'd both played with Bobbi on one of Lee's late Blue Note dates – and titles include a version of Eddie Harris' "Set Us Free", plus "Sad Bag", "Don't Knock My Funk", "Journey To Morocco", and "Ain't No Sunshine".

Jimmy Heath - Really Big! (1960) {2007 Riverside} [Keepnews Collection Complete Series]


Jimmy Heath - Really Big! (1960) {2007 Riverside} [Keepnews Collection Complete Series]

Remastered in 24-bit from the original master tapes. Part of our Keepnews Collection, which spotlights classic albums originally produced by the legendary Orrin Keepnews. Jimmy Heath has been at the forefront of modern jazz for almost 50 years. The middle brother of the illustrious Heaths, Jimmy (b. 1926) is a triple threat as saxophonist-composer-arranger. On this, his second Riverside date as a leader, Jimmy's ten-piece band was not, of course, really big—but his expert writing and arranging made the flexible ensemble sound bigger.