FiveFour, the jazz-oriented sister label of Cherry Red’s él imprint, had lain dormant since 2008 following releases by some of the genre’s greatest artists including Bill Evans, Buddy Rich and Milt Jackson. Founder Mike Alway has just reactivated FiveFour, however, and the label has just relaunched with three long out-of-print titles drawn from the Sony Music archives: Ornette Coleman’s Chappaqua Suite (1965), The Gary Burton Quartet’s In Concert (1968) and a two-fer from Luis Bonfá: The New
Ace Offers Front Row Seat to a "Musical Revolution" with Vanguard Box; Unreleased Dylan Track Included
A vanguard is, by definition, a position at the forefront of new ideas or developments. And in the fertile musical stomping ground of the early 1960s, some of the newest, most avant-garde ideas were being espoused on the Vanguard Records label. Yet these so-called radical, even “dangerous” thoughts were being espoused in forms so traditional, they might have seemed as old as time. Vanguard dived headfirst into the flourishing folk music scene in 1956 with The Weavers at Carnegie Hall, bravely
Soundtrack Corner: Intrada Offers More "Galactica," La-La Land's "Friday the 13th" Available on Its Own
This week and next see a trio of great film and television scores coming to CD from Intrada and La-La Land Records. First up, it's the long-anticipated third volume of Stu Phillips' music to Battlestar Galactica from Intrada. While the previous two volumes were devoted to only three episodes of the series in total, subsequent installments of BSG largely eschewed new scores for previously-recorded cues tracked into the soundtrack. But Phillips was on hand to compose music for seven
Saturday Night Special: Lynyrd Skynyrd "Ultimate Collection" Offers New 5.1 Surround DVD-Audio
Lynyrd Skynyrd's thirteenth studio album, Last of a Dyin' Breed, arrived in stores just yesterday, but another recent release may have fans of the Southern rock legends even more excited. Southern Surroundings: The Ultimate Skynyrd Collection is a Wal-Mart-exclusive 1-CD/2-DVD set, selling at the retail giant's locations for just $11.88. (That is, if you can find it; your author visited four locations before procuring a copy!) Of its three discs, the third is the most unique, and it's also
Vinyl Renaissance: Omnivore Recordings Offers Art Pepper, Josh Haden's Spain on Vinyl, Plus "Music City" Rarities
The term "record store" (two rather hallowed words in these parts!) has long been used to describe those stores that sell music, even well into the age of the CD, and now, the digital download. But lately, record store walls have been lined with more and more actual vinyl records. In 2011, more records were purchased than in any other year in the past two decades, with sales up 36 percent over 2010, to a not-too-shabby 3.9 million. Sales for 2012 are likely to best that number. Since its
The Feeling Is Right: Kent Offers Expanded Etta James LP, Clarence Carter Singles Collection
When Argo Records crowned Etta James The Queen of Soul on the cover of a 1964 LP, Aretha Franklin hadn't yet staked claim to that title. Revisiting that album today, Etta's status as royalty still seems unassailable. Thankfully, we have that opportunity thanks to Kent Records via its new expansion of Queen of Soul with fourteen bonus tracks added to the original LP's ten songs. Plus, Kent has delivered a new release from one of the undisputed kings of soul: Clarence Carter. The Fame Singles
Some Kind of a Summer: Real Gone Offers David Cassidy, Gary Lewis, Grateful Dead, Johnny Mathis In August
Real Gone Music is looking ahead to August, and it's going to be one hot summer! The label has just announced new titles from all around the pop/rock spectrum: Gary Lewis and the Playboys, David Cassidy, The Grateful Dead and Johnny Mathis! Gary Lewis and the Playboys' Complete Liberty Singles first arrived in 2009 from the late Collectors' Choice Music label, with 45 tracks on 2 CDs. This anthology definitely proved that there was much more to the group than just "This Diamond Ring,"
Be Their Guest: "Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives" Digital Album Offers Souvenir of New Exhibition
57 years ago today, on July 17, 1955, The Happiest Place on Earth became a reality when Disneyland opened its doors in Anaheim, California! What better day to take a virtual trip to the Walt Disney Archives? Touted as “the largest Disney archives exhibit in the world,” Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives officially opened on July 5 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California. At over 12,000 square feet, the exhibition boasts 500+ artifacts from every area
From "Sassy" to "The Matriarch of the Blues" and Beyond: PopMarket Offers New Complete Box Sets in August
