It's a testament to Jimmy Smith's volcanic creativity that the Hammond B3 organ firebrand recorded not one but two soul jazz classics-Midnight Special and Back at the Chicken Shack-in a single day when he entered Van Gelder Studio on April 25, 1960 with Stanley Turrentine on tenor saxophone, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Donald Bailey on drums. Smith had been a self-taught pianist before abandoning the instrument in 1954 in favor of the organ, renting a Philadelphia warehouse, and woodshedding for a year until he emerged with a revolutionary style that immediately caught the ear Alfred Lion. The Blue Note boss dubbed him The Incredible Jimmy Smith and recorded the B3 innovator as frequently as he could between 1956-1963. Midnight Special opens with the soulful title track which chugs along at a laid-back pace giving ample space for Smith, Turrentine, and Burrell to state their case. Other highlights of the set include the up-tempo burner "Jumpin' the Blues" and a deeply felt ballad performance of the standard "Why Was I Born?" This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.
Led by the legendary pianist and composer Chick Corea - the venerated 27-time Grammy winner and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master - The Elektric Band stormed onto the jazz scene in the mid-1980s, making an immediate and lasting impact on the genre. With their electrifying performances and innovative blend of jazz fusion, the group produced a series of albums that set the bar for excellence in contemporary jazz. Featuring a core lineup of virtuosic musicians - John Patitucci on bass, Dave Weckl on drums, Eric Marienthal on saxophone and Frank Gambale on guitar - the group created a dynamic and electrifying sound that came to define the jazz fusion style. Their collective musicianship was on full display on each album, as they seamlessly blended complex compositions with captivating improvisations. After releasing five legendary albums in the span of 6 years (now available form Candid Records on all streaming platforms, CD, and the vinyl box set The Complete Studio Recordings 1986-1991), Corea, always interested in expanding the scope of his work, devoted himself to a myriad of other musical projects. Compiled and completed by Corea before his death in February of 2021, this incredible and previously unreleased album of live recordings with the reunited original Elekteric Band, was captured during tour stops in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Produced by Corea with original Elektric Band recording engineer Bernie Kirsch, and mastered by Bernie Grundman, the 3 disc vinyl LP and 2 disc CD features in depth liner notes from Corea, and all of the Elektric Band members. It is a fitting closing chapter, a must have for any fan of this dynamic and game changing group. 1. Charged Particles 2. Trance Dance 3. CTA 4. Jocelyn - The Commander 5. Beneath The Mask 6. Ished 7. Alan Corday 8. Johnny's Landing 9. Got A Match?
GRAMMY nominee Teresa James and her band The Rhythm Tramps returns with the eagerly-anticipated second volume of their Global Music Award-winning album, Rose-Colored Glasses, Vol. 1. Widely acclaimed as one of their best efforts to date and nominated for Best Blues Album by the Libera Awards, producer Terry Wilson now skillfully delivers this worthy sequel. Soulfully enriched with horns instead of the variety of guest guitarists used previously, Vol. 2 is mixed and mastered by GRAMMY award winning producer and engineer, John Porter. Track Listing: 1. I'd Do it For You 2. Better Angels 3. Lean On Love 4. The Idea of You 5. That's What I'm Talking About 6. I Don't Need Another Reason to Fall in Love 7. Flip Flop 8. The Heart Wants What it Wants 9. Ain't Nothing for Certain 10. Just Don't Think About It 11. Brand New Flame 12. Second Chances
As singer and interpreter, Jeff Harnar’s passionate exploration of the Great American Songbook has yielded award-winning recordings like 2022’s I Know Things Now: My Life in Sondheim’s Words and thrilled audiences with his takes on Porter, Gershwin, Comden & Green and many more. On A Collective Cy: Jeff Harnar Sings Cy Coleman, Harnar brings his exuberance, interpretive acumen and “voice that out-Sinatras Sinatra” (Broadway World) to bear on a titan of popular song whose work won multiple Tony, Grammy and Emmy awards over a six-decade career. Adapted from an award-winning stage show heralded as “a major event” by EDGE, A Collective Cy ― which represents 40 years of Harnar’s fruitful collaboration with music director Alex Rybeck, here conducting a full orchestra in charts arranged specifically for this recording ― works its witchcraft on 20 Coleman songs, from classics to lesser-known gems. But this is no mere anthology: this is a bravura celebration of a composer equally at home in the worlds of pop and Broadway, in performances soaked in Harnar and Rybeck’s jazz-tinged theatricality. Much as Coleman did, Harnar and Rybeck marry stage-worthy savvy to the seeming effortlessness of jazz. It’s an approach – and an album ― of which Coleman himself would no doubt have heartily approved, and indeed, two-time Coleman collaborator Tommy Tune raved, “Jeff Harnar’s singing and Cy Coleman’s music make a perfect duet.” And David Zippel, Coleman’s lyricist on their Tony Award–winning City of Angels, concurred: “Cy would’ve loved it.” The album is further brightened by two guest artists: Ann Hampton Callaway pairing with Harnar on a sly and provocative “I’ve Got Your Number” and her sister Liz joining Harnar for “Our Private World,” their intertwining voices illuminating the purity of the melody while allowing it to soar. A vocalist at the height of his powers, Harnar blazes a unique path through this ravishing set that stands out brightly among the tributes to Coleman and his contemporaries. PS Classics is proud to present this ideal pairing of artist and repertoire
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