180 Gram Vinyl Record
Showing 129–144 of 167 results
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Low stock
Charles Mingus – Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus
44,00 €
Includes 19% MwSt DEplus shippingAdditional costs (e.g. for customs or taxes) may occur when shipping to non-EU countries.Add to cart"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 with an organized chaos that categorizes much of the bassist's best work. ... Throw in the fact that it also features Jaki Byard (who is just phenomenal on this recording and remains criminally underrated), Booker Ervin, Dannie Richmond and Eric Dolphy and you have some of Mingus' finest sidemen driving his compositions to the fantastical places they seemed preordained to go. ... Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus is a record that has more than stood the test of time and is an everlasting testament to the talents of Mingus and the players who had the ability to follow his musical vision." — The Jazz Record Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus was Charles Mingus' last major studio recording of the 1960s (the solo Mingus Plays Piano would also be released the same year in 1964) and it's a real treasure in the great jazz bassist's discography Two of the tracks ("Celia" and "I X Love") were recorded at the sessions for The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady, while the rest were laid down eight months later with a group that included Booker Ervin, Eric Dolphy and Jaki Byard (Byard also played on the two earlier tracks). Both sessions featured groups of 11 players, all of whom were in top form in performing Mingus' notoriously complex compositions, writes jazzrecord.com. All but two tracks on Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus were re-interpretations of songs from the bassist's earlier catalog, only "Celia" rates as a new original number, and "Mood Indigo" is a cover of the famous tune by Mingus's hero Duke Ellington. If you happen to have lost your Mingus decoder ring, the remaining tracks correlate to their past counterparts as such: "II B.S." = "Haitian Fight Song" "I X Love" = "Nouroog" "Better Get Hit In Yo' Soul" = "Better Git It In Yo' Soul" "Theme For Lester Young" = "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" "Hora Decubitus" = "E's Flat Ah's Flat Too" For Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus Mingus collaborated with arranger/orchestrator Bob Hammer to score the music for the large ensemble of brass and saxophones. Recorded January 20 and September 20, 1963 in New York City. Musicians: On A2 & A3: Charles Mingus - Bass, Piano Jerome Richardson - Baritone Sax, Soprano Sax, Flute Dick Hafer - Tenor Sax, Flute Charlie Mariano - Alto Sax Rolf Ericson - Trumpet Richard Williams - Trumpet Quentin Jackson - Trombone Don Butterfield - Contrabass Trombone, Tuba Jay Berliner - Guitar Jaki Byard - Piano Dannie Richmond - Drums On A2, A4, B1, B2, & B3 Charles Mingus - Bass Dick Hafer - Tenor Sax, Flute, Clarinet Jerome Richardson - Baritone Sax, Soprano Sax, Flute Booker Ervin - Tenor Sax Eric Dolphy - Alto Sax, Flute Eddie Preston - Trumpet Richard Williams - Trumpet Britt Woodman - Trombone Don Butterfield - Tuba Jaki Byard - Piano Walter Perkins - Drums
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Low stock
Duke Ellington and Coleman Hawkins – Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins
44,00 €
Includes 19% MwSt DEplus shippingAdditional costs (e.g. for customs or taxes) may occur when shipping to non-EU countries.Add to cart"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 well-known jazzmen since the early 1920s and continued to be successful until their deaths, their only recorded encounter was the LP Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins (Impulse AS-26), taped in 1962 and presented here in its entirety. Hawkins had been an admirer of Duke Ellington's music for at least 35 years at this point and Ellington had suggested they record together at least 20 years prior to their actual meeting in 1962. Although it would have been preferable to hear the tenor sax great performing with the full orchestra, his meeting with Ellington and an all-star group taken out of the big band does feature such greats as Ray Nance on cornet and violin, trombonist Lawrence Brown, altoist Johnny Hodges, and baritonist Harry Carney. High points include an exuberant "The Jeep Is Jumpin'," an interesting remake of "Mood Indigo," and a few new Ellington pieces. This delightful music is recommended in one form or another. Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on August 18, 1962 and released in February 1963 by Impulse! Records. Musicians: Coleman Hawkins, tenor sax Duke Ellington, piano Ray Nance, cornet and violin Johnny Hodges, alto sax Harry Carney, baritone sax and bass clarinet Aaron Bell, bass Sam Woodyard, drums
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In stock
Coleman Hawkins – Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster
44,00 €
Includes 19% MwSt DEplus shippingAdditional costs (e.g. for customs or taxes) may occur when shipping to non-EU countries.Add to cartAs 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 vast life experiences, as great writers or painters speak through their work. Recorded in 1957. Seeking to offer definitive audiophile grade versions of some of the most historic and best jazz records ever recorded, Verve Label Group and Universal Music Enterprises' audiophile Acoustic Sounds vinyl reissue series utilizes the skills of top mastering engineers and the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings. All titles are mastered from the original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in high-quality gatefold sleeves with tip-on jackets. The releases are supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world's largest source for audiophile recordings. Musicians: Coleman Hawkins, tenor saxophone Ben Webster, tenor saxophone Ray Brown, bass Herb Ellis, guitar Oscar Peterson, piano Alvin Stoller, drums
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Low stock
Duke Ellington & John Coltrane – Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
