Vinyl is back! Each month on “Vinyl Watch,” we list some of the most noteworthy new vinyl releases — including new albums, reissues, special-edition box sets and more. At JAZZIZ, we share the vinyl community’s appreciation of the experience of collecting and playing vinyl records. As an increasing number of music fans discover the joy of vinyl, we hope these lists will serve as a starting point for new musical discoveries.
Graham Collier, Down Another Road @ Stockholm Jazz Days ’69 (My Only Desire)
A previously unreleased live recording of bassist/composer Graham Collier’s seminal British jazz album, Down Another Road, as captured live at the 1969 Jazz Day Festival of Stockholm, Sweden. Finally released via My Only Desire, the recording features Collier’s all-star sextet, including jazz heavyweights Harry Beckett, Stan Sulzmann, Karl Jenkins and John Marshall. It also includes the epic free jazz composition “Burblings for Bob,” replacing the abstract track “Danish Blue” of the studio LP’s original program. Release date: February 24.
Chet Baker, Angel Eyes (Waxtime)
Recorded by Chet Baker in Milan during his second tour of Italy in 1959, the album was originally issued in Italy as Angel Eyes and in the United States as Chet Baker with Fifty Italian Strings. The album finds the trumpeter backed by a big band conducted by Ezio Leoni, a.k.a. Len Mercer, and performing a selection of well-known standards, including a new reading of the classic Baker hit, “My Funny Valentine.” Release date: February 10.
Cecil Taylor, The World of Cecil Taylor (Candid)
The World of Cecil Taylor is the fifth studio album by radical free jazz piano pioneer Cecil Taylor, much of which comprises single-take pieces and improvisations. The album was originally recorded in 1961 and feels like a genre-pushing exploration, applying a modern approach to standard material. This brand new reissue has been remastered from original Candid Records master tapes by Bernie Grundman. Release date: February 3.
Oscar Peterson Trio, Night Train (Verve/UMe)
Acoustic Sounds, Verve/UMe’s series of audiophile-grade pressings of legendary jazz records, kicks off its 2023 slate with the reissue of Oscar Peterson’s Night Train. Originally released in 1963 and recorded by the classic Oscar Peterson Trio with Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen, Night Train features a number of Duke Ellington compositions as well as the earliest version of Peterson’s anthemic “Hymn to Freedom,” celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Release date: February 3.
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