Classical Music

Born September 23, 1926 John Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes and was at the forefront of free jazz. He led at least fifty recording sessions and appeared on many albums by other musicians, including trumpeter Miles Davis and pianist Thelonious Monk. Over the course of his career, Coltrane's music took on an increasingly spiritual dimension, as exemplified on his most acclaimed albums A Love Supreme (1965) and Ascension (1966). He remains one of the most influential saxophonists in music history. He received numerous posthumous awards, including a Pulitzer Prize in 2007, and was canonized by the African Orthodox Church. This extraordinary collection features eight of John Coltrane's most cherished and popular albums, all from the era when the great man's star shined brightest. A fine selection of his best ever work, all now housed on 4 CDs, this set will work equally well for new converts to Coltrane's music as it will as a welcome reminder for those already hooked

Carmen McRae was one of the finest and most highly-regarded jazz and sophisticated pop singers of the post-war era, renowned for her highly individual interpretation of the standards of the Great American Songbook. Born in Harlem of Jamaican parentage in 1920, she performed in New York's jazz clubs in the 1940s and made her first record until 1946. This great-value 97-track 4-CD set comprising her first release on Musicraft with Mercer Ellington, plus A&B sides of her singles on the Stardust and Decca labels through to 1958, including her releases with Sammy Davis Jr., and which include the titles from her "A Foggy Day" album for Stardust, plus all the titles from her albums "Carmen McRae" on Bethlehem, and "Torchy", "By Special Request", "Blue Moon" and "Afterglow" on Decca. It includes her chart entries from this era "Next Time It Happens" and "Skyliner". On these recordings, she is accompanied by orchestras arranged and conducted by Jack Pleis, Tadd Dameron, Vic Shoen and Ralph Burns, and star-studded jazz groups led by Mat Mathews and Tony Scott. It's a substantial and thoroughly absorbing overview of the first key decade and more of her career when she established herself as a highly distinctive and supremely talented vocal stylist across the jazz and pop spectrum.

2021 release from the iconic musician In the 2010s, Herb Alpert released a prolific run of eight new studio albums. This year, the iconic leader of the Tijuana Brass shows no signs of slowing down with his latest effort, Catch The Wind. This new collection features nine original compositions, covers of beloved Beatles hits "Eleanor Rigby" and "Yesterday", and American classics "Smile", "America The Beautiful", and "Summertime". So, charge up your iPhone, dust off your Hi-Fi, put batteries in your boombox, plug the headphones into your Walkman, and get ready to listen to Herb Alpert's Catch The Wind.

2010 two CD release from the Jazz saxophonist. Kirk Whalum elevates his award winning Gospel According to Jazz series to a new level with a live-recorded double CD set featuring the best in Contemporary Jazz, Gospel and Urban music. This effort, both visually and audibly, demonstrates the deep connections between Gospel and Jazz. It's revised renditions of commonly known tunes socially connect with the listener on a horizontal level that seeks to usher in a vertical spiritual relationship. Features guest appearances from George Duke, Lalah Hathaway, Doc Powell and others.

Classical Music

Composer, arranger and conductor Henry Mancini is renowned for his involvement in music for the movies, none more so than his memorable and legendary collaboration with lyricist Johnny Mercer on "Moon River" for the classic Audrey Hepburn film "Breakfast At Tiffany's". However, he also wrote and recorded non-movie material for singles and albums, and this collection dips into both strands of his work during the early era of his recording career. This great-value 52-track 2-CD set comprises A & B sides of his s singles during these years on the Liberty, Coral and RCA labels, plus selected titles from his Liberty album "Driftwood And Dreams" and his RCA albums "The Blues And The Beat" and "Combo", which included arrangements of pop standards as well as his own compositions. It features his hits from this era, including the Academy Award winning "Moon River" and "Days Of Wine And Roses", plus the themes from "Mr. Lucky", "The Great Impostor" and "Hatari". Other movie and TV music featured in the set includes the themes from "Peter Gunn", "The Brothers Karamazov", "Experiment In Terror" and "Phaedra" plus "Baby Elephant Walk" from "Hatari". It's a fascinating and varied showcase for Mancini's unique skill as a composer of screen music but also offers a window onto his wider contribution to popular music.

