Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. An undisputed yet underrated architect of what we now know as modern rock and roll, 1956's Gospel Train was an innovative release for Sister Rosetta Tharpe in more ways than one. For starters, her first release on the Mercury Records label was also her first available from any label on the then-new 12" long-playing format, still the industry standard for vinyl albums today. Most importantly, Gospel Train took Sister Tharpe's distinctive blend of primordial electric guitar-driven blues and traditional gospel and harnessed it's power in a polished studio setting, backed by first-call session musicians including the vocal quartet the Harmonizing Four. The Verve Vault series is all-analog, cut from the original master tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound and pressed on 180-gram vinyl.
Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. The Velvet Fog meets The Great White Way! Mel Torme was at the height of his powers on 1960's Swings Shubert Alley, a collection of Broadway standards backed by the renowned Marty Paich Orchestra. This stunning union of musical theatre and jazz is regarded as one of the jewels of Torme's work for Verve Records, and his unforgettable vocal delivery elevates familiar chestnuts from the songbooks of Lerner and Loewe ("On the Street Where You Live"), Rodgers and Hammerstein ("Hello, Young Lovers," "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top") and Cole Porter ("Too Darn Hot"). The Verve Vault series is all-analog, cut from the original master tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound and pressed on 180-gram vinyl.
Clara Haberkamp does not like to be categorized and describes herself as a genre-open pianist and composer. Hailed as 'one of the most distinctive pianists on the German jazz scene' (radio DLF), she has recently made waves internationally with her latest record, Plateaux (TYXart, TXA24184). Blending jazz, classical music, and New Music, her sound is direct, intimate, and unmistakably her own. Occasionally, she adds her voice as another color in her musical palette, speaking directly to the listener. Clara Haberkamp's solo piano album LOVE MAPS (including also two vocal tracks) is a masterpiece of musical navigation-a beautifully crafted sonic map bridging jazz, classical music, and multifaceted improvisation. Familiar pieces and original compositions are transformed through her unique artistic sensibility.
2022 release. Simply put, Samara Joy is next. At just 22 years old, her Verve debut Linger Awhile shows that with a voice, tone, and phrasing that harkens back to the most legendary jazz vocalists, Samara belongs in the company of iconic labelmates from Ella Fitzgerald to Sarah Vaughan to Billie Holiday. Samara is remarkably savvy on TikTok and Instagram, fostering a community of devoted followers through fully organic means. She is poised to be a household name, synonymous with timeless jazz music.
Bitches Brew is a studio album by jazz musician, composer, and bandleader Miles Davis, originally released on March 30, 1970. It marked his continuing experimentation with electric instruments that he had previously featured on the critically acclaimed In a Silent Way (1969). With these instruments, such as the electric piano and guitar, Davis rejected traditional jazz rhythms in favor of loose, rock-influenced arrangements based on improvisation. In subsequent years, Bitches Brew gained recognition as one of jazz's greatest albums and a progenitor of the jazz rock genre, as well as a major influence on rock and funk musicians.
The album that shook up both the jazz and rock worlds - and made Herbie Hancock a superstar! In it's original release, this LP proved to be a very important recording that bridged jazz, funk and rock, and was a precursor to techno. Reissue producer Bob Belden has made this new CD sound better than ever and this definitive version also boasts great new liner notes by Herbie Hancock himself.
Vinyl LP repressing. From the opening bars of the title track of this beautiful album, Oscar Peterson lays down the kind of piano playing for which he had been famous for well over a decade; the deftness of touch, the almost sleight of hand, as he beguiles the listener into making it sound all too easy. Peterson talks through the piano and at his best he makes the piano sing. Just listen to 'Georgia on My Mind' who needs a vocal? While Peterson has at times, unfairly, been called an unemotional pianist, that is not a criticism that can be leveled at Night Train. It is a beautifully recorded album that makes the piano, long-time Peterson trio bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen sound as though they are in the room. Despite having sold Verve to MGM two years earlier, Norman Granz produced this album as he was Oscar Peterson's manager; it is a fitting tribute to both performer and mentor.
Limited vinyl LP pressing. This aptly named 1957 album by jazz icon Miles Davis includes three sessions originally recorded between 1949 and 1950. What would go on to become known as cool jazz, these recordings were complex in arrangement, with just the right touch of restraint from Davis and the rest of his ensemble. Featuring unusual instrumentation and several notable musicians, the music consisted of innovative arrangements influenced by classical music techniques such as polyphony, and marked a major development in post-bebop jazz. As the title implies, these recordings are considered seminal in the history of cool jazz. Most of them were originally released in the 10-inch 78-rpm format and are all approximately three minutes long. Forever hip and innovative, this vinyl reissue is a timeless classic for any jazz collection.
Recorded in '57 but not issued 'til '61 (by which time the public had caught on to the idiosyncratic genius of these two), this legendary meeting was a career highlight for both Monk and Trane. Monk's Mood (from the Thelonious Himself LP) is the bonus cut, joining Off Minor; Ruby, My Dear; Nutty; Trinkle, Tinkle, and more!