Though it’s been 52 years since his tragic passing, John Coltrane’s importance and influence have never been greater. Though active for a relatively short period—from 1957 to ’67—he was an intrepid spirit who developed at a feverish pace. Coltrane’s breakout year, when his mature sound first grabbed ears and his own recordings began to sell consistently, was 1958. Coltrane ’58: The Prestige Recordings, out March 29th on Craft Recordings, is a box set (8-LP, 5-CD & digital formats) that chronicles the exciting story session by session, featuring all 37 tracks Coltrane recorded as a leader or co-leader for the independent Prestige label in those twelve months. This collection captures him in creative high gear—developing the signature improvisational style that journalist Ira Gitler famously dubbed “sheets of sound.”
The timely release of Coltrane ’58 marks the 70th year since the founding of Prestige Records and comes just after the 60th anniversary of these recordings. It also follows on last year’s successful release of Both Directions at Once, which debuted at No. 21 on the Billboard 200, the highest chart position of his career.
Coltrane ’58 brims with the shared jazz repertoire of the day—blues, bebop standards and familiar ballads—as well as original compositions and obscure tunes Coltrane rediscovered. Together they offer an array of emotional depth and instrumental prowess, showing how the rising saxophonist was actively stretching sound and increasing the intensity, and shifting the direction of what jazz performance was about. Included are definitive versions of “Lush Life,” “Lover Come Back to Me,” “Stardust,” “Good Bait” and “Little Melonae”; first recordings of originals like “Nakatini Serenade,” “The Believer,” “Black Pearls” and the heartfelt “Theme for Ernie”; and extended tenor saxophone tours-de-force such as “Russian Lullaby,” “Sweet Sapphire Blues” and “I Want to Talk About You” that anticipate the stratospheric heights Coltrane would reach in the 1960s.
In 1958 Coltrane was still two years away from emerging as a bandleader, but his membership in ensembles led by Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk had propelled him into the spotlight as one of jazz’s most exciting and controversial figures. Coltrane ’58 serves as a window onto the shock and awe—and eventually deep appreciation—Coltrane generated during this period, when his sheets of sound approach pushed the bebop ideal of slaloming through a tune’s chordal pathways to its extreme.
To be sure, Coltrane ’58 is more than sheets of sound: It’s the sound of Coltrane working and smoothing out those sheets and exploring other ideas as well. For example, he frequently played in double-time—as if the chords were moving twice as fast as the rest of the band—and, if the music called for it, he’d decrease the intensity, caressing and embellishing a melody, an aspect that could calm the toughest critics.
Produced by Nick Phillips, the vinyl box includes eight 180-gram LPs, remastered from the original analog tapes by Paul Blakemore (all of which were recorded by renowned engineer Rudy Van Gelder) and cut by Clint Holley from 24-bit/192kHz transfers. The lavish, linen-wrapped, portfolio-style book features an eye-catching design and includes 40 pages containing extensive liner notes by Grammy®-winning American music historian Ashley Kahn, rare ephemera and historical photographs of the saxophonist and his collaborators, including several taken by renowned jazz photographers Francis Wolff and Esmond Edwards. The 5-CD edition, containing a 76-page book, is a faithful replica of the 8-LP vinyl box.
Coltrane ’58 reveals other significant aspects of Coltrane’s emergence, too, like his growing status in the hard bop brotherhood of the day. He recorded with contemporaries (many future legends in their own right), including pianist Red Garland; guitarist Kenny Burrell; trumpeters Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard and Wilbur Harden; bassist Paul Chambers and drummers Art Taylor, Jimmy Cobb and Louis Hayes. The sessions all took place in Rudy Van Gelder’s legendary home studio in Hackensack, New Jersey, where so much of the best jazz of that era was recorded. Coltrane’s music of 1958 benefits from a marked blue-collar, pressure-cooker aesthetic: Born in three-hour sessions with minimal rehearsal, head arrangements and mostly first takes, these tracks provide a true and transparent view of the talent Coltrane was able to draw upon and the timeless, improvised magic they created together.
It’s a challenge today to imagine how radical Coltrane must have sounded sixty years ago to jazz listeners accustomed to a gentler, lyrical flow. In his liner notes, Ashley Kahn sees an enduring relevancy in Coltrane’s bold chance-taking, as a creative artist and an African-American: “In the context of current headlines and an overriding sense of déjà vu, Coltrane’s music rings clearer than ever, with even greater meaning than it had in 1958. What he was playing then never felt less than urgent and relevant—subversive even. It still sounds that way.”
Remarkably, the majority of this music wasn’t released until the ’60s on various albums after Coltrane’s emergence as a bandleader, denying these 37 tracks the chance to tell their own collective story. By sequencing this music in the order of its original creation, Coltrane ’58 clearly delineates Coltrane’s first full year as a recording artist, finally allowing fans to experience—track by track—the emergence of a master improviser in his first great career crest.
The box set is now available to pre-order in 8-LP and 5-CD (digital formats available on 2/1): Click here
Special bundle packages featuring a limited-edition Prestige t-shirt are available exclusively via the Craft Recordings online store: Click here
Collective Personnel:
John Coltrane (tenor saxophone), Kenny Burrell (guitar), Donald Byrd (trumpet), Paul Chambers (bass), Jimmy Cobb (drums), Tommy Flanagan (piano), Red Garland (piano), Wilbur Harden (trumpet, flugelhorn), Louis Hayes (drums), Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Art Taylor (drums)
Throughout 2019, Taking Back Sunday is celebrating their 20th anniversary with a year-long celebration, including an extensive worldwide tour, paying tribute to their catalog – and their fans – with full album performances, plus a 21-song career-spanning compilation (featuring two new songs), titled Twenty, available now on Craft Recordings.
Today (2/26), the internationally celebrated mainstream rock band from Long Island announced the second leg of their U.S. tour, kicking off September 13 in Kansas City, MO and including stops in Atlanta, Nashville, Cleveland, Detroit, Toronto, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, among others, before wrapping up with two nights at New York’s Terminal 5 (November 15–16).
The first leg of the North American tour begins with two nights in Houston (March 25–26), and by the end of this year the 20th anniversary tour – described by Brooklyn Vegan (12/18) as “a night of nostalgia and fun…a history lesson as much as it was an authentic performance…a blessing for a nostalgic fanbase” – will have visited Australia, Asia, Latin America, the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Spain, Netherlands and Germany. A full list of dates is available below for both legs of the North American tour. For tickets and VIP packages, visit: TakingBackSunday.com/tour.
At all shows, Taking Back Sunday – vocalist Adam Lazzara, guitarist John Nolan, drummer Mark O'Connell and bassist Shaun Cooper – will be performing their debut album Tell All Your Friends in its entirety. For tour stops where the band are performing over two nights, each nightly set will offer a double-album play – using a specially designed coin, Taking Back Sunday will flip to play either their Where You Want To Be or Louder Now, in addition to Tell All Your Friends. In headline cities where they are playing only one night, they’ll perform Tell All Your Friends, plus a selection of fan favorites from their extensive catalog. Click here to watch a video of Adam elaborating on the coin toss concept, when the tour was first announced in 2018.
Celebrating not only their career-defining moments but also landmark albums that chronicle the band's story, Twenty includes 19 catalog tracks from all seven of their full-length albums, plus two new studio recordings (single "All Ready To Go" and "A Song For Dan"), which hint at the direction the band is heading in. Substream Magazine shares, “No matter the era they’ve released great tracks…‘All Ready To Go’ finds the band as good as they’ve ever been.” In premiering “A Song For Dan,” Rolling Stone noted, “the iconic quartet’s…pop-conscious hooks and knotty, post-hardcore riffs…helped provide a blueprint for many other melodic punk and hardcore groups over the next 20 years.”
More praise for Twenty:
"…Twenty serves as a phenomenal mile-marker for both the past and present, and shows off just what a phenomenal and important band Taking Back Sunday were, are and will continue to be."
– Kerrang, January 10, 2019
“The album, packaged beautifully, essentially serves as a highlight...Forget nostalgia; it’s a perfectly curated collection of spellbinding songs that have truly stood the test of time."
– Punktastic, January 10, 2019
“Listening through the compilation will allow you to feel all the feelings, or maybe just remember how you used to feel…the new tracks give you two different sides…the softer piano-driven side with ‘A Song For Dan’ and a rocker [‘All Ready To Go’] that is emotional and aggressive, perfectly nostalgic and very 2019.”
– The Current, January 10, 2019
Recently, Taking Back Sunday premiered the debut episode from their eight-part "album-by-album" series, featuring the band looking back on one album from their discography in each episode. Click here to watch the first episode featuring the guys share insight on the making of their new compilation and how they're feeling about the band’s 20th anniversary.
Click here to buy and/or stream Twenty (available in CD, 2-LP, and digital formats). Click here to watch the video trailer for Taking Back Sunday’s 20th anniversary celebration.
First leg of North America tour (previously announced, on-sale now):
March 25 & 26: House Of Blues, Houston, TX
March 28 & 29: Emo’s, Austin, TX (3/29 sold out)
March 30 & 31: House Of Blues, Dallas, TX (3/30 sold out)
April 1: Charley B’s, Lubbock, TX
April 3: Sunshine Theater, Albuquerque, NM
April 4 & 5: Marquee Theatre, Phoenix, AZ
April 6 & 7: The Observatory North Park, San Diego, CA (4/6 sold out)
April 9: 1933 Club, Bakersfield, CA *
April 11 & 12: Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA
April 13 & 14: The Warfield, San Francisco, CA
April 16 & 17: Ace of Spades, Sacramento, CA (both sold out)
April 19 & 20: Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR (both sold out)
April 21 & 22: Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
April 24: MacEwan Hall, Calgary, AB
April 26: Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, MB
April 27 & 28: First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN (4/27 sold out)
April 30 & May 1: The Summit, Denver, CO
May 2 & 3: The Complex, Salt Lake City, UT
May 4 & 5: House Of Blues, Las Vegas, NV
July 18: Great South Bay Festival, Patchogue, NY *
* Newly announced dates
Second leg of North America tour (announced today, on-sale details below):
September 13: Kansas City Live!, Kansas City, MO
September 19: Waterside District, Norfolk, VA
September 20: Power Plant Live!, Baltimore, MD
September 21: Ballpark Village, St Louis, MO
October 3 & 4: Fillmore, Charlotte, NC
October 5 & 6: The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
October 8 & 9: House Of Blues, Orlando, FL
October 11 & 12: Revolution Live, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
October 16 & 17: Marathon Music Works, Nashville, TN
October 18 & 19: Bogart’s, Cincinnati, OH
October 24 & 25: St. Andrew’s Hall, Detroit, MI
October 26 & 27: Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON
Oct. 31 & Nov. 1: Buffalo RiverWorks, Buffalo, NY
November 2 & 3: Upstate Concert Hall, Clifton Park, NY
November 5 & 6: Webster Theater, Hartford, CT
November 8 & 9: House Of Blues, Boston, MA
November 10 & 11: Fillmore Silver Spring, Washington, D.C.
November 13 & 14: Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA
November 15 & 16: Terminal 5, New York, NY
John Coltrane’s breakout year, when his mature saxophone sound first grabbed ears and his own recordings began to sell consistently, was 1958. The upcoming box set Coltrane ’58: The Prestige Recordings (out March 29 (5-CD & digital formats) and April 26 (8-LP format) on Craft Recordings), chronicles that exciting year session by session, featuring all 37 tracks Coltrane recorded as a leader or co-leader for the independent Prestige label in those 12 months. The collection captures Coltrane in creative high gear—developing the signature improvisational style that journalist Ira Gitler famously dubbed “sheets of sound.” In addition, Coltrane ’58: The Prestige Recordings comes on the heel of the 60th anniversary of that breakthrough year, and serves as the cornerstone release marking the 70th anniversary of Prestige Records.
On Wednesday, April 3rd at 7:00 p.m., Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City will host a free listening session with a panel of experts and enthusiasts, including Coltrane biographers Lewis Porter and Ashley Kahn. Special guests will play selections and display historical images from Coltrane ’58, engaging in a discussion filled with musical revelations and historical insights. Panelists will address the term “sheets of sound,” which refers to Coltrane’s singular approach that caused shock and awe in 1958—and eventually deep appreciation, when he pushed the bebop ideal of slaloming through a tune’s chordal pathways to its extreme. Coltrane ’58 is also more than that: it’s the sound of Coltrane working and smoothing out those sheets and decreasing the intensity, caressing and embellishing a melody, an aspect that could calm the toughest critics.
Join the panelists as they play tracks from this historical collection, take questions from the audience, and examine how 1958 helped John Coltrane become the legend we now revere and why the music he made then still influences how jazz is played today. It may be a challenge to imagine how radical Coltrane sounded 60 years ago, yet there’s an enduring relevancy in Coltrane’s bold chance-taking, as a creative artist and as an African American. “In the context of current headlines and an overriding sense of déjà vu, Coltrane’s music rings clearer than ever, with even greater meaning than it had in 1958,” writes Ashley Kahn in the liner notes to Coltrane ’58. “What he was playing then never felt less than urgent and relevant—subversive even. It still sounds that way.”
Click here to watch the unboxing video for Coltrane '58 and click here to watch box set producer Nick Phillips discussing the concept, music, and packaging.
Click here to pre-order Coltrane ’58 in 8-LP, 5-CD and digital formats.
Click here for Craft Recordings' online store, currently offering exclusive bundle packages featuring a limited edition Prestige T-shirt.
Collective Personnel:
John Coltrane (tenor saxophone), Kenny Burrell (guitar), Donald Byrd (trumpet), Paul Chambers (bass), Jimmy Cobb (drums), Tommy Flanagan (piano), Red Garland (piano), Wilbur Harden (trumpet, flugelhorn), Louis Hayes (drums), Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Art Taylor (drums)
On The Blue, one of the leading music cruise experience producers over the past 20 years, has announced the details for the second sailing of the On The Blue Cruise in 2020. The 2019 inaugural voyage was a huge hit with fans, resulting in a complete sell-out.
Hosted by Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues, this 7-night classic rock cruise, featuring an array of musical performances and events, will set sail out of Miami, Florida aboard the Norwegian Pearl next April 1-8, 2020 and visit three ports: St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island, Great Stirrup Cay.
This full ship charter cruise goes on sale to the pubic beginning today (5/7) with cabins prices starting at $1,699 per person (double occupancy). In addition, a fee supplement is mandatory and will be added to the reservation for government taxes, fees and standard gratuities. For booking and more info, visit OnTheBlueCruise.com and follow @OnTheBlueCruise on Facebook.
Musical host Justin Hayward’s performances will include songs from his solo archives along with deep cuts from five decades of material from The Moody Blues. Attendees can expect some familiar faces from Hayward’s Moodies past to join him on stage, along with a variety of classic rock legends, including members of six bands in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The lineup for the 2020 On the Blue Cruise also includes: The Zombies, Alan Parsons, Art Garfunkel, Dave Mason, Glenn Hughes Of Deep Purple, Ronnie Spector And The Ronettes, The Orchestra Featuring Former Members Of ELO, Colin Blunstone, Al Stewart, Wishbone Ash, David Pack’s Legends Live, Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre Band, Poco, Orleans, Firefall, The Babys, Pat Travers, Focus, Young Dubliners, Randy Hansen, and the music of Jimi Hendrix, Tom Toomy, Mike Dawes, Julie Ragins’ Pear Duo, Mellow Yellow, Marbin and Fernando Perdomo, and the Out to Sea Band.
In addition, the cruise will be hosted by journalists and fan favorites, Sal Cirrincione and Jon Kirkman. Also returning as the official broadcaster of the cruise is the always entertaining (SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation), who will be hosting shows daily featuring cruise commentary and artist interviews.
Beyond the many band performances, the cruise will feature over-the-top, well-curated activities such as artist photo experiences, a Mellow Yellow Dance Party, themed-nights, Painting with Rock Stars, and private dinners with bands, with much more to be announced.
On the Blue cruisers will experience the voyage of a lifetime on the intimate Norwegian Pearl. Passengers will revel in NCL’s Freestyle Cruising, providing the freedom and choice to enjoy onboard amenities and dining options. Fans can party the night away in 11 bars and lounges, plus dine as they please with freestyle dining at 12 unique restaurants. The ship also features: the very first bowling alley to hit the high seas, a hip Bliss Ultra Lounge, Sports Court, Mandara Spa, Pearl Club Casino and many other amenities are available to pamper passengers 24/7.
Recently, the Norwegian Pearl underwent an extensive makeover and is more beautiful than ever. All staterooms were updated with a refreshed look (featuring cool blue hues, reminiscent of the calming ocean with silver and turquoise accents), new furniture, new carpeting, new headboards, new televisions, as well as the addition of USB outlets to charge handheld devices.
Norwegian Pearl’s famed pool deck with Concert Stage, where guests congregate to bask in the sun while watching incredible bands and performers, now features fresh flooring, refurbished whirlpools, and a clean new contemporary look. All restaurants and bars also received a makeover, mirroring the look of the newest vessels from Norwegian Cruise Line.
On the Blue Cruise is the ultimate Classic Rock Cruise, where music and cruising combine for the ultimate Rock ‘n Roll Vacation. For reservations and more info, visit OnTheBlueCruise.com and follow @OnTheBlueCruise on Facebook.
1969 marked a year that was full of both trepidation and excitement for Stax Records. Just one year before, the Memphis soul outlet ended its relationship with musical giant Atlantic Records, effectively leaving the label as an independent entity, without a music catalog (which had previously included a formidable collection of hits by Otis Redding, Carla Thomas and Sam & Dave, among others). Under the guidance of co-owner Al Bell, the label proceeded to rebuild and release an impressive collection of 27 albums and 30 singles in just a handful of months—a period known as “Soul Explosion.” The gamble paid off, and at the 1969 Stax sales summit—themed “Getting It All Together”—the label reaffirmed its place as a soul powerhouse. Craft Recordingscelebrates the 50th anniversary of this prolific, make-or-break moment for Stax—and its enduring legacy—with a wide selection of physical and digital reissues. Additionally, Craft will pay tribute to the label throughout the year with a series of playlists, original content, contests and more.
The rebuilding of the Stax catalog was an immense undertaking—deemed impossible by many peers in the music industry. Ms. Deanie Parker, who was head of Stax’s publicity at the time, recalls that “Day and night, we planned marketing and sales efforts, and produced powerhouse songs. For weeks we worked 24/7—molding and refining both raw and veteran artists’ recording material. . . . We worked our way to the top of our game with the Soul Explosion created at Stax Records.” Al Bell remembers how the summit was ahead of its time: “We were multimedia before multimedia was even a thing! During that one weekend in Memphis, we had large projections on the walls the size of movie theater screens and we had video interspersed with live performances by all of our top acts: Carla Thomas, Booker T. & the MGs, William Bell, Albert King, the Bar-Kays, Isaac Hayes solo and Isaac Hayes and David Porter doing Sam & Dave songs. And the energy during that weekend was like nothing the music industry had seen before.”
Bell set about building a roster that reflected the changing musical landscape—signing new artists such as theEmotions and the Soul Children; meanwhile, existing Stax artists, including the Staple Singers, were busy recording some of their biggest hits to date. Johnnie Taylor emerged as a breakout star with the single “Who’s Making Love,” the label’s first big post-Atlantic hit; while in-house songwriter and producer Isaac Hayes released his breakthrough second LP, Hot Buttered Soul, which peaked on the Billboard Top 10 and catapulted him into stardom. In Robert Gordon’s 2013 book Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion, the author writes, “It was a huge and glorious effort, interweaving the grand themes of salesmanship, civic responsibility, and the recording arts.” Bell went on to declare that the industry “began to forget that we didn’t have a catalog . . . We [were now] a viable independent record company. It accelerated from that point forward.”
Craft recently kicked off the Soul Explosion campaign with three vinyl reissues exclusive for Record Store Day, held on April 13th: Albert King’s Born Under A Bad Sign, the duets collection Boy Meets Girl: Classic Stax Duets and the compilation Stax Does The Beatles. Originally released in 1967, King’s Stax debut is widely recognized as one of the most influential albums, heralding in the era of modern blues. Inducted into the GRAMMY® Hall of Fame in 1999, and included in Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list, this special edition marks the very first mono reissue of the title. Boy Meets Girl: Classic Stax Duets is back on vinyl for the first time to mark the 50th anniversary of its original release. This 2-LP set pairs the label’s biggest male and female stars together for a collection of engaging duets. Finally, we have the vinyl debut of Stax Does The Beatles. Originally released in 2008, this 2-LP set compiles the best Beatles covers recorded throughout the ’60s and ’70s by Stax artists.
On May 31st, soul connoisseurs can get their hands on the Soul Explosion album, back on vinyl for the first time since 1969. As part of the label’s “Made in Memphis” reissue campaign, the lacquers for the 2-LP set were cut by Memphis-based engineer Jeff Powell at Take Out Vinyl and pressed locally at Memphis Record Pressing (MRP).Soul Explosion offers a sampling of the label’s biggest hits and stars of the day, with Eddie Floyd, the Mad Lads, the Staple Singers, Albert King and more. The second disc of the set includes a selection of rare tracks, many of which are exclusive to this collection. These include the Bar-Kays’ “Hot Hips,” Ollie & The Nightingales’ “Heartache Mountain” and Eddie Floyd’s “It’s Wrong To Be Loving You.” Soul Explosion will also be released digitally for the first time and will include hi-res 96/24 and 192/24 formats. Starting today, the hit song “Who’s Making Love” by Johnnie Taylor is available as an instant grat single with all digital album pre-orders.
Pre-order the Soul Explosion 2-LP (physical and digital formats): Click here.
In June, to commemorate Black Music Month, Craft will also reissue 30 titles to digital platforms—marking the very first digital release of these albums. The titles, which will be released one per day throughout the month, include the 1971 concept album Victim Of The Joke? An Opera from acclaimed songwriter and producer David Porter; 1973’s Estelle, Myrna & Sylvia from girl-group the Sweet Inspirations (who backed such acts as Elvis Presley, Dusty Springfield and Aretha Franklin); and A Dramatic Experience, the sophomore album by R&B Music Hall of Fame inductee the Dramatics. Eleven of these titles (from the likes of the Soul Children, Johnnie Taylor and the Mad Lads) are results of the 1969 Soul Explosion sessions.
Throughout the remainder of 2019, fans can look forward to several curated playlists, contests and additional releases.
One of the most popular soul labels of all time, Stax has become synonymous with its gritty, Southern sounds. Originally known as Satellite Records, the Memphis imprint was founded in 1957 by Jim Stewart. Over the course of two decades, Stax released more than 800 singles and nearly 300 LPs, picking up eight GRAMMYS® and an Academy Award along the way. In all, Stax placed more than 167 hit songs in the Top 100 pop charts, and a staggering 243 hits in the Top 100 R&B charts.
Soul Explosion 2LP Track Listing:
LP 1 - Side 1
Johnnie Taylor “Who’s Making Love”
Jimmy Hughes “Like Everything About You”
Booker T. & The MG’s “Hang ‘Em High”
Carla Thomas “Where Do I Go”
Eddie Floyd “I’ve Never Found A Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)”
Southwest F.O.B. “Smell Of Incense”
Albert King “Cold Feet”
LP 1 - Side 2
Booker T. & The MG’s “Soul Limbo”
The Mad Lads “So Nice”
Eddie Floyd “Bring It On Home To Me”
William Bell & Judy Clay “Private Number”
The Staple Singers “Long Walk To D.C.”
Ollie & The Nightingales “I’ve Got A Sure Thing”
The Bar-Kays “Copy Kat”
LP 2 - Side 1
Booker T. & The MG’s “Soul Clap ‘69”
The Staple Singers “Hear My Call”
Johnnie Taylor “Save Your Love For Me”
Jimmy Hughes “Peeped Around Yonder’s Bend”
Carla Thomas “Book Of Love”
The Mad Lads “These Old Memories”
Southwest F.O.B. “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”
LP 2 - Side 2
The Bar-Kays “Hot Hips”
Ollie & The Nightingales “Heartache Mountain”
Johnnie Taylor “Twenty Years From Today”
Eddie Floyd “It’s Wrong To Be Loving You”
Judy Clay “It’s Me”
Booker T. & The MG’s “Booker’s Theme”
Albert King “Left Hand Woman (Get Right With Me)”
Black Music Month Digital Releases:
Artist: Booker T. & The MGs
Album Title: Soul Limbo
Release Date: 6/1/19
Artist: Various
Album Title: Boy Meets Girl
Release Date: 6/2/19
Artist: Johnnie Taylor
Album Title: Rare Stamps
Release Date: 6/3/19
Artist: Soul Children
Album Title: Soul Children
Release Date: 6/4/19
Artist: Carla Thomas
Album Title: Memphis Queen
Release Date: 6/5/19
Artist: Ollie & The Nightingales
Album Title: Ollie & The Nightingales
Release Date: 6/6/19
Artist: Johnnie Taylor
Album Title: The Johnnie Taylor Philosophy Continues
Craft Recordings is excited to announce a new deluxe reissue of Isaac Hayes’ GRAMMY® Award–winning album Shaft. Set for a June 14th street date and limited to 5,000 copies worldwide, the two-CD collection will offer the newly remastered, classic soundtrack—as originally released in 1971—plus all of the original music from the film, which did not appear on the best-selling LP. In-depth liner notes from Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson round out the set. A single-disc version consisting of only the remastered soundtrack will also be available.
Unbeknownst to many, the music from the Shaft soundtrack album and the film were actually not the same. When Isaac Hayes was tapped to score the film’s music, he was at the height of his success as a solo artist, following years as a hit songwriter and producer at Stax. Hayes composed a collection of funky, moody arrangements for the Gordon Parks–directed action film, which told the story of a black detective in Harlem hired to recover the kidnapped daughter of a mob boss. For two months, in between tour dates, the musician recorded the iconic “Theme From Shaft,” “Do Your Thing,” and a wealth of instrumentals at MGM Studios in Culver City, CA. Hayes then returned to Memphis, and the familiar confines of the Stax studios, to re-record much of the music from the film for the soundtrack album. It would be those later recordings that would be released in 1971 as Music From The Soundtrack. The music heard in the film wouldn’t see the light of day in any form until 2008, when it was released as part of a limited-edition box set. It’s taken nearly 50 years, but finally both the music from the film and the now-classic recordings from the soundtrack can be heard together for the very first time. In his liner notes, Questlove praises that “Hayes was a specialist at mood music, in the sense that he knew how to employ orchestration and tempo to elicit emotions from his listening audience. ‘Bumpy’s Lament’ is sad and contemplative, a perfect match for Gunn’s gangster, worried about the fate of his daughter. ‘Walk to Regio’s’ approximates downtown energy with a pulsing bass and a chirping guitar that opens up into a fully orchestrated section. ‘Do Your Thing’ is another straightforward song, brassy and sultry.”
Both a commercial and critical success, Shaft—Music From The Soundtrack remains Isaac Hayes’ best-known and best-selling album. The groundbreaking title—which, upon its release, was already setting a record as the very first double album of original studio material from an R&B artist—became an instant success. Shaft spent 60 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at Number One, while “Theme From Shaft” went to Number One on the Hot 100 singles chart. Hayes took home three GRAMMY® Awards for the album and its songs in 1972, and an Academy Award® for “Best Original Song” for “Theme From Shaft,” becoming the first African American to win an Oscar® in a non-acting category. In 2014, Shaft—Music From The Soundtrack was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Singer, songwriter, producer, and actor Isaac Hayes revolutionized soul music, leading it out of the era of the three-minute single and into cosmically new territory. Born outside of Memphis, Hayes began his career in the mid-’60s as a session keyboardist at Stax, where he worked with some of R&B’s biggest names at the time—from Otis Redding and Booker T. & the M.G.’s to The Bar-Kays and Rufus Thomas. Hayes would soon move into producing, as well as songwriting, where he would pen some 200 songs with David Porter, including hits for Johnnie Taylor, Carla Thomas, and, perhaps most famously, Sam & Dave. With songs like "Soul Man" and “Hold On! I’m Comin’,” Hayes and Porter would help shape the “Memphis Sound” that made Stax a soul powerhouse.
Hayes’ career as a solo artist took off in 1969 with his landmark sophomore album, Hot Buttered Soul. The LP was unlike anything that fans of the genre had heard before; with the singer’s husky, baritone rapping and intimate crooning set against a massive backdrop of strings and horns from the Memphis Symphony and a solid backbeat by the Bar-Kays. Tracks included a nearly 19-minute performance of Jim Webb’s “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” and a 12-minute rendition of the Burt Bacharach / Hal David classic “Walk On By.” He would follow with The Isaac Hayes Movement and …To Be Continued in 1970, and Black Moses in 1971. By the time that Shaft had hit movie theaters, Hayes had established himself as a revolutionary musical force. Throughout the ’70s and ’80s, the artist would continue to be endlessly prolific in the studio, while also acting regularly in film and TV roles. In 2002, Hayes was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2005, he was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. Hayes passed away in 2008.
As Hollywood gears up for a reboot of Shaft this June, the original film’s enduring legacy still remains. In his liner notes, Questlove declares that the movie “was the Big Bang of African American movies. . . . It was Year Zero for the [Blaxploitation] movement. It was the blast center.” While Shaft was revolutionary in its own right, Isaac Hayes’ compositions for the film helped set the stage for countless scores to follow. Questlove elaborates, “Shaft did many things. What it did, most of all, was cement the relationship between African American movies and African American music. Every Blaxploitation film that followed, whether it was a straight crime story, a feminist rewrite, a comedy, or even a horror movie, had an accompanying soundtrack by an artist trying to put the black experience on wax.”
Click here to pre-order Shaft—Music From The Soundtrack.
Craft Latino proudly pays tribute today to one of Mexico’s greatest stars, Antonio Aguilar, on what would have been his 100th birthday, with the release of Antonio Aguilar Centenario: Colección de la Familia—a 100-song playlist curated by his son Pepe Aguilar and family. Available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and other streaming platforms, the career-spanning playlist includes the Aguilar family’s personal favorites from Don Antonio’s extensive catalog, including his biggest hits (“Albur de Amor,” “Un Puño de Tierra”) as well as songs made popular by his iconic films (“Heraclio Bernal,” “Caballo Prieto Azabache”). Listeners will enjoy a variety of styles like rancheras (Mexican folk songs), corridos (storytelling ballads), tambora (a style of banda music from Aguilar’s home state of Zacatecas) and the popular mariachi.
Listen to the Antonio Aguilar Centenario: Colección de la Familia playlist: HERE.
Colección de la Familia will kick off an exciting year for fans of Antonio Aguilar. Additionally, in celebration of the artist’s centennial, Craft Latino is working closely with members of Don Antonio’s talented family on a historic, one-of-a-kind homage to the Mexican legend. This cutting-edge project—to be announced in the coming months—will artfully blend the past with the present, including several new recordings as well as fresh video content, and feature members of the Aguilar Dynasty paying tribute to the man that started it all and his remarkable legacy.
Antonio Aguilar (1919 – 2007) shone across multiple mediums as a beloved actor, singer, producer, screenwriter and equestrian. Fondly known as “El Charro de México” (Mexico’s Horseman), Aguilar began his career in the early ’50s and would go on to make 167 films and record more than 150 albums, selling a staggering 25 million copies during his five-decade-long career. Often compared to American actors like Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and Ronald Reagan, Aguilar starred in films about rural heroes and revolutionaries during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. In 1969, he also appeared in an American Western, The Undefeated, alongside John Wayne and Rock Hudson.
Don Antonio was also a pioneer in the music industry. He signed with Mexico’s legendary Musart Records in 1950 and, by the ’60s, was one of the label’s best-selling artists. His sold-out shows were unique in their own right—Aguilar was the first musician to incorporate his country’s national sport of la charrería (a stylized form of rodeo) as part of his concerts, complete with bull-riding and roping, while the star would also show off his own equestrian skills on stage. In the mid-’80s, Aguilar gained a new generation of fans with his hit song, “Triste Recuerdo,” which revived the popularity of the tambura style of music. Aguilar also opened the door for Latin artists in the United States: he broke records as the first Hispanic musician to sell out Madison Square Garden for a staggering nine nights over the course of his career, while also performing to sold-out crowds at prestigious venues across the country, including the Los Angeles Sports Arena and The International Theatre in Chicago. In 2000, Don Antonio was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the recording industry, while in 2004 he received a Latin GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award.
A famously humble family man, Don Antonio was married to prominent Mexican singer, actress and equestrienne Flor Silvestre, whom he often performed alongside both on film and on stage. The two icons passed down their love of performing to their children—Antonio Aguilar, Jr.became an actor and recording artist, while Pepe Aguilar became a multi-faceted star in his own right, as an independent singer, songwriter and producer. The latter, a four-time GRAMMY® winner and five-time Latin GRAMMY® winner, has released 27 albums to-date, selling over 15 million records. An avid businessman, Pepe Aguilar also runs his own independent label and recording studio. In 2012, his international popularity earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which was placed next to his father’s.
Now, a new generation of the Aguilar Dynasty are carrying on Don Antonio’s torch: grandchildren Leonardo and Majo are both popular recording artists, while 15-year old Ángela became one of the youngest artists ever to be nominated for a GRAMMY® for her solo debut, Primero Soy Mexicana. Undoubtedly, the Aguilar Dynasty will continue to honor Antonio’s legacy—influencing Mexican culture in music, film and television—for many years to come.
Craft Recordings is proud to reissue The Country Blues of John Lee Hooker, a showcase of traditional (folk/country) sound and one-chord blues all with John Lee Hooker’s smooth baritone vocals. Unaccompanied and playing acoustic instead of his usual amplified guitar, Hooker recorded a wonderfully varied set of deep Delta blues, moans, boogies, one field holler, and even a bit of hokum. Due out August 2nd, The Country Blues of John Lee Hooker was cut from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl and housed in a tip-on jacket, these recordings are stripped down so the listener can hear the details and nuances from the original recording.
John Lee Hooker is the most down-home of the major post-war blues figures, “a most authentic singer of the way-back, close-to-the-soil kind of blues,” as Orrin Keepnews commented in this 1959 album’s original liner notes. Of Hooker’s innumerable recordings, the Riverside session is perhaps the truest to his Mississippi roots. Some are autobiographical, others reworkings of blues standards—all stamped with the hauntingly personal Hooker touch.
Born near Clarksdale, Mississippi in 1917, the man who would become known as the “King Of The Boogie” credited his stepfather, a blues singer, for his unique guitar style. As a young man, Hooker worked his way from the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia down to the Gulf of Mexico and across Texas. All the while, his mission stayed constant: play and sing the blues. Twenty or so years later John Lee found himself in Detroit working at a club called the Monte Carlo where he was discovered by local record label, Riverside Records.
This LP stems directly from Hooker’s troubadour-like travels and his interpretations of the people and places he saw on the road. The time-honored tradition of wandering the earth is unique to the blues musician; letting places, faces, stories, varying styles of music all imbue one’s own interpretation of the blues. Hooker’s voice also is considerably deeper than other rhythm and blues artists. The enduring power of album’s gritty authenticity creates a time capsule of the people Hooker interacted with on his travels. The blues retain their impact through these personal stories.
John Lee Hooker endures as one of the true superstars of the blues genre: the ultimate beholder of cool. His work is widely recognized for its impact on modern music—his simple, yet deeply effective songs transcend borders and languages around the globe. Each decade of Hooker’s long career brought a new generation of fans and fresh opportunities for the ever-evolving artist. He never slowed down either: As John Lee Hooker entered his 70s, he suddenly found himself in the most successful era of his career—reinvented yet again, and energized as ever, touring and recording up until his passing in 2001.
Track Listing:
Side A
1. Black Snake
2. How Long Blues
3. Wobblin’ Baby
4. She’s Long, She’s Tall, She Weeps Like A Willow Tree
5. Pea Vine Special
6. Tupelo Blues
7. I’m Prison Bound
Side B
1. I Rowed A Little Boat
2. Water Boy
3. Church Bell Tone
4. Bundle Up And Go
5. Good Mornin’, Lil’ School Girl
6. Behind The Plow
Click here to stream and pre-order The Country Blues of John Lee Hooker.
Craft Recordings is proud to announce the release of Joan Baez’s Live at Woodstock, available today (8/2) on all digital and streaming platforms. For the very first time, fans can hear the influential folk singer’s entire set, as it was performed at the historic festival 50 years ago. Live at Woodstock features nearly an hour of music and interstitial stories, including “Sweet Sir Galahad,” “I Shall Be Released,” and a stunning a cappella rendition of “Swing Low Sweet Chariot.”
It was almost 1:00 a.m. when Joan Baez walked on stage to close out the rainy first night of Woodstock. With her acoustic guitar in hand, the visibly pregnant singer-songwriter kicked off her set with a joyful rendition of the beautifully simple Edwin Hawkins gospel tune, “Oh Happy Day.” As she segued into Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing on My Mind,” Baez wished the audience a tongue-in-cheek “good morning.”
The weeks leading up to the three-day festival had been tumultuous for Baez. Just one month before, the singer’s then-husband, David Harris, had been arrested for draft resistance. The anti-war activist and founder of The Resistance—an organization that encouraged young men to return their draft cards in protest of Vietnam—had just begun serving a 15-month sentence in prison. He was, understandably, on his wife’s mind, and was a prevailing theme throughout the show. A few songs into her set, Baez spoke to the audience about Harris, assuring them that “He’s fine, and we’re fine too.” As a tribute to her husband, Baez performed “Joe Hill,” a 1936 folk song about the trade union activist.
Joan was joined by two members of Harris’ Resistance movement, Jeffrey Shurtleff and Richard Festinger who, along with Baez, called themselves the Struggle Mountain Resistance Band (named after the California-based draft-resistance commune in which Harris and Baez lived). Their songs together included a rousing rendition of The Byrds’ “Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man” and Willie Nelson’s “One Day at a Time.”
Baez closes out her set by asking the audience to join her in singing “We Shall Overcome,” dedicated to Harris. As a special bonus, the last track on the album replays the evening’s final announcements from the master of ceremonies, Chip Monck, which will make listeners feel like they are right there on that muddy farm in Bethel, NY. In her 1987 memoir, And a Voice to Sing With, Baez called Woodstock “Three extraordinary days of rain and music,” adding that, “I just stood up there in front of the residents of the golden city who were sleeping in the mud and each other’s arms, and I gave them what I could at the time. And they accepted my songs. It was a humbling moment, in spite of everything. I’d never sung to a city before.”
Singer, songwriter and activist Joan Baez is one of the most significant figures in modern music, with a career that has spanned over six decades. Though often identified most closely with the folk movement of the sixties, her influence has extended far beyond that. A master interpreter of songs, Baez received critical and commercial success early on, recording an eclectic mix of traditional ballads, gospel and folk music. She focused awareness on songwriters ranging from Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Richard Fariña, Leonard Cohen, and Tim Hardin, among others. With the passage of time, the list of songwriters whose work she recorded or performed grew to encompass Jackson Browne, Janis Ian, John Prine, Stevie Wonder, Steve Earle, Tom Waits, and many others, including songs written by Joan herself.
Many traditional songs that Joan introduced on her earliest LPs found their way into the rock vernacular: “House Of the Rising Sun” (the Animals), “John Riley” (the Byrds), “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You” (Led Zeppelin), “Jackaroe” (Grateful Dead), and “Long Black Veil” (the Band), to name a few. A multitude of British acts who trace their origins to Fairport Convention, Pentangle, and Steeleye Span were inspired by Joan’s versions of “Geordie,” “House Carpenter,” and “Matty Groves.”
Baez’s career has never slowed down. The GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee has released over 30 studio and live albums to-date, and still actively tours. Her GRAMMY®-nominated album, Whistle Down the Wind, debuted last year at #18 on Billboard’s Top Current Albums chart and #4 on the Americana/Folk Albums chart—Baez’s strongest chart position since 1975’s Diamonds & Rust. Baez is currently in Europe for the final run of her extensive “Fare Thee Well Tour.” Visit JoanBaez.com for more information.
Craft Recordings is pleased to announce the release of Chet Baker’s The Legendary Riverside Albums on November 15th. The deluxe five-LP box set presents the artist’s output as a leader for the renowned jazz label, recorded and released between 1958 and 1959: (Chet Baker Sings) It Could Happen To You, Chet Baker In New York, Chet and Chet Baker Plays The Best Of Lerner And Loewe. The recordings, which feature such icons as Bill Evans, Johnny Griffin and Kenny Burrell, have been cut from their original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI. Also included is a bonus disc of choice outtakes and alternates from Baker’s Riverside sessions, plus a collectible photo print and a 16-page booklet filled with photos and insightful new liner notes by jazz historian Doug Ramsey. The complete collection will also be released digitally, including in hi-res 192/24 and 96/24 formats. The track “You’re Driving Me Crazy” is available to stream and download today: listen and pre-save the collection here.
Few musicians have embodied the romantic—and ultimately tragic—jazz figure as totally as Chesney “Chet” Baker (1929–88). Unschooled yet eloquent in his music, and a fast-liver who survived for nearly six decades, the Baker mystique has only reinforced one of the most haunting trumpet styles and ingenious approaches to jazz singing. The Los Angeles–based musician rose to fame in the early ’50s, playing with established artists like Charlie Parker, Gerry Mulligan and pianist Russ Freeman—partnerships which would solidify his status as a major jazz star. By the end of the decade, when he signed a four-album deal with the New York–based label Riverside, Baker had become known for his trademark West Coast “cool jazz” style. However, these recordings—which pair the artist with some of the best East Coast players—demonstrate Baker’s versatility as a modern trumpeter who could play with even the hardest boppers.
Baker’s 1958 recording session debut for Riverside, which resulted in the album release (Chet Baker Sings) It Could Happen To You, offers a modern, hipper take on standards like “Old Devil Moon,” “You’re Driving Me Crazy,” and “How Long Has This Been Going On?” The only album in this collection not produced by the label’s co-founder, Orrin Keepnews (who initially objected to his Riverside partner Bill Grauer’s unilateral signing of Baker), Chet Baker Sings is unique in that the nimble artist sets aside his trumpet in several of the tracks, using only his vocals—and even scatting some of the improvised solos in a style that sounds very much like his lyrical trumpet playing. In his new liner notes, Doug Ramsey praises that the album contains “Baker’s most inventive and convincing vocal work.” While All Music calls the album “An essential title in Chet Baker's 30-plus-year canon.”
A month after his Chet Baker Sings sessions, the artist went back into the studio to record Chet Baker In New York with a stellar lineup of Philly Joe Jones on drums, tough-tenor Johnny Griffin, bebop veteran Al Haig on piano and bassist Paul Chambers. The song selection, which ranges from laid-back and serene to hard-driving bop, features top-notch performances and impressive solos from all musicians involved. Highlights include the Miles Davis–penned tune “Solar,” the ballad standard “Polka Dots and Moonbeams” and the effervescent “Hotel 49.”
1959’s instrumental outing, Chet, focuses on ballads and features an all-star cast that includes pianist Bill Evans, guitarist Kenny Burrell, flutist Herbie Mann and Pepper Adams on the baritone saxophone. Baker shines in his languid and tuneful approach to tracks like “Alone Together,” “It Never Entered My Mind” and “September Song.” All About Jazz called the album “A session that allows the trumpeter to take his introspective time, encouraged by Evans' spare accompaniment to transform these standards into vibrant, impressionistic etchings.”
