Freddie Roach – Good Move (Blue Note Tone Poet Series) 180g Vinyl
In the 1960s, Blue Note’s roster of organists was second to none with leading Hammond B3 practitioners like Jimmy Smith, Big John Patton, and Larry Young each honing their own distinctive styles on the instrument. Freddie Roach was first introduced to Blue Note listeners on Ike Quebec’s albums Heavy Soul and It Might As Well Be Spring and soon began his own run of leader dates for the label including the 1963 standout Good Move featuring Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, Eddie Wright on guitar, and Clarence Johnston on drums. This soul jazz classic makes all the right moves with set highlights including “When Malindy Sings,” an Oscar Brown song that was performed by Abbey Lincoln, and Roach’s own church-rooted “Wine, Wine, Wine” and “On Our Way Up,” an uplifting anthem that he wrote on the day of the historic March on Washington.
Fritz Reiner – Richard Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra 180G Analogue Productions Vinyl
The legendary 1954 Fritz Reiner/Chicago Symphony Orchestra performance of a Strauss war horse. Recorded directly to 2-track analog by Jack Pfeiffer, the original session tapes were used in mastering for LPs and SACDS. Among the very first Living Stereo recordings ever made, these landmark performances document the start of the legendary partnership of Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.