Is it just us, or has Record Store Day felt a little muted in recent years? Obviously the annual Black Friday celebration boasts less titles than the festivities held every April, but it's sometimes been a struggle to identify great archival titles or worthy re-pressed discs. Well, that certainly isn't the case this year: labels seem to have gone into overdrive stockpiling interesting LPs and singles worth a second (or first!) look - and one of the strongest showings might be Sony Music's Legacy
Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 12 - that's the date this year for Record Store Day, the date upon which fans, collectors, and everyone in between flocks to local independent record stores and hopefully gives those brick-and-mortar stores a leg up for the year! The full list has been posted, and here at TSD, we'll start today by spotlighting various releases from some of our favorite labels! Craft Recordings is among those labels, and they've just announced a batch encompassing jazz,
Craft Recordings will commemorate seven decades since one of Miles Davis' most pivotal early years with a new 2CD or 4LP compilation that brings everything he recorded in that period together. Miles '54: The Prestige Recordings offers 20 tracks from several unforgettable sessions, with luminaries like pianists Horace Silver and Thelonious Monk, drummer Art Blakey, saxophonist Sonny Rollins and vibraphonist Milt Jackson offering their talents in Davis' ensembles. The package includes a new
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles in stores today! Carole King, Home Again: Live in Central Park (Ode/Legacy) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Coinciding with the documentary/concert film of the same name, Carole King's Home Again: Live in Central Park captures her concert - the first-ever free concert at New York City's Great
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
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
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
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
For over a year, folks who rely on music to enrich and sustain their life have seen their "normal" change dramatically due to COVID-19. As the effects of pandemic continue to ripple through every part of the industry, the Record Store Day organization has announced that rather than hold one event this year, there will be two RSD Drops, set to take place on June 12 and July 17 at participating stores worldwide. It has been decided that this is the best move for customer safety and for the
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! John Coltrane, Giant Steps: 60th Anniversary Edition (Rhino) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada John Coltrane's 1960 Atlantic debut was entitled Giant Steps, and indeed, that's what the saxophonist took on this groundbreaking album. Intense, dark, probing: the color of his saxophone was all his own. Rhino is celebrating 60 years of Giant Steps with a multi-format anniversary edition
UPDATED 9/4: "[It's] one of the best live recordings I've ever heard by Thelonious...I wasn't even aware of my dad playing a high school gig, but he and the band were on it." So says T.S. Monk, son of groundbreaking jazz pianist Thelonious Monk. "When I first heard the tape, from the first measure, I knew my father was feeling really good." The younger Monk is talking about Palo Alto, a newly unearthed concert recorded October 27, 1968 which will -- after much anticipation -- finally see
With the nation still fighting COVID-19, Record Store Day here in the U.S. looks a little - make that a lot - different this year. The usual offerings have been split among three dates with Drop 1 taking place tomorrow, August 29, at your local independent record retailer. Drop 2 is September 26, and Drop 3 is October 24. Every retailer is handling the Drop a bit differently thanks to the necessary accommodations for social distancing, smaller crowds, and better safety precautions. So please
As the COVID 19 outbreak continues to impact our lives, it's heartening to know that some things are returning to some semblance of "normal," or as close as we can get to it during this unpredictable impasse. As we previously reported, Record Store Day has been split into three standalone "RSD Drop" days, occurring on August 29, September 26, and October 24. That's not the only thing changing this time around. It's been reported by Georgia-based shop Comeback Vinyl that the organization is
"[It's] one of the best live recordings I've ever heard by Thelonious...I wasn't even aware of my dad playing a high school gig, but he and the band were on it." So says T.S. Monk, son of groundbreaking jazz pianist Thelonious Monk. "When I first heard the tape, from the first measure, I knew my father was feeling really good." The younger Monk is talking about Palo Alto, a newly unearthed concert recorded October 27, 1968 which will be released for the first time ever on July 31 through
For years, the El imprint of Cherry Red has been collecting all the strangest and most fascinating avant-garde classical pieces, electronic experiments, and oddball rarities for a fervent group of admirers. Though their releases can be a little esoteric, El's collections have always been able to welcome in new listeners. And now, they offer what might be the essential introduction to twentieth-century avant-garde and classical (at least for listeners tuned to popular music). It's called I'd
