Blue Note Announces New "Classic Vinyl" Series Titles

continuation of the label's acclaimed moderately priced AAA Series

Blue Note Records has announced the next run of titles in the Classic Vinyl Reissue Series, which presents affordable 180g all-analog vinyl reissues in standard packaging that are mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes and manufactured at Optimal. Curated by Don Was and Cem Kurosman, the series continues its exploration of the extensive Blue Note catalog with titles that span the many eras and styles of the legendary label’s 85-year history. The newly announced titles begin on May 17 with two early 1960s hard bop classics—Workout by Hank Mobley and Blue Hour by Stanley Turrentine with The Three Sounds—both of which are available for pre-order now on the Blue Note Store.

Other highlights of the new Classic Vinyl Series line-up include crown jewels of the catalog such as Thad Jones The Magnificent Thad Jones (1956), Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers A Night In Tunisia (1960), and Wayne ShorterJuJu (1964) as well as lesser-known gems like Duke Pearson Wahoo (1964), Clifford Jordan Cliff Craft (1957), and Jutta Hipp At The Hickory House, Vol. 1 (1956). Hip-hop fans will recognize “Spinning Wheel” from Lonnie SmithDrives (1970) and “Maybe Tomorrow” from Grant Green Visions (1971) as the source of samples featured on tracks by A Tribe Called Quest and Kendrick Lamar. The series will also present first-time vinyl releases of modern classics by two of the most distinctive pianists of our time: Aaron Parks Invisible Cinema (2008) and Jason Moran TEN (2010).

Classic Vinyl Reissue Series – Release Schedule:

May 17, 2024

Stanley Turrentine with The Three Sounds – Blue Hour (1960)
Hank Mobley – Workout (1961)

June 21, 2024

Aaron Parks – Invisible Cinema (2008)*
Jason Moran – TEN (2010)*

July 19, 2024

Thad Jones – The Magnificent Thad Jones (1956)
Clifford Jordan – Cliff Craft (1957)

August 16, 2024

Wayne Shorter – JuJu (1964)
Lee Morgan – The Gigolo (1965)

September 20, 2024

Jutta Hipp – At The Hickory House, Vol. 1 (1956)
Gene Harris and The Three Sounds – Live at the ‘It Club’ (1970)

October 18, 2024

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – A Night In Tunisia (1960)
Donald Byrd – Royal Flush (1961)

November 15, 2024

Dexter Gordon – Gettin’ Around (1965)
Duke Pearson – Wahoo (1964)

December 13, 2024

Lonnie Smith – Drives (1970)
Grant Green – Visions (1971)

*mastered from a digital source

Comments

2024-03-23 04:32:57 AM

tim davis wrote:

Dang it! There's a couple of these I'd like to have. Tooo bad I still got 6 months to go on my self imposed boycott of Bluenote Records new reissues.

Reply
2024-03-23 12:28:43 PM

bwb wrote:

Does anybody know the relationship between these releases and the Music Matters 45 rpm series. I count 7 of these titles were released on Music Matters and over 40 of the 112 MM so ?far have been released as Classics. . Did they go back to the tapes again or was this all planned in advance so it was all done back when they did the MM series?

Obviously, there was some agreement between BN and MM concerning future releases because none of the MM titles have been released as Tone Poets , only as Classics

Reply
- 2024-03-25 06:01:19 PM
  
  Josquin des Prez wrote:
  
  These are all newly remastered by Kevin Gray, and have nothing to do with MMJ's original remasters.
  
  Joe Harley is on record starting he doesn't want to repeat any MMJ titles. He's already done them and wants to do other titles.
  
  Reply
  - 2024-03-26 06:28:55 PM
    
    bwb wrote:
    
    I get that, but putting Harley’s involvement or lack thereof aside, it makes me curious when the same guy remastered the same titles for both the MM series and these… did it actually get done again or are these the same remasters pressed at 33 instead of 45?
    
    Reply