Rare Mingus tracks unavailable for decades, reassembled as a stand-alone album The sequel to Incarnations, which charted in the CIMS Top 40 in 2023.

Rare Mingus tracks unavailable on vinyl for decades, reassembled as a stand-alone album The sequel to Incarnations, which charted in the CIMS Top 40 for RSD Black Friday 2023 180g vinyl remastered by Bernie Grundman

SPANN OTIS / WALKING THE BLUES Perhaps best known for his long association with the legendary Muddy Waters, Otis Spann is largely recognized as one of the greatest blues pianists of all time, if not the greatest. Although Spann made a name for himself in Chicago by the mid 1940s, it wasn't until 1960 that he got the opportunity to record an album of his own. The sessions Spann did with Candid Records co-founder Nat Hentoff that year resulted in the legendary album Otis Spann Is The Blues. (Incidentally, this was also the first album ever recorded for the fledgling New York City based label.) The tracks on Walking The Blues were recorded during those same sessions in August of 1960 in New York City. Left on the cutting room floor, they would not be officially released until 1972, two years after Spann's untimely death. Robert Lockwood Jr., also from Muddy Water's group, accompanies Spann on guitar here as he does on the Is The Blues album. But Walking The Blues also features Spann's close friend, veteran singer and composer James Oden, better known to blues fans as St. Louis Jimmy. Stripped down to just the these musicians, this magnificently performed and produced set showcases Spann's voice as well as piano. Spann stretches out with his pulsing two-handed rhythmic attack, and brings the barrelhouse piano style of his youth in line with the modern Chicago style he embodied.

Paquito D'Rivera's - NEA Jazz Master, multiple Gramm winner, Downbeat Hall of Fame Inductee - gained worldwide attention as member of the Grammy Award winning Cuban group Irakere, a revolutionary ensemble co-founded with Chucho Valdes in the early 1970s. Blending Afro-Cuban rhythms and jazz, the band was a seminal force and marked a new era in Cuban music. His defection to the United States in 1980 was a turning point, as he became an ambassador of Latin jazz around the world, fusing cultures and genres effortlessly. A decade into his new status, D'Rivera entered a New York studio to record an homage to Bebop. He enlisted Grammy award winner and Dizzy Gillespie alum James Moody, distinguished straight ahead jazzers Mark Morganelli, Harvey Swartz and Al Foster, and major Latin-jazz players of the day Claudio Roditi, Danilo Perez, and Pedrito Lopez. While his intentions may have been to make an album like "Monk, Bird, and Dizzy" as he states in the liner notes, the results here are undeniably in D'Rivera's signature style. The album features a mix of original compositions from featured players, alongside the ensembles take on Coltrane's "Giant Steps", and Monks "I Mean You," all delivered with D'Rivera's unique perspective and deep understanding of traditional jazz and Latin music traditions. Originally released in 1992, the album has been remastered and is being released on vinyl for the first time ever as a double disc LP set. Remastered by Alex McOllough at True East Mastering. Vinyl cut by Jeff Powell at Take Out Vinyl.

A decade into his new status, D'Rivera entered a New York studio to record an homage to Bebop. He enlisted Grammy award winner and Dizzy Gillespie alum James Moody, distinguished straight ahead jazzers Mark Morganelli, Harvey Swartz and Al Foster, and major Latin-jazz players of the day Claudio Roditi, Danilo Perez, and Pedrito Lopez. While his intentions may have been to make an album like "Monk, Bird, and Dizzy" as he states in the liner notes, the results here are undeniably in D'Rivera's signature style. - The album features a mix of original compositions from featured players, alongside the ensembles take on Coltrane's "Giant Steps", and Monks "I Mean You," all delivered with D'Rivera's unique perspective and deep understanding of traditional jazz and Latin music traditions.

