Real Gone is starting off 2024 with another set of eclectic titles.  We've already told you about the new Andy Williams rarities collection When You Fall in Love: Lost Columbia Masters 1977-1982 featuring liner notes by our own Joe Marchese, but here is the rest of Real Gone's slate featuring a wide range of material from the 1950s through the 2000s.  All of these titles hit store shelves tomorrow, February 2.

Black Jazz Records was founded in 1969 by pianist Gene Russell and percussionist Dick Schory.  Russell envisioned the label as a home for African-American artists.  It released twenty albums by a variety of musicians and artists from 1971 to when it shut down in 1975.  The music had spiritual and political overtones and some of the styles represented were funk, free jazz, and soul jazz.  Nearly all of the albums also carried a unique, uniform cover design.  The Black Jazz catalog has been reissued several times over the years, most recently by Real Gone, who reissued all 20 of the core albums on CD and vinyl between 2020 and 2021.  Now the label is offering one more title in its reissue series: a collection of the singles released by Black Jazz over its existence.

As the title Black Jazz Records: The Complete Singles indicates, this collection gathers all 10 of the singles issued by Black Jazz over its existence.  The artists featured are Gene Russell, Walter Bishop Jr., Doug Carn, Rudolph Johnson, Jean Carn, Calvin Keys, Chester Thompson, Kellee Paterson, and Cleveland Eaton.  It makes a fine sampler for the label and includes some unique single edits.  Real Gone notes: "On those singles that simply faded out the album track on one side and faded it up on the next, we've elected to present the album tracks without interruption to ensure a more seamless listening experience."  First released on a 2-LP vinyl set for last year's Black Friday Record Store Day event, this collection is now making its debut on CD.  It has been remastered by Mike Milchner at SonicVision and features liner notes by Pat Thomas.

Next up is the only album by Maryann Farra & Satin Soul - 1976's Never Gonna Leave You.  Released on the venerable Brunswick label, the proto-disco album featured some mighty behind-the-scenes talent.  It was produced by Tony Valor and featured musical accompaniment by his own Tony Valor Sounds Orchestra.  The arrangements were done by Eugene Record, lead singer of The Chi-Lites, and the mix was by disco legend Tom Moulton.  Although it has been reissued several times on CD over the years (mostly in Japan), it has never received a vinyl reissue until now. Remastered by Mike Milchner at SonicVision, Real Gone is releasing two different editions: a clear vinyl with blue, green and pink swirl limited to 900 copies and an "OG Splatter" edition, limited to 100 copies and only available from Real Gone's website.

Jumping now to the 1990s brings us to a vinyl reissue of the second album by Medeski, Martin & Wood.  The jazz fusion trio first formed in 1991 and first performed together in New York.  The members are John Medeski on keyboards, Billy Martin on drums, and Chris Wood on bass.  Inspired by funk and hip-hop, they are known for their unconventional style and instrumentation and have been described as "avant-groove."  Their first album, Notes from the Underground, was released in 1992.  It's a Jungle In Here came out in 1993 on Gramavision.  Featuring covers of songs by John Coltrane and King Sunny Ade plus a mashup of Bob Marley with Thelonious Monk, the album showcases the group's unique approach to jazz.  Real Gone first released It's A Jungle In Here on vinyl for last year's Record Store Day and now brings the vinyl reissue to general retail for the first time, pressed on black vinyl.

Moving to the end of the decade, industrial/metal/glam Orgy describes their music as "death pop."  Formed in 1994 in Los Angeles by vocalist Jay Gordon and guitarists Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck, they were soon joined by bassist Paige Hailey and drummer Bobby Hewitt.  In 1997, they became the first signing to Elementree Records, the new label for the band Korn, run by the band's lead singer Jonathan Davis.  Orgy released their debut album, Candyass, in 1998.  There were two singles off the album: "Stitches" and a cover of New Order's "Blue Monday."  Davis also co-wrote "Revival" with the group and appeared on the track.  The album peaked at No. 32 on the charts but topped Billboard's Heatseeker survey.

