Hank Mobley -"A Slice Of The Top (Blue Note Tone Poet Series)" Hank Mobley was inspired by Birth of the Cool on his 1966 album, A Slice of the Top, featuring Duke Pearson's arrangements for an octet that added euphonium and tuba to a group with James Spaulding (alto sax), Lee Morgan (trumpet), McCoy Tyner (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass) and Billy Higgins (drums). This Blue Note Tone Poet Series stereo 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. 1965's Dialogue was the debut by vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, who had already proven himself a versatile sideman on albums from Idle Moments to Out To Lunch. Dialogue showcased his more adventurous leanings with a sextet featuring Freddie Hubbard, Sam Rivers, Andrew Hill, Richard Davis and Joe Chambers. This Blue Note Tone Poet Series stereo 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.

Freddie Roach - "Good Move (Blue Note Tone Poet Series)" [180grAm Heavy LP] After appearing on Blue Note albums by Ike Quebec, Hammond B3 organist Freddie Roach made his own run of soul jazz classics for the label including the standout 1963 date Good Move. Featuring Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, Eddie Wright on guitar, and Clarence Johnston on drums. This Blue Note Tone Poet Series stereo 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. Underrated trumpeter Johnny Coles recorded only one album for Blue Note. Released in 1963, Little Johnny C is a little-known treasure featuring Coles at the helm of a dynamic sextet that includes tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, alto saxophonist Leo Wright, pianist Duke Pearson, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummers Walter Perkins and Pete La Roca. Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, the trumpeter Dizzy Reece moved to London at age 17 and began working across Europe, frequently in Paris, where he played with the likes of Don Byas and Kenny Clarke. Reece also made fans of Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins who spread the word about a hot new trumpeter on the European scene. So when Donald Byrd and Art Taylor came through Paris on tour in 1958 they sought out Reece and even found their way into the recording studio together for what would become Reece's Blue Note debut Blues In Trinity. Encouraged by Alfred Lion, Reece would move to New York City the next year where Lion quickly put him back in the studio with a first-rate hard bop band including Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Taylor once again on drums. The resulting album Star Bright is a hidden gem of the Blue Note catalog with Reece shining brightly on a 6-song set that included several of his own bluesy originals like "The Rake," "Groovesville," "The Rebound," and the Thelonious Monk inspired "A Variation On Monk." Two standards round out the offering with swinging takes on "I'll Close My Eyes" and "I Wished On The Moon," both of which showcase Reece's sublime delivery of a melody.

After two solid albums for Motema Music (which both earned Grammy nominations), Gregory Porter made his Blue Note debut with Liquid Spirit in 2013. The strength of Liquid Spirit lies in Porter's songs, based upon personal experiences with a relatable and emotional immediacy. Even more, his hooky melodies penetrate instantly.?10th Anniversary Edition 3 LP set includes the original album on 2 LPs, and a bonus LP of extra tracks and remixes, with 5 tracks on vinyl for the first time.

Johnathan Blake - "Passage" / Johnathan Blake's new album Passage is a stirring follow-up to acclaimed 2021 label debut Homeward Bound. The drummer and composer reconvened his band Pentad featuring alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, vibraphonist Joel Ross, pianist David Virelles, and bassist Dezron Douglas. Dedicated to Blake's father and musical mentor, jazz violinist John Blake, Jr., Passage captures the arc of personal and collective evolution: the passing from one moment to the next, from one phase into another.

Trumpeter Booker Little made only a few albums during his tragically short life - including his astounding debut, Booker Little 4 & Max Roach - recorded in 1958 for United Artists. Little came to prominence in Max Roach's band and the drummer joins him here along with George Coleman, Tommy Flanagan and Art Davis. Blue Note Tone Poet Series stereo 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.

Vinyl LP pressing housed in gatefold tip-on jacket. Under-recognized tenor Clifford Jordan blew in from Chicago with a trio of excellent Blue Note sessions in 1957, including this self-titled release featuring a septet with Lee Morgan (trumpet), Curtis Fuller (trombone), John Jenkins (alto sax), Ray Bryant (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Art Taylor (drums). This Blue Note Tone Poet Series mono edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI.

