Gerald Clayton - Bells On Sand (April 1, 2022 Blue Note)

Pianist & composer Gerald Clayton explores the impact and abstraction of time on his ravishing 2nd Blue Note album Bells On Sand, which features contributions from mentor Charles Lloyd on saxophone, father John Clayton on bass, longtime friend and peer Justin Brown on drums, and new collaborator MARO on vocals. “Each musician on the record represents a different aspect of the axis of time and its shifting sands,” says Clayton. “My father and Charles Lloyd, who has been a mentor figure to me, reflect new permutations of my past, and the lineage of elders who have shaped my development; Justin Brown, being my contemporary and musical brother, represents my present; and MARO represents the future—she is part of the next generation, and points to a brand new collaboration.” The music includes new originals, pieces by Catalan composer Federico Mompou and Gerald’s uncle Jeff Clayton, as well as two stunning solo piano versions of the standard “My Ideal.”

If the digital album is purchased, you will receive the full album via email on April 1st, 2022.

Standard digital downloads are delivered as MP3 44.1khz/24-bit audio files.

Please note, digital downloads are only available in the U.S. 

1. Water’s Edge feat. John Clayton & Justin Brown

2. Elegia feat. John Clayton

3. Damunt de tu Només les Flors feat. MARO, John Clayton & Justin Brown

4. My Ideal 1

5. That Roy feat. Justin Brown

6. Rip feat. Justin Brown

7. Just A Dream feat. MARO

8. My Ideal 2

9. Peace Invocation feat. Charles Lloyd

10. This Is Music Where You’re Going My Friends

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Trombone Shorty - Lifted (April 29, 2022 Blue Note)

New Orleans Icon Trombone Shorty Bottles Explosive Live Show Energy On New Studio Album Lifted

Release Date: April 29th 2022

*Special guests Gary Clark Jr., Lauren Daigle, and The New Breed Brass Band *

Shares New Single “Come Back”

Trombone Shorty returns with Lifted, his first album in 5 years and the follow-up to his Blue Note debut Parking Lot Symphony, featuring special guests including vocalist Lauren Daigle & guitarist Gary Clark Jr. An album that captures the energy of his legendary live shows, Lifted combines classic New Orleans sounds (funk, gospel, street rhythms, Mardi Gras Indian chants & second lines) with modern lyrics, melody & beats to create something fresh & unique. Part Jimi Hendrix, part James Brown and all New Orleans, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews is the bandleader and frontman of Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, a hard-edged funk band that employs brass-band beats, rock dynamics & improvisation in a jazz tradition.

If the digital album is purchased, you will receive the full album via email on April 29th, 2022.

Standard digital downloads are delivered as MP3 44.1khz/24-bit audio files.

Please note, digital downloads are only available in the U.S.

Photo: Trombone Shorty by Justen Williams

1. Come Back

2. Lie to Me

3. I’m Standing Here (Feat. Gary Clark, Jr.)

4. What It Takes (Feat. Lauren Daigle)

5. Everybody in the World (Feat. New Breed Brass Band)

6. Lifted

7. Forgiveness

8. Miss Beautiful

9. Might Not Make It Home

10. Good Company

Trombone Shorty – 2022 UK Tour dates:

May 20 – Academy 2 – Birmingham, UK

May 21 – SWG3 Studio Warehouse – Glasgow, UK

May 23 – Roundhouse – London, UK

May 24 – O2 Ritz Manchester – Manchester, UK

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Norah Jones - Come Away With Me: 20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition (April 29, 2022 Blue Note)

20 years ago, on February 26, 2002, a hard-to-categorize album by an unknown 22-year-old singer, songwriter, and pianist was released with modest expectations. Released by the legendary jazz label Blue Note Records, it wasn’t a jazz album, nor did it resemble anything else on the pop landscape of 2002. But Come Away With Me, the debut album by Norah Jones, would go on to charm the world and introduce one of the greatest voices of our time. The album steadily grew into a global phenomenon, reaching #1 in 20 countries, selling nearly 30 million copies, and sweeping the 2003 GRAMMY Awards with eight wins including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist.

On April 29, Blue Note will release Come Away With Me: 20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition, a remarkable 44-track collection that captures the emergence of a singular talent and reveals for the first time the full story of the making of this now-classic album. In addition to a remaster of the original album, which was produced by Arif Mardin, the Super Deluxe Edition also includes 22 previously unreleased tracks including the original demos that Norah submitted to Blue Note, the complete First Session demos she made after being signed, and the first version of the album that Norah made at Allaire Studios with producer Craig Street, most of which has never been heard before and offers a fascinating look at the album that might have been.

