Craft Recordings has a diverse slate of new release and reissue albums that they're offering heading into the last part of 2024, and I have a generous handful of them here for your consideration. As is typical for Craft, their new releases will appeal to a range of musical interests, and feature rare, long out-of-print, and hard-to-find album reissues along with new compilations that will be of significant interest to both fans and record collectors. Some of these albums are being released on LP and CD for the first time, and many of them are being made available as high resolution digital files for download or streaming on most major services. All LPs and CDs can be ordered from Craft's web store and many online providers, and they'll also be available at brick and mortar locations like your favorite independent record store.
Mal Waldron, The Quest. 180 gram New Jazz LP, $39
Pianist Mal Waldron's The Quest is the latest installment in Craft's excellent Original Jazz Classics reissue series; while the original release was issued in mono, this new reissue uses the stereo tapes, and matches the original LP's appearance closely, all the way down to the linen-textured front-panel finish of the heavy tip-on jacket. The Quest showcased the talents of a stellar sextet that along with Waldron's piano featured the versatile Eric Dolphy on alto sax and clarinet, Booker Ervin on tenor sax, Ron Carter on cello, Joe Benjamin on bass, and Charles Persip on drums. Original LP copies of this record are virtually non-existent on the market, with only a handful of mono pressings from between 1962-1964 listed on Discogs, ranging anywhere from $170 and upwards of $600 or more. A later stereo version was reissued on the Prestige label, and featured alternate artwork that gave Eric Dolphy top billing in the sessions; they're more commonplace on the market, but copies rated in only VG condition are priced comparably to the new reissue. And the 1983 OJC also used the stereo tapes and matched the original release artwork; those go for anywhere from $50 upwards of $300 on Discogs. That's a lot of information to digest, but should make the new reissue of The Quest very attractive to collectors; you can order a copy from Craft's web store HERE.
My 180 gram review LP was remastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and was pressed by RTI. I didn't have an original pressing or 1983 OJC LP for comparison, but many recent comments on Discogs have touted Craft's reissue as having superior overall sound quality to both original LPs and OJCs. The original recordings were made by Rudy Van Gelder at his Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey studio on June 27, 1961, and the stereo tapes display the kind of fairly prominent left/right soundstage character common to many early stereo recordings of the day. These tapes would have benefited greatly from the horns being mixed with a tad more overlap toward the center of the recording, but a bigger complaint is that Mal Waldron's piano is mixed lower than the other instruments. During Waldron's solos, the piano levels are closer to normal, but otherwise, it's as if Van Gelder pulled his microphone level back a bit (maybe to highlight the other players?). It's really baffling, especially since this was Mal Waldron's gig, and his piano should have been the focus during these sessions. Hope springs eternal that perhaps this title will show up as one of Craft's occasional Record Store Day limited edition mono LPs; matching the original mono release would likely make all those complaints a moot point.
The Quest consists entirely of Mal Waldron originals, and it represents a remarkable leap forward artistically from his initial entry in the Original Jazz Classics reissue series, 1957's Mal 2 (released early last year). Which despite the presence of John Coltrane, was more mannered and less adventurous than this excellent LP. The opener, "Status Seeking," is the album's lengthiest track, and offers a briskly-paced workout for all the players, with especially forceful solos by Eric Dolphy (alto sax) and Booker Ervin (tenor). "Duquility" has a more languid pace; Ron Carter's cello is the marquee instrument on the track, with bracing sax solos from Dolphy and Ervin bookending the performances. "We Diddit" speeds up the tempo with a fast-paced call-and-response between the horn players at the outset; Carter is given another extended solo turn, and Booker Ervin provides a hard-charging tenor solo. Waldron adds some nimble work at the piano, followed by a rousing drum solo from Charlie Persip, which returns the tune to its initial call-and-response motif. "Warm Canto" features a nearly perfect clarinet solo from Dolphy, while the oddly titled "Warp and Woof" provides an unusual alternating pattern between the dual saxes, while Waldron's perfect pianisms drive the song's center. The Quest closes with the nearly eight-minute "Fire Waltz," which is delivered in three-quarter time; Waldron's piano lopes along and sets the pace, as Dolphy and Ervin bookend his solos. Despite a few quibbles with the fluctuating level of Waldron's piano, this is an excellent LP that you'll definitely want in your collection. Eric Dolphy's nearly dominating performance on these sides clearly shows his rising star power, and it's no wonder that later releases of these recordings highlighted him as the leader. Very highly recommended!
