Blue Note Announces Classic Vinyl Reissue Series Titles

Blue Note today announced an extensive list of upcoming Classic Vinyl Reissue Series titles launching October 1st, 2021 through April 15th, 2022. All reissues mastered by Kevin Gray cut directly from the original analog master tapes, with the exception of two titles, as noted, cut from the digital masters, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal in Germany.

The artists include Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Donald Byrd, Bobbi Humphrey, Jimmy Smith, Herbie Nichols, Don Cherry, Lee Morgan, Bud Powell and others. While the first 16 titles in this series focused on the best known Blue Note classics from the '50s and '60s the new run curated by Don Was and Cem Kurosman expands the series scope to cover thematically the label's eight decade history.

The Classic Series are priced lower than the Tone Poet series but feature the same mastering chain and so very similar sonics. The packaging is standard and that saves production costs allowing BN to sell most of these Classic Series titles for around $26.00. Considering that $4.98 in 1970s dollars is $35.00 today, these are outright bargains!

Classic Vinyl Reissue Series – Release Schedule:

October 1, 2021
• Duke Pearson – Merry Ole Soul (1969)

November 19, 2021Hard Bop
• Horace Silver –
6 Pieces of Silver (1956)
• Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers –
The Big Beat (1960)

November 19, 2021< – The 70s
• Donald Byrd –
Places and Spaces (1975)
• Bobbi Humphrey – Fancy Dancer (1975)

December 10, 2021Soul Jazz
• Jimmy Smith – Home Cookin’ (1958)
• Reuben Wilson – Love Bug (1969)

December 10, 2021 Hidden Gems
• Herbie Nichols – The Prophetic Herbie Nichols, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 (1955)
• Kenny Cox – Introducing Kenny Cox and The Contemporary Jazz Quintet (1968)

January 21, 2022 The Avant-Garde
• Jackie McLean – Destination Out (1963)
• Don Cherry – Where Is Brooklyn? (1966)

February 18, 2022Post-Bop
• Joe Henderson – Inner Urge (1964)
• Lee Morgan – Caramba (1968)

March 18, 2022The Rebirth
• Cassandra Wilson – Blue Light ‘Til Dawn (1993)*
• Geri Allen – Twenty One (1994)*

April 15, 2022 Bebop
• Milt Jackson – Milt Jackson With John Lewis, Percy Heath, Kenny Clarke, Lou Donaldson And The Thelonious Monk Quintet (1948-52)
• Bud Powell – Time Waits: The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 4 (1958)

*mastered from a digital source

COMMENTS
jazz's picture

but why the heck was the Cassandra Wilson mastered from digital source. It’s among Michael’s 100 all analog recommendations, so I was sure it was recorded to tape. Fortunately there’s a clearly better older one than the Pure Pleasure reissue and this also sounds as if it could be all analog.

Michael Fremer's picture
I will get answers...
jazz's picture

I just listened to that Geri Allen album on the CD file and it sounds absolutely awful in comparison to others. I wonder how much they got out of this recording for the new release and why they chose this one.

Leonthepro's picture

about this too.

jazz's picture

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bowiefan1's picture

I'm thinking maybe they mistakenly put that Cassandra Wilson was going to be mastered from digital sources and now they've changed it. Looks like only Geri Allen will be coming from digital sources:

https://www.bluenote.com/classic-vinyl-reissue-series-2021-22/

thorenssme's picture

So excited for Inner Urge!

rich d's picture

Glad to see Blue Note is keeping up the good work while keeping down the bad prices. Or some such thing. That Reuben Wilson LP is wonderful and carries the Rich D seal of approval (the first such title upon which said honor has been bestowed, since I just thought of it).

The last batch included Donald Byrd's Ethiopian Knights which doesn't get a lot of attention but is worth your consideration if you have an extra twenty-five bucks in your pocket. Let the kids find their own food for a day or two.

Montpier's picture

Okay, I'm not expecting an audiophile masterpiece but Blue Note showing some love for Herbie Nichols -- who was so criminally neglected during his lifetime -- is really wonderful.

Don't think these two originally 10" albums have ever been reissued in US on 12" vinyl. (They were included on mid-70's Blue Note Nichols compilation and 1987 Mosaic box as well as some Japanese only 10" and 12" vinyl reissues.)

Nichols was a truly unique composer and these recordings are highly recommended to any fans of Thelonious Monk and 50's post-bop piano.

macdonaldar's picture

this is gonna be a killer release. Been wanting decent copies of these for years.

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