The 20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition was produced by Eli Wolf and will be released digitally and physically as a 4-LP vinyl set and a 3-CD set, both of which come in premium packaging with an extensive booklet featuring new liner notes by Norah and rare session photos. Standalone 1-LP and 1-CD versions of the remastered original album will also be released. All formats are available for pre-order now. The never-before-released alternate version of Norah’s song “Come Away With Me” from The Allaire Sessions is available to stream or download today.

In February 2002, America was still emerging from the dark shadows of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and Norah’s voice and music—pure, warm, and reassuring—struck a deep emotional chord with listeners the world over. Norah had moved from Texas to New York City in 1999 after spending two years as a jazz piano major at the University of North Texas. While playing jazz gigs at restaurants around town, Norah also fell in with a circle of singer-songwriters including Jesse Harris and Richard Julian who played often at the Living Room on the Lower East Side and inspired her to broaden the creative pathways she might one day take.

On Norah’s 21st birthday, EMI Publishing employee Shell White heard her performing at a jazz brunch and arranged a meeting with Blue Note President Bruce Lundvall. A month later Norah was in Lundvall’s office playing him her 3-song demo CD, which included two jazz songs: “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home” and a remarkably self-assured version of the standard “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most” that Norah had recorded in her high school band room accompanying herself on piano. The last song on the CD was one of Harris’ that leaned more in a singer-songwriter direction with Harris on acoustic guitar and Lee Alexander on bass.

Soon after, Lundvall signed Norah to a demo deal, and by the time she went into the recording studio she had decided to focus primarily on new originals written by Harris, Alexander, and herself. “The very first song we did in those sessions was one of Jesse’s, called ‘Don’t Know Why’ that we hadn’t yet played live,” Norah recalls in the new collection’s liner notes. “We got it on the first try and it just felt great, one of those magical, easy takes. When we walked back into the control room to listen, [engineer] Jay [Newland] was over the moon. It really built my confidence for the rest of the session and set the tone for what we were going for. After all was said and done, it was this version that ended up on the final record, with only some harmonies and a doubled guitar added to it.”

Lundvall loved what he heard and signed Norah as a Blue Note artist, and she began to prepare to record her debut album. “Cassandra Wilson’s New Moon Daughter had been a favorite album of mine and was a big inspiration for the kind of record I wanted to make,” Norah writes. “Since I loved the instrument choices (beautiful slide and acoustic guitars) and the production, I asked Bruce if I could meet with Craig Street, who produced it. Craig and I met a few times and got along really well. He liked the demos and said we should put those out as the record or use most of them, but I was really excited to explore a slightly different vibe, one I knew he could help me find.”

Norah and Street went into Allaire Studios near Woodstock in upstate New York with some of her favorite musicians including Bill Frisell and Kevin Breit on guitars, Brian Blade and Kenny Wollesen on drums, Rob Burger on accordion and organ, and Alexander on bass. “Nearly everything we recorded felt special. We re-recorded most of the songs from the demos to see where else we could take them,” Norah recalls. But during the mixing session Norah began to question whether they had gone too far with some of the songs and wondered if Street had been right about the strength of the demos.

After delivering the Allaire mixes to Blue Note, Lundvall came to the same conclusion that the new recordings had strayed too far from what was so special about the demos. It was decided that Norah should go back into the studio to start again with Arif Mardin producing. They ended up keeping three songs from the Allaire sessions (“Seven Years,” “Feelin’ The Same Way,” and “The Long Day Is Over”), two from the demo sessions (“Don’t Know Why” and “Turn Me On”), and recorded nine additional songs that hewed more closely to the spirit of the demos. The resulting album became Come Away With Me.

Now, 20 years later, Norah decided to release the Allaire version of the album. “It’s been a bit like time traveling to some alternate universe of the album that nobody ever heard,” she says. “When I approached Craig to tell him about it, he suggested we ask Tony Maserati to ‘balance’ the recordings. This brought my vocal to the front more and I can finally hear my little 22-year-old self trying new things and fitting into the music around me just fine. Re-visiting these sessions after listening to them only once in the last 20 years has been a lovely surprise. I’m so glad to finally re-unite with Craig and get a chance to finish what we started together. I learned a lot from him, and I always think of that time upstate as a sort of dreamy fantasy, and I still get that feeling when I listen to these recordings.”

As Norah reflects back upon Come Away With Me, she says “I was incredibly proud of this album and so thankful to everyone who made it with me…I figured it was a good first try and felt that it truly captured who I was – musically – at that time, which made me the proudest and is all you can really hope for when making a record. In the end I was so thankful that I got to explore a few different paths before putting them all together. No one, including the label, had any idea it would reach the success that it did. I’m forever grateful to Bruce and the very special team at Blue Note for giving me the chance to find my sound through all of it and for never telling me who I had to be.”

Come Away With Me—2oth Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition – Track Listing:

DISC 1

Come Away With Me – 20th Anniversary Remaster

1 Don’t Know Why

2 Seven Years

3 Cold Cold Heart

4 Feelin’ The Same Way

5 Come Away With Me

6 Shoot The Moon

7 Turn Me On

8 Lonestar

9 I’ve Got To See You Again

10 Painter Song

11 One Flight Down

12 Nightingale

13 The Long Day Is Over

14 The Nearness Of You

DISC 2

The Demos

1 Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most

2 Walkin’ My Baby Back Home

3 World of Trouble

First Sessions Outtakes

4 The Only Time

5 I Didn’t Know About You

6 Something Is Calling You (tabla version)

7 Just Like A Dream Today

8 When Sunny Gets Blue

9 What Am I To You

10 Hallelujah I Love Him So

11 Daydream

All tracks above previously unreleased

First Sessions EP

12 Don’t Know Why

13 Come Away With Me

14 Something Is Calling You

15 Turn Me On

16 Lonestar

17 Peace

These 6 demos previously released as the promo-only First Sessions EP

DISC 3

The Allaire Sessions

1 I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight

2 I’ve Got To See You Again *

3 What Would I Do

4 Come Away With Me *

5 Picture In A Frame **

6 Nightingale *

7 Peace *

8  What Am I To You *

9 Painter Song *

10 Turn Me On *

11 A Little At A Time

12 One Flight Down *

13 Fragile

* alternate version

** alternate mix

All tracks previously unreleased except “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” and “Picture In A Frame”

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Joel Ross - The Parable of the Poet (April 15, 2022 Blue Note)

Vibraphonist and composer Joel Ross returns with stunning conviction on The Parable of the Poet, an expansive album-length suite composed by Ross which marks his 3rd release for Blue Note following his 2019 debut KingMaker and 2020’s Who Are You?. The Parable of the Poet will be released April 15 on vinyl, CD, and digital formats, and is introduced today with the sublime opening movement “PRAYER” which is available to stream or download now.

Steadfast in his commitment to skewing perceptions of improvisation and written composition, Ross explores new territory with his 8-piece Parables band, bringing together young artists of sharply defined expression: Blue Note labelmate Immanuel Wilkins on alto saxophone, Maria Grand on tenor saxophone, Marquis Hill on trumpet, Kalia Vandever on trombone, Sean Mason on piano, Rick Rosato on bass, Craig Weinrib on drums, and special guest Gabrielle Garo on flute.

The album embodies Ross’ collaborative spirit. His lyrical aesthetic activates an ebb and flow from one movement to the next. Moments of intentional discourse drive sections of collective melody and spontaneous counterpoint. “This band is more than just the instruments,” says the Chicago-born, New York City-based artist. “Every person on here means something to me. They’re all my friends. Everybody involved committed themselves to the vision.”

Ross’ vision for the music is at once explicit and mysterious. He seeks to express themes present in parable tellings and retellings, while leaving each story’s particulars open to interpretation. Each title of the 7-movement suite references an emotional decision or experience for Ross. But in the studio he focused on fresh interpretations, allowing his past experiences to exist without dictating the band’s present treatment of the music. “I told them, ‘This is what the music is and this is how I want you to approach it — let everything we play be inspired by the melody.’ Not much else was decided,” says Ross, who enjoys “blurring the lines between melody and improvisation,” in part, as a way to facilitate communication and meaningful musical discourse.

Obscuring divisions between scripted and spontaneous is more than a romantic notion. For Ross, it’s truthful and intrinsic. Each composition he explores on The Parable of the Poet represents a near intact improvisation, some dating back to 2017, all of which emerged during creative sessions with his friend and colleague, saxophonist Sergio Tabanico. “We would record it, then I would go back and flesh out the composition,” he says. “I tried my best not to change any harmonic information or add too much more than what was already there. I just tried to organize the information in a manner that would yield sensible improvised group interaction, while giving enough direction.”

That choice prompts striking moments of deep listening and self-orchestrating among Ross and his fellow artists. The first movement “PRAYER” sets a tone of rumination and collective inquiry. Apart from Ross’ tender solo introduction, the piece exercises restraint. “There’s no one person who’s taking the mic,” says Ross. “Everyone has a moment of playing the theme,” kindling shared navigation and discourse.

1. PRAYER

2. GUILT

3. CHOICES

4. WAIL

5. THE IMPETUS (To Be And Do Better)

6. DOXOLOGY (Hope)

7. BENEDICTION

Joel Ross - Vibraphone

Immanuel Wilkins - Alto Saxophone 

Marquis Hill - Trumpet

Maria Grand - Tenor Saxophone

Kalia Vandever - Trombone

Gabrielle Garo - Flute

Sean Mason - Piano

Rick Rosato - Bass

Craig Weinrib - Drums

JOEL ROSS – 2022 TOUR DATES:

April 8: Annenberg Center – Philadelphia, PA

April 9: Kupferberg Center for the Arts – Flushing, Queens

April 14: Jefferson Center – Roanoke, VA

April 15: Christina Cultural Arts Center – Wilmington, DE

April 16: BlackRock Center for the Arts – Germantown, MD

April 23: Cullen Theater at Wortham Theater Center – Houston, TX

April 24: Duet – Tulsa, OK

May 7: Capitol Bop – Washington, DC

May 8: Creative Alliance – Baltimore, MD

May 10: Robin Hixon Theater – Norfolk, VA

May 13-14: The Jazz Gallery – New York, NY

June 25: The Cube – Detroit, MI

June 28: Victoria Jazz Festival – Victoria, BC

June 29: Vancouver Jazz Festival – Vancouver, BC

June 30: Earshot Jazz Festival – Seattle, WA

July 6-24: European Tour TBA

August 11: The Lodge Room – Los Angeles, CA

August 12: San Jose Jazz Festival – San Jose, CA

August 13-14: Telluride Jazz Festival – Telluride, CO

August 17: Myrna Loy Center – Helena, MT

September 20: Musical Instrument Museum – Phoenix, AZ

September 22: Outpost Performance Space – Albuquerque, NM

September 23: SFJAZZ – San Francisco, CA

September 24: Monterey Jazz Festival – Monterey, CA

September 26: For the Love of Jazz – Reno, NV

October 14: University of Chicago – Chicago, IL

October 16: Wisconsin Union Theater – Madison, WI

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Melissa Aldana - 12 Stars (March 4, 2022 Blue Note Records)

GRAMMY-nominated saxophonist and composer Melissa Aldana joins the Blue Note Records family with the release of 12 Stars, her debut album as a leader for the legendary label following her appearance on the acclaimed 2020 album by the collective ARTEMIS. The Brooklyn-based tenor player from Santiago, Chile has garnered international recognition for her visionary work as a band leader, as well as her deeply meditative interpretation of language and vocabulary. 12 Stars grapples with concepts of childrearing, familial forgiveness, acceptance, and self-love, and was inspired by her deep interest in tarot. The album was produced by guitarist Lage Lund, who also performs as part of a remarkable quintet with Sullivan Fortner on piano and Fender Rhodes, Kush Abadey on drums, and Pablo Menares on bass.

If the digital album is purchased, you will receive the full album via email on March 4th, 2022.

Standard digital downloads are delivered as MP3 44.1khz/24-bit audio files.

Please note, digital downloads are only available in the U.S. 

1. Falling

2. Intuition

3. Intro to Emilia

4. Emilia

5. The Bluest Eye

6. The Fool

7. Los Ojos de Chile

8. 12 Stars

Hi-Res Digital Disclaimer:

FLAC files do NOT work in iTunes/Apple Music players or on most portable music players without additional software. If you’re unfamiliar with FLAC files we suggest that you download the WAV files instead. More information on FLAC can be found here or here.

Melissa Aldana: Tenor Saxophone

Lage Lund: Guitars & Gizmos

Sullivan Fortner: Acoustic Piano; Rhodes 

Pablo Menares: Bass

Kush Abadey: Drums

Follow Melissa Aldana

Facebook: https://bluenote.lnk.to/mawebID

Twitter: https://bluenote.lnk.to/matwtID

Instagram: https://bluenote.lnk.to/maigID

Listen to Melissa Aldana

Spotify: https://bluenote.lnk.to/VFUOOqFNID

iTunes: https://bluenote.lnk.to/maitunesID

Apple Music: https://bluenote.lnk.to/maappleID

Amazon Music: https://bluenote.lnk.to/maamzID

Subscribe now: https://bluenote.lnk.to/subscribe

#melissaaldana #12stars #bluenote

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Blue Lab Beats - Motherland Journey (February 25, 2022 Blue Note)

If the digital album is purchased, you will receive the full album via email on February 25, 2022.

Standard digital downloads are delivered as MP3 44.1khz/24-bit audio files.

Please note, digital downloads are only available in the U.S. 

London-based Jazztronica duo Blue Lab Beats make their full-length Blue Note Records debut with Motherland Journey, an album years in the making that is a celebration of pushing boundaries, taking risks, and overcoming adversity. Following their appearance on 2020’s acclaimed Blue Note Re:imagined project, and their 2021 EP We Will Rise, the new album is a star-studded affair featuring the duo—producer NK-OK and multi-instrumentalist Mr DM—joined by collaborators including Ghetto Boy, Kiefer, Kofi Stone, Tiana Major9, KillBeatz, Teni Tinks, Poppy Daniels, Emmavie, Jackson Mathod, Kaidi Akinnibi, Ego Ella May, Pip Millett, Dylan Jones, and Jerome Thomas.

One of the fastest-rising production duos in the world right now, with a Grammy nomination for their work on the Angelique Kidjo album Mother Nature, and a MOBO nomination for ‘Best Jazz Act’ in 2021 testament to their rise, Blue Lab Beats craft a supple, wide-ranging sound inspired by the pioneers of hip-hop and the music of the African diaspora while staying true to their London roots.

Tracklist:

1. Sky Reflections (Intro)

2. Labels Feat. Tiana Major9 & Kofi Stone

3. I’ll be here for you Feat. Teni Tinks

4. Gotta Go Fast Feat. Poppy Daniels

5. A Vibe

6. Don’t Let It Get Away Feat. Emmavie

7. Inhale & Exhale (Interlude)

8. Blow You Away (Delilah) Feat. Ghetto Boy

9. Sensual Loving Feat. Ghetto Boy

10. Motherland Journey Feat. KillBeatz & Fela Kuti

11. Ultramarine (interlude)

12. Warp Feat. Jackson Mathod & Kaidi Akinnibi

13. Slow Down Feat. Ego Ella May

14. Dat It (Feat. Kiefer)

15. Home Feat. Pip Millett & Dylan Jones

16. Real Good Feat. Jerome Thomas

17. Reflection (Outro)

LP Tracklist:

A1: Sky Reflections (Intro)

A2: Labels Feat. Tiana Major9 & Kofi Stone

A3: I’ll be here for you Feat. Teni Tinks

A4: Gotta Go Fast Feat. Poppy Daniels

A5: A Vibe

B1: Don’t Let It Get Away Feat. Emmavie

B2: Inhale & Exhale (Interlude)

B3: Blow You Away (Delilah) Feat. Ghetto Boy

B4: Sensual Loving Feat. Ghetto Boy

C1: Motherland Journey Feat. KillBeatz & Fela Kuti

C2: Ultramarine (interlude)

C3: Warp Feat. Jackson Mathod & Kaidi Akinnibi

C4: Slow Down Feat. Ego Ella May

D1: Dat It (Feat. Kiefer)

D2: Home Feat. Pip Millett & Dylan Jones

D3: Real Good Feat. Jerome Thomas

D4: Reflection (Outro)

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Ethan Iverson - Every Note Is True (Ships on February 11, 2022) Blue Note

If the digital album is purchased, you will receive the full album via email on February 11, 2022.

Standard digital downloads are delivered as MP3 44.1khz/24-bit audio files.

Please note, digital downloads are only available in the U.S. 

Pianist and composer Ethan Iverson makes his Blue Note debut with the remarkable Every Note Is True, an engaging and evocative date featuring a masterful new trio with bassist Larry Grenadier and legendary drummer Jack DeJohnette. The album is an opportunity for Iverson to look back at and expand upon his own musical history as he revisits the pop/rock influenced jazz style of The Bad Plus, the influential trio that the pianist co-founded in 2000.

Tracklist:

1. The More It Changes

2. The Eternal Verities

3. She Won’t Forget Me

4. For Ellen Raskin

5. Blue

6. Goodness Knows

7. Had I But Known

8. Merely Improbable

9. Praise Will Travel

10. At The Bells Of Motley

Hi-Res Digital Disclaimer:

FLAC files do NOT work in iTunes/Apple Music players or on most portable music players without additional software. If you’re unfamiliar with FLAC files we suggest that you download the WAV files instead. More information on FLAC can be found here or here.

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Immanuel Wilkins - The 7th Hand (Blue Note)

If the digital album is purchased, you will receive the full album via email on January 28, 2022.

Standard digital downloads are delivered as MP3 44.1KHZ/24-BIT audio files. 

Please note, digital downloads are only available in the U.S.

Alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins follows-up his acclaimed debut Omega (NY Times Best Jazz Album of 2020) with another striking album featuring his remarkable quartet with Micah Thomas on piano, Daryl Johns on bass, and Kweku Sumbry on drums plus special guest appearances by flutist Elena Pinderhughes and the Farafina Kan Percussion Ensemble

The album consists of an hour-long suite comprised of seven movements that strive to bring the quartet closer to complete vesselhood by the end, where the music would be entirely improvised, channeled collectively. The title is derived from a question steeped in Biblical symbolism: If the number six represents the extent of human possibility, Wilkins wondered how it would sound to invoke divine intervention and allow that seventh element to possess his quartet. “It’s the idea of being a conduit for the music as a higher power that actually influences what we’re playing,” he says.

Tracklist:

1. Emanation

2. Don’t Break

3. Fugitive Ritual, Selah

4. Shadow

5. Witness

6. Lighthouse

7. Lift

Immanuel Wilkins: Alto Saxophone

Micah Thomas: Piano

Daryl Johns: Bass 

Kweku Sumbry: Drums

Hi-Res Digital Disclaimer:

FLAC files do NOT work in iTunes/Apple Music players or on most portable music players without additional software. If you’re unfamiliar with FLAC files we suggest that you download the WAV files instead. More information on FLAC can be found here or here.

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Ornette Coleman - Round Trip: Ornette Coleman On Blue Note 6LP Box Set (Blue Note Tone Poet Series) Ships on January 28, 2022

Iconoclastic saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman shook the jazz world when he arrived at the Five Spot Café in New York City in 1959 and began his run of seminal albums on Atlantic that laid the foundation for the free jazz movement to come. After a period of disillusionment during which he withdrew from public music making, Coleman re-emerged on Blue Note in 1966 and began writing an intriguing new chapter of his legendary career.

The boxset Round Trip: Ornette Coleman On Blue Note presents all-analog 180g Tone Poet Vinyl Editions of all six albums featuring Coleman that were recorded for Blue Note Records, including his five albums as a leader—the two-volume At The ‘Golden Circle’ Stockholm (1965), The Empty Foxhole (1966), New York Is Now! (1968), and Love Call (1968)— as well as his lone sideman appearance on New And Old Gospel (1967) by fellow saxophonist Jackie McLean. The boxset includes a booklet featuring rare photos and an enlightening essay by critic Thomas Conrad.

The Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series is produced by Joe Harley and features all-analog, mastered-from-the-original-master-tape 180g audiophile vinyl reissues packaged in deluxe Stoughton Printing “Old Style” Gatefold Tip-On Jackets. Mastering is by Kevin Gray(Cohearent Audio), and vinyl is manufactured at Record Technology Incorporated (RTI).

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Jackie McLean - Destination...Out! LP (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series) Ships on January 21, 2022

By the time Jackie McLean began recording for Blue Note in 1959, the alto saxophonist had already been a stalwart of the NYC jazz scene for nearly a decade having spent the entirety of the 1950s cutting his teeth alongside bebop legends like Miles Davis and Charles Mingus. As the early 1960s progressed, McLean’s innovative hard bop sound began to take on a harder edge and a more adventurous spirit. Inspired by the likes of Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane, McLean started to seek a greater freedom of expression in his music and began to introduce elements of the avant-garde, while never fully relinquishing a grounding in his soulful sense of swing and chordal structures. On his 1963 quintet album One Step Beyond, McLean teamed up with the unique trombonist and composer Grachan Moncur III and brought in vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson instead of a pianist, a move that gave the music a freer, more spacious feel. Inspired by this new musical direction and the tonal qualities of the band, McLean brought Moncur and Hutcherson back into the studio later that year with Larry Ridley on bass and Roy Haynes to record what would be his masterpiece of inside-out jazz: Destination… Out! On four original pieces—three by Moncur (“Love and Hate,” “Esoteric,” “Riff Raff”) and one of McLean’s (“Kahlil the Prophet”)—the quintet goes exploring, conjuring different moods and creating exciting new sounds that still sound fresh today.

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Tracklist:

A1: Love And Hate

A2: Esoteric

B1: Kahlil The Prophet

B2: Riff Raff

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Don Cherry - Where Is Brooklyn? LP (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series) Ships on January 21, 2022

Blue Note founders Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff had open ears and open minds, as they proved time and time again through the early-1960s as they documented some of the most adventurous players of the modern jazz scene like Andrew Hill, Eric Dolphy, and Tony Williams. But it wasn’t until they brought Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry to Blue Note in 1965 that they dove headfirst into the avant-garde. Coleman and Cherry had of course made history together years prior as half of Coleman’s revolutionary quartet that put the NYC jazz world on notice that there was a new thing in town with their 1959 arrival at the Five Spot Café. Though Cherry co-led the album The Avant-Garde with John Coltrane in 1961, his career as a bandleader began with his bold Blue Note debut Complete Communion recorded in December 1965 (Coleman had documented his new trio live at the Golden Circle in Stockholm for his own Blue Note debut just weeks before). Cherry returned to Van Gelder Studio twice in the Fall of 1966, first to record his expansive Symphony for Improvisers and again for the fiery Where Is Brooklyn? The latter was a highly interactive quartet session featuring Pharoah Sanders on tenor saxophone and piccolo, Henry Grimes on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums that presented five Cherry originals including “Awake Nu” and “The Thing.”

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Tracklist:

A1: Awake Nu

A2: Taste Maker

A3: The Thing

B1: There Is The Bomb

B2: Unite

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Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - First Flight to Tokyo The Lost 1961 Recordings (Blue Note)

First Flight to Tokyo: The Lost 1961 Recordings is a thrilling previously unreleased live recording of Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers captured at Hibiya Public Hall in Tokyo on January 14, 1961 during the band’s first-ever tour of Japan. The Jazz Messengers were among the first modern jazz groups to tour the country, and adoring Japanese audiences were enthralled by one of the band’s all-time great line-ups featuring the legendary drummer with Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Bobby Timmons on piano, and Jymie Merritt on bass. The concert featured soaring performances of well-known jazz staples including Charlie Parker’s “Now’s the Time,” Thelonious Monk’s “Round About Midnight,” and Jazz Messenger hits including “Blues March,” “Dat Dere,” and “Moanin’.” First Flight to Tokyo was co-produced by Zev Feldman and David Weiss. The deluxe 2-LP vinyl and 2-CD editions both come with elaborate booklets featuring rare photos by Japanese photographers Shunji Okura and Hozumi Nakadaira; a historical essay by acclaimed jazz critic Bob Blumenthal; plus new interviews with Wayne Shorter in conversation with Blue Note president Don Was, celebrated saxophonist Lou Donaldson, Japanese jazz star Sadao Watanabe, renowned Japanese music critic Reiko Yukawa, Blakey’s son Takashi Blakey, and a trio of drum greats: Louis Hayes, Billy Hart, and Cindy Blackman Santana. Audio was newly transferred from the original ¼” tape reels, and the vinyl edition was mastered by Bernie Grundman and pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI.

1. Now's the Time (Live at Hibiya Public Hall, Tokyo, Japan 1/14/61)

2. Moanin' (Live at Hibiya Public Hall, Tokyo, Japan 1/14/61)

3. Blues March (Live at Hibiya Public Hall, Tokyo, Japan 1/14/61)

4. The Theme (Live at Hibiya Public Hall, Tokyo, Japan 1/14/61)

5. Dat Dere (Live at Hibiya Public Hall, Tokyo, Japan 1/14/61)

6. 'Round About Midnight (Live at Hibiya Public Hall, Tokyo, Japan 1/14/61)

7. Now's the Time (Version 2 - Live at Hibiya Public Hall, Tokyo, Japan 1/14/61)

8. A Night in Tunisia (Live at Hibiya Public Hall, Tokyo, Japan 1/14/61)

9. The Theme (Version 2 - Live at Hibiya Public Hall, Tokyo, Japan 1/14/61)

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Gregory Porter - Still Rising / The Collection (November 2021 Blue Note)

Gregory Porter’s upcoming brand new Greatest Hits double album. This will be the first EVER hits collection from the seven-time Grammy nominated, two-time Grammy winner, celebrating Gregory Porter’s decade of success with his best songs from 2010 to 2021, multiple brand new songs, bonus material, and new recordings of his much-loved global hits.

CD1

1 Hey Laura

2 Liquid Spirit

3 Revival

4 Illusion

5 1960 What?

