Ellis Marsalis "An Open Letter to Thelonious" - 1st Traditional Jazz Album Released in iTunes "LP" Format
December 30, 2010 at 4:00 AM 
(New York, NY) – Nu Jazz Entertainment, a long time producer of high quality audio and video content in the genre of jazz, announces the January 2011 release of the critically acclaimed album, "An Open Letter to Thelonious
Thelonious Monk - An artist whose unique sense of harmonic structure and rhythm has captivated many jazz lovers to date. While tribute albums to him have come and gone, very few have managed to capture the essence of his extraordinary uniqueness without attempting to replicate him.
“An Open Letter To Thelonious”, the latest release from contemporary jazz piano legend, Ellis Marsalis, does just that.
In this critically acclaimed release, Ellis is supported by Derek Douget on tenor & soprano saxophone, Jason Stewart on bass, and Jason Marsalis on drums.
Originally released in CD format in 2008, this album is available for the first time as a digital download on iTunes in the exclusive new “LP” format. With such Monk classics as Crepuscule with Nellie; Jackie-ing; Epistrophy; Monks’ Mood; Straight, No Chaser; Light Blue; Teo; Ruby, My Dear; Rhythm-a-ning; Round Midnight, and Evidence there’s something for both jazz aficionado and music lover alike.
The iTunes “LP” format was launched in September 2009, and to date has released approximately 30 albums from pop stars and major labels. "An Open Letter to Thelonious
“The new iTunes “LP” format was the ideal vehicle for releasing this project” says label president, Jerald Miller. “In association with Elm Records, we were able to go in and create some extremely unique material which not only gives great insight into the first family of musicians to be named “Jazz Masters” by the National Endowment of the Arts, but creates an exciting interactive program that every music lover can truly enjoy.
The iTunes “LP” Ellis Marsalis: An Open Letter To Thelonious (Platinum Edition) will retail for $15.98 and features the (11) eleven original tracks on the album, (3) bonus audio tracks, and (4) bonus high-definition video tracks, bonus photographs from the Milton J. Hinton Photographic Collection™ and the Marsalis Family Archives™, bonus liner notes, and bonus literary content from the award-winning book Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of An American Original by Robin D.G. Kelley.
Included bonus video tracks are: Marsalis Family: First Family of Jazz ( a discussion by Ellis of how his family got their start playing music); Musings On Monk: The Inspiration Behind An Open Letter To Thelonious (A discussion by Jason Marsalis & Ellis Marsalis of what lead them to pursue the current project); and Ellis Marsalis: My Life In My Words (a video autobiography of Ellis’ life in jazz). Interlaced in the videos are intimate family photographs of the Marsalis‘ throughout the years – Ellis as a young musician and educator, Branford Marsalis & Wynton Marsalis -- from toddlers through high school, Delfeayo Marsalis on stage, and Jason perfecting his skills as an up & coming drummer.
Information courtesy of Nu-Jazz Entertainment Press Release
Reader Comments (2)
intrigued
Hi Wayne
Happy New Year to you! Okay, so you're intrigued. Does that mean that you'll be downloading this from iTunes on the 4th of January 2011?
If you do, let me know what you thought about it and maybe what could have been done differently.
^DM