Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Released in 1966 on Verve Records, Jimmy & Wes (The Dynamic Duo), captures the only full-length studio collaboration between organist Jimmy Smith and guitarist Wes Montgomery. Produced by Creed Taylor and arranged by Oliver Nelson, Jimmy & Wes brought together two of jazz's most distinctive voices in an expansive big band setting. Recorded over three days in September 1966 at Rudy Van Gelder's Englewood Cliffs studio, the sessions featured a brass & reed-heavy ensemble and a top-tier rhythm section with drummer Grady Tate and bassist Richard Davis. Montgomery's melodic guitar lines and Smith's fiery organ grooves find a vibrant setting in Nelson's tight, punchy arrangements - rich in harmonic color and rhythmic drive. The result is a rare meeting of two jazz giants, captured during a period of broad popular success, with the added presence of one of the era's most accomplished arrangers. The Verve Vault Series is always mastered from analog tapes and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Gerry Mulligan/Johnny Hodges - "Gerry Mulligan Meets Johnny Hodges (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series)". Recorded in 1959, Gerry Mulligan Meets Johnny Hodges is heralded as one of the best of Mulligan's recorded pairings with fellow instrumentalists. On this date, the two saxophonists are joined by a solid rhythm section of Claude Williamson (piano), Buddy Clark (bass) and Mel Lewis (drums), splitting the repertoire across three originals each from Mulligan and Hodges. The two complement the other throughout except for Mulligan's "What's the Rush," where the baritonist sits out altogether in favor of Hodges' alto taking the spotlight. Verve Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

Focus, recorded at Webster Hall in New York City and released in 1961 on Verve Records, stands as a singular entry in saxophonist Stan Getz's discography. Focus pairs Getz's expressive tenor saxophone with a string orchestra conducted by Hershy Kay. Getz's parts were entirely improvised, as he navigated pre-composed frameworks with melodic invention and emotional clarity. The album represents a true collaboration between Sauter and Getz, and a radical departure from the conventions of jazz "with strings" albums of the time. Sauter's charts emphasize contrapuntal writing, rhythmic complexity, and harmonic ambiguity, while Getz - unedited and unrehearsed in the traditional sense - weaves a lyrical, instinctive line throughout. The result remains one of the most original and artistically daring projects in Getz's recorded legacy; the artist's favorite of all the records he made. The Verve Vault Series is always mastered from analog tapes and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Four for Trane, released in 1964 on Impulse! Records, was saxophonist Archie Shepp's first major studio statement and remains one of his most influential albums. Co-produced by John Coltrane and recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's Englewood Cliffs studio, the set presents Shepp performing four Coltrane compositions alongside Shepp's own "Rufus." Rather than offering faithful renditions, Shepp and arranger Roswell Rudd reimagine Coltrane's material with bold ensemble voicings, fluctuating time signatures, and unfettered improvisation. The quintet - Shepp on tenor saxophone, Rudd on trombone, Alan Shorter on flugelhorn, Reggie Workman on bass, and Charles Moffett on drums - bridges the intensity of free jazz with the formal rigor of post-bop. Four for Trane signaled his arrival as a vital and progressive voice within the new wave of 1960s jazz. The Verve Vault series is always mastered from analog tapes and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Percussion Bitter Sweet, released in 1961 on Impulse! Records, is one of preeminent jazz drummer Max Roach's most politically charged and musically expansive recordings. Recorded over two days in September 1960 at Universal Studios in Chicago, the record reflects Roach's deepening engagement with themes of social justice and Pan-African identity. The ensemble features trumpeter Tommy Turrentine, tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan, and tuba innovator Ray Draper, alongside Roach's own commanding blend of cymbal textures, mallets, and explosive rhythmic detail. The inclusion of vocalist Abbey Lincoln - Roach's artistic and political partner at the time - adds urgency and emotional power to the project's most pointed statements. Elsewhere, "Mama" and "Praise for a Martyr" explore personal and collective grief through dynamic interplay and modal intensity. The Verve Vault series is always mastered from analog tapes and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Recorded in late 1954 and early 1955, this set marks the pinnacle of what some called the "most definitive bop group of the era" until Clifford Brown's fatal car accident in 1956. The second of four albums Brown and Max Roach made together, Clifford Brown & Max Roach enlisted the duties of Harold Land (tenor saxophone) with Richie Powell (piano) and George Morrow (bass) solidifying the rhythm section around Roach. Brown's compositions "The Blues Walk," "Joy Spring," and "Daahoud," are spotlighted as some of the finest in hard bop, with notable mentions of Bud Powell's "Parisian Thoroughfare," and Duke Jordan's "Jordu." Verve Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