Brenton Wood, Brenton Wood's 18 Best. 180 gram Craft Recordings LP, $26
Los Angeles-based soul singer Brenton Wood is best known for a trio of songs that powered him near the top of the Billboard Pop and R&B charts in the 1960's, including "Oogum Boogum," "Gimme Little Sign," and "Baby You Got It." Especially the quirky "Oogum Boogum," which has found its way onto the soundtracks of a number of motion picture and television series like Almost Famous, Don't Worry Darling, Sex Education, and The Umbrella Academy. Wood recorded prolifically, with many of his 45 rpm singles collected for the first time here, including the smooth doo-wop soul classic "Me and You." Wood's music was later embraced by east Los Angeles Mexican-American lowrider fanatics, who adopted his song "Catch You on the Rebound" as their de facto anthem. His newly buoyed popularity continued throughout the Eighties, and he toured and appeared at many lowrider festivals across the west coast; an early 1990's NPR segment that highlighted Wood's renewed musical appeal referred to him as the "Bruce Springsteen" of the lowrider culture. You can order a CD or transparent lemonade-colored vinyl LP copy of Brenton Wood's 18 Best from Craft's web store HERE; it's also available as a baby blue-colored vinyl LP from the Record Store Day web store HERE.
Before receiving this new compilation LP for review, I had no prior knowledge of Brenton Wood's music. Hearing these songs makes them seem instantly recognizable, especially the aforementioned "Gimme Little Sign," "Oogum Boogum," and "Baby You Got It." That trio of tunes plays like the sunny soundtrack of the mid-Sixties LA music scene. There are other great songs, like the side two opener, "Take A Chance," and of course the lowrider anthem, "Catch You on the Rebound," which doesn't quite give War's "Low Rider" a run for its money, but is nonetheless seriously entertaining. Brenton Wood's 18 Best includes selections from throughout his recorded output; you'd have to acquire a number of fairly pricey originals at many multiples of the cost of Craft's new LP to come close to replicating its contents. The new pressing was glossy and perfect, with exceptionally quiet surfaces and no groove noise; fans and collectors alike will definitely want to grab either the LP or the CD. The CD is particularly welcome, since prior to its release, this music has never been made available in any digital format. Highly recommended!
Alice In Chains, Black Gives Way To Blue. (2) 180 gram Craft Recordings LPs, $33
Black Gives Way To Blue was Alice In Chains' fourth studio album, and its release in September 2009 came a full fourteen years (!) following its predecessor, 1995's Alice In Chains. It was the first studio album by the band following the 2002 death of original lead singer Layne Staley, and marked the first recorded appearance of new vocalist and rhythm guitarist William DuVall. The remaining members of Alice In Chains were at first hesitant to proceed in the aftermath of Staley's death, but lead guitarist and principal songwriter Jerry Cantrell felt the band still had something to say, and they eventually found their way back into the studio with DuVall now onboard. Black Gives Way To Blue was also the band's first album for Virgin/EMI following their long tenure at Columbia Records; it has since transitioned to the Craft Recordings umbrella of labels. The LP has been out of print domestically since its original release in 2009, and relatively few copies are available on Discogs. They're priced anywhere from $80 to $400 regardless of condition, which makes this reissue exceptionally attractive to fans and collectors alike. Black Gives Way To Blue was remastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, and the 180 gram LPs were pressed by Memphis Record Pressing. In addition to black vinyl LPs, three other limited edition colored vinyl variants—black widow, electric smoke, and black smoke—were also initially available for pre-order, but sold out prior to the reissue's release. You can order a copy of the 2 LP black vinyl set from Craft's web store HERE.
