What is jazz? The question has been debated often, but now we know how Joni Mitchell might answer. On September 5, the legendary singer-songwriter’s Archives series continues with its first themed compilation, appropriately entitled Joni’s Jazz. These 61 selections – available on 4 CDs or 8 LPs – draw from nearly every core album in the Mitchell discography with just a couple of exceptions (Clouds, Ladies of the Canyon) and reflect the breadth of the artist’s immersion into the jazz idiom in all its many varied forms. Last year, in her liner…
Refugee of the Roads: Joni Mitchell’s Latest Archives Box Takes Listeners to the End of the ’70s
Rhino’s Joni Mitchell Archives series has been dependably running since 2020, offering alternating box sets featuring troves of unreleased material from the folk legend and remastered versions of the album eras they cover. With the most recent box collecting her last four albums for the Asylum label – Hejira (1976), Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (1977), Mingus (1979) and the live Shadows and Light (1980) – today’s new announcement closes that same chapter, offering hours of unreleased live and studio material tied to those records. Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980), released October 4, will feature six CDs…
Review: Van Morrison, “His Band and the Street Choir,” Jaco Pastorius’ “Word of Mouth” in Rhino Hi-Fi
Don’t want to discuss it/I think it’s time for a change… Van Morrison‘s 1967 debut album for Bert Berns’ Bang Records, Blowin’ Your Mind, came close to living up to its title with the lovably breezy “Brown-Eyed Girl” nestled alongside more challenging fare such as “T.B. Sheets,” and everything in between: pop, folk, Latin, rock-and-roll, blues. But the Northern Irish singer-songwriter truly came into his own with a move to Warner Bros. the following year. The mystical, hypnotically free-flowing Astral Weeks was an album unlike any other: a steadfastly non-commercial, intense song…
Call Me Up in Dreamland: Rhino Hi-Fi Series Continues with Van Morrison, Jaco Pastorius
Rhino recently launched its Rhino High Fidelity series of audiophile-quality vinyl titles. Now, the label has announced the next two titles in that line: Van Morrison’s His Band and the Street Choir and the late Jaco Pastorius’ Word of Mouth. Both albums’ lacquers have been cut by Kevin Gray and pressed on 180-gram vinyl by Optimal; the releases are limited and numbered to 5,000 units sold exclusively at Rhino.com in the U.S. and in select stores overseas. Van Morrison’s third album for Warner Bros. after the enigmatic Astral Weeks and more commercial…
Release Round-Up: Week of May 26
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band various editions (Apple/Capitol/UMe) 1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K. 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K. 4CD/DVD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K. 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K. The Beatles’ seminal 1967 celebrates its 50th anniversary in style with a multitude of new editions featuring Giles Martin’s brand-new – and quite frankly, mind-blowing – new stereo mix! Look for our full review of the 4CD/DVD/BD box later…
Rhino, Omnivore Plan Black Friday Gold For Record Store Day
That chill in the air and the buzz in your favorite record store can only mean one thing: Record Store Day Black Friday is nearly upon us! On November 25, indie record retailers and labels great and small will partner together to issue dozens of exclusive packages you can’t get anywhere else (except maybe eBay, after the fact, though we’re not happy about that.) The vinyl boom refuses to end, but owing to the lesser size of the event in general, there don’t seem to be as many titles as usual. That…
Release Round-Up: Week of November 27
To our U.S. readers, today is the day of shopping known as Black Friday – but happily, the diverse slate of releases due in stores today should lift your spirits – no matter where you’re located! Love, Reel to Real: Expanded Edition (High Moon Records) (Amazon U.S.) High Moon Records has the premiere reissue of Arthur Lee and Love’s 1974 album Reel to Real as a newly-expanded Deluxe Edition boasting a color, 32-page booklet. A vinyl edition will follow early next year. Read more here! America, Archives Volume One (America Records) (Amazon…
(Don’t) Walk On By: Rhino’s Record Store Day Lineup Boasts a-ha, Bee Gees, Bowie, Doors, Dionne, More
Rhino isn’t resting on its laurels for Record Store Day! The label has announced its biggest slate ever for Record Store Day, with 30 limited edition 12-inch, 10-inch, and 7-inch vinyl releases due on Saturday, April 18. Full details as provided by the label for all titles can be found below. As always with RSD, these releases will be available exclusively at select independent music retailers on April 18, and you can find the list of participating shops here! a-ha – Take On Me 7-inch picture disc. Limited edition of 6,500 copies, $14.98 Air – Playground Love…
Hank Williams, Jaco Pastorius Lead Off Omnivore’s RSD Slate
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUKPRPWCDHg] That change in the air pressure you’re probably feeling around your favorite indie record store can only mean one thing: Record Store Day 2014 is coming your way. April 19 will see a host of beloved major and independent labels celebrating the good old resilient brick-and-mortar store with various titles sold exclusively at participating stores. And the beloved cratediggers at Omnivore Recordings have four exciting titles prepared for the big day – nearly all of which feature artists making their debut appearances on the label. In a fitfully-brief career that ended…