44,00 €
Includes 19% MwSt DEplus shippingAdditional costs (e.g. for customs or taxes) may occur when shipping to non-EU countries.Add to cartThe 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 renew his inspiration or maybe simply wanting to broaden his horizons, Duke Ellington began a string of collaborations in the second half of his career — whereas before that, his own band was stimulus enough. Whatever the reason, almost all of his collaborations succeeded at high levels, although none of his shared sessions are more intriguing on the surface than this 1962 date with the preeminent sax star of the day. "In reality, the record amounts to 'Coltrane Plays Ellington' (plus one Coltrane original) because the tenor man is the whole show — and what a show it is. Only Coltrane could be as 'fiercely tender,' and there's no better forum for his sensitive side than the music of Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, who contributes the album's true vertex, 'My Little Brown Book.' The rhythm section alternates between Duke's and Trane's, each adding a different texture to the proceedings. Ellington is wise enough to appreciate the nature of the session, and he is quite content to feed chords in service of the young master--proving the old master's open mind and good taste. Hearing Coltrane seize 'In a Sentimental Mood' is thanks enough." — Marc Greilsamer At a gathering of Ellington band alumni organized by Jazz at Lincoln Center, bassist John Lamb recalled the sessions for Duke Ellington & John Coltrane: "There was no music on that whole date. Nobody had a chart. We came in and we were standing there, waiting to see what would happen. 'Trane would go and sit on the piano bench with Duke. They didn't talk, but Duke would be singing ... and 'Trane would go ... Then, after they did that for a few minutes, they got up. 'Trane would go to his microphone, Duke would start playing, and the rhythm section, we had to do for ourselves, you know. That's it. He didn't even tell you the key. He could communicate without words, and 'Trane could hear it." On "Take the Coltrane," the two play in a quartet of Coltrane's bandmates of the day, bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin Jones (Ellington men Lamb and drummer Sam Woodyard also played on the album). — JazzIz Magazine Recorded on September 26, 1962 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
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In stock
John Coltrane – ‘Live’ At The Village Vanguard
44,00 €
Includes 19% MwSt DEplus shippingAdditional costs (e.g. for customs or taxes) may occur when shipping to non-EU countries.Add to cart"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 first MCA reissues, also the MCA vinyl with the awful green labels. The way this album was mastered, the state-of-the-art pressings makes you realize that RVG actually did a superb job in capturing the on-stage magic of these live sessions. I never really thought that before! Congrats to Chad Kassem and all the team" — Tom Schnabel, Emeritus Producer, KCRW's Rhythm Planet "Two new Coltrane reissues on vinyl, from the partnership of Universal Music and Acoustic Sounds typify the breadth of (Coltrane's) range and the depths of his explorations. ... The sound quality of both, engineered by Rudy Van Gelder and mastered by Ryan Smith, is very good, with caveats. Vanguard is from a second LP master; the original tapes vanished long ago. ... This reissue lacks the full warmth and air of the original pressing, but good luck finding one. This is much better than any other reissue." — Fred Kaplan, Stereophile, April 2022 "If you get a chance to compare an original A-10 with this reissue you'll appreciate how fine this reissue sounds but you'll also hear greater texture to Coltrane's horn(s), far more 'room sound,' and especially cymbal 'ring'. The original is 'you are there' great, in part thanks to RVG's dozen microphone mixing, but you know what? If you never get to hear the original this reissue is 'you are there' great too." — Music = 11/11; Sound = 9/11 — Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com. To read Fremer's full review, click here. Sax virtuoso John Coltrane "Live" at the Village Vanguard (Impulse! AS-10), was Trane's first official "live" album. Coltrane is joined here on two tunes by the wonderful Eric Dolphy on bass clarinet, plus veteran sidemen McCoy Tyner on piano, Elvin Jones on drums, and Jimmy Garrison & Reggie Workman alternating on bass. Right after the Village dates, Trane and Dolphy would embark on a successful European tour. Recorded live at the Village Vanguard, New York, November 2 & 3, 1961 Musicians: John Coltrane, tenor and soprano sax Eric Dolphy, bass clarinet on 1 & 5 only McCoy Tyner, piano Reggie Workman, bass on 1, 2, 5 & 6 Jimmy Garrison, bass on 3-5 Elvin Jones, drums
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Low stock
Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong – Ella & Louis Again
44,00 €
Includes 19% MwSt DEplus shippingAdditional costs (e.g. for customs or taxes) may occur when shipping to non-EU countries.Add to cartThis 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 is hard to find in any condition. ... The two 'Ella And Louis Again' LPs in the set I’m reviewing here are thick, dark, quiet, and, most importantly (for me, at least), well-centered. Ryan K. Smith’s disc mastering is once again excellent, delivering a clean and punchy vinyl playback experience while sounding true to the release’s era." — Music = 10/11; Sound = 9/11 - Mark Smotroff, AnalogPlanet.com. Producer Norman Granz had a stroke of genius when he signed the jazz greats Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong to his Verve label. The duo that critics have called "A match made in heaven," take to the microphone here for a repeat on Ella And Louis Again, the sequel to 1956's acclaimed Ella and Louis. Ella's voice — radiant, warm, sweet as honey, and Louis' gritty, gravelly, croon formed a sound rife with commercial success. The sequel album was backed by the Oscar Peterson trio, with Louie Bellson replacing Buddy Rich on the drums. The 10-track album had seven tracks with solo singing and three duet tracks. Ella and Louis Again stood out from their first album and subsequent album Porgy and Bess. It focused more on the artist's voices rather than Louis' trumpet solos on Ella and Louis and didn't have a big band like the one featured in Porgy and Bess. This focus truly brought the voices of the two icons center stage, where they were able to perform in perfect black and white contrast. The Oscar Peterson trio did not go unnoticed, however. They were mentioned as a "solid rhythm section" by Alex Henderson at AllMusic. Ella and Louis Again will rein down in history as being an important piece to what could be considered the most iconic jazz trilogy of all time. Originally released in 1957. Musicians: Louis Armstrong, trumpet, vocals Ella Fitzgerald, vocals Louie Bellson, drums Ray Brown, bass Herb Ellis, guitar Oscar Peterson, piano
