Craft Recordings' revival of the Original Jazz Classics (OJC) series continues with another pair of exciting new 180 gram LP reissues. Including The New Miles Davis Quintet's classic 1956 session Miles (Prestige Records), along with a noteworthy collaboration between trumpeter Clark Terry and Thelonious Monk, 1958's In Orbit (Riverside Records). Both are landmark recordings of classic jazz; Miles features the first incarnation of Miles Davis' leadership of his legendary quintet configuration, creating the template that brought him so much fame and commercial success over the next decade-plus. In Orbit was an album of many firsts for both Clark Terry and Thelonious Monk; Monk was actually responsible for bringing the talented trumpeter to the attention of Orrin Keepnews at Riverside Records. Both are presented here in fabulous new pressings that offer the kind of superb all-analog sound that audiophiles absolutely live for!
Kevin Gray cut the new lacquers for each of these LPs from the original tapes at Cohearent Audio, and the all analog, AAA LPs were pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI. Both LP reissues are housed in near-perfect replicas of the original, heavy tip-on outer jackets, with crisp artwork sourced from the Craft vaults of Prestige and Riverside Records. The outer jacket for Miles features a high-gloss coating that matches the appearance of many Prestige label originals from the day; it also reproduces the green color scheme of the original for the first time since its initial release. In Orbit doesn't feature the same heavily varnished coating, but still presents the cool and mod 1950's Riverside label aesthetic; each offers a very vintage and classically authentic look. A custom OBI strip adds distinction to the appearance of the OJC reboot LPs, as well as enhancing the collectability of the new reissues. The 180 gram LPs arrived inserted into Craft-branded rice paper inner sleeves, which help keep them free from paper dust accumulation, prevent scratching, and minimize static buildup. The outstanding packaging adds significantly to the desirability of these reissues to collectors. High resolution 24-bit/192kHz digital downloads are also available for purchase and streaming on most major online services. You can order copies of Miles and In Orbit from Craft Recordings' web store HERE; if they're sold out at the web store, you can find them at a variety of online retailers and brick and mortar locations, or at your local independent record store.
The New Miles Davis Quintet, Miles. 180 Gram Prestige LP, $39 MSRP
Miles Davis performed a well-received set at the 1955 Newport Jazz Festival, and was approached afterward by Columbia Records' George Avakian, who offered him a contract with the label if he could assemble his own group. Miles agreed, but he was still under contract to Prestige Records, and was required to fulfill his remaining five albums prior to being released by the label. Davis quickly created what would become his first great quintet, with Miles (of course!) on trumpet, John Coltrane on tenor sax, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on upright bass, and Philly Joe Jones behind the drum kit. The combo convened at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Hackensack, New Jersey, on November 15, 1955, and recorded their first album, Miles, in a single day. Van Gelder was behind the controls and Bob Weinstock produced the album for Prestige Records, which released it in April 1956. The following year, the quintet would again return to Van Gelder's studio on two dates, May 11 and October 26. In a pair of marathon sessions, they recorded enough material to fill the remaining four albums required by Davis' contract with Prestige. Those albums, Cookin', Relaxin', Workin', and Steamin' are considered cornerstones of hard bop jazz.
Miles features a mixture of standards and originals, and of course, the main focus of the album is on Miles Davis' astonishingly liquid horn tone. The album opens with Duke Ellington's "Just Squeeze Me," which proceeds at a loping pace with Miles' perfect trumpet solo setting the stage for Coltrane and Red Garland to solo liberally. "There Is No Greater Love" follows, and Davis approaches the Isham/Symes classic with a muted trumpet turn that gives way to Garland's block-chord solo; Coltrane lays out on this number, which Miles takes home with another muted, but impressively melodic solo. Dorothy Parker's "How Am I To Know" closes side one; it's an uptempo raver, where Miles again states the muted opening theme, followed by a raucous extended solo from Trane. Garland provides a nice segue to Davis' finale, which takes side one to its conclusion. Side two opens with the Denniker/Razaf track "S'Posin", which is another mover with rapid fire solos from both Miles (on mute again) and Trane. "The Theme" is the only Davis original, and served as the long standing closer for his combo's live sets. Davis states the initial theme, then Paul Chambers provides a generous turn on upright bass, with Miles chiming back in for a lyrically extended run before handing off to Coltrane, who provides perhaps his most fluid work on the entire record. Benny Golson's "Stablemates" closes the record; it's played in waltz time, and Miles sets a very lyrical tone in his note-perfect solo. Coltrane steps in for a nice turn before Miles takes the album to its conclusion. It's a superb first effort by the New Miles Davis Quintet, and an amazing prequel to the magic that was to come in less than a year!
