April 15th, 2024
Lost Recordings Finds Getz Quartet and Astrid Gilberto Live at the Berlin Jazz Festival 1966 analog stereo recording in Berlin Philharmonie acousticsBy: Michael Fremer
This press release got me to drop the $92 (with shipping). This is a Getz Quartet featuring Gary Burton, Chuck Israels and Roy Haynes, plus Astrid—not the one that recorded Getz Au Go Go, but what a quartet! And recorded at the Berlin Philharmonie—a modern, fairly dry space that hopefully produced a vibrant, direct recording! It's limited to 3000 copies. The "lost" tapes sat untouched until they were found!"The Lost Recordings" found the... Read More
April 8th, 2024
Record Store Day Jazz Release Preview Special all actually playedBy: Michael Fremer
This year's RSD offerings are among the best ever, especially in the jazz category. This is by no means "complete" coverage of what's available. For instance, there's a four LP Sonny Rollins set Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings from Resonance that looks really interesting but that one didn't show up. The Record Store Day website has a full listing of what's going to be available. (Following posting this story the... Read More
March 25th, 2024
Acoustic Sounds Announces Major Pablo Records Reissue Series! 15 titles, 33 1/3, all-analog mastering, hand picked by Chad KassemBy: Michael Fremer
Acoustic Sounds just announced a fifteen Pablo titles reissue series, cut from the original master tapes and pressed at Quality Record Pressings. Mastering engineers include Doug Sax, Kevin Gray and Stan Ricker (obviously these are from existing metal parts). Pablo Records was the great producer Norman Granz's "swan song". Granz (1918-2001) created Clef, Norgran, Verve and finally Pablo. He was also Ella Fitzgerald's manager for decades until her... Read More
March 23rd, 2024
ERC Signs DECCA Licensing Deal first release announced today—"Mendelssohn In Scotland"By: Tracking Angle
The Electric Recording Company yesterday (March 22nd) announced that it now has a licensing deal to issue records from the DECCA catalog. This is good news for those who can afford these limited edition records cut directly from the analog masters using ERC's restored 1965 Ortofon/Lyrec cutting system, with no added equalization, compression or other signal processing. All sleeve and artwork letter-pressed and hand made.This first title, Mendelssohn in Scotland... Read More
March 23rd, 2024
David Bowie 'Rock 'n' Roll Star!"Ziggy Stardust Era 5 CD/Blu Ray Set Due June 14th Includes 29 Exclusive Previously Unreleased TracksBy: Tracking Angle
LOS ANGELES - Parlophone Records proudly announces David Bowie’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Star!, a 5CD/Blu-Ray Audio set that explores Bowie’s journey from February 1971 through the creation of the Ziggy Stardust character, the recording of the iconic The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars album, and captures the international mania that surrounded the Ziggy phenomenon in the form of UK radio sessions and TV performances, as well as live tracks from Ziggy... Read More
March 22nd, 2024
Blue Note Announces New "Classic Vinyl" Series Titles continuation of the label's acclaimed moderately priced AAA SeriesBy: Tracking Angle
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... Read More
March 21st, 2024
UMe Rolls Out Official 2024 Acoustic Sounds Verve Series Schedule ella, Ben and Evans/Getz come firstBy: Tracking Angle
Los Angeles – March 21, 2023 – Since launching in 2020, Verve/UMe’s Acoustic Sounds series has delivered best-in-class, all-analog, audiophile-grade pressings of some of the most legendary jazz records from their extensive and eclectic catalog, each mastered from the original tapes and produced with the utmost care. The slate of releases for 2024 is no exception, with a slew of classic records from the likes of Ben Webster, Billie Holiday, Chet Baker, Diana Krall,... Read More
March 11th, 2024
Neil Young + Crazy Horse 2023 Recording of Old Songs For RSD and Beyond album title "FU##IN' UP" kind of sums it upBy: Michael Fremer
Neil with Crazy Horse (Billy Talbot, Ralph Molina, Micah Nelson and Nils Lofgren) recorded a bunch of old tunes last year giving them new song titles and performing them in an old guy's slop-fun way (at least based on the stream I was given access to). The appropriate album title is FU##IN' 'UP".Excerpts provided from Neil's sleeve notes:“Why do these old songs live so vividly now? They do to me.”“In the spirit it’s offered…made this for the... Read More
March 1st, 2024
2xHD Vinyl Releases Triple 200g LP AAA Jaco Pastorius "Truth, Liberty & Soul" first time ever cut all-analog!By: Tracking Angle
On June 27th, 1982 electric bass genius Jaco Pastorius and the Word of Mouth Big Band featuring special guest Toots Thielemans performed at New York City's Avery Fisher Hall as part of George Wein's Kool Jazz Festival. The performance was recorded to 24 track analog tape using the Record Plant's mobile truck and mixed to two track analog tape, but this Deluxe, triple LP, 45rpm 200g edition is the first release cut using a direct copy of the original... Read More
March 1st, 2024
Add to RSD Offerings an all-star Lou Reed Tribute Album from Light In The Attic Hal Wilner is gone but Bill Bentley is the man to produce this oneBy: Tracking Angle
Los Angeles, CA (March 1, 2024)–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.
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February 28th, 2024
Craft Launches Bluesville Records— Reissue Series Focuses on "Foundational" Titles from Prestige, Vee-Jay, Riverside, Vanguard, Stax and RounderBy: Michael Fremer
Los Angeles, CA (February 6, 2024)—Craft Recordings proudly announces the launch of Bluesville Records—a new reissue series that celebrates America’s bedrock music genre, as well as the trailblazing musicians that contributed to its rich traditions. Inspired by the original Bluesville imprint (launched by Prestige Records in 1959 to preserve the hallowed genre and capture its most important living figures), the series is intended to appeal to blues enthusiasts of all... Read More
February 28th, 2024
More Record Store Day Titles From Zev Feldman on the Jazz Detective, Elemental and Resonance Labels the man is busy digging up forgotten jazz (and rock) treasuresBy: Tracking Angle
As reported in our previous RSD listing, this year's Record Store Day will be filled with many worthwhile treasures covering every genre. Best of all for some of us, Record Store Day, April 20th this year, does not conflict with AXPONA, which this year is April 12th-14th. The above hyperlinked article lists the Chet Baker/Jack Sheldon release below, and references another pair of Zev Feldman Cannonball Addlerley releases not included, for one reason or another,... Read More
February 27th, 2024
The Brief Confessions of a Former Mahler Unbeliever Or, “My Road to Mahler”By: John Marks
February 26th, 2024
Bill Frisell's "Orchestras" Featuring His Trio and in Collaboration With the Brussels Phil. & Umbria Jazz Orchestra April 19th release on double vinyl +3rd album Blue Note store exclusiveBy: Tracking Angle
Press release: In the trio format he’s favored throughout his career, the guitarist and composer Bill Frisell has always projected an orchestral scope through his remarkably complete sense of harmony, a unique gift for melodies that remain with you long after a performance, and a keen feel for how dynamic range can be used to convey emotion. But on his new double album Orchestras, which comes out April 19 on Blue Note Records, he makes those symphonic evocations a... Read More
February 21st, 2024
Eagles Announce "Career Spanning" 3CD, 6LP Set— 51 Studio and Live Recordings To the Limit: The Essential CollectionBy: Michael Fremer
"The sourcing for the vinyl was mastered digital files. This was necessary as this release was a compilation of masters from various album releases. The Sources for the creation of the files were the original analog masters, where the recordings were analog, and Digital masters, where the original recordings were digitally recorded. The remastering was done by Bob Ludwig at Gateway mastering, with some additional mastering done by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman mastering. Chris also did the disc cutting. The vinyl is being pressed on 180g at GZ/Memphis."
Read MoreFebruary 21st, 2024
Acoustic Sounds' 2024 Verve/Impulse Series Announced 23 great Verve/Impulse releasesBy: Tracking Angle
Twenty three Verve/Impulse series titles coming this year from Acoustic Sounds. Some of these have previously been issued by Analogue Productions as double 45s (and decades ago by Classic Records at 33 1/3) but others, like the Kenny Burrell and Gerry Muliigan are new. An altogether great year's worth of releases
Read MoreFebruary 16th, 2024
Record Store Day Announces Formidable 2024 List The best list in quite a while!By: Malachi Lui
As expected right about now, the Record Store Day 2024 list is officially out. Amidst the usual gimmicks and barrel-scraping—the 371st reissue of Rumours, 3” Beatles records, or zoetrope picture discs of George Harrison, Blur, T. Rex, and Dio—is a solid smattering of releases sure to lure the RSD-jaded back into the Saturday morning line. This year it’s on April 20; I plan to line up for the first time since 2020. It'll be interesting to see if any specific... Read More
February 14th, 2024
Rhino Celebrates Tina's "What's Love Got to Do With It" 30th Anniversary With Big Multi-Format Splash 4 CD/1 DVD edition as well as single LP, 2 CD sets + streamingBy: Tracking Angle
Rhino celebrates the 30th anniversary of Tina Turner's classic album "What's Love Got to Do With It" with a multi-format release including a 4 CD/1 DVD boxed set that includes the original album remastered on CD1, a collection of edits, remixes and acapella on CD2, and on CD3 and CD4 Turner’s 1993 Blockbuster Pavilion live show remastered plus the live performance on the DVD along with three music videos. The boxed set also includes a poster and a... Read More
February 7th, 2024
Analogue Productions Drops Valentine's Day Surprise: John Coltrane "Ballads" 45rpm UHQR Clarity Vinyl Set limited to 5000 copiesBy: Tracking Angle
This surprise announcement found this morning in the Tracking Angle inbox. Mastered by Ryan K. Smith from the original tape at Sterling Sound. Includes a 12" x 12" 12-page booklet featuring liner notes by Ashley Kahn and recording session images by Jim Marshall.Happy Valentine's Day. Pre-order here. Read More