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Fall Edition

By Charlie B. Dahan
November 24, 2004
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In this edition of The Vault, we highlight the best reissues, special releases and collection from October through December. Be on the lookout for our year-end awards for best reissues in December. We hope both of these articles help you in your collection building efforts. Please go to our Upcoming Release page at All About Jazz to see all the releases that are out and those that are on their way. (See the Upcoming Release Center ).

Attention record labels! Please email me your reissue schedules so I can include them in future lists.

OCTOBER 2004

Highlights:

Various Artists Professors, Doctors, King and Queens: The Big Ol' Box of New Orleans (Shout! Factory). This boxset represents a perfect storm when it comes to reissues: it is musically exciting, a complete representation of its subject matter, and just plain fun to listen. Not only that, it fulfills a vacuum in the market, because until this collection, one would think that there hasn't been any new recording of music in New Orleans since the Meters in the early 1970's. In fact, New Orleans has been just as vibrant, diverse and productive during each and every era of recording from 1923-2004 and this collection proves it! [ review ].

Dexter Gordon Complete Prestige Recordings (Prestige / Fantasy). This boxset is a superb all-inclusive examination of one of jazzes great saxophone players and composers, Dexter Gordon. The eleven-disc collection "The Complete Prestige Recordings" contains eighty-eight tracks. Of those eighty-eight tracks most are from Gordon's repertoire as a bandleader with a few tracks included as a sideman or co-leader with Gene Ammons, Wardell Gray and Booker Ervin. [ review ].

Dianne Reeves Christmas Time is Here (Blue Note). While not a reissue, this special event (Christmas music) recording has proved to be one of the best holiday recordings thus far. A great vocalist with a small combo tackles both standards ('Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' and 'Little Drummer Boy') and more spiritual holiday classics (like 'Christ Child's Lullaby' and 'A Child is Born'. [ review ].

Honorable Mentions:

James Booker United Our Thing Will Stand (Allegro). A multi-CD collection.
Jimmy Smith Retrospective (Blue Note). A multi-CD collection.
Ray Charles Celebrates a Gospel Christmas (Madacy).
Tony Bennett The Complete Improv Recordings (Concord). Boxset.
Santana (featuring Tower of Power Santana (1st LP) (Columbia / Legacy).
Chick Corea Tones for Joan's Bones (Super D).
Hasidic New Wave Jews and the Abstract Truth (Evolver).
Albert Ayler Holy Ghost (Revenant). Boxset. [ review ].
Andrew Hill Dance of Death (Blue Note).
Blind James Campbell & His Nashville Street Band Blind James Campbell & His Nashville Street Band (Arhoolie).
Various Artists American Masters: The Musicians (Wellspring). This DVD boxset features artists like Quincy Jones and Ella Fitzgerald.
Anita O'Day Swings Rogers and Hammerstein (Verve).
Various Artists All Songs Considered (National Public Radio). Boxset.

NOVEMBER 2004

Wayne Shorter Footprints: The Life and Music of Wayne Shorter (Legacy). The Vault loves nothing more than when several labels collaborate to examine the many aspects of one artist's long and illustrious career. Wayne Shorter's two CD collection begins with his time in the 1960's as a sideman with Art Blakey and Miles Davis through his appearances with Weather Report, Joni Mitchell and Steely Dan and, of course, as a leader. This release possesses one hundred and fifty powerful minutes of great music from a great musician, leaders, composer, arranger and artist. Of course, excellent liner notes and thorough credits are included. [ review ].

Branford Marsalis Quartet A Love Supreme Live in Amsterdam (Marsalis / Rounder). A valiant effort to replicate and interpretate one of music's great recordings. Marsalis and his crew do a commendable job on this DVD / CD combo and if you can separate the two A Love Supreme 's from each other, it proves an enjoyable piece.

Mark Sandman Sandbox (Hi-N-Dry). While this record delves into the late Sandman's lo-fi rock recordings, he is best known as the leader of the late 90's outfit, Morphine, which dabbled into the world of jazz. An excellent representation of quality songwriting, but truly only for fans of Morphine and Sandman.

Roy Ayers Live at Ronnie Scott's (Silverline).

Rashaan Roland Kirk Inflated Tear / Natural Black Invention (Gotham). This two-fer combines two of modern jazzes finest moments, soloing and production. Inflate Tear is one the Vault's all-time favorites.

Honorable Mentions:

Art Blakey Caravan (Riverside / Fantasy).
Bing Crosby & Frank Sinatra Happy Holidays from Sinatra and Crosby (Koch). DVD.
Various Artists The Complete Norman Granz Sessions (Verve). Boxset.
David S. Ware Three Concerts (Thirsty Ear). Boxset.
Various Artists Lake Biwa (Tzadik).
John Coltrane Complete Mainstream 1958 Sessions (Lonehill).
Bud Powell Genius of Bebop Piano: 1944-1951 (Jazz Legends).
Medeski, Martin & Wood Notes from the Underground (Amulet).
Miles Davis Kind of Blue (Columbia / Legacy). A CD / DVD package.
Herbie Hancock Gershwin's World (Verve).
Charles Mingus Live at Montreux 1975 (Eagle Rock). DVD.
Les Paul How High the Moon (Essential Gold).
Gil Evans Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1983 (Angel). DVD.

December Highlights:

Art Blakey Night in Tunisia (BMG). This is a limited edition release of one of Blakey's finest moments.

Miles Davis The Cool Jazz Sound (MVD). DVD.

Art Farmer To Sweden with Love: Live at the Half Note (Collectables).

From ESP:

Ornette Coleman Town Hall 1962

Pharaoh Sanders Pharaoh's First

Save your money from Christmas, as some great upcoming reissues and special packages will be appearing in the new year from: Benny Carter, Jimi Hendrix, Art Blakey, Duke Ellington, A Doo Wop Collection boxset, Kenny Burrell, Rosemary Clooney, The Funky Meters, Dizzy Gillespie, Herb Alpert, Jack Teagarden, Kermit Ruffins, Lionel Hampton, Bobby Darin, Charlie Byrd, Anita O'Day and many others.

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