Baker’s final album for Riverside, 1959’s Chet Baker Plays The Best Of Lerner And Loewe, finds the trumpeter offering his renditions of tunes by lyricist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe who, together, penned some of the most famous songs on Broadway. Baker, joined by an ensemble that once again included Bill Evans, Pepper Adams and Herbie Mann—along with the great Zoot Sims on tenor saxophone—covers material from My Fair Lady, Gigi, Brigadoon and Paint Your Wagon.
In addition to the four LPs, The Legendary Riverside Albums also includes a fifth disc, featuring outtakes and alternate takes from Baker’s recording sessions with the label. Doug Ramsey points out several highlights, including “Chet’s playing into a Harmon mute on the new version of ‘The More I See You’ and the spaciousness of his open horn in the Matt Dennis–Tom Adair classic ‘Everything Happens To Me.’ There is also a rarity, ‘While My Lady Sleeps.’” Ramsey adds that Baker’s version of the song “Underlines pianist [Kenny] Drew’s finely honed ability to concentrate on his partner’s phrasing and harmonic turns, and supply perfect support.’”
Though Baker’s Riverside era preceded even more troubling times for the artist, these recordings find the artist in excellent form, joined by some of New York’s finest musicians, proving his brilliance as an inspired original, and as one of the great jazz musicians of the 20th century.
The collection is now available to pre-order in 5-LP and digital formats: Click here
Special bundle featuring a limited edition Riverside t-shirt available exclusively via the Craft Recordings online store: Click here
Craft Recordings is pleased to announce a vinyl reissue of Joy: A Holiday Collection from award-winning singer-songwriter Jewel. In stores October 18th, the best-selling title features beloved holiday classics as well as festive, original compositions. The album has been remastered by George Horn and Anne-Marie Suenram at Fantasy Studios and manufactured at Memphis Record Pressing. This reissue marks the very first vinyl availability of the title, which was originally released in 1999.
Joy: A Holiday Collection marked the first outing of yuletide music from Jewel, who had skyrocketed to fame following the release of her first two albums (1995’s Pieces of You and 1998’s Spirit). Jewel worked with producers Arif Mardin (Carly Simon, David Bowie, Diana Ross) and Joe Mardin (Queen Latifah, Bette Midler) to record 13 lushly arranged songs. Backed by a choir (which includes such esteemed singers as Vaneese Thomas, James “D-Train” Williams and Janice Pendarvis), the singer’s distinctive vocals and versatile range shine as she performs holiday favorites like “Winter Wonderland,” “Joy to the World,” “Ave Maria,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “O Holy Night.” She also sings several original tracks, including “Face of Love,” “Gloria” and a Christmas version of her 1998 hit single, “Hands.” Impressively, just one month after its November 1999 release date, the album was certified platinum, peaking at Number Two on the Billboard Holiday Albums chart and Number 32 on the Billboard Top 200.
Having sold over 30 million albums worldwide, Jewel has captivated a generation’s worth of audiences with her unique vocals, folk-pop melodies and introspective lyrics. The Homer, Alaska, native (born Jewel Kilcher) began performing at an early age and, by her late teenage years, was pursuing a career as a musician in San Diego. Despite a rough start, living out of her van as she struggled to make ends meet, Jewel built a loyal local following in coffee shops and clubs, and soon attracted the attention of several record labels. Her debut album, Pieces of You, was released in 1995 when the artist was just 21 and, thanks to hit singles “Who Will Save Your Soul,” “Foolish Games” and “You Were Meant For Me,” went on to sell over 12 million copies—becoming one of the highest-selling debuts of all time.
To-date, Jewel has released 12 studio albums (six of which have been in the Billboard 200 Top Ten) and 33 singles. Over the course of her career, she has received multiple GRAMMYÒ Award nominations, an American Music Award and an MTV Video Music Award, among others. The tireless artist has also appeared in numerous film and television roles, and has written several books, including her 2015 New York Times best-selling memoir, Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story. Jewel is also highly engaged in philanthropic work, and currently oversees two non-profits: Project Clean Water and the Never Broken Foundation, which offers free tools for mindfulness and emotional intelligence to the masses.
Click here to pre-order or stream Jewel’s Joy: A Holiday Collection on vinyl. A metallic silver vinyl edition is also available exclusively via Barnes and Noble.
Track Listing
Side A:
1. Joy To The World
2. O Holy Night
3. Silent Night
4. Winter Wonderland
5. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
6. Ave Maria
7. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Side B:
1. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
2. Face Of Love
3. Medley – (A) Go Tell It On The Mountain, (B) Life Uncommon, (C) From A Distance
Craft Recordings is pleased to announce three vinyl reissues, available January 17th, from some of the most popular names in country music: Roy Clark, Buck Owens, and Susan Raye. All three artists—interconnected through their love of entertaining—were household names thanks to the television show Hee Haw, but each of them broke new ground in their own right when it came to country music. The titles include Roy Clark’s Greatest Hits, The Very Best of Buck Owens & Susan Raye, and Susan Raye’s 16 Greatest Hits. All three compilations will make their vinyl debuts.
Grand Ole Opry member Roy Clark (1933–2018) was not only a beloved personality on film and TV but also an influential figure in country music—helping to bring his genre to the masses. Over his 40-year career, the award-winning guitarist and banjoist scored multiple Top Ten Hot Country singles like “Yesterday, When I Was Young,” “Thank God and Greyhound,” and the No. 1 hit “Come Live With Me”—all of which are included on Greatest Hits. Clark, who was a frequent guest-host for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show, continued to see his star rise in 1969 when he became the co-host for Hee Haw—a variety show featuring country acts and comedy sketches centered around rural culture. Throughout the ’70s and ’80s, Clark toured regularly, playing to packed theaters around the world—including 18 sold-out nights in the former USSR. The GRAMMY® Award-winning artist was a multiple Entertainer of the Year and Instrumentalist of the Year winner at the Country Music Awards and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009.
A pioneer of the electric “Bakersfield Sound,” Country Music Hall of Famer Buck Owens (1926–2006) was one of the most innovative artists in his genre, scoring a whopping 21 No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot Country chart over the course of his career, and influencing countless musicians to follow—from Gram Parsons to Dwight Yoakam. By the middle of the ’60s, the Bakersfield, CA artist—along with his band, the Buckaroos—was one of the biggest names in country music, and enjoyed a loyal base of country, rock, and pop fans thanks to his edgy, honky-tonk inspired sound. In 1969, Owens’ popularity grew even wider when he joined Roy Clark as co-host of Hee Haw.
Owens was at the height of his success when he was introduced to a young singer named Susan Raye. Raye began singing duets with the country star in 1968 and soon joined him on Hee Haw as a regular performer. Throughout the early ’70s, Owens and Raye released four studio albums together, scoring a string of hits with songs like “We’re Gonna Get Together,” “Togetherness,” and “The Great White Horse”—all included on The Very Best of Buck Owens & Susan Raye. As a solo artist, Raye found international success with her 1970 crossover hit, “L.A. International Airport,” and dominated the country charts with singles like “Pitty, Pitty, Patter," "(I've Got A) Happy Heart," and "Willy Jones," all featured on 16 Greatest Hits. The first female country singer to find major success outside of Nashville, Raye scored a total of seven Top 10 hits and 19 Top 40 hits in her genre and was nominated for five Academy of Country Music Awards before retiring from recording in the mid-’80s.
Click here to pre-order The Very Best of Buck Owens & Susan Raye
Click here to pre-order Susan Raye’s 16 Greatest Hits
Craft Recordings is thrilled to announce the first-ever vinyl release of Joni Mitchell’s best-selling 2007 album, Shine. Available April 3rd and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI, the acclaimed title includes such tracks as “One Week Last Summer” (which received the 2008 GRAMMY® Award for Best Instrumental Pop Performance), and an updated version of Mitchell’s iconic 1970 track “Big Yellow Taxi.”
The 19th studio album from Mitchell, Shine marked the legendary Canadian singer-songwriter’s first collection of original material in nearly a decade, and came as a welcome surprise to the artist’s fans, following her well-publicized break with the music business at the turn of the millennium. Described by Mitchell to be “as serious a work as I’ve ever done,” Shine was inspired by the environmental, social and political turmoil which plagued the era of the Iraq War.
The 10 tracks on the album echo Mitchell’s pensive mood—reflective lyrics and beautiful, often-minimalist, piano-driven melodies paint a somber, yet hopeful picture. Highlights include the instrumental opener, “One Week Last Summer,” featuring the versatile multi-instrumentalist Bob Sheppard on soprano saxophone; the epic “Night of the Iguana,” loosely based on John Huston’s 1964 film; the title track, featuring an appearance by longtime friend James Taylor on guitar; Mitchell’s revisit to “Big Yellow Taxi,” which feels eerily prophetic 50 years after its debut, and “If I Had a Heart,” which the New York Times described as “one of the most haunting melodies she has ever written.”
The cover art on Shine is inspired by the 2007 ballet, Dancing Joni: The Fiddle and the Drum, a collaborative effort between Mitchell and choreographer Jean Grande-Maitre of the Alberta Ballet. The performance was set to 13 of the singer-songwriter’s more provocative songs, and lit by a backdrop of Mitchell’s artwork—specifically a series of photos she took of her malfunctioning flat-screen television set (several of these images were included in a triptych book on war, torture and revolution, and later featured in art shows in Los Angeles and New York). The Fiddle and the Drum inspired Mitchell to release her long-awaited new album. “The ballet brought everything together—the poetry, the music, the artwork,” she says. “It was the thrill of my life.” Three songs from the ballet (“If I Had a Heart,” “If” and the “Big Yellow Taxi” redux) are included on Shine.
Upon its release, Shine received an enthusiastic critical reception: the Chicago Sun-Times praised the album as “a welcome evolutionary step,” adding that Mitchell offered “the most grace of her career thus far.” American Songwriter called it a “somber, but non-sanctimonious masterpiece that balances dark sorrow with orchestral exultation,” while the BBC declared Shine “one hell of a comeback.” The commercial reaction was equally as positive, proving Mitchell’s enduring prowess as a musical force: certified Gold by the RIAA, Shine sold nearly 60,000 copies worldwide in its first week, and debuted at number 14 on the Billboard Top 200, marking Mitchell’s highest US chart position since her 1976 LP, Hejira.
Hailed as one of the most influential songwriters in musical history, Joni Mitchell defined a generation in the late ’60s and ’70s with her poetic, introspective lyrics and her genre-defying blend of folk, jazz and pop. Born Roberta Joan Anderson in 1943, Mitchell began her career as a performer in the mid-’60s Toronto folk scene, before relocating to the United States and famously settling in Southern California. As her reputation grew on stage, Mitchell was also becoming a hot commodity as a songwriter—many of her compositions gaining success through other artists’ recordings, including Judy Collins’ 1968 cover of “Both Sides Now,” Fairport Convention’s rendition of “Eastern Rain” and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s hit version of “Woodstock.”
Over the course of four decades, Joni Mitchell released more than 20 albums, including such standouts as the deeply confessional, groundbreaking Blue (1971), the double-platinum-selling pop record Court and Spark (1974) and 1976’s jazz-oriented masterpiece, Hejira. Mitchell has won eight GRAMMY® Awards and received a GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and was ranked ninth in Rolling Stone’s 2015 “100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time” list.
Light in the Attic Records adds another entry to its acclaimed catalog with Stone Crush: Memphis Modern Soul 1977-1987, the definitive overview of the modern soul scene of Bluff City’s post-Stax years. Over a decade in the making and compiled by renowned Memphis collectors and DJs Daniel Mathis and Chad Weekley, Stone Crush is an expertly curated anthology of these home-grown slices of Memphis stylings, from the “Singing Dentist” O.T. Sykes’ private press soul to the visionary bedroom funk of Captain Fantastic & Starfleet—rare sides whose original copies are considered holy grails by DJs and collectors all over. The accompanying full-color booklet includes unseen archival photos and extensive liner notes by Memphis curator/writer Andria Lisle and Grammy Award-winning writer Robert Gordon.
Available now for pre-order, the long-awaited release will hit the streets on April 3rd on 2-LP, CD, digital. “Galaxy Haze Orange/Red” color vinyl will be available to U.S. indie retail stores and as an exclusive to the Light In The Attic Online Store, “Blue/Orange” color vinyl will be available with a bonus 7” single of Mark Anthony & Lyte Speed’s rare roller skate boogie funk classic “I’m Just A Boogie Roller.” Exclusive merchandise available from the Light In The Attic Online Store includes a newly-designed Stone Crush t-shirt, a “Home Of The Blues” tote bag, and a hat emblazoned with Lyte Speed’s iconic logo.
“I’m Just A Boogie Roller” is available now for streaming. As part of the Stone Crush release, an original music video for the track, which was shot and produced in 1982, has been unearthed and now available to view on YouTube.
To commemorate the release of Stone Crush, The Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis will host a special night of music on April 3rd featuring live DJ sets. The free event kicks off at 7:00 pm and is open to the public.
World-renowned banjoist Béla Fleck and accomplished Malian kora master Toumani Diabaté debut a new song today (2/21), titled "Kauonding Sissoko,” off their upcoming new duo album The Ripple Effect. Available March 27th from Craft Recordings, The Ripple Effect will be available as a 180-gram 2-LP gatefold vinyl and also as part of a 3-CD/1-DVD collection, titled Throw Down Your Heart: The Complete Africa Sessions, which documents Béla’s remarkable journey across Africa to explore the banjo’s roots.
Click here to stream/download the instant grat. single “Kauonding Sissoko” by Béla and Toumani and pre-save the Throw Down Your Heart: The Complete Africa Sessions deluxe digital album.
Available for the first time as a complete film and music set, Throw Down Your Heart: The Complete Africa Sessions includes a DVD of the acclaimed documentary film Throw Down Your Heart, with commentary from Fleck and his brother, director Sascha Paladino, along with 14 bonus performances and the 3x GRAMMY®-winning albums Tales from the Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3—Africa Sessions and Africa Sessions Part 2: Unreleased Tracks.
Simply put, the project was a sensation when it was released in 2009. There were, of course, raves from the press — “traditional African music turns out to suit him beautifully” pronounced The New York Times — but fellow musicians were equally awed. “Béla Fleck's amazing film Throw Down Your Heart makes me want to go to Africa,” said acclaimed jazz pianist Chick Corea. “The genuine warmth, affinity, respect and love between Béla and the amazing African musicians he met are beautifully captured.” Banjo player and actor Steve Martin added, “With Throw Down Your Heart, Béla Fleck has contributed significantly to the history of the banjo, as well as inventing a style of music never before played on this great instrument.”
A virtuoso on his instrument, he has over the last four decades taken the banjo far afield from its traditional roles in bluegrass and old-timey music, embracing an extraordinarily broad range of musical styles. Not only has he won 15 GRAMMY®s, but he did so across nine different categories, earning honors in the Country, Pop, Jazz, Instrumental, Classical, and World Music fields through his work with the fusion group Béla Fleck and the Flecktones; double bassist and composer Edgar Meyer; his wife, Abigail Washburn, and others.
The original “Dueling Banjos,” recorded by Eric Weissberg and popularized by the film Deliverance, was one of the things that first attracted Fleck to the banjo, so there’s a sense of coming full circle with that performance. But then, the whole Throw Down Your Heart project was, in a sense, about scratching an itch Fleck had long felt regarding the African roots of his instrument. “I knew that my beloved instrument had originally come from West Africa,” he writes. “And from time to time I found tantalizing tidbits of African acoustic music that gave me the confidence to know that there was a phenomenal amount of incredible stuff going on under the radar.”
What brought that general interest into focus was when Flecktone saxophonist Jeff Coffin played Fleck a recording by the great Malian singer Oumou Sangare. “I was literally stunned,” Fleck recalled. “I’d had this reaction only a few times — when music was so compelling that everything had to stop while I listened. Earl Scruggs’ banjo did it to me. Chick Corea’s music did it to me. And so did this.”
In a bit of kismet, it turned out that Sangare was managed by an old friend from Fleck’s early bluegrass days. A meeting was arranged, some jamming was done, and Sangare invited Fleck to visit Bamako, Mali, and play with her and some of her friends. The seed was planted. Within months, Fleck and Paladino had worked out a three-nation itinerary, one that would rely on friendship and happenstance to experience the music and culture of Africa. It was, Fleck writes, “a nonstop set of intense, powerful and joyful musical interactions. Every day for five weeks, I was meeting musicians, and filming pieces with them in their homes, other unconventional locations, and even on rare occasions — recording studios. We recorded/filmed over 30 pieces so it came out to something like a tune per day while we were there.”
Originally issued as individual titles, beginning with Rounder Records’ 2009 release of Tales From the Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3—Africa Sessions, Throw Down Your Heart: The Complete Africa Sessions will be one of several special reissues commemorating the legendary roots label’s 50th anniversary. Throughout 2020 Rounder will be celebrated with box sets, live events, an original podcast series, curated playlists, exclusive merchandise and much more. Stay tuned for forthcoming announcements regarding Rounder’s 50th anniversary.
Both titles are available to pre-order now. Click herefor The Throw Down Your Heart: The Complete Africa Sessions, or herefor The Ripple Effect. Special bundles are also available through the official Béla Fleck store.
Tracklist - Throw Down Your Heart: The Complete Africa Sessions
Disc One: Throw Down Your Heart, Part One
1. Tulinesangala – Nakisenyi Women’s Group (Uganda)
2. Kinetsa – D’Gary (Madagascar)
3. Ah Ndiya – Oumou Sangare (Mali)
4. Kabibi – Anania Ngoliga (Tanzania)
5. Angelina – Luo Cultural Association (Uganda)
6. D'Gary Jam – D'Gary, Béla Fleck, Oumou Sangare, Richard Bona, Baba Maal, Vusi Mahlasela, Afel Bocoum, Anania Ngoliga, Toumani Diabaté, and friends (Madagascar, Uganda, Mali, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Cameroon)
7. Throw Down Your Heart – Harouna Samake Trio and Bassekou Kouate (Mali)
8. Thula Mama – Vusi Mahlasela (South Africa)
9. Wairenziante – Muwewesu Xylophone Group (Uganda)
10. Buribalal – Afel Bocoum (Mali)
11. Zawose – Chibite – The Zawose Family (Tanzania)
12. Ajula/Mbamba – The Jatta Family (The Gambia)
13. Pakugyenda Balebauo – Warema Masiaga Cha Cha (Tanzania)
14. Jesus Is the Only Answer – Ateso Jazz Band (Uganda)
15. Matitu – Khalifan Matitu (Tanzania)
16. Mariam – Djelimady Tounkara (Mali)
17. Djorolen – Oumou Sangare (Mali)
18. Dunia Haina Wema/Thumb Fun – Anania Ngoliga (Tanzania)
Disc Two: Throw Down Your Heart, Part Two
1. Spirit Song – Haruna Walisimbe, Okiror, and Ronald Mabandha (Uganda)
In hopes of bringing some much-needed joy to the planet, acclaimed archival/reissue label and distribution company Light in the Attic will be presenting a free charity concert this Friday (4/3), streaming live on their Twitch and YouTube channels beginning at 4:00 pm PST. Light In The Attic & Friends at Home will feature new performances from legendary artists whose music LITA has re-released over the past 20 years, along with a handful of talented friends from the around the globe, each covering songs from the label's renowned catalog. 100% of all donations will go towards MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund, assisting those in the music community affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.
While quarantined at home – from Rio to Tokyo; Cardiff to Austin; Barbados to Italy – each musician will be doing what they do best, sharing the gift of song, maybe in their pajamas and maybe with their kids, and wherever feels comfy and cozy in the privacy of their home.
The artist lineup for Light In The Attic & Friends at Home includes:
Texas soul queen Barbara Lynn
Fred Armisen
British folk legend Michael Chapman
Jarvis Cocker
Italian composer Gigi Masin
Devendra Banhart
Brazilian great Marcos Valle
Jim James (My Morning Jacket)
Sandy Dedrick of sixties soft-psych outfit The Free Design
Japanese ambient pioneers Inoyama Land (Kankyō Ongaku)
Alex Maas (The Black Angels)
Money Mark
Singer-songwriter Lynn Castle
Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals)
Leonard Sanders of modern soul-gospel group the Supreme Jubilees
Jazz giant Azar Lawrence
Grant & Frankie Olsen (Gold Leaves / Arthur & Yu)
Beach Boys poet and lyricist Stephen John Kalinich
Mark Lightcap (Acetone)
Sessa
Ben Gibbard
Fans can tune in for free and watch the live charity concert this Friday (4/3) beginning at 4:00 pm PST via Light In The Attic’s Twitch and YouTube channels.
Join Stax Records as they kick off a new Instagram Live series, "Gospel Brunch Live Set with DJ Jared 'Jay B.' Boyd," featuring music from The Gospel Truth Records catalog.
Debuting this Sunday (5/24) at 2:00 pm PT/4:00 pm CT @staxrecords on Instagram and continuing on the third Sunday of every month through August (2:00 pm PT on 6/21, 7/19, and 8/16), the new series is part of Stax’s tribute campaign to The Gospel Truth Records and leads up to the release of The Gospel Truth singles compilation in September (Gospel Heritage Month). The compilation will be available on vinyl, CD and digitally.
In addition to being a DJ and penning the liner notes for the upcoming The Gospel Truth compilation, Jared Boyd is a Memphis-based multimedia journalist with TheDaily Memphian, co-host/producer of NPR’s roots music program “Beale St. Caravan,” and DJs at events throughout Memphis, including Memphis Tourism's Music Hub events at Central Station. Jared has also reported for AL.com, It’s A Southern Thing, The Daily Mississippian, Jackson Free Press, and Commercial Appeal.
In March, Craft Recordings kicked off their campaign to honor the music of Gospel Truth Records, a subsidiary of Stax Records, with the first-ever digital release of 25 albums from the label’s catalog. Beginning with The Rance Allen Group’s 1972 self-titled debut (digitally reissued on March 13th), one title has been released in chronological order every week and will continue up until September’s Gospel Heritage Month. Full digital album release schedule is below and click here for more info.
More about Gospel Truth Records:
From the divine gospel of Rev. T.L. Barrett and Rev. Maceo Woods to the cutting-edge message music of Louise McCord and marquee artist Rance Allen, the Gospel Truth catalog exemplifies the dynamic heritage of Stax’s influence. Reaching beyond the realms of the black American gospel tradition, the ’70s label showcased a diverse collection of talent—including the Indian meditative teachings of Blue Aquarius, the white roots music of the Commanders and Rev. Jesse Jackson’s People’s Choir of Operation PUSH, who chronicle the Civil Rights struggle.
Established in 1972, Gospel Truth was conceived of by Stax executive Al Bell, who enlisted the help of radio promotions pioneer and songwriter Dave Clark and label staffer Mary Peak Patterson to oversee the formation of the imprint. With a focus on moving the good word out of the pulpit and into the hands of the masses, Gospel Truth was intended to “carry the message of today’s gospel to the people on the street,” as promotional material for the label’s launch touted. But what separated Gospel Truth from other labels in the genre was that it made its music accessible to everyone. With his sharp eye for talent, Clark paired down-home, traditional gospel musicians with raw, revolutionary artists that adopted the conventions of rock, funk and soul, creating a sound that resonated with a hip, ’70s audience.
Clark and Peak also gave Gospel Truth’s artists the same high-level promotional considerations that were given to any of the secular stars at Stax: from outfits and photoshoots to bookings. This also included special attention from Stax’s creative director Larry Shaw, who conceived of a cohesive design language for Gospel Truth—making each record have a conversation with the intended audience. That visual dialogue was a signal that the music could be enjoyed in all settings—sacred or secular.
The music, sermons and other recordings included in the Gospel Truth canon, while left for several decades as either a distant memory for many involved or a relic for collectors to behold, holds up today as a collection of enduring importance. In the age of social media, the pursuit of “truth” and the importance of the “gospel” has yet to diminish. In an effort to present both concepts to a new generation of seekers, learners and doers, this collection of releases will serve to provide context for contemporary listeners. As Stax put it in the initial press materials for the imprint, “After all, it doesn’t matter if you listen to gospel quietly…snap your fingers…sing along…or to dance to it, as long as you get the message.”
Gospel Truth Digital Album Releases:
March 13: The Rance Allen Group – The Rance Allen Group
March 20: Reverend Lee Jackson – At Calvary
March 27: Reverend Maceo Woods and the Christian Tabernacle Choir – In Concert
April 3: Maceo Woods and the Christian Tabernacle Concert Choir – Jesus People
April 10: Reverend J.D. Montgomery & The Mt. Carmel Choir – God's Newspaper
April 17: Reverend Maceo Woods and the Christian Tabernacle Concert Choir – God Save Your People
April 24: The Howard Lemon Singers – Message For Today
May 1: The Rance Allen Group – Truth Is Where It's At
May 8: Reverend Bernard Avant & The St. James Gospel Choir – Reverend Bernard Avant & The St. James Gospel Choir
May 15: Louise McCord – A Tribute To Mahalia Jackson
May 22: The Commanders – Walk With Me
May 29: The Marion Gaines Singers – This Too Is Gospel
June 5: Charles May & Annette May Thomas – Songs Our Father Used To Sing
June 12: Clarence Smith – Whatever Happened To Love
June 19: The Gospel Artistics – The Gospel Artistics
June 26: Rev. T.L. Barrett & The Youth For Christ Choir – I Found The Answer
July 3: The Henry Jackson Company – The Henry Jackson Company
July 10: The People's Choir Of Operation Push – The People's Choir Of Operation Push
July 17: Reverend Maceo Woods and the Christian Tabernacle Concert Choir – A New Dawning
July 24: Blue Aquarius – Blue Aquarius
July 31: Bob Hemphill & The Commanders – Everybody Will Be Happy
August 7: The Rance Allen Group – Brothers
August 14: The Howard Lemon Singers – I Am Determined
August 21: The Marion Gaines Singers – Leaning On The Everlasting Arms
August 28: Reverend Maceo Woods and the Christian Tabernacle Concert Choir – Goodbye Loneliness, Hello Happiness
Continuing the 50th anniversary of America’s all-time greatest rock ‘n’ roll band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Craft Recordings is honored to unveil a special fan-generated video for the beloved Cosmo’s Factory closer, “Long as I Can See the Light.” In the lead-up to Father’s Day 2020, Creedence fans worldwide were encouraged to submit videos and photos documenting cherished memories with their fathers, grandfathers or other guiding lights in their life.
The tradition of musical inheritance is strong among CCR appreciators: The band’s timeless albums have been proudly passed down from generation to generation. Music’s capacity to draw people together is more important now than ever, so while many may be unable to be physically near their loved ones this Father’s Day, the hope is that this “Long as I Can See the Light” video will help remind families just how deeply they’re connected. Click here to watch the official video now.
One of many hits on Creedence’s legendary fifth studio album, "Long as I Can See the Light" was released in 1970 as part of a double A-side single with "Lookin’ out My Back Door.” Both songs peaked at number two in the U.S., and despite Creedence having never played “Long as I Can See the Light” live, it became a fan favorite. Over the years, the song has taken on different meanings, but John Fogerty has stated that the song is "about the loner in me. Wanting to feel understood, needing those at home to shine a light so that I can make my way back."
Starting in the spring of 1969, Fantasy Records released a prolific string of double A-side CCR singles: The band’s U.S. number two hit “Bad Moon Rising” was accompanied by “Lodi;” “Green River,” which also reached number two, was backed by “Commotion;” the number three hit “Down on the Corner” featured “Fortunate Son” on the flip; and, from Cosmo’s Factory, “Travelin’ Band” was paired with “Who’ll Stop the Rain” and “Up Around the Bend” with “Run Through the Jungle.”
Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Cosmo’s Factory this summer, Craft Recordings is issuing a half-speed master edition of the album, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and set for release on August 14th. The album was mastered at half speed by the award-winning engineer Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios. Available for pre-order now, this audiophile edition of Cosmo’s Factory comes housed in a tip-on jacket, replicating the original packaging.
Released on July 16, 1970, Cosmo’s Factory remarkably stood as Creedence Clearwater Revival’s fifth full-length in two-years. The album, which borrowed its name from drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford (who often referred to the band’s practice space as “The Factory”), followed a highly prolific year for CCR, in which the Berkeley, CA band released three Billboard Top Ten albums in 12 months. Cosmo’s Factory would continue the group’s momentum, taking Clifford, frontman John Fogerty, guitarist Tom Fogerty, and bassist Stu Cook to the height of their success. For the second time, Creedence topped the album chart in the US, while they scored their first No. 1 in the UK, Canada, and Australia, among other territories, firmly cementing their status as international rock stars.
The album also found CCR expanding their sonic territory, with tracks like the seven minute-long psychedelic jam, “Ramble Tamble,” a gritty, 11 minute-long rendition of Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” and the twangy “Lookin’ out My Back Door,” which was a nod to the “Bakersfield Sound” of West Coast country artists like Buck Owens. The folk-tinged “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” meanwhile, harkens back to the era of the Vietnam War, as does the blues-rocker “Run Through the Jungle,” which has been used in a myriad of films, TV, and video games.
Now, a half-century after its release, Cosmo’s Factory will gain a new vibrancy, thanks to the exacting process of half-speed mastering. Using high-res transfers from the original analog tapes, the mastering process involves playing back the audio at half its recorded speed, while the cutting lathe is turned at half the desired playback speed. The technique allows more time to cut a micro-precise groove, resulting in more accuracy with frequency extremes and dynamic contrasts. The result on the turntables is an exceptional level of sonic clarity and punch. This special pressing was previously available only as part of CCR’s collectible, seven-LP Studio Albums Collection box set.
Click here to stream Cosmo’s Factory or pre-order the half-speed mastered vinyl. Special bundles, including an exclusive cover art t-shirt, are available through the Craft Recordings store.
Continuing celebrations around the 50th anniversary of Glastonbury Festival this year, R.E.M.’s historic headline set from the Pyramid Stage in 1999 will be released globally next Thursday (August 6). Fans can tune in for the YouTube premiere at 8:00pm BST / 3:00pm EST here.
On June 25, 1999, shortly into their European Summer tour and at the end of a long, sunny day in Somerset, England, R.E.M. took the iconic Pyramid Stage around 10:30 pm following earlier performances from Blondie, Bush and Hole, amongst others. Michael Stipe recalls, “Hole did such a great set, I was like—I’ve got to ramp this up, I’ve got to be great. I think it was maybe a moment for R.E.M. and the UK where we had kind of been forgotten or pushed aside by younger bands, and that was a particular moment at Glastonbury where I think we pulled ourselves back to the front of the line and actually proved, this is what we’re capable of. It was a great show for us!”
Backed by simple flashing neon signs, the band presented a well-balanced selection of old and new songs, including “Daysleeper,” “The One I Love,” “Losing My Religion,” “Everybody Hurts,” “Man on the Moon” and “Its the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine).”
Glastonbury Festival co-organizer Emily Eavis said the recent UK-specific airing of the show at the end of June “brought back so many memories and emotions – it was a great, great gig. What a band!” “I felt triumphant every time we played Glastonbury. The band really stepped up. It’s such a beloved and legendary event that, y’know, whatever stars are aligned for us personally and as a group; we managed to show the best of ourselves at each of the shows we played there,” Stipe adds.
Audio from this headline set was recently released as part of the band’s R.E.M. at the BBC collection. Fans globally can now experience the entire BBC broadcast of R.E.M.’s 1999 Glastonbury performance—beginning Thursday, August 6 at 8:00pm BST / 3:00pm EST and remaining live for a limited 72 hour window only—on YouTube here.
Craft Recordings is pleased to announce Roy Clark’s Greatest Hits—the defining and only collection of original hit recordings currently in print from one of country music’s most beloved personalities—is making its first appearance on CD and streaming services featuring 18 tracks. Set for release on September 18th and available to pre-order beginning today (8/3), the compilation showcases the Grand Ole Opry member’s ability to break new ground in country music and beyond.
Roy Clark (1933–2018) was not only a beloved personality on film and TV but also an influential figure in country music—helping to bring his genre to the masses. Born in Meherrin, Virginia, Clark first picked up a guitar at age 13, by age 14 had won two national banjo championships, and by 17 had made a guest appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. His prolific playing and ability to put a smile on everyone’s faces coalesced when he made his television debut as lead guitarist in the house band for Country Style, which would go on to become The Jimmy Dean Show, before finding success as a solo performer when he recorded a cover of Bill Anderson’s “The Tips of My Fingers,” which became his first Top Ten Hot Country single.
Over his 6-decade spanning career, the award-winning guitarist and banjoist scored multiple Top Ten Hot Country singles, such as the pop crossover smash hit “Yesterday, When I Was Young,” which charted for 25 weeks and peaked at number 8 on Billboard, “Thank God and Greyhound,” and the number 1 hit “Come Live With Me”—all of which are included on Greatest Hits. Clark, who was a frequent guest-host for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show, continued to see his star rise in 1969 when he became the co-host for Hee Haw—a variety show featuring country acts and comedy sketches centered on rural culture. As a host on Hee Haw from 1969 to 1997, Clark enjoyed a viewership of 30 million. Earning the respect of his peers, Clark would win CMA Entertainer of the Year in ’73 and Musician of the Year in ’77, ’78 and ’80. Throughout the ’70s and ’80s, Clark toured regularly, playing to packed theaters around the world—including 18 sold-out nights in the former USSR.
Clark’s legacy as a renowned multi-instrumentalist and entertainer crisscrossed the country world and beyond. Longtime reissue producer Laurence Zwisohn, who also penned the liner notes for the new compilation, shares: “Roy left behind an outstanding reputation as a musician, singer and comedian—a complete entertainer. He had earned the respect of his fellow performers and the affection of international audiences that always walked away from his concerts well entertained and with a smile on their faces. His was a life well-lived.” Notable country icons such as Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Charlie Daniels and Ray Benson have cited Clark as an inspiration, as well as guitarist John 5 (Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson). The GRAMMY® Award-winning artist was later inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009 before his passing in 2018 at his adopted home of Tulsa, Oklahoma. 2019 brought renewed interest in Clark’s work, as he was posthumously featured in the Ken Burns–produced documentary mini-series, Country Music, chronicling the history and prominence of country music in American culture.
Click here to pre-order Roy Clark’s Greatest Hits.
Tracklisting:
1. Tips Of My Fingers
2. Yesterday, When I Was Young
3. Right Or Left At Oak Street
4. Then She's A Lover
5. I Never Picked Cotton
6. Thank God And Greyhound
7. Magnificent Sanctuary Band
8. The Lawrence Welk-Hee Haw Counter-Revolution Polka
Craft Recordings is pleased to announce a one-time vinyl pressing of the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s beloved jazz and holiday album, A Charlie Brown Christmas, which will include a bonus lenticular print of the original 1965 album cover featuring Charles Schulz’s iconic illustration to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Peanuts. Immediately available for pre-order or purchase, the LP has been pressed on a range of colors and picture discs for participating retailers.
A Charlie Brown Christmas, certified 4X Platinum by the RIAA in 2016, is one of the best-selling jazz albums in history, second only to Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue; and it’s no surprise—Guaraldi’s engaging score to the synonymous holiday television special has introduced generations of children and their parents to the joys of jazz music, with tracks like the instantly recognizable “Linus and Lucy,” and yuletide favorite “Christmas Time Is Here.” The album was inducted into the GRAMMY® Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry five years later, and continues to be a perennial favorite, thanks to annual airings of the Christmas TV special.
A native of San Francisco, Vince Guaraldi became one of America’s most successful jazz artists during the course of his lifetime. Though Guaraldi’s legacy is most famously tied to his association with Peanuts, he was already an established, GRAMMY® Award-winning artist by the time that producer Lee Mendelson tapped him to score the first of many animated specials based on the comic strip by Charles Schulz. In a 2003 interview, excerpted from the biography Vince Guaraldi at the Piano (Derrick Bang; McFarland Books), Mendelson declared, “There was no doubt in my mind that if we hadn’t had that Guaraldi score, we wouldn’t have had the franchise we later enjoyed.”
A Charlie Brown Christmas is available from these fine retail partners: here
For more information on A Charlie Brown Christmas, please visit the online media kit: here
Craft Recordings is set to reissue three best-selling albums from the GRAMMY® Award-winning Americana trio, Nickel Creek: Nickel Creek (2000), This Side (2002), and Why Should the Fire Die? (2005). Set for a November 6th release date and available for pre-order today, each audiophile-quality reissue is housed in a double-disc, gatefold jacket. Additionally, the band will offer exclusive editions of each title on their website, limited to 500 copies each. These include Nickel Creek, pressed on translucent opal vinyl, This Side, on marbled mahogany, and Why Should the Fire Die? in a translucent gold and red marbled variant. All albums were cut at 45RPM and have been pressed on 180-gram vinyl at MPO, featuring mastering from the original tapes or high-resolution sources by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering. The hi-resolution audio for each album will also be made digitally available for the first time album (192/24 for Why Should the Fire Die?, 96/24 for This Side and 48/24 for Nickel Creek), mastered by Paul Blakemore and releasing October 2nd.
Consisting of siblings Sara and Sean Watkins, plus Chris Thile, Nickel Creek formed in 1989, when all three multi-instrumentalist members were under the age of 13. Along with Chris’ father, bassist Scott Thile, the group built a following in their native San Diego, and soon became regulars on the bluegrass festival circuit, releasing two records on their own in the ’90s. At the turn of the millennium, the band signed with the iconic Americana imprint, Sugar Hill. There, they caught the ears of bluegrass star Alison Krauss, who would become a mentor to the young musicians and produce their next two albums.
The trio’s self-titled 2000 release celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. While the band’s earlier recordings showed off their musical prowess, they considered Nickel Creek to be their official debut – presenting Nickel Creek as the progressive bluegrass act that they had matured into over the years. By now, the group not only found inspiration from contemporary roots acts like Krauss and Béla Fleck, but also incorporated elements of rock, alternative, jazz, and even classical music into their arrangements. Featuring both traditional and original material, Nickel Creek showcased the trio’s unique style, as well as the deft songwriting skills of Chris and Sean on songs like “The Lighthouse’s Tale,” “Ode to a Butterfly,” and “Pastures New.”
The timing of Nickel Creek couldn’t have been better. It landed in record stores just months ahead of O Brother, Where Art Thou? – the popular Cohen Brothers film, which was underscored by traditional American folk music. The film’s chart-topping soundtrack included performances from a variety of major roots artists and sparked a resurgence of the genre’s popularity.
Nickel Creek, meanwhile, quickly gained momentum. It peaked at No.13 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, and would eventually be certified Platinum by the RIAA. The album garnered multiple GRAMMY® and CMA nominations and launched a host of opportunities for the group, who shared the stage with Lyle Lovett, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, and Dolly Parton, among others.
Two decades on, Nickel Creek is considered by many to be a groundbreaking title in Americana music. A recent NPR retrospective on the band declared that the album “seemed to speak all these languages at once: unafraid to push the boundaries of its primary genre, and packing the musical chops to bring such an eclectic vision to life.” Nickel Creek, they added, offered “a critical point along a storied timeline, one whose innovations offer countless connections between the genre's origins and its future.”
Energized by the success of their debut, the busy trio reunited with Krauss to record their 2002 follow-up, This Side. Both Sean and Chris – who had each released solo albums in the interim – continued to flex their writing skills, with songs like “Speak,” “Smoothie Song,” and “This Side,” which served as the album’s lead single. The LP also garnered buzz in the indie world, thanks to a cover of Pavement’s “Spit on a Stranger.” Both fans and critics embraced This Side, which debuted in the Billboard 200 Top 20, and peaked at No.2 on the Top Country Albums chart. Billboard called This Side, “an exhilarating blend of musical versatility, ambitious melodies, and virtuosity that is at times jaw-dropping,” while AllMusic proclaimed that “This Side solidifies Nickel Creek’s position as the single most original and inventive bluegrass band to emerge in the early ’00s.” Certified Gold by the RIAA, This Side also scored the group a GRAMMY® Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.
As Nickel Creek integrated more rock and pop elements into their music, they went in a new direction with their next record – enlisting Eric Valentine (Taking Back Sunday, Good Charlotte, Queens of the Stone Age) and industry veteran Tony Berg to produce the album. While Valentine’s lengthy credits in punk, alt-rock, and pop might have made the producer seem like an unlikely match, Why Should the Fire Die? proved to be the group’s most ambitious effort yet. Featuring nearly all original material, save for a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Tomorrow Is a Long Time,” the 2005 album included such favorites as “When in Rome,” “Helena,” the instrumental “Scotch & Chocolate,” and “Jealous Moon,” which Thile co-wrote with The Jayhawk’s Gary Louris. Darker and more introspective than their previous material, Why Should the Fire Die? garnered the band wide acclaim. The BBC praised the group’s “sheer musical brilliance,” while Entertainment Weekly proclaimed, “if O Brother, Where Art Thou? cracked open the door to bluegrass’ past for a new generation, Nickel Creek are bent on giving it a future.” The album once again hit the Billboard 200’s Top 20 and earned the group two GRAMMY® nominations.
In 2006, Nickel Creek announced an indefinite hiatus and embarked on their Farewell (For Now) tour in 2007. The still startlingly young bandmates needed time to grow – musically and personally – and explore new artistic endeavors. Chris went on to form Punch Brothers, and collaborate with a wide variety of artists. More recently, he was named host of Live From Here (formerly A Prairie Home Companion). Sara embarked on a successful solo career and, in 2016, co-founded I’m With Her, alongside Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan. Sean, meanwhile, formed the duo Fiction Family, released several solo LPs, and found success scoring music for film and tv, including Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias. Sara and Sean also established the Watkins Family Hour – initially as an informal variety show at Los Angeles’ Largo Theatre. In 2015, the siblings – along with the likes of Fiona Apple, Benmont Tench, and Soul Coughing’s Sebastian Steinberg – transformed their popular show into an eponymous studio album.
But that wasn’t the end of Nickel Creek. In 2014, the bandmates reunited to celebrate their 25th anniversary – proving their boundless talent and enduring appeal as they recorded a new, best-selling album with Eric Valentine (A Dotted Line) and embarked on an extensive, sold-out tour. They would reunite again in 2019 for performances at Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theatre (captured for Thile’s Live From Here radio show) and New York’s Carnegie Hall.
Click here to pre-order all three LPs (Nickel Creek, This Side and Why Should the Fire Die?) now.
Craft Recordings is thrilled to announce a deluxe CD edition of Come Go With Me: The Stax Collection. The acclaimed box set, which was previously released on vinyl digital formats, celebrates one of music’s greatest gospel and soul groups, The Staple Singers. Available for pre-order today, and set for a November 13th release, Come Go With Me presents all of the group’s studio albums released on the iconic Memphis label, spanning 1968–1974, and features the Staples’ biggest hits, including “I’ll Take You There,” “Respect Yourself” and “If You’re Ready (Come Go with Me).” Each album was remastered from the original analog masters by Jeff Powell at Take Out Vinyl, while the seventh disc offers rarities, non-album singles and live recordings from the legendary 1972 Wattstax music festival. Housed in a slipcase, the seven-disc collection also includes a booklet with archival photos and liner notes from American music specialist and curator Levon Williams (formerly of the Stax Museum and the National Museum of African American Music), and folklorist, ethnomusicologist and writer Dr. Langston Wilkins.