Despite any reservations the band might have had about the new album's release, Black Gives Way To Blue was both a commercial and critical success, and debuted at number 5 on the Billboard album charts. Album sales were propelled by three singles, "Check My Brain," "Your Decision," and "Lesson Learned"; the record reached gold sales status shortly after its release, and garnered much acclaim, landing on many end-of-year "best of" lists. Jerry Cantrell wrote or co-wrote all the songs, and either sang or shared lead vocals on all as well. I have to be honest, while I consider myself a huge Alice In Chains fan from their classic period, I basically felt the band died following the death of Layne Staley. And with their prolonged lack of activity for many years afterward, I didn't pay any attention to this album upon its initial release. I couldn't have been more wrong—Black Gives Way To Blue easily holds up as a fully formed statement from the band, and stands alongside their very best work—this is an exceptional album. The lead track on side one, "All Secrets Known," opens with a crushing guitar intro from Cantrell, and the song's first verse alludes to the death of Layne Staley and the band's rise from the ashes: "Hope, a new beginning… Time, time to start living... Like just before we died... There's no going back to the place we started from." "Check My Brain," (the album's first single) continues the excellent vibe, and it's classic Alice In Chains, as if they never went away! Cantrell's vocal and superb guitar work on the tune makes it perfectly clear why this album debuted near the top of the charts—it's like hearing a song from their greatest hits collection, it's that good!
My black vinyl, double LP review pressing from MRP was perfection incarnate, with glossy surfaces and a complete absence of groove noise; it doesn't get much better than this! While I initially viewed this release as a curiosity, and didn't really have much hope that it would in any way offer the kind of classic performances I've come to expect from Alice In Chains, I've been very pleasantly surprised! I need to do a deeper dive into the band's post-Layne Staley catalog; Black Gives Way To Blue comes very highly recommended!
Johnnie Taylor, One Step From The Blues! 180 gram Stax Records LPs, $25
One Step From The Blues! is a new compilation of the more blues-inspired songs from the Stax Records' catalog of soul singer extraordinaire Johnnie Taylor. Earlier in his career, Taylor had stepped in and filled the shoes of Sam Cooke following his departure from the gospel and soul group scene to pursue a solo career. Taylor's music drew on a wide range of influences, including gospel, R&B, blues, doo-wop, and later in his career, even disco. The tracks for this compilation were culled from his decade mid-Sixties forward on Memphis' Stax Records label, where he had been quickly dubbed "The Philosopher of Soul." While Taylor generated a succession of highly charting R&B hits for Stax, One Step From The Blues! contains many of the bluesy ballads that were the bread and butter of his regular live shows on the soul circuit. And most of his recordings featured the Stax house band, Booker T. and the M.G.'s, often with Isaac Hayes sitting in on keyboards. His biggest hits—like "Who's Making Love"—topped the Billboard pop and R&B charts, and Taylor is often credited along with Isaac Hayes and the Staple Singers with keeping the Stax label afloat in the aftermath of their superstar Otis Redding's death in 1967. You can order an LP or CD from Craft's web store HERE; a limited-edition translucent blue-colored vinyl LP version is exclusive to Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered HERE.
I simply can't believe how blown away I was by Johnnie Taylor's performances here on One Step From The Blues! His soul, funk, and disco successes are nearly legendary, but every track in this excellent compilation is so drenched in the blues, they're darn-near irresistible. The opening track, "Steal Away," opens with a loud "Unnh!" á la James Brown; Isaac Hayes lays down a perfect Fender Rhodes groove, while the female background singers add a touch of sultriness to the proceedings. Steve Cropper's guitar solo tears through the song's center, "Duck" Dunn's bassline and Al Jackson Jr's pounding drums provide a perfect foundation, while the horn section punctuates the song's steady grind. "I Had A Dream" is another classic blues where Taylor sings about righting all the nation's wrongs, while the horns just wail away. "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water" finds Taylor talking up his intentions in the intro, then belting out the sentiment expressed in the song's title rather than see his woman walk away with another man. "Part Time Love" starts out with a riveting guitar, bass, and drums vamp that's punctuated by seriously funky horns, then abruptly slows to a crawl, as Taylor croons about needing a "part time love" to be there the next time his baby leaves him. Steve Cropper's guitar crunches throughout the tune's runtime, and the horns add to the song's tension. Other standout tracks include "Somebody's Sleeping In My Bed," "That's Where It's At," and "Woman Across The River," though just about every tune on this album stands out; I found One Step From The Blues! to offer a riveting listen.
