Overshadowed throughout his life by his friends Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, Elmo Hope was a talented pianist and composer in his own right. He recorded in New York as a band leader (starting in…

"Satchidananda means knowledge, existence, bliss. Listen with your inner ear to Alice along with Pharoah Sanders, Charlie Haden, Rashied Ali, Cecil McBee, and others." — Downbeat Alice Coltrane had…

She was the sultry film starlet-turned-torch singer-come-TV actress whose dusky alto captivated a generation. Julie London was "discovered" while running a department store elevator in Hollywood.…

Eric Dolphy has sometimes been described as an iconoclast, but in Outward Bound, he was not overturning his idol, Charlie Parker; he was building on Bird’s legacy. So deep was Dolphy’s musicianship,…

There's scarcely a more towering figure in modern jazz — save Miles and Coltrane — than the great Bill Evans. His relaxed and emotional style at the piano would prove influential to not only his…

There's scarcely a more towering figure in modern jazz — save Miles and Coltrane — than the great Bill Evans. His relaxed and emotional style at the piano would prove influential to not only his…

"I picked up the new Acoustic Sounds (Series) reissue of A Love Supreme, John Coltrane's classic album originally released in 1965 on Impulse! Records. I've owned it on CD (Impulse! Records GRD-155)…

"If anything, Sonny Rollins on Impulse! feels as if it were a recording Rollins had to get out of his system. But thank goodness for us because it's a winner through and through." — AllMusic Seeking…

Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds are proud to announce the Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds series, which begins with six album releases from the Contemporary Records catalog, celebrating 70…

"As with all the Acoustic Sounds releases I've reviewed here on Analog Planet thus far, this new production company is exemplary overall. The pressing is top-notch, manufactured on thick, dark black…

Follow along as writer/professor Wayne Goins explores the creation of Folk Singer, and leads a visual tour of the former Chess Records studios, here. There are a handful of landmark albums in any…

In 1960, the free jazz pioneered by Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Horace Tapscott and a very few others was rejected by many musicians and most listeners. For the visionary saxophonist, clarinetist…

"(Ballads) is an album that will never go out of style and never be unwelcome on any jazz lover's turntable. ... I compared this Ryan K. Smith cut with an original pressing (so happy to have) and…

Verve and Universal Music Enterprises are continuing their analogue-only reissue series this year. The 2022 calendar for Acoustic Sounds includes refreshed releases from a lineup of jazz greats. This…

"The Acoustic Sounds LP under review isn't the first audiophile LP reissue. I have a 200-gram LP version of Getz/Gilberto from Mobile Fidelity. To me, there are subtle differences. Listening to 'The…

This audiophile favorite — and a brisk seller since its Analogue Productions 33 1/3 reissue in 2015 — is back with an upgrade. Now a 45 RPM 4LP 180-gram set, the remastered audio completed by…

It is undeniable that Billie Holiday's singing changed in her later years. Her voice darkened and shifted to a lower range. Her economy of means distilled her sound to its expressive essence — a kind…

"The album features the two sides of Mingus' compositional genius: the beautiful balladry that I always feel has a bit of a film-noir feel to it, alongside those joyous upbeat numbers that are filled…

"A comparison between this reissue and an original Impulse produced a sonic draw with each having its own attractive qualities — warmer original versus more transparent reissue — but the reissue is…

As critic Nat Hentoff makes clear, Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster were larger than life. Formidable, even forbidding presences, they revealed a depth of feeling in their playing that spoke of their…

The classic 1962 album Duke Ellington & John Coltrane introduces the rising jazz saxophone innovator performing with the long-established piano institution Duke Ellington. "Perhaps looking to…

"One of the great Ellington albums, one of the great Hawkins albums and one of the great albums of the 1960s." — The New York Times Even though Duke Ellington and Coleman Hawkins had both been…

"Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas album is a secular holiday delight sure to please every listener, even atheists and agnostics. Originally released in 1960, the sound here is warm and inviting as a Yule…

Considered one of Ella's greatest recordings, she's backed on this 1960 release by pianist Paul Smith. Let No Man Write My Epitaph was a 1960 Hollywood movie featuring Fitzgerald. The album hits at a…