Released on vinyl and digital platforms earlier this year (in February), Come Go With Me: The Stax Collection received strong praise from such outlets as Uncut, Mojo and Paste, the latter of which wrote, “this marvelous run of records sound brand new in these new all-analog pressings, with the earthy tang of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and the Bar-Kays horn section ripping out of the speakers with hip-shaking fervor... This is a milestone of American musical history, treated with the appropriate levels of respect and reverence.” All six of the Staple Singers’ albums with Stax were also made available in hi-res 24-bit/192 kHz and 24-bit/96 kHz formats for the first time.
By the time that the Staple Singers signed to Stax in 1968, the family quartet—helmed by patriarch Roebuck “Pops” Staples, with daughters Cleotha and Mavis, and son Pervis (later replaced by his sister Yvonne)—had long graduated from the gospel circuit. The Chicago group had become well known in the counterculture and folk scenes and were performing alongside major rock acts like Big Brother and the Holding Company and the Grateful Dead. The Staples had also become formidable voices in the Civil Rights movement, and many of their songs preached a message of empowerment and racial equality.
In the fall of ’68, the group went into the studio to record their first album for Stax, Soul Folk in Action, working with producer Steve Cropper and songwriter Homer Banks. The sessions were set against a backdrop of social and political turmoil, which climaxed with the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis. The Staple Singers were known for writing politically charged “message songs,” and the year’s events certainly inspired many of the tracks on this album, including “Long Walk to D.C.” and “The Ghetto.” In their liner notes, Levon Williams and Langston Wilkins write that both of these songs “Truly tapped into the experiences and emotions of Black America at the close of the ’60s. The former is a tribute to the 1963 March on Washington told from the perspective of a poor yet hopeful African American person willing to use their last dimes to make it to the rally … Conversely, the somber and haunting ‘The Ghetto’ takes listeners deep into the isolation and despair of inner-city life.” Also notable to this album are stunning covers of The Band’s “The Weight” and Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” recorded in tribute to the fallen Stax star, who died tragically just a year earlier in a plane crash. The Staple Singers returned to the studio with Cropper the following year to record We’ll Get Over (1970). Highlights include the standout message song “When Will We Be Paid,” as well as covers of tracks like Sly & the Family Stone’s “Everyday People” and Gladys Knight & the Pips’ “The End of the Road.”
Though both Soul Folk in Action and We’ll Get Over carried powerful messages and tight-knit harmonies, neither had commercial success. And so, for the band’s third album, Stax co-president Al Bell (who signed the band) took the helm as producer. Williams and Wilkins note that “As a long-time DJ, Bell’s ear for what moves Black listeners, both literally and metaphorically, had been keenly crafted over several years. Bell hosted shows that had both sacred and secular followings and had amassed a wealth of experience from watching, noting and deeply understanding the impact music has on varied audiences. His ear was essentially priceless.”
With support from the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (also known as “The Swampers”), the Staple Singers found a winning team with Bell, and the resulting album, 1971’s The Staple Swingers, would be their first charting record, peaking at No. 9 on Billboard’s top R&B albums. The LP offered a funkier sound from the group, with high-energy singles like “Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom Boom)” and the Smokey Robinson cover “You’ve Got to Earn It.”
The group reunited with the Swampers and Bell for 1972’s Be Altitude: Respect Yourself, an album that transformed the Staple Singers into mainstream stars. Peaking at No. 19 on the Billboard 200, the groove-filled album featured the Staples’ first No. 1 hit—the infectious “I’ll Take You There,” and “Respect Yourself,” a song which Williams and Wilkins declare “encapsulates the Staple Singers’ entire career.” The powerful message song not only resonated with African Americans but also with many women across the country as they, too, fought for equal opportunity.
The group’s 1973 follow-up, Be What You Are, featured the Top Ten hit “If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me),” popular single "Touch a Hand, Make a Friend” and the sweetly harmonized “Love Comes in All Colors,” while the Staple Singers’ final album with Stax—1974’s City in the Sky—includes such highlights as the politically charged “Washington We’re Watching You,” “Back Road into Town” and “Who Made the Man,” which marked a return to the group’s gospel roots.
The final disc in Come Go With Me: The Stax Collection offers a selection of live tracks from the Staple Singers’ energetic performance at Wattstax, as well as B-sides like “Stay With Us,” non-album singles like “Oh La De Da” and rarities that include “Walking in Water Over Our Head” and “Trippin’ on Your Love.”
Following their time at Stax, the Staple Singers continued to tour and record throughout the ’70s and early ’80s. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 and received a GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. In recent years, Mavis Staples has been back in the spotlight—headlining tours and reaching a new generation of fans with her solo records. In 2016, she was the subject of a documentary (Mavis!) and ended the year as a Kennedy Center Honoree.
Click here to pre-order the 7-CD set Come Go With Me: The Stax Collection
Special exclusive bundles, including a Stax t-shirt, available via the Stax Store
Track Listing - Come Go With Me: The Stax Collection (CD edition):
Soul Folk in Action
1. We’ve Got to Get Ourselves Together
2. (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay
3. Top of the Mountain
4. Slow Train
5. The Weight
6. Long Walk to D.C.
7. Got to Be Some Changes Made
8. The Ghetto
9. People, My People
10. I See It
11. This Year
We’ll Get Over
1. We’ll Get Over
2. Give a Damn
3. Everyday People
4. The End of Our Road
5. Tend to Your Own Business
6. Solon Bushi (Japanese Folk Song)
7. The Challenge
8. God Bless the Children
9. Games People Play
10. A Wednesday in Your Garden
11. The Gardener
12. When Will We Be Paid
The Staple Swingers
1. This Is a Perfect World
2. What’s Your Thing
3. You’ve Got to Earn It
4. You’re Gonna Make Me Cry
5. Little Boy
6. How Do You Move a Mountain
7. Almost
8. I’m a Lover
9. Love Is Plentiful
10. Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom-Boom)
11. I Like the Things About You
12. Give a Hand – Take a Hand
Be Altitude: Respect Yourself
1. This World
2. Respect Yourself
3. Name the Missing Word
4. I’ll Take You There
5. This Old Town (People in This Town)
6. We the People
7. Are You Sure
8. Who Do You Think You Are? (Jesus Christ the Super Star)
9. I’m Just Another Soldier
10. Who
Be What You Are
1. Be What You Are
2. If You’re Ready (Come Go with Me)
3. Medley: Love Comes in All Colors / Tellin’ Lies
4. Touch a Hand, Make a Friend
5. Drown Yourself
6. I Ain’t Raisin’ No Sand
7. Grandma’s Hands
8. Bridges Instead of Walls
9. I’m on Your Side
10. That’s What Friends Are For
11. Heaven
City in the Sky
1. Back Road Into Town
2. City in the Sky
3. Washington We’re Watching You
4. Something Ain’t Right
5. Today Was Tomorrow Yesterday
6. My Main Man
7. There Is a God
8. Blood Pressure
9. If It Ain’t One Thing It’s Another
10. Who Made the Man
11. Getting Too Big for Your Britches
Bonus Disc: Singles, Live & More
1. Stay With Us
2. Brand New Day (Theme from The Landlord)
3. Walking in Water Over Your Head
4. Oh La De Da
5. I Got to Be Myself
6. Trippin’ on Your Love
7. Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom-Boom) (Live at Wattstax)
Celebrated archival label Light In The Attic Records (LITA) is proud to announce a year-long campaign to honor the enduring legacy of singer, actress, activist, and cultural icon Nancy Sinatra, who recently entered her eighth decade ─ sixth as a world-wide household name and positive force for culture change, both at home and abroad. LITA will pay homage to Sinatra’s pioneering music career with a selection of archival releases and full-album reissues, including a definitive new collection, Nancy Sinatra: Start Walkin’ 1965-1976.
Available to pre-order today (10/21) and due out February 5th on vinyl, CD, and across digital platforms, Start Walkin’ surveys Sinatra’s most prolific period over 1965-1976, including her revered collaborations with Lee Hazlewood, over 23 tracks. Remastered from the original analog tapes by the GRAMMY®-nominated engineerJohn Baldwin, the collection is complemented by liner notes penned by Amanda Petrusich (author and music critic at The New Yorker), featuring insightful new interviews with Sinatra, as well as a Q&A with archivist and GRAMMY®-nominated reissue co-producerHunter Lea. The CD edition comes housed in a hardcover book (featuring over 60 full-color pages) and the two-disc vinyl set is presented in a gatefold jacket (featuring a 24-page booklet), with different color editions available exclusively at NancySinatra.com, LightInTheAttic.net, and independent record stores. Plus, a 2021 Nancy Sinatra Calendar is available beginning today as part of the Start Walkin’ deluxe pre-order or as a stand-alone purchase on NancySinatra.com.
Additionally, LITA will reissue a selection of albums from Sinatra’s rich catalog, including her 1966 debut, Boots, plus her first record with Hazlewood, 1968’s Nancy & Lee, and follow-up, 1972’s Nancy & Lee Again. Featuring newly-remastered audio, each title will be available on vinyl, CD, and across digital platforms. The rollout launches November 27th with a 7-inch single (featuring “Some Velvet Morning” backed with “Tired Of Waiting For You”) being released exclusively for Record Store Day’s Black Friday event. Coinciding with the launch of the campaign is the first-ever official online BOOTIQUE (featuring limited-edition merchandise, vinyl, and autographed items) on NancySinatra.com.
Nancy also co-host’s SiriusXM’s channel Siriusly Sinatra, featuring her weekly “Nancy For Frank” show where she treats listeners to her favorite recordings by her dad and other artists singing from the pages of the songbook that helped Frank become the greatest vocalist of all time. In addition, the show features rare recordings from the family archives and Nancy offers reflections on her life with her dad and observations about his music. On the October 25th episode of the show, Nancy will air a special segment featuring her discussing the Record Store Day exclusive 7-inch and how this collaboration with Light In The Attic came about. The segment will re-air on October 27th, November 29th and December 1st plus, in the new year Nancy will be airing another segment, discussing the compilation, around its release.
Equal parts strong, sultry, and savvy, Sinatra has long been ahead of her time – both in her choices as an artist and as a business-woman. Unapologetically, the singer established her own path early-on and paved the way for decades of female artists to come – all while firmly maintaining control over her career, her image, and her music.
As the eldest daughter of Frank Sinatra, Nancy was born into the spotlight. At 19, she made her professional debut in front of millions of Americans, appearing alongside her father and Elvis Presley on the television special Welcome Home Elvis. Not long after, she released a series of singles. But those demure recordings didn’t reflect the real Nancy Sinatra – that Nancy would be re-introduced to the world just a few years later, thanks to an unlikely musical partnership with songwriter and producer Lee Hazlewood.
When the two artists had their initial meeting in 1965, Sinatra was newly-divorced and struggling to score a hit record amid the changing musical landscape. At the urging of her label, she met with Hazlewood – a 36-year-old songsmith from Oklahoma who had found success writing for guitarist Duane Eddy. Hazlewood auditioned material for Sinatra, including a song called “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’”, which he originally intended to record himself.
Sinatra, however, saw the song in a different light. Petrusich explains in her liner notes that the singer “understood that a man brazenly chastising his partner for her misbehavior and threatening retribution…was too ugly and portentous for pop radio. When a woman performed the track – and Sinatra sang it with a kind of playful, admonishing growl – it became an empowerment anthem, promising dignity and control in the face of betrayal. There’s something nearly flirtatious in her delivery: you’re trouble, but I’m trouble, too. Somehow, she made ‘Boots’ radical.”
With Hazlewood as producer, Sinatra went into the studio with Billy Strange and other members of the legendary Wrecking Crew to record the song – along with a handful of pop covers and originals – for her debut album, Boots. Gone was the prim brunette singer and in her place was a confident, fashion-forward new star, with a commanding contralto voice and eye-catching platinum hair.
Released in 1966, Boots was a Top 5 album, thanks to its brazen title track. Sinatra scored a No.1 hit on both sides of the Atlantic with “Boots,” which earned three GRAMMY® nominations and sold over a million copies of the single. As a testament to its enduring, multi-generational appeal, “Boots” has inspired countless covers throughout the decades, including those by Loretta Lynn, Kacey Musgraves, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Jessica Simpson.
While “Boots” became Sinatra’s signature song, she and Hazlewood were just at the beginning of their creative journey. Soon, they returned to the studio, notching two more Top Ten hits with “Sugar Town” and “How Does That Grab You, Darlin?”, and recorded their first of many duets, titled “Sand,” for Sinatra’s sophomore effort How Does That Grab You? (1966), which also featured a cover of the Sonny Bono-penned tune “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” ─ a breakthrough hit for Cher earlier that year. Accompanied only by Billy Strange on guitar, Sinatra’s sparse rendition stood in stark contrast to Cher’s orchestrated arrangement. Decades later, the haunting recording gained a new legion of fans when it appeared in the opening credits of Quentin Tarantino’s 2003 film, Kill Bill Volume 1.
As Sinatra’s star continued to rise, she was tapped to perform the theme song to the 1967 James Bond film, You Only Live Twice. A rare honor, Sinatra traveled to London for the session, where she worked with film composer John Barry. Not long after, she recorded a stripped-down, single version of the song with Hazlewood.
Each time Sinatra recorded a new album, the tracklist inevitably contained a duet or two with Hazlewood, including “Summer Wine” (Nancy in London) as well as “Jackson,” and “Oh Lonesome Me” (Country, My Way). It was a natural evolution, then, for Sinatra and Hazlewood to release entire albums together. The first was 1968’s Nancy & Lee, which blended country, rock, psychedelia, and pop on tracks like “Some Velvet Morning” and “Lady Bird.” They followed with 1972’s Nancy & Lee Again, which boasted such highlights as “Paris Summer” and “Arkansas Coal.”
Over the years, these offbeat duet albums have become lauded cult classics. Pitchfork included Nancy & Lee on their “Best Albums of the 1960s” roundup, while NPR proclaimed that “[Sinatra’s] work on Nancy & Lee not only is some of the best that she's ever recorded, but it proved that she would hardly allow herself to be pigeonholed…. She made it clear that she was capable of so much more.” Though Hazlewood’s relocation to Sweden at the turn of the ‘70s would halt the progress of further collaborations, the duo reunited sporadically over the years, including in 1976 for a dreamy cover of “(L’été Indien) Indian Summer,” available today as a single on all digital platforms.
In the mid-70s, Sinatra made the conscious decision to step back from the industry and focus on her family. Although she would return to the studio in the ‘90s, the artist had already amassed an impressive catalog in less than a decade – including seven solo albums and her two collaborations with Hazlewood. Sinatra’s legacy, however, continued to grow, as new generations discovered her music. Over the years, she has been cited as an influence by countless artists, including Sonic Youth, Morrissey, Calexico, U2, and Lana Del Rey. Most recently, Sinatra’s contributions to the industry were further recognized by her peers, when “Boots” was inducted into the GRAMMY® Hall of Fame. The honor, bestowed in January of 2020, recognizes “musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance.”
Today, Sinatra continues to be a passionate voice for a variety of progressive causes – most notably her support of veterans. A self-proclaimed feminist, Sinatra’s advocacy also extends to her fellow female artists. Petrusich writes that Sinatra “has always insisted on owning all of her masters, a maneuver she learned from her father; she has since passed his counsel onto younger artists struggling to regain control of their work under unfair contracts.” In the liner notes, Sinatra recalls, “I gave that advice to Taylor Swift a couple of years ago. She was fighting for her masters and I said, ‘Keep fighting. You’ve got to. You have to have control of that product.’ I was proactive early on, and I still am.”
On April 2nd, Travis’ 1997 debut Good Feeling returns to vinyl in its original format for the first time, with classic sleeve and original packaging replication.
Available to pre-order today (2/11), the U.S. pressing is available only on standard weight black vinyl and the UK pressing is available on 180-gram heavyweight black vinyl, plus an exclusive limited-edition red vinyl version is available for pre-order via the Travis official store and UK independent record shops.
Good Feeling was produced by Steve Lillywhite (U2, The Rolling Stones, Morrissey, Peter Gabriel), who teased out the anthemic hooks of the group’s debut single, “All I Want to Do Is Rock,” and helped them craft their breakthrough hit, “More Than Us,” which went Top 20 in the spring of 1998. Taking Travis into the Top 10 of the UK albums charts, Good Feeling also included the Top 40 singles “U16 Girls,” “Happy” and “Tied to the 90’s.”
On welcoming Good Feeling back into the world, frontman Fran Healy reflects: “In December 1996, just out of Woodstock in Upstate New York, Travis assembled in the legendary Bearsville Studios with the legendary producer Steve Lilllywhite to begin recording their debut album Good Feeling. Hailed at the time as one of the debuts of the year by the legendary music critic Andy Gill, Good Feeling is us at our rawest. We’re extremely happy to be reissuing it on vinyl for you all.”
Unavailable since its first release, the original version of “More Than Us” is also now available to stream worldwide.
This Women’s History Month, Craft Recordings is celebrating one of the most inspiring women in jazz, Abbey Lincoln, with a special reissue of her landmark LP, Abbey Is Blue. In stores May 28th and available for pre-order today, the 1959 album has been meticulously remastered from its original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI.
The moving title—which will also be released in stunning, hi-res digital audio—features an all-star line-up of musicians, including Max Roach, Kenny Dorham, Stanley Turrentine, Philly Joe Jones, Wynton Kelly, and Sam Jones.
Abbey Lincoln (1930–2010) was more than just one of the great jazz vocalists. She was also a passionate activist in the civil rights movement, an accomplished songwriter, a talented actress, and an inspiring teacher. Born Anna Marie Wooldridge, Lincoln honed her skills as a club singer, performing in Los Angeles under a variety of stage names. Influenced by the likes of Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong, Lincoln possessed a distinctive and deeply emotive voice—one that quickly caught the attention of industry insiders. By the mid-1950s, she had landed a recording contract with the renowned New York jazz label, Riverside Records.
Lincoln’s three albums for Riverside, recorded between 1957–1959, found the artist pushing her creative boundaries and working alongside such innovative contemporaries as Sonny Rollins, Philly Joe Jones, Benny Golson, and her future husband, Max Roach. 1959’s Abbey Is Blue marked Lincoln’s fourth studio album and final recording with Riverside. A standout title in Lincoln’s prolific body of work, Abbey Is Blue took a stark turn from her earlier releases, which typically consisted of standards from the Great American Songbook. As the title suggests, Abbey Is Blue finds the singer solemn and reflective, singing about the harsh realities of the world. Her vocal talents, meanwhile, are on display, as Lincoln soulfully embodies the lyrical content of her songs.
According to Riverside co-founder Orrin Keepnews, who co-produced the album, each track on Abbey Is Blue was carefully and consciously selected by Lincoln. They included the Kurt Weill/Langston Hughes-penned “Lonely House,” from the 1946 opera Street Scene, the cutting theme to the 1928 silent film Laugh, Clown, Laugh, and Mongo Santamaría’s jazz standard, “Afro Blue,” featuring lyrics by Oscar Brown.
Lincoln also performed one of her original compositions, “Let Up.” Decades later, in an interview with the National Endowment for the Arts (which awarded Lincoln with the Jazz Masters Award in 2003), the artist spoke about the song, recalling, “My life was really becoming oppressive. I was trying to be seen as a serious performer. And there were many people making snide, ugly remarks about [me].” Lincoln had had enough, and “Let Up” was a bold message to her critics.
Lincoln was also feeling oppressed by the discrimination that she and her fellow Black Americans faced daily. As the civil rights movement of the ’60s was brewing, Abbey Is Blue served as a precursor to her work as an activist. The following year, she would collaborate on the incendiary We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite. While Abbey Is Blue found the singer lamenting injustice, however, We Insist! faced it boldly and unflinchingly.
In his original liner notes for Abbey Is Blue, Keepnews mused, “…the truest image of sorrow, the bitterest taste of loneliness, the deepest shades of blue—such things are apt to be most haunting and most moving when a woman gives them voice. In this album, Abbey Lincoln proves once again that this is true.”
He added, “It is certainly the best singing by far that Abbey has done on record, and I think now—as I did much of the time while it was being recorded—that it stands up as among the most effective and moving albums that any singer has created in a long time.”
Craft Recordings announces a vinyl reissue of the PEANUTS classic, A Boy Named Charlie Brown. Featuring nine evocative cues from the Vince Guaraldi Trio, the album has been newly remastered from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio.
In stores July 16 and available for pre-order today, the LP also includes a special bonus: eight collectible baseball cards that showcase Charlie Brown’s team of misfits: Snoopy, Woodstock, Peppermint Patty, Linus and Lucy Van Pelt, Franklin Armstrong, Schroeder, and, of course, manager and pitcher, Charlie Brown. On the back of the cards are key stats for each player, including their field position and favorite sandwich.
A Boy Named Charlie Brown will also be offered in three colorful variants, including a green-grass pressing at Target, a sky-blue version for Vinyl Me Please, plus a special baseball mitt-brown edition at the Craft Recordings Store, limited to 350 units.
Additionally, one of the most memorable tracks off the album, the up-tempo “Baseball Theme,” will be available for the very first time as a standalone, 7-inch single—exclusively for Record Store Day 2021. Offering the original, 1964 soundtrack version of the song, plus an alternative studio take, the limited-edition release is pressed on white vinyl and housed in a colorful jacket, featuring whimsical, baseball-themed images of Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Visit recordstoreday.com for a list of participating indie retailers.
In the early ’60s, Bay Area jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi was a fast-rising star. A frequent collaborator of vibraphonist Cal Tjader’s, Guaraldi had broken out on his own just a few years prior, releasing several records as a leader. But it was 1962’s Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus that made Guaraldi a household name. Inspired by the French/Brazilian film Black Orpheus, the album featured both original material and covers from the Academy Award-winning picture, including Guaraldi’s instrumental composition, “Cast Your Fate to the Wind.” The song became a breakout hit across the country and earned the artist a GRAMMY® Award.
Concurrently, just across town, producer Lee Mendelson was working on a TV documentary about cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, the creator of the PEANUTS comic strip. But he was still searching for the perfect music to accompany the film. One afternoon, Mendelson caught “Cast Your Fate to the Wind” on the radio. As soon as he heard it, he knew Guaraldi was the man for the job.
His instinct was spot-on. Guaraldi’s sophisticated recordings—which also featured the talents of bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Colin Bailey—instantly brought the PEANUTS characters to life. In the 2012 book Vince Guaraldi at the Piano (Derrick Bang, McFarland & Company, Inc.), Mendelson recalled that the score “just blew me away. It was so right, and so perfect, for Charlie Brown and the other characters…There was a sense, even before it was put to animation, that there was something very, very special about that music.”
While the documentary—titled A Boy Named Charlie Brown—never made it to the airwaves, Guaraldi’s score was released by Fantasy Records as Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown in 1964. Several of the album’s compositions (including the iconic “Linus and Lucy”) appeared a year later in the hit TV special, A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Thanks to the massive popularity of the animated holiday classic—and its best-selling soundtrack—the score to A Boy Named Charlie Brown was reissued with the abbreviated title in 1972. By then, the growing PEANUTS animated franchise included multiple spinoffs, including Charlie Brown’s All Stars! (which featured “Baseball Theme”); It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; and You’re in Love, Charlie Brown.
The album was an instant success, thanks to such memorable tracks as the lilting “Oh, Good Grief,” the reflective “Happiness Is,” the lively “Charlie Brown Theme,” and the buoyant “Frieda (With the Naturally Curly Hair).” Guaraldi, meanwhile, would score a total of 15 PEANUTS specials during his lifetime, with 1976’s It’s Arbor Day, Charlie Brown being his final project. Just hours after completing the recording, Guaraldi died from a sudden heart attack. He was just 47.
While a massive gap was left in the PEANUTS music universe after his death, Guaraldi left behind an immeasurable legacy. Thanks to his vibrant music, generations of children have been introduced to the joys of jazz with every broadcast of the PEANUTS specials. Today, the passion for his enduring work continues to grow. His most popular title, A Charlie Brown Christmas, remains one of the best-selling holiday releases of all time and has the rare distinction of being one of only two jazz albums to be certified 4x platinum by the RIAA.
Craft Recordings announces an expanded, digital edition of John Linnell’s acclaimed cult favorite, State Songs. Out today across all major platforms, this special reissue includes the rarity “Louisiana,” available digitally for the very first time. The jovial track was initially released as a B-side on the 1999 vinyl single of “Montana”—a collectible die-cut record in the shape of the USA.
As one half of They Might Be Giants, Linnell has long been known for his surreal lyricism and absurdist alt-rock. The singer-songwriter brought both of these qualities—plus a myriad of melodic styles—to his solo debut, State Songs. First released in 1994 as a five-song EP, Linnell expanded the collection five years later, turning it into a high-spirited, 16-track tour across America.
In the album’s original press materials, Linnell offered a bit of background about State Songs’ theme: “I decided to start writing songs with the name of the states as a way of avoiding having to come up with song titles. I suddenly had fifty song titles and I could write fifty songs based on that.” He added, “One other reason I was interested in writing state anthems is because I like the style they usually employ…Sort of archaic and kind of square.”
The inventive State Songs is anything but square. In tracks like “New Hampshire,” “Utah,” “Mississippi,” and “The Songs of the 50 States,” Linnell employs a spectrum of instrumentation, including a vintage carousel organ, an accordion, an alto saxophone, and even a DustBuster. In each offbeat anthem, Linnell delivers amusing fictional tales and dubious facts. For instance, did you know that Montana once was a leg and that Iowa is actually a witch?
Upon its release on Zoë/Rounder Records, AllMusic praised that Linnell “masters every stylistic leap he takes; the tunes are all united by the catchy-as-the-clap melodies. You’re guaranteed to be continually amazed by the inventiveness and sheer beauty of his melody lines.”
Linnell (who was born in New York and raised in Massachusetts) continues to enjoy a prolific career with They Might Be Giants, which he formed with John Flansburgh in the early ‘80s. Since then, the duo has released more than 20 albums, including 1990’s platinum-selling Flood, which included hits “Birdhouse in Your Soul” and “Istanbul (Not Constantinople),” as well as the longtime fan favorite, “Particle Man.” Two-time Grammy winners, TMBG started with a Dial-A-Song service, powered by a lone phone answering machine out of their Brooklyn apartments. Since then they have made more than 20 albums, released countless Eps and live recordings, and have secretly infiltrated your TV with original themes and incidental music to numerous TV shows, movies, and commercials.
This fall, They Might Be Giants will release their 23rd studio album, BOOK. Available as a 144-page, cloth-bound hardcover book, BOOK will feature full-color photography by Brian Karlsson, paired with lyrics set in the style of poetry concrete by designer Paul Sahre.
Linnell, meanwhile, is readying for his first solo release in two decades, Roman Songs. As the title suggests, the EP is made up of songs written entirely in Latin. The first single from Roman Songs arrives in June via They Might Be Giants’ very own Idlewild Recordings.
Click here to stream or download the extended State Songs album, and stay tuned to They Might Be Giants in all spaces for more Linnell news coming soon.
This fall, Craft Recordings will celebrate Halloween with a collectible, pumpkin-shaped vinyl album featuring Vince Guaraldi’s evocative music from It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Pressed on orange wax, the 45-RPM LP features 17 selections from the 1966 animated TV special, including the timeless “Linus and Lucy,” “The Great Pumpkin Waltz,” and the ghoulish “Graveyard Theme.” Available for pre-order today and in stores on September 17th, the festive reissue also includes liner notes from PEANUTS historian Derrick Bang, plus a 2018 introduction from the late producer Lee Mendelson, who oversaw It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, among many other PEANUTS specials.
By the time that Vince Guaraldi entered the studio to score It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, he was well into a highly successful creative partnership with Lee Mendelson and the PEANUTS franchise. Just two years earlier, Mendelson had commissioned the Bay Area jazz artist to score a TV documentary about Charles M. Schulz, who created the popular PEANUTS comic strip. While the film, A Boy Named Charlie Brown, never aired, the duo reconvened a year later for A Charlie Brown Christmas. The animated special was an instant hit—as was its best-selling soundtrack. In June 1966, they followed with Charlie Brown’s All-Stars!, while It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown was slated for October.
The score for the Halloween special was recorded just weeks ahead of its airdate at Desilu’s Gower Street Studio in Hollywood. The pianist was accompanied by his trio sidemen—bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Colin Bailey—with additional instrumentation by an incredible lineup of talent, including Emmanuel “Mannie” Klein on trumpet, John Gray on guitar, and Ronald Lang on woodwinds.
While the music for the first two specials was managed entirely by Guaraldi, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown marked a new era in PEANUTS specials. This time, the seasoned composer, arranger, and conductor John Scott Trotter—best known for a three-decade run as Bing Crosby’s music director—was brought in to oversee the entire scoring process. As Derrick Bang notes, “the first two PEANUTS specials had been a learning process for all concerned…Trotter brought order to chaos.”
What didn’t change from the last two productions was the quality of Guaraldi’s spirited cues, which brought beloved characters like Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Sally, Lucy, Linus, and Schroeder to life. Underscoring much of the film is the sophisticated “Great Pumpkin Waltz” theme, inspired by Linus’ wholehearted belief in the supernatural squash. Ominous selections like “Breathless” create moody textures, while more whimsical tracks like “The Red Baron” add lightness.
“By this point, Guaraldi had a strong sense of how music could—and should—be employed to maximize the viewing audience’s emotional response,” explains Bang. “Guaraldi emphatically established the PEANUTS ‘musical personality’ with this third outing, and all subsequent prime-time specials owed much to the groovin’ atmosphere that is so prevalent in Great Pumpkin.”
Mendelson adds, “Vince’s score carries the gang with the autumn leaves, through the scary and cold Halloween night. This music comforts the indomitable faith of Linus, still waiting for his hero since 1966—forever in our ears, hearts, and memories.”
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown debuted on October 27, 1966, and captured an astonishing 49 percent of the audience share, meaning that nearly half of the TV-watching population was tuned into the PEANUTS special. Tying with Bonanza for first place, the special proved to be even more successful than the debut broadcast of A Charlie Brown Christmas. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown was also a critical success and earned a well-deserved Emmy nod the following year.
Unlike its yuletide predecessor, the soundtrack to It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown wasn’t initially made available. While select tracks were added to compilations over the decades, a comprehensive collection of music from It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown wasn’t released until 2018.
Vince Guaraldi, meanwhile, scored a total of 15 PEANUTS specials over his lifetime, with 1976’s It’s Arbor Day, Charlie Brown being his final project. Hours after completing the score, the 47-year-old suffered a sudden heart attack. Although a palpable void was felt for years after his death, Guaraldi left behind a vibrant—and enduring—catalog of music, while his work with PEANUTS introduced generations of children to jazz. His most popular title, A Charlie Brown Christmas, remains one of the best-selling holiday releases of all time and has the rare distinction of being one of only two jazz albums to be certified 4x platinum by the RIAA.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown tracklist:
Side A:
1. Linus and Lucy
2. Graveyard Theme
3. Snoopy and the Leaf/Frieda (With the Naturally Curly Hair)
4. The Great Pumpkin Waltz
5. Linus and Lucy (Reprise)
6. Charlie Brown Theme/Happy Linus
7. The Great Pumpkin Waltz (Reprise)
8. The Red Baron/Military Drum March
Side B:
1. The Great Pumpkin Waltz (2nd Reprise)
2. Trick or Treat
3. Fanfare/Breathless/Trick or Treat (Reprise)
4. Charlie Brown Theme (Reprise)
5. Breathless
6. It’s a Long Way to Tipperary/There’s a Long, Long Trail A-Winding/Pack up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag/Roses of Picardy
Light in the Attic Records proudly announces the next installment of their ongoing and widely acclaimed Country Funk compilation series: Various Artists - Country Funk Volume III (1975-1982). Previous releases in the series mined the swampy, fertile grounds of the late 1960s and early 1970s, but this time around, the compilation stretches into the 1970s and 1980s where the jeans are tighter, the hair is bigger and the disco ball spins along to a country-synth beat. Produced and compiled by Jason Morgan (Bay Area DJ/collector) and Patrick McCarthy (co-producer of Country Funk Volume I & II), the tracklist features regulars Dolly Parton, J.J. Cale, Larry Jon Wilson and Tony Joe White (whose track is released here for the first time) alongside new faces like Steven Soles, Gary & Sandy, Conway Twitty, Travis Wammack, Rob Galbraith, Brian Hyland, and so many more.
Available for pre-order beginning (7/1), Country Funk Volume III features brand-new original artwork by renowned artist J. William Myers (poster artist for Robert Altman’s Nashville, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson’s Waylon & Willie album, Charlie Daniels Band). The vinyl configuration will be available in both standard black wax and a special clear vinyl pressing with red and blue swirl, which will be housed in a special foil-stamped jacket. The compilation will also be available on CD and four songs will be available digitally. All configurations boast newly remastered audio.
Additionally, to celebrate the release, Light in the Attic will offer a limited run [a 50” x 60”] woven throw blanket featuring the J. William Myers original album cover. Also available will be Country Funk-branded dad hats and trucker hats. All Country Funk merchandise is available now for pre-order in the Light in the Attic online store.
To pair with the excitement around the new release in the series, Light in the Attic is proud to announce a special colored vinyl pressing of the release that started it all, Country Funk Volume I (1969-1972), which is available now for the first time ever.
More about Country Funk:
Country Funk 1969-1975, first released in 2012 and co-produced by Zach Cowie, Patrick McCarthy and Matt Sullivan, brought together a disparate group of artists that were neither bound by geography nor a shared ideology, but connected through the simple feel of their songs. Their sound wasn’t so much a genre, but a feeling - its sound both studio slick and barroom raw. Johnny Adams, Mac Davis, Dale Hawkins, Tony Joe White, Bobbie Gentry, Larry Jon Wilson, and many others shared commonalities that put them at home together on the same platter. Just two years later, Country Funk Volume II (1967-1974) arrived and heavy hitters like Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton and J.J. Cale shared barstools with the lesser known voices of Bill Wilson, Donnie Fritts and Thomas Jefferson Kaye.
With Country Funk Volume III 1975-1982, as the 1970s began to wane and the 1980s approached, the sonic pallet of the artists expanded to include disco beats, heavy Moog synth bass lines and more clavinet than you could shake a stick at, while retaining the essence of Country music and subject matter. This next chapter showcases artists continuing to buck traditional tropes and production while embracing modern soul, disco, and coked-up 80s synth pop. The horse still bucks, the band still funks, and well...the fire still burns….
Side One
Steven Soles - Shake The Dust
J. J. Cale - Nobody But You
Conway Twitty - Night Fires
Eddie Rabbit - One And Only On
Jerry Reed - Rhythm And Blues
Side Two
Dolly Parton - Sure Thing
Billy Swan - Oliver Swan
Rob Galbraith - I Got The Fever
Travis Wammack - Do Me
Side Three
Larry Jon Wilson - I Betcha Heaven’s On A Dirt Road
Gary & Sandy - Gonna Let You Have It
Brian Hyland - Hale To The Man
Tony Joe White - Alone At Last*
Side Four
Ronnie Milsap - Get It Up
Delbert McClinton - Shot From The Saddle
Terry Gibbs - Rich Man
Dennis Linde - Down To The Station
CD Tracklist:
Steven Soles - Shake The Dust
J. J. Cale - Nobody But You
Conway Twitty - Night Fires
Eddie Rabbit - One And Only One
Jerry Reed - Rhythm And Blues
Dolly Parton - Sure Thing
Billy Swan - Oliver Swan
Rob Galbraith - I Got The Fever
Travis Wammack - Do Me
Larry Jon Wilson - I Betcha Heaven’s On A Dirt Road
Craft Recordings is pleased to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Violent Femmes’ Why Do Birds Sing? with a reissue of the bestselling album from the folk-punk pioneers. Due out October 8th and available for pre-order beginning today, the deluxe 2-CD and digital formats will feature newly remastered audio, a trove of previously unreleased material (including alternative takes and outtakes), and a complete concert from 1991 (captured at The Boathouse in Norfolk, VA). The CD edition also offers new liner notes from acclaimed songwriter and journalist, Jeff Slate, who spoke in-depth with founding members Gordon Gano and Brian Ritchie about the making of the album. Fans can visit digital platforms today to pre-save the album or stream or download the advance single, “Me and You,” a track recorded during the album’s original recording sessions, but unreleased until now.
Also available is a vinyl reissue of the original 13-track album, featuring freshly remastered favorites like “American Music” and the band’s inspired cover of Culture Club’s “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me.” A limited pressing on translucent red vinyl will be available exclusively via the band’s website and CraftRecordings.com, while select indie record stores will offer a smoke-colored edition.
The bonus-filled CD and digital editions offer early versions of songs that wound up on later albums, including a stripped-down version of “Color Me Once,” which was later released on The Crow (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), as well as original takes of “4 Seasons” and “Breaking Up” from the band’s 1994 album, New Times. Rounding out the unreleased material is an alternate mix of the song “American Music,” which is quite different from the album version. Also included is “Dance M.F. Dance!” which was originally released as a B-side internationally. Meanwhile, the live recording from The Boathouse concert in Norfolk, VA is being released in audio format for the first time (previously available only as part of the band’s 2005 DVD collection, Permanent Record: Live & Otherwise).
Born out of the Milwaukee underground, Violent Femmes—who are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year—formed in the early ‘80s by Gordon Gano (vocals, guitar), Brian Ritchie (bass), and Victor DeLorenzo (percussion). Blending jittery folk-rock and punk sensibilities with a heavy dose of teenage angst, the band gained a fervent fanbase, thanks to their 1983 self-titled debut. Several of the album’s enduring tracks, including “Blister in the Sun,” “Kiss Off,” “Gone Daddy Gone,” and “Please Do Not Go” became college radio hits and made the Violent Femmes one of the biggest alt-rock groups of the decade.
By the turn of the ‘90s, the Violent Femmes had released three more studio albums (1984’s Hallowed Ground, 1986’s The Blind Leading the Naked, and, after a brief hiatus, 1988’s 3). For their next effort, however, the newly reunited trio wanted to try something new and, as Ritchie tells Slate in the liner notes, “regain some of the energy that we had in the beginning.”
The first step was finding the right producer. Michael Beinhorn—a former member of the pioneering group Material, who went on to helm albums by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, and Soul Asylum—fit the bill. “Beinhorn was the most eccentric producer we met with,” Ritchie recalls. “More importantly, he understood our strengths as a trio, and the intimacy of the sound, and our improvisational nature, and wanted to focus on Gordon’s lyrics.”
As the band recorded Why Do Birds Sing?, they found themselves returning to their classic Violent Femmes-era sound, particularly with songs like “Out The Window” and “Look Like That.” They also revisited several compositions from their earliest days, including “Girl Trouble,” “Life is a Scream,” and “Flamingo Baby.” Additionally, upon Beinhorn’s urging, the band chose to record an unlikely cover: Culture Club’s 1982 hit, “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me.” “We took it as a challenge,” laughs Gano, who reworked the majority of the lyrics, making the song sound like a Violent Femmes original. Ritchie adds, “It was an experiment that turned out really well…in fact, we bumped into Boy George once in a hotel bar and he told us, ‘That is the best cover of any of our songs anyone’s ever done.’”
Why Do Birds Sing? also included one of the group’s most commercially successful singles, “American Music,” which hit No. 2 on Billboard’s Modern Rock chart and has since become an essential song at shows. Based on a vintage-inspired shuffle, the track stands out in the Violent Femmes’ catalog. “‘American Music’ communicates a lot,” notes Ritchie. “But the arrangement has a lot of very interesting touches, and we thought it was a good production of a great song that encapsulated a lot of music history in one track, so that’s why it led off the album.”
Released in the spring of 1991, Why Do Birds Sing? pushed the Violent Femmes into their highest level of mainstream success—nearly a decade into their career. Over the next few years, the band became a must-see act at festivals like Lollapalooza and Woodstock ’94, while their videos could be seen regularly on MTV. As the group was embraced by a new generation of fans, Violent Femmes entered the Billboard 200 for the first time since its release and was certified platinum by the RIAA.
Why Do Birds Sing? also marks the trio’s final album to feature their original line-up, before drummer Victor DeLorenzo departed the group. Despite the change in personnel, the Violent Femmes continued to record new material throughout the ‘90s, while their earliest songs remained in the zeitgeist, thanks to popular shows and films such as My So-Called Life and Reality Bites. After taking an extended hiatus in the late aughts, all three original members briefly reunited for a handful of live appearances, including a highly anticipated set at the 2013 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. In 2019, ahead of the band’s 40th anniversary, Gano, Ritchie, and newcomer John Sparrow released Violent Femmes’ tenth studio album, Hotel Last Resort.
In April, Craft Recordings announced their 40th anniversary celebration to honor the Violent Femmes’ enduring catalog of cult classics, which kicked off with the long out-of-print vinyl reissue of Add It Up (1981–1993), released May 21st as a 2-LP set and digitally. Earning much praise, including from Paste Magazine, who shared that the compilation “makes the strongest case for a reassessment of Violent Femmes’ oeuvre… [The set] reveals a band that ably handled political pop, country balladry, avant rock and jump blues—all of it capped off with frontman Gordon Gano’s arch, angsty lyrics...for fans and curious listeners, it’s the ideal way to dig deeper and potentially find a new favorite among the tried and true.” Says Uncut, “...Add It Up remains the finest survey of their distinctive take on so many different strains of American music.”
This fall, the Violent Femmes are excited to return to the road with an extensive 30-date U.S. tour, co-headlining with Celtic punk band Flogging Molly, before heading to Australia and New Zealand in early 2022. The tour begins on September 3rd at the Saint Louis Music Park in Maryland Heights, MO. Full tour itinerary below and visit ViolentFemmes.com for tickets.
Click here to pre-order Why Do Birds Sing? (Deluxe Edition), or stream/download the advance single and pre-save the album.
Tracklist - Why Do Birds Sing? (Deluxe Edition) (2-CD/digital editions):
Disc 1
1. American Music
2. Out the Window
3. Look Like That
4. Do You Really Want to Hurt Me
5. Hey Nonny Nonny
6. Used to Be
7. Girl Trouble
8. He Likes Me
9. Life is a Scream
10. Flamingo Baby
11. Lack of Knowledge
12. More Money Tonight
13. I'm Free
14. Me and You*
15. Color Me Once (Early Version)*
16. 4 Seasons (Early Version)*
17. Breaking Up (Early Version)*
18. American Music (Alternate Mix)*
19. Dance, M.F., Dance!
Disc 2
1. Look Like That (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
2. Out The Window (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
3. Fat (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
4. Blister in the Sun (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
5. Prove My Love (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
6. Country Death Song (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
7. Old Mother Reagan (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
8. Confessions (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
9. Girl Trouble (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
10. Add It Up (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
11. Good Feeling (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
12. More Money Tonight (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
* Previously-unreleased material
Tracklist - Why Do Birds Sing? (Deluxe Edition) (vinyl edition):
Side A
1. American Music
2. Out the Window
3. Look Like That
4. Do You Really Want to Hurt Me
5. Hey Nonny Nonny
6. Used to Be
Side B
1. Girl Trouble
2. He Likes Me
3. Life is a Scream
4. Flamingo Baby
5. Lack of Knowledge
6. More Money Tonight
7. I'm Free
Violent Femmes 2021 U.S. tour dates with Flogging Molly:
September 3: Maryland Heights, MO @ Saint Louis Music Park
September 4: Indianapolis, IN @ TCU Amphitheatre at White River State Park
September 8: Columbus, OH @ Express Live!
