Wes Montgomery -"Maximum Swing: The Unissued 1965 Half Note Recordings" Maximum Swing: The Unissued 1965 Half Note Recordings is the first official release of the complete collection of previously unreleased recordings from jazz guitar giant Wes Montgomery. Featuring recordings with the Wynton Kelly Trio at New York City's famed Half Note jazz club in 1965 with drummer Jimmy Cobb and bassists Paul Chambers, Ron Carter, Herman Wright and Larry Ridley. Including over 2 hours from the original radio broadcasts with host Alan Grant, the 2 CD Digipak set comes with an elaborate booklet containing previously unpublished photos taken at the Half Note by Raymond Ross, a new essay from acclaimed journalist and author Bill Milkowski, plus interviews with jazz legends Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Bill Frisell, Mike Stern and Marcus Miller

Limited colored vinyl LP pressing. Classic Grammy winning album that contains 2 sought after classics: 'This Masquerad'e and 'Breezin'. Classic Grammy winning album that contains 2 sought after classics: This Masquerade and Breezin'. On blue/badge vinyl. George Benson is simply one of the greatest guitarists in jazz history, but he is also an amazingly versatile musician, and that frustrates to no end critics who would paint him into a narrow bop box. He can play in just about any style - from swing to bop to R&B to pop - with supreme taste, a beautiful rounded tone, terrific speed, a marvelous sense of logic in building solos, and, always, an unquenchable urge to swing. His inspirations may have been Charlie Christian and Wes Montgomery - and he can do dead-on impressions of both - but his style is completely his own. Not only can he play lead brilliantly, he is also one of the best rhythm guitarists around, supportive to soloists and a dangerous swinger, particularly in a soul-jazz format. Yet Benson can also sing in a lush, soulful tenor with mannerisms similar to those of Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway, and it is his voice that has proved to be more marketable to the public than his guitar. Benson is the guitar-playing equivalent of Nat King Cole - a fantastic pianist whose smooth way with a pop vocal eventually eclipsed his instrumental prowess in the marketplace - but unlike Cole, Benson has been granted enough time after his fling with the pop charts to reaffirm his jazz guitar credentials, which he still does at his concerts.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing in gatefold jacket. Jimmy Smith revolutionized the use of a Hammond B-3 organ. Arguably his finest moments, the sessions with Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax) helped define jazz. Prayer Meetin' is brimming with the bluesy grooves that made their collaborations classics. Highlights include "Red Top" and the title track's incredible interplay, while Stanley delivers a ballad tour-de-force on "I Almost Lost My Mind." Blue Note Tone Poet Series features all-analog, remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Recorded in 1962, Cole Hawkins Quartet featuring Tommy Flanagan (piano), Major Holley (bass) and Eddie Locke (drums) puts forth an easily palatable selection of repertoire, with up-tempo moments like "Go Li'l Liza," and "Swingin' Scotch," alongside a trio of ballads including Quincy Jones' "Quintessence."

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing in deluxe gatefold jacket. Root Down was Hammond B-3 jazz legend Jimmy Smith's 1972 live album for Verve. Recorded in Los Angeles in 1972, it features a young band that were very influenced by the funk and rock scenes of the time. The album's title track was famously sampled by the Beastie Boys for their 1995 recording of the same name. Verve Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing in deluxe gatefold jacket. The Cat is jazz organist Jimmy Smith's 1964 album, a notable release that reached No. 12 on the Billboard 200. Featuring Smith on the Hammond B-3, this set has some tasteful big band arrangements by Lalo Schifrin and some other-worldly playing by the great organist on a variety of other blues-oriented material. Verve Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered.

Freddie Hubbard -"Here To Stay (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition)" Blue Note Classic Vinyl Reissue Series! 180g Vinyl LP! Mastered by Kevin Gray from Original Analog Tapes! Pressed at Optimal Capitol Music Group; Blue Note; Jazz; Catalog

