Jazz

John Coltrane's final album for Atlantic bookends the exploratory motifs he explores on his Impulse! debut, Africa/Brass,recorded concurrently, with each involving knotty rhythmic shifts and Spanish-derived textures. Bonding with an amazing band that includes pianist McCoy Tyner, drummer Elvin Jones, and an uncredited Eric Dolphy (due to contractual reasons), Coltrane welcomes improvisations and ranging outside conventional parameters, all the while retaining melodic beauty. Yet the biggest attraction on the 1961 effort comes via the double-bass interplay between Art Davis and Reggie Workman, whose back-and-forth exchanges produce heat and cause the leader to up his own game. Mastered from the original master tapes, this dead-quiet 180g 45RPM 2LP set presents each pluck of the acoustic basses with tremendous body and decay. Long overdue for audiophile treatment, Olé Coltrane is ready for its closeup, and how.

Double LP, 4RPM Edition
180gram audiophile-grade vinyl pressed at Pallas Group in Germany
Mastered by Bernie Grundman from the original analog tapes

"This 1960 recording was a landmark album in John Coltrane's career, the first to introduce his quartet with himself, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Steve Davis and drummer Elvin Jones, and the first release on which he played soprano saxophone. It also provided him with a signature hit, as his new group conception came together wonderfully on the title track. It's an extended modal reworking in 6/4 time that brought the hypnotic pulsating quality of Indian music into jazz for the first time, with Coltrane's soprano wailing over the oscillating piano chords and pulsing drums. The unusual up-tempo version of Gershwin's 'Summertime'is a heated example of Coltrane's 'sheets of sound' approach to conventional changes, while 'But Not for Me' receives a radical harmonic makeover. This is an excellent introduction to Coltrane's work." — All Music Guide

Here we have the free-floating, abstract beginnings of Weather Report, which would define the state of the electronic jazz/rock art from its first note almost to its last. Their first album is a direct extension of the Miles Davis In a Silent Way/Bitches Brew period, more fluid in sound and more volatile in interplay. All Music calls it one of the most impressive debuts of all time by a jazz group. Weather Report is getting new life with this incredible pressing. Mastered from original tapes at 45rpm, pressed on two 180 gram audiophile-grade vinyl, and housed in an oldschool tip-on gatefold jacket. 

1. Milky Way
2. Umbrellas
3. Seventh Arrow
4. Orange Lady
5. Morning Lake
6. Waterfall
7. Tears
8. Eurydice

Calling Planet Earth comes from a concert recorded at Tivoli Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark on December 5, 1971. Sun Ra and his Arkestra are captured in their prime, while exploring some of their most far out material to date. The recording received its first ever vinyl release with for Record Store Day 2015 as an exclusive color vinyl pressing. Now it will receive a wide release on black vinyl. The recording was remastered and pressed on 140gram audiophile-grade vinyl at Pallas Group in Germany.

Track Listing:
A1 Discipline No. 5
A2 Discipline No. 10
A3 Enlightenment
A4 Love In Outer Space
A5 Discipline No. 15
A6 The Satellites Are Spinning
B1 Calling Planet Earth
B2 The Outers
B3 Adventures Outer Space

Sun Ra’s Arkestra was at its most radical during this period, alternating simple chants with very outside playing and dense ensembles. Although no precise date is given, these five cuts are thought to have been documented circa 1967-1968 by Sun Ra (piano) and his Arkestra in New York City, where the band was in residence at the time.

First released in a limited edition color vinyl for Record Store Day 2014, this title is now widely available on audiophile-grade black vinyl, pressed at Pallas Group in Germany. It’s a must have for any serious avant garde jazz fan.

1. Somewhere There
   
2. Outer Spaceways Incorporated
   
3. Saturn
   
4. Song Of The Sparer
   
5. Spontaneous Simplicity
   

The third and final installment of Thelonious Monk’s London Collection, his last recording session as a band leader, finally gets its time to shine on vinyl. The recording features the legendary pianist/composer on six solo performances as well as five numbers with bassist Al McKibbon and drummer Art Blakey. It was remastered from original analog tapes by Bernie Grundman and pressed on 180gram audiophile-grade vinyl at Pallas in Germany.

1. Trinkle Tinkle
2. The Man I Love
3. Something In Blue
4. Introspection
5. Trinkle Tinkle
6. Crepuscule With Nellie
7. Nutty
8. Introspection
9. Hackensack
10. Evidence
11. Cordially

Europe 1966 is a box set consisting of live performances from free jazz visionary Albert Ayler. Each of the 4 LP's highlights some of the most magnificent moments on this European tour, showcasing Ayler and his bandmates at the height of their powers. The release includes performances from Berlin, Lörrach, Stockholm, and Paris, all of which occurred within a two week span. Ayler's masterful band on this tour included his brother Donald on trumpet, Michel Samson on violin, William Folwell on double bass, and Beaver Harris on drums. These performances have been remastered for vinyl by Dave Gardner at Infrasonic Mastering. The package also includes a 12 x 24 fold-out insert, featuring liner notes from John Litweller and photos from the tour. The box set was originally released for Record Store Day 2023, with each LP pressed on audiophile-grade black vinyl at Pallas Group in Germany.

Tracklist:
LP 1 (Berlin: 11/3/1966)
A1 Truth is Marching In
A2 Omega (Is the Alpha)
B1 Our Prayer - Truth is Marching In
B2 Ghosts - Bells

LP 2 (Lörrach: 11/7/1966)
A1 Bells
A2 Prophet
B1 Our Prayer - Spirits Rejoice
B2 Ghosts
B3 Truth is Marching In

LP 3 (Stockholm: 11/10/1966)
A1 Truth is Marching In
A2 Omega (Is the Alpha)
B1 Our Prayer - Bells
B2 Infinite Spirit - Japan

LP 4 (Paris Jazz Festival: 11/13/1966)
A1 Ghosts
B1 Spiritual Rebirth - Light in Darkness - Infinite Spirit
B2 All - Our Prayer - Holy Family

This 1956 concert by Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars is a historical gem, which is finally getting its vinyl debut with this double LP release. Recorded on March 26, 1956, at the Civic Auditorium in Grand Rapids, MI, it affords jazz fans a chance to hear what the barnstorming Armstrong's shows were like in heartland America. Armstrong's affable presence is pervasive, but not always center stage, as each member of the All-Stars gets his turn in the course of the revue. The release was remastered for vinyl from analog tape and pressed at Pallas Group in Germany.

Track List
A1 Sleepy Time Down South 2:54
A2 Back Home Again in Indiana 4:19
A3 The Gypsy 4:35
A4 Ole Miss 4:16
B1 Tin Roof Blues 4:33
B2 Bucket’s Got A Hole In It 4:34
B3 Perdido 3:27
B4 Dardanella 2:56
C1 How High The Moon 4:50
C2 Mack The Knife 3:59
C3 Margie 2:19
C4 Blues A la Hey Bob-A-Rebob 3:25
D1 That’s My Desire 3:59
D2 Kokomo 5:16
D3 When The Saints Go Marching In 4:02

Billie Holiday is captured live at Storyville in Boston in 1951 and 1953. The discreet recordings capture Lady Day in prime emotive voice. On most selections she is accompanied by the Carl Drinkard Trio, but six others find her joined by Buster Harding’s Trio; the great tenor Stan Getz sits in on three of these numbers. Previously out of press for over 25 years, this historic recording has now been remastered and pressed on audiophile-grade vinyl at Pallas Group in Germany.

Tracklist:

A1 I Cover The Waterfront
A2 Too Marvelous For Words
A3 I Love You Porgy
A4 Them There Eyes
A5 Willow Weep For Me
A6 I Only Have Eyes For You
A7 You Go To My Head
B1 He's Funny That Way
B2 Billie Blues
B3 Miss Brown To You
B4 Lover Come Back To Me
B5 Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do
B6 You're Driving Me Crazy

Tracklist:
A1 So What (Take 1, 3/8/91)
A2 Bag's Groove (Take 5, 11/24/92)
B1 Milestones (Take 5, 6/2/92)
B2 16/16 (Take 3, 11/24/92)
B3 So What (Take 1, 12/6/90)
C1 Bag's Groove (Take 1, 6/4/92)
C2 Milestones (Take 3, 6/2/92)
D1 So What (Take 1, 6/4/92)
D2 Grateful Dawg (Alternate Take)
D3 Dawg’s Waltz (Alternate Take)

Pressed at Pallas in Germany on 180 gram vinyl. Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering.

1. Our Love Is Here to Stay
2. My Romance
3. Blues for Herluff
4. Londonderry Air
5. Mack the Knife
6. I Can't Get Started
7. The Theme
8. Friskin' the Frog
9. Stormy Weather
10. Teach Me Tonight

*** Silver variant is a preorder shipping the week of November 10th, 2023.

Tutankhamun, the 1969 album by avant-garde jazz pioneers Art Ensemble of Chicago, features performances by Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell and Malachi Favors Maghostut. As the AllMusic review states, "This landmark album is one of the most influential free jazz recordings in the '60s avant-garde canon.” Previously out of print for over three decades, Tutankhamun has been remastered for vinyl at Infrasonic Mastering and pressed on audiophile-grade vinyl at Pallas in Germany. As a bonus, the reissue features “Tthinitthedalen" Part 1 and 2, closing out sides A and B, respectively.

Track List:
A1. Tutankhamun
A2. Tthinitthedalen Part
B1. The 9th Room
B2. Tthinitthedalen Part 2

• Double Gatefold LP.
• Mastered from the original analog tapes at 45rpm by Bernie Grundman.
• Pressed on audiophile-grade 180 gram vinyl at Pallas in Germany.

1. Free Jazz (part one)
2. Free Jazz (part two)
3. Free Jazz (part three)
4. Free Jazz (part four)

The Spiritual, a free jazz album recorded by the Art Ensemble of Chicago in 1974, finds the group of stellar musicians at their creative peak. With various types of percussion, though the absence of a traditional drummer, the ensemble is able to create vivid, freeing compositions without the confines of conventional structure. The quartet, consisting of Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell, Lester Bowie, and Malachi Favors, explore the depths of Avant-Garde Jazz through a means that has yet to be touched on in a comparable capacity. Previously released on red color vinyl exclusively for Record Store Day, The Spiritual will now be widely available on 180gram black vinyl. Mastered by Dave Gardner at Infrasonic Mastering. Pressed at Pallas Group in Germany.

• A1 Tor
• A2 Lori Son
• A3 That The Evening Sky Fell Through The Glass Wall And We Stood Alone Somewhere?
• B1 The Spiritual

Odyssey stands as James Blood Ulmer’s signature masterpiece, the purest and most accessible showcase for his bold, genre-clashing guitar vision. With minimal trio accompaniment - only drummer Warren Benbow and violinist Charles Burnham - Ulmer’s guitar is always the meat of the ensemble, especially since his unique tuning (developed for this album) allows him to cover bass parts as well as guitar leads. AllMusic’s Steve Huey calls it “not only Ulmer’s finest album, but a certified classic of the modern jazz avant-garde.” Now Odyssey finally gets the audiophile treatment it deserves, in the form of a double LP, mastered at 45RPM from original analog tapes by Bernie Grundman, pressed on 180gram vinyl at Pallas in Germany, and housed in Stoughton case-wrapped jacket. Numbered, Limited Edition of 2000 Copies.

1. Church
2. Little Red House
3. Love Dance
4. Are You Glad to Be in America?
5. Election
6. Odyssey
7. Please Tell Her
8. Swing & Things

Pressed at Pallas in Germany on 180 gram vinyl. Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering.

1. Taffy Twist
2. Flirtbird
3. Smada
4. What Am I Here For
5. Take The 'A' Train
6. I'm Gonna Go Fishin'
7. Boo-dah
8. Black And Tan Fantasy
9. The Feeling Of Jazz
10. Jump For Joy
11. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart/Don't Get Around Much Anymore

Teamed up with pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Niels Pedersen and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath for a club date at Copenhagen's Montmartre in 1967, the great tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin really stretches out on four numbers: "The Man I Love," "Hush-A-Bye," and "Blues for Harvey." Griffin shows why he was early on billed as "the world's fastest tenor" although he also displays warmth on "Sophisticated Lady." A fine example of Griffin's underrated talents. The album was remastered for vinyl from original analog tapes by Bernie Grundman, and pressed on audiophile-grade vinyl at Pallas Group in Germany.

1. The Man I Love
2. Hush-A-Bye
3. Blues For Harvey
4. Sophisticated Lady
5. Wee

Pressed at Pallas in Germany on 180 gram vinyl. Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering.

1. Devilette
2. For All We Know
3. Doxy
4. Sonnymoon For Two

Shamballa is the 1993 collaboration from jazz drummer William Hooker, Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), and composer Elliott Sharp. The release features Hooker performing duets with each musician. Hooker and Moore’s performance is littered with bursts of feedback and distortion, while the collaboration with Sharp is characterized by a more electronic sound, building a sense of technology. The pieces were released on vinyl for the first time as a double LP for Record Store Day 2023, limited to 1,500 copies.

Tracklist:
Side 1 "First Meeting"
A1 Sirius Part 1 - Wheels
B1 Sirius Part 2 - Wings

Side 2 "Continuous - Time ... Consciousness."
A1 The Hat... And Its Train (part 1)
B1 The Hat... And Its Train (part 2)

Recorded live at Slim’s in San Francisco, Mindfulness is the brilliant soundscape created by drummer William Hooker, along with Glenn Spearman on tenor saxophone and DJ Olive. The five Hooker compositions flow into each other, one after another, seamlessly, as if to take the listener on a musical voyage through time and space. The layers of vibrant sound, accompanied by trashing drums and shrieking sax show the incredible ability of each musician to take their instrumental vocabulary to a new level. The album receives its first ever vinyl release with this clear 2xLP pressing, featuring two unreleased bonus tracks, preivously only for Record Store Day, but now widely available.

Way Out Yonder is the second live release from Terry Riley & Gyan Riley, the duo comprised of iconic American composer and minimalist pioneer Terry Riley and his guitarist/composer son Gyan Riley. The album is comprised of spontaneous improvisations and compositions by both Terry and Gyan, captured during three performances in Canada, Japan and the US, and features the elder Riley on piano, voice, melodica and electronics. The album artwork was created by Barbara Falconer, who also painted the cover of Riley’s landmark 1978 release, Sri Camel.