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In stock
Louis Armstrong and Oscar Peterson – Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson (Remastered)
44,00 €
Includes 19% MwSt DEplus shippingAdditional costs (e.g. for customs or taxes) may occur when shipping to non-EU countries.Add to cart"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 from Universal Music, who have retained Acoustic Sounds to select titles, master and press them. Despite the mono cover and labels, it is in stereo. It has some of the attributes of early stereo. Armstrong is in the middle with piano in the left channel, bass, and guitar in the right channel. However, unlike many stereo recordings of the 1950s, the three channels are well blended, and there are no vast gaps of air between the soloist and instruments. Indeed, the presentation is far superior to my original mono copy which sounds flat and uninvolving by comparison. It is not as great sounding as the Ella collaboration albums, as Armstrong stands too close to the microphone, adding some modest overload at points. The mastering, by Ryan Smith of Sterling Sound, adds sparkle and texture which are missing with the original. The 180-gram pressing is beautifully flat and quiet — an outstanding musical performance with improved sound — just what a reissue should provide." Recording = 8/10; Music = 9/10 - Dennis D. Davis, Hi-Fi +, Issue 189 Please note: This recording does include some vocal parts that will sound sibilant when played by some cartridges. This is not a pressing defect. It is in the recording. Michael Fremer of Analog Planet described it this way: "Unfortunately, Armstrong sings too close to the microphone and on a few vocal punctuations oversaturates the tape, which produces some genuinely nasty, though fleeting distortion (it's not mistracking)." (https://www.analogplanet.com/content/louis-armstrong-meets-oscar-peterson-%C2%A0-and-love-mutual) "The 1959 session Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson is a result of Verve founder Norman Granz’s desire to bring together musicians from different backgrounds. (He produced the Jazz at the Philharmonic jam sessions.) Oscar Peterson, he believed, could fit in anywhere. Although this LP isn’t my favorite Armstrong from the period, Granz (whose name in the original notes is misspelled 'Grans') makes his point. The twelve ballads recorded here include numbers Armstrong had never previously recorded. The emphasis is on Armstrong’s vocals. When he takes a trumpet solo, he sounds almost polite, as if unwilling to burst the bubble of the recording studio. Peterson is garrulous as usual, but doesn’t offer the kind of robust counterweight Armstrong is used to with his All Stars. There are no blues, but the songs are top notch. The record begins with 'That Old Feeling.' When Armstrong starts to sing, all is forgiven. He is just there, startlingly present. He’s my favorite male jazz singer: I even like the way he clears his throat on 'Let’s Fall in Love.'" — Michael Ullman, The Arts Fuse, Sept. 24, 2020. Read the entire review here. "Louis, then in his mid ‘50s, and the all-star backing band cover a dozen familiar tunes including 'That Old Feeling,' 'Let's Fall In Love' (in which Louis takes a solo an octave up from what's expected), 'Just One of Those Things,' and 'What's New.' ... (this is a) thoroughly enjoyable and otherwise well-recorded Armstrong set. Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson provides a guaranteed emotional pick-up in genuinely dreary times. The sealed review copy was perfectly pressed at QRP and 100% silent, with the super-black backgrounds that QRP manages when all goes well in their presses." — Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com. Read the entire review here. "In the second reissue of the Acoustic Sound Series, Universal Music Group has done a stellar job in re-mastering Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson to 180-gram vinyl. The new mix (Ryan Smith/Sterling Sound) is especially appealing. Armstrong's edgy vocal tonality is more smooth and fluent, centered directly. Instrumentation never overshadows the singing. A hi-gloss gatefold packaging and upgraded protective sleeve underscore the superior quality of this series. (Chad Kassem/Acoustic Sounds)." — 4.5/5 stars / Robbie Gerson, Audiophile Audition, Aug. 12, 2020. Read the entire review here. Seeking to offer definitive audiophile grade versions of some of the most historic and best jazz records ever recorded, Verve Label Group and Universal Music Enterprises' new audiophile Acoustic Sounds vinyl reissue series will launch July 31, 2020 with inaugural releases — the sensational collaborations, Stan Getz and João Gilberto's landmark Getz/Gilberto (1964) and the remarkable Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson (1959). Utilizing the skills of the top mastering engineers and the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings, all titles will be mastered from the original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in high-quality gatefold sleeves with tip-on jackets. The releases will be supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world's largest source for audiophile recordings. The Acoustic Sounds series will feature two releases a month highlighting a different storied label spanning Verve/UMe's