September 10: Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple Theatre
September 11: Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
September 12: Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony Summerstage
September 14: Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
September 15: Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
September 17: Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion
September 18: Rochester, NY @ Rochester Main Street Armory
September 19: Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
September 21: New York, NY @ Pier 17
September 22: New Haven, CT @ Westville Music Bowl
September 24: Philadelphia, PA @ Philadelphia Metropolitan Opera House
September 25: Big Flats, NY @ Tag’s Summer Stage – The Budweiser Summer Stage at Tag’s
September 26: Washington, DC @ The Anthem
October 5: Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom
October 6: Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center
October 8: Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheatre
October 9: Las Vegas, NV @ The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
October 10: Paso Robles, CA @ Vina Robles Amphitheatre
October 12: Sacramento, CA @ Heart Health Park
October 13: Fresno, CA @ Woodward Park Rotary Amphitheater
October 15: Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Amphitheater
October 16: Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theater
October 17: Eugene, OR @ The Cuthbert Amphitheater
October 19: Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
October 20: Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
October 22: Milwaukee, WI @ Miller High Life Theater
October 23: Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory
This holiday season, perennial favorite A Charlie Brown Christmas makes its return to cassette tape for the first time in three decades. Due out November 5th on Craft Recordings and available for pre-order today, this collectible, silver-colored cassette is limited to 5,000 units worldwide and makes the perfect stocking stuffer for PEANUTS fans of any age. The timeless soundtrack to the enduring, 1965 television special features a host of yuletide standards from the Vince Guaraldi Trio, plus such originals as “Christmas Time Is Here” and the iconic “Linus and Lucy.” Click here to watch the release trailer.
The cassette serves as a companion piece to the recently announced “Silver Foil” vinyl edition of A Charlie Brown Christmas, which reimagines the album’s classic white cover with a stunning, embossed silver foil jacket. Available October 1st, the limited pressing can be found in several vinyl color variants at select retailers, while fans can pre-order a festive glitter-infused clear vinyl edition exclusively on Craft Recordings’ official store.
On December 9, 1965, A Charlie Brown Christmas aired on TV screens across America and instantly captured the hearts and ears of a generation. Bolstering the animated special, based on Charles M. Schulz’s immensely popular PEANUTS comic strip, was an engaging score from Bay Area jazz artist Vince Guaraldi, who brought characters like Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Snoopy to life through his evocative cues.
Working primarily with bassist Fred Marshall and drummer Jerry Granelli, Guaraldi paired inspired interpretations of traditional holiday fare (“O Tannenbaum,” “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” and “What Child Is This”) with original compositions, including the instantly recognizable “Linus and Lucy” theme, “Skating,” and “Christmas Time Is Here.” The latter song, available as both an instrumental and vocal track, featured young choral singers from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in San Rafael, CA.
More than five decades later, the Emmy® and Peabody®-winning animated classic now streams on Apple TV+ and has spawned more than two dozen subsequent PEANUTS specials. Guaraldi’s soundtrack, meanwhile, has since become one of the best-selling jazz albums in history, second only to Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, and regularly ranks among America’s top-selling holiday albums every December. In 2016, A Charlie Brown Christmas was certified 4x platinum by the RIAA, while last year, A Charlie Brown Christmas entered the Billboard 200’s Top Ten for the very first time—55 years after its initial release. The album has also been inducted into the GRAMMY® Hall of Fame and added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry. For more on Vince Guaraldi, follow on Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music.
A Charlie Brown Christmas Silver Edition Cassette Tracklist:
Celebrated archival reissue label Light in the Attic (LITA) is proud to announce the release of Another Side, a previously-unreleased, early ‘70s studio album by Leo Nocentelli of the pioneering New Orleans funk outfit, The Meters. Available to pre-order now and due out on November 19th in vinyl, CD, cassette, and digital formats, the recently-unearthed album showcases a largely acoustic, more contemplative side of the legendary guitarist, who is best known for his hard-edged funk licks. Backing Nocentelli is an all-star line-up of New Orleans royalty, including Allen Toussaint (piano), James Black (drums), and both George Porter Jr. (bass) and Zigaboo Modeliste (drums) of The Meters.
In conjunction with today’s announcement, the first single “Thinking Of The Day” was released and is available now to stream/download on all digital platforms. Plus, click here to watch LITA’s just-released album trailer for Another Side.
Recorded at Cosimo Matassa’s Jazz City Studio in New Orleans between 1970-72, Another Side finds a young Nocentelli channeling his contemporaries in the burgeoning singer-songwriter movement (think Bill Withers, James Taylor, and Toussaint meeting up at Link Wray’s 3-Track Shack). Deeply introspective, the warm and funky folk album features nine original songs by Nocentelli, plus a soulful rendition of Elton John’s “Your Song,” which had recently hit the American airwaves. Half a century later, these recordings sound just as fresh and engaging as the day they were recorded.
What makes Another Side even more extraordinary, however, is the fact that the album—which could have easily become a classic in the ‘70s singer-songwriter canon—sat untouched for decades; miraculously surviving the devastating blow of Hurricane Katrina, only to be found 2,000 miles away at a Southern California swap meet in 2018 by record collector Mike Nishita.
The album’s incredible journey is documented in the liner notes by Sam Sweet (New York Times, Los Angeles Times), who spoke with Nocentelli and Nishita about the recording process and re-discovery of the tapes. Sweet’s full notes appear in the release’s accompanying booklet, alongside hand-written lyrics by Nocentelli. The first pressing of the vinyl edition will feature gold-foil treatment on cover and spine. Rounding out the package are original designs and layout by the multi-GRAMMY®-winning designer Masaki Koike. All vinyl configurations were pressed at Record Technology, Inc. (RTI). In addition to standard black wax, unique color variants will be available exclusively at LightInTheAttic.net, including the album pressed on coke bottle clear wax, along with a limited-edition deluxe edition bundle, which will include the album pressed on gold metallic wax, a limited-edition hand-numbered 8x10 archival photo by photographer Rick Olivier and signed by Nocentelli, and a new t-shirt featuring a photo of Nocentelli performing with The Meters at Jazz Fest from photographer Michael P. Smith (courtesy of The Historic New Orleans Collection). Additional vinyl color editions will be available for U.K. retailers (bright yellow) and at Vinyl Me, Please (clear, black, and gold hi-melt). All vinyl editions include a 20-page booklet, while the CD includes a 28-page booklet.
While Nocentelli was embedded in New Orleans’ R&B scene, he was also deeply inspired by the late 1960’s and early 1970’s rising singer-songwriters, and soon found himself exploring sounds that were miles away from his band’s hard-edged funk riffs. Whenever he had downtime from session work and shows, Nocentelli spent much of 1971 recording his newly-found, reflective, diaristic songs at Matassa’s Jazz City studio. Backed by longtime Meters bandmate George Porter Jr. on bass, Nocentelli crafted the lineups for his sessions to match the tone of the material. When he needed a pianist, he’d call Toussaint. For percussion on the slower songs, he used drummer Zigaboo Modeliste, but many of the tracks featured James Black—a frequent collaborator of Toussaint’s and a member of Ellis Marsalis’ jazz group, whom Nocentelli recalls as an “unbelievable” musician.
The recording, which Nocentelli fondly refers to as his “country-and-western-album,” paints a picture of a young man yearning to find a sense of purpose. “I was going through some changes which were reflected in the songs that I wrote during that time,” he tells Sweet. Among them is the mid-tempo “Getting Nowhere,” in which he expresses a sense of frustration, as he watches others find success around him. Similarly, “Till I Get There” details a man who is struggling to persevere in his goals. In the soaring “Tell Me Why,” meanwhile, the singer contemplates the existence of God.
Other songs center around fictional characters. “Pretty Mittie,” for instance, is sung from the perspective of a farmer who longs to give up his arduous life for the city. “You’ve Become a Habit” is about a man who falls for a sex worker named Fancy. “Riverfront” is based on stories that singer Aaron Neville shared, about his days working on the New Orleans waterfront. Nocentelli also chose to perform one cover: Elton John’s breakthrough hit, “Your Song.” The guitarist made the recently-released ballad his own—infusing it with a loping, head-nodding cadence, ever so tastefully “funkdafied” in true New Orleans fashion.
By the time that the album was finished, The Meters were busier than ever. They had just signed a record deal with Warner Brothers and were now the official house band at Toussaint’s studio, Sea-Saint. There, they not only backed artists on Toussaint’s Sehorn label but had also become the go-to session musicians for every major artist that recorded in New Orleans. Rather than focus on a solo career, Nocentelli poured his energies into The Meters’ next album. Eventually, time moved on, as did Nocentelli, and he decided to store his unreleased solo album at Sea-Saint for safekeeping.
In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Sea-Saint was among its victims. While Toussaint (who passed away in 2015) had sold the hallowed studio in the mid-90s, hundreds of his archived recordings remained in the building. The new owner salvaged what he could from the flooded building, shipping everything to a storage facility in Southern California. Boxes of tapes sat there for more than a decade before moving to another unit, which foreclosed a year later. The contents were purchased in a blind auction and, days later, sold at a swap meet. The fact that record collector Mike Nishita just happened to be there was pure kismet.
Nishita, a DJ and brother to “Money Mark” Nishita (of Beastie Boys fame), recognized the Sea-Saint label on the boxes and purchased all 673 master tapes at the swap meet. He inspected the contents with his friend Mario Caldato Jr., the longtime audio engineer for the Beastie Boys. In addition to masters from Irma Thomas, Dr. John, Lee Dorsey, and Toussaint, there was a quarter-inch reel with Nocentelli’s name on it. As Caldato and Nishita played it back, they knew they had something special.
“There was nothing else like it,” writes Sweet. “An acoustic album by the greatest funk guitarist who ever lived. It was the tape Mike would play for people to show them how special the collection was. The best album in the vault was something nobody knew existed.”
Eventually, Nishita and Nocentelli connected, “He was so grateful, so sincere,” recalls Nishita. “I just kept thinking about how this music needs to be heard...Especially when you look at all the things that had to fall into place for these tapes to survive and be discovered this way.” As Nocentelli simply puts it, “Things happen for a reason, man.”
And now, Light in the Attic is thrilled to give this remarkable record the spotlight it so rightly deserves. 50 years later, all is not lost.
Turntable Lab (TTL) -- the trusted Brooklyn-based digital retailer and tastemaker for DJs, audio heads, and music fans for over 20 years -- announces an officially licensed collaboration with PEANUTS just in time for the holiday season. Available to pre-order beginning today (11/12) exclusively on TurntableLab.com and due out December 8th, the Turntable Lab x PEANUTS collection features a special edition pressing of A Boy Named Charlie Brown on yellow wax, plus record mats, tote bags, and t-shirts, all being offered in multiple colors.
Says Peter Hahn, TTL’s Co-Owner, “As a lifelong PEANUTS fan, this collaboration was a dream come true. First and foremost, I wanted to get the ‘Buying Records Cheers Me Up’ panel onto quality, well-printed shirts. That image always spoke to me. For the slipmat design, we were able to dig through the PEANUTS archive to find our favorite music and record collecting themed strips. We laid them out simply so you could almost read it like a comic book in between the time you change records. We've been using these for a while now, and we're continually finding new nuances in Charles Schulz's work. Lastly, we filled out the collection with an exclusive pressing of the classic Charlie Brown soundtrack.”
This vinyl reissue of the classic 1964 soundtrack, A Boy Named Charlie Brown (Colored Vinyl) – Turntable Lab Exclusive (available for $24.95), is being released in partnership with Craft Recordings. The album was newly remastered from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and features nine evocative cues from the Vince Guaraldi Trio, including memorable tracks such as the lilting “Oh, Good Grief,” the reflective “Happiness Is,” the lively “Charlie Brown Theme,” and the buoyant “Frieda (With the Naturally Curly Hair).” The exclusive yellow vinyl variant comes with a custom obi-strip and includes a special bonus: eight collectible baseball cards that showcase Charlie Brown’s team of misfits: Snoopy, Woodstock, Peppermint Patty, Linus and Lucy Van Pelt, Franklin Armstrong, Schroeder, and, of course, manager and pitcher, Charlie Brown. On the back of the cards are key stats for each player, including their field position and favorite sandwich. Full album tracklist below.
The collection’s premium reversible PEANUTS Comic Strip Record Slipmat (available in blue, green, and grey for $19.95 for a single and $29.95 for a pair) are suitable for both everyday listening and DJing. Click here for a first look at the collection, specifically highlighting the different slipmat’s being offered. Next, we have the PEANUTS Record Shopping Tote (available in black and natural for $20.00) and the 100% cotton PEANUTS Record Shopping Shirt (available in black, royal blue, and gold for $30.00). The premium quality 10 oz cotton canvas tote features silkscreened graphics on both sides and comfortably holds about 30 records. TTL is offering the record on its own or bundled with their PEANUTS tote (available for $40.00).
Says Hahn, "This illustration appears for the first time on an officially licensed shirt. From its early dissemination on Tumblr and vinyl message boards, this single frame from the PEANUTS universe [where Schroeder tells Lucy, ‘Buying records cheers me up...Whenever I feel low, I buy some new records.’] captured one of the simple truths about record collecting."
Musical archaeologist and record label Delmore Recording Society is honored to announce an all-new collection, Shuckin' Sugar, from legendary blues and folk singer Karen Dalton.
Available April 23rd on vinyl as a Record Store Day exclusive, followed by a wide release in CD and digital formats on May 6th, Shuckin' Sugar is a riveting 12-track live set recorded in 1963-1964, featuring the earliest known duets of Dalton (with then-husband, guitarist, and songwriter Richard Tucker) and seven never-before-heard solo performances. The collection is accompanied by an 8-page (LP)/24-page (CD) booklet featuring a treasure trove of newly discovered unseen and rare photos, as well as newspaper clippings, artwork by Dalton, and a heartfelt 6,000-word essay by veteran UK journalist and author Kris Needs.
Limited to 3,500 copies worldwide, the RSD release was pressed at Third Man Records on transparent, natural vinyl which comes housed in an old style, tip-on jacket. Click here to find your nearest participating record store. The CD and digital editions will be available to pre-order on April 25th at Delmore Recordings on Bandcamp and at most digital retailers.
Since falling completely under the spell of Karen Dalton in the 1990s, Delmore has been on a mission to unearth previously unheard Dalton recordings, including acting as North American liaison for Cotton Eyed Joe and Green Rocky Road, and in 2012, releasing the intimate cabin recordings Karen Dalton - 1966. Now, Delmore is incredibly proud to present a never-before-heard performance by Dalton, offering an unprecedented glimpse of a cult legend in the making. Label founder and release producer Mark Linn shares, “To describe the record would take a poet, but all I can say is that unveiling a missing chapter in the Karen Dalton story─with six songs we've never heard her sing before─is cause for celebration in Delmore's world.”
In his essay, Needs writes, “Shuckin’ Sugar is of major significance for several reasons. Most obviously because it adds to a catalogue with even less official releases than her close friend and biggest champion, Fred Neil (if larger on the excavated tape front). It also illuminates a missing piece of Karen’s story, capturing rarely documented duets with partner Richard Tucker at full throttle, along with several superlative solo flights…From her opening jaw-dropping lift-off with early blues standard ‘Trouble In Mind,’ the unique otherworld Karen conjured springs into vivid life. Playing to audiences inevitably bound to the era’s formalities and traditions, Karen instinctively pushed the envelope, straying into uncharted territory beyond the established borders. She must have bewildered many who came to see her in those winsome Peter, Paul and Mary times.”
Shuckin' Sugar comes on the heels of the internationally acclaimed documentary film Karen Dalton: In My Own Time (released last fall on Greenwich Entertainment) and the 50th anniversary celebration from Light in the Attic (featuring a highly-praised, expanded release of Dalton’s second and final album In My Own Time, along with a separate 7”/digital single featuring award-winning singer/songwriter Angel Olsen covering Dalton’s iconic “Something on Your Mind”). Directed by Robert Yapkowitz and Richard Peete, and executive produced by Delmore, Wim Wenders, and Light in the Attic, Karen Dalton: In My Own Time chronicles the life, music, and legacy of Dalton and features interviews with family, friends, collaborators, and a variety of artists (including Peter Walker, Nick Cave, Lacy J. Dalton, and Vanessa Carlton). Angel Olsen lends her voice to the film as the principle narrator, reading aloud from Dalton’s personal journal. Praise for the film includes: The Hollywood Reporter (“In sync with a singular musical artist. In tune with the haunting poetics of her work.”), The Guardian (“An unvarnished authenticity that cannot be mass-manufactured.”), The New York Times (“Critic’s Pick: An Elemental Musical Force.”), and The Washington Post (“The new film spotlights a fascinating tale of a singularly talented and complex woman.”). Click here to watch the film’s trailer.
More about Karen Dalton and Shuckin’ Sugar:
Karen Dalton was a remote, mercurial creature, a hybrid of tough and tender with an otherworldly voice that seemed to embody a time long past. As is often the case with such fragile beings, she instinctively understood that if she wanted to survive the harshness of the world around her, she would have to keep herself hidden. It comes as no great surprise that she rarely sang in public or ventured into the unnatural setting of a recording studio. Only twice was she coaxed into formal studio settings, for 1969's It's So Hard To Tell Who's Going To Love You The Best and then again for 1971's In My Own Time. The rest of the time she made undocumented music at home, during late nights, sitting around with friends, singing songs until the sun came up.
Looking back to 1962, Dalton summoned her then-husband Richard Tucker to join her in Colorado, extolling the healthier lifestyle and plentiful gigs at Boulder folk club The Attic. Upon Tucker’s arrival, the pair solidified their personal and professional relationship, riding horses in the mountains and performing as a duo at parties and venues throughout Denver and Boulder. Stories of the spell they conjured, and rumors of tapes, have circulated among friends and musicians who witnessed them, but until now, no recorded evidence had turned up.
Shuckin’ Sugar is the glorious result of three reel-to-reel tapes that miraculously found their way to Delmore in November 2018, featuring two complete shows from The Attic in January 1963 and a benefit concert for The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) recorded the following February (1964). In addition to the duets, Dalton and Tucker’s gigs would often include brief solo sets by each. All seven solo songs of Dalton’s found on the three reels are included on Shuckin’ Sugar, as well as five duets, sequenced as close to how it all went down as humanly possible.
Tracklist (vinyl edition):
Side A:
Trouble In Mind
If You're A Viper*
When First Unto This Country*
Shiloh Town
Shuckin' Sugar Blues*
Everytime I Think Of Freedom
Side B:
Ribbon Bow
Blues Jumped The Rabbit
Lonesome Valley*
When I Get Home*
In The Pines*
Katie Cruel
Craft Recordings is proud to announce Relaxin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet as the latest release in its acclaimed Small Batch audiophile series. A pivotal title in Miles Davis’ incomparable catalog, this 1956 recording features a who’s who of jazz greats, including John Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Coinciding with Jazz Appreciation Month, the album is available for pre-order this Friday (April 15th) at 2:00pm PST / 5:00pm EST exclusively through CraftRecordings.com, and is limited to 5,000 copies worldwide.
Carefully curated from Craft’s vast catalog of titles, each release in the Small Batch series offers discerning listeners the highest-quality, authentic sound—distilled to its purest form. Since launching in early 2020—debuting with John Coltrane’s Lush Life, followed by Yusef Lateef’s Eastern Sounds—the series has drawn praise from critics far and wide. Absolute Sound raved, “the sound is exceptionally detailed, present, and airy, with gorgeously rich instrumental tones and textures, excellent dynamic scaling, and a notable lack of groove noise that brings these performances to goosebump-raising life,” adding, “the deluxe packaging and accompanying notes are likewise top-tier...Don’t hesitate.” UK’s Record Collector declared, “Craft [has] done a superlative job; the packaging is elegant, and the sound is flawless...there’s a depth and vivacity that brings out the best in these sessions.” Hi-Fi Choice added, “there’s no denying the beauty of this impeccable pressing.”
As with previous Small Batch albums, Relaxin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet was mastered from its original analog tapes by Bernie Grundman and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI using Neotech’s VR900 compound and a one-step lacquer process—as opposed to the standard three-step process—allowing for the utmost level of musical detail, clarity, and dynamics while reducing the amount of surface noise on the record. The limited nature of these pressings guarantees that each record is a true representation of the original lacquer and is as close as the listener can get to the original recording.
Each pressing of Relaxin’ is individually numbered and encased in a foil-stamped, linen-wrapped slipcase featuring an acrylic inset of the original artwork. The vinyl disc—extractable through a unique, frictionless ribbon pull tab—is housed in a reproduction of the album’s original tip-on jacket from Prestige Records and protected by an archival-quality, anti-static, non-scratching inner sleeve. New liner notes from the GRAMMY® Award-winning music historian, journalist, and producer, Ashley Kahn complete the package.
Relaxin’ finds Miles Davis and his legendary sidemen at the top of their game. First assembled in 1955, the trumpeter’s “First Great Quintet” became the dominant small jazz group of the era and was essential in defining the hard-bop genre. Between November 1955 and October 1956, the quintet recorded three exceptionally productive sessions with the celebrated engineer Rudy Van Gelder, who simulated the group’s nightclub sets at his Hackensack, NJ studio. The resulting 32 tracks would make up six significant albums: 1956’s Miles: The New Miles Davis Quintet, 1957’s Cookin’, 1958’s Relaxin’, 1959’s Workin’, and 1961’s Steamin’.
What is most notable in these sessions—and particularly in Relaxin’—is the deft interplay between the supremely talented musicians. “The sidemen [Davis] had chosen emphasized rhythmic dexterity and strong, individual styles that sometimes complemented and—to some ears—seemed discordant and contradictory,” writes Kahn in his liner notes. “The lineup was a study in contrast—Miles’ languid, sparse phrasing next to Coltrane’s explosive, hard-edged verbosity, Garland’s sophisticated voicings and Chamber’s penchant for arco solos, alongside Jones’ rootsy rhythmic propulsion.”
Kahn continues, “When melodic lines were smartly shared or handed off between different players, disparate ideas would suddenly lock in together…. It was about delicacy and muscle. It was about drops and shifts and surprises. Often the group reimagined song structures more as sectional exercises, one feel or groove morphing into another.”
Those deft collaborative moments can be heard throughout the six selections on Relaxin’, which are split between bebop standards (Dizzy Gillespie’s “Woody’n You,” Sonny Rollins’ “Oleo”) and Broadway balladry (“I Could Write a Book,” “You’re My Everything,” “It Could Happen to You,” and “If I Were a Bell”). The latter tune, from the musical Guys and Dolls, was released as a single alongside the album and has long been considered a standout track. Kahn argues that this rendition made “If I Were a Bell” a jazz standard, while Garland’s work on the song “cannot be overstated…His piano solo—replete with a block-chord sequence that reminds all of the song’s lyric and lilt—is among his most masterful at Miles’ side.”
While Relaxin’ and its sister albums have long been celebrated in the jazz canon, it’s interesting to note that they were initially recorded as a contractual obligation to Prestige, Davis’ label during the early ’50s. Davis’ star was rising, and he wanted to take advantage of more lucrative opportunities. Betting on himself, Davis knew it would be a win-win situation for all parties involved. Indeed, by the time that Prestige released Relaxin’ in 1958, Davis had soared to new heights, both commercially and creatively, and was just months away from recording his best-selling masterpiece, Kind of Blue.
Today, Relaxin’ remains an enduring classic and a perfect encapsulation of the hard-bop era. “From one generation to the next, Relaxin’ fast becomes familiar territory, and deservedly so,” asserts Kahn. “It remains a must-listen for those who would know or play modern jazz or improvisational music. It stands both as a historic statement and one of the brightest assets in the Prestige Records catalogue.”
Subscribe at CraftRecordings.com and follow @craftrecordings for news first on future Small Batch pressings (make sure to opt-in to the Small Batch Alerts dedicated newsletter).
Craft Recordings is home to one of the largest and most essential collections of master recordings and compositions in the world. Its storied repertoire includes landmark releases from icons such as Joan Baez, John Coltrane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Celia Cruz, Miles Davis, Isaac Hayes, John Lee Hooker, Little Richard, R.E.M., Joan Sebastian, and Traveling Wilburys. Plus, the catalog recordings of celebrated contemporary acts including A Day to Remember, Evanescence, Alison Krauss, Nine Inch Nails, Taking Back Sunday and Violent Femmes, to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Fania, Fantasy, Fearless, Musart, Nitro, Panart, Prestige, Riverside, Rounder, Specialty, Stax, Vanguard, Varèse Sarabande, Vee-Jay and Victory, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation—ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover. Craft is also home to the Billie Holiday and Tammy Wynette estates which preserve and protect their respective names, likeness and music through day-to-day legacy management of these cultural trailblazers. Craft Recordings is the catalog label team for Concord Recorded Music. For more info, visit CraftRecordings.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify.
Celebrated archival reissue label Light in the Attic (LITA) is proud to announce a second pressing of Another Side, the previously unreleased, never-before-heard studio album by legendary guitarist and songwriter Leo Nocentelli of the pioneering New Orleans funk outfit, The Meters.
Coinciding with the repressing is the album’s recent nomination for "Best Americana Record" at the 2022 A2IM Libera Awards, along with Nocentelli debuting Another Side live in front of his hometown crowd this Thursday (5/5) when he performs the entire album at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. In February, Dunlop paid tribute to the funk master and the magical city he was born and raised in with the release of their Leo Nocentelli Cry Baby Mardi Gras Wah. Plus, Chicago’s Dark Matter Coffee is honoring the musician this Friday (5/6) when they debut their Nocentelli coffee as part of their monthly Limited Blend Series.
Since being released in November, Another Side has garnered worldwide acclaim (including Pitchfork (8.2/10), Uncut (9/10), Mojo (4/5), and The Times (4/5)); profile features on Nocentelli by the New York Times, Washington Post, and The Guardian, as well as appearances on the BBC and KCRW. Plus, Another Side made “best music of 2021” lists by Rolling Stone, Aquarium Drunkard, Vinyl Factory (UK), Soul Bag (France), Slate, and PopMatters, as well as Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy.
This repressing of Another Side (due out May 20th and available now to pre-order at LightInTheAttic.net) includes a new tricolor New Orleans edition pressed on purple, yellow, and green wax, in addition to the standard black wax. Pressed at Record Technology, Inc. (RTI), the vinyl configurations are accompanied by a 20-page booklet and feature the gold-foil treatment on cover and spine. The album’s incredible journey is documented in the liner notes by Sam Sweet (New York Times, Los Angeles Times), who spoke with Nocentelli about the recording process and re-discovery of the tapes. Sweet’s full notes appear in the release’s accompanying booklet, alongside hand-written lyrics by Nocentelli. Rounding out the package are original designs and layout by the multi-GRAMMY®-winning designer Masaki Koike. Additionally, the CD and cassette editions of Another Side are available now to purchase, as well as a t-shirt featuring a photo of Nocentelli performing with The Meters at Jazz Fest from photographer Michael P. Smith (courtesy of The Historic New Orleans Collection).
Recorded at Cosimo Matassa’s Jazz City Studio in New Orleans between 1970-72, the recently-unearthed album showcases a largely acoustic, more contemplative side of Nocentelli, who is best known for his hard-edged funk licks. Backing Nocentelli is an all-star line-up of New Orleans royalty, including Allen Toussaint (piano), James Black (drums), and both George Porter Jr. (bass) and Zigaboo Modeliste (drums) of The Meters.
Another Side finds a young Nocentelli channeling his contemporaries in the burgeoning singer-songwriter movement─think Bill Withers, James Taylor, and Toussaint meeting up at Link Wray’s 3-Track Shack. Deeply introspective, the warm and funky folk album features nine original songs by Nocentelli, plus a soulful rendition of Elton John’s “Your Song,” which had recently hit the American airwaves. Half a century later, these recordings sound just as fresh and engaging as the day they were recorded.
What makes Another Side even more extraordinary, however, is the fact that the album—which could have easily become a classic in the ‘70s singer-songwriter canon—sat untouched for decades; miraculously surviving the devastating blow of Hurricane Katrina, only to be found 2,000 miles away at a Southern California swap meet in 2018 by record collector Mike Nishita. For the full story on how this lost album was discovered 50 years later and given the spotlight it so rightly deserves, click here.
In conjunction with the album’s announcement last September, LITA released an album trailer, followed by three singles (“Thinking of the Day,” “Give Me Back My Loving,” and “Till I Get There”) leading up to the album’s release on November 19th.
Earl McGrath was the ultimate ’70s jet setter, an art collector and comic bon vivant, who stumbled into the record business and discovered Daryl Hall and John Oates, and later Jim Carroll, while holding court at his legendary salons in Los Angeles and New York. Atlantic founder Ahmet Ertegun gave Earl his own label, Clean Records, in 1970; Mick Jagger hired him to run Rolling Stones Records in 1977. “Earl was a wonderful man,” says Jagger, “and such an amusing companion, too.”
Friend to Joan Didion, Andy Warhol, Annie Leibovitz, and a galaxy of luminaries, Earl was an inveterate tastemaker. Actor Harrison Ford, who before Star Wars fame was Earl’s handyman and pot dealer, called him “the last of a breed, one of the last great gentlemen and bohemians.”
After Earl passed in 2016, journalist Joe Hagan, author of the critically-acclaimed Sticky Fingers, the biography of Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner, discovered a trove of reel-to-reel tapes in Earl’s apartment in New York—literally inside his closet. “I asked for a step ladder and the first box I pulled off the shelf was a master tape of Some Girls, the Stones album,” says Hagan.
Hagan spent more than a year sifting through the hundreds of tapes to curate an album filled with treasures he unearthed, 22 songs in all, including tracks by Daryl Hall and John Oates, David Johansen of the New York Dolls, Terry Allen, Delbert McClinton, Warhol’s “Superstar” Ultra Violet, GRAMMY®-nominated songwriter Tom Snow’s country-rock group Country, Detroit sax legend Norma Jean Bell, Jim Carroll, and an eclectic cast of undiscovered artists who once vied for fame and glory—folk, rock, country, funk, and R&B gems that virtually no one has heard in decades. Whether it’s the almost-famous power pop of Shadow from Detroit, or the Delfonics-style soul of the Blood Brothers Six, Earl’s Closet retraces the dreams of artists who once sent demos to Earl McGrath.
At once an archival mixtape, a secret history, and a journey into the heart of an era, Earl’s Closet features a comprehensive booklet (LP: 20-pages/CD: 40-pages) featuring unseen documents, images, and ephemera from Earl’s archive, expansive liner notes by Hagan, who tracked down and interviewed the artists, and astonishing photographs by Earl’s late wife, the Italian countess Camilla Pecci-Blunt McGrath. The double LP edition is pressed on 180-gram vinyl, housed in a gatefold jacket, and available on red opaque wax (limited “LITA Anniversary” edition, available exclusively on label’s site), clear wax (“Cocktail Party” edition available at select retailers), and classic black wax (standard edition).
Available for pre-order today (5/26) and due out July 15th in 2xLP, CD, and digital formats, Earl’s Closet was co-produced by Hagan and Pat Thomas, features newly-remastered audio by GRAMMY®-nominated engineer John Baldwin, with design by Darryl Norsen. Plus, LITA is releasing three singles including: “Dry In The Sun” by Daryl Hall and John Oates (out today on all digital platforms), "Just Look-ah What You'll Be Missing" by Norma Jean Bell (due out June 9th), and "Tension" by Jim Carroll Band (due out July 7th). Click here to pre-order the album and stream/download the first single.
In celebration of the release, LITA premiered a short film today (5/26), directed by critically-acclaimed filmmaker Brendan Toller (Danny Says), documenting the album’s incredible origin story. Click here to watch.
Craft Recordings proudly announces the definitive edition of Vince Guaraldi’s evocative soundtrack to the 1966 animated television special, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, from Charles M. Schulz, creator of the PEANUTS® comic strip, and Lee Mendelson Film Productions. Remastered from newly discovered analog session reels, the album features seven previously unreleased alternate takes—all of which offer fascinating insight into Guaraldi’s creative process. The package also includes new liner notes by PEANUTS® historian Derrick Bang, with contributions by the family of Lee Mendelson, the Emmy® and Peabody Award-winning producer and co-creator of the PEANUTS® animated specials. Additionally, a note by Mendelson (taken from the 2018 edition of the album) rounds out the release.
To celebrate the discovery of these incredible archival recordings, Craft is issuing the album in several formats, including multiple vinyl options. Available across all major retailers is a 45-RPM pressing on black vinyl, housed in a standard jacket, as well as a 33 1/3-RPM pressing on pumpkin-shaped translucent orange vinyl, housed in a clear sleeve, both accompanied by a four-page insert. Available exclusively at CraftRecordings.com is a collectable edition 45-RPM pressing (limited to 500 copies) in a “Pumpkin Patch” splatter design. The album will also be available on CD and digital formats.
It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Original Soundtrack Recording) is available for pre-order beginning today and is set for release August 26th. Listen to the first digital single, “The Great Pumpkin Waltz (Alternate Take 2),” available on all digital platforms today. A second pre-release track, “Linus and Lucy (Alternate Take 2),” is scheduled for release on August 5th.
In 2019, not long before he passed away, Lee Mendelson had been looking to see if he could find any of the original tapes from the recordings used to score the Peanuts specials. The team at Lee Mendelson Film Productions had an opportunity the following year to scour their vast archives. Among their discoveries was a treasure trove of materials from Vince Guaraldi—the GRAMMY® Award-winning jazz pianist, who composed some of the most recognizable cues in television history for PEANUTS® specials throughout the ’60s and ’70s, as well as some of the most beloved jazz albums of the 20th century. One of the most exciting finds, however, were the original analog reels from the Great Pumpkin sessions—which, until this point, were considered lost to time. Accompanied by detailed session notes, the tapes also included a multitude of alternate takes.
From these reels, Jason and Sean Mendelson, along with the team at Craft Recordings, assembled the definitive version of the Great Pumpkin score. In the liner notes, the Mendelson’s write, “Not much is known about how Guaraldi wrote and arranged these classic melodies and themes, and even many of the musicians who played with him found his method to be a beautiful mystery…We hope that by listening to this music, especially the bonus material, you will get a glimpse into Guaraldi’s creative process as he and his musicians mold their sound. These [alternate] takes demonstrate the evolution and choices that became the now-famous score.”
Flashback to 1966, when Guaraldi readied to write music for It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. By then, the Bay Area jazz musician was in the early years of a long-running, highly successful creative partnership with Mendelson and Charles M. Schulz. Just two years earlier, he had been commissioned by Mendelson to score a TV documentary about Charles M. Schulz, titled A Boy Named Charlie Brown. While the film never aired, the trio reconvened a year later for A Charlie Brown Christmas. The animated special was an instant hit—as was its best-selling soundtrack. In June 1966, they followed with Charlie Brown’s All-Stars!, while It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown was slated for October.
The score for the Halloween special was recorded just weeks ahead of its airdate at Desilu’s Gower Street Studio in Hollywood. The pianist was accompanied by his trio sidemen—bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Colin Bailey—with additional instrumentation by Emmanuel “Mannie” Klein on trumpet, John Gray on guitar, and Ronald Lang on woodwinds. The musicians were also joined by seasoned composer, arranger, and conductor John Scott Trotter—best known for a three-decade run as Bing Crosby’s music director—who oversaw the entire scoring process.
In addition to bringing a bolder, orchestral sound to Guaraldi’s scores, Trotter also “brought order to chaos,” as Derrick Bang explains. “With no scoring experience, Guaraldi had laid down many of his cues for the first two PEANUTS® specials the way he would record in a studio: as extended takes that often were too long for the on-screen action they accompanied. As a result, much of the music in those first two shows tended to fade out or ‘trail off,’ as a scene concluded.”
Trotter—who also contributed two original compositions to the soundtrack, “Snoopy and the Leaf” and “Breathless”—helped Guaraldi shape his work into short cues with clearly defined endings. That process can be heard in the new album’s alternate takes, including multiple versions of the iconic PEANUTS® theme, “Linus and Lucy,” as well as the reflective “The Great Pumpkin Waltz” and the ghoulish “Graveyard Theme.” These original reels also offer fans a new opportunity to hear many of these instrumental tracks without sound effects, including “Frieda (With the Naturally Curly Hair)” and “Breathless.” Additionally, several cues are available—for the very first time—in their entirety (including “The Red Baron,” “Roses of Picardy,” and “Charlie Brown Theme,” among them.)
Offering a more candid, behind-the-scenes moment is the final bonus track, “Charlie Brown Theme (Alternate Reprise Take 2),” which finds Guaraldi abruptly halting the session and interjecting: “It’s not my key, John; I wrote it in another key!” Bang muses, “This unexpected burst of ‘reality’ gives us a tantalizing sense of being in the studio with Guaraldi, Trotter, and the other musicians: an excellent—and oddly touching—way to wrap up this chunk of musical gold from the Mendelson vaults.”
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown premiered on October 27, 1966, and featured Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Sally, Schroeder, Lucy, and Linus, who is determined to seek out the mysterious “Great Pumpkin.” The half-hour special proved the popularity of the growing franchise, capturing an astounding 49 percent of the audience share (making it an even bigger success than the debut broadcast of A Charlie Brown Christmas). It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown earned a well-deserved Emmy® nod the following year and is now available all-year round to stream on Apple TV+.
Unlike its yuletide predecessor, however, the soundtrack to It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown wasn’t initially made available. While select tracks were added to compilations over the decades, a comprehensive collection of music from It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown wasn’t released until 2018. But because of the lack of original reels, many of the cues still contained overdubbed sound effects or were edited down.
In his notes for the original release, Lee Mendelson declared the score to be “the quintessential Vince Guaraldi for our PEANUTS® specials.” Now, with the discovery of these long-lost tapes (found in boxes labeled “Big Pumpkin Charlie Brown”) fans can enjoy these classic cues in their full glory. “We know [our father] would be thrilled that we finally found this ‘Great Pumpkin,’” add Mendelson’s children. “If only we had known that we should have been looking for a ‘Big Pumpkin’ all along.”
Click here to pre-order/pre-save the album and stream/download the first single, “The Great Pumpkin Waltz (Alternate Take 2).”
Tracklist (vinyl):
Side A
1. Linus and Lucy
2. Graveyard Theme
3. Snoopy and the Leaf/Frieda (With the Naturally Curly Hair)
4. The Great Pumpkin Waltz
5. Linus and Lucy (Reprise)
6. Charlie Brown Theme/Charlie Brown Theme (Minor Theme)/Graveyard Theme (Reprise)
7. The Great Pumpkin Waltz (Reprise)
8. The Red Baron/Military Drum March
9. The Great Pumpkin Waltz (2nd Reprise)/The Great Pumpkin Waltz (3rd Reprise)
10. Graveyard Theme (Trick or Treat) (2nd Reprise)
11. Fanfare/Breathless/ Graveyard Theme (Trick or Treat) (3rd Reprise)
12. Charlie Brown Theme (Reprise)
Side B
1. Breathless (2nd Reprise)
2. It’s a Long Way to Tipperary/There’s a Long, Long Trail a-Winding/Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag/Roses of Picardy
3. Graveyard Theme (Trick or Treat) (4th Reprise)
4. Linus and Lucy (2nd Reprise)/Linus and Lucy (3rd Reprise)
5. Charlie Brown Theme (2nd Reprise)
6. Linus and Lucy (Alternate Take 1)*
7. Graveyard Theme (Alternate Take 1)*
8. Charlie Brown Theme (Alternate Reprise Take 1)*
9. Linus and Lucy (Alternate Take 2)*
10. The Great Pumpkin Waltz (Alternate Take 2)*
11. Linus and Lucy (Alternate Reprise Take 1)*
12. Charlie Brown Theme (Alternate Reprise Take 2)*
* previously unreleased
Tracklist (CD, digital):
1. Linus and Lucy
2. Graveyard Theme
3. Snoopy and the Leaf/Frieda (With the Naturally Curly Hair)
4. The Great Pumpkin Waltz
5. Linus and Lucy (Reprise)
6. Charlie Brown Theme/Charlie Brown Theme (Minor Theme)/Graveyard Theme (Reprise)
7. The Great Pumpkin Waltz (Reprise)
8. The Red Baron/Military Drum March
9. The Great Pumpkin Waltz (2nd Reprise)/The Great Pumpkin Waltz (3rd Reprise)
10. Graveyard Theme (Trick or Treat) (2nd Reprise)
11. Fanfare/Breathless/ Graveyard Theme (Trick or Treat) (3rd Reprise)
12. Charlie Brown Theme (Reprise)
13. Breathless (2nd Reprise)
14. It’s a Long Way to Tipperary/There’s a Long, Long Trail a-Winding/Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag/Roses of Picardy
15. Graveyard Theme (Trick or Treat) (4th Reprise)
16. Linus and Lucy (2nd Reprise)/Linus and Lucy (3rd Reprise)
17. Charlie Brown Theme (2nd Reprise)
18. Linus and Lucy (Alternate Take 1)*
19. Graveyard Theme (Alternate Take 1)*
20. Charlie Brown Theme (Alternate Reprise Take 1)*
21. Linus and Lucy (Alternate Take 2)*
22. The Great Pumpkin Waltz (Alternate Take 2)*
23. Linus and Lucy (Alternate Reprise Take 1)*
24. Charlie Brown Theme (Alternate Reprise Take 2)*
Craft Recordings proudly announces a definitive, bonus-filled edition of Vince Guaraldi’s timeless score from the beloved, 1965 animated PEANUTS® special, A Charlie Brown Christmas, from Charles Schulz and Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez. While the album has remained a holiday staple for nearly 60 years (not to mention the best-selling jazz album of all time, alongside Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, after earning 5x platinum certification by the RIAA in May), this latest edition showcases Guaraldi’s creative process like never before, thanks to hours of newly unearthed session tapes from Fantasy Records’ vaults. Now, fans can experience cues like “Christmas Time Is Here,” “O Tannenbaum,” and “Skating” as they take shape in the studio through dozens of previously unreleased alternate tracks.
In addition, the original 11-track album has been upgraded with a new stereo mix from the original two- and three-track sources by the GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer, Paul Blakemore. Both the new mix and original mix can be found along with hours of unreleased material on the Super Deluxe Edition (available as a 4-CD/1-Blu-ray Audio collection box set or as an 80-track digital release). The new stereo mix will also be available alongside a selection of thirteen studio outtakes on a Deluxe Edition 2-LP or CD. All formats featuring the new stereo mix will release on October 14th. Fans can preview this stunning new mix with the advance single “Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental),” which is available to stream/download today.
For those who prefer the classic mix, the perennial 1965 version of the album will come housed in a striking, embossed gold foil jacket for 2022, while a variety of collectible colored vinyl variants can be found exclusively at select retailers. Plus, a limited-edition LP (750 copies), pressed on “Skating Pond” wax, is available exclusively at CraftRecordings.com. All gold foil versions will go on sale on September 16th.
The Super Deluxe Edition offers fans an unparalleled deep dive into all aspects of A Charlie Brown Christmas—placing listeners in the studio as the musicians work through their arrangements. Disc one features the new stereo mix of the album, plus the original remastered 1965 mix, while disc two through four offer more than 50 never-before-heard outtakes from five recording sessions, as Guaraldi and his bandmates craft cues like “Christmas Is Coming” and “Skating.” Disc five delivers the new stereo mix in hi-resolution audio, as well as Dolby Atmos® on Blu-ray audio.