This new reissue of Ella And Louis Again is a much-needed solution for audiophile-leaning jazz fans the world over. If you’ve ever gone looking for original pressings of this record, you know that it…

"I listened to both sides of the Coltane VV LP. The s/n ratio on these superb pressings makes the music come alive like never before. I've listened to this album in so many forms: original vinyl, the…

"...the pressing is solid — manufactured at Quality Record Pressings — with dark black 180-gram vinyl that is well centered. It sounds great and sounds like what I would expect a 1964 Impulse Records…

A match made in heaven! This 1963 Impulse! LP is a career highlight for Johnny Hartman's beautiful baritone voice and John Coltrane's exploratory yet empathetic tenor sax. John Coltrane and Johnny…

"Recorded in July and October of 1957 by Verve's house recording engineer Val Valentin, the album was released in mono in 1959, followed shortly thereafter by a stereo release. This reissue comes…

"Recorded in July and October of 1957 by Verve's house recording engineer Val Valentin, the album was released in mono in 1959, followed shortly thereafter by a stereo release. This reissue comes…

"Another superb release from the Acoustic Sounds Series of reissues for Verve/Universal Music Enterprises! Mastered by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound, supervised by Chad Kassem himself, and pressed…

"Genius + Soul = Jazz is a winner, now sounding better than ever. I like this reissue so much I'll probably not play my original again since it isn't in quite as nice condition. In fact, I'm not sure…

"One of the great Ellington albums, one of the great Hawkins albums and one of the great albums of the 1960s." — The New York Times Even though Duke Ellington and Coleman Hawkins had both been…

The words "bossa nova" are often synonymous with the name Stan Getz. But North Americans might not have ever known the bright sound of bossa nova had it not been for Charlie Byrd. In 1961 Byrd…

"Out Of The Cool is nearly as striking an album now as it must have been when it hit the bins in 1961. Not only is it Gil Evans' masterpiece and his best album that didn't front Miles Davis as a…

This important historic jazz record pairs guitar virtuoso Wes Montgomery with Miles Davis' rhythm section — featuring Paul Chambers on bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums and Wynton Kelly on piano. This is…

Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds are proud to announce the Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds series, which begins with six album releases from the Contemporary Records catalog, celebrating 70…

Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds are proud to continue the Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds series for 2023 with seven album releases from the Contemporary Records catalog, celebrating 70…

Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds are proud to announce the Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds series, which continues for 2023 with seven album releases from the Contemporary Records catalog,…

Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds are proud to continue the Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds series for 2023 with seven album releases from the Contemporary Records catalog, celebrating 70…

Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds are proud to announce the Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds series, which begins with six album releases from the Contemporary Records catalog, celebrating 70…

Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds are proud to announce the Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds series, which begins with six album releases from the Contemporary Records catalog, celebrating 70…

Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds are proud to continue the Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds series for 2023 with seven album releases from the Contemporary Records catalog, celebrating 70…

Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds are proud to continue the Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds series for 2023 with seven album releases from the Contemporary Records catalog, celebrating 70…

Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds are proud to continue the Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds series for 2023 with seven album releases from the Contemporary Records catalog, celebrating 70…

Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds are proud to announce the Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds series, which begins with six album releases from the Contemporary Records catalog, celebrating 70…

Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds are proud to announce the Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds series, which continues for 2023 with seven album releases from the Contemporary Records catalog,…

Recorded in 1976 with the legendary George Martin as producer (The Beatles), both reprise their magic from Beck's Blow By Blow with an awesome array of jazz-rock-funk fusion, which is often sited as…

In 1987, the "Madonna of Folk" returned to U.S. record shops with a vengeance, delivering here interpretations of songs by Dire Straits, Johnny Clegg, U2 and Peter Gabriel — performers, writes…

This reissue delivers on so many levels, and is in every way better than my original 1960s-era vinyl pressing. The LP was mastered in stereo from the original analog tapes by Ryan K. Smith at…

Steely Dan’s second studio album, originally released in 1973 by ABC Records, was certified gold-selling by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling 500,000 copies in the……

“Analogue Productions and a few other vinyl-oriented labels are indeed pursuing sonic excellence with their reissues. Done right, this requires attention to every facet of the audio and…

