USA: Craft Recordings Commemorates 70 Years of Prestige Records

CRAFT RECORDINGS COMMEMORATES 70 YEARS OF PRESTIGE RECORDS WITH NEW TITLES, DELUXE REISSUES AND EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL CONTENT LEGENDARY JAZZ LABEL’S CATALOG INCLUDES RECORDINGS FROM MILES DAVIS, THELONIOUS MONK, AND SONNY ROLLINS, AMONG MANY OTHERS NEW COLLECTION PRESENTING JOHN COLTRANE’S 1958 PRESTIGE RECORDINGS AVAILABLE NOW

Click here for online media kit (including playlist and logos) Los Angeles, CA (April 10, 2019) - 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of Prestige Records, one of the most revered jazz labels in the world. Throughout the ’50s and ’60s, Prestige was at the forefront of modern jazz, releasing sessions from some of the most influential names in music, including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Stan Getz, and Sonny Rollins. To honor the history of this pioneering label and its exceptional output, Craft Recordings will release a variety of content throughout the year, including deluxe box sets and vinyl reissues, as well as video content and curated playlists. Kicking off the campaign is a new box set, Coltrane ’58: The Prestige Recordings (5-CD & digital formats available now, and 8-LP out on April 26th), which chronicles the saxophonist’s breakout year. Featuring all 37 tracks Coltrane recorded as a leader or co-leader for Prestige in those twelve months, Coltrane ’58 captures the artist in creative high gear—developing the signature improvisational style that journalist Ira Gitler famously dubbed “sheets of sound.” The newly remastered release includes extensive liner notes from GRAMMY® Award-winning music historian Ashley Kahn, plus images of rare ephemera and historical photographs of the saxophonist and his collaborators. Special Coltrane ’58 bundle packages featuring a limited edition Prestige t-shirt are available exclusively via the Craft Recordings online store: Click here A newly curated playlist, Prestige 70: Jazz Classics, has also just launched. Currently streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and YouTube (click here to listen), the playlist features a handpicked selection of 70 classic tracks from the label. With titles from the likes ofKenny Burrell, Rusty Bryant, Red Garland, and Coleman Hawkins, as well as iconic takes from John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, and Thelonious Monk, the collection showcases not only the timeless appeal of Prestige’s music, but also the importance of its catalog to the development of modern music. Throughout 2019, Craft will take a deeper look at the label’s history and incredible roster of talent through special video content and additional playlists. Contests, as well as additional releases, will be announced later in the year. April also marks Jazz Appreciation Month, whose 2019 theme is “Jazz Beyond Borders.” Many artists under Prestige could not be more fitting to this subject. John Coltrane, a self-declared humanist, not only gained fame around the world with his music (his well-documented 1966 Japanese tour proves just how far-reaching his influence was) but also strove to break boundaries at home, during the height of the civil rights movement. Sonny Rollins, too, crossed a variety of borders. A strong follower of Eastern philosophies, Rollins tackled issues of racial inequality head-on, yet peacefully, through his recordings. Musically, Rollins has not only performed with some of the biggest names in his own genre, but he also crossed over into pop and rock territory, performing with artists like the Rolling Stones, and bringing a variety of musical influences into his own compositions. Both artists, along with countless others on the label’s roster, continue to garner new generations of fans around the world. Founded in 1949 by producer Bob Weinstock, Prestige was on the cutting-edge of jazz, helping to usher in the eras of bop, hard-bop and soul jazz in the ’50s, while later branching out into free jazz and fusion through the ’60s. Over the next two decades, Prestige would develop the careers of some of the biggest names in jazz, and release hundreds of albums, many of which were recorded in the Hackensack, NJ studio of renowned engineer Rudy Van Gelder. Notable titles include Miles, Cookin’, Relaxin’, Workin’ and Steamin’ from the Miles Davis Quintet, Etta Jones’Don’t Go to Strangers, the Modern Jazz Quartet’s Django, Eric Dolphy’s Out There, and Sonny Rollins’ career-defining 1956 LP, Saxophone Colossus (as well as Tenor Madness, whose title track was recently inducted into the GRAMMY® Hall of Fame and is the only known duet recording by Rollins and John Coltrane). Soul jazz classics such as Charles Kynard’s Afro-Disiac, Gene Ammons’ Boss Tenor and Charles Earland’s Black Talk! round out the latter decade of the label under Weinstock. In the early ’70s, Prestige was sold to Fantasy Records (home to the likes of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Vince Guaraldi), which itself became part of the Concord music family in 2004. The imprint still holds a vibrant presence today with carefully curated reissues from the catalog label at Concord, Craft Recordings. "Some of the most influential artists and significant recordings in the history of jazz are on the Prestige label," says Sig Sigworth, President of Craft Recordings. "It's a tremendous honor for Craft Recordings to be the stewards of that timeless musical legacy." About Craft Recordings:  Craft Recordings is home to one of the largest and most prestigious collections of master recordings and compositions in the world. Its rich and storied repertoire includes legendary artists such as Joan Baez, Ray Charles, John Coltrane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Vince Guaraldi, John Lee Hooker, Little Richard, Fania All-Stars, Antonio Aguilar, Joan Sebastian, Nine Inch Nails, Thelonious Monk, Otis Redding, R.E.M. and Traveling Wilburys, to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Concord, Fania, Fantasy, Milestone, Musart, Nitro, Prestige, Riverside, Rounder, Specialty, Stax, Sugar Hill, Vanguard and Vee-Jay Records, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation—ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover. Craft Recordings is the catalog label team for Concord. For more information, visit CraftRecordings.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify.

