Miles Davis – Miles Smiles – Speakers Corner 180g Vinyl
Joe Lovano – Trio Fascination: Edition One – Tone Poet Vinyl Series
On his remarkable 1997 album Trio Fascination: Edition One saxophonist Joe Lovano joined forces with two all-time legends—bassist Dave Holland and drummer Elvin Jones—in a spare trio setting that finds these three masters conversing freely. This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition marks the album’s first-ever release on vinyl and was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.
Miles Davis – On the Corner – Mofi 180g Super Vinyl
Available to Pre-Order
1/4" / 15 IPS analog master to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe
Miles Davis' boundlessly influential On the Corner was so far ahead of its time upon release in 1972, the jazz cognoscenti rejected its groundbreaking concoction as middling in nature. Yet time has a way of righting wrongs and shifting views by adding needed context and perspective to visionary ideas, music, and approaches — the likes of which fill Davis' boldest and most controversial — undertaking. Designed to bring the focus back on the groove and bottom-end frequencies, the funk-loaded On the Corner revolutionized jazz. It also set new standards for record production, presaging remixing and electronica by more than a decade. And the work has never sounded more thrilling thanks to this very special pressing.
Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges – Back to Back – Analogue Productions 45RPM 200g 2LP
Several times in his career star alto-saxophone soloist Johnny Hodges struck out on his own, only to return each time to Duke Ellington’s band. There seemed to be a constant tension between them, though it was old hat by the time of this recording. In the enclosed notes, critic Michael Ullman examines this complex relationship, suggesting that the blues classics chosen for this program may have been neutral ground. A place where Ellington’s unique piano playing could come to the fore and Hodges’ irrepressible sensuality could have free rein. This is one of the very best small-group records Ellington ever made — a relaxed, perfectly integrated set of music that truly swings the blues.
Gregg Allman – Midnight Rider / These Days – Analogue Productions 45 rpm Vinyl Single
Ray Charles – Ray Charles – Analogue Productions Atlantic 75 Series Hybrid Mono SACD
Ray Charles' self-titled 1957 album was one of the first handful of albums issued by Atlantic (and was later retitled Hallelujah I Love Her So). As AllMusic reviewer Bruce Elder notes, the album is weighted about three to one in favor of Charles' own compositions, with the hits "Hallelujah I Love Her So" and the pounding, soaring "Ain't That Love," which opens the record, its raison d'etre.
Tonar Nostatic ll Turntable Mat
The Nostatic mat II improved, is one of the bestselling Tonar record turntable accessories. The mat is made of a combination of felt mixed with carbon fibers. The felt cushions the record and damps the vibrations caused by acoustic feedback to the record players from the speakers and other vibrations coming from outside. The mat is 2 mm thick. The carbon fibers collect the static charge from the record and conduct it back to earth due to the contact with the center spindle as well as with the platter.
Jackie McLean – Demon’s Dance – Blue Note (Tone Poet) 180g Vinyl
Jackie McLean’s music weaved in and out of the avant-garde throughout the 1960s with the brilliant 1963 inside-out dates One Step Beyond and Destination… Out! eventually leading to full-throated free jazz of the 1967 dates New and Old Gospel (featuring Ornette Coleman on trumpet) and ‘Bout Soul. Demon’s Dance, which was recorded in December 1967, found the alto saxophonist maintaining a decidedly post-bop edge with a spirited quintet comprised of trumpeter Woody Shaw, pianist LaMont Johnson, bassist Scott Holt, and drummer Jack DeJohnette. The six-song set presented a pair of tunes each by McLean, Shaw, and composer Cal Massey with highlights including McLean’s churning title track, Shaw’s tuneful bossa “Sweet Love of Mine,” and Massey’s brightly swinging “Message from Trane” in tribute to the great John Coltrane who had passed away early that year. But the album’s most striking feature may be the unforgettable cover artwork by Mati Klarwein whose work also graced the cover of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew.
Jack Wilson – Easterly Winds – Blue Note (Tone Poet) 180g Vinyl
he six-song set presented four Wilson originals including the groovy opener “Do It” and the sublime ballad “Nirvanna” in addition to a tender rendition of the Johnny Mandel tune “A Time for Love” and “Frank’s Tune” by Frank Strozier, which was recently reimagined by Makaya McCraven on his 2021 Blue Note remix project Deciphering the Message.
Crosby, Stills and Nash – Daylight Again – Analogue Productions Atlantic 75 Series 45 rpm 180g Vinyl
Available to Pre-Order
Although Crosby, Stills & Nash had, in effect, been together for well over a decade when Daylight Again (1982) was issued, it was only their third studio long-player of concurrently new material. Initially, the project began as a collaborative effort between Stephen Stills (guitar/banjo/keyboards/percussion/vocals) and Graham Nash (guitar/keyboards/percussion/vocals), as David Crosby was descending into a self-induced state of perpetual drug dependency. However, Crosby was included, although arguably in name alone, and his hauntingly lyrical "Delta" stands as one of his finest contributions. Perhaps the most telling element in the trio's state of affairs was the addition of the Eagles' Timothy B. Schmit and CSN bandmember Mike Finnigan (keyboards/vocals) on vocals throughout.
Otis Redding – Complete & Unbelievable… The Otis Redding Dictionary Of Soul – Analogue Productions Atlantic 75 Series 45 rpm 180g Vinyl