“Happily, for this, my first UHQR experience, it feels super-solid. Musically, Can’t Buy A Thrill feels more three-dimensional on this UHQR edition than on other versions I’ve heard. Overall, the…

Steely Dan's gold-selling third studio album Pretzel Logic, charted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and restored the group's radio presence with the single "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," which became…

“Kassem’s new edition-also stamped in an edition of 25,000 — is from the same master, pressed on the same type of vinyl (but not “hand pressed” this time, which actually results in greater pressing…

Of the most rare RCAs, Witches' Brew rates near the top of the heap of desired RCAs. ... The LP selections were recorded by Decca recording engineer Kenneth Wilkinson in fabled Kingsway Hall and…

"Analogue Productions' Classic Records buyout brought with it metal parts for many albums, cut by Bernie Grundman, including for this record. ... AP chose to produce a new stamper using the "mother"…

The 45 RPM Analogue Productions reissue of Stevie Ray Vaughan's Couldn't Stand The Weather is so good, as are its 45 RPM companions — Texas Flood and Soul To Soul — that they truly represent what…

“The title could not have been more accurate. By 1962, Coltrane’s leadership role was undeniable; he was a standard-bearer of musical commitment, and intense, bold exploration. As well, all four…

Reviewer Michael Fremer says of the 33 1/3 RPM version: "Cline's powerful, resonant voice and her unerring, more-generic-than-Southern diction and phrasing plus her ability to express hurt and…

5 stars Downbeat Magazine! — 4.5 stars AllMusic! This release presents the complete original album Night Train (Verve V6-538), one of the many masterpieces recorded by the classic Oscar Peterson Trio…

With the exception of one track, The Best of the James Gang was assembled from analog tape and sounds outstanding. The music demands to be played loud, and the fine mastering by Kevin Gray allows you…

It’s tempting for Blues in Orbit to be overlooked when Duke Ellington’s best albums are discussed, but truly it’s an undisputed gem. There are 11 tracks, none of them is longer than 4:50 and it is…

A half-century after his death at 36, the astonishing saxophonist and flutist Eric Dolphy is still influencing and inspiring the most adventuresome jazz musicians. Dolphy was daring and iconoclastic…

Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds are proud to announce the Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds series, which begins with six album releases from the Contemporary Records catalog, celebrating 70…

Lady in Satin was released in 1958 on Columbia Records, catalog CL 1157 in mono and CS 8048 in stereo. It is legendary singer Billie Holiday’s penultimate album completed by the singer and released…

The Analogue Productions/QRP pressing reissue treatment delivers sonics and luxury packaging second to none for discerning collectors. Now we've given three titles by Canadian songstress Sarah…

One night during a one-time, two-week engagement at the Five Spot produced enough music of lasting merit for three albums. When Rudy Van Gelder took his portable equipment down to the fabled Cooper…

Tenor Madness was the recording that, once and for all, established Rollins as one of the premier tenor saxophonists, an accolade that in retrospect, has continued through six full decades and gives…

A favorite off the recommended list by The Absolute Sound magazine, and, as expressed in the liner notes, Harry Belafonte’s favorite recording. Belafonte has never before sung on records as he does…

“Now comes Analogue Productions’ 180-gram double 45 RPM reissue sourced from the original Island master tapes sent over from the U.K., cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, pressed at RTI and housed…

Of pianist Bill Evans' many live albums, At Town Hall ... Vol. 1 has always been among his most delicate and elegant, writes Marc Myers for JazzWax. Evans' playing is taut and graceful, with lovely…

Dr. John’s Gumbo is the fifth album by New Orleans singer and pianist Dr. John, a tribute to the music of his native city. The album is a collection of covers of New Orleans classics, played by…

“The sonics are the point here, or at least the main point. Ford’s deep, resonant voice, with a bit of reverb, is very well recorded. You could consider this a voice-fetish record of the…

“’Everything’ appeared on vinyl in Europe shortly after its release, and Rhino put out a 2LP ‘Two Against Nature’ (with the fourth side blank) for Record Store Day in 2021. I haven’t heard the Euro…

"Since 2002, mastering facilities like those helmed by Kevin Gray have improved. Analogue Productions' 33RPM mastering produces an even larger soundstage with better depth. Add to that the fact that…