BRAZIL/USA: SERGIO MENDES & BRASIL '66 "GREATEST HITS" REISSUED ON VINYL VIA CRAFT RECORDINGS ON JULY 27th

SERGIO MENDES & BRASIL '66 "GREATEST HITS" REISSUED ON VINYL VIA CRAFT RECORDINGS ON JULY 27th   AN ESSENTIAL COLLECTION OF COOL BOSSA NOVA BRILLIANCE FROM THE GENRE-DEFINING ARTIST   Click here for online media kit and click here to download cover art Click here to pre-order the Greatest Hits LP Los Angeles, CA - Craft Recordings is pleased to announce a vinyl reissue of Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66's long-out-of-print album Greatest Hits, due out this July 27th. Featuring 12 of the internationally beloved star's best songs from the '60s, this collection offers listeners a prime overview of Mendes' signature blend of bossa nova and samba paired with distinctive pop instrumentation. Originally released in 1970 at the height of Mendes' fame,Greatest Hits includes the group's '67 breakthrough "Look of Love," bossa nova standard"Mais Que Nada," plus chart-topping covers of Simon & Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair"and The Beatles' "Fool on the Hill."   Greatest Hits highlights the finest cuts from Herb Alpert Presents (1966) through Crystal Illusions (1969), giving listeners a taste of Mendes' revolutionary Latin-pop rhythms, featuring evocative female vocals and lavish orchestration by the Academy and GRAMMY®-Award-winning composer and arranger Dave Grusin.   Producer, composer, keyboardist and vocalist Sergio Mendes began his career in Havana, Brazil, in the early '60s, playing with the likes of Antônio Carlos Jobim and Cannonball Adderly. It was the formation of the Brazil '66, however, which truly sparked his global stardom-a success in part attributable to the group's novel blending of English and Portuguese lyrics in their recordings.   Though the early singles with Brasil '66 were met with some success (most notably "Mas Que Nada"-which was the first single sung entirely in Portuguese to hit the Billboard Pop Chart in the U.S.), the group's first mainstream breakthrough came with their telecast performance of "Look of Love" at the 1968 Academy Awards. Their rendition of the song went on to peak at #4 on the Billboard Pop Chart, eclipsing Dusty Springfield's version from the official soundtrack to the movie Casino Royale. From then on, Mendes & Brasil '66 would enjoy consecutive singles in the Top Ten throughout the decade, including their covers of"Scarborough Fair" and "Fool on the Hill." Mendes would go on to become arguably the most prominent Brazilian star in the world, performing everywhere from stadium arenas to theWhite House, where he gave concerts for both presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon.   In 2012, Mendes received his first Oscar® nomination (in the music category) for "Real in Rio" from the animated 3-D feature film Rio. In addition to being executive music producer for the film, Mendes contributed five songs to its soundtrack, including a re-recorded version of"Mas Que Nada"-the original version of which is featured on this Greatest Hits collection.Mendes has also won three GRAMMY® Awards in his career thus far, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.   Mendes, who has released over 35 albums to date, continues to actively record and tour today, and has recorded with several contemporary artists, including: Justin Timberlake,John Legend and the Black Eyed Peas. His instantly recognizable mélange of bossa nova, samba and pop has come to define Brazilian music for many music enthusiasts around the world.   Track Listing: A1. Mais Que Nada A2. Scarborough Fair A3. With a Little Help from my Friends A4. Like a Lover A5. Look of Love A6. Night and Day B1. Fool on the Hill B2. Going out of My Head B3. Look Around B4. So Many Stars B5. Daytripper B6. Pretty World   Click here to stream Greatest Hits. Click here to pre-order Greatest Hits.   ###   For press enquiries, please contact Reckoning PR: Aaron Feterl: aaron@reckoningpr.com    Reckoning PR | ReckoningPR.com         STAY CONNECTED:

USA: Buddy Rich "The Lost Tapes" Now Available on CD and Vinyl LP!

For Immediate Release 

Buddy Rich The Lost Tapes Now Available on CD and Vinyl LP!

Studio City, CA - Lightyear Entertainment and Lobitos Creek Ranch, in association with Scabeba Entertainment and the Buddy Rich Estate, have released the live album The Lost Tales featuring Buddy Rich and his Big Band, recorded in 1985 at the King Street Studios in San Francisco on CD and vinyl LP. The album is part of the Buddy Rich Centennial Celebration. Buddy was born on September 30, 1917.

The album is the soundtrack from the concert film The Lost Tapes, which has been available from Lightyear on DVD since 2003 and 2005, respectively. 

Gary Reber, subsequently the founder of Widescreen Review was the Producer of the concert. One Pass Video was the Production company. Scott Ross of One Pass was the Director. A complete jazz club was built in the soundstage for the production to a live audience. The recording was originally made in SQ Tate Matrix Quad Surround Sound.  

The soundtrack has been re-mastered for CD by Chad Hailey and Jeff Pinn at Broken Arrow Sound, Redwood City, CA. The vinyl LP has been mastered and replicated by PALLAS GmbH/Furnace MFG in Germany on 180 Gram audiophile vinyl.

The Lost Tapes was released on February 2, 2018 through Caroline Distribution, the independent distribution arm of Universal Music Group, on the Lightyear/Lobitos Creek label. The UK street date for The Lost Tapes CD is 16 March and the vinyl is 20 April. The titleThe Lost Tapes refers to the fact that these recordings were lost for a decade, presumed damaged in a fire, and then digitally restored.

“These recordings are some of the best quality recordings ever made of the legendary drummer and his band,” said Arnie Holland, CEO of Lightyear. “And we are grateful to Executive Producer Steve Michelson and the inimitable Cathy Rich for 14 years of working together with us to make sure that Buddy's legacy is complete and widely available.” 

Cathy Rich, CEO of Scabeba Entertainment and Buddy’s daughter, is guest vocalist with the Buddy Rich Band featuring drummer Greg Potter. The 16-piece Big Band will continue to tour all year.

Buddy Rich, whom Gene Krupa defined as “the greatest drummer to ever draw breath,” was honored with a President's Special Merit award GRAMMY along with three Grammy Nominations. He was inducted into the Downbeat Magazine, Modern Drummer andPlayboy Halls of Fame. Buddy received the Jazz Unlimited Immortals of Jazz Award and awards for his philanthropic efforts. He was named “Greatest Drummer of All Time” by Modern Drummer magazine. 

In honor of Buddy's Centennial, a flag was flown over the U.S. Capitol on Buddy's birthday, September 30, when the commemoration of his Centennial will also be read into the official Congressional record where it will be a permanent part of the United States archive for all time.

A PledgeMusic campaign has been started for the release where a fan can not only buy CDs and vinyl, but also special merch items and could even purchase an opportunity to sit in with the band in concert. https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/buddyrich?utm_medium=email&utm_source=pledgemusic

The Lost Tapes Trailer: https://vimeo.com/230659281

Audio Mexicali Rose from The Lost Tapes: http://bit.ly/buddyrichmexrose ;

New YouTube Channel created for the 100th Birthday Celebration: Buddy Rich 100th Anniversary Channel

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com 

Lightyear Entertainment, a distributor of independent films and music, was founded in 1987. www.lightyear.com 

USA: THE COMPLETE PRESTIGE 10-INCH LP COLLECTION OF THELONIOUS MONK CELEBRATES THE INFLUENTIAL JAZZ MUSICIAN’S EARLY RECORDINGS

THE COMPLETE PRESTIGE 10-INCH LP COLLECTION OF THELONIOUS MONK

CELEBRATES THE INFLUENTIAL JAZZ MUSICIAN’S EARLY RECORDINGS

DELUXE VINYL BOX SET OFFERS FAITHFULLY REPRODUCED JACKETS AND LABELS

Craft Recordings, the Catalog Division of Concord Music, is proud to announce the release of Thelonious Monk’s The Complete Prestige 10-Inch LP Collection. Due out December 15^th, the limited-edition box set includes all five of the 10” vinyl LPs which the pianist recorded for the jazz label, spanning 1952 to 1954. Each album has been faithfully reproduced – from the jacket design to the LP labels – while the audio has been carefully restored and remastered by Joe Tarantino from the original analog tapes, with lacquer cutting by George Horn and Anne-Marie Seunram at Fantasy Studios. Rounding out the collection is a booklet with new liner notes by Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original. The Complete Prestige 10-Inch LP Collection will also be released in high-res and standard audio formats across all streaming and digital platforms.

Thelonious Sphere Monk (1917-1982), who would have turned 100 this year, remains one of the most highly regarded jazz artists in history, known for his unique style on and off the piano. Monk was a rule-breaker, pushing the limits of his genre, with his dissonant chords, unconventional melodies and progressive rhythms. Initially dismissed an eccentric by the musical elite, Monk stood his ground, and came to be celebrated for his complexities; considered by many to be a genius.

However, in the early ’50s, the artist was still struggling to find critical and commercial acceptance. In his liner notes, Robin D. G. Kelley refers to this era as the “golden years in terms of [Monk’s] creative output” but, he adds, “these were also dark times.” Following an unjust run-in with the law, the jazz musician’s cabaret card was revoked, preventing him from performing at New York clubs, and restricting his income. The artist’s fortune began to change, though, in 1952, when Prestige Records’ founder Bob Weinstock offered Monk a recording contract. Weeks later, the Thelonious Monk Trio  ̶  consisting of Art Blakey (as well as Max Roach on select tracks) on drums and Gary Mapp on bass, went to work in the studio, with a young Ira Gitler as producer. The resulting 10-inch LP release was Thelonious. By the fall of 1953, Monk returned to the studio, this time with a quintet, for Thelonious Monk Quintet Blows For LP, featuring Sonny Rollins on tenor saxophone. Thelonious Monk Quintet and Thelonious Plays followed in 1954. In the final 10-inch LP in this collection, recorded in October of 1954, Monk was actually a last-minute replacement for Elmo Hope at a Sonny Rollins session. But he ultimately received co-billing on the resultant 10” LP release, Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk. Also produced by Gitler, the LP includes an 11-minute jam of Vincent Youmans’ “More Than You Know” which, as Kelley puts it, became “the session’s masterpiece, a sublime dialogue between two great masters of modern music.”

These early albums in The Complete Prestige 10-Inch LP Collection offer an intriguing look into this distinctive and resolute artist before he found full acclaim and acceptance, and feature an impressive collective personnel that includes some of jazz’s finest. “Listening to these tracks more than sixty years after they were recorded, it’s stunning how compelling, modern and original Monk’s music still sounds, even through the filter of 21st-century ears,” observes the collection’s producer, Nick Phillips. “That’s the mark of a true musical genius, indeed.”

TRACK LISTING

Disc 1:

Thelonious Monk Trio: Thelonious

Side A

1. Little Rootie Tootie
2. Sweet And Lovely
3. Bye-Ya
4. Monk's Dream

Side B

1. Trinkle, Tinkle
2. These Foolish Things 
3. Bemsha Swing
4. Reflections

Personnel:

Thelonious Monk – piano

Gary Mapp – bass

Art Blakey – drums (A1 through A4)

Max Roach – drums (B1 through B4)

Recorded at Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, NJ; October 15, 1952 (A1 to A4) and December 18, 1952 (B1 to B4).

Disc 2:

Thelonious Monk Quintet Blows For LP

Featuring Sonny Rollins

Side A

1. Friday The Thirteenth

Side B

1.   Let’s Call This

2. Think Of One

Personnel:

Thelonious Monk – piano

Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone

Julius Watkins – French horn

Percy Heath – bass

Willie Jones – drums

Recorded at WOR Studios, New York City; November 13, 1953

Disc 3:

Thelonious Monk Quintet

Side A

1. We See
2. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

Side B

1. Locomotive
2. Hackensack

Personnel:

Thelonious Monk – piano

Ray Copeland – trumpet

Frank Foster – tenor saxophone

Curly Russell – bass

Art Blakey – drums

Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ; May 11, 1954.

