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.
Shelly Manne, My Fair Lady (Craft/Acoustic Sounds)
Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds have teamed up to celebrate the long-lasting legacy of legendary jazz label Contemporary Records in a new vinyl reissue series. Their Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds Series continues this month with the reissue of drummer Shelly Manne’s hugely popular trio session, My Fair Lady. Originally released in 1956, the album finds the great drummer alongside bassist Leroy Vinnegar and pianist André Previn, and is often credited for paving the way for hundreds of jazz albums dedicated to Broadway shows. Release date: September 9
John Coltrane, Blue Train: The Complete Masters (Blue Note)
Blue Note has released a 2-LP stereo pressing of John Coltrane’s Blue Train, as part of its Tone Poet Audiophile vinyl series and in celebration of the masterwork’s 65th anniversary. The new collection, Blue Train: The Complete Masters, includes the original album in its entirety, plus seven tracks never-before-released on vinyl. It also comes with a booklet of never-before-seen photos by Francis Wolff and an essay by Ashley Kahn. A single-LP mono pressing of the trailblazing saxophonist’s album has also been reissued as part of the Tone Poet series. Release date: September 16
Patrice Rushen, Pizzazz (Strut)
Strut releases this month an expanded reissue of Pizzazz, Patrice Rushen’s all-time classic from 1979. Originally released on Elektra, the new edition comes packed in full original artwork with remastered audio from The Carvery. In addition, it comes with bonus 12″ versions of the LP’s singles, “Haven’t Heard You” and “Let the Music Take Me,” a previously unreleased instrumental version of “Givin’ It Up Is Givin’ Up,” plus rare photos and a new interview with Rushen. Release date: September 30
Chick Corea, The Montreux Years (BMG)
Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG have released the latest instalment in The Montreux Years series. Chick Corea: The Montreux Years is available as a collection of Chick Corea’s finest performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland between 1981 and 2010. The recordings are available on superior audiophile heavyweight vinyl, as well as CD and on streaming services. Chick Corea’s collection follows Nina Simone and John McLaughlin releases in the series. Release date: September 23
Freeez, “Mariposa” (Far Out)
Far Out presents the first ever 12″ release of iconic Brit jazz-funk band Freeez’s “Mariposa,” the classic dancefloor favorite originally released on their 1980 breakthrough debut album, Southern Freeez. The song typifies the group’s idiosyncratic feelgood sound and represents the pinnacle of the sound John Rocca and Peter Maas began developing in an East London basement in the early 1980s. Limited to 1000 units worldwide, “Mariposa” also comes with the equally heavy and hard-to-find 12” mix of “Alone.” Released date: September 16
Featured photo by Edourard Curchod.
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