Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. The 1961 album Mosaic marked a pivotal moment in the story of Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers with the drummer welcoming the arrival of trumpeter Freddie Hubbard (replacing Lee Morgan) and pianist Cedar Walton (replacing Bobby Timmons). The band also expanded to a sextet with the addition of trombonist Curtis Fuller who joined existing members tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter and bassist Jymie Merritt to establish a powerful new line-up that would perform together until 1964 and record several classic albums including Buhaina's Delight and Free for All. Mosaic opens with a flourish as the band launches into the magnificent title track composed by Walton, and the set also includes memorable compositions by Shorter ("Children of the Night"), Fuller ("Arabia"), and Hubbard ("Down Under" and "Crisis"). This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. In addition to boasting one of Reid Miles' greatest album cover designs, Hank Mobley's 1963 album No Room for Squares is also a marvel for the music alone. The tenor saxophonist had already notched several hard bop masterpieces in his Blue Note belt including Soul Station and Workout, but No Room for Squares was an even more ambitious effort that found Mobley elevating his game as a bandleader, improviser, and a composer. The album was drawn from two different sessions each featuring a different quintet line-up. A March 7 date found Mobley with trumpeter Donald Byrd, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Butch Warren, and drummer Philly Joe Jones who deliver thrilling performances of the Mobley originals "Up a Step" and "Old World, New Imports." Mobley returned to Van Gelder Studio on October 2 with Jones once again on drums plus trumpeter Lee Morgan, pianist Andrew Hill, and bassist John Ore to lay down takes of Mobley's skittering tunes "Three Way Split" and "No Room for Squares" in addition to two remarkable Morgan tunes: the gorgeous ballad "Carolyn" and the grooving "Me 'N You." This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes.

It's a testament to Jimmy Smith's volcanic creativity that the Hammond B3 organ firebrand recorded not one but two soul jazz classics-Midnight Special and Back at the Chicken Shack-in a single day when he entered Van Gelder Studio on April 25, 1960 with Stanley Turrentine on tenor saxophone, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Donald Bailey on drums. Smith had been a self-taught pianist before abandoning the instrument in 1954 in favor of the organ, renting a Philadelphia warehouse, and woodshedding for a year until he emerged with a revolutionary style that immediately caught the ear Alfred Lion. The Blue Note boss dubbed him The Incredible Jimmy Smith and recorded the B3 innovator as frequently as he could between 1956-1963. Midnight Special opens with the soulful title track which chugs along at a laid-back pace giving ample space for Smith, Turrentine, and Burrell to state their case. Other highlights of the set include the up-tempo burner "Jumpin' the Blues" and a deeply felt ballad performance of the standard "Why Was I Born?" 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.

The Horace Silver Quintet of 1959 was a hard bop juggernaut featuring the pianist with trumpeter Blue Mitchell, saxophonist Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor and drummer Louis Hayes. Timeless originals like "Sister Sadie," "Peace," and the blustery title track make Blowin' The Blues Away one of the finest entries in Silver's formidable discography. Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series features stereo, all-analog mastering by Kevin Gray from the original tapes and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Optimal. Musicians: Blue Mitchell-trumpet / Junior Cook-saxophone / Horace Silver-piano / Gene Taylor-bass / Louis Hayes-drums

Cecil Taylor - "Unit Structures (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series)" The intrepid free jazz pianist Cecil Taylor made his Blue Note debut with the explosive 1966 album Unit Structures featuring trumpeter Eddie Gale, saxophonists Jimmy Lyons and Ken McIntyre, bassists Henry Grimes and Alan Silva, and drummer Andrew Cyrille. The four extended pieces performed here scale the pinnacle of the mid-1960s jazz avant-garde. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, & pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Anthony Williams - "Spring (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series)" Drummer and composer Tony Williams' adventurous 1965 album Spring-his second as a leader for Blue Note-found him convening a stellar line-up with saxophonists Wayne Shorter and Sam Rivers, pianist Herbie Hancock, and bassist Gary Peacock. The five Williams originals presented here offer the musicians spacious realms in which to go exploring. 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.