J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding were among the leading innovators and primary exponents of the trombone in modern jazz, exploring the instrument's potential in the challenging musical era following the emergence of bebop in the 1940s, where trumpet and saxophone were more suited to the medium's rapid tempos and demand for technical mastery. Having established their reputations as soloists, they came together in 1953 for the first time to collaborate on a series of projects in different group environments. This 77-track 4-CD set features most of the titles they recorded together during this period before they went their separate ways again. It includes material from the "Live at Putnam Central Club" performances plus tracks from the albums "Reflections" on Savoy, "An Afternoon At Birdland" on X, "Jay & Kai" on Prestige, "K + J.J." on Bethlehem, and "Trombone For Two", "Jai & Kai Plus 6", and "Jai & Kai At Newport" on Columbia, as well as titles with Quincy Jones' Orchestra. Among the musicians with whom they perform in the various line-ups are John Lewis, Charles Mingus, Kenny Clarke, Dick Katz, Quincy Jones, Lucky Thompson, Paul Chambers, Milt Hinton, Shadow Wilson, Hank Jones, Ray Brown and others. It makes for fascinating and enlightening listening as they present both familiar and original jazz repertoire in a variety of unusual musical settings, which include their renowned trombone octet, and it's an entertaining showcase for two of the most renowned jazz trombonists of their era.

In 2007, Jonathan Butler's career comes full circle as he returns to homeland South Africa, where he was the first non-white artist to be played on South African radio. An inspired and emotional concert performance, captured with exceptional audio quality on CD and DVD, JONATHAN BUTLER - LIVE IN SOUTH AFRICA, is a must have for old and new fans alike.

2010 from the acclaimed guitarist and vocalist. So Strong is simply put- so strong! The first single (and title track) already made an impact at Urban Adult Contemporary and is a marvelous, hip slice of his powerful vocals over an infectious, driving rhythm. Smooth Jazz radio gets a taste too with the Benson-esque "Make Room for Me" and the inspirational "You Got to Believe Something" is a musical credo that won't let you down. So Strong, we hope you will agree, isn't just worth the wait, it's worth the weight in soul.

This inventive post-bop treasure finds Miles totally reenergized by the young talent of his second quintet. His first album of new material in six years is a brilliantly excecuted exercise in tension and release! Includes Eighty-One; Little One; R.J.; Agitation; Iris; Mood, and the title track.

Click here to view the Vinyl version.

 

Pianist Bill Charlap returns to Blue Note with Street of Dreams, a stunning album featuring his revered longstanding trio with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington. Street of Dreams is a celebration of New York City as it emerges from an unprecedentedly challenging period, as reflected in the eight impeccably curated songs on the album, a delightful mix of jazz classics and Songbook favorites. It's also a reflection of the literal and metaphorical road traveled together by Charlap and the Washingtons during nearly 25 years as a trio. During that time they've become so deeply attuned that on Street of Dreams they seem to breathe as one, whether setting off into rollicking swing or fragile balladry. The album is thus a celebration of these three eloquent voices reconvening, so it's apt that this homecoming takes place on Blue Note, which released so many of the trio's acclaimed recordings throughout the first decade of this millennium including Written In The Stars, Stardust, Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard Bernstein, and Live at the Village Vanguard.

2010 release from the Jazz great, an album that celebrates the life and music of the late Soul great, Donny Hathaway. Features guest appearances from Jeff Golub, Robert Randolph and Donny's daughter, Lalah Hathaway.

At King Cole was undoubtedly one of the most popular, successful and respected vocalists of the post-war era, and would have enjoyed even greater success had his career not been cut short by cancer when he was just 45 years old. His success reflected his ability to transcend the boundaries between jazz and easy listening pop, with a unique talent both as a singer and top flight jazz pianist. He initially enjoyed success in the R&B charts with his trio in the early '40s, pioneering the piano, bass and guitar line-up, before embarking on a solo career in 1947, and racking up a remarkable string of hits through until his death in 1965. This collection brings together in a great-value 115-track 5-CD set all of his US Billboard chart entries and his UK hits, both with the King Cole Trio and as a solo artist, up until 1962, and includes classic No. 1s like "Nature Boy", "Mona Lisa" and "Too Young", as well as many other iconic recordings, notably the perennial favourite "When I Fall In Love".

This is Diana Krall's first studio recording since 2001's THE LOOK OF LOVE. THE GIRL IN THE OTHER ROOM is a set of intimate reflections on the resilence of the human spirit. This album also features 6 original songs co-written with Elvis Costello, and brilliant interpretations of tunes Mose Allison, Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell, and Tom Waits.

John Coltrane saw the album-legenth suite a Love Supreme as his gift to God. The world has come to see it as a classic, not only Coltrane's best know n work, but one of the most important and influent ial jazz records ever made.

This package features stunningly remastered sound (even the earliest cuts from 1938 are hiss free, full-bodied and remarkably clear), along with a classy 16-page booklet with rare photos and detailed session liner notes. It's not the final word on the prolific and multi-talented musician who some consider the most influential jazzman ever, but is an excellent overall portrait of Satchmo, covering numerous highlights in the career of this legendary American artist. Hip-O. 2006.