The venerable reissue label Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab has just announced the latest title in their ongoing UltraDisc One-Step vinyl series: Thelonious Monk's landmark Monk's Dream. This new deluxe version was made, like all of MoFi's releases, with the discerning audiophile in mind. The original album has been spread across two 180-gram, 45rpm LPs, pressed at RTI using their special SuperVinyl compound. The discs will be housed in a luxurious box set that includes foil-stamped jackets, restored
Concord Bicycle Music has been an aggressive recent player in catalogue music. The indie giant has succeeded with a variety of jazz, soul and rock titles, controlling such labels as Fantasy, Stax and Wind-Up Records; elsewhere, they've brought the Traveling Wilburys discography back into print and signed a bold deal with R.E.M. to distribute their Warner Bros.-era masters, from 1988 to their final bow in 2011. With all this activity, Concord's latest step was inevitable: they announced last
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up featuring a number of rock legends! Yes, Progeny: Seven Shows from Seventy-Two (Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) This whopping 14-CD box captures seven complete concerts from Yes circa 1972 - the same tour leading up to the performances preserved on Yessongs. For those who don't need 14 discs, 2-CD and 3-LP Highlights distillations are also available (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) ! Jeff Beck, Live+ (Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon
Blue Note Records’ 75th anniversary celebration has already encompassed compact disc and vinyl reissues from the venerable jazz label’s classic roster of artists including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Clifford Brown and Thelonious Monk. On November 4, the Blue Note party continues with the release of a new 5-CD box set. Blue Note: Uncompromising Expression is the title of both the box set, a 75-track compendium of key Blue Note singles, and an accompanying hardcover book. Uncompromising
Average White Band, All the Pieces: The Complete Studio Recordings 1971-2003 (Edsel) Nineteen discs of AWB goodness, including two discs of rarities? Now that's something to blow your horn over. Full specs will be posted later today. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) John Coltrane and Friends, Sideman: Trane’s Blue Note Sessions (Blue Note) Three discs of 'Trane's time as a sideman, with performances by Miles and Monk, all in glorious mono. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) The Jerry Garcia Band, Garcia
The 75th anniversary campaign for Blue Note Records is continuing with a trio of titles from some of the venerable jazz label's all-time greatest artists. Following up on the recent deluxe presentation from Miles Davis of his Complete Blue Note Recordings, the label has announced new collections for Clifford Brown, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk. The Miles volume represented his complete Blue Note recordings as a leader, derived from his 10-inch LPs Young Man with a Horn, Miles Davis Volume
The Animals, The Mickie Most Years and More / Tower of Power, Hipper Than Hip: Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow – Live on the Air & in the Studio 1974 / Lisa Fischer, So Intense / The Alabama State Troupers, Road Show / The Obsessed, The Church Within (Real Gone Music)An Animals box set and a compilation of unreleased Tower of Power greatness head off Real Gone's slate for the end of the year!The Animals: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.Tower of Power: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.Lisa Fischer: Amazon
From its headquarters at 553 West 51st Street in New York, New York, the Riverside Records label presided over an impressive roster of jazz talent. Founded in 1953 by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer, Riverside was home at one time or another to Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey, Alberta Hunter, Johnny Griffin, plus a number of artists currently being recognized with deluxe reissues from the Riverside catalogue: Thelonious Monk and Gerry Mulligan, Cannonball Adderley and Milt Jackson, Chet Baker, Wes
What makes a legend most? When it comes to the legends of jazz, Concord Music Group has that answer for you. Earlier this year, Concord launched The Very Best Of, a new series of "Jazz 101" collections designed at an affordable price point. These compact sets might introduce new fans to daunting catalogues, or offer longtime fans a compact sampler of a favorite artist. The first wave of titles arrived for Miles Davis (trumpet), John Coltrane (tenor saxophone), Sonny Rollins (tenor
Frank Zappa, Official Reissues #1-13 (Zappa/UMe) The iconoclastic musician's catalogue is back in print thanks to a new agreement with Universal, and his first 13 albums (most of them newly remastered from the original analog masters) are available today. Joe gave us a great breakdown of what's what on these new masters, which also has convenient links to both these new titles and the forthcoming second wave of remasters next month. Blur, Blur 21 (Virgin/EMI) 21 refers not only to the