ELEMENTS OF LIGHT

THE MUSIC OF CHICK COREA'S LEGENDARY GROUP, RETURN TO FOREVER... REIMAGINED THE LATEST COLLABORATION BETWEEN MULTIPLE GRAMMY®- WINNER BEASLEY & THE TWICE-NOMINATED FRANKFURT RADIO BIG BAND "Chick gave me his blessings and offered his original handwritten charts. He asked me to share my arrangements with him. I was amazed by how open-minded he was." -JOHN BEASLEY As a pianist/keyboardist, arranger, composer, conductor, record producer, music director, and educator, John Beasley has contributed to countless memorable, critically-acclaimed projects. Returning To Forever, with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band, is a standout achievement in his illustrious career. Return To Forever, led by Chick Corea and featuring bassist Stanley Clarke, was one of the great fusion bands of the 1970s. Now, Beasley has rearranged and reimagined RTF's music for the GRAMMY®-nominated Frankfurt Radio Big Band. Before starting the project, Beasley reached out to Corea for his blessing. Excited by the idea, Chick sent Beasley handwritten charts, but passed away before he could hear where Beasley and the Big Band would take them. With a dozen Grammy® nominations and two wins, Returning To Forever is the latest milestone in Beasley's career. In his twenties, he worked as a keyboardist with both Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard. He has had a long-time association with Dianne Reeves and has collaborated with Christian McBride, Chaka Khan, Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour, Steely Dan, Queen Latifah, Somi, and Chucho Valdes, among others. He's worked behind the scenes on countless film & TV scores and released over a dozen albums as a leader. The Frankfurt Radio Big Band (aka hr-Bigband) is a 17-piece jazz orchestra currently led by 12-time Grammy®-nominee Jay McNeely. 1. Captain Sen~or Mouse 2. Space Circus 3. No Mystery 4. Vulcan Worlds 5. Medieval Overture 6. You're Everything / La Fiesta 7. Return to Forever

For The Elektric Band's fourth outing, Chick Corea - the venerated 27-time Grammy winner and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master - decided to push the envelope even further than on previous albums. Writing for the band's individual strengths, Corea went full throttle on Inside Out. Here we find the Elektric Band engaging in uptempo burners, prog-rock fantasia, Latin-tinged grooves and the kind of complex and characteristic tight harmonies and unisons that characterized Corea's earlier compositions of the 1970s. There is are highly orchestrated aesthetic pieces like "Make a Wish, Part 1," "Stretch It, Part 1," the driving, Latinesque swinger of "Make a Wish, Part 2," the intricate stop-time vehicle "Kicker" and the epic 20-minute, four part suite, "Tales of Daring." Notably one of Corea's most complex and demanding compositions. Originally released on GRP Records in 1990, the album reflects the innovative spirit of The Elektric Band, pushing boundaries and creating a unique sonic landscape that captivates listeners.

A Singular Blend of Dynamic Post- Pop & Electronic Production Featuring The Vibraphonist's Remarkable Quartet Special Guests Gerald Clayton and Marquis Hill Named One Of Downbeat's 25 For The Future "His music is fresh, it speaks to everyone. Never heard anyone play vibes like that before." - Herbie Hancock "Best vibes player I've heard..." - Quincy Jones In discussing Elements of Light, his fifth album as a leader, the vibraphonist- composer Simon Moullier often returns to a specific term: unfolding. "This is an important word - the unfolding of a song," says Moullier, who was born in France and lives in New York. "It's something I'm very attached to, and something I'm always working on." Even the most serious intellectual musical concepts are rendered with a directness, a simplicity that can captivate a general audience. "For me, no matter how complex an idea can get," he says, "clarity is always key." That's a mature, evolved outlook for a millennial jazz musician to embrace, and it's shared among Moullier's youthful quartet featuring pianist Lex Korten, bassist Rick Rosato and drummer Jongkuk "JK" Kim. What's more, these musicians of astonishing technical facility interact with the selflessness and good taste that Moullier's song- focused music requires; to say it another way, they use their virtuosity to make the bandleader's compositions sound as human and affecting as possible - never to preen.

