Also available on vinyl!

 

Jazz supergroup Artemis is composed of pianist/musical director Renee Rosnes, clarinetist Anat Cohen, tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, bassist Noriko Ueda, drummer Allison Miller, and vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, who collectively conjure a powerful, multi-generational, globe-spanning voice. This 9-track debut project features material composed/arranged by the members that unfurls with a dynamic flow, stunningly eclectic yet entirely cohesive.

Chet Baker does what he does best; SINGS AND PLAYS. He was gracious enough to occasionally put down the trumpet to croon, his vocal ability as skillful as his trumpeting. Baker's effortless virtuosity transcended the bounds of jazz stardom, with both aficionados and mainstream audiences embracing him as the genre's coolest cat.

2020 release. Pianist Gerald Clayton makes his Blue Note debut with Happening: Live At The Village Vanguard. An example of musical gambles taken on stage, the exceptional quintet (tenor sax-Walter Smith III, bassist-Joe Sanders, drummer-Marcus Gilmore) deliver dynamic performances at NYC's legendary Village Vanguard. With four Clayton originals and Billy Strayhorn's "Take the Coltrane". He then pares down to a trio for the lively version of Bud Powell's "Celia" and a stunning rendition of "Body and Soul".

If you like your jazz with a heaping helping of swirling, wondrous rhythm, Samba de Maracatu by the legendary Joe Chambers will fill you up. Be it on drums, percussion or mallets, Chambers has been one of the great sidemen in jazz history, providing the beat for everyone from Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson and Sam Rivers to Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson and Chet Baker … just to scratch the surface. He’s also had a diverse and incredible career as a leader. - DownBeat Magazine

Click here to read the full review at DownBeat Magazine

Saxophone master James Carter makes his Blue Note debut with James Carter Organ Trio: Live From Newport Jazz-his first new release since 2011. A soulfully robust dispatch from America's most storied jazz festival, it's also a follow-up of sorts to his acclaimed 2000 album Chasin' the Gypsy that The New Yorker called "an alternately reverent and audacious tribute to the Belgian swing-guitar legend Django Reinhardt. It may be the rambunctious saxophone player's recorded masterpiece."

2020 release. Blue Note debut by cornetist and composer Ron Miles, this is the follow-up to his widely acclaimed 2017 album I Am A Man, featuring the same remarkable collaborations. Miles wrote most of the music in Summer 2018 as his father was passing away; it's both a loving dedication and a riveting spiritual document that scores the journey from Earth to eternal peace. "Rainbows deal with renewal. Sometimes, our limitations can inform what we can see."

The classic! Tracks: "Move," "Jeru," "Moon Dreams" "Venus de Milo," "Budo," "Deception," "Godchild," "Boplicity," "Rocker," "Israel," "Rouge" and "Darn That Dream."

The brilliant and beloved cornetist and composer Ron Miles released his Blue Note debut Rainbow Sign in 2020 shortly before his tragic death in 2022 from a rare blood disorder. His legacy is honored with the release of Old Main Chapel, a recording that captures a sublime live performance by Miles' trio with guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Brian Blade in 2011 at Old Main Chapel in Boulder, Colorado. The 7-song set featured 6 of Miles' indelible originals along with a cover of "There Ain't No Sweet Man that's Worth the Salt of My Tears." The CD package includes heartfelt remembrances by Frisell, Blade, pianist and frequent collaborator Jason Moran, Blue Note President Don Was, and Ron's daughter Justice Miles.

Double vinyl LP pressing. In 1999, the same year that Jason Moran released his debut recording Soundtrack To Human Motion, the pianist and composer also joined New Directions, a band made up of young stars from the Blue Note roster. At the core of New Directions was the genesis of a rhythm section-with Moran, bassist Tarus Mateen, and drummer Nasheet Waits-that would go on to become one of the most enduringly creative and acclaimed piano trios in jazz. The Bandwagon made their first recording as a trio with Facing Left in 2000 and has been the foundation of the majority of Moran's artistic statements since. On his 2010 album Ten, Moran celebrated the 10th anniversary of The Bandwagon with an assured album that was a snapshot of a mature band with a decade of shared musical experience from which to draw. In addition to provocative originals the album presented singular interpretations of pieces by Thelonious Monk, Jaki Byard, Leonard Bernstein, and Conlon Nancarrow. This first-time vinyl release includes the bonus track "Thelonious" previously only available in Japan.

Clifford Brown - "Memorial Album" / The incomparable trumpeter Clifford Brown recorded two leader sessions for Blue Note in 1953 (a co-led quintet date with Lou Donaldson and his own sextet date) that were compiled on the Memorial Album shortly after his tragic death in 1956. Brownie's star burns bright from the blistering "Cherokee" to the stunning ballad "Easy Living." Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180gram vinyl at Optimal : [Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series] [LP]

Vinyl LP pressing. Pianist and composer Aaron Parks expands his trio with bassist Ben Street and drummer Billy Hart into a quartet with the addition of tenor saxophonist Ben Solomon on his luminous third Blue Note album, By All Means. Although Parks has made his band Little Big the center of his recorded output in recent years, he never stopped writing music that belonged to a different harmonic universe influenced by the likes of Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver, Duke Ellington, Joe Henderson, and others.

Leo Parker was the first bebop baritone sax player and a member of Billy Eckstine's Unholy Four saxophone section with Dexter Gordon in the mid-40s. Sidelined in the '50s due to personal troubles, he made a tragically brief comeback in 1961 recording two Blue Note dates, including Rollin' With Leo months before he died. This stereo Blue Note Tone Poet Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.