Housed in a hardcover book, the collection guides fans through the entire recording process, thanks to new, in-depth liner notes by Derrick Bang—a PEANUTS® historian and author of Vince Guaraldi at the Piano (McFarland & Company). Rounding out the package is a special message from the family of Lee Mendelson, the late Emmy® and Peabody Award-winning producer and co-creator of the PEANUTS® animated specials. Condensed liner notes are also included in the CD and 2-LP Deluxe Editions, which feature the 2022 stereo mix of the album, plus 13 highlights from the outtakes (see tracklists below).
When A Charlie Brown Christmas first aired on December 9, 1965, no one expected just how monumental the half-hour animated special would be. While based on Charles M. Schulz’s immensely popular PEANUTS® comic strip, TV executives were wary of the unconventional format, which featured the voices of child actors, a jazz score, and no laugh track—all unprecedented for the era. Their worries, however, proved to be unfounded. Not only did the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning special capture nearly half of America’s TV audience that night, but it would quickly become an essential holiday classic and launch one of the 20th century’s most popular franchises.
It all began in 1964, when producer Lee Mendelson set out to make a TV documentary titled A Boy Named Charlie Brown about Charles Schulz and his beloved comic strip. To score the film, he hired Vince Guaraldi—a fast-rising Bay Area jazz artist—best known at the time for his GRAMMY®-winning instrumental crossover hit, “Cast Your Fate to the Wind.” Although the documentary never made it to the airwaves, Mendelson was struck by Guaraldi’s sophisticated work. When A Charlie Brown Christmas was greenlit one year later, he sought out the musician once again, marking the beginning of a long and successful creative partnership.
Yet, while many fans of Guaraldi and PEANUTS® are well acquainted with the history of the special, the story of how the music was actually made has never been told, until now. Thanks to the dialogue captured on these session tapes, Guaraldi’s creative process—as he worked alongside Mendelson and director Bill Melendez to craft the festive score—finally comes to light.
“The wealth of music captured in these half-dozen sessions is—in a word—amazing,” marvels Derrick Bang in his liner notes. “It’s also fascinating to observe how a given tune evolves, over the course of the six weeks these sessions took place, from September 17 through October 28, 1965…. Along the way, you’ll hear all manner of false starts, initially terrific takes that collapse when Guaraldi fluffs a few notes, and outré experiments that sound almost nothing like what we know today.” He continues, “Consider this a ringside seat—a place of honor, watching and listening from the recording engineer’s booth—as the individual songs for this historic album were fine-tuned and ultimately laid down.”
The five sessions featured in the Super Deluxe box set (captured at the Bay Area’s Fantasy Studios and Studio 16, as well as Southern California’s Whitney Recording Studio) are presented in their entirety, including blown takes and cross-chatter between the members of Guaraldi’s trio (bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Colin Bailey for many of them, as well as bassist Fred Marshall and drummer Jerry Granelli for others).
Among the highlights are 18 takes of “Christmas Is Coming,” a lively, bossa nova-influenced tune that took longer than others to take shape, as Guaraldi struggled to find a conclusion to the song and experimented with instrumentation and stylistic choices. Another selection, “Skating,” transforms over ten takes. The trio can be heard playing around with a series of energetic keyboard and drum bridges, which, Bang writes, are “marvelous from a jazz standpoint, but definitely too aggressive for the scene this tune is intended to back.”
Listeners will also hear Guaraldi putting his own touch on traditional fare, like “Greensleeves” and “O Tannenbaum.” Bang points out that one of the latter song’s outtakes actually appeared in the animated special, “immediately after Linus tells us ‘what Christmas is all about,’ as Charlie Brown exits the school theater carrying his forlorn little tree.” An outtake of “Linus and Lucy,” which became the instantly recognizable PEANUTS® theme, finds Guaraldi taking a fresh approach with the tune, which was first released in 1964 on Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown. It was this earlier version, however, that ultimately appeared on A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Another favorite is “Christmas Time Is Here,” which is presented on the original album in both instrumental and vocal versions. Initially, the song was written as an instrumental cue. But when Mendelson saw the opening sequence paired with the music, it seemed like something was missing. “I felt we should get some lyrics, and some voices,” Mendelson told Bang. “We couldn’t find anybody to write the lyrics, and I called all my Hollywood friends who were songwriters. But nobody took the assignment, so I sat down, and in about 10 minutes wrote the words to ‘Christmas Time Is Here’ on an envelope.”
Guaraldi enlisted young singers from San Rafael’s St. Paul’s Church Choir to perform the song (the children also served as stand-ins for the PEANUTS® gang as they sang “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.”) Several of these singers shared their memories with Bang, including Dan Bernhard. “Vince and Lee wanted kids who sounded like kids,” he explained. “They used a version of ‘Hark, the Herald Angels Sing’ that was slightly out of tune, and [St. Paul’s Choir director Barry Mineah] threw a fit. But Vince and Lee used that one on purpose; we did a whole bunch of takes that were perfect, but they didn’t want those.”
Of course, it’s all of these imperfections that make the score to A Charlie Brown Christmas so…perfect. More than half a century later, new generations continue to fall in love with the holiday special and its enduring music, while year over year, the album remains one of the top-selling holiday and jazz albums. Remarkably, in 2021, A Charlie Brown Christmas reached its highest spot ever on the Billboard 200, landing at No.6—56 years after its release. Among other honors, the multi-platinum soundtrack has been inducted into the GRAMMY® Hall of Fame and was added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry.
Tracklist - Super Deluxe Edition (4-CD/1-Blu-ray audio box set and digital release):
Disc 1 – A Charlie Brown Christmas (2022 Stereo Mix)
1. O Tannenbaum
2. What Child Is This
3. My Little Drum
4. Linus And Lucy
5. Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental)
6. Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal)
7. Skating
8. Hark, The Herald Angels Sing
9. Christmas Is Coming
10. Für Elise
11. The Christmas Song
A Charlie Brown Christmas (Original Stereo Mix)
12-22 Same Track List As Above
Disc 2 – The Recording Sessions (September 17, 1965)
1. Christmas Is Coming (#1, Take 1)
2. Christmas Is Coming (#1, Take 2)
3. Christmas Is Coming (#1, Take 3)
4. Christmas Is Coming (#1, Takes 4–5)
5. Christmas Is Coming (#1, Take 6)
6. Christmas Is Coming (#1, Take 7)
7. Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental) (#2, Takes 1–2)
8. Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental) (#2, Take 3)
9. Skating (Unnumbered)
10. Skating (#3, Takes 1–2)
11. Skating (#3, Take 3)
12. Skating (#3, Takes 4–6)
13. Skating (#3, Take 7)
14. Linus And Lucy (#4, Take 1)
15. Christmas Is Coming (#5, Take 1)
16. Christmas Is Coming (#5, Take 2)
17. Christmas Is Coming (#5, Take 3)
18. Christmas Is Coming (#5, Take 4)
19. Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental) (#6, Take 1)
20. Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental) (#6, Take 2)
Disc 3 – The Recording Sessions (September 21-22, 1965/Recording Date Unknown)
1. Christmas Is Coming (#1, Take 1)
2. Christmas Is Coming (#1, Take 2)
3. Christmas Is Coming (#1, Take 3)
4. Christmas Is Coming (#1, Takes 4–6)
5. Christmas Is Coming (#1, Take 7)
6. O Tannenbaum (#2, Take 1)
7. O Tannenbaum (#2, Take 2)
8. O Tannenbaum (#2, Takes 3–4)
9. O Tannenbaum (#2, Take 5)
10. Jingle Bells (#3, Takes 1–4)
11. Goin’ Out Of My Head (Unnumbered)
12. Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental) (#6, Take 3)
13. Skating (#7, Take 1)
14. Skating (#7, Take 2)
15. Für Elise (Takes 1–2)
16. Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal) (#1, Take 1)
17. Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal) (#1, Takes 2–3)
18. Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal) (#1, Take 4)
19. Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal) (#1, Take 5)
20. Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal) (Rehearsal)
21. Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal) (#1, Take 6)
22. Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal) (#1, Take 7)
Disc 4 – The Recording Sessions (October 28, 1965)
1. Greensleeves (Take 1)
2. Greensleeves (Takes 2–4)
3. Greensleeves (Take 5)
4. Greensleeves (Take 6)
5. Greensleeves (Take 7)
6. Greensleeves (Take 8)
7. Greensleeves (Takes 9–10)
8. Greensleeves (Take 11)
9. Greensleeves (Take 12)
10. The Christmas Song (Take 1)
11. The Christmas Song (Takes 2–3)
12. The Christmas Song (Takes 4–7)
13. The Christmas Song (Take 8)
14. The Christmas Song (Take 9)
15. The Christmas Song (Take 10)
16. The Christmas Song (Take 11)
Disc 5 – Blu-Ray Audio*
1. A Charlie Brown Christmas (2022 Stereo Mix) (Hi-Resolution Audio)
2. A Charlie Brown Christmas (2022 Dolby Atmos Mix)
* not available in the digital edition
Tracklist - Deluxe Edition (CD):
1. O Tannenbaum
2. What Child Is This
3. My Little Drum
4. Linus & Lucy
5. Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental)
6. Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal)
7. Skating
8. Hark, The Herald Angels Sing
9. Christmas Is Coming
10. Für Elise
11. The Christmas Song
12. O Tannenbaum (Take 2/Recorded September 21, 1965)
13. O Tannenbaum (Take 3/Recorded September 21, 1965)
14. Greensleeves (Take 6/Recorded October 28, 1965)
15. Linus And Lucy (Take 1/Recorded September 17, 1965)
16. Christmas Time Is Here (Take 1/Recorded September 17, 1965)
17. Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal) (Rehearsal/Recording Date Unknown)
18. Christmas Time Is Here (Take 4/Recording Date Unknown)
19. Skating (Take 1/Recorded September 22, 1965)
20. Jingle Bells (Takes 1–4/Recorded September 21, 1965)
21. Christmas Is Coming (Take 3/Recorded September 17, 1965)
22. Christmas Is Coming (Take 3/Recorded September 21, 1965)
23. Für Elise (Takes 1–2/Recording Date Unknown)
24. The Christmas Song (Take 8/Recorded October 28, 1965)
Tracklist - Deluxe Edition (2-LP):
Side 1
1. O Tannenbaum
2. What Child Is This
3. My Little Drum
4. Linus & Lucy
5. Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental)
Side 2
1. Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal)
2. Skating
3. Hark, The Herald Angels Sing
4. Christmas Is Coming
5. Für Elise
6. The Christmas Song
Side 3
1. O Tannenbaum (Take 2/Recorded September 21, 1965)
2. O Tannenbaum (Take 3/Recorded September 21, 1965)
3. Greensleeves (Take 6/Recorded October 28, 1965)
4. Linus And Lucy (Take 1/Recorded September 17, 1965)
5. Christmas Time Is Here (Take 1/Recorded September 17, 1965)
6. Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal) (Rehearsal/Recording Date Unknown)
7. Christmas Time Is Here (Take 4/Recording Date Unknown)
Side 4
1. Skating (Take 1/Recorded September 22, 1965)
2. Jingle Bells (Takes 1–4/Recorded September 21, 1965)
3. Christmas Is Coming (Take 3/Recorded September 17, 1965)
4. Christmas Is Coming (Take 3/Recorded September 21, 1965)
5. Für Elise (Takes 1–2/Recording Date Unknown)
6. The Christmas Song (Take 8/Recorded October 28, 1965)
In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Craft Recordings is set to release the first-ever vinyl pressing of Holidays Rule, a deliciously diverse collection of seasonal music featuring glittering contributions from across the musical spectrum. Due out September 30th and available to pre-order beginning today (8/24) as a 2-LP set pressed on translucent red vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket (seen above). In addition, a limited clear-with-red-and-green splatter variant is available exclusively at the Craft Recordings store. Lacquers were cut by Dave Cooley at Elysian Mastering from the original hi-resolution sources, mastered by Gavin Lurssen at Lurssen Mastering.
Originally released in 2012, the set boasts 17 recordings of timeless holiday classics from artists including pop phenoms fun., the legendary Paul McCartney, indie-pop luminaries The Shins, Americana favorites The Civil Wars, adored singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright (featuring Sharon Van Etten), playful popstars Fruit Bats, bluegrass revisionists Punch Brothers, soul icon Irma Thomas (with The Preservation Hall Jazz Band), cinematic rockers Calexico, eclectic troubadour Andrew Bird, Latin neo-traditionalists Y La Bamba, Texas twang-rock troupe Heartless Bastards, alt-folk standard-bearer Holly Golightly, roots quintet Black Prairie (featuring Sallie Ford), choral revival collective AgesandAges, Fiery Furnaces alumna Eleanor Friedberger, and Seattle Americana outfit The Head and the Heart.
Holidays Rule delves into a rich assemblage of Americana, alt-pop, folk, electronica, country, American standards, singer-songwriter, New Orleans gospel, garage rock, and more to create a melting pot of sounds that still feel like a cohesive album, rather than a holiday hodgepodge.
Some of the numerous highlights include fun. whipping up a distinctly postmodern take on the rollicking “Sleigh Ride,” adding a frosty techno swirl to the winter perennial. Paul McCartney’s velvety rendition effortlessly conjures the warmth of the fireside with “The Christmas Song.” The Shins, meanwhile, take McCartney’s own “Wonderful Christmastime” in a cheekily retro direction, turning the track into a musical homage to the Beach Boys. Wainwright and Van Etten deliver a fittingly seductive “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band collaborates with the legendary Irma Thomas on a soulful and horn-heavy rendition of “May Ev’ry Day Be Christmas,” while the GRAMMY®-winning duo The Civil Wars work their intimate magic on “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” with only acoustic guitar and their spellbinding vocal blend. Calexico’s “Green Grows the Holly” works similarly spooky-rural terrain (with their trademark border-town brass for expressive contrast). Punch Brothers’ mandolin-spiced rendition of the hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is the most overtly religious track but offers its own set of unexpected twists and turns. On the album’s final track, Andrew Bird harkens back to his Bowl of Fire days with the violin charge of “Auld Lang Syne.”
1. fun. – “Sleigh Ride”
2. The Shins – “Wonderful Christmastime”
3. Rufus Wainwright feat. Sharon Van Etten – “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”
4. Paul McCartney – “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)”
Side B
1. Black Prairie feat. Sallie Ford – “(Everybody’s Waitin’ For) The Man With The Bag”
2. The Civil Wars – “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day”
3. Calexico – “Green Grows The Holly”
4. AgesandAges – “We Need A Little Christmas”
Side C
1. Holly Golightly – “That’s What I Want For Christmas”
2. Irma Thomas with Preservation Hall Jazz Band – “May Ev’ry Day Be Christmas”
3. Heartless Bastards – “Blue Christmas”
4. Eleanor Friedberger – “Santa, Bring My Baby Back To Me”
5. Fruit Bats – “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas”
Side D
1. Y La Bamba – “Señor Santa (Mister Santa)”
2. Punch Brothers – “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
3. The Head and the Heart – “What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?”
4. Andrew Bird – “Auld Lang Syne”
Craft Recordings is pleased to reissue John Lee Hooker’s widely acclaimed album, The Healer, on vinyl and CD, after more than a decade of being out of print. The 1989 LP earned the then 73-year-old blues icon his first GRAMMY® Award (for the song “I’m in the Mood” with Bonnie Raitt) and features contributions from a star-studded collection of guest artists, which in addition to Raitt, includes Carlos Santana, George Thorogood, Los Lobos, Canned Heat, Charlie Musselwhite, and Robert Cray. Set for release on October 28th and available for pre-order beginning today, The Healer was pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Records Pressing (QRP), with lacquers cut by the award-winning engineer Bernie Grundman.
Few artists have made such an explosive comeback as Hooker did when he released The Healer in 1989. The prolific singer-songwriter—also known as the “King of the Boogie”—rose to fame in 1948 with the chart-topping R&B hit, “Boogie Chillen’.” Over the next four decades, he worked tirelessly—recording dozens of albums, touring the world, and reinventing modern music along the way. As one of history’s greatest bluesmen, Hooker’s influence spread far and wide, inspiring a generation of musicians across multiple genres, including folk, rock, and blues. A handful of these artists are represented as guests on The Healer.
Recorded at San Francisco’s Russian Hill Recording Studios, the album was produced by guitarist Roy Rogers, who served as a member of Hooker’s Coast to Coast Band and would go on to helm three more records by the artist, including the GRAMMY®-nominated Mr. Lucky (1991) and the bestselling Chill Out (1995). Together, they invited some of the industry’s greatest talents to perform a selection of new and classic material in both stripped-down and full-band settings.
Among the high-profile guests was Bonnie Raitt—a blues star in her own right—who joined her musical hero for the languid “I’m in the Mood.” The single, which Hooker first made a hit in 1951, was reimagined as a sultry and sassy duet. The duo’s interplay was so effective, in fact, that it won them a GRAMMY® for Best Traditional Blues Performance at the following year’s award ceremony. Another disciple of Hooker’s, Carlos Santana, appeared on the airy opening title track. “The Healer,” which became a global hit, paired Santana’s electrifying guitar licks and Latin rhythms with Hooker’s deep, emotive vocals. This creative partnership would continue throughout the ’90s, with Santana appearing on—and producing—several of the elder musician’s biggest albums.
Robert Cray, who represented a new generation of blues stars, would soon become a regular collaborator as well, following his appearance on the funky “Baby Lee.” Cray, who was a decade into his career at the time—having already played alongside the likes of Chuck Berry, Tina Turner, and Eric Clapton—joined Hooker on several subsequent albums, including Boom Boom (1992) and Mr. Lucky. The high-energy “Cuttin’ Out,” meanwhile, reunited Hooker with blues-rockers Canned Heat, with whom he recorded the acclaimed 1971 album, Hooker ’N Heat.
Chart-busting artist George Thorogood, who rose to prominence in the late ’70s blues-rock scene, guested on “Sally Mae” (originally released in 1948 as the B-side to “Boogie Chillen’”), where he delivered an impassioned performance on the guitar. Also stopping by the studio was legendary harmonica player, Charlie Musselwhite, who accompanied his longtime friend on the track, “That’s Alright.” Rounding out the guest list were East Los Angeles rockers Los Lobos, who had recently scored a No.1 hit with “La Bamba” (a cover of the Richie Valens song, recorded for the blockbuster biopic of the same name). The versatile group backed Hooker on the zydeco-flavored “Think Twice Before You Go.”
Hooker also recorded three solo tracks for The Healer, including the stripped-down “Rockin’ Chair,” the wistful ballad, “My Dream,” and the album closer, “No Substitute.” For the latter track, the bluesman delivered startlingly intimate vocals, paired with a lush acoustic guitar and his signature foot tapping, as he declared, “there ain’t no substitute for love.”
While Hooker released several albums in the ’80s, The Healer marked a turning point in his career, marrying the classic style of his heyday with a strikingly modern sound. Critics paid attention as well, showering the artist and his guests with praise. Rolling Stone called the record “Brilliant, 100-proof blues,” adding “the spirit that animates this album is the ageless voice of John Lee Hooker and his boogie-man blues. He has conjured up a renewed world blues with the canniness of the hoodoo healers and root doctors who first gave birth to the Delta blues.” In addition to earning Hooker his first GRAMMY® win, the album was also a commercial triumph, peaking at No.62 on the Billboard 200 and selling more than a million copies worldwide.
The success of The Healer opened up a breadth of new opportunities for John Lee Hooker, including a host of eager collaborators and a string of popular releases. The busy bluesman was also able to bask in his status as a living icon. Just two years after the release of The Healer, Hooker was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, while in 1997, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was celebrated with a GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. The Blues Hall of Famer was also a recipient of the highly prestigious National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts—the highest honor that can be bestowed upon those in the folk and traditional arts by the U.S. government. Today, 21 years after his passing, Hooker’s legacy continues to live on through his extensive catalog of recordings, as well as through the many artists whose music he inspired. His work can be heard frequently in films and TV shows, while many of his songs have found a second life through sampling by hip-hop and electronic music’s biggest acts.
Click here to pre-order The Healer and visit JohnLeeHooker.com for exclusive merchandise and more.
Tracklist (vinyl):
Side A
1. The Healer (with Carlos Santana & The Santana Band)
2. I’m In The Mood (with Bonnie Raitt)
3. Baby Lee (with Robert Cray)
4. Cuttin’ Out (with Canned Heat)
5. Think Twice Before You Go (with Los Lobos)
Side B
1. Sally Mae (with George Thorogood)
2. That’s Alright (with Charlie Musselwhite)
3. Rockin’ Chair
4. My Dream
5. No Substitute
Tracklist (CD):
1. The Healer (with Carlos Santana & The Santana Band)
Craft Recordings proudly announces five exclusive releases for Record Store Day’s 2022 Black Friday event, taking place on November 25th at participating independent retailers. This year’s offerings include a variety of limited-edition pressings, including the first and only anthology of Korla Pandit’s Fantasy Records output, Genie of the Keys: The Best of Korla Pandit; Townes Van Zandt’s broadly acclaimed 1987 album, At My Window; a 10th anniversary pressing of The Sword’s metal masterpiece, Apocryphon; and a collectible edition of Silverstein’s Arrivals & Departures (featuring a bonus 7-inch). Rounding out the lineup is Haunted High, the latest title from the popular Jazz Dispensary series, featuring spaced-out cuts from Flora Purim, Mongo Santamaría, McCoy Tyner, and Barbara Lewis, among others. Details for each title below and for a full list of participating Record Store Day retailers, visit RecordStoreDay.com.
Townes Van Zandt – At My Window (1-LP on Sky Blue vinyl)
The consummate “songwriter’s songwriter,” Townes Van Zandt’s influence has spread far and wide over the decades, crossing borders, generations, and genres. The Texas-born artist rose to fame in the ’70s, thanks to his blend of blues, country, and folk, paired with a poetic—yet starkly honest—brand of storytelling. He amassed a cult following of fellow songwriters, including Willie Nelson, Steve Earle, Bob Dylan, and Emmylou Harris—many of whom recorded their own renditions of his songs.
Van Zandt (1944–1997) battled demons throughout his life, but by the mid-’80s, the reclusive artist was finally enjoying a stable family life with his wife and young son. In March 1987, nine years after the release of his previous album, Flyin’ Shoes, Van Zandt was ready to return to the studio. The artist spared no detail, pairing up with an all-star line-up of talent, including producers Jack Clement and Jim Rooney and a host of Nashville’s best musicians. Among them were Mark O’Connor (fiddle, mandolin), Joey Miskulin (accordion), and Willie Nelson’s harmonica player, Mickey Raphael. Together, they recorded a reflective and intimate collection of songs about love and heartbreak, including the frequently covered “Snowin’ on Raton,” the melancholic “Buckskin Stallion Blues,” the groovy “Ain’t Leavin’ Your Love,” and the poignant title track.
Upon its release via Sugar Hill Records, At My Window was welcomed warmly by fans and music critics alike. The album, which marked Van Zandt’s only release of the ’80s, was broadly acclaimed. The New York Times proclaimed, “Nobody writes songs about love affairs gone wrong with as much tenderness and insight,” calling his work, “the direct, untrammeled expression of a man's soul.” Limited to 6,000 copies, this 35th anniversary edition of At My Window has been newly remastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on Sky Blue vinyl.
Tracklist:
Side A:
1. Snowin’ On Raton
2. Blue Wind Blew
3. At My Window
4. For The Sake Of The Song
5. Ain’t Leavin’ Your Love
Side B:
1. Buckskin Stallion Blues
2. Little Soundance # 2
3. Still Lookin’ For You
4. Gone, Gone Blues
5. The Catfish Song
Silverstein – Arrivals & Departures (1-LP on Green Opaque Marble vinyl + 7-inch on Translucent Green vinyl)
Since their formation in 2000, Canadian five-piece Silverstein (named after the poet Shel Silverstein) has been at the forefront of the hardcore scene, thanks to their dynamic mix of melody and aggression—all blended with the unabashed earnestness of emo. After catching the ears of Victory Records, the band released two bestselling albums: 2003’s When Broken Is Easily Fixed and 2005’s Discovering the Waterfront. By the time that they began recording their third full-length, Arrivals & Departures, it was one of Alternative Press’ most anticipated titles of the year.
Released in 2007, Arrivals & Departures found the group exploring new sounds and expanding their repertoire. Working with producer and engineer Mark Trombino (Jimmy Eat World, blink-182, The Starting Line), the band proved their versatility, broadening their work with pop melodies and plenty of catchy guitar hooks. Frontman Shane Told, meanwhile, delivered an impressive mix of emotive growls and clean vocals. Featuring singles “If You Could See into My Soul” and “Still Dreaming,” plus dynamic highlights such as “Sound of the Sun” and “Worlds Apart,” Arrivals & Departures debuted at No.25 on the Billboard 200 and drew praise from the press, including Exclaim!, Punknews.org, and AllMusic, who wrote, “Silverstein prove that the playing field for what is considered post-hardcore has been broadened considerably.” Absolute Punk declared it to be a “rewarding listen…. this is the Silverstein everyone has been waiting to hear.”
Newly remixed by Sam Guaiana and remastered by Mike Kalajian, this 15th anniversary edition of Arrivals & Departures is pressed on Green Opaque Marble vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket with an accompanying booklet. Limited to 5,000 copies, the LP also includes a bonus 7-inch on Translucent Green vinyl, featuring the tracks “Rain Will Fall” and “Falling Down” (both released on the limited-edition of the original CD).
Tracklist:
Side A
1. Sound Of The Sun
2. Bodies And Words
3. If You Could See Into My Soul
4. Worlds Apart
5. My Disaster
Side B
1. Still Dreaming
2. The Sand Will Turn To Glass
3. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
4. Vanity And Greed
5. Love With Caution
6. True Romance
Bonus 7-inch:
Side A
1. Rain Will Fall
Side B
2. Falling Down
The Sword – Apocryphon (1-LP on 180-gram Cosmic Yellow Swirl vinyl)
Not long after forming in the early aughts, The Sword found themselves at the forefront of the retro-metal movement, merging the classic doom metal of the ’70s with psychedelia and stoner rock. Over the next few years, the Austin, TX four-piece continued that trajectory, gaining flocks of fans around the globe (not to mention plenty of critical acclaim) with releases such as 2008’s Gods of the Earth and the 2010 concept album, Warp Riders. By 2012, however, members of The Sword were about to enter a fresh phase in their career.
An album of firsts, Apocryphon was the group’s debut on the label Razor & Tie, as well as their first recording with drummer Santiago “Jimmy” Vela III. It also marked The Sword’s first album without any instrumental tracks. Produced with J. Robbins (Against Me! Jawbreaker, The Promise Ring), Apocryphon found the band delving further into stoner rock and embracing an arena-sized sound—offering a throwback to the classic riffs of Black Sabbath and Thin Lizzy. Lyrically, the record was also a stylistic shift, with the band moving farther away from the fantasy worlds of their earlier albums. Instead, they ruminated on metaphysical ideas, focusing on such themes as the apocalypse and the mysterious cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
Featuring such favorites as “Arcane Montane,” “The Hidden Masters,” “The Veil of Isis,” and “Cloak of Feathers,” Apocryphon was a critical and commercial success. In addition to debuting at No.17 on the Billboard 200, the album drew rave reviews from the likes of the BBC, Magnet, AllMusic, Loudwire, and Consequence of Sound, which hailed Apocryphon as “heavy metal distilled to its purest form.” Lacquers for this 10th anniversary edition were cut by Daniel Krieger at SST, using Greg Calibri’s (Sterling Sound) original high-resolution master. Limited to 5,000 copies, the LP is pressed on 180-gram Cosmic Yellow Swirl vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket featuring artwork by the award-winning comic book artist and penciller, J.H. Williams III.
Tracklist:
Side A
1. The Veil Of Isis
2. Cloak Of Feathers
3. Arcane Montane
4. The Hidden Masters
Side B
1. Dying Earth
2. Execrator
3. Seven Sisters
4. Hawks & Serpents
5. Eyes Of The Stormwitch
6. Apocryphon
Various Artists – Jazz Dispensary: Haunted High (1-LP on Pink Splatter vinyl)
The sought-after Record Store Day series, Jazz Dispensary, returns with Haunted High: a surreal collection of tunes that explore the furthest depths of outer space—and the human mind. Launch into the atmosphere with energizing music that will stimulate the senses, culled primarily from the mid-’70s catalogs of Flora Purim, Mongo Santamaría, McCoy Tyner, and more.
Haunted High takes off with “Phases,” a funk-fueled, instrumental jam from the Cannonball Adderley Quartet. The journey continues with Woody Herman’s spirited “La Fiesta,” followed by the expansive and mysterious sounds of McCoy Tyner’s “Desert Cry.” Stretching time and space is “Silver Sword,” a supremely trippy 1974 cut from Brazilian singer Flora Purim, featuring guitarist Carlos Santana at his prime. Mongo Santamaría’s engaging “Los Indios” opens Side B, while vibraphonist Cal Tjader blends Eastern influences with Afro-Cuban beats in 1979’s “Mambo Mindoro.” Two final tracks guide listeners back to Earth: Gene Ammons’ poignant rendition of “Strange Fruit” and Barbara Lewis’ soulful, 1969 performance of “The Windmills of Your Mind” (a ballad originally sung by Noel Harrison in 1968’s The Thomas Crown Affair).
Haunted High is pressed on Pink Splatter vinyl and housed in an eye-catching jacket, with embossed silver foil detail. As with all editions of Jazz Dispensary, this collectible release will be limited in numbers—with just 5,000 copies available worldwide. So, get onboard, buckle up, and lean back: This trip is about to get groovy.
Tracklist:
Side A
1. The Cannonball Adderley Quintet – “Phases”
2. Woody Herman – “La Fiesta”
3. McCoy Tyner – “Desert Cry”
4. Flora Purim – “Silver Sword”
Side B
1. Mongo Santamaria – “Los Indios”
2. Cal Tjader – “Mindoro”
3. Gene Ammons – “Strange Fruit”
4. Barbara Lewis – “Windmills of your Mind”
Korla Pandit — Genie of the Keys: The Best of Korla Pandit (1-LP on Blue Opaque vinyl)
In the golden age of TV, Korla Pandit led viewers on fantastical journeys to faraway places with his mesmerizing, instrumental music. Dubbed the “Godfather of Exotica,” Pandit claimed to hail from New Delhi, where he was born to a French opera singer and an Indian government worker. After his death in 1998, however, it was revealed that Pandit was actually John Roland Redd—an African American artist from St. Louis, MO. A prodigious piano and organ player, Redd relocated to Los Angeles in the early ’40s, where he conceived of a new identity in order to join the Musicians Union, which did not allow Black artists at the time. Redd’s new musical persona not only brought him acceptance, but also allowed him to stand out from his peers. For the rest of his life, he assumed the role of Korla Pandit—on and off stage.
Initially, Pandit was a staple on L.A. radio, but in 1949, the musician brought his act to the small screen. Korla Pandit's Adventures in Music marked the first all-music program on TV and featured the artist playing the piano and the Hammond B3 organ (often simultaneously) while staring hypnotically at the camera. Although he refrained from speaking at first, Pandit soon integrated spirituality into his shows, discussing Eastern religions, mysticism, and Zen philosophy. As his popularity grew, the artist also enjoyed a prolific recording career—releasing 13 albums with Fantasy Records between 1958 and 1963, including Tropical Magic (1959), Hypnotique (1961), Music for Meditation, and Music of Hollywood (both 1962).
Genie of the Keys: The Best of Korla Pandit presents 16 choice cuts from this era—and marks the very first anthology of the artist’s Fantasy Records output. Featuring Pandit’s inspired blend of Eastern, Latin, and South Pacific musical traditions, the collection includes such original compositions as “Procession of the Grand Moghul,” “Turkish Dance,” and his iconic “Magnetic Theme,” which opened Korla Pandit’s Adventures in Music. The collection also offers a variety of pop covers, including “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “Polka Dots and Moon Beams,” and “Speak to Me of Love.”
Genie of the Keys features newly remastered audio by the GRAMMY®-winning engineer, Paul Blakemore, with lacquers cut by Dave Polster at Well Made Music. This inaugural edition is pressed on Blue Opaque vinyl and limited to 4,000 units.
Craft Recordings proudly celebrates the 60th anniversary of Vince Guaraldi’s breakthrough album, Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus, with a variety of reissues. A deluxe, expanded edition of the 1962 album—featuring the GRAMMY® Award-winning instrumental hit “Cast Your Fate to the Wind”—offers 16 bonus tracks, including 12 previously unreleased selections, with outtakes and alternate takes of nearly every track on the album.
Available to pre-order beginning today, this definitive edition will be released as a 3-LP, 2-CD, or 24-track digital collection, with newly remastered audio by engineer Paul Blakemore. Produced by Nick Phillips, the original album is cut from the original master, while the bonus material was transferred from the original analog tapes by Plangent Processes. Lacquers for the 3-LP edition were cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed at RTI on 180-gram vinyl. Both physical formats also include new, in-depth liner notes by jazz writer Andrew Gilbert (San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, KQED Arts). The digital offering comes in standard and Hi-Res options. The CD and digital formats will be released on November 18th with the LP set due to follow on February 24th.
Additionally, Craft will offer a limited and numbered pressing of the original, eight-track album as part of their acclaimed Small Batch series, which offers discerning listeners the highest-quality, authentic sound—distilled to its purest form. As with previous Small Batch pressings, Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus was cut from its original analog tapes by legendary engineer Bernie Grundman and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI using Neotech’s VR900 compound and a one-step lacquer process—as opposed to the standard three-step process—allowing for the utmost level of musical detail, clarity, and dynamics while reducing the amount of surface noise on the record. The limited nature of these pressings guarantees that each record is a true representation of the original lacquer and is as close as the listener can get to the original recording. Craft’s all-analog, one-step series has drawn praise from critics far and wide, with Hi-Fi Choice describing the audio quality as “Extraordinary,” while Stereophile commented that the series is “beautifully done,” and Record Collector described the sound as “flawless.” Set for release on February 24th, 2023, and also available for pre-order today exclusively via CraftRecordings.com, each Small Batch pressing (limited to 3,000 copies) will be individually numbered and encased in a foil-stamped, linen-wrapped slipcase featuring an acrylic inset of the original artwork. The vinyl disc—extractable through a unique, frictionless ribbon pull-tab—is housed in a reproduction of the album’s original, tip-on jacket and protected by an archival-quality, anti-static, non-scratching inner sleeve. Rounding out the package are new liner notes by Derrick Bang, the foremost Guaraldi historian and author of Vince Guaraldi at the Piano (McFarland & Company).
Long before Vince Guaraldi’s name was synonymous with the beloved PEANUTS® animated specials, he was a rising star in the West Coast jazz scene. The San Francisco-born pianist began his career in the early ’50s, playing alongside the Latin-influenced vibraphonist, Cal Tjader. By 1954, Guaraldi established his own trio and, within a year, his first recordings as a bandleader were released by Fantasy Records as part of their multi-artist collection, Modern Music from San Francisco. Shortly thereafter, the Bay Area label signed Guaraldi to an exclusive deal, releasing his self-titled debut album in 1956, followed by A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing in 1957. But it was the pianist’s third album, Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus, that found him settling into his own as a leader and establishing his signature style. The 1962 LP would also serve as his commercial and creative breakthrough, opening new avenues that even Guaraldi couldn’t have imagined.
The album’s origins began several years earlier, with the release of the 1959 film, Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus). Based on Orfeu da Conceição, a 1956 Brazilian stage production by Vinicius de Moraes, the Marcel Camus-directed film reimagined the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, placing it instead in Rio De Janeiro, amid the annual Carnival celebrations. Rising Brazilian composer Antônio Carlos Jobim was tasked with scoring the film, alongside Moraes, while guitarist Luiz Bonfá also penned two selections (“Samba de Orfeu” and “Manhã de Carnaval”). Orfeu Negro not only won the Palme d’Or at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival and an Academy Award® for Best Foreign Language Film, but it also introduced much of the world to the music of Brazil—particularly the captivating sounds of bossa nova. The musicians behind the soundtrack, meanwhile, became international sensations.
Guaraldi—who was no stranger to Latin rhythms, given his tenure with Tjader—was immediately taken with the score and conceived of a concept album based on the film. The pianist began recording in November 1961 at San Francisco’s KQED studio with his new trio, featuring bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Colin Bailey. During these initial sessions, the three musicians recorded several standards for the album, including the Buddy Johnson-penned blues ballad, “Since I Fell for You,” and Henry Mancini’s soon-to-be-classic, “Moon River,” which had just debuted in the Audrey Hepburn film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. As the long-shelved session tapes revealed, the trio also recorded Fats Waller’s “Jitterbug Waltz” at this time. While the song was not part of the original album, three never-before-heard, high-energy takes are included as bonus tracks in this latest edition of Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus.
The trio returned to the studio in February 1962, where they tackled two new compositions by Guaraldi: “Cast Your Fate to the Wind” and “Alma-Ville”—both of which offered hallmarks of the pianist’s musical panache. AllMusic notes, “For the first time a recognizable Guaraldi piano style emerges, with whimsical phrasing all his own, a madly swinging right hand and occasional boogie-influenced left hand, and a distinctive, throat-catching, melodic improvisational gift.”
The February date, which took place over a mere four hours, also found the trio interpreting four selections from the Black Samba soundtrack: Jobim’s “O Nosso Amor” and “Felicidade” (mistitled as “Generique” on the original LP release), as well as Bonfá’s “Manhã de Carnaval” and “Samba de Orfeu.” In his liner notes, Gilbert praises, “Guaraldi, Budwig, and Bailey interpreted the Black Orpheus material with impressive care and feeling,” adding that the rhythm section’s work “stands the test of time, effectively articulating a North American impression of the bossa nova pulse.” The alternate takes further showcase the musicians’ talents—as well as their ease with the genre. An unreleased version of “O Nosso Amor,” for instance, “features a Guaraldi solo that embodies everything that made him such a charismatic presence at the keyboard, with his bright touch and irresistible bounce,” marvels Gilbert.
Guaraldi would continue to delve deeper into the sounds of Brazil and famously paired up with guitarist Bola Sete later in the decade. But it was Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus that changed the course of the pianist’s career. “Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus was a landmark achievement that introduced a trio with a singularly alluring sound,” writes Gilbert. “The combination of burnished lyricism, rhythmic subtly, and exquisite dynamic calibration set it apart, but the group’s impact flowed equally from its repertoire.” Recorded months—if not years—before other American jazz artists embraced the popular sounds of Brazil, the album also placed Guaraldi at the forefront of the bossa nova movement.
Released in April 1962, Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus made Guaraldi a household name—thanks, in large part, to the irresistible sounds of “Cast Your Fate to the Wind.” Released as the B-side to “Samba de Orpheus,” the instrumental track was embraced by DJs across the country, eventually landing at No.22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No.9 on the Easy Listening chart. In 1963, “Cast Your Fate to the Wind” earned Guaraldi a GRAMMY for Best Original Jazz Composition. Over the years, the track would be covered by a range of artists, including Quincy Jones, George Benson, Allen Toussaint, the James Gang, and Mel Tormé (who added lyrics).
Perhaps most famously, however, the tune caught the ear of television producer Lee Mendelson, who was searching for a musician to score a documentary about PEANUTS® creator, Charles M. Schulz, and his popular comic strip. While the film was never released, Guaraldi recorded the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas the following year—creating one of the best-selling jazz and holiday albums of all time in the process. Before his sudden death in 1976, Guaraldi would score more than a dozen PEANUTS animated specials. Yet, the pianist’s musical legacy extends far beyond those enduring soundtracks, and Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus is a prime example of that.
Click here to pre-order or pre-save Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus now.
Tracklist (Deluxe Expanded Edition Vinyl):
Disc 1:
A1. Samba de Orfeu
A2. Manhã de Carnaval
A3. Nosso Amor
A4. Felicidade
B1. Cast Your Fate to the Wind
B2. Moon River
B3. Alma-Ville
B4. Since I Fell for You
Disc 2:
C1. Samba de Orfeu (Short Version: Take 1, Set 3, Previously Unreleased)
C2. Samba de Orfeu (Long Version: Take 1, Set 3, Previously Unreleased)
C3. Manhã de Carnaval (Take 1, Set 3, Previously Unreleased)
C4. Manhã de Carnaval (Take 2, Set 3)
D1. Nosso Amor (Take 1, Set 3, Previously Unreleased)
D2. Nosso Amor (Take 2, Set 4, Previously Unreleased)
D3. Felicidade (Take 2, Set 2)
D4. Felicidade (Take 4, Set 3 Previously Unreleased)
Disc 3:
E1. Cast Your Fate to the Wind (Take 2, Previously Unreleased)
E2. Cast Your Fate to the Wind (Take 3)
E3. Cast Your Fate to the Wind (Take 5, Previously Unreleased)
E4. Alma-Ville (Take 2, Previously Unreleased)
E5. Since I Fell for You (Take 3, Previously Unreleased)
Craft Recordings and Jazz Dispensary are proud to announce Johnny Hammond’s 1975 funk-jazz masterpiece, Gears, as the latest release from Jazz Dispensary’s acclaimed Top Shelf series. Produced by Larry and Fonce Mizell, who were instrumental in the development of fusion, the keyboardist’s classic album offers a euphoric blend of jazz, soul, funk, and disco for a supremely groovy listen. As with all titles in the album-centric Top Self Series, which reissues the highest-quality, hand-picked rarities, Gears has been cut from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on audiophile-quality 180-gram vinyl at RTI. The LP is housed in a tip-on jacket, featuring faithfully reproduced original designs. Long out-of-print in the U.S., Gears is due out November 4th and available to pre-order beginning today (10/6) exclusively at JazzDispensary.com.
Also available to pre-order now is Jazz Dispensary’s Fall ’22 merch collection, which includes a new logo T-shirt and crewneck, a zeotropic slipmat from record animator Drew Tetz, a corduroy logo hat, and a bumper sticker. Additionally, Jazz Dispensary is unveiling its new Impressionistees series, which enlists guest artists to create original T-shirt designs inspired by classic albums. The series launches with a t-shirt from graphic designer and self-declared music fan, Matt Durkin, who reimagines Gears as a vibrant urban jungle. Gears T-shirts are available here and limited to a one-time run of 300.
Johnny “Hammond” Smith, who gained his nickname for his masterful work on the Hammond B-3 organ, began his career in the late ‘50s, splitting his time between recording as a bandleader and accompanying others, including vocalists like Nancy Wilson and Byrdie Green and saxophonist Gene Ammons. By the end of the ‘60s, Hammond had become one of the preeminent soul-jazz keyboardists, thanks to albums like Gettin’ Up (1967), Nasty! (1968), and Soul Talk (1969). As the decade turned, the keyboardist continued to push the boundaries of his genre, moving further into funk-jazz. When he combined forces with the Mizell Brothers (first on 1974’s Gambler’s Life and then on Gears), the possibilities were limitless.
Ignoring the strict rules set by jazz purists, the Mizell’s arrived on the scene with fresh energy and innovative ideas about where the genre could go. Bringing a commercial sensibility to their projects, Larry and Alphonso “Fonce” Mizell shared a musically-diverse clientele – from saxophonist Donald Byrd to the Jackson 5. Together, they pioneered the sound of fusion, integrating many of the popular styles of the era, including R&B, funk, and even the emerging sounds of disco. Hammond, who was equally as excited to expand upon his work and look to the future, was a perfect match for the Mizell’s. After setting the stage with Gambler’s Life, the three men reconnected at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA (and later at Los Angeles’’s Sound Factory) to record Gears. Joining them was an all-star lineup of musicians, including drummer Harvey Mason, bassist Chuck Rainey, and keyboardist Jerry Peters. Together, they crafted lushly-arranged tracks – many of which were punctuated by soulful backing vocals – that felt equally fitting for a late-night jazz club, the radio, or the dance floor.