The music Charles Mingus and his group recorded during his landmark 1960 sessions for Candid Records produced three of the most revered jazz albums of the era. INCARNATIONS is a new masterpiece thoughtfully assembled from rare and unreleased material from those sessions that stands proudly in the Mingus canon of masterworks. All but one of the tracks here are from the November 11th, 1960 sessions Mingus and producer Nate Hentoff put together. The date was split into two halves: one a pure Mingus-led date, featuring a six-piece band that expanded into an octet for two additional tunes, and another, a partial reunion of a collective that had assembled in opposition against George Wein's Newport Jazz Festival that past July. (That collective, calling themselves The Jazz Artist Guild, would release the album Newport Rebels, on Candid in 1961.) Of special note here is the one track recorded during the Mingus October 20th 1960 sessions. It is a previously unreleased track titled "All The Things You Are (All.)" Found on a tape that contained material from both of these fall 1960 dates, the piece has it's roots in an Art Tatum rendition of "All the Things You Are," which Mingus had recorded before in various settings. Featuring Booker Ervin, Eric Dolphy, Charles McPherson, Ted Curson Lonnie Hillyer, Roy Eldridge, Jimmy Knepper, Britt Woodman, Tommy Flanagan, Paul Bley, Dannie Richmond and Jo Jones. With audio restored and remastered by Bernie Grundman, and liner notes by Pitchfork and New York Times contributor Hank Shteamer, this album is a must have for any Mingus fan. A1. Bugs (Take 3) A2. R&R (Take 1) B1. All The Things You Are (All) *Previously Unreleased B2. Reincarnation Of A Love Bird (2nd Version, Take 1) B3. Body And Soul (Take 6)

2024 release. BRASIL, the new album by Lee Ritenour and Dave Grusin is a showcase for the unique talents of two of the most successful and influential musicians of their generation. It has been an enduring friendship and collaboration, from playing the famed Baked Potato in Los Angeles in the 70s, to collaborations on Dave's records and films and Lee's albums, plus years of touring together on the biggest stages. Guitarist Ritenour and pianist Grusin began their fervent involvement in Brazilian music half a century ago. And, as boldly demonstrated on BRASIL, their new studio recording in several decades dedicated to the genre, their passion remains unabated. BRASIL is a bracing survey of contemporary Brazilian sounds featuring some of that country's most notable young musicians. Also spotlighted are the talents of Swiss born harmonica ace Gregoire Maret and Brazilian vocalist and composer Ivan Lins, whose album Harlequin with Ritenour and Grusin won a GRAMMY® Award in 1986. Ritenour and Grusin have made an indelible mark in the music industry. With the release of BRASIL, they continue to exemplify how their longevity and success is tribute to their ability to stay on the pulse of the music scene today. "Brazilian music continues to permeate the world," Lee observes. "So, now was the right time and inspiration to go to Brazil and do this recording." And their musical magic continues!

As the title suggests, the recording Tenorlee finds Lee Konitz, the great American saxophonist, playing exclusively on tenor. It was a spontaneous decision, and a tribute to his dear friend, Lighthouse All-Star saxophonist Richie Kamuca, who had passed away just days before Konitz entered the studio for these sessions. Konitz classically trained on the clarinet, but switched to jazz saxophone after being enamored by Lester Young. By 1945 the 18 year old Konitz was performing professionally. He made a staggering 150 albums as a band leader over the course of his long and storied career. He played and recorded with everyone from Dave Brubeck, Charles Mingus, Ornette Colman, Elvin Jones, and Gerry Mulligan, to Elvis Costello, Brad Mehldau and Charlie Haden. Between 1948 and 1950, he was a member of Miles Davis' group, and participated in the recordings that would eventually be collected and released as Birth of The Cool. With a trio featuring Lighthouse All-Star alum Jimmy Rowles on piano and Michael Moore on bass, Kontiz called out old and familiar songs. The intention was to "let the tunes happen" as only finely tuned jazz musicians of certain experience can. Of note is "Lady Be Good" which finds Konitz and Rowles quoting Lester Young's solo from the 1936 recording with Count Basie. From 1978, originally on the Choice label, this album has been remastered and is presented here as the artist intended, with it's original title, track order and album artwork, for the first time since it's original release. Remastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering. Vinyl cut by Jeff Powell at Take Out Vinyl.

