The Vinyl Post
Blackstone Legacy
by C. Andrew Hovan
When trumpeter Woody Shaw passed away in 1989, he left behind a wealth of amazing music, notwithstanding the realized sadness inherent in wondering what more he could have accomplished had he lived a longer life. Back in the mid '60s, Shaw was ubiquitous as a sideman recording iconic albums with the likes of Larry Young, Horace Silver, Chick Corea, Art Blakey, and McCoy Tyner. Despite common misconceptions, Shaw led his first date as a leader in December of 1965, which ...
read moreQue Viva La Musica
by C. Andrew Hovan
Much has been made about the making of a hybrid style involving Latin music and jazz strains that was established by Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo in the late '40s. However, the ripples of those early experiments would reach far and wide for subsequent decades, even if the casual listener might have been largely unaware of such developments. One of the key figures to come from this movement would be the late conguero Ray Barretto, who has yet to be ...
read moreSummer Solstice
by C. Andrew Hovan
Founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock, the Prestige label was home to some of the best hard bop, swing, and blues music of the '50s and '60s. The diversity of the catalog through subsidiary labels such as Swingville and Bluesville was nothing short of extraordinary. Be it spoken word albums, Southern blues, or the folk strains from India, Japan, or Ireland-there was something for everyone through this ambitious program. By 1971 when the label was sold to Fantasy ...
read moreColtrane 58: The Prestige Recordings
by C. Andrew Hovan
Some fifty-two years since his death, the shadow of John Coltrane looms large in the minds of many jazz fans and musicians. Over the past few years this has been aided and abetted by the fact that his music continues to be repackaged. In the case of last year's Both Directions at Once, some previously unissued sides even brought further clarity to the saxophonist's development at Impulse Records in the mid '60s. Concurrent with the fascination of all-things-Coltrane ...
read moreThe Atlantic Years
by C. Andrew Hovan
Now that the vinyl boom has officially become big business, it is not surprising that major labels are scrambling to put together reissue projects from their back catalogs that will benefit from this cash cow. Rhino has already successfully tapped their holdings for superb mono boxed sets from both John Coltrane and Ray Charles. For their latest endeavor, they have turned to an artist on the fringes of jazz popularity. Ornette Coleman is far from being a household name and ...
read moreBeloved of The Sky
by C. Andrew Hovan
Back in the late '80s, the life cycle of the vinyl record seemed to have run its course. Promoters of the compact disc had lulled people into the ideal that the little silver discs would offer perfect sound forever. Fast forward to today's marketplace and it's ironic to see new releases as available in both CD and vinyl formats. While the reissue concerns were the first ones to jump on board the record resurgence, several new music labels have started ...
read moreThe Holy Trinity of Soul: Three Craft Reissues
by C. Andrew Hovan
Last fall, Craft Recordings issued a four CD compilation focusing on Isaac Hayes and his recordings for Stax, Volt, and Enterprise. Spanning the years 1962 to 1976, the set cut a wide swathe of Southern soul and managed to put into perspective the importance of Hayes' impressive oeuvre. Now, Craft turns its attention to upscale vinyl reissues of Hayes' most important recordings, namely Hot Buttered Soul, Shaft , and Black Moses. With new remastering undertaken by Dave Cooley at Elysian ...
read moreWay Out West: The Deluxe Edition
by C. Andrew Hovan
It was eventually bound to happen. Surveying the vinyl boom of the last few years, large record companies have decided that there is money to be made from their back catalogs. So instead of licensing their material to companies like Music Matters and Analogue Productions, they have started issuing their own vinyl reissues. Hence the impetus for the formation of Concord's Craft Recordings. As owner of the Fantasy vault stash that includes Prestige, Riverside, Contemporary, Stax, and many other smaller ...
read moreOther Worlds Other Sounds
by C. Andrew Hovan
In this frantic age of vinyl rediscovery, it still never ceases to amaze as to the kinds of projects that companies are willing to go for broke on for what has become a booming and buying audience. In many ways it is truly a win-win situation. There's so much great music out there and the idea of bringing it back to our attention or finding a new audience in the guise of its original intent can rarely be seen as ...
read morePassion, Grace and Fire
by C. Andrew Hovan
Although they are primarily known for their gold CD reissue program and multi-channel SACDs, the Audio Fidelity firm has recently plunged into the vinyl market with a small number of titles. These limited edition 180 gram pressings are remastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and packaged in glossy gatefold covers. Tapping into some music not usually associated with audiophile editions, Audio Fidelity's most recent batch of releases wisely includes the superlative 1982 release Passion, Grace, and Fire by guitar ...
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