Vinyl LP pressing. In 1968, Don Cherry had already established himself as one of the leading voices of the avant-garde. Having pioneered free jazz as a member of Ornette Coleman's classic quartet, and with a high profile collaboration with John Coltrane under his belt, the globetrotting jazz trumpeter settled in Sweden with his partner Moki and her daughter Neneh. There, he assembled a group of Swedish musicians and led a series of weekly workshops at the ABF, or Workers' Educational Association, from February to April of 1968, with lessons on extended forms of improvisation including breathing, drones, Turkish rhythms, overtones, silence, natural voices, and Indian scales. That summer, saxophonist and recording engineer Goran Freese-who later recorded Don's classic Organic Music Society and Eternal Now LPs-invited Don, members of his two working bands, and a Turkish drummer to his summer house in Kummelnas, just outside of Stockholm, for a series of rehearsals and jam sessions that put the prior months' workshops into practice. Long relegated to the status of a mysterious footnote in Don's sessionography, tapes from this session, as well as one professionally mixed tape intended for release, were recently found in the vaults of the Swedish Jazz Archive, and the lost Summer House Sessions are finally available over fifty years after they were recorded.

Kirk Whalum, one of the greatest living saxophonists of our time, decorated with 7 Grammy nominations and world-wide acclaim, pays tribute to the amazing legacy of Kenny Edmonds, known to the world as the groundbreaking R&B artist, Babyface. The songbook includes many of the greatest modern R&B songs of the last decade, including #1 hits 'I'll Make Love to You', 'Exhale', 'Can We Talk', 'Breathe Again', and 'When Can I See You'. This event album is destined to be the breakout instrumental of 2005-2006. Rendezvous. 2005.

Legendary saxophonist Kirk Whalum's new studio album, ROUNDTRIP, is a journey through the past, present, and future of his music - featuring new jazz compositions, Fresh re-imaginings of his career-defining hits, and a glimpse at his next innovative musical destination.

BILL EVANS FOR LOVERS

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Art Blakey's 1960 hard bop classic, The Big Beat, introduced one of the greatest line-ups of the Jazz Messengers with the legendary drummer joined by Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Timmons, and Jymie Merritt. 3 of the 6 tunes were composed by Shorter, but the album is best-known for an unforgettable version of Timmons' enduring hit "Dat Dere." 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.

Formed in 1956 by Joe Sample (piano), Stix Hooper (drums), Wilton Felder (saxophone), and Wayne Henderson (trombone) - buddies from an early age out of Houston, Texas - The Jazz Crusaders had all been schooled in local centres of prayer. They first performed together at one of the city's Creole churches, where they began to define their sound. The blend of Jazz, Blues and Soul which the young quartet developed throughout this formative period remained their default style during their early career. Having tried a number of short-lived names such as The Swingsters and The Nite Hawks, the founding members relocated to Los Angeles. On arrival, they stayed with family and friends, often sharing one room between them with a couple of mattresses on the floor. After changing their name to The Jazz Crusaders in 1961 (a nod to jazz great Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers), the group signed with Pacific Jazz Records, a label with whom they would remain throughout the 1960s. Fronted by a two man horn section featuring trombone and tenor sax, the group's sound was by now rooted in hard bop, with a nod still to R&B and soul. As The Jazz Crusaders, they released over a dozen albums before re-christening themselves The Crusaders in 1971, under which moniker they released a string of further albums in the jazz-fusion style, popular during the 1970s. This four disc boxset brings together the first eight albums by the Jazz Crusaders; all recorded for Pacific Jazz Records during the first half of the 1960s. Still held in huge esteem by Jazz critics and enthusiasts alike, this 4 CD collection, featuring over 5 hours of superb jazz, serves as both an ideal introduction to the Jazz Crusaders music, and as a welcome reminder of the group's majesty, musicianship and style for those already well versed.

COLTRANE JAZZ

Vinyl LP pressing. In the late 1960s, the American trumpet player and free jazz pioneer Don Cherry (1936-1995) and the Swedish visual artist and designer Moki Cherry (1943-2009) began a collaboration that imagined an alternative space for creative music, most succinctly expressed in Moki's aphorism "the stage is home and home is a stage." By 1972, they had given name to a concept that united Don's music, Moki's art, and their family life in rural Tag�rp, Sweden into one holistic entity: Organic Music Theatre. Captured here is the historic first Organic Music Theatre performance from the 1972 Festival de jazz de Chateauvallon in the South of France, mastered from tapes recorded during it's original live broadcast on public TV. A life-affirming, multicultural patchwork of borrowed tunes suffused with the hallowed aura of Don's extensive global travels, the performance documents the moment he publicly jettisoned his identity as a jazz musician, and represents the start of his communal "mystical" period, later crystallized in recordings such as Organic Music Society, Relativity Suite, Brown Rice, and the soundtrack for Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain.