Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series

Blue Note Classic Vinyl

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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.
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Herbie Hancock - "Speak Like A Child (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series)" / Following his 1965 masterpiece, Maiden Voyage, Herbie Hancock wouldn't record his Blue Note follow-up until 1968 with the innovative classic, Speak Like A Child, on which the pianist and composer added the unique coloring of flugelhorn, bass trombone and alto flute to his trio for an alluring set of originals including "Riot" and "The Sorcerer." 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 in a gatefold jacket.
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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.
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Vinyl LP pressing. Alfred Lion's inspired idea to pair tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine with The Three Sounds-the trio featuring pianist Gene Harris, bassist Andrew Simpkins, and drummer Bill Dowdy-on 1960's Blue Hour produced one of most deeply soulful hard bop outings in the Blue Note catalog. Both Turrentine and The Three Sounds were in the early days of their lengthy associations with the label at the time, the saxophonist having just recorded his leader debut Look Out a few months prior and the trio having debuted in 1958 with Introducing The 3 Sounds. Blue Hour is a smoldering late-night affair highlighted by seductive ballad performances of four standards: "I Want A Little Girl," "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You," "Since I Fell For You," and "Willow Weep For Me." At the album's center is Harris' spunky "Blue Riff," the sole uptempo number on this otherwise laid-back classic.
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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.
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Double vinyl LP pressing. In 1999, the same year that Jason Moran released his debut recording Soundtrack To Human Motion, the pianist and composer also joined New Directions, a band made up of young stars from the Blue Note roster. At the core of New Directions was the genesis of a rhythm section-with Moran, bassist Tarus Mateen, and drummer Nasheet Waits-that would go on to become one of the most enduringly creative and acclaimed piano trios in jazz. The Bandwagon made their first recording as a trio with Facing Left in 2000 and has been the foundation of the majority of Moran's artistic statements since. On his 2010 album Ten, Moran celebrated the 10th anniversary of The Bandwagon with an assured album that was a snapshot of a mature band with a decade of shared musical experience from which to draw. In addition to provocative originals the album presented singular interpretations of pieces by Thelonious Monk, Jaki Byard, Leonard Bernstein, and Conlon Nancarrow. This first-time vinyl release includes the bonus track "Thelonious" previously only available in Japan.
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Vinyl LP pressing. The Magnificent Thad Jones is widely regarded as the greatest small group recording of the trumpeter and composer's career. Following his Blue Note debut Detroit - New York Junction in March 1956, Jones returned to the studio in July to record this supremely swinging date with Billy Mitchell on tenor saxophone, Barry Harris on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Max Roach on drums. The album opens with an iconic performance of "April In Paris," a reprise of the famous version featuring Jones that the Count Basie Orchestra had cut the previous year, complete with the trumpeter's sly "Pop Goes The Weasel" quote. Other highlights of the set include two Jones originals-the laid-back "Billie-Doo" and lightly swinging "Thedia"-as well as the stunning ballad "If Someone Had Told Me."
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Vinyl LP pressing. Tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan blew in from Chicago in 1957 and put the NYC jazz scene on notice with a trio of excellent Blue Note sessions including Blowing in from Chicago co-led with John Gilmore, the self-title Cliff Jordan, and Cliff Craft. This third album featured Jordan at the helm of first-rate hard bop quintet with Art Farmer on trumpet, Sonny Clark on piano, George Tucker on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. Side 1 presented three Jordan originals including the sublime "Laconia," "Soul-Lo Blues," and the hard-swinging title track. Side 2 found Jordan playing well-known tunes by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Duke Ellington including "Confirmation," "Anthropology," and a show-stopping version of the ballad "Sophisticated Lady."
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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.
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Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. 1964 was a momentous year in the musical life of Wayne Shorter. At the start of the year the saxophonist was still a member of Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, appearing on classic Blue Note albums like Free for All and Indestructible. Shorter made his own auspicious label debut that spring with Night Dreamer and that summer he joined the Miles Davis Quintet cementing a line-up that would become one of the seminal bands in jazz history. When he returned to the studio for Blue Note in August it was in the company of three musicians with strong ties to John Coltrane: pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer Elvin Jones. The resulting album JuJu is a marvel in Shorter's formidable discography which presents six of his evocative original compositions including the churning title track, the mesmerizing "House of Jade," and the brightly swinging "Yes Or No."
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Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. The Three Sounds were one of the most prolific Blue Note acts. Led by pianist Gene Harris, the trio's sound had evolved by 1970, with a new line-up featuring bassist Henry Franklin and drummer Carl Burnett. The blues and gospel roots were still there but the rhythm had a funkier edge as heard on the rousing Live At The 'It Club' recording. This Blue Note Classic Series (stereo edition) is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes.
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Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. German jazz pianist Jutta Hipp is one of the most intriguing yet little-known figures in Blue Note history. Shortly after moving to NYC in 1956, she recorded the charming live trio album, At The Hickory House, with bassist Peter Ind and drummer Ed Thigpen. Volume 1 presents a set of standards and bebop themes that showcases her hip, lightly-swinging style. This Blue Note Classic Series (mono edition) is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes.
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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.
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Miles' early Blue Note sessions from 1952-54 yielded two later LPs that Blue Note released as part of the 1500 Series. Volume 2 is split between the blazing bebop and beautiful ballads that first made Miles famous: "Well You Needn't," "Lazy Susan," "The Leap," "It Never Entered My Mind," "Donna," alternate takes of "Ray's Idea" and "Tempus Fugit" and more. This mono Blue Note Classic Vinyl edition is all-analog mastered from the original tapes and pressed on 180-gram vinyl! Blue Note.
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Two months after recording what would become his hit record The Sidewinder, trumpeter Lee Morgan returned to Van Gelder Studio in February 1964 to create his masterful album Search for the New Land. For the session, Morgan assembled a sextet consisting of several young stars of the Blue Note roster including Herbie Hancock on piano, Grant Green on guitar, and Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, along with the dynamic rhythm team of bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Billy Higgins. The album opens with the expansive 16-minute title track, a musical odyssey that alternates a shimmering rubato theme with a loping exploration by each soloist. Four more indelible Morgan originals follow including jaunty numbers such as "The Joker" and "Morgan the Pirate," as well as the plaintive ballad "Melancholee."
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The amazing bebop piano genius Bud Powell made his most enduring recordings as a leader for Blue Note. Powell's 1949 and 1951 sessions were compiled in 1955 on The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 1. Featuring the pianist with the likes of Sonny Rollins, Fats Navarro, Roy Haynes and Max Roach on bebop classics including "Un Poco Loco" and "Bouncing with Bud." Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

FEATURES:

  • Blue Note Classic Vinyl Reissue Series
  • 180g Vinyl LP
  • All-Analog Pressing
  • Mono
  • Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio from the original analog tapes
  • Manufactured at Optimal in Germany

MUSICIANS:

Fats Navarro Trumpet

Sonny Rollins Tenor Saxaphone

Bud Powell Piano

Curly Russell Bass

Max Roach DRUMS

Amazing Bud Powell, Vol 1 (Blue note Classic Vinyl Series)

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Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. The incomparable trumpeter Clifford Brown recorded two leader sessions for Blue Note in 1953-a co-led quintet date with Lou Donaldson and his own sextet date-that were compiled on the 12" LP Memorial Album (BLP 1526) shortly after his tragic death in 1956. Brownie's star burns bright from the blistering 'Cherokee' to the stunning ballad 'Easy Living'. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is mono, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.
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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."

        
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