extraordinarily rich archive. To begin with, the series will largely focus on some of the most popular albums from the ‘50s and ‘60s in their unmatched catalog. The July releases will celebrate two of Verve's most beloved albums, the aforementioned Getz/Gilberto and Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson, and will be followed in August by John Coltrane's immortal Impulse! records, A Love Supreme (1964) and Ballads (1963). Two of Nina Simone's legendary Phillips albums I Put A Spell On You (1965) and Pastel Blues (1965) will come in September which will be succeeded in October by two from the EmArcy Records vault: Sarah Vaughan's self-titled 1954 album, the vocal great's sole collaboration with influential trumpeter Clifford Brown, who is also represented alongside pioneering drummer Max Roach on the hard bop classic, Study In Brown (1955). November will spotlight Decca Records with the iconic Peggy Lee's first album, Black Coffee (1956), and composer George Russell's important New York, N.Y. (1959) performed by an all-star orchestra that includes Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Art Farmer and Milt Hinton, among others. All titles and exact release dates are listed below. Additional titles will be announced as the series progresses. "We are excited to launch our Acoustic Sounds series," said Bruce Resnikoff, President & CEO of UMe. "Verve and UMe have one of the richest jazz catalogs ever recorded and our goal is to give vinyl and music lovers the best possible versions of classic albums. The Acoustic Sounds series is designed to appeal to today's most discriminating fans, and those discovering this treasured legacy for the first time, looking for the very finest in both artistic content and audio quality." "We're very honored to have Verve and UME partnering with us to create what we believe will be the highest quality reissues of some of the world's greatest jazz albums. Each step in our production process — from title selection to mastering, pressing and packaging — is designed to meet the highest standards, and we want everyone who hears these albums to feel the love and hard work we put into everything we do," Kassem said. "We've long had a great relationship with UME, pressing classic titles at our Quality Record Pressings from many of their highest-profile artists. We look forward to strengthening that partnership even further with these reissues from Verve, home of the world's largest jazz catalog." Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson is a brilliant undertaking in which Verve's legendary "house pianist" encountered one of jazz's most revered giants. A significant part of Peterson's genius was his ability to be an exceptional pianist and leader, while also being a perfect accompanist when the circumstance demands... and in a situation like this, to be both. Armstrong is not only recognized as one of the most innovative, singular, fascinating and beloved artists of the 20th century, but also one of the most generous in the way he embraced and stimulated his collaborators. Backed by the Oscar Peterson Trio — bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis, and augmented by frequent fourth member Louis Bellson on drums — these peerless heavyweights created an album that is utterly compelling, radiantly jubilant and consummate in artistry. The musicians provided the setting for the jewel that is Pops, with Peterson perfectly embellishing every phrase Armstrong sings or plays. The focus here is primarily upon his totally personal and thoroughly captivating vocal style, with his occasional trumpet solos limited in all but one case to a single chorus. Essentially culled from the Great American Song Book — Cole Porter, the Gershwins and Harold Arlen among the songwriters — the pieces range from poignant ballads and blues to effusive easy-grooved swing. Each song is an exquisitely crafted gem that will warm the heart and enrich the soul.
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In stock
Ray Charles – Genius + Soul = Jazz
44,00 €
Includes 19% MwSt DEplus shippingAdditional costs (e.g. for customs or taxes) may occur when shipping to non-EU countries.Add to cart"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 if I really need to even keep my original in the collection at this point given the quality of this reissue. And that is probably the best complement I can offer." — Mark Smotroff, Audiophile Review, May 17, 2021. Read the entire review here. Ray Charles was best known for his work in the idioms of R&B, rock 'n' roll and even successful forays into country. But he also recorded influential jazz albums, including the groundbreaking Genius + Soul = Jazz originally released in 1961. Recorded at the Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, in late 1960, Genius + Soul = Jazz was produced by Creed Taylor and includes arrangements by Quincy Jones and Ralph Burns. Ray Charles played the organ with three vocals ("I've Got News For You," "I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town" and "One Mint Julep") and band members included members of the Count Basie Orchestra: Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Billy Mitchell, Frank Wess, Freddie Green and Sonny Payne among others. The record ascended to the No. 4 spot on Billboard's pop album chart and spawned the very first singles on Impulse. "I've Got News For You" rose to No. 8 R&B and No. 66 on the Hot 100. In addition, Charles' version of "One Mint Julep" charted No. 1 R&B and No. 8 pop and his rendition of the blues standard "I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town" reached No. 25 R&B and No. 84 pop. Although Basie himself does not appear on the album, the Count was a major model as Charles assembled a full-scale, working orchestra. Basie also influenced his use of organ in a jazz context, and Charles was happy to record at the Van Gelder studio, where Jimmy Smith had recorded his classic Blue Note albums. Truly, as Dick Katz wrote in his original January 1961 liner notes, "The combination here of rare talent plus uncommon craftsmanship has produced a record that showcases the timeless quality an innate taste that is uniquely that of Ray Charles."