Wes Montgomery's first album to reach the Billboard charts, Bumpin' showcases his exceptional command of the guitar with the support of an orchestra arranged and conducted by Don Sebesky. The rhythm section of Roger Kellaway (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass) and Grady Tate (drums) add fire to and drive the orchestra. With a top-notch selection of compositions from Dizzy Gillespie, Johnny Mandel, John Francis Burke, and Montgomery himself, Bumpin' takes the listener on a majestic journey each time it spins. Verve Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

Ben Webster - "King of the Tenors (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series)". Originally released as 'The Consummate Artistry of Ben Webster' for the Norgran label in 1954, Norman Granz changed the title to 'King of the Tenors' and re-released the album on his newly minted Verve Records in 1957. Accompanied on the session by the Oscar Peterson Trio throughout, along with Benny Carter and Harry "Sweets" Edison on several tracks, Webster's level of artistry shines across the broad selection of repertoire from the album opener, "Tenderly" to Duke Ellington's "Cottontail." This album is a great entry point anyone interested in Ben Webster as it presents a solid selection of his playing. Verve Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

Stan Getz/Gerry Mulligan - "Getz Meets Mulligan in Hi-Fi (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series)". Under the guidance of Norman Granz, Stan Getz and Gerry Mulligan collaborate for the first time as the primary horns on Getz Meets Mulligan in Hi-Fi. Recorded in 1957, this record offers the unique opportunity to listen to the two jazz stars trade instruments on the first three tracks ("Let's Fall in Love, "Anything Goes," and "Too Close for Comfort") with Getz on baritone sax and Mulligan on tenor. The music gels with the help of a world-class rhythm section featuring Lou Levy on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Stan Levey on drums. While a massive musical success, the duo never recorded again in this quintet format, making this record a rarity. Verve Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

Coleman Hawkins - "Coleman Hawkins and Confreres (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series)". Released in 1958 on Verve, Hawkins playing is particularly confident and eloquent throughout the set. His group of "confreres" on the session is fortified by the Oscar Peterson Trio along with sit-in guests, including Hank Jones (piano), Herb Ellis (guitar), and Roy Eldridge & Buck Clayton (trumpet) among others. The relaxed atmosphere of the session is particularly noticeable in the title, "Sunday," in which Roy Eldridge comes into the limelight with a brilliant solo. Coleman Hawkins' voluminous, supple sound which had a great influence on the styles of so many horn players who followed is best heard after Roy's solo in "Honey Flower." Verve Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

Jimmy Smith's first album for Verve, recorded in 1962, Bashin' features the organist in two very different configurations - the first with an Oliver Nelson-conducted big band (including up-and-coming trumpeter Doc Severinsen), and the second with Smith's regular trio with Quentin Warren (guitar) and Donald Bailey (drums.) This historic set was a turning point for Smith's career, with the track "Walk on the Wild Side" becoming his biggest hit to that point, reaching #21 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. Verve Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

Released in mid-1965, Jimmy Smith took a break from the typical big band sessions he'd been doing for Verve with this pared-down trio date, enlisting Kenny Burrell (guitar) and Grady Tate (drums) to take on a selection of blues and jazz standards. From the title track to his own "Blues For J," Smith and this all-star group display complete mastery of, arguably, the most swinging of all jazz band configurations - the organ trio. Verve Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

One of the quintessential Charles Mingus recordings regardless of label, Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus finds a mini-big-band playing some of his best-known compositions, albeit with new titles! Features Mingus favorites Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin and Jaki Byard among it's all-star cast. Available on limited-edition Impulse! Orange vinyl.

Ella Fitzgerald -"Jukebox Ella: The Complete Verve Singles, Volume 2" [3 CD] Ella Fitzgerald began her glorious association with the newly formed Verve label in 1956, and her Verve album debut 'Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book,' bankrolled the label's initial success. Singles taken from that album turned out to be big hits, as did many other singles in this collection, all of which were pulled from Ella's albums and helped make them top-selling LPs. 'Jukebox Ella: The Complete Verve Singles, Volume 2' provides 3 CDs worth of snapshots of Fitzgerald, singing with an incomparable level of artistry, whether it's songs by Cole Porter, the Gershwins or the Beatles. 3-CD Digipak set with booklet included.

Recorded during a single day in February 1961 and released six months later, The Blues and the Abstract Truth is regarded as jazz saxophonist Oliver Nelson's most acclaimed album. It features great tracks such as "Stolen Moments," and a stellar list of musicians, including Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, Freddie Hubbard, Eric Dolphy, George Barrow and Roy Haynes. Musically, the album was something of a departure from the norm for Oliver; better known for his work with big bands, this album found him fronting a much smaller combo and exploring the mood and structure of the blues. To accomplish this, Oliver wrote six tracks, with only some of them being structured in the conventional 12-bar blues form. However, many of the solos are performed in such a style, resulting in a compelling album that has withstood the passage of time extremely well. Available on limited-edition Impulse! Orange vinyl.