Though it may be summer vacation for many of us, the folks at Sony's PopMarket have been too busy to take much of a rest! They'll be releasing three more Complete Albums boxes from a triumvirate of artists who blurred the lines between jazz, R&B, pop and rock. Box sets for The Brecker Brothers, Etta James and Sarah Vaughan will arrive at general retail as well as at PopMarket.com on August 28. Though most genres have been benefitted from the comprehensive Complete Albums series, jazz fans
They Walk The Line: Johnny Cash Celebrated By Crow, Nelson, Kristofferson, Plus Four New Compilations Due
Much like the train Johnny Cash so often sang about, the celebration of what would have been his 80th birthday year rolls on. Following the issue of Bootleg IV: The Soul of Truth earlier this year, Legacy Recordings has just announced the CD/DVD and Blu-ray releases of We Walk the Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash. Due on August 7, these preserve the concert held on Friday, April 20, 2012 at Austin, Texas’ Moody Theater in which a wide-ranging roster of musicians paid homage to
Singin' to the Music: Davy Jones' "Bell Recordings" Joins Monkees' Deluxe "Pool It!" in April, Rhino Offers Limited Vinyl 45
It's no exaggeration to state that the entertainment world was shaken by the sudden passing of Davy Jones on February 29 of this year, responding not only with an outpouring of grief, but with genuinely fond memories of the actor, singer and Monkee. Friday Music is joining Rhino Entertainment in keeping Jones' rich legacy of music alive, with two new releases slated for April 24. After having recently reissued Jones' pre-Monkees debut, the label turns its attention to Jones' 1971-1972 recordings
Here She Comes Again: Cracker Barrel Offers Reissued Dolly Parton Live Set On CD/DVD
With a catalogue of over fifty studio albums, both solo and as a duet partner, and a reported 3,000+ songs, it's hard to dispute Dolly Rebecca Parton's standing as a reigning queen of country music. Still, such an appellation sells Parton short, seeing as she's also an actress, author, entrepreneur and philanthropist with multiple Grammy Awards, a Kennedy Center Honor, the National Medal of Arts, and Oscar and Tony nominations. Even when crossing over onto the pop charts or courting a wide
My Huckleberry Friend: El Records Offers Variations on Mancini's "Moon River and Me"
Quick - think of your favorite Blake Edwards movie. Okay, now be honest: when conjuring up an image of one of Edwards' signature comic set pieces, didn't you automatically start hearing a famous theme? If you did, chances are it was composed by Henry Mancini. Edwards and Mancini worked hand in hand for some 30 projects over a 35-year period, from 1958's groundbreaking television series Peter Gunn through 1993's Son of the Pink Panther, Edwards' final motion picture. One of the most cherished
I Want You To Want Me: Cheap Trick "Complete Epic Albums" Box Offers Remastered Classics, U.S. CD Debuts
"ELO kiddies, ELO kiddies, whatcha gonna do when the lights start shining?" went the musical question in the first song on Cheap Trick's very first album. But one question, naturally, leads to another. Was the song title simply saying a British 'elo in a cheeky salute? Or was it alluding to ELO, a.k.a. Electric Light Orchestra, the orchestral rock outfit founded by Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood? Why the heck does the song sound more like Gary Glitter than those Brummies? And where did the boys
Carefree Highway: Rhino Offers Rare "Moments" With Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Lightfoot’s stands at Toronto’s Massey Hall have become a cherished tradition over the past forty years, with the Canadian troubadour having taken the stage more times than any other artist in the Hall’s 117 year history. Last May 25, 2011, Lightfoot performed his 150th concert there, and as he prepares for this year’s stand in November, Rhino Records is reminding fans of his rich legacy there with the April 17 release of Massey Hall Moments - All Live. Why not just plain Live?
The Knack (And How to Get It): Omnivore Offers Knack EP, Rare Buck Owens Coloring Book For Record Store Day
We’re less than two months away from Record Store Day, and with that means the promise of major limited edition releases from many of the labels you read about each day here at The Second Disc. Los Angeles’ Omnivore Recordings, one of our favorite new labels of 2011, is leading the pack with its announcement of two unique titles to be made available on April 21 for Record Store Day. The more unusual of the two is, believe it or not, a coloring book! Yes, Omnivore is offering a 2,500-copy
High Anxiety: Wounded Bird Offers Blood, Sweat and Tears, Phil Everly, and...Mel Brooks?!?