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Low stock
Oscar Peterson Trio with Milt Jackson – Very Tall
44,00 €
Includes 19% MwSt DEplus shippingAdditional costs (e.g. for customs or taxes) may occur when shipping to non-EU countries.Add to cart"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 from Universal Music, who have retained Acoustic Sounds to select titles, master and press them. Despite the mono cover and labels, it is in stereo. It has some of the attributes of early stereo. Armstrong is in the middle with piano in the left channel, bass, and guitar in the right channel. However, unlike many stereo recordings of the 1950s, the three channels are well blended, and there are no vast gaps of air between the soloist and instruments. Indeed, the presentation is far superior to my original mono copy which sounds flat and uninvolving by comparison. It is not as great sounding as the Ella collaboration albums, as Armstrong stands too close to the microphone, adding some modest overload at points. The mastering, by Ryan Smith of Sterling Sound, adds sparkle and texture which are missing with the original. The 180-gram pressing is beautifully flat and quiet — an outstanding musical performance with improved sound — just what a reissue should provide." Recording = 8/10; Music = 9/10 - Dennis D. Davis, Hi-Fi +, Issue 189 Please note: This recording does include some vocal parts that will sound sibilant when played by some cartridges. This is not a pressing defect. It is in the recording. Michael Fremer of Analog Planet described it this way: "Unfortunately, Armstrong sings too close to the microphone and on a few vocal punctuations oversaturates the tape, which produces some genuinely nasty, though fleeting distortion (it's not mistracking)." (https://www.analogplanet.com/content/louis-armstrong-meets-oscar-peterson-%C2%A0-and-love-mutual) "The 1959 session Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson is a result of Verve founder Norman Granz’s desire to bring together musicians from different backgrounds. (He produced the Jazz at the Philharmonic jam sessions.) Oscar Peterson, he believed, could fit in anywhere. Although this LP isn’t my favorite Armstrong from the period, Granz (whose name in the original notes is misspelled 'Grans') makes his point. The twelve ballads recorded here include numbers Armstrong had never previously recorded. The emphasis is on Armstrong’s vocals. When he takes a trumpet solo, he sounds almost polite, as if unwilling to burst the bubble of the recording studio. Peterson is garrulous as usual, but doesn’t offer the kind of robust counterweight Armstrong is used to with his All Stars. There are no blues, but the songs are top notch. The record begins with 'That Old Feeling.' When Armstrong starts to sing, all is forgiven. He is just there, startlingly present. He’s my favorite male jazz singer: I even like the way he clears his throat on 'Let’s Fall in Love.'" — Michael Ullman, The Arts Fuse, Sept. 24, 2020. Read the entire review here. "Louis, then in his mid ‘50s, and the all-star backing band cover a dozen familiar tunes including 'That Old Feeling,' 'Let's Fall In Love' (in which Louis takes a solo an octave up from what's expected), 'Just One of Those Things,' and 'What's New.' ... (this is a) thoroughly enjoyable and otherwise well-recorded Armstrong set. Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson provides a guaranteed emotional pick-up in genuinely dreary times. The sealed review copy was perfectly pressed at QRP and 100% silent, with the super-black backgrounds that QRP manages when all goes well in their presses." — Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com. Read the entire review here. "In the second reissue of the Acoustic Sound Series, Universal Music Group has done a stellar job in re-mastering Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson to 180-gram vinyl. The new mix (Ryan Smith/Sterling Sound) is especially appealing. Armstrong's edgy vocal tonality is more smooth and fluent, centered directly. Instrumentation never overshadows the singing. A hi-gloss gatefold packaging and upgraded protective sleeve underscore the superior quality of this series. (Chad Kassem/Acoustic Sounds)." — 4.5/5 stars / Robbie Gerson, Audiophile Audition, Aug. 12, 2020. Read the entire review here. Seeking to offer definitive audiophile grade versions of some of the most historic and best jazz records ever recorded, Verve Label Group and Universal Music Enterprises' new audiophile Acoustic Sounds vinyl reissue series will launch July 31, 2020 with inaugural releases — the sensational collaborations, Stan Getz and João Gilberto's landmark Getz/Gilberto (1964) and the remarkable Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson (1959). Utilizing the skills of the top mastering engineers and the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings, all titles will be mastered from the original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in high-quality gatefold sleeves with tip-on jackets. The releases will be supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world's largest source for audiophile recordings. The Acoustic Sounds series will feature two releases a month highlighting a different storied label spanning Verve/UMe's extraordinarily rich archive. To begin with, the series will largely focus on some of the most popular albums from the ‘50s and ‘60s in their unmatched catalog. The July releases will celebrate two of Verve's most beloved albums, the aforementioned Getz/Gilberto and Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson, and will be followed in August by John Coltrane's immortal Impulse! records, A Love Supreme (1964) and Ballads (1963). Two of Nina Simone's legendary Phillips albums I Put A Spell On You (1965) and Pastel Blues (1965) will come in September which will be succeeded in October by two from the EmArcy Records vault: Sarah Vaughan's self-titled 1954 album, the vocal great's sole collaboration with influential trumpeter Clifford Brown, who is also represented alongside pioneering