Clark Terry with Thelonious Monk, In Orbit. 180 Gram Riverside LP, $39 MSRP
As session producer Orrin Keepnews' liner notes proclaim, trumpeter Clark Terry's In Orbit was an extraordinary album for a number of reasons. In Orbit featured Terry's first recorded performance on the flugelhorn, which compared to the trumpet has a wider and more conical bell that gives it a mellower and more rounded tone. Following this record, it became Clark Terry's preferred instrument on most of his remaining catalog of recordings. In Orbit also featured Thelonious Monk's only recorded appearance on Riverside Records as a sideman; Monk had actually introduced Clark Terry (along with other prominent musicians like Johnny Griffin and Sonny Rollins) to Riverside principals Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer. The album sessions also featured bassist Sam Jones' debut at Riverside, and it was the first of his many performances with the label over the years. And the recording marked the only time Thelonious Monk played on record with drummer extraordinaire Philly Joe Jones, who was often noted by pianist Bill Evans as being his favorite drummer. In Orbit was recorded on May 7 and 12, 1958 at Reeves Sound Studio in New York City; Jack Higgins engineered the recording and Riverside released it later that year.
To recap, in addition to Clark Terry's flugelhorn, an uncharacteristically restrained Monk sat in on piano, Sam Jones provided accompaniment on bass, and Philly Joe Jones sat behind the drum kit. The tracklist featured five Terry originals, along with a neglected standard, "Trust In Me." There's also a Latinesque number, "Moonlight Fiesta," written by longtime Duke Ellington trombonist Juan Tizol, along with a tune composed especially for Clark Terry by songwriter Sara Cassey, "Very Near Blue." Monk's lone contribution is his less frequently played, but nonetheless classic "Let's Cool One," which presents a perfect vehicle for the artistry of Philly Joe Jones—and on his own composition, it's full-on Monk time! Of the Terry originals, "In Orbit" and "One Foot In The Gutter" find him at his lyrical best, with Monk contributing journeyman work at the keyboard that's surprisingly free of the typical eccentricities that accompanied much of his later work (not that Monk's later period was a bad thing!). Sam Jones contributes a nice solo turn to "In Orbit" while Philly Joe Jones hammers out the backbeat. Monk's original, "Let's Cool One," is a definite highlight, and he's demonstrably more "Monkish" on this number as Philly Joe rocks along in the background. Terry's original "Buck's Business" is perhaps the most uptempo number on the entire album, with great solos from his flugelhorn and Monk's piano, with the rhythm section providing a solid foundation. "Very Near Blue" is the album's poignant closer, with Terry's horn at his most poetic. In Orbit is an excellent album that deserves more regular mention among classic sessions of the period, and the superb performances by the stellar cast don't disappoint!
Craft's Original Jazz Classics Series Continues to Amaze!
You can click on my name in the header above to reveal the equipment I used to evaluate the latest batch of OJC LP reissues, as well as all the equipment that resides in my dual audio systems. Both Miles and In Orbit were originally released as a mono LPs, and Craft's reissues are presented as such here, although In Orbit has also seen a couple of stereo reissues over the years. My analog system has been recently updated with a new pair of XSA Labs Vanguard standmount compact monitor loudspeakers, which incorporate many of the hallmarks of classic British monitor designs like LS3/5A's, but with a slightly more substantial cabinet. The Vanguards are beyond superb in my near-field, all-analog setup, and run in tandem with a Caldera 10 subwoofer that bolsters the bottom end with additional octaves of exceptionally tuneful bass. The system also incorporates the excellent PS Audio Stellar phono preamp, and as usual with mono LPs, playback was handled by my heavily modified Rega Planar 2 turntable that's fitted with an Ortofon 2M Mono cartridge. The upgraded PrimaLuna EVO 300 tube integrated amplifier now features a matched quad of Sovtek 6550 power tubes and a matched pair of vintage NOS Brimar 12AU7 input tubes. This vintage, but modern system provides the kind of sumptuous analog sound that's totally apropos for classic AAA LPs like the OJCs.
Both LPs were superb examples of the excellence Craft and RTI have melded into the OJC reissue series. The LPs were beautifully glossy, with no imperfections, and the background were impressively silent during playback. Kevin Gray has given us another pair of winning releases with his excellent transfers, and the Fifties "wide mono" sound of these records offered a thrilling window into the creative process of two excellent ensembles that featured many giants of classic jazz. The realism of this music across the XSA Vanguard loudspeakers was powerful, dynamic, and stunningly good!
Not to overstate the obvious, but you really can't go wrong with the Original Jazz Classic reissues from Craft Recordings. Mint condition originals of Miles are nonexistent on Discogs, with copies rated G and VG going from $75 upwards of $500. Even so-so condition 1983 OJC LPs are selling for $30 and onward, making the cost of Craft's new OJC reissue very attractive. With regards to In Orbit, original copies rated G to VG go for upwards of $175 on Discogs, with NM copies closer to the $300 mark. A 1988 OJC original will run you $35-$85 for anywhere from VG+ to NM, so again—$39 for Craft's OJC reissue is the smart money. Collectors should jump at the opportunity to get both LPs. Thanks to Jacob Mask for his assistance; both Miles and In Orbit come very highly recommended!
Craft Recordings
All images courtesy of Craft Recordings and the Author.
