Craft Announces "Final Batch" in Its OJC Reissue Series

five more great titles!

Los Angeles, CA (June 18, 2024) – Craft Recordings announces the final batch of 2024 reissues for its Original Jazz Classics series, beloved by collectors and critics alike. The latest reissues include Clark Terry Quartet & Thelonious Monk’s In Orbit, Mal Waldron’s The Quest, Thelonious Monk Septet’s Monk’s Music, Blue Mitchell’s Blue’s Moods, and Cal Tjader’s Latin Kick. All of these titles can be pre-ordered today.

As with previous releases, these new reissues will boast 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. Original Jazz Classics was created in 1982 (under Fantasy Records) and relaunched in 2023. This audiophile series has thus far reissued a staggering 850+ jazz albums, drawing from its dazzling jazz catalog, which has grown to include thousands of artist-defining titles originally released by Prestige, Galaxy, Milestone, Riverside, Debut, Contemporary, Jazzland, and Pablo.

Original Jazz Classics relaunched last year to great critical acclaim. While commenting on the reissue of Bill Evans’ Sunday at the Village Vanguard, PopMatters enthused, “The bright, inventive performances are captured perfectly in these new vinyl releases, and listening to them is an exciting, riveting, and perhaps bittersweet experience, as they caught a unique, influential group of musicians at their peak. Clash declared the reissue to be “a must-have.” Tracking Angle gave a perfect score review to the reissue of Bill Evans’ Waltz for Debby, adding, “The best-sounding of all the pressings…the whole line will be worth watching and buying quickly before they sell out.” All About Jazz echoed that sentiment, saying, “Without hyperbole, it can be stated that this is the best-sounding version yet of a beloved album.”

Comments

2024-06-20 09:44:06 PM

tim davis wrote:

Great news! I've been dreaming about a reissue of The Quest for sometime now. Even better these can be ordered through Amazon.
- 2024-06-21 01:10:34 AM
  
  bwb wrote:
  
  and even more better,,,,,, they can ordered through your local record store... if you are fortunate enough to have one nearby
  - 2024-06-21 02:09:02 AM
    
    Zaphod wrote:
    
    I agree with buying from the local record store, if possible.
    
    I quit buying from amazon because every record I would get was damaged in some way. From busted spines to bent corners and even warped records. I got tired of sending them back. I even once received an album that was shipped unprotected (no cardboard protective sleeve) in a plastic bag, an amazon plastic back that they said was as good as a cardboard box. That was the last straw.
  - 2024-06-21 02:32:14 AM
    
    Josquin des Prez wrote:
    
    My local record store down the street can suck it. They lost my business years ago. They charge over retail, have a lousy return policy for new records (store credit only for defective returns, even if they can't/won't replace with same thing) and they put all their best used records on eBay instead of into the bins for us locals, leaving us with moldy crap to pick from. I get better treatment from Acoustic Sounds, Elusive Disc and even Amazon.
    - 2024-06-21 07:48:11 AM
      
      Andrew Curtis wrote:
      
      Acoustic Sounds! In one large $800 order I got an unplayable $25 LP (warped, off centre etc). I was told to send it back from Australia for a refund. I said I was not spending $35 to send back a $25 LP from the other side of the world. Case closed. No response to further emails, calls or a hand written letter to Chad. I have not purchased from them since (over 2 years). I know I always chime in about this, but I won't let it go until they reach out to me and apologise. After spending about $5k with them, it's the least they could do.
2024-06-21 12:51:29 PM

tim davis wrote:

I totally agree about supporting local stores. My good local stores are a bit of a drive from me however (the one store in my hometown is the worst record store I've ever seen) & the good retailers also have to deal with poor shipping services at times. I was mainly referring to Rhino hi-fi who only sell through their website & then turn the moving over to a shipping firm I've had nothing but issues with for decades. They didn't deliver my overnighted mortgage package once upon a time claiming there was "no such address". The address in question was the actual location of the mortgaged property. One of their drivers actually tried to call me out for not having my house number posted until I walked him to the front door, the one facing the street, & showed it to him right over the door where it had been for 15 years since said door was installed. I don't know how it is in the rest of the country but in my area Amazon have greatly improved their services recently by building more local warehouses & a fleet of delivery vehicles with some of the best personnel making the deliveries I've ever encountered. Meanwhile that other firm who share initials with failing early (or fornicating excrement if you prefer) don't appear to have addressed their issues at all except for creating very vague, spin doctored versions of their tracking information. Seriously, just what is a 5 day "weather delay" with ground shipping? Did California fall into the sea as the mystics & statistics say it will & somehow I never heard about it? ;>)
2024-06-21 09:03:01 PM

Willie Luncheonette wrote:

The Clark Terry album is wonderful. One of Thelonious Monk's rare appearances as a sideman. Only one Monk song on the LP but Terry's compositions are sparkling. Terry and Monk really compliment each other. The Monk's Music album is outstanding in so many ways. One of the pinnacles of Monk's complete Riverside catalog. Does anyone know if this is going to be a mono or stereo release?
- 2024-06-22 11:12:49 PM
  
  Malachi Lui wrote:
  
  looks like stereo for 'monk's music'. VMP did an AAA stereo reissue of that cut by RKS just last year
  - 2024-06-23 07:52:15 AM
    
    Come on wrote:
    
    It’s fascinating that reissues never seem to be coordinated. I bet Chad or others rerelease everything in 45RPM again shortly after the various parallel 33RPM series ended. And if so, consisting of 75% of what we already had 3 times, even just in the last 3 years ;-)
    
    Exaggerating (a bit).
  - 2024-06-23 08:47:43 PM
    
    Willie Luncheonette wrote:
    
    So another stereo release. I own the 2004 Analog Productions 2 X 12" 45 RPM reissue and that was also in stereo. (They go for over two C-notes on Discogs) Doesn't anyone care about the mono sound on this record? Is mono poison for an audiophile company's reissue? The mono sounds really good on Monk's Music IMO of course.
2024-06-25 09:17:24 PM

tim davis wrote:

I, myself (sorry couldn't resist) have never owned or heard Monk's Music. I have been reading for years about what an awesome set it is. Given that I have no versions, I'm wondering how many of you far more versed in this recording than I would encourage me to go ahead & buy this new edition seeing as how I have none other?