Disc 4:

Thelonious Monk Plays

Side A

1. Work
2. Nutty

Side B

1. Blue Monk
2. Just A Gigolo

Personnel:

Thelonious Monk – piano

Percy Heath – bass

Art Blakey – drums

Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ; September 22, 1954

Disc 5:

Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk

Side A

1. The Way You Look Tonight
2. I Want To Be Happy

Side B

1. More Than You Know

Personnel:

Thelonious Monk – piano

Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone

Tommy Potter – bass

Art Taylor – drums

Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey; October 25, 1954

USA: Thelonious Monk & John Coltrane - Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings (LP Box Set) 2017

 

For an all-too-brief, magical time in 1957, two of the greatest musicians in history-
Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane-
performed together every night at New York's Five Spot Cafe. And between April and July of that year, they made their only studio recordings together. Coltrane was poised to make a giant leap forward- and ready to learn from one of the masters, Monk. In a DownBeat interview Coltrane recalled, 'Working with Monk brought me close to a musical architect of the highest order. I learned from him in every way.'

Launching the newly minted imprint Craft Recordings, this deluxe 3-LP box set will feature unique 'file folder' packaging, original artwork, rare photos and 180-gram vinyl pressed at RTI from lacquers cut by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA. Rounding out the package is an insightful essay by the late Orrin Keepnews, who, as producer of the original sessions, was present at the creation of every note.
Features the following collective personnel: Art Blakey, Wilbur Ware, Coleman Hawkins, Shadow Wilson, Ray Copeland and Gigi Gryce.

USA: Sun Ra – Singles (Strut Records 2016)

the immense output of Sun Ra and his many backing bands, coupled with the limited production of many of his releases has long defied dedicated collectors. Parallel to a vast list of LP releases, Sun Ra released numerous 45 RPM singles; one-off meteorites from his prolific cosmic journey. Working closely with Sun Ra LLC and Art Yard Records, it is with great pride that Strut presents a definitive collection of the rare singles released by Sun Ra across his illustrious career, spanning 1952 to 1991.

Tracklist:
01 – I Am An Instrument
02 – I Am Strange
03 – Chicago USA
04 – Spaceship Lullaby
05 – Daddy’s Gonna Tell You No Lie (Demo Version)
06 – A Foggy Day
07 – I’m Coming Home
08 – Last Call For Love
09 – Soft Talk
10 – Super Blonde
11 – Saturn
12 – Call For All Demons
13 – Demon’s Lullaby
14 – Supersonic Jazz (Super Blonde)
15 – Medicine For A Nightmare
16 – Urnack
17 – It’s Christmas Time
18 – Happy New Year To You!
19 – M Uck M Uck (Matt Matt)
20 – Hot Skillet Moma
21 – Bye Bye (45 RPM Version)
22 – Somebody’s In Love
23 – Hours After
24 – Great Balls Of Fire
25 – October
26 – Adventure In Space
27 – Dreaming
28 – Daddy’s Gonna Tell You No Lie
29 – Round Midnight (Take 3)
30 – Back In Your Own Back Yard (Take 1)
31 – Saturn
32 – Velvet
33 – The Sun One
34 – Message To Earthman (Alternate Take)
35 – The Sun Man Speaks
36 – Space Loneliness
37 – State Street
38 – The Blue Set
39 – Big City Blues
40 – A Blue One
41 – Orbitration In Blue
42 – Out There A Minute
43 – Tell Her To Come Home
44 – I’m Making Believe
45 – The Bridge
46 – Rocket #9
47 – Blues On Planet Mars
48 – Saturn Moon
49 – Journey To Saturn
50 – Enlightenment
51 – I’m Gonna Unmask The Batman
52 – The Perfect Man
53 – Love In Outer Space
54 – Mayan Temple
55 – Sky Blues
56 – Disco 2021
57 – Rough House Blues
58 – Cosmo-Extensions
59 – Quest
60 – Outer Space Plateau
61 – Nuclear War
62 – Sometimes I’m Happy
63 – On Jupiter Cosmo Drama (Prophetika 1)
64 – Cosmo Drama (Prophetika 2)
65 – I Am The Instrument