Jocelyn Smith – Pure And Natural – Berliner Meister Schallplatten 180g Vinyl
The musicians are absolute experts in their field: take first the legendary saxophonist Volker Schlott who was very famous in the Berlin jazz scene of the 70s and 80s when the city still belonged to the German Democratic Republic. And then you have the extremely versatile pianist Bene Apperdanier, who – as musical director of such talent-spotting TV programmes as “Star Search” and “Deutschland sucht den Superstar” (“Germany searches for a superstar”) – possesses a wealth of experience in music.
Oscar Peterson Trio with Milt Jackson – Very Tall – Verve Records 180g Vinyl
Scott Yanow of AllMusic says in his 4-Star review of Very Tall: “This first matchup on records between pianist Oscar Peterson and vibraphonist Milt Jackson was so logical that it is surprising it did not occur five years earlier. Originally recorded for Verve and three decades later reissued on this audiophile CD by Mobile Fidelity, the quartet set (which also includes bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen) swings as hard as one might expect. Highlights include ‘On Green Dolphin Street,’ ‘The Work Song,’ ‘John Brown’s Body’ (a jam on ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’) and ‘Reunion Blues.’ Fortunately O.P. and Bags would meet up on records many times in the future (particularly during their Pablo years) but this first effort is a particularly strong set.”
Johnny Winter – Johnny Winter – 180G Speakers Corner Vinyl
Buddy Guy & Junior Wells – Going Back To Acoustic – Pure Pleasure Records 180g Vinyl
“…These classic songs are matched by an impeccable re-master of the kind of recording which constantly reminds me exactly just why I own a turntable. Fantastic transparency, a jaw dropping presentation of rough hewed vocal dynamic shifts and the kind of inner details that scream ‘intimacy’ recreates the atmospheric roots of the Deep South – making this a must own record from a sonic perspective as well.” Recording = 9.5/10; Music = 9/10 – Reuben Parry, Hi-Fi+, Issue 45
The Young Rascals – Groovin’ – MoFi Mono SACD
Mastered From The Original Master Tapes For Supreme Sound
Simultaneously elevated and bypassed by the artistically prolific year in which it was released, the Young Rascals’ Groovin’ remains high-water mark of a collective Rolling Stone boldly proclaimed “the blackest white group of all” in 1970. Home to three Top 10 singles and a diverse array of pop music in step with the era’s exploratory creativity, the set belongs aside the Beatles’ Sgt. Peppers’ Lonely Hearts Club Band, Love’s Forever Changes, Jefferson Airplane’s Surrealistic Pillow, and 1967’s other pioneering recordings. Particularly now that it boasts definitive sonics.Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison – Mofi SACD
IN STOCK NOW!
The 1968 Album On Which Johnny Cash Became A Legend: At Folsom Prison Among The Most Important And Potent Statements Of The 20Th Century
Mastered on MoFi’s Mastering System and Strictly Limited to 3,000 Numbered Copies: Mobile Fidelity's SACD Set Plays with Arresting Immediacy, Spaciousness, and Directness
Johnny Cash already knew his way around Folsom Prison when he and his band stepped inside the institution’s forbidding walls on the morning of January 13, 1968 to record At Folsom Prison. He’d played there two years prior. But this time was different.
Teddy Edwards and Howard McGhee – Together Again!!!! – Contemporary Records (Acoustic Sounds Series) 180g Vinyl
Another Howard McGhee cut, Together Again!!!! (recorded just before Maggie's Back in Town!!), is a collaboration between McGhee and his old friend, saxophonist Teddy Edwards. Also featuring Phineas Newborn, Jr on piano, the sultry, otherworldly "Misty" is a spectacular entwining of each musician's superpowers and the golden mean of musicianship led the Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings to declare that Together Again!!!! is "one of the best mainstream albums of its day."
This new edition, released as part of the Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds Series, features (AAA) lacquers cut from the original master tapes by Bernie Grundman and is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at QRP, and presented in a Stoughton Printing tip-on jacket.
Ike & Tina Turner – Feel Good – Pure Pleasure Records 180g Vinyl LP
“Feel Good” is quintessentially ’70s – the fuzztoned funk practically conjures up platform shoes and mile-wide collars – but it doesn’t belong to any one sound, it casually draws from Southern soul, James Brown funk, black pride, “Superfly” style and juke joint R&B, a sound that is uniquely identified with Ike & Tina. And while this contains no flat-out classics like “Nutbush City Limits” or “Proud Mary” as an album “Feel Good” undoubtedly ranks among their very best: it’s a non-stop party.
Paris ’58 – Donald Byrd & Bobby Jaspar – Sam Records 180G Vinyl LP
Keb’ Mo’ – Keb’ Mo’ Pure Pleasure Records
Keb’ Mo’s self-titled debut is an edgy, ambitious collection of gritty country blues. Keb’ Mo’ pushes into new directions, trying to incorporate some of the sensibilites of the slacker revolution without losing touch of the tradition that makes the blues the breathing, vital art form it is. His attempts aren’t always successful, but his gutsy guitar playing and impassioned vocals, as well as his surprisingly accomplished songwriting, make Keb’ Mo’ a debut to cherish.