Various Artists - Spiritual Jazz 17: Saba/MPS, Esoteric, Modal and Progressive Jazz from the Saba & MPS labels 1965-78, Jazzman Records (2025)
Two cracking new reissues for 2025 on Crafts Bluesville series.
Mississippi John Hurt - Today
Lonnie Johnson with Elmer Snowden - Blues & Ballads
Steven Wilson - The Overview (180g half-speed red vinyl)
Comes out the 14th of March, which means I had to list my parent’s address for shipping as I’ll likely be on holidays in Europe by the name it arrives here in Aus.
Hope it’s a step up from his last album and closer to the quality found on The Future Bites.
New Original Jazz Classic releases for 2025
Joe Pass - Virtuoso, Pablo Records
Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Jazz Guitar of…
Miles Davis - The Musings of…
Miles Davis All Stars - Walkin’
New Tone Poerts
Curtis Amy & Frank Butler - Groovin’ Blue, Pacific Jazz
Hank Mobely - Third Season, Blue Note
I’m really looking forward to Joe Pass Virtuoso. That’s such an amazing album. His best, IMO.
I was frankly shocked that Acoustic Sounds didn’t do it as part of their new Pablo series. Now it all makes sense.
Dexter Gordon - Our Man in Paris, BN/Classic Series (2025)
I’ve been waiting on a copy of this for a while that doesn’t cost and arm and a leg recorded in Paris with fellow expats Bud Powell and Kenny Clarke and also French bassist Pierre Michelot.
Sonny Rollins - Vol 1, BN/Classic Series (2025)
Excellent line up including Donald Byrd and Wynton Kelly playing four Sonny Rollins original compositions.
NIJI - Oriki, Areoxutics (2025)
The first two tracks released on Tidal are both excellent.
From promo
Oriki is an album blending jazz, Fuji and Afrobeat in a powerful tribute to Yoruba heritage. Featuring Mercury Prize-shortlisted Moses Boyd, Afronaut Zu (Steam Down, Rudimental) and spoken word artist Adesayo, Oriki merges ancestral praise with contemporary expression.
Six years in the making, the album draws inspiration from NIJI’s great-grandmother, Matilda Taiwo (Mata), and serves as his personal statement on identity, history, and homecoming. The album is threaded with the evocative rhythms of the talking drum, grounding each composition in cultural authenticity. With Oriki, NIJI invites listeners into his journey of reconnection, presenting a work both timeless and rooted–a musical expression of past, present and future converging.
Paul Bley - Open to Love, ECM, Luminessence (2025)
Exceptional solo piano recording first released in 1973.
John Lee Hooker - It Serves You Right To Suffer, Verve/Acoustic Sounds (2025)
I bought the Elemental reissue of this brilliant record a couple of years back but if you don’t have it already it’s highly recommended.
Gregory Isaacs - Slum in Dub, Burning Sounds (2025)
I bought a pink vinyl version of this about 10 years ago on TAD’s that isn’t great so will give this Burning Sounds reissue a try.
I just ordered this one along with the Sonny Rollins Alfie reissue, also from Acoustic Sounds.
Joe Henderson - Multiple, Milestone/Craft (2025)
Part of Crafts Jazz Dispensary series and for me one of the very best Jazz fusion recordings it pushed the boundaries of Jazz music rather than trying bend Jazz into Soul, Funk or even Rock for commercial purposes because Jazz wasn’t popular or current this recording is taking things in a direction that is much more organic and fluid.
Fantastic line up up too with Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette and Larry Wills let’s hope Craft, KG and RTI keep up their excellent work.
The Brides of Funkenstein - Funk or Walk, Ace Records (2025)
First time on vinyl since 1978 reissued by Ace Records.
If you don’t buy it for the cover alone then the music is also pretty decent George Clinton, the Collins brothers Bootsie and Phelps and mastered by the excellent Allen Zentz.
Okonski - Entrance Music, Colemine Records (2025)
Something very different from Durand Jones & The Indications bandmates Steve Okonski and Aaron Frazer beautifully atmospheric.
Freddie Hubbard - Keep Your Soul Together, CTI/Music on Vinyl (2025)
Another excellent Jazz Fusion recording from 1973 on Creed Taylor’s CTI reissued by Music On Vinyl this first Limited Edition version is on pink vinyl so I’ll wait for the inevitable non limited edition black vinyl. Alternatively first presses can still be found for not much more than this reissue.