JAZZ MONEY, the 2024 debut album from multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer Zacchae'Us Paul is an irreverent, fresh take on "America's classical music" that speaks to the 24 year old artist's deep-beyond-his-years understanding of Black music and the African diaspora. Paul stretches and bends jazz sounds around the Atlanta hip-hop he grew up with, the gospel sounds and philosophies that have long shaped his music making, and the Caribbean rhythms he learned studying in Puerto Rico. He has created a wholly personal sound that is youthful, and thoughtful all at once. "When you listen to this album, listen to it again," Paul says. "A lot of the songs have multiple meanings, and I'd love for people to have different perspectives on them." Made with a cast of improvising upstarts and veterans that includes the album's executive producer, Terri Lyne Carrington, fellow Atlanta native and Candid recording artist Morgan Guerin and Paul's fiancee and star vocalist Melanie Charles, Jazz Money is jazz music for this, and future, generations.

In July of 1960, in protest against what they considered the failings of the jazz scene and the accelerating commercialization of the annual Newport Jazz Festival, Charles Mingus and Max Roach staged their own "rebel" festival at nearby Cliff Walk Manner, RI. The rebels set up their own tents for sleeping, built their own stage, handled advertising, promotion, ticket taking and MC duties. By all accounts the concert was wholly inspired and a peaceful affair. Meanwhile, what was supposed to be an alternative festival turned out to be the only one in town. Unable to disperse an intoxicated mob of young people seeking access to the sold-out show at Freebody Park, the actual Newport Jazz Festival ended abruptly in a full scale riot. Despite the fact that these sessions were held in the studio, the music reflects the high-spirited freedom of the best jazz played at the original setting with nearly all of it improvised during the recording. Of particular note is the Booker Little track "Cliff Walk," which features both Max Roach and Jo Jones, two of the greatest jazz drummers ever, trading off. The LP includes extraordinary liner notes written by Hentoff himself, giving a context and insight that adds to the experience of hearing these magnificent performances. This recording is remastered by legendary mastering engineer, Bernie Grundman.

Softpack Wallet - Remastered by Bernie Grundman. Recorded November 15, 1960 at the Nola Penthouse Sound Studios in New York, Lightnin' In New York captures the legendary bluesman in classic form, including some rare solos on the piano. Produced by Candid Records label co-founder, famed music critic and social activist, Nat Hentoff, and recorded at a time when Hopkins was being "rediscovered" by white audiences, the bluesman was reluctant in accepting his new role as an "artist" before predominantly white audiences.

In July of 1960, in protest against what they considered the failings of the jazz scene and the accelerating commercialization of the annual Newport Jazz Festival, Charles Mingus and Max Roach staged their own "rebel" festival at nearby Cliff Walk Manner, RI. The rebels set up their own tents for sleeping, built their own stage, handled advertising, promotion, ticket taking and MC duties. By all accounts the concert was wholly inspired and a peaceful affair. Meanwhile, what was supposed to be an alternative festival turned out to be the only one in town. Unable to disperse an intoxicated mob of young people seeking access to the sold-out show at Freebody Park, the actual Newport Jazz Festival ended abruptly in a full scale riot. Despite the fact that these sessions were held in the studio, the music reflects the high-spirited freedom of the best jazz played at the original setting with nearly all of it improvised during the recording. Of particular note is the Booker Little track "Cliff Walk," which features both Max Roach and Jo Jones, two of the greatest jazz drummers ever, trading off. The LP includes extraordinary liner notes written by Hentoff himself, giving a context and insight that adds to the experience of hearing these magnificent performances. This recording is remastered by legendary mastering engineer, Bernie Grundman. A1. Mysterious Blues 8:35 A2. Cliff Walk 9:37 B1. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams 3:47 B2. Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do 7:11 B3. Me And You 9:46

