Five new vinyl reissues are on the way from Original Jazz Classics. The Craft Recordings series is kicking off 2025 with a release slate including two Miles Davis albums, The Musings of Miles and Walkin’, plus Thelonious Monk’s Thelonious Himself, Wes Montgomery’s The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, and Joe Pass’ Virtuoso. All five albums are up for pre-order now.
The first of two Davis reissues on tap, 1955’s The Musings of Miles, was his first 12-inch LP following a dozen 10-inch LPs over the four years prior. It features future Miles Davis Quintet members Red Garland and Philly Joe Jones and finds the trumpeter building up toward some of his most revered releases, infusing his playing with newfound warmth. The reissue is coming April 18.
That same day will see a new pressing of 1957’s Walkin’ by the Miles Davis All Stars, a combination of tracks recorded in 1954 by the Miles Davis All-Star Sextet and the Miles Davis Quintet. The album features band members like saxophonist Lucky Thompson, drummer Kenny Clarke, and pianist Horace Silver and finds Davis straying from bebop convention, adopting a less-is-more approach.
Monk’s 1975 offering Thelonious Himself will be reissued on March 28. The album shines a solo spotlight on the pianist, presenting him completely alone save for one track, “Monk’s Mood,” with the impressive lineup of Wilbur Ware on bass and John Coltrane on sax. All throughout the tracklist, Monk brings his unique creative touch to bear on originals and standards, hanging back and then deploying his inspired quirks at just the right times.
The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery will arrive on Feb. 28, one of two releases to initiate this year’s reissue series. Originally released in 1960, the album lives up to its title as a showcase for Montgomery’s carefully honed approach, marked by soft thumb-picking and abundant octaves. It’s the album that established Montgomery as the preeminent jazz guitarist of his era, canonized in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress.
The other Feb. 28 reissue presents another guitar master at his pinnacle. The 1973 Joe Pass album Virtuoso lives up to its title, with Pass playing so dexterously that he approximates the sound of multiple guitarists. It’s widely hailed as his greatest release and one of the all-time best jazz guitar albums.
Fantasy Records founded the Original Jazz Classics series in 1982 with the goal of reissuing influential jazz classics with great care and respect. The series was relaunched in 2023 through Craft Recordings.
Click here to order the new additions to the Original Jazz Classics series.
