Verve Records has resurrected one of its most forward-thinking and fan-beloved projects: the Verve Remixed series. After a 12-year silence, the groundbreaking fusion of classic jazz and contemporary electronic sounds returns with Verve Remixed: The Hits, a genre-spanning anthology that bridges generations through music. This latest installment compiles 20 standout tracks from the series' vibrant history, along with one brand-new, ethereal reinterpretation.
Launched in 2002, the Verve Remixed series invited world-renowned DJs and producers to dig into Verve’s vast archives and reimagine timeless jazz recordings. The result was an entirely new soundscape where Billie Holiday mingled with Bassnectar, and Nina Simone met Felix Da Housecat. These albums didn’t just remix songs—they revitalized jazz itself, inviting younger audiences to discover legends through the pulse of modern production.
Now, in Verve Remixed: The Hits, Verve brings together an eclectic array of artists and remixes that span two decades. The collection includes iconic contributions from Diplo, Toro y Moi, Gotan Project, Masters At Work, and The Postal Service, among others. Tracks from jazz immortals like Astrud Gilberto, Dizzy Gillespie, and Billie Holiday take on new life, layered with beats, synths, and textures from some of the most innovative names in electronic music.
A New Highlight: Billie Holiday Reimagined by Henry Green
Perhaps the most compelling moment on the album is its closing track—a brand new remix that proves Verve Remixed is not just a nostalgic re-release, but a living, evolving body of work. U.K.-based producer and singer-songwriter Henry Green offers a hauntingly beautiful rework of Billie Holiday’s “You Go To My Head.” Known for his deeply emotional sound and collaborations with artists like Kygo and Christian Löffler, Green imbues the track with soft electronic flourishes and ambient warmth, allowing Holiday’s legendary voice to float in an almost dreamlike atmosphere. It’s a love-struck reinterpretation that retains the original's aching romance while gently modernizing its sonic palette.
A Series That Changed Jazz for a New Generation
When Verve Remixed debuted, it redefined how people experienced jazz. It didn't merely serve as a curiosity—it became a movement, a new way to experience storied recordings in the context of contemporary culture. For Gen Z and millennials, the series was often their first exposure to jazz legends like Sarah Vaughan, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald. These remixes, in many cases, became gateway tracks that led listeners back to the roots of jazz through the series’ companion albums, Verve Unmixed, which featured the untouched originals.
The return of Verve Remixed with this Hits compilation comes at a moment when genre-crossing music and rediscovery are at an all-time high, thanks to streaming platforms and renewed interest in analog and vinyl culture. Verve’s willingness to push boundaries continues to pay off.
Looking Ahead
Though Verve Remixed: The Hits is technically the eighth installment in the franchise, its arrival feels like a rebirth. With a growing wave of jazz-forward artists like Jon Batiste and resurgence in vinyl and analog appreciation, jazz is once again becoming a cultural touchstone. Verve’s catalog, rooted in rich legacy and timeless artistry, is the perfect wellspring from which today’s producers can draw.
This revival doesn’t just celebrate the past—it ignites the future. Jazz purists and remix fans alike can rejoice: Verve Remixed is back, and it sounds better than ever.
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