Four New OJCs from Craft
an eclectic quartet!
Los Angeles, CA (June 25, 2025) – Craft Recordings announces the latest titles in its acclaimed Original Jazz Classics series, which revisits celebrated, seminal and rare jazz albums. Upcoming reissues include Kenny Burrell’s Kenny Burrell; Kenny Drew’s Kenny Drew Trio; Frank Wess, John Coltrane, Paul Quinichette, Mal Waldron, Doug Watkins and Arthur Taylor’s Wheelin’ and Dealin’ and Sonny Criss’ Sonny’s Dream. Lacquers were cut AAA from the original tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, with Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound handling the Kenny Drew title. Each album is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI and housed in tip-on jackets that faithfully replicate the original artwork. Available for pre-order today, releases arrive August 22 and September 26 with digital editions available in hi-res audio.
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Kenny Burrell – Kenny Burrell (Available August 22, 2025)
The respected Detroit-born guitarist, who’d go on to become a professor at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music, released his sixth album in 1957 (his second self-titled release). Here, Burrell—already in full command of his fluent, straight-ahead style—teams up with Cecil Payne (baritone sax), frequent collaborator Tommy Flanagan (piano), Doug Watkins (bass) and Elvin Jones (drums).
At just over 36 minutes, it’s a tight, joyous set. The entire album is an inviting escape, but if pressed, you may find yourself gravitating toward the silky-smooth “Don’t Cry Baby” and the sly, sprightly “Drum Boogie” for full effect.
Frank Wess, John Coltrane, Paul Quinichette, Mal Waldron, Doug Watkins and Arthur Taylor – Wheelin’ and Dealin’ (Available August 22, 2025)
Saxophonist and famed jazz flautist Frank Wess (a Count Basie band alum) joined saxophonist and free-jazz icon Coltrane and others for this intriguing session from 1958, which also features tenor Paul Quinichette. Rather than shooting for polished perfection, this four-song album captures the thrill of a live gig featuring the saxes sparring against each other—alongside Coltrane regular and skilled contrapuntist Mal Waldron on piano. Art Taylor (drums) and Doug Watkins (bass) round out the rhythm section.
In addition to the title tracks, the virtuoso “Wheelin’” and the more sultry “Dealin’,” listeners will be dazzled by the 15-minute springtime excursion “Robbin’s Nest.” Coltrane is an obvious main draw here, but Progrography notes, “The session is interesting for the attention it gives to Frank Wess.”
Kenny Drew – Kenny Drew Trio (Available September 26, 2025)
The American-Danish pianist has long been considered underrated, as this 1956 album attests. The LP is also notable for its enviable rhythm section of bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones, who, along with Drew, would go on to play with Coltrane.
The trio coalesces ever-so-satisfyingly in tracks such as the breathless bop of “Caravan” (a Duke Ellington gem) and the cool, swaggering “Blues for Nica,” a tribute to Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter, the famed jazz patron who was part of the Rothschild family. If you’re looking to rev up and then wind down in less than an hour, this is the album for you.
The Sonny Criss Orchestra – Sonny’s Dream (Birth of the New Cool) (Available September 26, 2025)
“Birth of the New Cool,” a nod to Miles Davis, is a bold claim even as a subtitle, but Criss’ standout album from 1968 delivers on that promise. He plays both soprano and alto saxophones on this masterwork, bringing heart, soul and exhilaration to Horace Tapscott’s impeccable compositions. Criss plays with impressive assurance as hard bop effortlessly mingles with avant-garde sensibilities and big band flourishes—a beacon of hope in the jazz world just after Coltrane’s death a year prior.
From the flittering rumination of “Sonny’s Dream” to the thrilling, feverish urgency of “Black Apostles,” you’re immediately transported to an expansive elsewhere.
Click here to pre-order these new titles, or click here to shop the complete OJC collection.
Tracklists:
Kenny Burrell – Kenny Burrell
Side A
1. Don’t Cry Baby
2. Drum Boogie
Side B
1. Strictly Confidential
2. All of You
3. Perception
Frank Wess, John Coltrane, Paul Quinichette, Mal Waldron, Doug Watkins & Arthur Taylor
– Wheelin’ and Dealin’
Side A
1. Things Ain’t What They Used to Be
2. Wheelin’
Side B
1. Robbins’ Nest
2. Dealin’
Kenny Drew – Kenny Drew Trio
Side A
1. Caravan
2. Come Rain or Come Shine
3. Ruby, My Dear
4. Weird-O
Side B
1. Taking a Chance on Love
2. When You Wish Upon a Star
3. Blues for Nica
4. It’s Only a Paper Moon
The Sonny Criss Orchestra – Sonny’s Dream (Birth of the New Cool)
Side A
1. Sonny’s Dream
2. Ballad for Samuel
3. The Black Apostles
Side B
1. The Golden Pearl
2. Daughter of Cochise
3. Sandy and Niles
