Blue Note Records’ Classic Vinyl Reissue Series have announced that their upcoming March titles feature landmark releases from Milt Jackson and Bud Powell.
Vibraphonist Milt Jackson was a frequent presence on Blue Note sessions in the bebop era. As part of the fabled 1500 Series begun in 1956, the label issued the 12” compilation Milt Jackson and The Thelonious Monk Quintet which expanded Jackson’s 10” LP Wizard of the Vibes with tracks from 1948 and 1951 dates led by Monk. The album cover was the first designed by Reid Miles. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.
Meanwhile, the 4th volume of The Amazing Bud Powell series recorded in 1958 found the brilliant bebop piano master in particularly fine form on an ebullient set of his original tunes including “Buster Rides Again,” “Monopoly,” and “John’s Abbey.” Powell’s inventive solo flights shine in a trio setting with Sam Jones on bass and ‘Philly’ Joe Jones on drums.
The pressings in Blue Note’s Classic Vinyl series are all-analog whenever an analog source is available, with Kevin Gray mastering directly from the original master tapes. While the first 16 titles of the series focused on the best-known Blue Note classics from the 1950s and 60s, the new run of titles curated by Don Was and Cem Kurosman broadens its scope to span the many eras and styles of the legendary label’s eight-decade history presented by themes: Bebop, Hard Bop, Soul Jazz, Post-Bop, Avant-Garde, The 70s, The Rebirth, and Hidden Gems.
Milt Jackson and The Thelonious Monk Quintet (1948/1951) includes the following tracks:
“Lillie”
“Tahiti”
“What’s New”
“Bags’ Groove”
“On The Scene”
“Willow Weep For Me”
“Criss Cross”
“Eronel”
“Misterioso”
“Evidence (Alternate Take)”
“Lillie (Alternate Take)”
“Four In One (Alternate Take)”
Time Waits: The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 4 (1958) includes the following tracks:
“Buster Rides Again”
“Sub City”
“Time Waits”
“Marmalade”
“Monopoly”
“John’s Abbey”
“Dry Soul”
“Sub City (Alternate Take)”.
Visit the Blue Note website for further information on the Classic Vinyl reissue series.