The centerpiece of Gears is the six-minute-long “Los Conquistadores Chocolatés,” which turns up the heat with high-energy beats, multi-layered tracks of electronic and analog instrumentation (including strings, vibraphone, and flute), plenty of wah-wah pedals, and a commanding spoken-word introduction in Spanish. Along with the joyful “Fantasy,” “Los Conquistadores Chocolatés” served as a precursor to the disco hits that would pervade the latter half of the decade, while both tracks were on regular rotation at DJ David Mancuso’s legendary New York City “Loft” parties.
On the other end of the spectrum is the blissed-out “Lost on 23rd Street,” which marks one of the few downtempo selections on the album. The languid track offers a perfect backdrop for wandering through the city, as a casual observer. Another highlight is album opener “Tell Me What To Do,” which begins – innocuously enough – with fairly straightforward chords. Moments later, however, the band kicks into a laid-back groove, jamming over a catchy, looped guitar riff (later sampled by the likes of Armand Van Helden and Mr. Scruff). Remarkably, nearly all of the tracks on Gears have had multiple lives through samples. The funk-forward “Shifting Gears,” for instance, has been used in more than two dozen recordings, including those by DMX and Stetsasonic. The soulful album closer, “Can’t We Smile?,” meanwhile, has been used in songs by Erykah Badu and Kendrick Lamar, among others.
Marking Hammond’s first album with Milestone Records, Gears garnered critical acclaim upon its release and was a Top 40 hit on Billboard’s Jazz chart. Single “Los Conquistadores Chocolatés” was a crossover success, landing in the Top 5 of Billboard’s Dance Club Songs and Disco Singles charts. In the decades since its release, however, Gears has only grown in its cult status. In a retrospective review, BBC Music writes , “At once sophisticated, joyous and accessible, Gears had a profound influence on UK funkateers, and still sounds as fresh today as it did in the mid-70s.” Similarly, AllMusic praised, “This is unquestionably another jewel in a treasure chest already filled with so many for the Mizell production team, and a great performance by Hammond to keep up with his contemporaries who refuse to be held back by conventional wisdom.”
Craft Recordings celebrates the 60th anniversary of John Lee Hooker’s electrifying blues album, Burnin’, with several special reissues. Set for release on February 24th and available for pre-order today, the album includes the original recording of Hooker’s highly-influential signature hit, “Boom Boom,” and features members of the legendary Funk Brothers (Motown Records’ celebrated house band). Newly remastered from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, Burnin’ will be available in several formats. A 180-gram vinyl LP features a stereo mix of the album, as it was first released in 1962, while a tip-on jacket, which replicates Vee-Jay Records’ original designs, rounds out the package. In addition to a wide release on classic black vinyl, fans can also find the album in a variety of limited edition color pressings, including Flame Orange vinyl (via Barnes and Noble), Translucent Red vinyl (via Independent Record Stores), and Fuego Blend vinyl (available exclusively via JohnLeeHooker.com, along with a brand new official T-shirt featuring the iconic album artwork).
Expanded CD and digital editions offer both mono and stereo mixes of the album, plus a previously-unreleased alternate take of the song “Thelma,” captured during Hooker’s November 1961 session. The CD also includes new liner notes by the GRAMMY®-nominated journalist and music historian, Bill Dahl. Digital configurations include standard and hi-res, 192/24 and 96/24. Fans can preview the new Mono mixes with the advance two-track single “Boom Boom (Mono and Stereo)” which is available to stream or download today.
Known fondly as “King of the Boogie,” John Lee Hooker (1917-2001) was one of the most important blues artists of all time, whose work had a significant impact on modern music. Born in Mississippi to a family of sharecroppers, Hooker learned how to play the guitar at a young age, picking up his distinctive technique from his stepfather. In his 20s, he relocated to Detroit, where he spent his days as a janitor in an auto factory and his nights pursuing a career as a musician. He scored his first No.1 R&B hit with one of his earliest recordings, 1948’s “Boogie Chillen,” followed by singles like “Hobo Blues,” “Crawlin’ King Snake,” and “I’m in the Mood,” all of which landed in the R&B Top Ten. But these recordings typically featured a simple set-up: just Hooker alone in the studio, accompanying himself on guitar and keeping the beat with his foot. By the turn of the ‘60s, when Hooker signed to Chicago’s Vee-Jay Records, his sessions began to expand—initially with a second guitarist or a harmonica player (as heard in albums like Travelin’ and The Folklore of John Lee Hooker). Burnin’, however, was a stylistic departure that would not only bring the bluesman a new generation of fans, but would also change the course of his career.
Recorded in just one day in November 1961, Burnin’ paired Hooker with a full, electric band for the first time on record, with six of the most talented musicians of the era—all of whom served as members of Motown Records’ house players. Joining Hooker was keyboardist Joe Hunter, bassist James Jamerson, guitarist Larry Veeder, and drummer Benny Benjamin. A horn section, featuring saxophonist Hank Crosby and baritone saxophonist Andrew “Mike” Terry, added additional textures to the songs. These men, who soon came to be known as the Funk Brothers, would appear on the biggest hits of the decade, backing sessions by the Supremes, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, the Temptations, and Stevie Wonder.
The material that the group covered that day—predominantly originals by Hooker—was also incredibly strong. Among them was “Boom Boom,” considered to be one of the most important songs in recorded music. With its catchy riffs, airtight rhythms, and utterly cool vocals, the song would become Hooker’s signature hit and an instant blues standard. But the recording was an outlier for the bluesman, as Bill Dahl explains in his liner notes. “Hooker had a rare gift for improvising songs in the studio, sometimes incorporating lyrics from other sources and seldom playing anything the same way from one take to the next. It was an impromptu mindset that often left his sidemen in the unenviable position of either sinking or swimming. But he happened to have a song in mind for this date.’” Dahl continues, “The tension between the stop-time vocal passages in ‘Boom Boom’ and the release whenever the band broke into a straight-ahead jumping rhythm was a fresh development in Hooker’s massive songbook. Arrangements this concisely conceived weren’t John Lee’s primary strength, but he was proving surprisingly open to updating his sound more than a decade into his recording career.”
Released as a single by Vee-Jay in the spring of 1962, “Boom Boom” became Hooker’s biggest hit in more than a decade, spending eight weeks on Billboard’s R&B chart and peaking at No.16 by the summer. It was also one of only two songs by the blues star to break the Billboard Hot 100, landing at No.60. 30 years later, in 1992, the timeless song entered the UK pop charts’ Top 20 (thanks to an appearance in a commercial for Lee Jeans). Music critic Charles Shaar Murray, meanwhile, proclaimed it to be “the greatest pop song [Hooker] ever wrote.”
While “Boom Boom,” which opens the record, was the only charting single off Burnin’, the album offers a trove of standout performances and stellar songwriting. Among the highlights is the swinging—and slightly foreboding—“Thelma,” in which Hooker assures his cheating lover that he forgives her. His increasingly frenzied vocals, however, tell another story. Equally charged is the spoken word “Drug Store Woman,” in which the artist tells his woman (in his signature drawl) to stay home, rather than buy beauty products and stockings at the store. The mournful “Blues Before Sunrise,” written by Leroy Carr, finds Hooker delivering a particularly stirring and emotional performance.
On the other end of the spectrum is “Let’s Make It,” a sprightly, passionate tune based on just one single chord. Hunter and Terry shine particularly brightly, as they drive the momentum of the seductive track. Additionally, Dahl calls attention to “Keep Your Hands To Yourself,” arguing that the song is “the most unusual item [on the album], which opens with the unmistakable riff from the Champs’ ‘58 rock and roll instrumental smash ‘Tequila.’ Unlikely though it seems, that repeating riff, seemingly detached from the blues milieu, made a perfect backdrop for Hooker to threaten any would-be suitors crazy enough to romance his lady.”
While Hooker maintained a prolific output during this period, it’s safe to say that Burnin’, released in March 1962, was a coveted record for countless aspiring rock musicians. Across the Atlantic, bands like the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds borrowed heavily from Hooker’s sound, while The Animals scored a hit with their own rendition of “Boom Boom” in 1964. As the decade continued, Hooker’s star only grew. Embraced by the counterculture scene, Hooker regularly shared the stage with many of the biggest folk and rock acts of the day and performed at a number of major festivals. Decades later, “Boom Boom” would be inducted into the GRAMMY® Hall of Fame, the Blues Foundation’s Hall of Fame, and would rank on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll” list.
Throughout the latter half of the century, Hooker maintained a steady pace of studio work, collaborations, and live shows. At 72, he released the biggest album of his career, The Healer, which earned him his first GRAMMY® Award, and sold more than a million copies. He found continued success with albums like Boom Boom and Chill Out in his final decade. Among his many honors, Hooker was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was celebrated with a GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. Hooker was also a recipient of the highly prestigious National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts—the highest honor that can be bestowed upon those in the folk and traditional arts by the US government. Today, Hooker’s legacy lives on through his extensive catalog of recordings, as well as through the many artists whose music he inspired. His work can be heard frequently in films and TV shows, while many of his songs have found a second life through sampling by hip-hop and electronic music’s biggest acts.
Click here to pre-order or pre-save the expanded edition of Burnin’ today and visit JohnLeeHooker.com for official merchandise bundles and more.
Cruise to the Edge (CTTE), the world’s premier progressive rock experience at sea, is set to return March 8th-13th, 2024 with its biggest cruise ever. Marking its eighth voyage, the five-day/five-night full-ship charter cruise is set to sail out of Miami, FL aboard the Norwegian Pearl and visit two ports: Ocho Rios, Jamaica and George Town, Grand Cayman.
Featuring an array of events and music-filled days with performances from some of the world’s greatest prog rock artists, CTTE ’24 will be headlined by prog legends Marillion, Steve Hackett, Flying Colors, and for the first time, Big Big Train. The lineup also includes returning acts Adrian Belew, Martin Barre, The Flower Kings, Haken, Protocol, Queensrÿche, PFM, Airbag, Baraka, Klone, and Wishbone Ash; alongside cruise newcomers Gryphon, Lonely Robot, Claudio Simonetti's Goblin, and legendary prog metal group Symphony X, with more artists to be announced in the coming months. Plus, official cruise hosts Jon Kirkman and Roie Avin will be moderating Q&A’s and activities.
The public on-sale just kicked off (11/21), with cabins starting at $1,397.00 per person (double occupancy). Government fees, taxes, and gratuities are additional and mandatory for all passengers, regardless of age. For booking and more info, visit CruiseToTheEdge.com and follow @CruiseToTheEdge on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Beyond the sun, fun, and exquisite dining there will be artist/cruiser photo experiences, Q&A sessions, special theme nights, and other events designed to optimize the artist/fan experience. This year’s cruise will once again feature the unparalleled CTTE Late Night Live, where fans can sign up to showcase their own musical talents in four different performance scenarios: Late Night Live Pro Jam (guests are invited to play with a headline act), Artist's Choice (featuring fans and prog legends performing together), The Main Event (where guests can shine with fellow Late Night Live musicians), and Overtime Jam (where guests can choose a song to be featured in a late-night jam).
Cruisers will get to experience the Norwegian Pearl is designed specifically for the concert cruise market, featuring some of the best venues on the high seas, incredible dining options, and the friendly and attentive service for which Norwegian Cruise Line is known. The ship’s 16 chic dining options, 15 bars and lounges, dazzling casino, tranquil spa, Body Waves fitness center, rock-climbing wall, and spacious Garden Villas are just a few things that make this Jewel-class cruise ship a destination of her own. All accommodations showcase a relaxing vibe with cool blue hues reminiscent of the calming ocean with silver and turquoise accents. Stateroom’s feature new furniture, carpeting, headboards, and televisions. Click here for more info on the ship.
The first port stop on CTTE ‘24 is Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Located on the north coast of Jamaica, Ocho Rios is adorned with beautiful golden beaches juxtaposed against its jungle-covered mountains. This backdrop allows for a myriad of unique excursions for guests to enjoy including river rafting, river tubing, savoring a moment of relaxation in a riverside cabana, or simply an easy breezy day on the beach at Discovery Bay. This port-of-call is magnificent for more than just sightseeing and adventure, in fact, Island Village is a shopper’s dream featuring duty-free shops filled with designer fashion, gorgeous jewelry collections, and more. Ocho Rios is most famous for Dunn’s River Falls, Jamaica’s national treasure, where guests can spend the day scaling this spectacular waterfall ─ climbing and exploring the limestone rocks while relishing in the refreshing pools along the way. For the more adventurous, there’s swimming with dolphins, plunging through twists and turns on a rainforest bobsled, getting wet n dirty in a dune buggy in the Jamaican woodlands, or racing through the trees on a series of ziplines near Dunn’s River Falls. Click here for a full list of shore excursions on Ocho Rios.
The next stop is the beautiful George Town, Grand Cayman, a quaint town that hosts to a variety of activities including luxurious glass-bottom boat tours, rum distillery tours, art galleries, top-notch shopping that includes duty-free shops, mouthwatering places to eat, and a historical museum. While George Town is smaller than many destinations, it still has a plethora of options to choose from so you can plan your perfect day, including the Dolphins and Stingray Sandbar, Turtles, Turtles and more Turtles excursion, or snorkel and explore the USS Kittiwake Sunken Ship, combined with the stunning Grand Cayman barrier reef. Click here for a full list of shore excursions on George Town.
With a myriad of events, activities, and music spanning decades of prog (dating back to the beginning of the genre all the way to present day) to keep fans entertained day and night, CTTE ‘24 promises to be a fantasy camp, personal paradise, and the vacation of a lifetime for progressive rock enthusiasts. Click here for exclusive CTTE merch.
Jazz Dispensary proudly announces the latest release in its acclaimed Top Shelf series, Pleasure’s long out-of-print classic Joyous. Produced by Wayne Henderson (The Jazz Crusaders), the 1977 album delivers instant party vibes, thanks to a lively blend of soul, funk, disco, and jazz. As with every title in the album-centric Top Shelf series—which reissues the highest-quality, hand-picked rarities (all culled from Craft Recordings’ vaults)—Joyous has been cut from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on audiophile-quality 180-gram vinyl at RTI. The LP is housed in a tip-on jacket, featuring faithfully reproduced original designs. Returning to vinyl for the first time since its original release, Joyous is out January 6th and available to pre-order beginning today (12/1) exclusively at JazzDispensary.com.
Ahead of the holidays, Jazz Dispensary is also adding a groovy new colorway to its popular “Catnip” T-shirt. Perfect for all jazz cats, the design (now available in Granite or Ivory) features an original illustration by Favorite Vegetable. The Jazz Dispensary store also includes a variety of exclusive gifts, including a logo T-shirt and crewneck, a corduroy logo hat, a zeotropic slipmat from record animator Drew Tetz, and a variety of bumper stickers, in addition to a curated selection of vinyl LPs.
Hailing from Portland, OR, Pleasure formed in 1972, blending the talents of two local acts: The Franchise (featuring drummer Bruce Carter, guitarist Marlon “The Magician” McClain, and bassist Nathaniel Phillips) and The Soul Masters (featuring keyboardists and brothers Donald and Michael Hepburn, saxophonist Dennis Springer, trombonist/guitarist Dan Brewster, vocalist Sherman Davis, and percussionist Bruce Smith). Soon, the nonet’s electric fusion of soul, jazz, and funk caught the ears of Jazz Crusaders co-founder and trombonist Wayne Henderson. Under Henderson’s wing, Pleasure signed to Fantasy Records (home to the likes of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Vince Guaraldi), where the soul jazz star would produce four of the band’s albums, including their 1975 debut, Dust Yourself Off, 1976’s Accept No Substitutes and 1977’s Joyous.
After spending months on the road, opening for the era’s hottest R&B acts (including Earth, Wind & Fire, Tower of Power, War, Natalie Cole, Bill Withers and B.B. King), the members of Pleasure were primed to deliver their most confident album yet. The result was Joyous, which offered a perfect, genre-bending example of their self-declared “360 degrees of music.” Marking the band’s final album with its original line-up, Joyous allowed each member of the group to shine—particularly when it came to songwriting. Among the highlights is the McClain-penned party anthem “Dance to the Music,” Brewster’s pop-forward “Let Me Be the One” and Michael Hepburn’s enduring hit “Joyous.” The title track, which opens the album, offers a six-and-a-half-minute-long funk-fueled jam that feels right at home on a disco floor. The song became the group’s first Top 40 hit on the R&B charts, helping to propel Joyous to No.34 on Billboard’s Top Soul Albums chart and No.113 on the overall album chart (Pleasure’s highest position at that point in their career). The album also featured a handful of chilled-out delights, including Donald Hepburn’s sultry “Sassafras Girl” and Nathaniel Phillips’ smooth-as-silk ballad “Tune In.” Dan Brewster’s “Only You,” meanwhile, delivers a soulful, socially conscious message.
Since its release, Joyous has only grown in its popularity and has become a sought-after favorite of DJs. Reflecting on the album, AllMusic called it “a classic that underscores Pleasure's risk-taking nature.” The UK-based Soul and Jazz and Funk hailed it as “a must-own for jazz-funk enthusiasts,” while Soulstrut praised Joyous as “the apex of [Pleasure’s] sophisticated, matured sound.” Over the decades, several of the songs on Joyous have found new lives through samples—particularly the title track, which has appeared in releases by Janet Jackson, LL Cool J, Eric B. & Rakim, Sugarhill Gang and Daft Punk, among many others. “Let Me Be the One,” meanwhile, was also sampled in tracks by the likes of Public Enemy and Ultramagnetic MCs.
Tracklist:
Side A
1. Joyous
2. Let Me Be The One
3. Only You
4. Can't Turn You Loose
Side B
1. Sassafras Girl
2. Tune In
3. Dance To The Music
4. Selim
About Jazz Dispensary:
Jazz Dispensary is a homegrown label celebrating mind-expanding, high-grade selections drawn from the finest original sources of funk, jazz, and all the areas they intersect. With knowledgeable sound sommeliers as guides, Jazz Dispensary brings deep catalog gems to the table, offering bespoke selections to match every mood and inspire an elevated conversation. A funky good time, a mystic journey, a powerful inspiration, Jazz Dispensary has the medicine that will spark things off. One hit and you’re hooked! For more info, visit JazzDispensary.com
Craft Recordings proudly announces the release of Birthright: A Black Roots Music Compendium, an expansive overview of American Black roots music. Produced by author, professor, and GRAMMY®-nominated music historian Dr. Ted Olson, along with GRAMMY-winning producer, musician, and author Scott Billington, Birthright offers an introduction to the rich and often nuanced world of Black roots music. Spanning generations and genres, the 40 songs in this brand-new collection showcase a broad range of styles: from gospel and blues to Louisiana Creole, jazz, Gullah music, and more, while the artists range from little-known musicians to enduring icons like John Lee Hooker, Odetta, The Staple Singers, and Lightnin’ Hopkins.
Due out February 17th on 2-CD/digital formats and available for pre-order today, Birthright features a handful of rarities, as well as the previously unreleased “Georgie Buck” by the Carolina Chocolate Drops (a collective of musicians that includes Dom Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens, and Justin Robinson) featuring fiddler Joe Thompson. The 2-CD edition includes insightful essays from musicians/scholars Corey Harris and Dom Flemons (music from both artists also appears on the album), as well as an introduction and detailed track notes by Olson. Through word and song, Birthright not only seeks to pay tribute to an essential canon of American music, but also demonstrates the pervasive influence of Black roots music on popular culture – from country to hip-hop.
While the recordings on Birthright date back to the ’50s, one must take into account the historical through line, which begins centuries ago. “Music in Africa was woven into every aspect of life and every song was specific to a certain time of year, festival, activity or life event,” writes Harris. “When our captive ancestors were driven off the slave ship on to the shores of a strange land, they had these songs with them.” Amid the horrors of slavery, music served as an important form of communication. While African drums were banned, Harris explains, “Stringed instruments and household items like jugs, spoons, bones and washboards became our weapons of circumstance…. But no matter how many laws were passed, you couldn’t outlaw rhythm.”
Following Emancipation, Black roots music was first recorded in the early 20th century by folklorists like John Lomax. But, in a sharply segregated country, few people would hear it. Flemons notes, “The acknowledgement that any American music could be considered to have ‘Black roots’ was not only unheard of, it was treated with disregard and in many instances, was banned from being performed and disseminated to the general public altogether.”
These foundational recordings were vital, however – particularly because Black music and culture were generally portrayed using grotesque stereotypes or Euro-classical stylings. Instead, the audio “removed all secondary ‘straightening,’ ‘sweetening’ or ‘exaggerating’ of the music,” explains Flemons. “A new dialogue could be had between the folklorist and the musician allowing the subject for the first time to ‘speak for themselves.’” He continues, “The performance could in essence reflect the inherent value of a unique ‘Black’ culture. This early documentation is an essential resource for our understanding of Black roots music of the past.”
In the following decades, with the rise of the record industry, regional music styles developed and spread further into the mainstream, with blues, jazz, and gospel making a significant impact on popular music, leading to rock ’n’ roll, soul, and eventually hip-hop. But while new generations continued to build upon these foundations, Black roots music never stopped thriving, as Birthright proves. “There has been wave after wave of Black roots artists who have built a new bridge to the past,” adds Flemons. “No matter the era, the musical innovations of the African and Caribbean Diaspora are still prevalent in the hands, feet, instruments and voices of each of these artisans no matter how refined or down-home they may sound.”
Each track in Birthright – whether recorded 60 or six years ago – offers an example of this rich musical tradition, including a variety of mid-century field recordings. Among the highlights is Bessie Jones’ “Yonder Come Day,” documented in Georgia in 1973. Jones (1902–1984) was a member of the Georgia Sea Island Singers, which was founded to preserve the music of the Southeast’s coastal Gullah culture. Another notable selection is “Eunice Two Step,” from the renowned duo of accordion player Bois Sec Ardoin and fiddler Canray Fontenot. Recorded in the ’60s and sung in French, the song represents the “Creole” tradition and, as Ted Olson notes, “reflects the older sound of Black music in rural Louisiana before the emergence of the more modern Zydeco genre.” There are also more informal recordings, including those of incarcerated men, singing “work songs.” Among them is Bennie Richardson, who leads a rendition of the traditional “Grizzly Bear,” alongside his fellow inmates at a Texas penitentiary. The song, explains Olson, “employs verbal coding. The ‘Grizzly Bear’ character…was a white prison guard, while “Jack O’ Diamonds” was a veiled reference to a white prison warden.” The audio, recorded in the mid-’60s, features a call-and-response style of singing, which originated in West Africa.
In addition to field recordings, the collection showcases a handful of well-known legends, including The Staple Singers. While best-known as ’70s soul stars, the family group began on the gospel circuit. Their 1963 recording of Willie Johnson’s frequently covered “Motherless Children” features call-and-response vocals from patriarch Roebuck “Pops” Staples and his children, Mavis, Yvonne, Cleotha, and Pervis. Civil rights activist, singer, and actress Odetta makes an appearance with “Special Delivery Blues,” a song originally recorded in 1926 by jazz singer Sippie Wallace. Blues stars like John Lee Hooker (delivering the traditional “When I Lay My Burden Down”), Skip James (“Hard Time Killing Floor Blues”), and Lightnin’ Hopkins, who performs his influential “Automobile Blues,” are also represented in this collection, while a younger generation of celebrated bluesman, Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’, revisit Sleepy John Estes’ “Diving Duck Blues” from 1929.
Birthright also looks to the future with inspired tunes from contemporary acts. Among them is Ranky Tanky, who interpret traditional Gullah music. The term “ranky tanky,” which translates roughly to “get funky,” inspired both their group name and the song included in this collection. Another example is the aforementioned “Georgia Buck” from the Carolina Chocolate Drops, who share a passion for African American string bands. Their 2006 recording of the traditional tune is a collaboration with their mentor, fiddler Joe Thompson (1918–2012). The internationally renowned a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock, meanwhile, delivers the 19th-century spiritual, “Study War No More.” Known more popularly as “Down by the Riverside,” the song not only became a gospel staple, but also an antiwar anthem during the Vietnam War. The even longer-running Preservation Hall Jazz Band – a New Orleans institution – performs Paul Barbarin’s “Bourbon Street Parade,” which pays celebrates the joyful, parade-beat groove which is the heartbeat of the city’s music. Another mainstay of the Big Easy, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, has been keeping the city’s brass band tradition alive since 1977, and appears here with their Caribbean-inspired 2012 tune, “Best of All.”
While the voices on Birthright are unique, they all share a common thread. As Harris puts it so eloquently, “When we listen to the artists on this set, we are hearing the voice of a people determined to express themselves and be heard above the empty, metallic din of progress, above the saccharine pop and soulless glam of the industry. When the power goes out and the internet goes down, some of us will still be playing music and sharing our joys and pains with one another in song. Black roots music is a testament to the fact that if modern civilization were to collapse, we have the power and the spirit to rise up once again. We only need to hold on to our roots. This is an excellent place to start.”
Click here to pre-order/pre-save Birthright: A Black Roots Music Compendium.
Tracklist (2-CD):
CD 1
1. Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Bourbon Street Parade
2. Corey Harris and Shardé Thomas - Station Blues
3. Mississippi Fred McDowell - 61 Highway
4. Carolina Chocolate Drops, featuring Joe Thompson - Georgie Buck*
5. Ranky Tanky - Ranky Tanky
6. Etta Baker - One Dime Blues
7. Bois Sec Ardoin and Canray Fontenot - Eunice Two Step
8. Lightnin’ Hopkins - Automobile Blues
9. Bennie Richardson - Grizzly Bear
10. The Staple Singers - Motherless Children
11. Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry - Blues Before Sunrise
12. Dink Roberts - Fox Chase
13. Martin, Bogan, and Armstrong - Sweet Georgia Brown
14. Golden Eagles - Little Liza Jane
15. Clifton Chenier and His Band - Ay-Tete Fee
16. Skip James - Hard Time Killing Floor Blues
17. George Lewis New Orleans Jazz Band - Weary Blues
18. Bessie Jones - Yonder Come Day
19. Joseph Spence - We Will Understand It Better By And By
20. Dirty Dozen Brass Band - Best Of All
CD 2
1. Cedric Burnside - Step In
2. Amythyst Kiah - Pretty Polly
3. Lonnie Johnson and Elmer Snowden - St. Louis Blues
4. Leyla McCalla - Money Is King
5. Dom Flemons - Polly Put The Kettle On
6. Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ - Diving Duck Blues
7. Boozoo Chavis - Crying Blues
8. Campbell Brothers - Morning Train
9. John Lee Hooker - When I Lay My Burden Down
10. Lesley Riddle - Titanic
11. Professor Longhair - Go To The Mardi Gras
12. Mississippi John Hurt - Candy Man
13. Jesse Fuller - San Francisco Bay Blues
14. Odetta - Special Delivery Blues
15. John Jackson - Step It Up And Go
16. Tuts Washington - Arkansas Blues
17. Rev. Gary Davis - Lo, I Will Be With You Always
18. Inmate named Peter - Ups On The Farm
19. Cephas & Wiggins – John Henry
20. Sweet Honey in the Rock – Study War No More
* previously unreleased
Tracklist (digital):
1. Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Bourbon Street Parade
2. Corey Harris and Shardé Thomas - Station Blues
3. Mississippi Fred McDowell - 61 Highway
4. Carolina Chocolate Drops, featuring Joe Thompson - Georgie Buck*
5. Ranky Tanky - Ranky Tanky
6. Etta Baker - One Dime Blues
7. Bois Sec Ardoin and Canray Fontenot - Eunice Two Step
8. Lightnin’ Hopkins - Automobile Blues
9. Bennie Richardson - Grizzly Bear
10. The Staple Singers - Motherless Children
11. Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry - Blues Before Sunrise
12. Dink Roberts - Fox Chase
13. Martin, Bogan, and Armstrong - Sweet Georgia Brown
14. Golden Eagles - Little Liza Jane
15. Clifton Chenier and His Band - Ay-Tete Fee
16. Skip James - Hard Time Killing Floor Blues
17. George Lewis New Orleans Jazz Band - Weary Blues
18. Bessie Jones - Yonder Come Day
19. Joseph Spence - We Will Understand It Better By And By
20. Dirty Dozen Brass Band - Best Of All
21. Cedric Burnside - Step In
22. Amythyst Kiah - Pretty Polly
23. Lonnie Johnson and Elmer Snowden - St. Louis Blues
24. Leyla McCalla - Money Is King
25. Dom Flemons - Polly Put The Kettle On
26. Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ - Diving Duck Blues
27. Boozoo Chavis - Crying Blues
28. Campbell Brothers - Morning Train
29. John Lee Hooker - When I Lay My Burden Down
30. Lesley Riddle - Titanic
31. Professor Longhair - Go To The Mardi Gras
32. Mississippi John Hurt - Candy Man
33. Jesse Fuller - San Francisco Bay Blues
34. Odetta - Special Delivery Blues
35. John Jackson - Step It Up And Go
36. Tuts Washington - Arkansas Blues
37. Rev. Gary Davis - Lo, I Will Be With You Always
Craft Recordings announces its exclusive line-up of titles for Record Store Day 2023, taking place on Saturday, April 22, at participating independent retailers. From long-out-of-print rarities and cult classics to psychedelic treats and beloved soundtracks, these seven LPs will thrill music fans of all ages. Among this year’s offerings is an exclusive picture disc that celebrates the 40th-anniversary of the Violent Femmes and their 1983 self-titled debut (which features such enduring hits as “Blister in the Sun” and “Gone Daddy Gone”), plus the first vinyl reissue of Jonathan Richman’s acclaimed 1990 LP, Jonathan Goes Country. Also available, via our sister label Varése Sarabande, is an expanded and collectible motion picture soundtrack for 2014’s How to Train Your Dragon 2, featuring music by John Powell and Sigur Rós’ Jónsi.
Other highlights include the first-ever American mono reissue of Chet Baker’s 1959 instrumental classic, Chet, as well as Flash & The Dynamics’ The New York Sound—a long-out-of-print 1971 Latin psych-funk rarity. Fans of Travis, meanwhile, will enjoy The Invisible Band (Live), which finds the Scottish band celebrating the 20th anniversary of their bestselling album with a hometown concert. Rounding out the list is the latest installment of the sought-after Jazz Dispensary series, Hotel Jolie Dame, which transports listeners to a fabulous party through psychedelic rarities and unexpected cuts from Dizzy Gillespie, Dorothy Ashby, Cal Tjader, and more.
For more information on our titles, including how to find your nearest participating Record Store Day retailer, visit craftrecordings.com.
Formed in the early ’80s by Gordon Gano (vocals, guitar), Brian Ritchie (bass), and Victor DeLorenzo (percussion), Milwaukee’s Violent Femmes gained buzz in 1981, after an impromptu opening set for The Pretenders. Before long, they were playing underground clubs across the country, drawing praise from critics and catching the attention of Slash Records (home to The Germs, X, and The Blasters), where they released their self-titled debut.
Teeming with teenage angst, punk sensibilities, and the trio’s own special brand of jittery folk-rock, Violent Femmes became a cult favorite. While the album featured such enduring Gen X anthems as “Blister in the Sun,” “Please Do Not Go,” “Gone Daddy Gone,” and the urgent “Add It Up,” it failed to chart, initially. Over the years, however, sales remained steady and by 1991, nearly a decade after its release, the album finally broke into the Billboard 200 and earned a Platinum certification. Thanks to song placements in My So-Called Life, Reality Bites, and Grosse Pointe Blank, that momentum only continued.
Now, as the band commemorates four decades together, Violent Femmes and its influential songs still remain in the zeitgeist. In 2014, Popmatters called the folk-punk pioneers “one of the most important rock bands of the 1980s, if not the past quarter-century,” while Pitchfork called the trio “the greatest mixtape band of its era.” Limited to 6,000 copies worldwide, this collectible pressing kicks off the band’s 40th-anniversary celebrations and marks the very first Violent Femmes picture disc – mimicking the classic cover image on Side A and the jacket’s reverse side on Side B.
Stay tuned for special announcements throughout the year as the Violent Femmes celebrate their 40th anniversary.
Violent Femmes Tracklist:
Side A
1. Blister in the Sun
2. Kiss Off
3. Please Do Not Go
4. Add It Up
5. Confessions
Side B
1. Prove My Love
2. Promise
3. To The Kill
4. Gone Daddy Gone
5. Good Feeling
Chet Baker – Chet (1-LP; Mono, 180-Gram Black Vinyl)
Few musicians have embodied the romantic, and ultimately tragic, jazz figure as totally as Chet Baker (1929–88). With his hauntingly gorgeous trumpet stylings and innovative approach to jazz vocals, the fast-living “Prince of Cool” was instrumental in defining the sound of West Coast jazz. Born in Oklahoma and raised in Los Angeles, Baker began his career in the early ’50s, cutting his chops alongside such established artists as Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, and Gerry Mulligan. By the end of the decade, when he signed with the New York-based Riverside Records, Baker was a bonafide jazz star, while Hollywood was captivated by his chiseled looks.
His third album for Riverside, 1959’s Chet, was an outlier in Baker’s catalog. Up to this point, the musician generally incorporated vocals into his recordings, using his voice as an instrument – whether singing or scatting. Instead, Chet was entirely instrumental and found the horn player exploring a selection of classic ballads. Recorded at New York’s Reeves Sound Studios in December 1958 and January 1959, the introspective set features an all-star line-up of Bill Evans (piano), Kenny Burrell (guitar), Herbie Mann (flute), and Pepper Adams (baritone saxophone), plus drummers Connie Kay and Philly Joe Jones. Baker’s lyrical work on the trumpet is on display throughout the album, as he interprets standards like Cole Porter’s “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To,” Rodgers & Hart’s “It Never Entered My Mind,” and Kurt Weill’s “September Song.”
This special edition of Chet marks the first mono version of the album to be released in the US since 1959 and features AAA remastering with lacquers cut from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Limited to 10,000 copies worldwide, the album is pressed at RTI and presented on classic, 180-gram black vinyl.
Chet Tracklist:
Side A:
1. Alone Together
2. How High The Moon
3. It Never Entered My Mind
4. ’Tis Autumn
Side B:
1. If You Could See Me Now
2. September Song
3. You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To
4. Time On My Hands
5. You And The Night And The Music
Various Artists — Jazz Dispensary: Hotel Jolie Dame (1-LP; Psych-Sunset Orange Marble Vinyl)
The latest edition in the sought-after Jazz Dispensary series, Hotel Jolie Dame, transports listeners back to the summer of 1978, where a party awaits deep in the heart of the French Riviera at Hotel Jolie Dame. This fantastical resort welcomes cosmic groovers of all forms to check in for a day (or a week) of love, abandonment, and sunshine, while a psychedelic soundtrack – featuring unexpected cuts from Dizzy Gillespie, The Blackbyrds, Dorothy Ashby, and more – keeps the vibe elevated all night long. Limited to 5,000 copies worldwide and pressed on Psych-Sunset Orange Marble vinyl, Hotel Jolie Dame features original jacket art by the Auckland-based graphic artist, Callum Rooney, whose psychedelic designs have been used by the Brian Jonestown Massacre, Mastodon, and A Place to Bury Strangers, among many others.
Hotel Jolie Dame opens with “A Beginning Dream,” an instrumental slice of 1969 sunshine pop, courtesy of Triste Janero. The magic continues with Uruguayan/American fusion group, Opa, and their far-out 1976 suite, “Tombo / La Escuela / Tombo / The Last Goodbye.” As the sun sets and the moon begins to rise, guests are greeted with “Ozone Madness,” a supremely funky number from Dizzy Gillespie and Lalo Schifrin’s 1977 collab, Free Ride. The Blackbyrds’ ultra-smooth “Summer Love,” off their 1974 self-titled debut, closes out Side A.
Opening Side B is a cinematic cover of James Taylor’s “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight,” recorded in 1973 by vibraphonist Cal Tjader. The night progresses with Flora Punim’s otherworldly 1973 song, “Light as a Feather,” followed by the whimsical “In the Heart of a Rose,” off 1968’s The Amazing New Electronic Pop Sound of Jean Jacques-Perrey. As the sun rises, harpist Dorothy Ashby’s 1958 rendition of “There’s a Small Hotel” echoes through the hallways, leaving one to wonder if it was all a dream. The only way to find out is to flip the record over again… and drop the needle back in the groove.
Jazz Dispensary: Hotel Jolie Dame Tracklist:
Side A
1. Triste Janero: A Beginning Dream
2. Opa: Tombo / La Escuela / Tombo / The Last Goodbye
3. Dizzy Gillespie: Ozone Madness
4. The Blackbyrds: Summer Love
Side B
1. Cal Tjader: Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
2. Flora Purim: Light As A Feather
3. Jean-Jacques Perrey: In The Heart Of A Rose
4. Dorothy Ashby: There’s A Small Hotel
Travis – The Invisible Band (Live) (2-LP; Clear Vinyl)
Formed in the ’90s at Glasgow School of Art, Scottish quartet Travis released their debut album, Good Feeling, in 1997. In 1999, with the success of their sophomore album, The Man Who, and its breakout hit, “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?,” Travis ushered in a new generation of UK alt-rockers.
In the summer of 2001, Travis returned with their highly anticipated follow-up, The Invisible Band, hailed by NME as “timeless, simply expressed, inescapably real feelings…one of the finest voices in British pop.” Produced by Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Paul McCartney, U2), the broadly acclaimed album was brimming with introspective earworms, including the hit singles “Sing,” “Side,” and “Flowers in the Window.” One of Britain’s best-selling albums of the decade, The Invisible Band spent four weeks at No.1 in the UK, remained on the Billboard 200 for seven weeks, and earned the band a BRIT Award for British Group of the year.
But that isn’t the end of the story for the band, who today are still releasing studio albums and playing sold-out shows. In 2022, Travis embarked on a 20th-anniversary tour, celebrating the enduring appeal of The Invisible Band. In May, they played a hometown concert at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall—one which prompted The Scotsman to declare, “Travis still inhabit [the album’s] songs with conviction,” adding that the 21-year-old LP “sounds oddly fresh. ...The world-weariness aching through the bones of their big anthemic hits…sounds perfectly suited to a bunch of musicians in their forties who have been at this for decades—at it together, undivided after all this time, which is some achievement.”
For fans who weren’t able to attend the show, The Invisible Band (Live) captures that special evening, as the band performs every song on the album to a packed house of fans. Only available on RSD Exclusive vinyl and digital formats. Limited to 5,000 copies worldwide and pressed on clear wax, this 2-LP release marks the only physical edition of The Invisible Band (Live). As a special bonus, the vinyl package includes exclusive unseen tour photography from Ryan Johnston.
The Invisible Band (Live) Tracklist:
Side A:
1. Sing
2. Dear Diary
3. Side
Side B:
1. Pipe Dreams
2. Flowers In The Window
3. The Cage
Side C:
1. Safe
2. Follow The Light
3. Last Train
Side D:
1. Afterglow
2. Indefinitely
3. The Humpty Dumpty Love Song
Jonathan Richman – Jonathan Goes Country (1-LP; Red Cowboy Boot Vinyl)
For more than 40 years, singer-songwriter Jonathan Richman has garnered accolades and a cult-like following, thanks to his authentic storytelling, candid observations on life, and spirited lo-fi recordings. Emerging in the early ’70s as the quirky frontman of the Boston proto-punk band, the Modern Lovers, Richman led several iterations of the group, all while moving farther away from the harder, electric sounds of his earlier days. By the late ’80s, he was primarily a solo act.
1990’s Jonathan Goes Country found Richman venturing into new territory, as he interpreted classic country hits, wrote Western-inspired originals, and gave some of his older tunes a country makeover (including “The Neighbors, “Corner Store,” and “You’re the One for Me”). Recording the album in Springfield, MO, Richman recruited roots rockers The Skeletons to serve as his backing band. Together, they covered classics like “[A] Satisfied Mind” (made famous by Porter Wagoner) and Marty Robbins’ “Man Walks Among Us.” They also offered up instrumental renditions of Tammy Wynette’s hit, “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad” and Carole King/Gerry Goffin’s “I Can’t Stay Mad at You” (a Skeeter Davis classic). New material by Richman included “Rodeo Wind,” “Reno,” and the offbeat opener, “Since She Started to Ride,” featuring a cameo by The Buckaroos’ Tom Brumley on steel guitar.
Returning to vinyl for the first time since its release, Jonathan Goes Country features AAA remastering, with lacquers cut from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Limited to 5,000 copies worldwide, this special edition also boasts Red Cowboy Boots-colored vinyl (a nod to the album’s jacket design).
Jonathan Goes Country Tracklist:
Side A
1. Since She Started to Ride
2. Reno
3. You’re the One for Me
4. Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad
5. I Must Be King
6. You’re Crazy for Taking the Bus
Side B
1. Rodeo Wind
2. Corner Store
3. The Neighbors
4. Man Walks Among Us
5. I Can’t Stay Mad at You
6. Satisfied Mind
Flash & The Dynamics – The New York Sound (1-LP; 180-Gram Purple Vinyl)
Much has been documented about the pioneering music that came out of the United States in the ’60s and ’70s, amidst the social and political strife of the era. But the scene wasn’t just about the Summer of Love or Woodstock. There was another movement happening in the Latin neighborhoods of New York City, as cultural barriers loosened. Beginning in the mid-60s, musicians were filling the clubs with an irresistible combination of soul, R&B, and Afro-Cuban dance rhythms. By the turn of the decade, the style—known as “boogaloo”—had evolved, often integrating socially conscious lyricism (in both English and Spanish), rock and funk influences, and a heavy dose of psychedelia.
That sound is captured in Flash & The Dynamics’ The New York Sound—a 1971 rarity from the Fania Records vaults. The album—which marks the band’s sole LP—blends traditional Latin melodies with distorted guitars, soulful psychedelia, and plenty of funky rhythms. Listeners will be transported to another era with jams like “Everybody’s Got Soul,” “Guajira Sicodélica,” and the trippy instrumental, “Electric Latin Soul.”
Returning to vinyl for the first time in decades, The New York Sound features AAA remastering, with lacquers cut from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Limited to 3,500 units worldwide, this special edition has been pressed on 180-gram purple vinyl at RTI for an optimal listening experience.
The New York Sound Tracklist:
Side A
1. Guajira Sicodélica
2. Electric Latin Soul
3. Yo Te Quiero
4. Nena
5. El Son de la Loma
Side B
1. Changó
2. Campesino
3. Everybody’s Got Soul
4. Borinquen
5. Santa Isabel de las Lajas
John Powell – How to Train Your Dragon 2: Music from the Motion Picture (2-LP; Red Multi-Color Splatter Vinyl)
In 2010, DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon arrived in theaters, launching one of the decade’s most popular animated franchises. The trilogy, based on the book by Cressida Cowell, begins in a fictional Viking town, which is prone to dragon attacks. Hiccup, a young dragon-slayer-in-training, wounds a rare Night Fury dragon. Instead of killing the creature, he befriends it, helping to heal dragon-human relations along the way. The story continued in 2014’s highly acclaimed sequel, How to Train Your Dragon 2. Voiced by an all-star cast—including Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, and Kristen Wiig, plus Cate Blanchett, Djimon Hounsou, and Kit Harington—the film marked the largest global box office success of the $1.65 billion grossing trilogy.