No need to suffer from high anxiety (it’s always the same)! Chances are that Wounded Bird Records might make you so very happy with a trio of new releases slated for February 21. Phil Everly’s 1973 solo offering for RCA Records, Star Spangled Springer, has never before been available on CD despite contributions from Warren Zevon and Duane Eddy, and so Wounded Bird’s reissue will undoubtedly fill a gap in more than a few Everly Brothers collections. It’s joined by the 2-CD release of Blood, Sweat
Holiday Tunes Watch, Part 1: New Bing Crosby "Christmas" Collection Offers Up "Sessions" and More
What would Christmas be without the voice of Bing Crosby? And with radio stations going all-Christmas earlier and earlier each year, chances are you've already lifted your seasonal spirits with Crosby's famous recording of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas," still the biggest-selling single of all time. Or perhaps you've heard "Jingle Bells," with The Andrews Sisters vocally supporting Crosby. But Crosby's holiday catalogue runs quite deep. Last year, Collector's Choice Music and Bing Crosby
Universal Europe Offers "Complete Masters" For Armstrong, Fitzgerald, Bechet, Parker, Holiday
If you’ve ever been looking to build a solid jazz library without spending too much coin, look no further. The European arm of Universal Music Group, through its EmArcy and Decca labels, has announced a series of Complete Masters boxes that offer considerable bang for your buck! The Complete Masters slate kicks off with five box sets devoted to Louis Armstrong (1925-1945, 14 discs), Ella Fitzgerald (1935-1955, 14 discs), Billie Holiday (1933-1959, 15 discs), Sidney Bechet (American Masters
The Wonderful World of Elvis: Follow That Dream Offers New Releases For Fall and Winter
Since its establishment in 1999, the Follow That Dream label has been a collector’s dream for fans of Elvis Presley. Taking its name from Presley’s 1962 film of the same name, Follow That Dream has operated as an authorized “bootleg series,” reissuing Elvis titles of varying origins (soundtracks, studio albums, live gigs) in expanded editions with an emphasis on previously unreleased session material, alternate takes and unheard performances. These titles are available exclusively through
German Is The Loving Tongue: "Pure Dylan" Import Anthology Offers New-to-CD Tracks
Though Bob Dylan has disowned the phrase, his Never-Ending Tour is as strong as ever. Dylan and his band are currently canvassing Europe, with eight of those gigs taking place in Germany. The German stand began on October 23 and concludes next week, on November 7. A total of over 100,000 German spectators will have attended Dylan's concerts, performed with special guest (and past Dylan collaborator) Mark Knopfler. In conjunction with the German leg of the tour, Sony Music Germany has
Hungry For "Some Girls" Deluxe? Wal-Mart Offers Early Rolling Stones Appetizer
Can’t get no satisfaction waiting for Mick, Keith and the boys to drop Some Girls on November 21? Well, whether you’re a Stones completist who simply must own every reissue or a casual fan looking for some quick slam-bang classics, you might want to take a drive over to your local Wal-Mart. The retailer is exclusively offering a new compilation from ABKCO spanning the 1964-1971 period which found the band transition from blues to pop to psychedelia to gritty rock. The Very Best of the Rolling
Barbra Streisand's Latest Offers Bonus Disc Of Bergman Classics
It should come as no surprise that Barbra Streisand has dedicated her newest studio album to the lyrics of Alan and Marilyn Bergman. Streisand began her association with the husband-and-wife lyricist team in 1969, recording their "Ask Yourself Why," with music by Michel Legrand, on What About Today?, her very first stab at the contemporary pop market. (She actually had recorded one Alan Bergman/Lew Spence song, "That Face," as part of a medley on 1966's Color Me Barbra.) Though Streisand would
Ventura Highway, Revisited: America Offers Re-Recorded "Hits"
Buyer, beware! Eagle-eyed music browsers may have noticed a new title from America, the 1970s hitmakers behind such soft rock radio perennials as “Sister Golden Hair,” “Ventura Highway,” “I Need You,” and of course, the deathless “A Horse with No Name.” America Records released Hits: 40th Anniversary Edition last week, and buyers could be forgiven for thinking it was another repackage of History: America’s Greatest Hits. Seven of the twelve tracks on each compilation are identical. It would be
An Ennio Morricone Score Expansion Worth 'A Few Dollars More'
The Man with No Name is back! Following a recent deluxe expansion of Ennio Morricone's unforgettable score to Sergio Leone's The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, the Italian label Beat Records will follow suit with a generous CD and vinyl expansion of its predecessor and the second film in the "Dollars Trilogy": 1965's For a Few Dollars More. This hour-plus presentation offers both the original eight-cue soundtrack program issued by RCA Records in Europe on a double bill with selections from
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