drummer Max Roach on the hard bop classic, Study In Brown (1955). November will spotlight Decca Records with the iconic Peggy Lee's first album, Black Coffee (1956), and composer George Russell's important New York, N.Y. (1959) performed by an all-star orchestra that includes Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Art Farmer and Milt Hinton, among others. All titles and exact release dates are listed below. Additional titles will be announced as the series progresses. "We are excited to launch our Acoustic Sounds series," said Bruce Resnikoff, President & CEO of UMe. "Verve and UMe have one of the richest jazz catalogs ever recorded and our goal is to give vinyl and music lovers the best possible versions of classic albums. The Acoustic Sounds series is designed to appeal to today's most discriminating fans, and those discovering this treasured legacy for the first time, looking for the very finest in both artistic content and audio quality." "We're very honored to have Verve and UME partnering with us to create what we believe will be the highest quality reissues of some of the world's greatest jazz albums. Each step in our production process — from title selection to mastering, pressing and packaging — is designed to meet the highest standards, and we want everyone who hears these albums to feel the love and hard work we put into everything we do," Kassem said. "We've long had a great relationship with UME, pressing classic titles at our Quality Record Pressings from many of their highest-profile artists. We look forward to strengthening that partnership even further with these reissues from Verve, home of the world's largest jazz catalog." Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson is a brilliant undertaking in which Verve's legendary "house pianist" encountered one of jazz's most revered giants. A significant part of Peterson's genius was his ability to be an exceptional pianist and leader, while also being a perfect accompanist when the circumstance demands... and in a situation like this, to be both. Armstrong is not only recognized as one of the most innovative, singular, fascinating and beloved artists of the 20th century, but also one of the most generous in the way he embraced and stimulated his collaborators. Backed by the Oscar Peterson Trio — bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis, and augmented by frequent fourth member Louis Bellson on drums — these peerless heavyweights created an album that is utterly compelling, radiantly jubilant and consummate in artistry. The musicians provided the setting for the jewel that is Pops, with Peterson perfectly embellishing every phrase Armstrong sings or plays. The focus here is primarily upon his totally personal and thoroughly captivating vocal style, with his occasional trumpet solos limited in all but one case to a single chorus. Essentially culled from the Great American Song Book — Cole Porter, the Gershwins and Harold Arlen among the songwriters — the pieces range from poignant ballads and blues to effusive easy-grooved swing. Each song is an exquisitely crafted gem that will warm the heart and enrich the soul.
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Low stock
Roy Haynes – Out Of The Afternoon
44,00 €
Includes 19% MwSt DEplus shippingAdditional costs (e.g. for customs or taxes) may occur when shipping to non-EU countries.Add to cart"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 well-known jazzmen since the early 1920s and continued to be successful until their deaths, their only recorded encounter was the LP Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins (Impulse AS-26), taped in 1962 and presented here in its entirety. Hawkins had been an admirer of Duke Ellington's music for at least 35 years at this point and Ellington had suggested they record together at least 20 years prior to their actual meeting in 1962. Although it would have been preferable to hear the tenor sax great performing with the full orchestra, his meeting with Ellington and an all-star group taken out of the big band does feature such greats as Ray Nance on cornet and violin, trombonist Lawrence Brown, altoist Johnny Hodges, and baritonist Harry Carney. High points include an exuberant "The Jeep Is Jumpin'," an interesting remake of "Mood Indigo," and a few new Ellington pieces. This delightful music is recommended in one form or another. Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on August 18, 1962 and released in February 1963 by Impulse! Records. Musicians: Coleman Hawkins, tenor sax Duke Ellington, piano Ray Nance, cornet and violin Johnny Hodges, alto sax Harry Carney, baritone sax and bass clarinet Aaron Bell, bass Sam Woodyard, drums
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Nils Lofgren – Acoustic Live
88,00 €
Includes 19% MwSt DEplus shippingAdditional costs (e.g. for customs or taxes) may occur when shipping to non-EU countries.Show item“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 fave. This set from 1997, recorded when ‘unplugged’ was cool, is exactly what you’d want from a stellar guitarist with a distinctive voice, backed by piano and other guitars: an airy feel, a sense of space, all the requisite woodiness, the twang accounted for in a vivid manner that will make you wish you owned Quad ’57s.” — Sound Quality = 89% – Ken Kessler, HiFi News, August 2016 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 favorites as “You,” “No Mercy” and “Keith Don’t Go,” plus six new songs. Even with the new songs, there are no real revelations, only a selection of little gems that will put a smile on your face as you listen. Yes, this is a digital recording. True to our company principles, Analogue Productions in almost all cases reissues recordings only where the analog master tape is available. However, there are rare exceptions that whether digitally recorded or otherwise, a recording is so outstanding it’s worthy of the highest quality vinyl reissue. Along with his work as a solo artist, Lofgren has marked more than 25 years as a member of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band