6 L.O.V.E

7 Holding On

8 Concorde

9 If Love Is Overrated

10 I Will

11 Real Good Hands

12 My Babe

13 Bad Girl Love

14 No Love Dying

15 Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? (Moby Cover)

16 Dry Bone

17 Love Runs Deeper

18 It’s Probably Me (Sting Cover)

CD2

1 Natural Blues (with Moby & Amythyst Kiah)

2 Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood (with Jamie Cullum

3 Raining in My Heart (with Buddy Holly)

4 People Will Say We’re in Love (with Ella Fitzgerald)

5 GrandMas’ Hands (with Ben L’Oncle Soul)

6 Christmas Prayer (with Paloma Faith)

7 Insanity (with Lalah Hathaway)

8 Make Someone Happy (with Jeff Goldblum)

9 Fly Me To The Moon (with Julie London)

10 Satiated (with Dianne Reeves)

11 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (with Renée Fleming)

12 The Girl From Ipanema (with Nat King Cole)

13 Water Under Bridges (with Laura Mvula)

14 Right Where you are (with Lizz Wright)

15 Heart and Soul - (with Yo-Yo Ma & The Silkroad Ensemble ,Lisa Fischer)

16 Making Love (with Trijntje Oosterhuis)

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Julian Lage - Squint (June 11, 2021 Blue Note)

Guitar virtuoso Julian Lage has shared “Boo’s Blues,” the second song from his Blue Note Records debut album, Squint, out June 11. The loping swing feel of “Boo’s Blues” exemplifies Lage’s ability to write with his bandmates in mind while echoing his influences: “I like to imagine this music being played by the tans of bass and drums,” Lage says. “I’m imagining Billy Higgins, I’m imagining Art Taylor, I’m imagining Wilbur Ware, even though I’m writing explicitly for Dave and Jorge.”

Squint is a striking full-length that weds incisive, expressive songwriting with the profound interplay Lage has honed over the past few years with his de trio featuring bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King (The Bad Plus). The album was heralded last month with the release of the album’s lead single “Saint Rose.” Squint is available now for pre-order on vinyl, CD, or download.

“I absolutely love improvised music, and I’ve always been fascinated by singer-songwriter music,” says Lage. “For me, the jazz that came out of Blue Note always engaged both sides of that. It had incredible improvisational vocabularies and performances, but when I think of albums from Grant Green’s Idle Moments to Joe Henderson’s Inner Urge to McCoy Tyner’s Time for Tyner with Bobby Hutcherson – all these records that I love so much also have such great songs. I felt like this was an opportunity to present new music born out of the Blue Note tradition as I’ve interpreted it.”

Lage was recently featured on the GRAMMY Museum’s COLLECTION:live interview series, watch here. The guitarist will also be continuing his popular series of masterclasses with upcoming sessions on April 11 and April 18. A 30-minute solo performance will follow each class. Tickets are available here.

Pianist James Francies Returns with New Album "Purest Form" out May 21; Hear the 1st Single "713"

Pianist, producer, and composer James Francies has released “713,” a vivid tribute to his Houston hometown that is the first single from his forthcoming album Purest Form, an expansive opus due out May 21. The album is available for pre-order now on CD and digital formats.

Since his debut album Flight entranced listeners in 2018, Francies has expanded personal explorations of sound bending and orchestral approaches to the music. Collaborations across stylistic realms — including those with Childish Gambino, Pat Metheny, Mark Ronson, The Roots, YEBBA, Chris Potter, Common, Eric Harland, Marcus Miller, DJ Dahi and Ms. Lauryn Hill — have enhanced his development and refined his sound. In issuing Purest Form, his second Blue Note release, Francies accesses intimate chambers of his artistry across 14 tracks, interpreting love, grief, frailty, and fortitude.

The album’s core trio includes Francies’ longtime collaborators Burniss Travis on bass and Jeremy Dutton on drums—three Houston-raised artists who have been playing together and developing alongside one another for more than a decade. Additional musicians featured throughout include his Blue Note labelmates alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins and vibraphonist Joel Ross, as well as guitarist Mike Moreno and vocalists Elliott Skinner, Peyton, and Bilal.

Francies’ expression blooms across false borders of genre and style. He nurtures a celestial fascination with melody and texture. “Music, in its purest form, is an honest space we’re trying to get to where there are no preconceived ideas of what we think something should sound like,” he says. “When you really tap into who you are on the inside, musically and as a person, that energy supersedes anything else.”

For Francies, Purest Form is more than a recording. It’s an essence. “I hope that what I was trying to go for — an immersive, multidimensional experience — really reaches people. I hope that for 56 minutes, they step into this world of sounds and textures. That’s the idea. And [laughs] I hope it sounds good on every speaker.”

1. Adoration

2. Levitate

3. Transfiguration

4. Blown Away Feat. Peyton

5. Rose Water Feat. Elliot Skinner

6. My Favorite Things

7. Stratus

8. 713

9. Melting

10. Where We Stand

11. Freedmen’s Town

12. Eyes Wide Shut Feat. Bilal

13. Still Here

14. Oasis

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