“The soundstage is intimate and inviting, Webster’s horn beautifully captured with sweet, rich overtornes, the bass liquid, chugging, and textured, piano and drums easy and natural. As…

“’Everything’ appeared on vinyl in Europe shortly after its release, and Rhino put out a 2LP ‘Two Against Nature’ (with the fourth side blank) for Record Store Day in 2021. I haven’t heard the…

"In the late 1990s, Taj Mahal went on a 42-city tour with a gang of old, pure blues musicians. The producer, Tim Duffy, recorded several sessions on audiophile gear, but the tapes were stashed away,…

Kudos for our 33 1/3 version: "Grade: A+. Once again, as good as I've heard this record sound. Gorgeous strings, superb bass, avalanche dynamics with that same tape-like ease, sensational inner…

"Belafonte brought 'world' music to the masses, starting with 'Calypso.' ... By the time these two benefit concerts were performed on April 19th and 20th 1959, Belafonte had amassed a catalog of hits…

"I've never heard an original pressing, but this reissue by Chad Kassem's Analogue Productions — a 200-gram QRP pressing, mastered at 33 1/3 RPM by Kevin Gray — is every bit the equal of Van Gelder's…

"these are, for the most part, extraordinary-sounding recordings, better than any you're likely to find. If you love the music, you should consider the purchase." — Fred Kaplan, Stereophile, Nov. 1,…

Celebrate the technical expertise of the world’s finest LP pressing plant — Quality Record Pressings — with the finest LP sampler ever assembled! The Wonderful Sounds Of Quality Record Pressings…

“Perhaps the biggest surprise about this 1971 compilation, nearly a half-century after the band’s heyday, is not the quality of the music — that’s obvious — but the sonic impact.…

"This reissue cut by Ryan K. Smith from the original 3 track beats every original I have (four) in every way. It peels back layers of murk without adding brightness or spotlighting or anything bad.…

“Lofgren, no stranger to audiophiles, has standard recordings so good — the music, of course, warrants attention regardless of the sound quality — that ‘Keith Don’t Go’ has long been a show demo…

Guitarist and singer-songwriter Nils Lofgren in 1997 released a small treasure for longtime fans. Acoustic Live captures Lofgren alone in front of an appreciative audience, knocking out such…

"...She's enough of a talent to serve up nine of Dusty's (plus one original) with reverence rather than mimicry, while avoiding the obvious songs. But the hook is the sound: it ranks with any…

“In some ways, this is even better than The Wall. Waters got a lot of top performers to play on the album, usually behind his singing and speaking of the lyrics …. Guitarist Jeff Beck is heard…

"Analogue Productions returns with another in its very popular 'Wonderful Sounds' series that began with a Christmas compilation and followed up in 2018 with a female vocalist assemblage. Like those…

"...Stardust this is not but it's a collection of 12 Nelson tear jerkers like 'Darkness on the Face of the Earth' and 'Where My House Lives' that somehow turns 'down in the dumps' self-pity into…

The title may say Nuthin' Fancy but don't be deceived! This 200-gram stunner pressed at Quality Record Pressings is nearly peerless as a Southern rock record. Expertly remastered by Kevin Gray,…

"There you have it! The first four BS&T records cut by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound from the master tapes and pressed on 200g vinyl at QRP. I thought a 1A pressing of the first album couldn't…

"Mingus is also all about the ensemble...this reissue has a life and immediacy I've not heard before with this title, whose stunning music overwhelms any flaws of the recording." - Wayne Garcia, The…

“So far, Analogue Productions’ series of outstanding reissues have avoided the missteps of the previous Classic Records issues, instead offering real improvements over the originals. … The latest…

“The results speak for themselves: the platters from QRP are in my experience the most consistently flat and quiet being pressed today … at least for the foreseeable here and now, Analogue…

“Just had to get in touch to let you know that my copy of Son House’s Father Of The Blues — on QRP 45 RPM is totally amazing. I’ve been collecting records for 40 years and have a modest collection of…

“This is perhaps the most exquisitely natural recording ever made. All in all, this Wilson record is a triumph of the analog recording art.” — International Audio Review David Abel, violin. Julie…

Spend any time around Doug MacLeod and the stories from his years of road time with the likes of Big Joe Turner and Pee Wee Crayton start to flow as easily as a brook tickled by a breeze. And you…