EoJ Tip ~ Bethlehem Records Is Back! Reissues of Classic Nina Simone, Mingus, Dexter Gordon, Mel Torme, Carmen McRae and Art Blakey!

PRESS RELEASE

Classic Albums will be Restored & Remastered
for CD, Digital and 10” & 12” Vinyl Release
First Reissue Sets Debuts August, 27, 2013

Verse Music Group & Naxos of America are happy to announce the reissue of iconic 1950’s Jazz catalog, Bethlehem Records.

Bethlehem Records’ lengthy discography contains over 250 albums that freshly and ambitiously captured an era of music, including West Coast Cool Jazz and East Coast Bop. Bethlehem Records roster of artists includes Nina Simone, Carmen McRae, Chris Connor, Mel Torme, Dexter Gordon, Charles Mingus, Art Blakey, and Duke Ellington. For some of these legendary artists, the Bethlehem recordings represent their classic debuts, and still for others, their greatest recorded work to date.

Each track has been restored from the original analog sound recording & digitally remastered to meet the highest level of clarity and quality standards. For the first time in decades, each of the titles will be available in their original configuration in LP vinyl, CD and digital formats.

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EoJ Tip ~ First Look at Terri Lyne Carrington's "Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue"!

This looks like it going to be fabulous - I cannot wait for this to be released so that I can hear it on the surround sound system that I haven't used for almost 4 years!! 

PRESS RELEASE

GRAMMY® WINNER TERRI LYNE CARRINGTON PAYS HOMAGE TO DUKE ELLINGTON'S MONEY JUNGLE

Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue marks 50th anniversary of release of historic Ellington-Mingus-Roach recording

In 1962, Duke Ellington recorded a trio date with bassist Charlie Mingus and drummer Max Roach that is today considered one of the pivotal jazz recordings of the 1960s. Money Jungle, the 1963 album that emerged from the session, was -- among other things -- a commentary on the perennial tug-of-war between art and commerce. In some ways, the album's 11 tracks were intended as a sort of counterbalance to the capitalist bent of the Mad Men generation.

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Full Documentary ~ Charles Mingus: Triumph of the Underdog [1997]

Charles MingusMingus said of himself "I am half black man, half yellow man, but I claim to be a Negro. I am Charles Mingus, the famed jazz musician--but not famed enough to make a living in America."

"His statement summed up the conflict that plagued this musical genius his entire life: volatility, pain, prescience, and raw rage roiled inside a complex man, composer, bass player, and trombonist who transcended labels and refused to be pigeonholed into a single musical style--and who did not achieve real fame until late in his career.

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Seven for Saturday - 7 Charles Mingus Videos

"Seven for Saturday" is a great way to see some of the legendary men and women of jazz in action.

Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was a bassist, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist.

Mingus's compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third stream, free jazz, and classical music. Yet Mingus avoided categorization, forging his own brand of music that fused tradition with unique and unexplored realms of jazz.

The first video with Mr. Mingus is probably not well known. He was a part of pianist Hazel Scott's trio (the drummer was Rudy Nichols). This performance of "A Foggy Day" was on a "March of Dimes" television show from 1955:

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