Following the previously released collections Miles ’54 and Miles ’55, Craft Recordings is continuing its survey of the early Miles Davis discography for a new installment. The sensibly-titled Miles ’56 is another archival dive into the Prestige Records catalogue as it chronicles a pivotal year in Davis’ musical history. It’s due on June 19 in 3CD, limited-edition 4LP, and digital formats (including hi-res audio) with all audio sourced from the original analog masters and restored using Plangent Processes. Davis’ First Great Quintet – including tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, pianist Red Garland, bassist…
“Four” and More: Craft Plans Prestige Compilation for Miles Davis’ Centennial
With a Miles Davis live box set recently back in print to celebrate his centennial, another label, Craft Recordings, is preparing a new compilation to mark the same occasion this spring. The Best of Miles Davis, to be released on vinyl March 13, is a simple eight-track compilation drawing from Miles’ mid-’50s sessions with his “first great quintet,” released through the rest of that decade on the Prestige label. Primarily comprised of pop and jazz standards (Rodgers and Hart’s “My Funny Valentine,” Thelonious Monk’s “‘Round Midnight” and “Well, You Needn’t,” Sonny Rollins’…
Woke Up with a Monster: Rhino’s Start Your Ear Off Right Titles Run the Gamut
Why wait for Record Store Day? Rhino continues their January tradition of “Start Your Ear Off Right” with just over three dozen exclusive vinyl titles being released through January at independent record stores. (A small handful, linked below, are also available at Rhino’s official web store.) The majority will be released in two waves split between last Friday (January 2) and this Friday (January 9), with five more arriving between January 23 and January 30. Altogether, this list spans all forms of rock, pop, R&B, jazz, soundtracks and even comedy. In addition…
The Weekend Stream: August 30, 2025
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. We’ve got one Vault track from Prince, four albums unearthed by SuperVisible Multi Media, five rare mixes from Bowie and Jagger, and more than 100 hard-to-find cuts from Connie Francis – now that’s some rock and roll math! Prince, “Sign O’ the Times” (Live in Rotterdam 1987) (NPG/Legacy) (Apple / Amazon) A welcome respite from sharing fabricated, possibly AI-generated inspirational quotes on social media, the Prince estate has released…
Just Squeeze Me: Craft Collects Miles Davis’ 1955 Prestige Sessions on “Miles ’55”
Following last year’s release of Miles ’54: The Prestige Recordings, collecting the legendary trumpeter’s 1954 sessions, Craft Recordings is turning the clock forward to Miles Davis’ 1955 with – what else? – Miles ’55. Due on August 22 in various formats including 3 LPs, 2 CDs, and both standard and high-resolution digital, Miles ’55 will bring together sixteen recordings cut by Davis at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in Hackensack, New Jersey for the Prestige label. Ashley Kahn (author of Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece) observes in the…
Out of This World: Verve Record Club Promises Heavyweight Vinyl Pressings and Rarities
Verve Label Group is getting into the subscription vinyl game with the recently-announced Verve Record Club. The new monthly venture will offer fans new vinyl pressings of classic albums from the Verve, Impulse!, Mercury, CTI, Decca and MGM label catalogues, promising titles by John Coltrane, Nina Simone, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Bill Evans, Billie Holiday, Ahmad Jamal and Sarah Vaughan, to name a few. The new pressings will all be remastered from the original analog tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound. Each title will be pressed on 180-gram vinyl at…
Release Round-Up: Week of July 14
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today. Marshall Crenshaw, Field Day: 40th Anniversary Expanded Edition (Yep Roc) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Marshall Crenshaw’s new reissue campaign continues with his second album, Field Day, as newly remastered by Greg Calbi. It will be augmented with bonus tracks on all formats: two non-LP B-sides (including a cover of Elvis Presley’s “Little Sister”) and four unreleased cuts including an early version of penultimate track “What Time is It?” and instrumental “TV track” versions of…
Just What I Needed: Rhino Launches Hi-Fi Audiophile Series with The Cars, John Coltrane
For years, Rhino has licensed titles from its catalogue to various audiophile labels. Now, Rhino is jumping into the audiophile vinyl market itself with the Rhino High Fidelity line. This series of limited, numbered reissues has kicked off with The Cars’ 1978 debut album, first released on Elektra, and John Coltrane’s 1964 Coltrane’s Sound, originally issued on Atlantic. Both titles are available now. Two more classic albums will follow each quarter. With the release of The Cars, the Boston quintet (singer/guitarist Ric Ocasek, singer/bassist Benjamin Orr, lead guitarist Elliott Easton, keyboardist Greg…