One of the funkiest and most creative organists of all time, Dr. Lonnie Smith was first brought into the Blue Note fold by alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson who featured the B3 virtuoso on late-1960s soul jazz classics including Alligator Bogaloo, Mr. Shing-a-Ling, and Midnight Creeper. Smith went on to sign with Blue Note and lead his own dates beginning with his excellent 1968 label debut Think! In January 1969 Smith returned to Van Gelder Studio to record the follow-up Turning Point with a dynamic 6-piece band that packed a punch with a 3-horn frontline featuring Lee Morgan on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, and Bennie Maupin on tenor saxophone. The rhythm section featured guitarist Melvin Sparks and was anchored by the propulsive drumming of Leo Morris (aka Idris Muhammad). The 5-song set produced by Francis Wolff opens with a hard-grooving take on Don Covay's "See Saw," which was a hit for Aretha Franklin the year before. Other choice covers include a laid-back version of "People Sure Act Funny" by Titus Turner and Bobby Robinson and an inventive reworking of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" that injects the Lennon-McCartney gem with a healthy dose of soul. Two Smith originals round out the album including the smoldering "Slow High" and the expansive album-closing title piece which kicks into high gear after a rubato introduction by Smith. (his Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180 gram vinyl at Optimal.)

Ike Quebec's aptly titled 1961 album Heavy Soul was a soul jazz masterclass with the tenor saxophonist joined by Freddie Roach (organ), Milt Hinton (bass) and Al Harewood (drums). Ike's robust horn conjures a variety of moods from up-tempo swingers to sultry slow-tempo stunners closing with a spellbinding duo rendition of "Nature Boy" with Hinton. Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Optimal.

Dave McMurray returns with Grateful Deadication 2, the follow-up to his acclaimed 2021 tribute album which once again finds the saxophonist reimagining the songs of the Grateful Dead with his gritty and soulful Detroit sound. Dave is joined by special guests Oteil Burbridge, Bob James, Jamey Johnson, Greg Leisz and Don Was. Grateful Deadication 2 is a 9-song set that offers up Dead favorites and deep cuts including "Truckin'," "China Cat Sunflower," and "To Lay Me Down."

Andrew Hill - "Grass Roots (Blue Note Tone Poet Series)" [180gram HeavyLP]Andrew Hill's 1968 album Grass Roots stands as one of the most immediately accessible albums in the pianist's beguiling Blue Note discography. Featuring Lee Morgan, Booker Ervin, Ron Carter and Freddie Waits, this set of five Hill originals is imbued with a deep sense of feeling, groove, and lyricism. This stereo Blue Note Tone Poet Series 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.

3LP/2CD.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. The sound of Blue Note had been embedded in hip hop through sampling and remixes since it's early days, but Madlib raised the bar when the DJ/producer/rapper/musician invaded their vaults for his 2003 masterpiece, Shades Of Blue - a visionary album featuring remixes/reimaginations of classics by Donald Byrd, Bobbi Humphrey, Ronnie Foster, Bobby Hutcherson, Wayne Shorter and more. Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series is all-analog mastering from the original master tapes.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Robert Glasper's 2005 Blue Note debut, Canvas, signaled the arrival of a singular new voice in jazz. His 2007 follow-up, In My Element, solidified his status as a rising star who was taking the music some place new. Featuring Vicente Archer (bass) and Damion Reid (drums), it expanded the possibilities of where modern jazz might go by delving further into his hip hop and gospel roots. Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series is all-analog mastering.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. The prodigiously talented trumpeter Fats Navarro was a bebop innovator whose career was cut tragically short when he died in 1950 at age 26. As part of the 1500 series Blue Note later compiled this 12" LP with selections from various dates Fats had featured on from 1947-49 with the Tadd Dameron Sextet, Bud Powell Quintet, and the McGhee-Navarro Boptet. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is mono, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original masters.

Legendary trumpeter Miles Davis was still near the start of his storied career when he cut the three sessions that comprise his Blue Note recordings in 1952, 1953, and 1954. In 1955, Blue Note compiled the tracks into two 12" LPs as part of the 1500 series. The music presents all the hallmarks of his early style from blazing bebop to beautiful ballads. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is mono, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original masters, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.