PHIL WOODS / RIGHTS OF SWING - Rights of Swing (Remastered) Phil Woods - When he first came on the scene, Phil Woods was often referred to as "The New Bird," in a nod to the legendary Charlie Parker. A testament to his genius on the saxophone to be sure. But while obviously indebted to Parker - as all modern jazz saxophonists of a certain era were - there is no question that Phil Woods was an original. After earning a degree in music from Juilliard in the early 1950's, Woods found himself in the orbit of the great Quincy Jones. At Jones' invitation Woods joined Dizzy Gillespie's infamous Jazz Ambassadors - a tour sponsored by the US State Department as part of a global cultural diplomacy initiative - and subsequently became a member of Jones' own touring band. This recording, his 9th album as a band leader, consists entirely of Woods' five-part Rights of Swing Suite. An ambitious large-scale composition based solidly on jazz traditions. A culmination of the influences the then 30 year artist had absorbed. Arguably considered one of Woods finest recordings, the record features a stellar section made up of Wood's fellow Quincy Jones band members. (It should be noted that these same musicians, for the most part, are also the section on Benny Bailey's Candid Records recording, Big Brass, recorded a a few months prior in November of 1960). Recorded at the Nola Penthouse Studios in New Your City on two dates in January and February of 1961, and conducted by Quincy Jones. The LP includes extraordinary liner notes by Candid A&R man and producer Nat Hentoff, and in-depth commentary from Woods himself, giving a context and insight that adds to the experience of hearing these extraordinary performances.

Vinyl LP pressing. Carrington's very first session, TLC & Friends features an epic and enviable lineup of collaborators, including Kenny Barron on piano, George Coleman on saxophone, and Buster Williams on bass. Her father Sonny Carrington also contributes saxophone to the Sonny Rollins classic "Sonnymoon for Two." The album masterfully showcases Carrington's artistry as a drummer and composer, highlighted by the standout original track "La Bonita," a refreshing interpretation of Billy Joel's beloved composition, "Just The Way You Are," alongside scorching renditions of standards like "Seven Steps To Heaven," and "What Is This Thing Called Love."

2022 release. For the 2018 opening celebration of the Berklee Institute for Jazz and Gender Justice, Teri Lyne Carrington asked her students to select and perform songs from the famed jazz Real Book - a compilation of lead sheets or scores of jazz standards - written by women composers. When she realized there was only one in the entire book, Carrington, a Grammy Award winning virtuoso jazz drummer, composer, inter-disciplinary artist, activist and educator, who has worked tirelessly over the last decade to advocate for inclusivity and raise the voice of women, trans and non-binary people in jazz, set out to shift the narrative. Over the next several years, Carrington assembled New Standards, a book of 101 jazz compositions written by women. New Standards Vol. 1 captures 11 of these compositions. This star-studded recording features special guests Ambrose Akinmusire, Melanie Charles, Ravi Coltrane, Val Jeanty, Samara Joy, Julian Lage, Michael Mayo, Elena Pinderhughes, Dianne Reeves, Negah Santos and Somi, backed by a core section comprised of Carrington (drums), Kris Davis (piano), Linda May Han Oh (bass), Nicholas Payton (trumpet), and Matthew Stevens (guitar).

180gm Tip-on Jacket Remastered by Bernie Grundman. 1992's A Walkin' Thing is the last of three albums the great American organist Shirley Scott recorded for Candid, and her final recording before her passing. First and foremost, Scott was a trained pianist, and it should be noted that towards the end of her life, she gravitated more to that instrument. But here, Scott returns to form, making this recording bitter sweet. Recorded in 1992 at the at the famed Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey and engineered by Rudy Van Gelder. This recording has been remastered by legendary mastering engineer Bernie Grundman.

