New Old Jazz, Or Old New Jazz, on Vinyl
Now that I’m doing the radio show, I’m a bit more in touch with what’s going on in the world of new reissues (sounds like an oxymoron) and new discoveries of music that had previously been unreleased. For example, on newly released material, I recently ordered a record album, as in vinyl, called Horace Silver, Silver in Seattle: Live at The Penthouse. This is a 1965 live recording featuring Silver with Woody Shaw and Joe Henderson. It was recently issued on Blue Note. I have no idea what the quality of the packaging or the sound is like, so I will report to you once I get it and have a chance to listen. For reissues, I did order that Bill Evans release on Craft, Haunted Heart, also on vinyl, and a few other Blue Notes to fill in gaps in my collection of original vinyl. I’m glad the labels are back to issuing vinyl, and it has piqued my interest in buying stuff again. Not sure that’s a good thing, but, alas, I am a collector and it is what we do, is it not?
Along the same vein, I took note of two things. First, I discovered a label called The Lost Recordings while doing a search on John Coltrane. On their web page it states: “We travel the world in search of rare or previously unreleased recordings by legendary artists. Using our unique restoration process, we bring this priceless heritage back to life.” I will say, for the record, although they refer to the heritage as priceless, every one of their issues does, indeed, have a price.
They have a ton of stuff, available on vinyl, CDs, and/or downloads, including material by Coltrane, Stan Getz, Thelonious Monk, Dave Brubeck, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and many more. Perhaps I am the last one on the Jazz Collector site to know about them, but I am certainly tempted to check them out and report back here. Perhaps Coltrane Live in Finland, a double vinyl? Or Dexter Gordon and Donald Byrd, a Berlin Studio session from 1963? Just going on their site, I was feeling I could be sliding down a rabbit hole of good and interesting music. And, of course, this being the week of Black Friday in the U.S., everything seems to be on sale.
I also discovered something called the Muse Master Edition Series. They don’t seem to have their own web site yet, but it looks to me like there are at least five reissues, available at places like Acoustic Sounds or elsewhere. Titles are by Roy Brooks, Kenny Barron, Carlos Garnett, Woody Shaw, and Joe Chambers. None of these interests me, but if they get deeper into the catalogue, I’m sure there will be something that’s intriguing. That’s just the way it goes, sometimes.
The recent surge of interest in vinyl—initially a refreshing development for collectors and jazz enthusiasts—has begun to create a less encouraging trend. Taking advantage of this growing demand, many companies, both long-established labels and newly formed brands, have rushed to reissue classic albums and release previously unheard sessions that had remained shelved for decades. In theory, it sounds ideal: more music available, new discoveries, and the chance to hear forgotten recordings. But the reality is often quite different.
A significant number of these editions offer mediocre sound quality, if not outright poor fidelity. In many cases, the original masters no longer exist, are damaged, or the source material is questionable and restored without proper care. Even so, these releases are marketed as “rediscovered gems” or “lost treasures”—labels that are enticing but rarely guarantee genuine quality.
The result is a saturated market, where week after week more jazz vinyl appears—reissues, supposed discoveries, “miraculously found” recordings—until the sheer volume of releases exceeds the ability of listeners to filter, evaluate, and truly appreciate them. Even more concerning, many of these records are sold at inflated prices, taking advantage of the vinyl revival and the romantic appeal of all things analog.
What could have been a respectful and carefully curated revival of musical heritage has too often turned into a commercial exploitation that prioritizes quantity over quality. For collectors and jazz lovers, the challenge now is not finding new releases, but learning how to distinguish truly valuable recoveries from a flood of hastily produced editions that offer little beyond attractive packaging.
Carlos. Well said. I am in the extremely fortunate position of having a great collection of original pressings, which I’ve been curating for more than 50 years. As I do wade delicately into the world of new discoveries and supposed audiophile releases, I’m happy to share my experiences here. I encourage others to do likewise. I’ve already had a few minor trips along the way — supposed audiophile recordings of Sarah Vaughan and Bill Evans that were nothing more than CDs on vinyl.