In Your Own Sweet Way: Craft Announces Original Jazz Classics Relaunch with Miles Davis, Monk and Coltrane
Launched in 1982 by Fantasy Records, the Original Jazz Classics banner subsequently appeared on more than 850 reissues over the next three decades from the venerable catalogues of Fantasy, Prestige, Milestone, Riverside, Galaxy, Debut, Contemporary, Pablo, and Jazzland Records. Now, Craft Recordings has announced the relaunch of the series whose logo remains a familiar sight to jazz fans and collectors alike. On April 28, Craft will reissue two classic titles in audiophile quality on the OJC imprint: Workin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet (originally issued in 1960 on Prestige) and Thelonious Monk…
Give It Up: Rhino Announces This Year’s “Start Your Ear Off Right” Releases
We’re into the second week of January, and it wouldn’t be a new year without Rhino’s annual Start Your Ear Off Right campaign. This year’s slate encompasses eighteen vinyl reissues across the rock, soul, and jazz spectrum, the majority of which were released on Friday at independent record stores and most Barnes and Noble locations (and online). The following titles are in stores now: Billy Cobham, Spectrum [Clear Vinyl, remastered by Kevin Gray] John Coltrane, Ole Coltrane [Clear Vinyl] [breakout from The Atlantic Years in Mono] Dire Straits, Money for Nothing [Green…
Moment’s Notice: John Coltrane’s “Blue Train: The Complete Masters” Due in September
John Coltrane only recorded one album for Blue Note as a leader. 1958’s Blue Train, featuring all original compositions plus one standard, would come to be overshadowed by the saxophone great’s very next recording: the groundbreaking Giant Steps for Atlantic. But as a document of Coltrane in his hard bop period, Blue Train remains a top-notch record. Now, it’s returning to vinyl, CD, and digital formats on September 16 in a variety of editions. Blue Train: The Complete Masters joins Blue Note’s Tone Poet series of deluxe audiophile vinyl reissues. This 2-LP…
Release Round-Up: Week of May 20
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of titles arriving everywhere today. The Clash, Combat Rock + The People’s Hall: Special Edition (Columbia/Legacy) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Ranking Roger 7″: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Legacy Recordings will release a 2CD or 3LP expansion of The Clash’s Combat Rock for its 40th anniversary. The album comes with a bonus disc of 12 rare and unreleased tracks curated by the band’s surviving members. The People’s Hall – the…
You’re My Everything: Craft Recordings Reissues “Relaxin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet” On Small Batch Audiophile Vinyl
Craft Recordings is continuing its Small Batch audiophile series with a 180-gram vinyl reissue of 1958’s Prestige release Relaxin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet, recorded in 1956 by the legendary trumpeter with John Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The release – which becomes available tomorrow, Friday, April 15 at 2:00 pm PST / 5:00 pm EST through CraftRecordings.com – is limited to 5,000 copies worldwide. It follows prior Small Batch releases of John Coltrane’s Lush Life and Yusuf Lateef’s…
And Then I Don’t Feel So Bad: Coltrane’s ‘Favorite Things’ Reissued in Stereo and Mono
One of John Coltrane’s most popular albums is getting reissued for its 60th anniversary. My Favorite Things was the jazz legend’s fourth record for the Atlantic label, and one of the bestselling works of the genre. Its title track, a dazzling cover of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s song from The Sound of Music, became a jazz radio staple and helped the album sell more than a half-million copies in the ensuing decades.The other three songs on the album come from the rich tradition of Great American Songbook/musical writers: Cole Porter’s “Ev’ry Time We…
The Weekend Stream: November 13, 2021
While The Second Disc prides itself on connecting people to reissues and box sets they can keep on their shelves, it’s no secret that listening audiences are also digital – catalogue music lovers, too – and our passion is connecting people to music from the past that they might adore. So we’ve introduced a new feature: The Weekend Stream, which focuses on hidden gems that recently made it to digital channels that might make your playlists a little brighter! John Coltrane, A Love Supreme: The Platinum Collection (Impulse!/UMe) (iTunes / Amazon /…
Release Round-Up: Week of October 22