Bringing the story to life is the music of John Powell, who established the archetype for modern animation scoring through his work on Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, the Rio franchise, and many others. The composer, who earned an Academy Award® nomination for the first Dragon film, created a world that is gloriously symphonic, enhanced with Irish instrumentation. The score is deep in classical tradition, while conveying emotion and nuance for modern audiences, particularly around the joy of flight. The soundtrack also features the talents of Icelandic singer Jónsi (Sigur Rós), who returned to collaborate with Powell. New to the second film is the Scottish bagpipe group, Red Hot Chili Pipers.
Presented by Varèse Sarabande across two LPs in a gatefold jacket, this collectible edition of How to Train Your Dragon 2 is pressed on red multi-color splatter vinyl and follows RSD 2021’s green multi-color splatter pressing of the first How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack. In addition to extensive liner notes featuring interviews with composer John Powell and director Dean DuBois, this exclusive version features the film’s theme song, “Where No One Goes” (performed by Jónsi). Limited to 3,500 copies worldwide.
How to Train Your Dragon 2: Music from the Motion Picture Tracklist:
Side A
1. Dragon Racing
2. Together We Map the World
3. Hiccup’s the Chief / Drago’s Coming
4. Tooothless Lost
5. Should I Know You?
Side B
1. Valka’s Dragon Sanctuary
2. Losing Mom / Meet the Good Alpha
3. Meet Drago
4. Stoick Finds Beauty
5. Flying with Mother
Side C
1. For the Dancing and the Dreaming
2. Battle of the Bewilderbeast
3. Hiccup Confronts Drago
4. Stoick Saves Hiccup
5. Stoick’s Ship
Side D
1. Alpha Comes to Berk
2. Toothless Found
3. Two New Alphas
4. Where No One Goes
5. Into a Fantasy
About Craft Recordings
Craft Recordings is home to one of the largest and most essential collections of master recordings and compositions in the world. Its storied repertoire includes landmark releases from icons such as Joan Baez, John Coltrane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Celia Cruz, Miles Davis, Isaac Hayes, John Lee Hooker, Little Richard, R.E.M., Joan Sebastian, and Traveling Wilburys. Plus, the catalog recordings of celebrated contemporary acts including A Day to Remember, Evanescence, Alison Krauss, Nine Inch Nails, Taking Back Sunday and Violent Femmes, to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Fania, Fantasy, Fearless, Musart, Nitro, Panart, Prestige, Riverside, Rounder, Specialty, Stax, Vanguard, Varèse Sarabande, Vee-Jay and Victory, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation—ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover. Craft is also home to the Billie Holiday and Tammy Wynette estates which preserve and protect their respective names, likeness and music through day-to-day legacy management of these cultural trailblazers.
Craft Recordings’ 60th anniversary special reissues for Burnin’, the electrifying blues album from John Lee Hooker, are out today. The albums include the original recording of Hooker’s highly influential signature hit “Boom Boom” and feature members of the legendary Funk Brothers (Motown Records’ celebrated house band).
Newly remastered from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, Burnin’ (60th Anniversary Edition) is available in several formats, including a 180-gram vinyl LP (featuring a stereo mix of the album, as it was first released in 1962) housed in a tip-on jacket, which replicates Vee-Jay Records’ original designs. In addition to a wide release on classic black vinyl, fans can also find the album in a variety of limited-edition color pressings, including Flame Orange vinyl (via Barnes and Noble), Translucent Red vinyl (via Independent Record Stores), and Fuego Blend vinyl (via JohnLeeHooker.com, where you can also find a brand-new official T-shirt featuring the iconic album artwork).
Plus, expanded CD and digital editions offer both mono and stereo mixes of the album, and a previously unreleased alternate take of the song “Thelma,” captured during Hooker’s November 1961 session. The CD also includes new liner notes by GRAMMY®-nominated journalist and music historian, Bill Dahl. Digital configurations include standard and hi-res, 192/24 and 96/24. Fans can stream/download the new Mono mixes now HERE.
Coinciding with the album’s release, a new animated lyric video for John Lee Hooker’s iconic signature hit song “Boom Boom,” is available now (watch here). Regarding the video, director Sandra Clua shares, “The idea was to create not just a usual lyric video. In this case, we travel into the Apex Bar in Detroit, where John got the idea for the song. The viewer gets immersed into this dark, neon, dirty, smoky bar full of energy and good music ‒ recreating the atmosphere of a blues bar.”
Known fondly as “King of the Boogie,” John Lee Hooker (1917–2001) was one of the most important blues artists of all time, whose work had a significant impact on modern music. Born in Mississippi to a family of sharecroppers, Hooker learned how to play the guitar at a young age, picking up his distinctive technique from his stepfather. In his 20s, he relocated to Detroit, where he spent his days as a janitor in an auto factory and his nights pursuing a career as a musician. He scored his first No.1 R&B hit with one of his earliest recordings, 1948’s “Boogie Chillen,” followed by singles like “Hobo Blues,” “Crawlin’ King Snake,” and “I’m in the Mood,” all of which landed in the R&B Top Ten. But these recordings typically featured a simple set-up: just Hooker alone in the studio, accompanying himself on guitar and keeping the beat with his foot. By the turn of the ’60s, when Hooker signed to Chicago’s Vee-Jay Records, his sessions began to expand—initially with a second guitarist or a harmonica player (as heard in albums like Travelin’ and The Folklore of John Lee Hooker). Burnin’, however, was a stylistic departure that would not only bring the bluesman a new generation of fans but would also change the course of his career.
Craft Recordings announces the relaunch of Original Jazz Classics – the acclaimed reissue series that faithfully presented more than 850 memorable jazz albums over three decades. First launched in 1982 under Fantasy Records, the imprint served as a home for the label’s impressive jazz catalog – which had grown to include thousands of celebrated titles from Prestige, Galaxy, Milestone, Riverside, Debut, Contemporary, Jazzland, and Pablo. Fantasy also had its own place in jazz history, beginning in 1949 with its very first signing, Dave Brubeck. The Bay Area label was also home to the likes of Cal Tjader, Gerry Mulligan, and Vince Guaraldi.
In the ’80s and ’90s, OJC became the go-to imprint for jazz reissues on vinyl, CD and cassette. Its extensive catalog not only boasted some of the most important albums ever recorded, but also long-out-of-print favorites – all of which featured original cover art and liner notes, as well as superior audio. Original OJC vinyl pressings are still praised and much sought after by jazz fans and audiophiles alike, who have gone to great lengths to document and share how to find the best-sounding pressings. However, with the relaunch of Original Jazz Classics, there is no need to search any longer.
Original Jazz Classics will relaunch with two of its foundational releases: the seminal Workin' With the Miles Davis Quintet on April 28, followed by Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane on May 26. Both albums have been cut from the original master tapes (AAA) by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Each LP is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI and housed in a replica of its original tip-on jacket. Additionally, Workin’ and Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane will be reissued digitally in 192/24 HD audio. Both titles are available for pre-order today here.
Culled from Miles Davis’ storied Prestige sessions with Rudy Van Gelder, 1960’s Workin' With the Miles Davis Quintet captures the trumpet player and his First Great Quintet at their peak. Assembled in 1955, the all-star line-up showcased the talents of Red Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Philly Joe Jones (drums). Replacing Sonny Rollins on the tenor sax was a relatively unknown musician, named John Coltrane. For the two-year period that they were together, the quintet became the defining hard bop group, while their standing engagement at New York’s Café Bohemia was the hottest show in town. Between November 1955 and October 1956, the group recreated the magic of their live shows with three marathon sessions, which resulted in five exceptional albums for Prestige: Miles: The New Miles Davis Quintet (1956), Cookin’ (1957), Relaxin’ (1958), Workin’ (1960), and Steamin’ (1961).
From poignant balladry to uptempo numbers, Workin’ offers a range of moods and material, including standards (Richard Rodgers’ “It Never Entered My Mind,” Dave Brubeck’s “In Your Own Sweet Way”), originals (Davis’ “Four” and Coltrane’s “Trane’s Blues” among them), and a trio number – Ahmad Jamal’s “Ahmad’s Blues.” Throughout, there’s a palpable sense of immediacy, as the deft interplay between the musicians takes center stage: from the excitement of a young John Coltrane to the informed, melodic swing of Red Garland; the tremendous snap and pop of the rhythm section; and Miles’ intense swing.
To add additional context to the importance of these Prestige sessions, the esteemed music historian Bob Blumenthal writes, “Davis understood the potential of the new, longer 12-inch album format, and used it to create definitive performances. . . . The key was contrast, which began with the juxtaposition of Davis’ concision, Coltrane’s complexity, and Garland’s sparkle; extended to the textural variety the rhythm section provided each soloist; and was capped by the distinctive range of the band’s repertoire.”
The second release in the series, Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane, pairs two of history’s most influential jazz artists. While they were at different stages in their careers when this 1957 session was recorded, they both possessed the same rebellious spirit – particularly when it came to pushing their craft to its limits. By the mid-’50s, Thelonious Monk was an established player in the New York scene, whose complex melodies and eccentric persona were often divisive. But the pianist was thriving – having signed with Riverside Records and secured a six-month residency at The Five Spot Café. John Coltrane, meanwhile, was about to release his debut as a leader, after years of being a supporting player with greats like Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis. But the chance to play alongside Monk at the Five Spot was too good of an opportunity to pass up. What transpired that summer was historic. Luckily, some of that magic was caught on tape.
Long considered to be one of the greatest collaborations of all time, Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane is one of the few recordings that includes both jazz icons. Captured in July 1957, not long after the residency began, the session is comprised of Monk classics, including “Trinkle Tinkle,” “Monk’s Mood,” and “Epistrophy” (written with Kenny Clarke) – all performed in a variety of settings, including trios, septets, and quartets. Adding additional star power are such talented players as Art Blakey (drums), Wilbur Ware (bass), Gigi Gryce (alto sax), and Coleman Hawkins (tenor sax).
Speaking to the importance of Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane, AllMusic praises, “This will always be an essential item standing proudly among unearthed live sessions from Monk and Coltrane, demarcating a pivotal point during the most significant year in all types of music, from a technical and creative standpoint, but especially the jazz of the immediate future.” After the Five Spot residency ended, Coltrane and Monk went their separate ways – each reaching new creative heights and international acclaim in the process. But Coltrane never forgot those influential months with the pianist. As he later reflected, “working with Monk brought me close to a musical architect of the highest order. I learned from him in every way.”
President of Craft Recordings, Sig Sigworth says about the OJC series, “Given Craft’s shared passion for meticulous curation and quality, it was a natural step to relaunch Original Jazz Classics. Its popularity and iconic status have endured decades and many audio formats, but its mission remains the same. We are excited for longtime fans of the series to rediscover these historic titles as well as introduce them to an entire new generation of jazz fans.”
Upcoming reissues in the series include titles from Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Dave Brubeck, Mal Waldron and Yusef Lateef, with further details to be announced soon via craftrecordings.com.
Click here to pre-order Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane
Click here to pre-order Workin' With The Miles Davis Quintet
Craft Recordings and Jazz Dispensary are proud to announce the first two offerings of 2023 from the acclaimed Top Shelf series, with a groove-tacular double feature of David Axelrod’s jazz-rock opus Heavy Axe and hit-maker Bernard Purdie’s rhythm extravaganza Purdie Good!. Heavily sought after by cratediggers globally, these reissues mark the first wide vinyl release of both albums in over 20 years. As with every title in the album-centric Top Shelf series which reissues the highest-quality, hand-picked rarities (all culled from Craft Recordings’ vaults),Heavy Axe and Purdie Good! have been cut from the original analog tapes (AAA) by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on audiophile-quality 180-gram vinyl at RTI. The LPs are housed in tip-on jackets, featuring faithfully reproduced original designs. Available to pre-order beginning today (3/1), both releases are due out April 14th at JazzDispensary.com and record stores worldwide. Coinciding with today’s announcement is the premiere of Jazz Dispensary’s new video trailer for both releases (watch here).
David Axelrod is one of America’s most influential composers, arrangers, and producers, whose work in the mid-to-late ’60s crisscrossed musical genres and made him one of the most in-demand figures in the music industry. Axelrod’s break came when he was appointed in-house producer at Capitol Records in 1964, where he stayed for seven years. The cream of his output — a run of outstanding and unique solo albums for Capitol, preceding a fruitful period at Fantasy Records in the 1970s — is characterized by his trademark blend of R&B, jazz, rock, and soul, with hard-knocking grooves.
Axelrod’s solo album Heavy Axe is a jazz-rock opus that encapsulated the preeminent sound of the mid ’70s. With a little help from legendary players like Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Cannonball Adderley, and George Duke, Heavy Axe crisscrosses between lush funk sounds and full, round low end and majestic orchestral flourishes that made Axelrod’s sonic realm a goldmine for sample-hungry hip-hop beatmakers from the ’90s until today.
American drummer Bernard “Pretty” Purdie is considered to be one of the most influential and innovative funk musicians of all time. Purdie is known for his precise musical time keeping and signature use of triplets against a half-time backbeat: the “Purdie Shuffle.”
Purdie hit the New York music scene in the early ’60s, landing his first hit with Mickey and Sylvia — which marked the beginning of a stellar career and led to his 25-year association with Aretha Franklin. Purdie started working with Franklin as her musical director in 1970 and held that position for five years. He also provided the backbeat for Steely Dan's “Aja,” and anchored sessions with the Rolling Stones, James Brown, and Tom Jones.
In between being one of the most recorded studio drummers of all time, Purdie squeezed in a few sessions of his own. Purdie Good! was recorded early in 1971 by legendary engineer and audio obsessive Rudy Van Gelder, at his bespoke studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey and has all the quality hallmarks of that esteemed locale. Three Purdie-penned originals are balanced by three covers of hits-du-jour, utmost among them a blazing romp through James Brown’s “Cold Sweat.”
Click here to pre-order both LPs and Jazz Dispensary merchandise.
Craft Latino proudly announces the first-ever vinyl reissue of Mambo Diablo, the acclaimed 1985 album from legendary bandleader and percussionist Tito Puente. Offering a lively blend of standards and originals (including fan favorite “Mambo Diablo”) this long-out-of-print classic finds the King of Latin Jazz putting his own twist on classics like “Take Five,” “Lush Life” and “Lullaby of Birdland” (featuring its composer, George Shearing, on piano). Set for release on May 26 and available for pre-order today, Mambo Diablo was cut from the original master tapes (AAA) by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl and housed in a tip-on jacket, the album also features its original liner notes by the Emmy®-winning journalist and longtime New York City TV reporter Pablo Guzman. Additionally, Mambo Diablo will make its debut on hi-res audio (192/24).
This special reissue arrives as Craft Latino celebrates the centennial of Tito Puente. Throughout the year, Puente’s vital contributions to Latin music will be honored through special reissues (including an April release of the bandleader’s 1972 classic, Para los Rumberos), exclusive digital content and much more.
Tito Puente (1923–2000) lived countless musical lives during his five-decade-long career. When he signed with Concord Picante in 1983, the celebrated songwriter, bandleader, producer and percussionist was enjoying living legend status, with absolutely no signs of slowing down. For more than 30 years, the New York–born, Puerto Rican timbalero had reigned as the King of Latin Jazz, while his hugely popular records (and hits like 1962’s “Oye Como Va”) brought Afro-Cuban and Caribbean rhythms into the mainstream, popularizing styles like mambo, cha-cha-chá and son. In the ’70s, Carlos Santana’s hit renditions of “Para los Rumberos” and the aforementioned “Oye Como Va” introduced Puente to a new generation of fans, while the ’80s ushered in yet another career resurgence for the prolific bandleader.
1985’s Mambo Diablo stands as a particularly high point in Puente’s catalog during this period and marks the bandleader’s third release with Concord Picante (the then recently established Latin arm of Concord Records). A refreshing blend of classic and original material, Mambo Diablo deftly bridges the gap between Latin and jazz and serves as a testament not only to Puente’s versatility as a musician (his outstanding work on the vibraphone can be heard throughout the album) but also as an expert arranger. “His ideas, segues, choruses, and handling of [the] ensemble’s sections simply [sparkle],” praises Pablo Guzman in his liner notes.
Puente and his all-star Latin Ensemble put their magic touch on standards like Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life,” the Jerome Kern/Dorothy Fields classic “Pick Yourself Up” and Paul Desmond’s “Take Five” (made famous by Dave Brubeck), while their sublime rendition of “Lullaby of Birdland” features a cameo by the song’s composer, George Shearing, on piano. Rounding out the album is a classic bolero, “No Pienses Así,” courtesy of the legendary Cuban composer Pérez “Pepe” Delgado. Mambo Diablo also features several originals, including “China” and the joyful title track, which opens the album. Led by Puente on the vibes, “Mambo Diablo” showcases the talents of his band members, including Sonny Bravo (piano), Bobby Rodriguez (bass), Jose Madera (congas, percussion), Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez (bongos, percussion), Jimmy Frisaura (valve trombone, trumpet, flute), Mario Rivera (flute, saxophone) and Ray Gonzalez (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Reflecting on the album, Guzman argues that Mambo Diablo—and the diversity of its tracklist—allows fans the opportunity to witness the full scope of Puente’s musicianship: “Puente is about much more than being a richly rhythmic drummer.”
While Puente was in his early 60s when Mambo Diablo was released, he was still very much in the prime of his career—with plenty more to accomplish. In the following years, he would perform at the 1996 Summer Olympics’ closing ceremony, appear in a variety of films (including 1987’s Radio Days, 1992’s The Mambo Kings and the 2000 documentary Calle 54), and even make a cameo on The Simpsons. At the time of his death, his catalog boasted over 100 albums and more than 400 compositions, while his lengthy list of collaborators included such legends as Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie and Celia Cruz. During his five-decade-long career, Puente also received a multitude of honors, including five GRAMMYS®, Billboard’s Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award and the prestigious National Medal of Arts from the United States government.
Click here to pre-order Tito Puente’s Mambo Diablo on 180-gram vinyl.
Mambo Diablo tracklist (vinyl)
Side A:
1. Mambo Diablo
2. Take Five
3. Lush Life
4. Pick Yourself Up
Side B:
1. Lullaby of Birdland
2. No Pienses Así
3. China
4. Eastern Joy Dance
*Digital version tracklist same as vinyl tracklist
In its heyday, Stax Records was synonymous with soul music’s biggest stars – from Otis Redding and Carla Thomas to Sam & Dave and the Staple Singers. But behind their iconic hits was a talented team of songwriters. Craft Recordings celebrates the work of these unsung heroes with a brand-new collection, Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos. Set for release on June 23 and available for pre-order today on CD and digital, the 7-disc box set includes 146 demos (140 previously unreleased) from Stax’s legendary roster of songwriters, including Bettye Crutcher, Homer Banks, and William Bell. From early sketches of classic ’60s and ’70s hits to never-before-heard songs with full-blown arrangements, Written in Their Soul offers fans a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of the storied Memphis label.
Compiled by multiple GRAMMY®-winning producer Cheryl Pawelski and restored/mastered by multiple GRAMMY®-winning engineer Michael Graves, the songs featured on Written in Their Soul fall into three categories: demos that were released by artists at Stax or its subsidiary imprints, including Volt, We Produce, and Enterprise (CDs 1–3); demos by Stax songwriters that were released by artists on other labels, such as Atlantic and Decca (CD 4); and a trove of hit-worthy recordings that were never released (CDs 5–7). Adding context to these songs are notes by Pawelski, plus a new essay by Emmy® and GRAMMY-winning writer/producer Robert Gordon (Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story) and Stax’s original Director of Publicity and 2x Emmy® winner Deanie Parker, who later served as the founding President and CEO of the Soulsville Foundation, which encompasses the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, among other educational organizations. Ms. Parker, who joined the Stax fold in 1962, was also a songwriter at the label.
Beginning today, fans can hear a first taste of Written in Their Soul with a demo of “634-5789 (Soulsville, USA).” Written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper, the song was famously recorded by Wilson Pickett, who made it a No.1 R&B hit and Top 20 pop single in 1966. Released on Atlantic Records, the song’s title was inspired by the Marvelettes’ 1962 hit, “Beachwood 4-5789,” while the enduring tune would later be recorded by Tina Turner, Ry Cooder, and Bon Jovi. Stream it here.
“Demo recordings are often tossed off without inhibition, just writer and tape recorder sharing an intimate space,” writes compilation producer Cheryl Pawelski. “I love all these songs as they tumbled out for the first time. They’re filled with the joy and magic of discovering something that wasn’t there moments before. Suddenly, there it is, a song filled with the hope of finding an audience, of saying something, of moving someone.” That magic is palpable throughout Written in Their Soul, which captures some of America’s best songwriters laying down their ideas (often for the first time) on tape.
What fans might find the most striking is hearing the label’s biggest singles in their earliest incarnations. Such examples include Mack Rice’s acoustic demo of “Respect Yourself” (a 1971 hit by the Staple Singers), written alongside Luther Ingram. Gordon and Parker include an anecdote from Rice, who revealed that the song came about from a conversation with Ingram. “One of us said, ‘A guy got to respect himself out here to get anyplace, you know?’ So it hit us both at the same time – that’s a good title, ‘Respect Yourself’ is a good title.”
“I have my old guitar upstairs,” Mack continues, “I’m messing with that… And I started writing the song. The words just hit me, like God just give me the words. About thirty minutes, I had the whole song.” Fellow songwriter Bettye Crutcher suggested giving it to the Staple Singers, and an R&B classic was born. Yet, Gordon and Parker emphasize how demos (like this one) can differ vastly from the final version. “Some demos become the exact map followed and some, like ‘Respect Yourself,’ spark a new interpretation…. When Mack created it on an almost-tuned guitar, it sounds a lot more like Talking Heads or some other driving punk rock song than it does the epitome of the Staple Singers’ message music.”
Another fascinating example is Henderson Thigpen’s “Woman to Woman,” which became a signature hit for Shirley Brown in 1974. The idea for the song first came to Thigpen when he heard his wife talking about two women fighting over the same man. “When two men get serious,” Thigpen recalled, “they say, ‘Let’s talk man to man,’ so I thought of these ladies saying, ‘Woman to woman, let’s hash this out.’”
Gordon and Parker point out that the “Woman to Woman” demo is notable in that it is voiced by a male artist, but written from a female perspective. This, they say, “is an expression of a great songwriter’s skill – the ability to inhabit any character, even those not of their gender. While it was a matter of economics for the songwriter to sing across gender boundaries – if the writers brought in an outside vocalist, they’d have to pay them or have a fee taken from their royalties – the real achievement is the writers’ ability to so comfortably imagine themselves as someone else.”
Not all of the demos stray far from their final versions – in fact, fans may recognize some songs immediately. Homer Banks’ demo for “(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right” (written with Carl Hampton) is a prime example. Originally intended for the Emotions, the song was shelved, only to be discovered two years later by Luther Ingram. The singer-songwriter, who stayed true to Bank’s demo, turned the song into one of the biggest hits of 1972.
Gordon and Parker note that the strength of this demo gave the songwriting duo greater creative responsibilities. “The similarity between [the] demo and Luther’s final release was strong enough to push Homer and Carl into taking more control of the sessions. ‘We found other producers were literally copying the demos and having hits,’ Homer [recalled]. ‘So…we simply decided that we were going to produce!’”
Another hitmaking duo, David Porter and Isaac Hayes is also represented in this collection, leading a sweetly harmonized demo of “You Make A Strong Girl Weak,” written for and performed by one of the few girl groups at Stax, Jeanne & the Darlings. While the trio never released the song, it was issued in 1965 as a B-side by the short-lived group, the Premieres.
Stax was also home to several female songwriters – a rarity at that time. One of the label’s first big stars, Carla Thomas, was a prolific writer who penned her debut hit, “Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes),” when she was just 15. Thomas’ work is exemplified here on multiple demos – the majority of which she would record herself – as well as several unreleased songs, including “Let’s Be Sure” and “It’s Up to You.” In 1964, while under contract at Atlantic Records, Thomas also scored a hit with the Deanie Parker/Steve Cropper tune, “I’ve Got No Time to Lose,” the demo of which is featured in this box set. Some of Parker’s unreleased work is also highlighted, including demos of “Spin It” and “Nobody Wants to Get Old” with Mack Rice.
Among Stax’s most prolific songwriters was Bettye Crutcher, whose songs in this collection include solo compositions as well as collaborations, including works with her hitmaking team We Three (featuring Homer Banks and Raymond Jackson). But Crutcher had plenty of challenges to overcome, explains Parker. “She realized that there were barriers, that the writers had turf, and to be a woman in that environment was extremely difficult.
Crutcher, who passed away last October, told Gordon and Parker, “These guys just didn’t want to accept a girl coming in there doing what they were doing… I really was going to have to win them with my work, they were not going to give me any edge.” Written in Their Soul offers more than two dozen demos by Crutcher – a testament to her talents and tireless work ethic. Adds Parker, “I’ve never seen anybody who could write as many songs in one sitting as Bettye – she was like a machine!”
In the late ’60s, when Stax split with Atlantic Records and became an independent force, that productivity helped keep the label afloat, as Crutcher penned a string of hits for newcomers like Johnnie Taylor and the Staple Singers. The latter group, which is represented throughout Written in Their Soul, performs a particularly powerful demo of “Top of the Mountain,” written by Crutcher and Marvell Thomas. The stripped-down recording, which showcases Mavis Staples’ powerful vocals, appeared on the group’s 1968 Stax debut, Soul Folk in Action. Another demo from that album, the William Bell/Booker T. Jones-penned “Slow Train” (performed by Bell) is another standout track.
Other highlights from Crutcher’s rich collection of work include the previously-unreleased feminist anthem by We Three, “Too Much Sugar For A Dime.” Written In Their Soul includes two versions of the song: a raw demo, performed by Homer Banks, followed by a flashier rendition by Crutcher that features a full band, backup singers, and supremely funky guitar licks by Bobby Manuel, who frequently collaborated with the songwriter. Manuel and Crutcher also shine in the full-band demo for “All Day Preachin’,” which was recorded by the Soul Children in 1972.
While it is thrilling to hear the early workings of classic Stax tracks, an equal portion of Written In Their Soul is devoted to the songs that never made it out into the world. Many of these tracks are fully-realized studio recordings that were sent to publishers for copywriting purposes. In addition to the previously-mentioned unreleased demos, highlights from this section include two tracks featuring Otis Redding sound-a-like, Willie Singleton. Working with Henderson Thigpen and his team, the Rochester, NY singer performed the songs “Somewhere in Somebody’s Heart” and “Love Treaty,” both of which could have easily been soul classics. Other notable selections include would-be hits that were written and performed by stars like Frederick Knight (“I Like the Way You Groove Me”), Eddie Floyd (“Don’t You Know I’m All Alone” and “‘Till You’ve Been Loved By Me,” both collaborations with Steve Cropper), and William Bell (“It’s No Secret,” written with Booker T. Jones).
Looking back at the breadth of demos collected here, Parker marvels, “This music has lasted over fifty years, and it’s still being studied, emulated, enjoyed. It has earned the right to become a tool used to teach a new generation: Culture. Music. Arts. Man’s humanity to man. There’s so many lessons to be learned from these demos, from the Stax vault, from the songwriters at Stax…. But every great song starts with something that hits you.”
Click here to pre-order Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos
Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos tracklist (CD)
Disc One: Stax Writers, Stax Releases (Part One)
1. Comfort Me – Carla Thomas
2. You Make A Strong Girl Weak – Jeanne & The Darlings
3. What Did I Do Wrong – William Bell
4. Another Night Without My Man – Carla Thomas
5. I Got Everything I Need – Eddie Floyd
6. Mister Fix It – Eddie Floyd
7. I’ll Always Have Faith In You – Eddie Floyd
8. Got To Make A Comeback – Eddie Floyd
9. I’ve Seen What Loneliness Can Do – Homer Banks
10. Slow Train – William Bell
11. Hear My Call, Here – The Staple Singers
12. Top Of The Mountain – The Staple Singers
13. I See It – The Staple Singers
14. The Ghetto – The Staple Singers
15. You Can’t Win With A Losing Hand – Eddie Floyd
16. Sweet Sensation – Carla Thomas
17. Spare Me The Hurt Of Losing You – The Newcomers
18. Third Child – Bettye Crutcher
19. Respect Yourself – Mack Rice
20. People Come Out Of Your Shell – Bettye Crutcher
21. I’ll Be Your Shelter (In Time Of Storm) – Homer Banks
Disc Two: Stax Writers, Stax Releases (Part Two)
1. Get Up About Yourself – Homer Banks
2. All Day Preachin’ – Bettye Crutcher
3. (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want To Be Right – Homer Banks
4. We The People – Carl Smith
5. Do The Sweetback – March Wind
6. What Would I Do – Leon Moore
7. Heaven Knows – Homer Banks
8. I May Not Be All You Want (But I’m All You Got) – Homer Banks
9. True Love Don’t Grow On Trees – Veda Brown
10. (I Didn’t Know What Losing Was) ’Til I Lost You – Eddie Floyd
11. Until I Lost You – March Wind
12. Drown Yourself – Bettye Crutcher
13. If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me) – Homer Banks
14. I Got To Be Myself – Carl Smith
15. You’re Spreading Yourself A Little Too Thin – Bettye Crutcher
16. Take A Walk Down My Street – Bettye Crutcher
17. Before The Honeymoon – Homer Banks
18. Nobody But You – Mack Rice
19. Hot Line To Jesus – Mack Rice
20. I Hear Footsteps (Coming Closer) – William Brown
Craft Recordings announces the second batch of Original Jazz Classics series reissues—all of which are essential additions to any jazz fan’s collection: Mal Waldron Sextet’s Mal/2, Yusef Lateef’s Eastern Sounds, as well as a pair of landmark recordings from the Bill Evans Trio, Waltz for Debby and Sunday at the Village Vanguard. Delivering the highest-quality listening experience, each album boasts lacquers cut from the original tapes (AAA) by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, 180-gram vinyl pressed at RTI and tip-on jackets, replicating the original artwork. All titles will also be released digitally in 192/24 HD audio.
The second batch of OJC series reissues begins June 30, and all four albums available for pre-order today. Additionally, fans can find the recently announced Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane reissue in stores on May 26, while further releases in the series will be announced later this year.
First launched in 1982 under Fantasy Records, Original Jazz Classics served as a home for the label’s impressive jazz catalog—which had grown to include thousands of celebrated titles from Prestige, Galaxy, Milestone, Riverside, Debut, Contemporary, Jazzland and Pablo. Over the next three decades, OJC became the go-to source for jazz reissues—and faithfully presented more than 850 memorable albums. Given Craft Recordings’ shared passion for meticulous preservation and quality, it was a natural step to relaunch Original Jazz Classics—this time with a focus on vinyl and hi-res digital audio.
Read more on each release, below:
Mal Waldron Sextet: Mal/2 (available July 28, 2023)
Pianist Mal Waldron (1925–2002) was a prolific composer, arranger and musician, who released more than 100 albums as a leader (including numerous film scores) during his five-decade-long career. Revered for his versatility and blues-forward, innovative stylings, Waldron also served as the house pianist at Prestige Records and was an in-demand accompanist who played for Billie Holiday and Abbey Lincoln and served as a sideman for Charles Mingus, John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy, among others.
In 1957, Waldron was ready to break out on his own with Mal/1 and, several months later, Mal/2. While his debut was well received, Mal/2 found the pianist taking his work to the next level—and recruiting some of the era’s most exciting musicians. In addition to trumpeter Idrees Sulieman and bassist Julian Euell (who both appeared on Mal/1), Waldron was joined by rising star John Coltrane (tenor saxophone), who had recently recorded his own debut as a leader. Also splitting duties on horns were Sahib Shihab (alto/baritone sax), Jackie McLean (alto sax) and Bill Hardman (trumpet), while drums were handled by Ed Thigpen and Art Taylor.
In a variety of sextet settings, the musicians nimbly perform Waldron originals (the moody “One by One,” the energetic “Potpourri” and “J.M.’s Dream Doll,” named for McLean, who delivers a standout solo) and standards, including Cole Porter’s joyful classic “From This Moment On” and Fields/Kern’s “The Way You Look Tonight.” A bluesy, hard-bop gem in Waldron’s extensive catalog, this long out-of-print classic was hailed as “a cut above” its contemporaries by AllMusic, which also praised its “engaging and original…arrangements."
Bill Evans Trio: Sunday at the Village Vanguard (available August 25) and Waltz for Debby (available June 30, 2023)
One of the most influential artists in the history of jazz, Bill Evans (1929–1980) was known for his conversational interplay within his trios, his lyrical compositions and his matchless approach to the piano. In 1959, after a year with Miles Davis’ sextet, Evans embarked on a new chapter with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian—a unit that would redefine the notion of the piano trio.
Over the next two years, the group recorded four foundational titles together, beginning with Portrait in Jazz and Explorations. Their final two albums, 1961’s Sunday at the Village Vanguard and 1962’s Waltz for Debby were both captured live on June 25, 1961, at New York City’s legendary Village Vanguard club. Tragically, that would be the last time that the trio would play together, as LaFaro was killed in a car accident days later.
Sunday at the Village Vanguard was intended to be a tribute to LaFaro’s talents—bookended by two of the bassist’s compositions (“Gloria’s Step” and “Jade Visions”) and showcasing his best solos from that summer day. What resulted is arguably one of the greatest live jazz recordings of all time. The trio’s exquisite unity is on display throughout the album, which also includes several crowd-pleasing standards (Cole Porter’s “All of You,” George Gershwin’s “My Man’s Gone Now” and Sammy Fain’s theme to Alice in Wonderland) plus a rendition of Miles Davis’ “Solar.”
The band’s uncanny interplay continues in Waltz for Debby—an album held in equally high regard by generations of scholars. Picking up where Sunday at the Village Vanguard left off, this album features additional highlights from the band’s memorable appearance (five sets spread over the afternoon and evening). Aside from the title track (a standard by Evans, written for his niece in the mid-’50s), Waltz for Debby is comprised entirely of popular material, including Victor Young’s “My Foolish Heart,” Leonard Bernstein’s “Some Other Time” and Miles Davis’ “Milestones.”
Speaking to both albums, AllMusic explains, “[Evans’] intention was always to develop a complete interactive trio experience. At the time, this was an unheard of notion, since piano trios were largely designed to showcase the prowess of the front line soloist with rhythmic accompaniment.”
All About Jazz adds, “Evans perfected his democratic vision of trio cooperation, where all members performed with perfect empathy and telepathy…. Evans, LaFaro, and Motian slide over and under one another in a sumptuously alchemic solution, resulting in a single homogenous musical thought expressed in one voice from three distinctive philosophies.”
Yusef Lateef: Eastern Sounds (available September 29, 2023)
Multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef (1920–2013) was a musical explorer and lifelong student, who set himself apart from his contemporaries by mastering new instruments and studying the sounds of other cultures. Once described by the New York Times as “play[ing] world music before world music had a name,” the innovative artist first recorded as a leader in 1957. That same year, he began incorporating elements of Eastern music into his work.
1961’s Eastern Sounds, which marked Lateef’s 16th album, skillfully fuses influences of Middle Eastern and Asian music with the popular hard-bop sounds of the day. Exploratory yet highly accessible to mainstream audiences, the album offers an array of unique musical textures. In a testament to his talent, Lateef can be heard performing the tenor saxophone, oboe, flute and a Chinese xun (an ancient globular flute). Accompanying him is pianist Barry Harris, drummer Lex Humphries and bassist Ernie Farrow, who also performs the rubab—an Afghani lute-like instrument.
Spanning a variety of moods, Eastern Sounds is comprised primarily of engaging originals, including opener “The Plum Blossom,” “Blues for the Orient” and the intriguing closing track, “The Three Faces of Balal.” The group also delivers inspired renditions of Hollywood classics “Love Theme from Spartacus” (Alex North) and “Love Theme from The Robe” (Alfred Newman), as well as the Jimmy McHugh standard “Don’t Blame Me.”
Click here to pre-order Original Jazz Classics series reissues.
Craft Recordings celebrates the enduring legacy of R.E.M. with vinyl reissues for two long out-of-print titles from the second half of the band’s celebrated career: 2004’s Around the Sun and 2011’s Collapse Into Now. The chart-topping Around the Sun includes such highlights as “Leaving New York,” “Aftermath,” “Electron Blue,” and “Wanderlust,” plus “The Outsiders.” Collapse Into Now, which marks the band’s 15th and final studio album, includes the singles “Überlin,” “Oh My Heart” and “It Happened Today.” Arriving July 14 and available for pre-order today, both albums were cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Memphis Records Pressing.
Additionally, fans can find limited editions exclusively at REMHQ.com: the 2-LP Around the Sun will be available on an Opaque White color variant, while the 1-LP Collapse Into Now can be found in Milky Clear vinyl, along with exclusive official merchandise.
One of the most revered acts to emerge from the American underground, Athens, GA’s R.E.M. was formed in 1980 by Michael Stipe (vocals), Peter Buck (guitar), Mike Mills (bass), and Bill Berry (drums). An influential force in the post-punk college scene, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers and multi-GRAMMY® Award winners rose to become one of the most popular and critically acclaimed bands in the world, thanks to their idiosyncratic blend of brash tunefulness and poetic lyrics on such best-selling albums as Out of Time (1991), Automatic for the People (1992), and Monster (1994).
By the turn of the millennium, the band had ventured into new sonic territory, exploring electronic textures and the use of synthesizers with albums like Up (1998) and Reveal (2001). R.E.M.’s 13th LP, Around the Sun, continued that evolution. Written as America grappled with the 9/11 attacks and the Iraq War, the album reflected the somber tone of the era and found the band blending political commentary with meditations on love, loss, and a fast-changing world.
Marking the band’s final collaboration with producer Pat McCarthy (The Waterboys, U2) and their first with drummer Bill Rieflin, Around the Sun features the singles “Leaving New York” (a Top 5 hit in the UK and No.1 on Billboard’s AAA chart), “Wanderlust,” the melancholic “Aftermath,” and the trippy “Electron Blue.” Other highlights include the politically charged “Final Straw” and the poignant “Outsiders,” featuring guest vocals by rapper Q-Tip. Praised by Blender for its “arresting musical moods” and “strong choruses,” Around the Sun topped the album charts in the UK, Germany, and Sweden, among other territories, and landed at No.13 on the Billboard 200.
Not long after the release of their following album, Accelerate (2008), the members of R.E.M. collectively decided to conclude their time together with one final album. Produced by Jacknife Lee (The Cars, Taylor Swift, U2), Collapse Into Now was recorded over the course of a year in Berlin, New Orleans, and Nashville. For their 15th studio effort, the band took a broader approach to their writing, allowing for an expansive collection of songs that spoke to universal themes.
Among the highlights is “Discoverer,” one of Michael Stipe’s only autobiographical songs. Featuring an appearance by Patti Smith (who also lends her voice to closer “Blue”) the song serves as a love letter to New York City. “It’s about realizing that the city offers you this unbelievable potential and opportunity; all the things you are looking for in your teens and your twenties,” Stipe told Interview Magazine. The album also includes the joyful “Mine Smell Like Honey,” plus singles “Überlin,” “Oh My Heart,” and the soaring “It Happened Today,” featuring guest vocals by Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and The Hidden Cameras’ Joel Gibb. The breakneck “Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter,” meanwhile, finds Stipe duetting with Peaches, with a special appearance by longtime Patti Smith guitarist, Lenny Kaye.
While the band chose not to tour behind the album, they partnered with a variety of prominent filmmakers and artists (including Sam Taylor-Wood, Jim Herbert, and James Franco), who directed music videos for each track. Speaking to Interview, Stipe explained, “The idea was to present a 21st-century version of an album. What does an album mean in the year 2011, especially to generations of people for whom the word album is an archaic term? I wanted to present an idea of what an album could be in the age of YouTube and the Internet.”
Released one year after R.E.M.’s 30th anniversary, Collapse Into Now served as a triumphant cap to the band’s celebrated career, landing in the Top 5 in the US, UK, and across Europe, and drawing praise from outlets around the globe. Uncut noted that the album “bristles and fizzes with invigorating quantities of wit and fury,” while Under the Radar declared, “You’re listening to a legendary band utterly revitalized, operating at the peak of their formidable powers.” The Village Voice hailed the album’s “signature balance of folky and punky,” while Spin mused that it “sounds like a familiar friend – reliable in all the best ways, but still capable of quietly insinuating surprises.”
Click here to pre-order Around the Sun and Collapse into Now.
Around the Sun Vinyl Tracklist
Side A
1. Leaving New York
2. Electron Blue
3. The Outsiders
Side B
1. Make It All Okay
2. Final Straw
3. I Wanted To Be Wrong
Side C
1. Wanderlust
2. Boy In The Well
3. Aftermath
Side D
1. High Speed Train
2. The Worst Joke Ever
3. The Ascent Of Man
4. Around The Sun
Collapse Into Now Vinyl Tracklist:
X-Axis
1. Discoverer
2. All the Best
3. Überlin
4. Oh My Heart
5. It Happened Today
6. Every Day Is Yours To Win
Y-Axis
1. Mine Smell Like Honey
2. Walk It Back
3. Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter
4. That Someone Is You
5. Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando And I
6. Blue
About R.E.M.:
One of the most revered bands in popular music history, R.E.M. pioneered the alt-rock movement of the ‘90s, influencing future acts like Radiohead, Nirvana, Pavement, and Pearl Jam. Formed in 1980, the group enjoyed an extraordinary three-decade-long run of creative vitality and multi-platinum sales before amicably disbanding in 2011. Despite great success, the band members never lost track of their core values – remaining outspoken in their views about political, social, and environmental issues, and never wavering when it came to artistic integrity. Throughout their career, R.E.M. released a total of 15 studio albums, won three GRAMMY® Awards, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
About Craft Recordings:
Craft Recordings is home to one of the largest and most essential collections of master recordings and compositions in the world. Its storied repertoire includes landmark releases from icons such as Joan Baez, John Coltrane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Celia Cruz, Miles Davis, Isaac Hayes, John Lee Hooker, Little Richard, R.E.M., Joan Sebastian, and Traveling Wilburys. Plus, the catalog recordings of celebrated contemporary acts including A Day to Remember, Evanescence, Alison Krauss, Nine Inch Nails, Taking Back Sunday and Violent Femmes, to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Fania, Fantasy, Fearless, Musart, Nitro, Panart, Prestige, Riverside, Rounder, Specialty, Stax, Vanguard, Varèse Sarabande, Vee-Jay and Victory, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation—ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover. Craft is also home to the Billie Holiday and Tammy Wynette estates which preserve and protect their respective names, likeness and music through day-to-day legacy management of these cultural trailblazers.