Originally recorded for the Clef label in 1956, Swing's The Thing features the tenor great in a stellar sextet with Roy Eldridge (trumpet), Jimmy Jones (piano), Herb Ellis (guitar), Ray Brown (bass) and Jo Jones (drums). While Jacquet's sessions as a leader may have been infrequent during this time, this session hits a magical mark with the 6-song set being highlighted by the tracks "Las Vegas Blues," "Harlem Nocturne," and "Achtung." Verve Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180g vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

Long-considered Charles Mingus' masterpiece, The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady represents high-water marks in both jazz composition and orchestration. An essential recording in the history of jazz, this work has been performed as a ballet and features original liner notes by Mingus' psychotherapist. Verve's Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging. Available on limited-edition Impulse! Orange vinyl.

Billie Holiday - Lady Day's great recordings from the late 1950s. Her strongest and most famous performances. Lady Sings The Blues (1956) - Body And Soul (1957) - Songs For Distingue Lovers (1957) - Stay With Me (1958) - All Or Nothing At All (1958)

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster was just one of many "meets" albums that Gerry Mulligan appeared on during the period when this classic was recorded - Nov. 3 and Dec. 2, 1959, in Los Angeles. Mulligan and Pepper Adams were the baritone saxophonists during the golden age of modern jazz, both masters of the unwieldy and deep-toned instrument. History was made here, as was a classic record for the ages. Mulligan was an innovator of the west coast cool jazz style who flourished playing with all manner of jazz musicians. The tunes he and Webster recorded are smooth, lush and emotional, driven along by a rhythm section that swings with just the right amount of bop. The result is an album that's included among NPR's "Basic Jazz Record Library." Seeking to offer definitive audiophile grade versions of some of the most historic and best jazz records ever recorded, Verve Label Group and Universal Music Enterprises' audiophile Acoustic Sounds vinyl reissue series utilizes the skills of top mastering engineers and the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings. All titles are mastered from the original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. In high-quality gatefold sleeves with tip-on jackets. The releases are supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world's largest source for audiophile recordings.

Vinyl LP pressing. 2024 release. On Julius Rodriguez's sophomore album, he returns with exciting new original material and an incredible cover of Dijon's "Many Times". Guest features on the album include Keyon Harrold, Nate Mercereau, and Georgia Anne Muldrow. "This album for me embodies the meaning of Evergreen. With the differing worlds that are presented by each track, I still aim to be fully honestly myself in my expression-maintaining my voice in any variation of musical climate. With this, I hope to carry on the importance of prioritizing the music itself, rather than letting a genre or label create a preconceived connotation of the music. The genre is me."

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. The band Gillespie assembled for this date - Junior Mance, Les Spann, Sam Jones, & Lex Humphries - was for the most part a working band on the club & concert circuit, offering a mixture of Gillespie's entertaining songs, established repertoire, & some Latin & African-influenced pieces. With them, Dizzy found a middle ground in his music that gave his legacy room to breathe, but with much more rhythmic variety.

Vinyl LP pressing. Sonny Stitt led a number of excellent record dates in 1959, especially at the end of the year when he produced three LPs for Verve over a span of three sessions with pianist Lou Levy, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Mel Lewis. Playing alto sax throughout this album, Stitt hardly sounds like a Charlie Parker clone, something that unfortunately was a frequent claim by tin-eared critics throughout a fair portion of his career. The music includes several potent originals, especially "Hymnal Blues" and the slow, powerful "Morning After Blues." Originally released in 1970.

Recorded in 1985 after a break from the studio and time spent living in Barbados and Liberia, this one-of-a-kind album in Nina's catalog features standards as well as original compositions revisited by a rejuvenated Nina. Horns and backups singers join her on "Porgy," "It's Cold Out Here," "You Must Have Another Lover," "For a While," "Touching and Caring" and more. CD or vinyl, with new artwork! Verve.

Verve Records releases the latest editions in it's breakout Great Women of Song series, which pays homage to the ground-breaking work and lasting impact of some of the greatest female vocalists of all time. Like her idol Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae could own a ballad and make it all her own. She could also swing every bit as hard as her other main influence, Ella Fitzgerald. Coming up during the bebop era and under the musical sway of Thelonious Monk, Carmen made a series of recordings for the Decca label that would cement her reputation and launch a career that close to 50 years. Whether in small groups or backed by a studio orchestra, Carmen McRae recorded definitive versions of songs that make up the backbones of jazz and the Great American Songbook.

Vinyl LP pressing. With her cool, expressive singing style and carefully crafted song selection Helen Merrill has secured a special place in the hearts of fans and other musicians. From intimate ballads to full-band swingers this collection, drawn from her 1950s recordings, provides solid evidence of the unparalleled artistry of one of jazz's must-hear voices.