Grant Green - "Visions (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series)" [180gram Heavy Vinyl LP] Grant Green embraced R&B and jazz-funk on his 1971 album, Visions, featuring Billy Wooten, Emmanuel Riggins, Chuck Rainey, Idris Muhammad, Ray Armando and Harold Caldwell. The guitarist's distinctive tone and melodicism elevate songs by The Jackson 5, Chicago, The Carpenters, Mozart and Quincy Jones' "Maybe Tomorrow," which was later sampled by Kendrick Lamar. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series stereo edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Vinyl LP pressing.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Following the runaway success of The Sidewinder in 1964, Alfred Lion continued to record trumpeter Lee Morgan frequently in the hopes of capturing another funky boogaloo hit. While his subsequent albums may not have scaled the same commercial heights, Morgan certainly delivered the musical goods on his 1965 albums The Rumproller, The Gigolo, and Cornbread, all of which stand among the finest outings in his formidable discography. Recorded over two dates that Summer, The Gigolo featured Morgan with a dynamic quintet comprised of Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Harold Mabern on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. A supremely confident set of swaggering hard bop, the album kicks off with the groovy opener "Yes I Can, No You Can't," one of four Morgan originals featured here along with the up-tempo gems "Trapped" and "Speedball," and stirring explorations of the 11-minute "The Gigolo." The album closes with an exceptional arrangement of the ballad "You Go To My Head" which sways with sensual movement.

Sonny Rollins - "A Night At The Village Vanguard: The Complete Masters" - Capitol Music Group; Blue Note; Jazz; Catalog - Version Title: [Blue Note Tone Poet Series] / A Night At The Village Vanguard: The Complete Masters expands legendary tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins' tour- de-force 1957 live trio album to a 3-LP set on 180G vinyl as part of the Blue Note Tone Poet Series. Produced by Joe Harley, the album has been remastered from the never-before-used original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray and includes a booklet featuring never-before-seen Francis Wolff photos, insightful essays and a new interview with Rollins in conversation with Don Was.

After emerging from Terence Blanchard's band, pianist Aaron Parks made his own Blue Note debut in 2008 with Invisible Cinema, a striking album that has only grown in it's influence of the modern jazz landscape since it's release. Featuring a quartet with guitarist Mike Moreno, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Eric Harland, the music drew inspiration from Wayne Shorter, Radiohead, and more. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition was mastered by Kevin Gray and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Vinyl LP pressing. Tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley was at the peak of his powers throughout the early 1960s as he produced a staggering run of hard bop classics including Soul Station, Roll Call, Workout, No Room For Squares, and The Turnaround. Recorded in 1961, Workout was an energetic quintet outing featuring Mobley with guitarist Grant Green, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. The spirited five-song set consisted of four dynamic Mobley originals-"Workout," "Uh Huh," "Smokin'," and "Greasin' Easy"-that proved to be ideal vehicles inspiring vigorous improvisations from each of the soloists. The lone standard "The Best Things In Life Are Free"-taken from the musical Good News-was a showcase for Mobley's more lyrical side.

Bobby Hutcherson - "Happenings (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series)" / On his 1966 classic, Happenings, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson assembled a quartet with Herbie Hancock (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass) and Joe Chambers (drums) for a sublime post-bop outing featuring captivating Hutcherson originals, including the stunning ballad "Bouquet" and Latin-tinged "Rojo," as well as a version of Hancock's "Maiden Voyage." Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series features stereo, all-analog mastering by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

A magnificent band featuring Hank Mobley, Herbie Hancock and Kenny Burrell helped this trumpet legend create one of his most memorable albums with this 1963 recording. Duke Pearson did the arrangements, and an eight-piece gospel choir helped Byrd reach the spiritual heights he was seeking; the stunning "Cristo Redentor" joins "The Black Disciple," "Elijah," "Chant" and more. This stereo Blue Note Classic Vinyl edition is all-analog mastered from the original tapes and pressed on 180g vinyl! Blue Note.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing housed in a deluxe tip-on jacket. Drawn from two sessions in 1969 and 1970, Kofi found Donald Byrd in the early stages of his transformation from top-notch hard bop trumpeter to fusion pioneer. Byrd explores a variety of textures with bandmates including Frank Foster, Lew Tabackin, Duke Pearson, Ron Carter, Mickey Roker and Airto Moreira. Blue Note Tone Poet Series stereo edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes.

Vinyl LP pressing. Space Is The Place - highlighted by the rousing 21-minute title track - is both an essential album and a great onramp for new listeners to travel the spaceways of Sun Ra's other-worldly blend of avant-garde jazz, experimental rock, and Afrofuturism. The Verve By Request Series features 180-gram vinyl, pressed at Third Man in Detroit.

Grant Green began his lengthy and prolific Blue Note career with the 1961 release of his debut album Grant's First Stand, a stellar soul jazz outing that featured the guitarist in an organ trio with Baby Face Willette on Hammond B3 and Ben Dixon on drums. When he returned to Van Gelder Studio next in April of that year it was once again with a trio but this time one with a leaner sound featuring Green backed by bass (Ben Tucker) and drums (Dave Bailey). The spare setting and sturdy support created spacious realms for Green to expound at length, unspooling his inventive, bluesy lines on a 5-song set that included the no-nonsense originals "No. 1 Green Street," "Grant's Dimensions," and "Green With Envy." Green also showcased his singular tone on a stunning version of Thelonious Monk's "'Round About Midnight" and an alluring rendition of the standard "Alone Together."

Sonny Rollins first appeared on a Blue Note recording session in 1949 as part of Bud Powell's Modernists during a period when the saxophonist was coming up on the scene and cutting his teeth alongside bebop innovators including Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis. After he began leading his own record dates in the 1950s, Rollins hooked up with Alfred Lion again and recorded four tremendous albums for Blue Note in less than a year between December 1956 and November 1957. Following two quintet dates that were released as Sonny Rollins, Volume 1 and Vol. 2, the saxophone colossus returned to Van Gelder Studio in September 1957 with a quartet comprised of pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Philly Joe Jones to record Newk's Time (the album title was a reference to his nickname Newk due to his resemblance to Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe). Rollins & Co. Romp through a typically eclectic set that includes pieces by his jazz peers (Miles Davis' "Tune Up" & Kenny Dorham's "Asiatic Raes"), Broadway showtunes (the saxophone-drums duet "Surrey with the Fringe on Top" & the sumptuous "Namely You"), pop songs ("Wonderful! Wonderful!" which was a hit for Johnny Mathis in 1956), and Rollins' own spirited original "Blues for Philly Joe."

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.

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."

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.

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 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.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing housed in gatefold tip-on jacket. The trio of Grant Green, Larry Young and Elvin Jones had a unique alchemy from the first time they got together on 1964's Talkin' About. For 1965's I Want To Hold Your Hand, they added Hank Mobley to the mix for sophisticated renditions of well-known songs by the Beatles, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Cole Porter and more. Blue Note Tone Poet Series is produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing housed in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket. Lee Morgan's Infinity, which was recorded in 1965 but not released until 1981, finds the great trumpeter leading a robust quintet featuring saxophonist Jackie McLean, pianist Larry Willis, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Billy Higgins to the far reaches of the hard bop tradition and beyond. Blue Note Tone Poet Series is remastered from the original analog tapes.

Donald Byrd's 1967 album Slow Drag was one of the last pure hard bop records the trumpeter would make before his music began evolving towards fusion. Byrd flies high on this gratifying set featuring alto saxophonist Sonny Red, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Walter Booker & drummer Billy Higgins. 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, & packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing housed in deluxe tip-on jacket. The prodigious trumpeter Freddie Hubbard debuted on Blue Note in 1960 and produced an astounding run of recordings over the first half of the decade that culminated with Blue Spirits, which was the last of his 1960s studio albums for the label. This bluesy and spirited album presented five evocative Hubbard originals, each of which was given a richly textured arrangement for an ensemble that included a dynamic four-horn lineup. Drawn from two different sessions, the first date produced the gratifying opening track "Soul Surge" and the percolating "Cunga Black" with Hubbard joined by James Spaulding on alto saxophone and flute, Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone, Kiane Zawadi on euphonium, Harold Mabern on piano, Larry Ridley on bass, Clifford Jarvis on drums, and Big Black on congas. A week later Hubbard returned to Van Gelder Studio with Spaulding, Zawadi, and a slightly different lineup including Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums. This second session rounded out the album with hard-charging performances of "Outer Forces" and "Jodo," as well as the mesmerizing title track. This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, and mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing in gatefold jacket. In November 1960, trumpeter Donald Byrd brought his quintet into the Half Not Cafe in New York City to record this soulful, swinging and highly enjoyable live set of hard cop featuring Pepper Adams (baritone saxophone), Duke Pearson (piano), Laymon Jackson (bass) and Lex Humphries (drums). Blue Note Tone Poet Series features all-analog, remastering.