Tag: Reissue
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Talking Heads, A Bar Called Heaven, 2024 on Dear Boss.
Another in a series of Dear Boss. releases (the period is part of their name) which claim to be FM broadcasts and therefore out of copyright in the EU. This one is Talking Heads from December 7th, 1979, at the Electric Ballroom in London (Camden Town). Excellent recording either way – I’ve become a big…
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The Civil Wars, Barton Hollow, 2011 on Sensibility Music
Debut album from John Paul White and Joy Williams, which originally came out in 2011. It’s a fantastic debut – I expected to hear so much more great music from them together but unfortunately they only put out one more album (2013’s self-titled The Civil Wars) before going their own ways. The title track “Barton…
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David Bowie, Hunky Dory, 1971 on RCA Victor
Bowie’s fourth full-length studio LP and one of my all-time favorites. This followed The Man Who Sold the World but all these early Bowie albums are so great they sound to me like they have just always existed. It can be hard to find decent early pressings of these but there have been many great…
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Depeche Mode, Construction Time Again, 1983 on Sire / Mute / Reprise
This was the third full length from Depeche Mode, originally released in 1983 on Mute, distributed in the US by Sire. Alan Wilder had joined and wrote two of the songs on the album. (Vince Clarke had departed after the debut album). One of my favorites, including “Love, In Itself,” “More Than a Party” and…
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John Lennon, Rock ‘n’ Roll, 1981 on MFP/Parlophone
Originally released in the US and UK on Apple Records in 1975, these recordings were made at A&M studios (LA) in late 1973 and the Power Plant in New York in late 1974, during Lennon’s so called “lost weekend” where he was separated from Yoko Ono and doing a fair amount of drinking and drugs.…
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Sonny Rollins, Sonny Rollins On Impulse!, 1965 on Impulse
Classic album, featuring Rollins with Walter Booker (bass), Mickey Roker (drums), and Ray Bryant (piano). Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in the summer of 1965. Sadly Rollins passed this May (2026) in Woodstock NY. My copy—via Mystery Train Records in Gloucester MA—is the 2021 Acoustic Sounds Series reissue, supervised by Chad Kassem, cut by Ryan…
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Mose Allison, Mose Allison Sings, 1963 on Prestige
Compilation of tracks from Allison’s first albums which had been released on Prestige between 1957 and 1959. Though he was first known as a pianist, he gradually sang more and more. This was the first compilation in which he sang on every track. All were recorded by Rudy Van Gelder, and Ira Gitler wrote the…
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Mose Allison, Back Country Suite, 1957 on Prestige
Mose Allison’s debut album, recorded at Van Gelder’s studio in Hackensack in March 1957, with Taylor La Fargue (bass) and Frank Isola (drums). Largely instrumental. The song titled here just “Blues” was later recorded on Live at Leeds by the Who as “Young Man Blues”: Well a young man ain’t got nothing in the world…
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Grant Green, Green is Beautiful, 1970 on Blue Note
Green joined here by Blue Mitchell (trumpet), Claude Bartee (tenor sax), Emmanuel Riggens (organ), Jimmy Lewis (bass), and Idris Muhammad (drums) plus Richard Lendrum (bongos) and Candido Camero (congas). Recorded in 1970 by Rudy Van Gelder in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. My copy—via Salem Flea Marketplace—is the 2023 Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series reissue, mastered by…
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Tracy Chapman, Tracy Chapman, 1988 on Elektra
Its popularity has recently resurged, due in no small part to Luke Combs’ cover version and their duet at the Grammy’s but this record never went out of rotation for me. Technically I know it’s not true, but I like to imagine Tracy Chapman’s voice was still echoing around Boston from her busking days when…
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Art Pepper + Eleven, “Modern Jazz Classics,” 1960 on Contemporary Records
Classic west coast jazz from Contemporary Records – sometimes just gets call Art Pepper + Eleven, sometimes Modern Jazz Classics. Not sure if 12 people counts as a big band – Wikipedia says “a small big band.” Marty Paich did the arranging. Songs composed by Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver, Charlie Parker, Gerry Mulligan, and Sonny…
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Sonny Rollins, Way Out West, 1957 on Contemporary
This was the first Rollins album with Ray Brown and Shelly Manne, and the first time he recorded with only bass and drums. I love this cover photo emphasizing the New York native was out west. My copy—direct from Craft Recordings—is the 2009 Original Jazz Classics reissue which was remastered back in 1988 and repressed…
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Cliff Jordan, Cliff Jordan, 1957 on Blue Note
Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in Hackensack NJ, Jordan is joined by John Jenkins (alto sax), Art Taylor (drums), Ray Bryant (piano), Curtis Fuller (trombone) and Lee Morgan (trumpet). This is one of two Blue Note LPs he put out in 1957 (the other was Blowing in From Chicago with John Gilmore). My copy—via Amazon—is…
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Bill Evans, Evans in England, 2019 on Resonance
Another late sixties (December 1969) set from Evans, Eddie Gomez, and Marty Morell, recorded at Ronnie Scott’s. (Live at Ronnie Scott’s, released in 2020, came from recordings made in July of 1968). Great production and packaging. My copy—via private sale—is the Record Store Day 2019 2xLP deluxe edition, numbered and limited.
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Horace Silver Quintet, Silver’s Serenade, 1963 on Blue Note
The quintent here is Silver joined by Blue Mitchell (trumpet), Junior Cook (tenor sax), Gene Taylor (bass), and Roy Brooks (drums). Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in Englewood Cliffs, with Alfred Lion producing. My copy—via Amazon—is another Blue Note Tone Poet Series reissue from 2024. Yes, I realize there are other jazz labels and other…
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Freddie Roach, Good Move!, 1964 on Blue Note
Freddie Roach’s third album as a leader, recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in Englewood Cliff with Blue Mitchell (trumpet), Hank Mobley (tenor sax), Eddie Wright (guitar), and Clarence Johnston (drums). Tunes include “It Ain’t Necessarily So” (Gerswhin) and Pastel (Garner) as well as “T’Ain’t What You Do (It’s The Way That You Do It).” Great…
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Big John Patton, Let ‘Em Roll, 1966 on Blue Note
Patton joined by Otis Finch (drums), Grant Green (guitar), and Bobby Hutcherson (vibes), and recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Fantastic Hammond B3 driven mid-sixties Blue Note jazz – can’t go wrong. My copy—direct from Amazon, which often has deals on these—is the Blue Note Tone Poet series reissue from 2023, with…
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Lou Donaldson, Midnight Creeper, 1968 on Blue Note
Donaldson joined here by Leo Morris (drums), George Benson (guitar), Lonnie Smith (organ) and Blue Mitchell (trumpet). Very groovy soul-jazz LP from late sixties Blue Note. Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in Englewood Cliffs and produced by Francis Wolff. My copy—via Amazon—is the Blue Note Tone Poet reissue from 2024, mastered by Kevin Gray and…