Their second album, Vapor Transmission was released in 2000.  Largely in the style of Candyass, Vapor Transmission did take things in a more sci-fi direction.  The single "Fiction (Dreams in Digital)" reached No. 6 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and "Opticon" was featured on the soundtrack to the 2001 film Valentine.  The first 1,000 copies pressed included the hidden track "The Spectrum," which will be included on the new vinyl reissue.  Orgy released one more album in 2004 but went on hiatus the next year.  The band returned in 2012 with Gordon as the only remaining original member and put out in EP in 2015.

Released with the full cooperation of the band, the vinyl reissues of Candyass and Vapor Transmission both are making their vinyl debuts and come in gatefold packages and each has been remastered by Mike Milchner at SonicVision.   Candyass comes on clear with red and yellow swirl vinyl while Vapor Transmission comes on red and yellow "plasma" vinyl.

Finally, Real Gone is pairing with Heyday Again Records for a pair of releases.  The first celebrates the work of famed beat poet Allen Ginsberg.  Material Wealth: Allen's Voice In Poems and Songs 1956-1996 is the soundtrack CD to the book Material Wealth: Mining the Personal Archive of Allen Ginsberg which was released in November from powerHouse Books.  The album presents fifteen tracks spanning 40 years and is intended to be a starting point to explore Ginsberg's discography.  It features collaborations with Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Elvin Jones, David Amram, Anne Waldman, Lenny Kaye, Arthur Russell, and Philip Glass.  The collection has been compiled and annotated by Pat Thomas, the author of the book and producer of several other Ginsberg audio reissue projects (2016's The Last Word on First Blues and 2017's The Complete Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake, tuned by Allen Ginsberg).

The other Real Gone/Heyday Again release is a new album from the psychedelic jazz-rock collective Mushroom: Messages from the Spliff Bunker.  Musicians on the album include Pat Thomas (Drum Kit Center, Percussion), Marc Weinstein (Drum Kit Right, Percussion), David Brandt (Drum Kit Left, Vibraharp, Gongs, Timbales, Concert Bass Drum, Friction Percussion, Likembe), Ned Doherty (Electric Bass), Paul Hoaglin (Rickenbacker 365 OS Electric Guitar), Matt Cunitz (Hammond C-3 Organ, Clavinet, VAKO Orchestron, Yamaha YC-45D Organ, Korg MS-10, Korg Mono/Poly, Moog MultiMoog, Mellotron 4-Track, Sleigh Bells, Prayer Bells), and Erik Pearson (Flute, Tenor Saxophone).  The 2-LP set includes seven songs and features illustrations by Marc Weinstein.

All of these albums are available tomorrow, February 2.  If you would like to give any of these titles a try, we've got the full tracklistings and ordering links below.

Various Artists, Black Jazz Records: The Complete Singles (Real Gone Music, 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1. Making Bread - Gene Russel
2. Black Orchid - Gene Russell
3. Coral Keys - Walter Bishop, Jr.
4. Moon Child - Doug Carn
5. TJ (Single Edit) - Rudolph Johnson
6. Devon Jean - Rudolph Johnson
7. Peace - Jean Carn (Special Lyrics by Doug Carn)
8. Little B's Poem - Jean Carn (Special Lyrics by Doug Carn)
9. Gee-Gee - Calvin Keys
10. Powerhouse - Chester Thompson
11. Me and Mrs. Jones - Gene Russell
12. You Are the Sunshine of My Life - Gene Russell
13. Soul Daddy - Kellee Patterson
14. Be All Your Own - Kellee Patterson
15. Chi-Town Theme (Single Edit) - Cleveland Eaton