Vinyl LP pressing. Recorded in 1956 for producer Tom Wilson's short-lived Boston-based label Transition Records, Byrd Blows On Beacon Hill presented trumpeter Donald Byrd in a relaxed and intimate quartet setting with his frequent collaborator Doug Watkins on bass along with Boston area musicians Ray Santisi on piano and Jim Zitano on drums. The standards heavy set was captured on a rainy Spring afternoon in the Beacon Hill home of engineer Steve Fassett which provided a casual atmosphere that gave the album both it's title and it's easy-going charm. Byrd is at his lyrical best on Joe Sullivan's tune "Little Rock Getaway" as well versions of "Polka Dots and Moonbeams," "If I Love Again," and "Stella by Starlight." The trumpeter lays out to let the trio shine on "People Will Say We're in Love" and "What's New."

Vinyl LP pressing. Recorded in the wee hours of Good Friday 1960, this charming and impromptu Pacific Jazz session captured the easygoing alchemy of The Modest Jazz Trio featuring Jim Hall on guitar, Red Mitchell on piano, and Red Kelly on bass. Good Friday Blues would be the trio's sole album, a sublimely swinging date that did indeed begin with the modest expectations of capturing a single track for a blues anthology that Richard Bock was producing. But the vibe was right, the trio was inspired, the music flowed, and by morning they had laid down six tracks including a pair of originals by Mitchell and renditions of songbook standards including "Willow Weep For Me," "I Remember You," and "I Was Doin' Alright." The drum-less setting allows Hall's gorgeous, subtle tone and melodic flow to shine while Mitchell-who was primarily known as a bassist-surprises with his impressive piano chops, and Kelly provides a sturdy base.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Lee Morgan's 1968 album Taru found the trumpeter at a crossroads exploring a variety of styles from modal jazz and post-bop to beautiful balladry and funky boogaloos. The band here is notable for the elevating presence of guitarist George Benson and the addition of tenor saxophonist Bennie Maupin. This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Best known for his work with Charles Mingus, pianist Horace Parlan began recording for Blue Note in 1960 with an excellent run of hard bop classics including?Speakin' My Piece, a quintet date featuring a frontline of Stanley Turrentine (saxophone) and Tommy Turrentine (trumpet) with the rhythm team of George Tucker (bass) and Al Harewood (drums). Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Alto saxophonist Jackie McLean had the blues on his mind when he went into the Van Gelder Studio in 1961 to record his hard bop masterpiece Bluesnik with a blazing quintet featuring Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Kenny Drew (piano), Doug Watkins (bass), and Pete La Roca (drums). The 6-song set of bluesy originals brims with immediacy and vibrancy. Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes.

GREEN IS BEAUTIFUL (BLUE NOTE CLASSIC VNYL SERIES) 180gram Heavy Vinyl - Grant Green's musical style evolved to embrace jazz-funk as the decade turned to 1970. The guitarist's vibrant album Green Is Beautiful is a highlight of the era. With his distinctive tone, he shines on a set that includes covers of James Brown ("Ain't It Funky Now"), The Beatles ("A Day In The Life") and Burt Bacharach ("I'll Never Fall In Love Again"). Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Optima.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing housed deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket. Wayne Shorter's 1967 album Schizophrenia found the legendary saxophonist at the pinnacle of post-bop with a sextet of like-minded musical explorers including James Spaulding, Curtis Fuller, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Joe Chambers performing Shorter originals like "Tom Thumb," "Go," and "Miyako." This stereo Blue Note Tone Poet Series was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog tapes.

Kenny Dorham/Jackie McLean - "Inta Somethin' (Blue Note Tone Poet Series)" / This spirited 1961 live date for Pacific Jazz captured Kenny Dorham leading a quintet with Jackie McLean, Walter Bishop Jr., Leroy Vinnegar, and Art Taylor at The Jazz Workshop in San Francisco. The band is firing on all cylinders throughout this set featuring four standards bookended by two Dorham originals. This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl 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.

Vinyl LP pressing. Recorded in 1956 for producer Tom Wilson's short-lived Boston-based label Transition Records, Watkins At Large was the first of only two albums that the great bassist Doug Watkins would make as a leader. The Detroit native had moved to New York and begun to garner recognition for his contributions to the Art Blakey-Horace Silver co-led iteration of the Jazz Messengers as well as Bud Powell's trio when Wilson decided to give him the opportunity to front his own recording date. Along with a first-rate ensemble featuring trumpeter Donald Byrd, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Duke Jordan, and drummer Art Taylor, Watkins swings through a stellar set of blues, ballads, and more including originals written by Jordan, Burrell, and Thad Jones.

