Lee Morgan – The Sidewinder (Blue Note Classic Series) – Blue Note Vinyl
Lee Morgan’s magnum opus The Sidewinder—recorded in 1963 and release in 1964—was both a comeback and a coronation. The prodigious trumpeter had debuted on Blue Note in 1956 at the age of 18, but personal problems in the early-60s forced him off the scene temporarily. His rebound recording turned out to be The Sidewinder, an assured and energetic set of 5 indelible Morgan originals featuring tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, pianist Barry Harris, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Billy Higgins. The album became his biggest commercial success fueled by the irrepressible title track.
Les McCann & Eddie Harris – Swiss Movement – Analogue Productions Atlantic 75 Series 45 rpm 180g Vinyl
Available to Pre-Order
Imagine yourself in a smoky, vibrant jazz club in the 1960s. The album opens with Les McCann, a soulful and charismatic pianist and vocalist, playing the keys with infectious energy. He's accompanied by an equally talented group of musicians. McCann's music is deeply rooted in gospel, blues, and soul, and it shines through in his performance. His warm, expressive voice draws you in, making you feel like you're right there in the audience.
Lou Donaldson – Midnight Creeper Blue Note Tone Poet Series 180g Vinyl
Alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson hadn’t recorded for Blue Note since 1963 when he returned to the label in 1967 and began a new chapter in his lengthy career. Sweet Papa Lou had helped lay Blue Note’s soul jazz foundation alongside Hammond B3 organists including Jimmy Smith, Baby Face Willette, and Big John Patton going back to the late-1950s thru the early-60s on standout dates including his own Here ‘Tis, Good Gracious!, and The Natural Soul.
Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson Verve 180g Vinyl
Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson is a brilliant undertaking in which Verve's legendary "house pianist" encountered one of jazz's most revered giants. A significant part of Peterson's genius was his ability to be an exceptional pianist and leader, while also being a perfect accompanist when the circumstance demands... and in a situation like this, to be both. Armstrong is not only recognized as one of the most innovative, singular, fascinating and beloved artists of the 20th century, but also one of the most generous in the way he embraced and stimulated his collaborators. Backed by the Oscar Peterson Trio — bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis, and augmented by frequent fourth member Louis Bellson on drums — these peerless heavyweights created an album that is utterly compelling, radiantly jubilant and consummate in artistry.
Madlib – Shades of Blue – Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series 180g 2LP Vinyl
The sound of Blue Note had been embedded in hip-hop thru sampling & remixes since its early days but Madlib raised the bar when the DJ, producer, rapper & multi-instrumentalist invaded the Blue Note vaults for his 2003 masterpiece Shades of Blue, a visionary album featuring remixes & reimaginations of classics by Donald Byrd, Bobbi Humphrey, Ronnie Foster, Bobby Hutcherson, Wayne Shorter & more.
Mccoy Tyner – Extensions – Blue Note (Tone Poet) 180g Vinyl
McCoy Tyner looked towards Africa on his stunning 1970 album Extensions, a far-reaching exploration of Black identity that marked the masterful pianist’s fifth recording for Blue Note Records. After leaving John Coltrane’s band Tyner had moved from Impulse to Blue Note and made his enduring post-bop classic The Real McCoy in 1967. In the following years Tyner steadily expanded his musical scope: writing for a 9-piece ensemble on Tender Moments, exploring the textures of a piano-vibes led quartet with Bobby Hutcherson on Time for Tyner, and pushing at the boundaries of mainstream jazz on Expansions.
McCoy Tyner – Time For Tyner Lp (Blue Note Tone Poet Series) – Blue Note Vinyl
The great pianist McCoy Tyner made his Blue Note debut with The Real McCoy in 1967 soon after departing John Coltrane’s quartet and returned to the studio months after Coltrane’s death to record Tender Moments with an expanded ensemble featuring a 6-piece horn section. For his 3rd Blue Note date Time For Tyner, recorded in 1968, the pianist went a different direction by assembling a hornless quartet with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Herbie Lewis, and drummer Freddie Waits. Tyner and Hutcherson’s first recorded encounter came on the vibraphonist’s 1966 Blue Note album Stick-Up, and here their musical comradery deepened even further.