Tracks 1-2 from Black Jazz Records Single BJ-1001, 1971
Track 3 from Black Jazz Records Single BJ-1002, 1971
Track 4 from Black Jazz Records Single BJ-1003, 1971
Tracks 5-6 from Black Jazz Records Single BJ-1004, 1971
Tracks 7-8 from Black Jazz Records Single BJ-1005, 1971
Track 9 from Black Jazz Records Single BJ-1006, 1971
Track 10 from Black Jazz Records Single BJ-1007, 1971
Tracks 11-12 from Black Jazz Records Single BJ-1008, 1973
Tracks 13-14 from Black Jazz Records Single BJ-1009, 1973
Track 15 from Black Jazz Records Single BJ-1011, 1975

Maryann Farra & Satin Soul, Never Gonna Leave You (Originally released on Brunswick LP 754207, 1976 - reissued Real Gone Music, 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music)

Side 1

1. Never Gonna Leave You
2. Forget That Girl
3. Just a Little Timing

Side 2

1. Do Those Little Things
2. You Got to Be the One
3. Stoned Out of My Mind
4. Living in the Footsteps of Another Girl

Medeski, Martin & Wood, It's a Jungle In Here (Originally released on Gramavision CD R2 79495, 1993 - reissued Real Gone Music, 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music)

Side 1

1. Beeah
2. Where's Sly?
3. Shuck It Up
4. Sand
5. Worms

Side 2

1. Bemsha Swing-Lively Up Yourself
2. Moti Mo
3. It's A Jungle In Here
4. Syeeda's Song Flute
5. Wiggly's Way

Orgy, Candyass (Originally released on Elementree Records/Reprise Records CD 9 46923-2, 1998 - reissued Real Gone Music, 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music)

Side 1

1. Social Enemies
2. Stitches
3. Dissention
4. Platinum
5. Fetish
6. Fiend

Side 2

1. Blue Monday
2. Gender
3. All the Same
4. Pantomime
5. Revival
6. Dizzy

Orgy, Vapor Transmission (Originally released on Elementree Records/Reprise Records CD 9 47832-2, 2000 - reissued Real Gone Music, 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music)

Side 1

1. Vapor Transmission (Intro)
2. Suckerface
3. The Odyssey
4. Opticon
5. Fiction (Dreams in Digital)
6. Eva
7. 107

Side 2

1. Dramatica
2. Eyes-Radio-Lies
3. Saving Faces
4. Re-Creation
5. Chasing Sirens
6. Where's Gerrold
7. The Spectrum

Allen Ginsberg, Material Wealth: Allen's Voice In Poems and Songs 1956-1996 (Real Gone Music/Heyday Again Records, 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music)

1. Hum Bom with Elvin Jones
2. Birdbrain with The Gluons
3. Howl
4. Going to San Diego with Bob Dylan, David Amram, Anne Waldman, Peter Orlovsky
5. Grey Monk words by William Blake / music by Ginsberg
6. Prayer For John Sinclair with Peter Orlovsky
7. Put Down Yr Cigarette Rag (Don't Smoke) with Arthur Russell, Jon Sholle, David Mansfield, Steven Taylor
8. Do the Meditation Rock with Bob Dylan, Arthur Rosato, David Mansfield, Steven Taylor
9. America
10. Kaddish For Naomi Ginsberg 1894-1956
11. First Party At Ken Kesey's With Hell's Angels
12. Raghupati Raghava with Arthur Russell, Peter Orlovsky, Jon Sholle, Moruga
13. The Ballad Of The Skeletons with Paul McCartney, Phillip Glass, Lenny Kaye, Marc Ribot, David Mansfield
14. On Neal's Ashes
15. Gospel Noble Truths with Peter Orlovsky, Steven Taylor, Mark Kramer

Mushroom, Messages from the Spliff Bunker (Real Gone Music/Heyday Again Records, 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music)

LP 1

Side 1

1. looking for adventure
2. one ton anvil

Side 2

1. I'm ok, you're not ok
2. don't hate me because I'm beautiful

LP 2

Side 1

1. Marc moved to Buffalo

Side 2

1. in dreams begin responsibilities
2. Victor Krummenacher vs. Jorma Kaukonen