In 1993 Chick Corea - the venerated 27-time Grammy winner and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master - unveiled the second incarnation of the Elektric Band. With the brand new lineup of guitarist Mike Miller, bassist Jimmy Earl and drummer Gary Novak, and saxophonist Eric Marienthtal (the lone holder over from the first iteration of the Elektric Band,) Corea, approached this ambitious outing in the same way he had done everything throughout his career, by pushing the boundaries of what modern jazz is. With material written with these specific players in mind, Corea gathered this group of remarkably flexible musicians into Mad Hatter Studios in Los Angeles. Recorded almost entirely live in first takes, the album is notable for it's "less is more" approach to Corea's particular style of genre bending composition. Though the focus may have been more on acoustic piano than synths, the same proficiency, spontaneity, impeccable execution and jaw-dropping display of chops that characterize the five first Elektric Band albums applies. Of special note here is the inclusion of the track "Final Frontier", originally released exclusively on the Japanese and European editions. This all out burner is the lone tune on the record featuring Corea on a synthesizer. Written as an answer to "Got A Match" from 1986's The Chick Corea Elektric Band album, it's an uptempo showcase for the players to stretch out and the kind of track that exemplifies the jazz fusion that Corea and his groups came to define.

JAZZ MONEY, the debut album from multiinstrumentalist, composer, and producer Zacchae'Us Paul is an irreverent, fresh take on "America's classical music" that speaks to the 24 year old artist's deep-beyond-his-years understanding of Black music and the African diaspora. Paul stretches and bends jazz sounds around the Atlanta hip-hop he grew up with, the gospel sounds and philosophies that have long shaped his music making, and the Caribbean rhythms he learned studying in Puerto Rico. He has created a wholly personal sound that is youthful, and thoughtful all at once. "When you listen to this album, listen to it again," Paul says. "A lot of the songs have multiple meanings, and I'd love for people to have different perspectives on them." Made with a cast of improvising upstarts and veterans that includes the album's executive producer, Terri Lyne Carrington, fellow Atlanta native and Candid recording artist Morgan Guerin and Paul's fiancee and star vocalist Melanie Charles, Jazz Money is jazz music for this, and future, generations.

2024 release. BRASIL, the new album by Lee Ritenour and Dave Grusin is a showcase for the unique talents of two of the most successful and influential musicians of their generation. It has been an enduring friendship and collaboration, from playing the famed Baked Potato in Los Angeles in the 70s, to collaborations on Dave's records and films and Lee's albums, plus years of touring together on the biggest stages. Guitarist Ritenour and pianist Grusin began their fervent involvement in Brazilian music half a century ago. And, as boldly demonstrated on BRASIL, their new studio recording in several decades dedicated to the genre, their passion remains unabated. BRASIL is a bracing survey of contemporary Brazilian sounds featuring some of that country's most notable young musicians. Also spotlighted are the talents of Swiss born harmonica ace Gregoire Maret and Brazilian vocalist and composer Ivan Lins, whose album Harlequin with Ritenour and Grusin won a GRAMMY® Award in 1986. Ritenour and Grusin have made an indelible mark in the music industry. With the release of BRASIL, they continue to exemplify how their longevity and success is tribute to their ability to stay on the pulse of the music scene today. "Brazilian music continues to permeate the world," Lee observes. "So, now was the right time and inspiration to go to Brazil and do this recording." And their musical magic continues!

TALES OF THE FACADE

At the time of this recording, Thelonious Monk was at both a creative and critical peak. He had recently signed with Columbia Records, notably one of the biggest jazz labels in the world at the time, and the following year became the third jazz musician in history to appear on the cover of Time Magazine. The Classic Quartet is comprised of Charlie Rouse on tenor saxophone, Butch Warren on bass, and Frankie Dunlop on drums. The recording captures what is undoubtedly one of the very best sets of the era. The songs, classic Monk repertoire, will be familiar to any Monk fan. That includes what is by all accounts an exceptional version of one of Monk's favorite standards, "Just A Gigolo." 1. Epistrophy 5:43 2. Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are 8:47 3. Evidence 8:48 4. Just A Gigalo 3:17 5. Blue Monk 11:21