Following his excellent 1963 debut Evolution, trombonist Grachan Moncur III ventured even deeper into experimental waters on 1964's Some Other Stuff, a boldly avant-garde album featuring Moncur with a cohort of fellow explorers, including Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Cecil McBee and Tony Williams. This stereo Blue Note Tone Poet Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Pianist Andrew Hill burst onto the scene in 1963-64 with a torrent of creativity that produced 5 remarkable albums including Andrew!!! featuring saxophonist John Gilmore, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Richard Davis and drummer Joe Chambers performing 6 of Hill's mercurial inside-out compositions. This stereo Blue Note Tone Poet Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. A little-known baritone saxophonist who possessed remarkable agility and lyricism, Serge Chaloff made his defining album with 1956's Blue Serge, his second recording for Capitol. Joined by pianist Sonny Clark, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Philly Joe Jones, the quartet simmers on a laid-back set of standards. This mono Blue Note Tone Poet Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe tip-on jacket.

Paul Cornish - "You're Exaggerating!". You're Exaggerating! Features Cornish with the rhythm tandem of bassist Joshua Crumbly and drummer Jonathan Pinson, performing nine original compositions, most of them inspired by personal memories, reflections and idols. Helmed by a generous, uplifting bandleader, the trio chops up and reinvents the groove at will and embarks on unforeseen detours. Cornish's approach, in it's even-keeled texture and shrewd harmony, is a sort of mastery that entices rather than merely impresses. Available on 180g vinyl.

Paul Cornish - "You're Exaggerating!". You're Exaggerating! Features Cornish with the rhythm tandem of bassist Joshua Crumbly and drummer Jonathan Pinson, performing nine original compositions, most of them inspired by personal memories, reflections and idols. Helmed by a generous, uplifting bandleader, the trio chops up and reinvents the groove at will and embarks on unforeseen detours. Cornish's approach, in it's even-keeled texture and shrewd harmony, is a sort of mastery that entices rather than merely impresses.

Eddie Henderson - "Heritage (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition)". Trumpeter Eddie Henderson came to prominence as a member of Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi in the early '70s, after which he recorded a pair of seminal jazz/funk fusion classics for Blue Note - Sunburst (1975) & Heritage (1976) - the latter, featuring a forward-looking crew with Julian Priester, Patrice Rushen, Paul Jackson, Mike Clark, Billy Hart, Mtume and others. This stereo Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Openness Trio is the debut album by a unique collective comprised of guitarist and producer Nate Mercereau, saxophonist Josh Johnson, and percussionist Carlos Nin-o. Free-thinking creators who bring a depth of experience from wide-ranging collaborations with the likes of Andre 3000, Meshell Ndegeocello, Kamasi Washington, Shabaka, Jeff Parker, Makaya McCraven, and many more, the trio presents a profound musical offering born of deep communication, immersive emoting, exploration, discovery, and trust. The album is five recordings from five different sessions all around Los Angeles and Ventura county - outdoors in the hills of Ojai with a view of the Topatopa Mountains, an intimate living room setting in Elysian Park, in an Oak Tree Cathedral at the Churchill Orchard in Ojai, a Garden of Electronics in the courtyard of an Echo Park home, and a recording session under a pepper tree at Elsewhere in Topanga Canyon.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. 2025 release. For The Love Of It All is more than trumpeter and composer Brandon Woody's recording debut; it is a manifesto, a ritual, a hymn to the enduring power of love. Joined by his band Upendo - Troy Long (piano, organ, Rhodes, keyboards), Quincy Phillips (drums), and Michael Saunders (bass), with special guests Imani Grace (vocals), and Vittorio Stropoli (aux synth) - Woody extends an invitation into communion through six captivating original compositions.

Tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley was on a serious roll when he recorded his 1960 album Roll Call, the follow-up to his classic Soul Station, which reconvened the same rhythm section of pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Blakey, with the addition of Freddie Hubbard on trumpet for an invigorating 6-song hard bop masterclass. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Hammond B3 organist Freddie Roach began a run of Blue Note leader dates with his excellent 1962 debut, Down To Earth. The deeply soulful set was a showcase of his nuanced, bluesy sound and thoroughly enjoyable original tunes like "Althea Soon," that were ideal vehicles for this swinging band with Percy France, Kenny Burrell and Clarence Johnston. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Alts 'N Outs: The Other Side of Blue Note is a compilation of alternate takes & outtakes from iconic Blue Note sessions by Cannonball Adderley, Grant Green, Wayne Shorter, Art Blakey, Jimmy Smith & Sonny Clark.

2025 release. For The Love Of It All is more than trumpeter and composer Brandon Woody's recording debut; it is a manifesto, a ritual, a hymn to the enduring power of love. Joined by his band Upendo - Troy Long (piano, organ, Rhodes, keyboards), Quincy Phillips (drums), and Michael Saunders (bass), with special guests Imani Grace (vocals), and Vittorio Stropoli (aux synth) - Woody extends an invitation into communion through six captivating original compositions.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Openness Trio is the debut album by a unique collective comprised of guitarist and producer Nate Mercereau, saxophonist Josh Johnson, and percussionist Carlos Nin-o. Free-thinking creators who bring a depth of experience from wide-ranging collaborations with the likes of Andre 3000, Meshell Ndegeocello, Kamasi Washington, Shabaka, Jeff Parker, Makaya McCraven, and many more, the trio presents a profound musical offering born of deep communication, immersive emoting, exploration, discovery, and trust. The album is five recordings from five different sessions all around Los Angeles and Ventura county - outdoors in the hills of Ojai with a view of the Topatopa Mountains, an intimate living room setting in Elysian Park, in an Oak Tree Cathedral at the Churchill Orchard in Ojai, a Garden of Electronics in the courtyard of an Echo Park home, and a recording session under a pepper tree at Elsewhere in Topanga Canyon.