The precocious and prodigious drummer and composer Tony Williams had already joined the Miles Davis Quintet and participated in numerous landmark Blue Note recordings including Herbie Hancock Empyrean Isles, Eric Dolphy Out To Lunch, Andrew Hill Point Of Departure, Jackie McLean One Step Beyond, and Grachan Moncur III Evolution by the time he recorded his own adventurous debut album Life Time in August 1964, when he was still just 18 years old. Williams had no intention of playing it safe on his maiden voyage as a leader and set forth to document his uncompromising expression on this program of innovative original compositions. Side 1 presents the expansive two movement suite "2 Pieces of One" with the drummer joined by tenor saxophonist Sam Rivers and bassists Gary Peacock and Richard Davis. Side 2 opens with the jaunty "Tomorrow Afternoon" featuring Williams, Rivers, and Peacock. Williams plays a variety of percussion on the freely improvised "Memory" which features Herbie Hancock on piano and Bobby Hutcherson on vibraphone, and lays out entirely on the ruminative piano-bass duet "Barb's Song to the Wizard" performed by Hancock and Ron Carter which closes the album.

Drummer, percussionist, vibraphonist, composer, and Blue Note legend Joe Chambers returns with Dance Kobina, his 3rd album as a leader for Blue Note which explores the deep musical connection between Jazz, Latin, Brazilian, Argentinian, and African music. The follow-up to his 2021 album Samba de Maracatu was co-produced by pianist Andr�s Vial and recorded in both New York and Montreal. The album presents compelling Chambers originals including "Gazelle Suite," "Ruth," and "Caravanserai," as well as vibrant interpretations of pieces by Vial, Kurt Weill, Joe Henderson, and Karl Ratzer.

Two CDs. Digitally remastered and expanded edition includes the original album plus three bonus tracks and the remix EP Black Radio Recovered. With his 2012 album Black Radio, Robert Glasper laid out a new paradigm for creative music, reaching beyond entrenched genre boundaries to create a singular vision that drew from all reaches of contemporary black music with his Experiment band and a rollcall of special guests including Erykah Badu, yasiin bey, Lupe Fiasco, Bilal, Lalah Hathaway, Meshell Ndegeocello and more.

With his 2012 album Black Radio, Robert Glasper laid out a new paradigm for creative music, reaching beyond entrenched genre boundaries to create a singular vision that drew from all reaches of contemporary black music with his Experiment band and a rollcall of special guests including Erykah Badu, yasiin bey, Lupe Fiasco, Bilal, Lalah Hathaway, Meshell Ndegeocello and others. The 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition includes the original album plus 3 bonus tracks and the remix EP Black Radio Recovered.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing housed in gatefold tip-on jacket. Bobby Hutcherson's 1968 album Total Eclipse was the vibraphonist's first recording to feature saxophonist Harold Land who would become a key collaborator for years to come. Rounding out the band were pianist Chick Corea, bassist Reggie Johnson, and drummer Joe Chambers on this impassioned post-bop set. This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes.

Alto saxophonist Jackie McLean's 1960s output ran the gamut from hard bop to the avant-garde with his 1964 post-bop dates It's Time! And Action splitting the difference. Trumpeter Charles Tolliver had appeared alongside McLean in the horn frontline on It's Time! And returned once again for Action the next month, with McLean opting for Bobby Hutcherson's vibraphone in place of piano, as well as Cecil McBee on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The albums leaps out of the gate with McLean's searing title track followed by two pensive Tolliver originals: "Plight" and "Wrong Handle." On a highly original version of the standard "I Hear a Rhapsody" the melody is answered by discordant interjections from the horns before the album comes to a close with McLean's grooving minor key piece "Hootnan."

2022 release. Producer Larry Klein pays tribute to his friend Leonard Cohen with an album that presents stunning new renditions of the legendary singer-songwriter's compositions performed by an extraordinary line-up of vocalists. The guest artists are backed by what Klein calls "a group of the most prescient and forward-looking musicians in the jazz world." The album's 12 tracks offer a broad range of Cohen's songs drawn from his 1967 debut Songs of Leonard Cohen through his final album, You Want It Darker.