Seeking to offer definitive audiophile grade
versions of some of the most historic and best jazz records ever recorded,
Verve Label Group and UMe’s new audiophile vinyl reissue series Acoustic Sounds
will launch July 31 with its inaugural releases – the sensational
collaborations, Stan Getz and João Gilberto’s landmark Getz/Gilberto (1964) and
the remarkable Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson (1959). Utilizing the
skills of the top mastering engineers and the unsurpassed production craft of
Quality Record Pressings, all titles will be mastered from the original analog
tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in
high-quality tip-on gatefold jackets. The releases will be supervised by Chad
Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world’s largest source for audiophile
recordings.
The Acoustic Sounds series will feature two releases a month
highlighting a different storied label spanning Verve/UMe’s extraordinarily
rich archive. To begin with, the series will largely focus on some of the most
popular albums from the ‘50s and ‘60s in their unmatched catalog. The July
releases will celebrate two of Verve’s most beloved albums, the aforementioned
Getz/Gilberto and Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson, and will be followed in
August by John Coltrane’s immortal Impulse! records, A Love Supreme (1964) and
Ballads (1963). Two of Nina Simone’s legendary Philips albums I Put A Spell On
You (1965) and Pastel Blues (1965) will come in September which will be
succeeded in October by two from the EmArcy Records vault: Sarah Vaughan’s
self-titled 1954 album, the vocal great’s sole collaboration with influential
trumpeter Clifford Brown, who is also represented alongside pioneering drummer
Max Roach on the hard bop classic, Study In Brown (1955). November will
spotlight Decca Records with the iconic Peggy Lee’s first album, Black Coffee
(1956), and composer George Russell’s important New York, N.Y. (1959) performed
by an all-star orchestra that includes Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Art Farmer
and Milt Hinton, among others. All titles and exact release dates are listed
below. Additional titles will be announced as the series progresses.
“We are excited to launch our Acoustic Sounds series,” said
Bruce Resnikoff, President & CEO of UMe. “Verve and UMe have one of the
richest jazz catalogs ever recorded and our goal is to give vinyl and jazz
lovers the best possible versions of classic albums. The Acoustic Sounds series
is designed to appeal to today's most discriminating fans, looking for the very
finest in both artistic content and audio quality.”
"We're very honored to have Verve and UMe partnering
with us to create what we believe will be the highest quality reissues of some
of the world's greatest jazz albums,” said Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds.
“Each step in our production process – from title selection to mastering,
pressing and packaging – is designed to meet the highest standards, and we want
everyone who hears these albums to feel the love and hard work we put into
everything we do. We've long had a great relationship with UMe, pressing
classic titles at our Quality Record Pressings from many of their
highest-profile artists. We look forward to strengthening that partnership even
further with these reissues from Verve, home of the world's largest jazz
catalog."
Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson is a brilliant
undertaking in which Verve’s legendary “house pianist” encountered one of
jazz’s most revered giants. A significant part of Peterson’s genius was his
ability to be an exceptional pianist and leader, while also being a perfect
accompanist when the circumstance demands… and in a situation like this, to be
both. Armstrong is not only recognized as one of the most innovative, singular,
fascinating and beloved artists of the 20th century, but also one of the most
generous in the way he embraced and stimulated his collaborators. Backed by the
Oscar Peterson Trio – bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis, and augmented
by frequent fourth member Louis Bellson on drums – these peerless heavyweights
created an album that is utterly compelling, radiantly jubilant and consummate
in artistry. The musicians provided the setting for the jewel that is Pops,
with Peterson perfectly embellishing every phrase Armstrong sings or plays. The
focus here is primarily upon his totally personal and thoroughly captivating
vocal style, with his occasional trumpet solos limited in all but one case to a
single chorus. Essentially culled from the Great American Song Book – Cole
Porter, the Gershwins and Harold Arlen among the songwriters – the pieces range
from poignant ballads and blues to effusive easy-grooved swing. Each song is an
exquisitely crafted gem that will warm the heart and enrich the soul.
Getz/Gilberto is not only a marvelous album, but one which
had a profound influence upon the face of jazz and American popular music. This
stunning 1964 collaboration between Stan Getz, one of the most popular and
respected tenor saxophonists of the era, and the remarkable Brazilian guitarist
João Gilberto, launched the bossa nova craze and the career of João’s wife
Astrud Gilberto with the hugely popular and iconic hit song, “The Girl from
Ipanema (Garota de Ipanema).” Even more impactful, it introduced the famed
Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim to the English-speaking musical world.
In addition to playing piano on the album, Jobim also composed six of the eight
compositions, including two of his most popular masterpieces, “Desafinado” and
“Corcovado,” along with the aforementioned “Garota de Ipanema.”
While Getz had embraced the music of Brazil prior to this
with two outstanding Verve albums – Jazz Samba and Big Band Bossa Nova –
Getz/Gilberto, with multiple Grammy Awards and a permanent place on various
Best Albums of All-time lists is the album that launched a revolution.
Regardless of that, the collaborative blending of Getz’s fluid, muscular
virtuosity and João’s impeccable acoustic guitar stylings and captivating
vocals, Astrud’s enchanting almost-whispered singing on two tracks, all backed
by Jobim’s minimalist subtlety on piano and the flawless support of Sebãstio
Neto and Milton Banana on bass and drums, make this an utterly momentous
musical experience regardless of its lofty place in musical history.
Now these albums and many more will be heard better than
ever in the exciting new audiophile Acoustic Sounds series.
Acoustic Sounds Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series:
July 31 / Verve Records
Stan Getz and João Gilberto – Getz/Gilberto (1964)
Louis Armstrong and Oscar Peterson – Louis Armstrong Meets
Oscar Peterson (1959)
August 28 / Impulse! Records
John Coltrane – Ballads (1963)
John Coltrane – A Love Supreme (1964)
September 25 / Philips Records
Nina Simone – I Put A Spell On You (1965)
Nina Simone – Pastel Blues (1965)
October 30 / EmArcy Records
Sarah Vaughan – Sarah Vaughan (with Clifford Brown) (1954)
Clifford Brown and Max Roach – Study In Brown (1955)
November 27 / Decca Records
Peggy Lee – Black Coffee (1956)
George Russell – New York, N.Y. (1959)
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