The 180 gram LP from Memphis Record Pressing was beautifully glossy and exceptionally quiet during playback, and the quality of the recordings was beyond reproach—the mid-Sixties albums from Stax were textbook examples of recorded perfection. For everyone (myself included!) who'd never heard Johnnie Taylor's less frequently played body of work, One Step From The Blues! is a perfect introduction—I can't recommend this album highly enough!
Chalino Sanchez, Nieves de Enero. 140 gram Musart LP, $26
Rosalino "Chalino" Sánchez Félix, or Chalino Sanchez as he was professionally known, was a Mexican singer who has been interchangeably called both the "Godfather" and "King of The Corrido." "Corrido" is a regional Mexican narrative ballad genre that's based on polka, waltz, and mazurka rhythms and is most often played to accordion accompaniment. Sanchez is closely associated with the "narco-corrido" (drug ballad) subgenre, which drew from his upbringing and experiences in the very poor and violent Sinaloa region of Mexico. His songs were often poignant and haunting tales of love, as well as dramatic stories of Mexican migrants, and the victims of violence he witnessed firsthand. Sanchez was often inescapably in the midst of drug-related violence, and wrote his first corrido song, "Armando Sanchez," about the murder of his brother. He also wrote many songs about poor Sinaloans who had no recourse except to work as runners in the drug trade, such that his music became the soundtrack for an entire subculture. The songs of Chalino Sanchez were embraced by both gang members and the Mexican drug cartels alike, and were at points banned from airplay by Mexican officials. Sanchez was involved in numerous armed confrontations, even after he left Mexico for the Los Angeles area, and constantly feared for his life. Most of his music had been sold through self-produced cassettes, but in his desire to provide some income for his family, he sold the rights to his recordings to Discos Musart in 1992. Shortly after LPs were pressed for Nieves de Enero, Sanchez was brutally killed under mysterious conditions by gunmen whose identity was never determined. He was only 31 years old.
Nieves de Enero was remastered from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio; my review copy was pressed on 140 gram black vinyl. The LP has been out of print for over 30 years now, and zero original copies are available on Discogs. A comment on the Discogs site in reference to Craft's new reissue stated that fewer than 100 copies of the original LP pressing are known to currently exist, which makes this new reissue particularly of interest to both fans and collectors alike. Nieves de Enero is available in both black and ultra-limited edition smoke-colored vinyl (both are 140 gram LPs); you can order them HERE.
I didn't really expect this record to possess any kind of audiophile credentials, but I'm astonished by the LP's great sonics, and at what an excellent singer Chalino Sanchez was, especially considering that he had no formalized training. The songs here—while having been maligned by authorities as glorifying the drug trade—are anything but that, and simply express Sanchez's observations of his life experiences. I've grown over a couple of decades to become quite the fan of Corrido-style performance, and have had a significant level of exposure to the genre; this album is among the very best I've ever heard. I couldn't discern who pressed the LP, but it was quite nearly perfect, and I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't find this music as entertaining as I have. Nieves de Enero comes very highly recommended!
Craft's late-year New Releases have something for everyone!
Fans of jazz, soul, blues, Corrido, and grunge-drenched metal will all find something to love in this latest batch of new releases and reissues from Craft Recordings. And while all are highly collectible, many also are available in limited-edition colored vinyl options that add considerably to their desirability. Of course, as in the case of the colored-vinyl versions of Alice In Chains' Black Gives Way To Blue, you'd have to be a die-hard fan who regularly scours the band's website for tidbits on limited release LP options to have any chance of getting one, but hey—that's the nature of the game! Trust me, I love cool colored vinyl as much as the next guy, but the standard black LP will definitely get you where you need to be to enjoy the excellent music. Thanks again to Jacob Mask at Craft Recordings for his consideration and assistance—all these albums come very highly recommended!
Craft Recordings
All images courtesy of Craft Recordings.
