GQ, Two (Funkytowngrooves)

GQ’s 1980 Arista album gets the remastered treatment. (Amazon)

Jefferson Airplane, Red Octopus (Friday Music)

The 1975 effort from Paul Kantner, Marty Balin, Grace Slick and co. arrives on 180-gram vinyl with the mega-hit “Miracles” a highlight!  (Official site)

Evelyn “Champagne” King, Music Box (Funkytowngrooves)

King teams with T-Life for this groove-laden RCA set from 1979! (Amazon)

The Motels, Apocalypso (Omnivore)

The Motels’ lost album from 1981 finally surfaces, and Omnivore’s expanded edition boasts seven additional tracks!  Full story here.  (Amazon)

Mickey Newbury, An American Trilogy (Drag City)

Drag City compiles three albums from Mickey Newbury, the writer/arranger of Elvis Presley’s titanic “An American Trilogy.”  The box brings together Looks Like Rain, `Frisco Mabel Joy, and Heaven Help the Child, and adds one extra disc of bonus material.  (Amazon)

Original Broadway Cast, Say, Darling (Masterworks Broadway)

Jule Styne (Gypsy, Funny Girl) teamed with Betty Comden and Adolph Green (Singin’ in the Rain, On the Town) for this Broadway play about the writing of a Broadway musical.  Got that straight?  Either way, the score is fantastic fun!  Johnny Desmond stars.  Visit the official site of Masterworks Broadway here and our coverage of all of the label’s upcoming releases here.  (Digital-only)

Original Off-Broadway Cast, Ernest in Love (Masterworks Broadway)

This 1960 musical version of The Importance of Being Earnest features a score by lyricist Anne Croswell and composer Lee Pockriss, also the writer of Brian Hyland’s “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini,” Shelley Fabares’ “Johnny Angel” and The Cuff Links’ “Tracy.” (Digital-only)

Original Off-Broadway Cast, The Mad Show (Masterworks Broadway)

Linda Lavin and Jo Anne Worley are among the cast members in this 1966 revue based on Mad Magazine.  With talents like Joe Raposo (Sesame Street), Mary Rodgers and even Stephen Sondheim involved, however, it’s definitely Not Brand Eccch!  (Digital-only)

Original Off-Broadway Cast, The Nervous Set (Masterworks Broadway)

Here’s the off-Broadway musical that introduced the standards “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most” and “Ballad of the Sad Young Men.”  (Digital-only)

Original Off-Broadway Cast, Now is the Time For All Good Men (Masterworks Broadway)

This 1967 musical with a pop/rock sound reflects its Vietnam-era setting with a score by Nancy Ford and Gretchen Cryer.    Gretchen’s then-husband David Cryer starred.  (They are also the parents of Two and a Half Men‘s Jon Cryer!) (Digital-only)

Original Studio Cast Recording, archy and mehitabel (Masterworks Broadway)

Columbia Records brought to life this 1954 musical based on Don Marquis’ beloved stories of the poetic cockroach archy and alley cat mehitabel, with songs by George Kleinsinger (Tubby the Tuba) and Joe Darion (Man of La Mancha).  Darion contributed to the musical’s book with a young writer named Mel Brooks!  Carol Channing and Eddie Bracken are the stars.  (Digital-only)

Leon Russell, Live in Japan (Omnivore)

The renaissance of The Master of Space and Time continues!  Omnivore’s release pairs a 1973 concert from Japan’s Budokan Hall with a 1971 gig at Texas’ Sam Houston Coliseum.  Our full story here.  (Amazon)

Styx, The Grand Illusion (Friday Music)

Friday Music remasters the original 1977 arena rock classic on 180-gram vinyl!  (Official site)

Various Artists, CTI Records 40th Anniversary series (CTI/Masterworks Jazz)

Four rare titles from the CTI jazz catalogue arrive in remastered editions: Airto’s Fingers; Jackie Cain and Roy Kral’s A Wilder Alias; Joe Farrell’s Outback; and Randy Weston’s Blue Moses. (Official site)