Jazz Dispensary is proud to announce the next harvest of its offerings from the acclaimed Top Shelf series, with a triple groove of reissues featuring Jack DeJohnette’s Sorcery, Idris Muhammad’s Black Rhythm Revolution!, and Leon Spencer’s Where I’m Coming From. These reissues mark the first wide vinyl release of all three albums in over 40 years. As with every title in the Top Shelf series, which reissues the highest-quality, hand-picked rarities (all culled from Craft Recordings’ vaults), the albums have been cut from the original analog tapes (AAA) by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on audiophile-quality 180-gram vinyl at RTI. The LPs are housed in tip-on jackets, featuring faithfully reproduced original designs. Available to pre-order beginning today (5/30), the releases are due out July 14th at JazzDispensary.com and record stores worldwide. Additionally, Jazz Dispensary is releasing its first-ever Smokeware collection, which features rolling papers, grinders, and rolling trays, as well as a brand-new tote bag. Coinciding with today’s announcement is the premiere of Jazz Dispensary’s new video trailer for the releases (watch here).
In a career that spans five decades and includes collaborations with some of the most iconic figures in modern jazz, GRAMMY®️ winner Jack DeJohnette has established an unchallenged reputation as one of the greatest drummers in the history of the genre, collaborating with the likes of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, and so many more. Along the way, he has developed a versatility that allows room for hard bop, R&B, world music, avant-garde, and just about every other style to emerge in the past half-century. Sorcery finds DeJohnette teamed up with a tight crew of bad-ass bandmates, including veterans of Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew sessions (bassist Dave Holland) and Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters band (Bennie Maupin). Discursive, meditative, trippy but grounded in tasty grooves (like the deep-digger drum-break “Epilog”, heard previously on Jazz Dispensary’s Cosmic Stash) and laced with flurries of Hendrix-on-jazz-steroids guitar from 6-string heroes John Abercrombie and Mick Goodrick—plus the ahead-of-its-time electronic processing of DeJohnette, this band would never be mistakenly filed under Smooth Jazz.
Idris Muhammad was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He had an extensive career performing jazz, funk, R&B, and soul music and recorded with musicians such as Ahmad Jamal, Lou Donaldson, Pharoah Sanders, Bob James, and Tete Montoliu. His pioneering approach which wed syncopated grooves, bluesy swing, and trademark funky breaks formed the backbone of his illustrious career. The New Orleans-bred rhythm king successfully made the leap from the finest soulful jazz records of the ’60s to the nastiest fusion funk of the ’70s, and Black Rhythm Revolution! catches him right on the cusp of the two in 1970, with one good foot in the get-down of “Express Yourself” and “Super Bad,” with a chaser of “Wander” (which keen ears will recognize from Jazz Dispensary’s Soul Diesel Vol.2), and the other in his own heady excursions into modal rhythm and melody.
The last album of this batch of reissues is the very definition of ’70s soulful jazz. Organ magician Leon Spencer’s Where I’m Coming From has all the hallmarks of Prestige Records at its finest, with an all-star cast of sidemen (welcome back, Idris Muhammed!; hello to Madlib’s uncle, Jon Faddis!; greetings to the funky flute of Hubert Laws!) recorded at Van Gelder’s studio and packed with down and dirty grooves top to bottom. From the opening cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” to the low-slung original headnodder “Where I’m Coming From,” with stops along the way dipping into the catalogs of Curtis Mayfield (“Give Me Your Love”), Marvin Gaye (“Trouble Man”) and the Four Tops (“Keeper of the Castle”), Leon Spencer’s rippling organ lines sear this prime example of groove jazz.
Click here to pre-order LPs and Jazz Dispensary merchandise.
Tracklist – Sorcery
Side A
Sorcery #1
The Right Time
The Rock Thing
Side B
The Reverend King Suite: a) Reverend King / b) Obstructions / c) The Fatal Shot / d) Mourning / e) Unrest / f) New Spirits on the Horizon
Four Levels of Joy
Epilog
Tracklist – Black Rhythm Revolution!:
Side A
Express Yourself
Soulful Drums
Super Bad
Side B
Wander
By the Red Sea
Tracklist – Where I’m Coming From:
Side A
Superstition
Give Me Your Love
Keeper of the Castle
Side B
Trouble Man
The Price a Po’ Man’s Got to Pay
Where I’m Coming From
Varèse Sarabande and Craft Recordings announce the release of Little Richard: I Am Everything: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, featuring music from Lisa Cortés’ award-winning documentary. The album offers a 14-track collection of Little Richard’s best-loved hits, such as “Tutti Frutti,” “Good Golly, Miss Molly,” “Rip It Up,” and “Long Tall Sally,” plus two previously-unreleased covers from Valerie June and Cory Henry, and a piece from the film’s original score, composed by Tamar-kali. The soundtrack is available today to stream or download on all digital platforms, with the CD format arriving in September 2023, and the vinyl coming December 2023. Alongside the black LP which will be available wide, fans can also find a Tutti Frutti-color pressing of the album exclusively at VareseSarabande.com and CraftRecordings.com.
Produced by Bungalow Media + Entertainment for CNN Films and (HBO) Max, in association with Rolling Stone Films, director Lisa Cortés’ Sundance 2023 opening night documentary tells the story of the Black queer origins of rock ’n’ roll, exploding the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard’s complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon’s life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions. In interviews with Little Richard’s family and friends, legendary musicians and artists like Mick Jagger, Tom Jones, Billy Porter, Paul McCartney, Nile Rodgers, John Waters, and cutting-edge Black and queer scholars, the film reveals how the architect of rock ’n’ roll created an art form for ultimate self-expression; yet, what he gave to the world he was never able to give to himself.
In the early ’50s, Little Richard (born Richard Penniman) combined the spirit of church music, the bawdiness of blues and the swing of New Orleans jazz and turned it into something altogether new: rock ’n’ roll. It wasn’t until the Macon, Georgia native signed to Art Rupe’s Specialty Records at the age of 23, however, that Little Richard truly developed his signature sound and over-the-top persona. Having taken several years out of the spotlight to focus on religion, Little Richard returned to his rock ’n’ roll roots in the early ’60s. This period kicked off with a successful European tour, followed by a new record contract with Vee-Jay Records. His first release with the label was 1964’s Little Richard Is Back — a triumphant collection of old favorites and new tunes, with a backing band that featured a young Jimi Hendrix on guitar. Richard’s second and final studio release with Vee-Jay was 1965’s His Greatest Hits. Despite the name, this album is not a compilation, but rather features the singer revisiting his classic hits nearly a decade later, introducing new arrangements and instrumentation. One of the first artists to be inducted into the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame, Little Richard’s status as one of the most influential recording artists of all time has been cemented by a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1993 GRAMMY® Awards, inductions into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (2003), the NAACP Image Awards’ Hall of Fame (2002), and the Blues Hall of Fame in June of 2015. In 2010, Little Richard was listed as number eight in Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Artists of All Time,” while also that year, the Library of Congress inducted “Tutti Frutti,” the song that started it all, into its National Recording registry, proclaiming that the song “announced a new era in music.”
Alt-rock pioneers R.E.M. and the team behind FX’s critically acclaimed, award-winning hit series, The Bear, have partnered to release a full-length music video for “Strange Currencies (Remix).” Available to view here, the visual combines footage from R.E.M.’s Road Movie (documenting their 1995 tour), plus exclusive clips and behind-the-scenes footage from The Bear’s second season, which premiered June 22 exclusively on Hulu. The remix, which first appeared on 2019’s Monster (25th Anniversary Edition), found the band’s longtime producer Scott Litt revisiting the bestselling 1994 album, offering a fresh perspective on each track.
On May 15, “Strange Currencies (Remix)” was featured prominently in the official trailer for Season 2 of The Bear, which follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri), and Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they turn their grimy sandwich joint into a next-level restaurant. Multiple iterations of “Strange Currencies” will appear throughout the season, including the original 1994 mix, the 2019 remix, as well as a never-before-heard demo of the song, which will be exclusive to the show. Additionally, a “Strange Currencies” digital single featuring a live version captured in 1995 and on 1996’s Road Movie, along with the remastered album version and the 2019 remix, debuted on digital platforms this past Friday. Click here to stream the track.
This is not The Bear’s first foray into R.E.M.’s prolific discography. During its first season, “Oh My Heart” (off 2011’s Collapse Into Now) closed out Episode 3, adding additional emotional intensity to the poignant final scene, while the Season 2 finale will feature “Half a World Away” (off 1991’s Out of Time). That thoughtful integration can be attributed in part to the show’s creator, Christopher Storer, and Executive Producer Josh Senior, who are both longtime R.E.M. fans.
The admiration is mutual, as R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe counts himself among the series’ biggest fans. “The Bear is hands down my favorite show of last year – I cannot wait to dive into episodes for Season 2. Having incorporated R.E.M. songs into their universe makes it even sweeter.” He continues, “The best people at any party are always in the kitchen!” Adds bassist Mike Mills, “I’m so glad The Bear exists. It has become one of my favorite TV shows, and I can’t wait to watch more of it.”
Released as Monster’s third single in 1995, “Strange Currencies” follows a lovelorn protagonist who yearns to win over a mysterious crush. The soulful song was a Top 10 hit in the UK, a Top 20 hit in Canada, and peaked at No.8 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart.
Monster was released at the height of R.E.M.’s success, following 1991’s Out of Time and 1992’s Automatic for the People. In just a few years, the four-piece had emerged from Athens, GA’s underground to become one of the biggest bands in the world, thanks to hits like “Losing My Religion,” “Man on the Moon,” “Everybody Hurts,” and, of course, “Strange Currencies.” Singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, and bassist Mike Mills traded in the intricate arrangements and acoustic settings of their earlier work for a grittier, brasher sound. Their instincts paid off, as Monster debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200 and was eventually certified 4X Platinum.
R.E.M.’s enduring legacy will be further celebrated this summer through vinyl reissues of 2001’s Reveal and 2008’s Accelerate. Both long-out-of-print, the titles showcase the legendary band’s evolution during their final decade together. In stores August 25 and available for pre-order today, the albums were cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at MRP. Additionally, fans can find limited-edition pressings exclusively at the R.E.M. HQ store: Reveal will be available in a Sky-Blue variant, while Accelerate will be pressed on Black & White Marble vinyl.
Released in May 2001, Reveal marked R.E.M.’s 12th studio album and their second following the departure of drummer Bill Berry. Co-produced with frequent collaborator Patrick McCarthy (Up, Man on the Moon (Music from the Motion Picture), Around the Sun), the album found the band embracing their classic sound after the electronic explorations of 1998’s Up. Among the highlights is the pop-forward single, “Imitation of Life,” which earned the group a GRAMMY® nomination and was a Top 10 hit in the UK, Canada, and multiple European countries. Other favorites include the sublime “All the Way to Reno (You’re Gonna Be a Star),” and the melancholic “I’ll Take the Rain,” while dreamy tracks like “Beachball” and “Summer Turns to High” offer a stylistic nod to the Beach Boys.
Bookending the aughts is the band’s penultimate studio album, Accelerate. Released in 2008, the broadly acclaimed title was created largely in a live setting. After sketching out the tracks and laying down early demos, the band booked a five-night engagement in Dublin, Ireland, for a series of “working rehearsals” (released as Live at the Olympia in 2009). Over the following weeks, R.E.M. recorded Accelerate in Ireland, Vancouver, and Athens, GA with producer Jacknife Lee (U2, Weezer, Taylor Swift). The resulting album reflected that raw sense of immediacy, as the band wrote some of their hardest and most purposeful songs in years. Rolling Stone, declared Accelerate to be “One of the best records R.E.M. have ever made.”
Both titles follow vinyl reissues of 2004’s Around the Sun and 2011’s Collapse Into Now earlier this year and continue Craft’s ongoing creative partnership with R.E.M. Click here to pre-order Reveal and Accelerate.
FX’s The Bear was created by Christopher Storer (Ramy, Eighth Grade), who acts as executive producer alongside Joanna Calo (BoJack Horseman, Undone), Hiro Murai (Atlanta, Station Eleven) of Super Frog, Josh Senior and Matty Matheson, with Tyson Bidner (Ramy) serving as producer. The series is produced by FX Productions.
In 2021, the music industry lost one of its finest talents: singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Nanci Griffith. The Texas-born, GRAMMY Award-winning artist, who would have celebrated her 70th birthday next week, was revered for her compelling storytelling, her distinctive vocals, and her special brand of Americana (which she dubbed “folkabilly”). During her nearly 45-year career, Griffith released 18 studio albums, placed multiple singles on Billboard’s country charts, made regular appearances on The David Letterman Show and Austin City Limits, and saw many of her songs become hits for other artists (Dolly Parton, Kathy Mattea, and Suzy Bogguss among them). Along her journey, she amassed countless fans – several of whom, including Darius Rucker, the Indigo Girls, and R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, were lucky enough to collaborate with her.
Griffith’s trailblazing legacy will be honored through two special releases arriving this September. The first, Working in Corners, reissues Griffith’s earliest – and long out-of-print – albums, including her 1978 debut, There’s a Light Beyond These Woods, 1982’s Poet in My Window, 1984’s Once in a Very Blue Moon, and 1986’s GRAMMY-nominated The Last of the True Believers (featuring “Love at the Five and Dime” and “Goin’ Gone”). Rounding out the collection are rare photos and ephemera, plus liner notes by Holly Gleason (Rolling Stone, Spin, New York Times) and producer Jim Rooney, who worked closely with Griffith during this period. Rooney, who co-produced the box set, also weaves in memories from a myriad of Griffith’s friends, peers, and collaborators. Set for release on September 8 via Craft Recordings, Working in Corners will be available as 4-CD and 4-LP vinyl box sets, while There’s a Light Beyond These Woods, Poet in My Window, and Once in a Very Blue Moon will make their long-awaited return to digital platforms. Click here to pre-order Working in Corners
Griffith’s music will also be celebrated through the all-star tribute, More Than a Whisper: Celebrating The Music of Nanci Griffith. Arriving September 22 via Rounder Records on vinyl, CD, and digital, the album features Griffith’s friends, collaborators, and fans interpreting her most beloved songs, including Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett and Kathy Mattea, Shawn Colvin, John Prine and Kelsey Waldon, Sarah Jarosz, Steve Earle, and Mary Gauthier, who also shares her admiration for Griffith in heartfelt liner notes. Recorded over several years in studios across America, More Than a Whisper also includes stirring contributions from Brandy Clark, Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle, Iris DeMent, Todd Snider, and Aaron Lee Tasjan, while Ida Mae and The War and Treaty both appear exclusively on the expanded CD, digital, and HD versions of the album. All proceeds from More Than a Whisper will benefit Nashville’s Cumberland Heights, a non-profit treatment facility offering hope and healing to those affected by drug and alcohol addiction. Click here to pre-order More Than a Whisper: Celebrating The Music of Nanci Griffith.
Craft Recordings announces a special gift for jazz fans this holiday with a new audiophile pressing of A Dave Brubeck Christmas. Originally released in 1996, this bestselling title marks the legendary pianist’s sole holiday outing, as he interprets yuletide classics like “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” “Winter Wonderland” and “The Christmas Song,” as well as stirring originals (“To Us Is Given,” “Run, Run, Run to Bethlehem”). Available September 22nd, this new 2-LP, 180-gram vinyl edition of A Dave Brubeck Christmas features lacquers cut at 45 RPM by Ryan Smith, delivering the highest quality listening experience.
One of the most important and innovative figures in the post-war cool jazz movement, Dave Brubeck (1920–2012) captured the ears of a generation, rising to become one of music’s biggest stars. Despite his global popularity and crossover appeal, however, Brubeck did not release an album of Christmas music until the latter quarter of his six-decade-long career. The resulting record was a welcome—and utterly refreshing—addition to the modern-day holiday cannon.
Featuring Brubeck on the piano, without accompaniment, the stripped-down set was recorded in a single day at Stamford, CT’s Ambient Recording Studio, with nearly every track captured in just one take. Russell Gloyd, who served as Brubeck’s longtime producer, manager and conductor, spoke to Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich about the album in 2018. “Listen to any track and it is Dave playing directly to you,” he noted. “Listen to Dave’s ‘Joy to the World’…You hear the church bells. It’s not Dave improvising, it’s Dave painting a picture.” Brubeck didn’t deliver a cookie-cutter holiday album. Like everything he did, A Dave Brubeck Christmas defies expectations, offering listeners a reflective performance that mirrors the entire range of moods that the holiday season often evokes.
The pianist puts his own thoughtful touch on well-loved holiday fare, including “Away in a Manger,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “What Child Is This? (Greensleeves),” delivering a performance that feels wistful, even melancholic at times. The joy of the season, meanwhile, is also portrayed in such swinging selections as “Winter Wonderland,” “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and Brubeck’s wholly original “‘Homecoming’ Jingle Bells,” which opens the album.
The penultimate track is Brubeck’s second take of the yuletide favorite, titled “‘Farewell’ Jingle Bells.” This version, which takes on a more muted tone, brings to mind the end of a holiday party, as the chatter winds down and weary guests gather their coats. Brubeck also recorded two original compositions: the hopeful “Run, Run, Run to Bethlehem” and the contemplative “To Us Is Given.”
Upon its release on Telarc in September 1996, the album was a commercial and critical success. The Chicago Tribune declared, “In a world cursed with treacly, bombastic Christmas music, this album stands out for its heart and clarity,” while AllMusic hailed it as “a Christmas [album] worth repeated hearings.” An instant bestseller, A Dave Brubeck Christmas landed in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Jazz Album chart and later ranked among the best-selling jazz titles of the following year. Today, the album remains a favorite in Brubeck’s prolific catalog.
Born in Concord, CA, Dave Brubeck began his long and prolific career in the late 1940s—first with an octet (which boasted such luminaries as Paul Desmond and Cal Tjader) and then as a trio, before finding his groove in a quartet setting with Desmond. With this group, which, most famously, included bassist Eugene Wright and drummer Joe Morello, Brubeck found enormous success—particularly with his hit 1959 album, Time Out. Featuring the highest-selling jazz single of all time, “Take Five,” and the Gold-certified “Blue Rondo à la Turk,” the album showcased Brubeck’s complex, yet approachable style —particularly when it came to his use of unusual and contrasting time signatures.
Transcending the boundaries of genre, Brubeck was also renowned for marrying jazz with orchestral music and often appeared with symphonies around the world (perhaps most famously captured on 1959’s Dialogues for Jazz Combo and Orchestra, featuring the New York Philharmonic, led by Leonard Bernstein). As a bandleader, Brubeck used his platform to fight for equality amid a segregated America, while in later years, he was among the first Western artists to perform in the Soviet Union. At home, he regularly supported a variety of educational programs.
During his more than six-decade-long career, Brubeck released well over 100 albums on such esteemed labels as Telarc, Concord, Columbia, Atlantic and Fantasy Records. Among his many honors, Brubeck received an NEA National Medal of Arts and a GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award, and he was among the first musicians to be celebrated with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2009, Brubeck was a Kennedy Center Honoree, where he was recognized for his indelible contributions to American culture.
Craft Recordings and Jazz Dispensary proudly announce a vinyl reissue of Blackstone Legacy, the 1971 debut from influential trumpeter Woody Shaw. Showcasing the musician’s virtuosic talents as a bandleader, composer and improviser, this politically charged, postmodern classic also boasts impeccable performances by Gary Bartz, Lenny White, Ron Carter, Bernie Maupin, Clint Houston and George Cables.
The latest release in Jazz Dispensary’s acclaimed Top Shelf series, Blackstone Legacy has been meticulously remastered from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on audiophile-quality 180-gram vinyl at RTI. The 2-LP album is housed in a gatefold tip-on jacket, featuring faithfully reproduced designs, as well as Nat Hentoff’s original liner notes, which include commentary by Shaw. Long out-of-print, Blackstone Legacy returns to vinyl on September 15 and can be pre-ordered here.
A pioneering figure in modern jazz, Woody Shaw (1944–1989) was revered for his unique harmonic approach and innovative technical abilities on the trumpet. Raised in Newark, NJ, Shaw began performing as a teenager, gaining formative experience as a sideman for the legendary saxophonist Eric Dolphy and spending over a year in Paris, where he honed his craft in clubs across Europe. In the mid-’60s, Shaw returned to the US, where he worked alongside such greats as Horace Silver, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, Andrew Hill, Max Roach and Art Blakey. By the turn of the decade, however, Shaw was eager to branch out on his own.
Balancing the past with the future, Shaw sought to honor his bebop roots, while embracing the avant-garde. His debut as a leader, Blackstone Legacy, embodied that stylistic bridge. Recorded in December 1970 and released the following year on Contemporary Records, the album featured some of the era’s most exciting talents, including funk-jazz icon Gary Bartz (alto and soprano saxophone), veteran bassist Ron Carter and fusion pioneer Lenny White (drums), plus such innovators as Bernie Maupin (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet) and Clint Houston (electric bass), as well as the esteemed keyboardist George Cables, whose work as a composer is also highlighted on two of the LP’s tracks (“Think On Me” and “New World”).
In the album’s liner notes, Shaw spoke to Hentoff about his intentions behind the record. “We’re trying to express what’s happening in the world today as we—a new breed of young musicians—feel it. I mean the different tensions in the world, the ridiculous war in Vietnam, the oppression of poor people in this, a country of such wealth. . . . We’re all also trying to reach a state of spiritual enlightenment in which we’re continually aware of what’s happening but react in a positive way. The music in this album, you see, expresses strength – confidence that we’ll overcome these things.”
Shaw added that the album was dedicated to the era’s youth, as well as to “the freedom of Black people all over the world.” He continued, “The ‘stone’ in the title is the image of strength. I grew up in a ghetto . . . I’ve seen all of that, and I’ve seen people overcome all of that. This music is meant to be a light of hope, a sound of strength and of coming through.”
The six tracks on Blackstone Legacy are expansive, allowing each of the musicians to embark on heady, improvisational journeys. The album opens with the dynamic, 16-minute-long title track, during which Shaw shines as a leader, as he confidently guides the septet through the energetic composition. Another highlight is the free-bop “Lost and Found,” which boasts several impressive drum solos by White, as well as the joyful “Boo-Ann’s Grand” (dedicated to Shaw’s wife, Betty Ann). The Cables-penned “New World,” meanwhile, offers phenomenally funky interplay—particularly between the electric pianist and Houston, who delivers plenty of groovy wah-wahs on the bass. The record closes on a reflective note, with a tribute to Shaw’s late mentor, “A Deed for Dolphy.”
In his liner notes for the album, Hentoff extolled, “What is so arresting about the performances . . . are the extraordinary range of colors; the fascinating dialogues and trialogues among the horns; the brilliantly fused rhythm section; the quite astonishing multiple-time-levels drumming by Lenny White; the sound of Bernie Maupin’s bass clarinet . . . and the unusually evocative textures George Cables creates on electric piano.” He adds that Blackstone Legacy would be “one of those records people are going to take care of because years hence, it is going to be a milestone, as it were, in a singularly influential career.”
Certainly, the critics agreed—and still do. Reflecting on the album decades later, AllMusic declared it to be “a landmark recording, and a pivot point in the history of post-modern music.” Blackstone Legacy launched a new era for Shaw, who would go on to release more than two dozen albums as a leader, including the GRAMMY®-nominated Rosewood (1978). Throughout the rest of his life, the prolific trumpeter, flugelhornist and cornetist continued to perform regularly as a sideman, appearing on records by Azar Lawrence, Bobby Hutcherson and Dexter Gordon, among many others. Dubbed “The Last Great Trumpet Innovator” by NPR, Shaw also dedicated much of his time to educating and mentoring others, while his work directly impacted the “Young Lion” generation of horn players, including Terence Blanchard, Wynton Marsalis and Chris Botti—the latter two of whom studied under Shaw in the ’80s.
In addition to multiple GRAMMY® nods, Shaw was a consistent favorite in the DownBeat Reader’s Poll, earning such awards as Best Trumpeter (1980) and Jazz Album of the Year (Rosewood, 1978), while in 1989, he was inducted posthumously into DownBeat’s Hall of Fame. Perhaps even more importantly, Shaw was universally respected by his peers, heroes and fans—from Dizzy Gillespie (“Woody Shaw is one of the voices of the future”) and Miles Davis (“Now there’s a great trumpet player. He can play different from all of them”) to Wynton Marsalis (“Woody added to the vocabulary of the trumpet. He was very serious, disciplined, and respectful towards jazz”).
Click here to pre-order Blackstone Legacy
Blackstone Legacy 2-LP Tracklist
Side A
1. Blackstone Legacy
Side B
1. Think On Me
2. Lost And Found
Side C
1. New World
Side D
1. Boo-Ann’s Grand
2. A Deed For Dolphy
About Jazz Dispensary:
Jazz Dispensary is a homegrown label celebrating mind-expanding, high-grade selections drawn from the finest original sources of funk, jazz, and all the areas they intersect. With knowledgeable sound sommeliers as guides, Jazz Dispensary brings deep catalog gems to the table, offering bespoke selections to match every mood and inspire an elevated conversation. A funky good time, a mystic journey, a powerful inspiration, Jazz Dispensary has the medicine that will spark things off. One hit and you’re hooked!
About Craft Recordings:
Craft Recordings is home to one of the largest and most essential collections of master recordings and compositions in the world. Its storied repertoire includes landmark releases from icons such as Joan Baez, John Coltrane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Celia Cruz, Miles Davis, Isaac Hayes, John Lee Hooker, Little Richard, R.E.M., Joan Sebastian, and Traveling Wilburys. Plus, the catalog recordings of celebrated contemporary acts including A Day to Remember, Evanescence, Alison Krauss, Nine Inch Nails, Taking Back Sunday and Violent Femmes, to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Fania, Fantasy, Fearless, Musart, Nitro, Panart, Prestige, Riverside, Rounder, Specialty, Stax, Vanguard, Varèse Sarabande, Vee-Jay and Victory, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation—ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover. Craft is also home to the Billie Holiday and Tammy Wynette estates which preserve and protect their respective names, likeness and music through day-to-day legacy management of these cultural trailblazers.
Craft Recordings celebrates the 20th anniversary of Reckless Kelly’s acclaimed LP Under the Table & Above the Sun with its first-ever vinyl pressing. The GRAMMY-winning country rockers’ third studio album and first release under Sugar Hill Records, Under the Table & Above the Sun features the fan-favorites “Nobody’s Girl” and “Vancouver.” Out September 8th and available for pre-order today, the LP edition features lacquers cut by Jeff Powell at Take Out Vinyl. Additionally, Under the Table & Above the Sun will make its debut on hi-res audio (192/24) and fans can visit the band’s official website for an exclusive pressing on tan-colored vinyl.
Formed by brothers Willy and Cody Braun in 1996, Reckless Kelly was born out of family tradition. Raised in central Idaho, Willy, Cody, and their younger brothers came from a long line of musical talent. Their grandfather, Eustaceus “Mustie” Braun was a keyboardist who built a name for himself playing the ’50s casino circuit in Nevada and Idaho. A generation later, his sons Muzzie, Gary, and Billy formed the Braun Brothers. Muzzie, in turn, passed his love of music to his sons, Willy, Cody, Gary, and Micky. As children, the Brauns performed with their dad in a Western swing band, gaining national attention as Muzzie Braun & the Little Braun Brothers (later Muzzie Braun & the Boys). During those formative years, they performed twice on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and shared the stage with such legends as Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, and Merle Haggard.
By the mid-’90s, however, elder brothers Willy (vocals/guitar) and Cody (vocals, fiddle, mandolin/harmonica) were eager to forge their own path and relocated to Austin, TX. Borrowing their name from Australian outlaw Ned Kelly, the Brauns, along with drummer Jay Nazz, bassist Chris Schelske, and guitarist Casey Pollock (later replaced by David Abeyta), assembled the band. Before long, Reckless Kelly’s modern blend of country, pop, roots, and rock helped them gain a foothold in the city’s Sixth Street scene. They also earned the respect of their musical heroes, including Texas icons Joe Ely and Robert Earl Keen (the latter of whom became their first manager).
After two studio LPs (1998’s Millican and 2000’s The Day) and a live album, Reckless Kelly caught the attention of celebrated Americana label Sugar Hill Records. In December 2002, they settled into a Tennessee studio to record their third album with producer and hit singer-songwriter, Ray Kennedy (Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams). Showcasing the breadth of the group’s talents through 12 original songs, the album spanned a variety of moods – from reflective, mid-tempo balladry (“Vancouver,” “Everybody,” “Desolation Angels”) and foot-stomping rockers (“Nobody’s Girl,” “Mersey Beat”) to hook-filled, pop-forward tracks like “Let’s Just Fall” and “I Saw It Coming.”
Released in May 2003, Under the Table & Above the Sun received a warm welcome. AllMusic praised, “The whole thing pulls you along happily, with a feeling very much like that of riding through rugged, beautiful countryside in a nice car. Highly recommended.” The Austin Chronicle hailed the band’s “mature and serious” songwriting, while No Depression declared, “It’s just good country rock without schlock and gloss.” Fans agreed, as Under the Table & Above the Sun marked the band’s first entry into Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart, hitting number 67. This led the way for a slew of best-selling titles to follow.
Under the Table & Above the Sun marked a new chapter for the band. Lead vocalist Willy Braun shares, “It was our first album with David Abeyta on lead guitar, first record for the Sugar Hill, and first collaboration with producer Ray Kennedy, who encouraged me to write at least twice as many songs as we needed. The songs were better; the band was tighter. It was our first ‘grown-up’ record. This album felt like we had learned who we were as a band. Looking back, after twenty years, there’s not much I would change about this album, and I hope it holds up in the eyes and ears of the fans as much as it does for the band and myself. I hope we all still feel the same in another twenty years."
In the two decades following Under the Table & Above the Sun, Reckless Kelly has released seven studio albums – including Wicked Twisted Road (2005), Bulletproof (2008), and the GRAMMY-winning Long Night Moon (2013) – plus the popular 2006 live CD/DVD, Reckless Kelly Was Here. In 2020, the band released their latest album, American Jackpot/American Girls. In addition to regular tours across the country, fans can catch Reckless Kelly at their annual Braun Brothers Reunion festival in Challis, Idaho.
Click here to pre-order Under the Table & Above the Sun
Under the Table & Above the Sun Tracklist (Vinyl)
Side A:
Let’s Just Fall
Nobody’s Girl
Desolation Angels
Everybody
I Saw It Coming
Vancouver
Side B:
Willamina
Mersey Beat
Set Me Free
Snowfall
You Don’t Want Me Around
May Peace Find You Tonight
Modern Classic Recordings, an imprint of celebrated archival label Light in the Attic (LITA), proudly announces their deluxe vinyl reissues of Morphine’s final two studio albums: Like Swimming (1997) and The Night (2000). The release mark the very first availability of both titles on wax.
Due out September 8th and available to pre-order beginning today (8/3), each album has been lovingly remastered by Pete Weiss at Boston’s Jade Cow Music, with lacquers cut by John Golden. Both titles were pressed at Austin, TX’s Gold Rush Vinyl and are each available in two colorways. The Like Swimming LP (featuring such favorites as “Early to Bed,” “French Fries with Pepper,” and “Eleven O’Clock”) is being offered on opaque blue or translucent red wax (seen below), while the 2-LP, 45-RPM edition of The Night (featuring “Rope on Fire,” “Top Floor, Bottom Buzzer,” and “The Night”) is available on translucent orange or purplish hue wax (seen below).
Rounding out each package is a 20-page booklet featuring rare and never-before-seen images from the band’s archives (including photos by Lana Z. Caplan and Danny Clinch, artifacts from Morphine’s career, and unseen art by the band’s late frontman Mark Sandman). A major highlight of both packages are the insightful new liner notes by Ryan H. Walsh—a Boston-based journalist, musician, visual artist, and author of the acclaimed 2018 book Astral Weeks: A Secret History of 1968. Walsh’s notes include a handful of new interviews detailing the band’s career, including one of the final interviews with Morphine drummer Billy Conway, who sadly passed away in 2021 following a battle with cancer. Both albums are housed in deluxe gatefold jackets, featuring gorgeous art direction and design by Darryl Norsen at D. Norsen Design, also of Boston.
Dedicated to the memories of Sandman and Conway, both albums were produced with the full support of Morphine’s surviving members (drummer Jerome Deupree and saxophonist Dana Colley), as well as the band’s friends, family members, and collaborators—many of whom shared their memories with Walsh. The upcoming reissues follow Modern Classic Recordings’ acclaimed 2011 vinyl reissue of Morphine’s sophomore album Cure For Pain.
Inspired by Morphine’s map of Cambridge, Massachusetts (included in The Night’s liner notes), Walsh will be leading a walking tour this September 24th (Sandman’s birthday) for twenty-five “Lucky” fans. The tour will start at the former location of Hi-n-Dry studio (Sandman’s loft) and include an intimate concert by Vapors of Morphine upstairs at the Middle East. There will also be a vinyl signing with original band members Dana Colley and Jerome Deupree at Cheapo Records after the show. Click here for more details and tickets (available beginning August 10th).
In celebration of the release, LITA will be releasing a new episode of their Light in the Attic’s Liner Notes podcast this September, which promises to give fans an in-depth look into the history behind both albums.
For more info and to pre-order Like Swimming and The Night, visit LightInTheAttic.net.
For more than 20 years, celebrated archival label Light in the Attic (LITA) has shined a spotlight on some of music’s most unique – and often forgotten – voices. But reviving these long-out-of-print recordings is only half of the process. “We believe that an essential component of archival work, aside from simply honoring the music, is to seek ways in which to bring fresh perspectives, context, and reverence to the original artists and their work,” says LITA Founder and Co-Owner, Matt Sullivan. Thus, LITA’s acclaimed 7” vinyl and digital singles Cover Series was born, in which contemporary acts pay homage to their favorite LITA artists and songs. Spanning more than a decade, a handful of these sought-after recordings have previously been issued as limited-edition 45s, while nearly a dozen tracks are brand-new recordings. Now, all twenty of these inspired tributes will be available together for the very first time as a special limited-edition 2-LP set, titled Light in the Attic & Friends ‒ being released exclusively for Record Store Day’s annual Black Friday event, taking place on November 24th at participating independent retailers.
From Charles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band covering Detroit singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez and Mac DeMarco performing a song by Japanese icon Haruomi Hosono, to Iggy Pop & Zig Zags honoring funk queen Betty Davis, and Ethan & Maya Hawke covering country great Willie Nelson, these performances bridge the gap between generations, languages, and musical traditions. “Many musicians whom we’ve reissued had to make huge sacrifices in their day, yet most never saw fame nor were they appreciated on a larger scale until much later in life,” adds Sullivan. “Each offering is so much more than just a cover; it is a tribute to the unwavering human spirit of the personal sacrifice each artist forged through song.”
Mastered by GRAMMY®-nominated engineer John Baldwin, Light in the Attic & Friends is pressed on special smash-colored wax and features stunning cover artwork by renowned British artist Sophy Hollington. Rounding out the package is a deluxe eight-page booklet, featuring in-depth track notes by North Carolina-based filmmaker and writer Lydia Hyslop, as well as artist photos.
Coinciding with today’s (10/2) announcement, LITA has released the first digital single off the compilation ‒ Ethan & Maya Hawke’s cover of Willie Nelson’s “We Don’t Run” (available now to stream/download). Ethan shares, “This song is off Willie's brilliant album Spirit, which has been a mainstay in our home since it was released in 1996. Everybody needs a good anthem song. This is one of the best."
More info below on each track and for a full list of participating Record Store Day retailers, visit RecordStoreDay.com.
Acclaimed archival label Light in the Attic (LITA) proudly announces The Power of the Heart: A Tribute to Lou Reed. The star-studded album celebrates the pioneering singer-songwriter’s enduring influence‒as well as the timeless appeal of his songs‒through performances by Reed’s closest friends and biggest fans, including Keith Richards, Rosanne Cash, Lucinda Williams, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, The Afghan Whigs, Bobby Rush, Maxim Ludwig & Angel Olsen, Mary Gauthier, and Automatic. Blending generation-defining hits (including “I’m Waiting for the Man,” “Walk on the Wild Side,” and “Perfect Day”) with lesser-known gems, the collection spans the artist’s five-decade-long career: from his earliest days with The Velvet Underground to his groundbreaking solo work.
The Power of the Heart: A Tribute to Lou Reed will be available on Silver Nugget vinyl exclusively for Record Store Day (April 20th) at participating independent retailers. Additionally, the album will arrive on CD and digital platforms on the same day – click here for more info. All physical formats include photos of Reed by Mick Rock and Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, plus extensive liner notes by the album’s producer: writer and record producer Bill Bentley, who worked closely with Reed for over 25 years.
Ahead of the album’s release, several tracks will be made available as digital singles, beginning with Keith Richards’ glorious rendition of The Velvet Underground’s proto-punk classic “I’m Waiting for the Man.” The song premiered today (3/1), accompanied by a music video for the track, in honor of what would have been Reed’s 82nd birthday (March 2nd). Click here to stream/download the single and click here to watch the music video.
“Lou Reed offered a sensuous despair doubled-up with a powerful danger in all his songs,” declares Bill Bentley in his liner notes for The Power of the Heart. Indeed, Lou Reed (1942-2013) was one of rock’s great, uncompromising rebels. Today, he is one of its all-time wonders. From The Velvet Underground’s 1967 debut through his celebrated solo career (which includes over 20 albums), the two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee sang truth from his heart. He lived life to the limit—and then some. The Power of the Heart pays homage to Reed’s freedom of expression, with each track serving as a glorious extension of his spirit: ever adventurous and avant-garde. Bentley, who served as Reed’s longtime publicist, trusted confidant, and executive producer of one of his final solo albums, Animal Serenade (2004), sought to honor his friend by enlisting artists from a range of generations and genres to interpret their favorite works from his incomparable career.
Among them is a legendary rocker in his own right: guitarist, singer, songwriter, and founding member of The Rolling Stones, Keith Richards, who opens the album with one of Reed’s earliest works, “I’m Waiting for the Man” (off of 1967’s Velvet Underground & Nico). In honor of Lou Reed’s birthday, the song drops today (3/1) on all digital platforms, while the music video is available on YouTube. Richards (whose artistry on the guitar was once referred to by Reed as “so perfect”) recalls, “To me, Lou stood out. The real deal! [He was] important to American music and to ALL MUSIC! I miss him and his dog.”
Yet, while Reed’s time with The Velvet Underground was foundational and revolutionary, his solo career—which he embarked on in the early 70s—would prove to be even more extensive. Maxim Ludwig & Angel Olsen kick off this era with a punk-drunk, loved-up performance of “I Can’t Stand It” (off Reed’s 1972 self-titled debut). “Lou Reed is why I write songs, why I read books, and why I stand up for myself,” proclaims Ludwig. Olsen adds, “Lou Reed is my earliest influence, my introduction to punk rock. This song was a great opportunity to creatively work with Maxim.”
Later in 1972, Reed released his landmark sophomore LP, Transformer. Produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson, the album is a foundational title in the glam-rock canon—and features several of the artist’s most iconic hits. Among them is the counterculture anthem, “Walk on the Wild Side,” in which Reed cooly sing-speaks about then-taboo topics like drug use, gender fluidity, queer culture, and sex work. Here, the song is reinterpreted by another master of lyrical storytelling, Rickie Lee Jones, whose languid performance is both whimsical and enticing, with her whispery vocals, stripped-down percussion, and a piano fit for a late-night lounge.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts—who followed in Reed’s footsteps as rock rebels—also found inspiration from Transformer—offering up a spirited, punk-infused rendition of “I’m So Free,” while the Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright gently delivers an intimate performance of the melancholic “Perfect Day.” Wainwright, who not only considers Reed an influence but also a good friend, reflects, “He’s one of the few people whom I miss as much now as when he left… His general aura would always lend something really unique to the room.”
Another highlight comes from 90-year-old blues icon Bobby Rush, who contributes a delightfully funky cover of “Sally Can’t Dance”—the title track off Reed’s 1974 Top 10 best-seller. “If Sally can't dance, let me be the one to teach her how to dance,” laughs Rush, who shares that he “came from a dancing family and background.” The Blues Hall of Famer slyly adds, “Sally will know how to dance when I get through with her.”
GRAMMY®-nominated singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier, who offers a bluesy performance of “Coney Island Baby” (taken from Reed’s 1975 LP of the same name), recalls how important Reed’s work was to her as a young folk artist and a “small-town dreamer.” “A rough urban song poet of astounding vulnerability and brutal honesty, he saw—and described—the world as it was. Pure emotion. Pure reality, immense compassion.” She continues, “His words were raw and real. But there was always melody. And always a (heart) beat.”
Several artists chose to focus on Reed’s work from the 80s—an era in which he left the city for the country, found solace in sobriety, and moved further toward the mainstream—all while reaffirming his place as one of music’s most vibrant and important voices. His output during this time included such critically acclaimed titles as Legendary Hearts (1983) and New Sensations (1984), both of which are honored here. Celebrated Americana artist Lucinda Williams performs a heartfelt cover of “Legendary Hearts,” while alt-rock mainstays The Afghan Whigs pay homage to the latter album’s pop-forward single, “I Love You, Suzanne.” Los Angeles trio Automatic, meanwhile, performs the synth-forward title track.
Speaking to “New Sensations,” the group explains, “This song is about sobriety. The same way Lou was able to describe—with intense detail —the feeling of doing heroin, he does with this song about the feeling of being sober: the heightened senses, enjoying simple pleasures, experiencing new sensations. This song captures that feeling of heading out on a journey of discovery, whether you’re on drugs or sober, it’s two sides of the same coin.”
The latter decades of Reed’s career included the 1992 concept album Magic and Loss, which focused on themes of mortality, following the death of two close friends. Bentley recalls, “While Lou didn’t really show… emotions in public very often, it had shaken him down deep, and he needed a way to respond in song.” The resulting album—a Top Ten bestseller in the UK—featured some of Reed’s most vulnerable work, including “Magician,” written from the point of view of someone grappling with a terminal illness. Reflective and melancholic, the track is performed here by Nashville Hall of Famer Rosanne Cash who shares, “Lou seemed fearless to me; like he’d rather die than be a people-pleaser. I took inspiration from that.”
The 90s also brought many moments of joy for Reed, however, including his relationship with artist Laurie Anderson. Bentley recalls that when Reed met his future wife, it was “Life-changing... Their union gave Lou an inspiration to become even bolder and to explore other sides of his talents... It supplied Lou with a renewed spirit.” When Reed married Anderson in 2008, he wrote “The Power Of The Heart.” It would be his final solo composition. Sweet and introspective, the love song was originally recorded in 2010 by Peter Gabriel and is covered here as a digital and CD exclusive by rising Bay Area singer-songwriter, Brogan Bentley.
The Power of the Heart is the latest offering from Light in the Attic which follows close on the heels of several releases in their Lou Reed archive series, produced in partnership with Laurie Anderson and the Lou Reed Archive, including the multi-GRAMMY® nominated Words & Music, May 1965 and the recent re-release of Lou’s final solo album, Hudson River Wind Meditations.
The sheer array of talent featured on The Power of the Heart not only demonstrates how influential Reed was as a musician but also how beloved he was as a human. Whether these artists knew Reed personally or were simply moved by his work, their performances are all, certainly, from the heart. What is also certain is that his mark on the world will always remain. “There are many moments when Lou Reed’s soul still rushes through me like a warm wind on a motionless day,” writes Bentley. “It might be a certain chord I hear, a word spoken with his distinct New York accent, or even just a glancing memory of the way he smiled when he was happy followed by a restrained cackle which assured all was right in Reed’s world... His spirit is there, undiminished with a worldly peaceful wisdom he had never quit seeking.”