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! The Rolling Stones, Tattoo You: 40th Anniversary Edition (Polydor/Interscope/UMe) 4CD + Tattoo You Picture Disc Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1CD (Album Remaster): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD (Album Remaster and Lost & Found): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 5LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1LP (Album Remaster): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP (Album Remaster and Lost & Found – Black Vinyl): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP (Album Remaster and Lost & Found – Clear Vinyl): Rolling Stones Store The Rolling Stones are revisiting Tattoo You for a 40th anniversary edition. The deluxe 4CD/1LP box set features a new remaster of the album on…
Release Round-Up: Week of August 20
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Eric Clapton, Eric Clapton: Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Polydor/UMe) 4CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1LP (Original Album Only): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Eric Clapton’s eponymous 1970 solo debut is reissued today in 4CD and 1LP iterations. The 4CD Deluxe Edition presents Eric Clapton in three separate mixes, with one mix on each of the first three CDs in the box: The Tom Dowd Mix, The Eric Clapton Mix, and The Delaney Bramlett Mix. The mix by Dowd (Dusty Springfield, The Allman Brothers Band) was originally released in 1970; the…
Tenor Madness: John Coltrane’s Sideman Work with Davis, Rollins, Monk, More Explored on “Another Side of John Coltrane”
Before recording his first solo session as a leader in May 1957, John Coltrane had already established his mastery of the saxophone as an in-demand sideman. He’d previously appeared on albums by Dizzy Gillespie, Earl Bostic, Johnny Hodges, Sonny Rollins, and Miles Davis; even after “graduating” to leader status, he continued to appear on albums by his many friends. Now, Craft Recordings is collecting the best of Coltrane the sideman on a new collection. Another Side of John Coltrane, due on CD, LP, and digital platforms on August 20, features his appearances…
Short Takes: Acoustic Sounds Continues Verve, Impulse! Reissue Series; UMe Breaks Out Individual Traffic LPs from Box Set; Omnivore Collects Emitt Rhodes’ The Palace Guard
Impulse! Records’ 60th anniversary celebration continues all year with Verve/UMe and Acoustic Sounds’ ongoing series of deluxe audiophile reissues drawn from the label’s storied catalogue. The full 2021 slate of releases – 2-3 per month through December – has been announced. It features some of the heaviest hitters from the Impulse! discography including Ray Charles, Gil Evans, Sonny Rollins, Charles Mingus, and John Coltrane. A number of titles from the Verve catalogue will also be reissued including classic LPs from Bill Evans, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, and others. All titles in the…
Ladies and Gentlemen…: Vinyl Me Please Marks 100 “Essentials” Releases with New Pressings of Sold-Out Titles
Today, the Vinyl Me Please record club celebrates its 100th Essential Record of the Month. The club’s flagship line, the monthly Essentials program has encompassed titles from a wide variety of artists including John Prine, Aretha Franklin, Jorge Ben, Van Morrison, Mavis Staples, Miles Davis, Fiona Apple, Billie Holiday, The Notorious B.I.G., and Loretta Lynn. While VMP also offers Classics (Soul, Blues, and Jazz), Hip-Hop, and Country tracks (the latter a new addition for 2021), the Essentials line remains the cornerstone. Now, to commemorate 100 releases since VMP’s founding in 2013, ten…
A Bandcamp Friday with Prestige: Classic Jazz Label Added to Indie Music Service
Just one recommendation of sorts for April 2021’s Bandcamp Friday – but it’s a big one: 61 great albums from Prestige Records are now available to stream and download on the service. Founded by Bob Weinstock in 1949, Prestige was an early home for some of the mid-century’s most revolutionary jazz figures, including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Thelonious Monk. The label’s output, much of it impeccably recorded by engineer Rudy Van Gelder, was a haven as hard bop gained prominence in the ’50 and free jazz helped…
Better Get Hit In Yo’ Soul: 60 Years of Impulse! Records Celebrated On New CD, LP Box Set
Since its initial 1961 releases produced by founder Creed Taylor, Impulse! Records has been synonymous with excellence in jazz. “The House That Trane Built” was stylish both in packaging (with its distinctive orange-and-black color scheme and exclamation point) and content, with a remarkable artist roster boasting not only John Coltrane but Charles Mingus, Ray Charles, Archie Shepp, Alice Coltrane, Quincy Jones, McCoy Tyner, Gil Evans, Oliver Nelson, Duke Ellington, Johnny Hartman, and Pharoah Sanders. On Friday, Impulse! and UMe announced a 60th anniversary celebration of the still-active label encompassing a new box…


