as well as a former member of Crazy Horse and Grin. Lofgren joined Neil Young’s band in 1968 at age 17, playing piano on the album After the Gold Rush. Lofgren would maintain a close musical relationship with Young, appearing on his Tonight’s the Night album and tour among others. He was also briefly a member of Crazy Horse, appearing on their 1971 LP and contributing songs to their catalogue. From ’71 to ’74 Lofgren was active in Grin, the band he founded in ’69. Solo albums and tours followed every year through the 1970s as Lofgren established himself as a top guitarist and live performer earning the respect and acclaim of his peers. Bruce Springsteen made the call in 1984 and Lofgren joined the E-Street Band for the Born in the USA tour. Lofgren was an instant hit with Springsteens fans through his playing and vibrant on stage persona. Lofgren remains a stalwart of the E-Street Band to the present day. “Acoustic Live is an interesting and charming album from Nils Lofgren in 1997 as he follow on in the Unplugged tradition that became popular in the 1990s. It was actually recorded at The Barns Of Wolftrap, Vienna in Virginia on January 18th, 1997.” — bestlivealbums.com
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The Gil Evans Orchestra – Out Of The Cool
44,00 €
Includes 19% MwSt DEplus shippingAdditional costs (e.g. for customs or taxes) may occur when shipping to non-EU countries.Add to cart"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 soloist; it's a peculiar masterpiece, stretching modal jazz to minimalist extremes yet soaking with swing. ... This Acoustic Sounds QRP pressing comes very close to the sound of the Impulse! original. Piano, percussion, guitar, bass, and horns all waft through what seems to be a vast space (perhaps the result of subtly mixed echo) with tonal colors, crisp transients, and bloom intact. Trombones lack some of the oomph heard on the original pressing, and in a few spots where horns play loud in unison, there's some distortion — a problem with the original as well. Otherwise, no complaints at all." — Performance = 5/5; Sonics = 4.5/5 - Fred Kaplan, Stereophile, August 2021. Read the entire review here. "The album is worth getting for the 15 minutes of 'La Nevada' alone but the rest is equally great including the cinematic side closer 'Where Flamingoes Fly.' ... The sonics here with a cut from the master tape by Ryan K. Smith (yes, the master tape- I have a current photo that for some reason I can't share with you) are incredibly transparent, spacious and flat-out thrilling ... and somewhat brighter and less mid-band rich than the long out of print Alto-Analogue edition Bernie Grundman cut in 1997. Both are worth having for different sonic reasons and if you have a clean original Rudy Van Gelder cut (A-4) you may think you are set, but that cut is less spacious, somewhat dynamically compressed, has the RVG lower bass roll-off and is definitely less transparent — not that it's bad and some people do like the more 'in your face' excitement. This one's here now though! Do not miss it!" — Music = 10/11; Sound = 10/11 - Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com. To read Fremer's full review, click here. "And in keeping with past releases from these folks — and the Blue Note Tone Poet releases for that matter — the results are exemplary. The pressing quality is excellent, delivering pretty much everything you could want and expect from a reissue like this: 180-gram, dark black, dead quiet and perfectly centered vinyl. Kudos again to Quality Record Pressing (QRP) for that attention to important details." — Mark Smotroff, Audiophile Review, May 18, 2021. Read the entire review here. A groundbreaking jazz recording by the longtime Miles Davis collaborator Gil Evans highlights the latter's supreme and influential skills as a jazz orchestrator. This album is a brilliant example of Evans' ability to make a large orchestra sound like a smaller jazz combo using orchestrations that infuse the larger unit with the immediacy and spontaneity of the smaller. Out Of The Cool features some of Evan's finest compositions, including the famous "La Nevada" as well as a magnificent performance of George Russell's "Sratosphunk." Soloists include Budd Johnson (tenor), Johnny Coles (trumpet), Ray Crawford (guitar), Elvin Jones (drums), Ron Carter (bass) and Jimmy Knepper (trombone). The ensemble is superbly recorded by the legendary Rudy Van Gelder. A must-have for all lovers of jazz.
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Alexander Gibson – Witches’ Brew
58,00 €
Includes 19% MwSt DEplus shippingAdditional costs (e.g. for customs or taxes) may occur when shipping to non-EU countries.Add to cartOf 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 released in 1958. ... The reissue maintains the big, explosive sound of the original with up-front sound. It avoids some of the unnatural sizzle and harshness in the Classic Records version and probably gives as good an indication of why this record became so collectable as any of us are likely to encounter. ... For sheer fun, fabulous sound and a taste of record collecting history without the financial pain, this is hard to beat." — Recording = 10/10; Music = 8/10 — Dennis D. Davis, Hi-Fi +, Issue 141 This famous Alexander Gibson/New Symphony Orchestra of London collection from 1958 debuted at the dawn of the RCA Living Stereo era. It became one of the most sought-after Living Stereos with music by Arnold, Liszt and Mussorgsky amongst others, all with a spooky, witchy theme. The performances remain today as characterful and incisive as they were then. We've taken this classic and given it the full Analogue Productions reissue treatment, featuring a remaster by Germany's Willem Makkee from the original analog tapes, and plating and 180-gram pressing by Quality Record Pressings. Topping it off is a thick cardboard Stoughton Printing tip-on jacket. If such music didn't cast the right sort of spell, so many listeners wouldn't be returning to it on so many occasions, somehow feeling constantly refreshed.
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Barney Kessel, Ray Brown, and Shelly Manne – The Poll Winners
44,00 €
Includes 19% MwSt DEplus shippingAdditional costs (e.g. for customs or taxes) may occur when shipping to non-EU countries.Show itemCraft 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 years of the legendary jazz label. The releases are supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world's largest source for audiophile recordings. Each title, originally engineered by Roy DuNann and/or Howard Holzer, features all-analog mastering from the original tapes by legendary engineer Bernie Grundman (himself a former employee of the label), as well as unsurpassed audiophile pressing on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings, presented in a Stoughton Printing old-style tip-on jacket. The series highlights gems from Contemporary's extraordinary catalog and features artists who both defined and expanded the sound of West Coast jazz. 1957's The Poll Winners was the first of five all-star trio sessions featuring the dazzling interplay of guitarist Barney Kessel, drummer Shelly Manne and bassist Ray Brown. For The Poll Winners, Kessel, Manne, and Brown did not record together simply because they all happened to have won first place on their respective instruments in the Down Beat, Playboy, and Metronome polls. Their collaboration was due to mutual respect, and their sensitivity to one another's musical requirements. Here, in a set composed mainly of pop and jazz standards, they represent the ultimate in their fields, constituting a rhythm section that also provides brilliant solo interludes by all three members. Collectively, Kessel, Manne, and Brown won dozens of polls over the years; this record eloquently tells you why.
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Hampton Hawes – Four! With Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne & Red Mitchell
44,00 €
Includes 19% MwSt DEplus shippingAdditional costs (e.g. for customs or taxes) may occur when shipping to non-EU countries.Show itemCraft 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 years of the legendary jazz label. The releases are supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world's largest source for audiophile recordings. Each title, originally engineered by Roy DuNann and/or Howard Holzer, features all-analog mastering from the original tapes by legendary engineer Bernie Grundman (himself a former employee of the label), as well as unsurpassed audiophile pressing on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings, presented in a Stoughton Printing old-style tip-on jacket. The series highlights gems from Contemporary's extraordinary catalog and features artists who both defined and expanded the sound of West Coast jazz. Guitarist Barney Kessel, drummer Shelly Manne, bassist Red Mitchell, and the supremely soulful Hampton Hawes, one of jazz's most appealing yet unsung pianists, fill out the quartet scorecard of the 1958 release Four!. Although much later in his career Hawes experimented with electronic keyboards and fusion music, at heart he was a bebopper, as this session makes abundantly clear. With material like Charlie Parker's "Yardbird Suite," his own "Up Blues," and Red Mitchell's "Bow Jest" (on which Mitchell plays his first recorded bowed solo), Hawes is at a creative peak here. Kessel, who played on the date, paid tribute to Hawes' "inexhaustible ideas on the blues…no one else in modern jazz plays the blues better." And nobody could tie a rhythm section together better than Shelly Manne, the fourth party in this boundingly energetic Four!
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Ornette Coleman – Something Else
44,00 €
Includes 19% MwSt DEplus shippingAdditional costs (e.g. for customs or taxes) may occur when shipping to non-EU countries.Show itemCraft 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 years of the legendary jazz label. The releases are supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world's largest source for audiophile recordings. Each title, originally engineered by Roy DuNann and/or Howard Holzer, features all-analog mastering from the original tapes by legendary engineer Bernie Grundman (himself a former employee of the label), as well as unsurpassed audiophile pressing on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings, presented in a Stoughton Printing old-style tip-on jacket. The series highlights gems from Contemporary's extraordinary catalog and features artists who both defined and expanded the sound of West Coast jazz. Acclaimed alto saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman's debut album was released by Contemporary Records in September 1958. AllMusic says the album Something Else "shook up the jazz world," revitalizing the union of blues and jazz and restoring "blues to their 'classic' beginnings in African music." Coleman was from Texas, but he was in Los Angeles when he got his big break from Lester Koenig at Contemporary Records. Coleman had begun to play with Don Cherry, who would begin recording on the "pocket trumpet" and the great drummer Billy Higgins. For this first set of nine tunes, Coleman also worked with pianist Walter Norris and bassist Don Payne. Pop Matters says: "Well, if you were a jazz fan in 1958, you might have thought that this Coleman kid had taken a poop in his horn and then lit it afire. Such was the reaction of many to this crazy music. Fifty-three years later, the music sounds positively tame — well within the conventions of bebop that ruled the time." Founded in 1951 by film producer, screenwriter and record collector Lester Koenig (1917-1977), Contemporary Records became the epicenter of the West Coast jazz scene, while its cutting-edge approach to sound and design attracted some of the era's most exciting artists. The Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds series — which launched in the spring of 2022 with titles by Art Pepper, Barney Kessel and Benny Carter, among others — honors the label's rich legacy through meticulous reissues that highlight the label's influential classics, as well as its must-hear rarities. Since its initial rollout, the series has earned accolades from a slew of outlets, including JazzTimes, which spoke to the impact of the label, reflecting: "Artists, producers, and engineers alike have held Contemporary aloft...as a label dedicated to presenting jazz at its absolute purest, richest, and live-est," adding that the new reissues "are living, breathing proof of that label's hotly cutting clarity." Audiophile Review, meanwhile, marveled at the stereo pressing of Art Pepper + Eleven: Modern Jazz Classics, which it called "top-notch," elaborating that it sounds "richer and more inviting...deliver[ing] a bit more cinemascopic ‘view' of the group." Praising Hampton Hawes' Four! as "pristine," Audiophile Audition added, "Kudos to Craft Recordings for re-introducing a brilliant pianist."