Four new release and reissue LPs have just been made available from Craft Recordings, including a pair of titles on their ultra hip Jazz Dispensary imprint. As well as the latest reissue on Craft Latino from legendary Corrido singer Chalino Sanchez. And Craft has just made an extensive group of repackaged colored vinyl variants of Vince Guaraldi's classic A Charlie Brown Christmas available-including a pair of cool picture discs-with all arriving just in time for the upcoming holiday season. Other than a handful of big-box exclusives, all LPs will be available to order from the web stores for Jazz Dispensary, Craft Recordings, and Discos Musart, as well as from the usual online providers and brick and mortar locations like your favorite independent record store. Most cool colored vinyl variants of A Charlie Brown Christmas will be available exclusively at their corresponding national retailers. And these releases are also being offered as high-resolution digital files for download and streaming from most major online sites.
The group of LPs I received for review included the two Jazz Dispensary titles; they're frequently some of the most desirably offbeat jazz and jazz fusion releases and reissues out there, and are easily among the most entertaining I've ever experienced! That's definitely true of their new release compilation, Dream a Dream with Studio G: Cratedigger's Archive (1970-2009), which has been tickling my eardrums since its arrival. And their reissue of vibraphonist Cal Tjader's powerhouse fusion session Amazonas (1976, Fantasy Records) will be welcomed by collectors; it's among the most difficult albums to track down on the second-hand market, with only a handful of available near-mint copies going for upwards of $250. Corrido singer Chalino Sanchez's 1992 album, El Pela Vacas is seeing its first ever reissue on vinyl, and exotic vinyl variants of A Charlie Brown Christmas are dropping at exclusive retailers. I was lucky enough to receive one of the uber-cool Zoetrope picture discs for review; this is an exciting group of new releases, to say the very least!
Dream a Dream with Studio G, Cratedigger's Archive (1970-2009). Opaque Red Jazz Dispensary LP, $28
Getting any Jazz Dispensary compilation is always a major event for me, and Dream a Dream with Studio G: Cratedigger's Archive (1970-2009) doesn't disappoint. It may actually be among the specialty imprint's very best yet, and culls 27 cuts from famed UK music library production house Studio G. Who were originally most prominently known for their work in BBC television, advertisements, and sporting events. Eventually providing music that found its way into a variety of shows, including Doctor Who, Vision On, The Snooker, Bowling, The Darts Show, and Top Crown. That exposure eventually led to their work being sampled by the likes of Monty Python's Flying Circus, the Chemical Brothers, U.N.K.L.E., Tyler, the Creator, Knxwledge, and even Aphex Twin. For this compilation, the album's producers chose not to simply comb through the archives for tracks that flowed together well, instead reimagining the selected soundbites from Studio G. as a "pseudo-soundtrack," with distinctly different themes employed for each side of the LP. Side one is presented as the sunny "Dream A: Psychotropic Hopping Morning," while side two offers a somewhat darker "Dream B: Space Temple Midnight." Many of the tracks are the ones used by the artists who'd already sampled them for their own work, so while you may not have heard any of them in their entirety, they'll definitely have a ring of familiarity. This LP is so incredibly entertaining and cerebral, it's been in constant rotation since its arrival!
Both sides of this album flow nearly seamlessly, and the perfect mix of irresistible grooves and impressive transients make it a perfect pick to demonstrate my stereo system-I'm seriously shocked by how great this record sounds. Memphis Record Pressing's Opaque Red LP is absolutely perfect; Dream a Dream with Studio G: Cratedigger's Archive (1970-2009) is one of the best sounding albums to come my way this year, and it's the total package. With a beautiful colored vinyl LP, along with the great vibe of the gatefold album jacket that was illustrated by gig poster artist Ivan Minsloff. The enlightening and entertaining liner notes were written by musician, producer, and dee-jay Ryan Jebavy (aka Leslie Saucer) with additional commentary provided by musician Bob Stanley of UK synthpop band Saint Etienne. You can order a copy of Dream a Dream with Studio G: Cratedigger's Archive (1970-2009) from the Jazz Dispensary web store HERE; a bundle is also available that includes a super cool Jazz Dispensary Zoetrope slipmat. I can't recommend this release highly enough!
Tracklist
Dream A: "Psychotropic Hopping Morning"
- Will Thomson / Paul Mottram - Electrospheres / Incandescence (2025 medley)
- Paul Lewis - Hello Spring
- Douglas Wood - Making Parts
- Paul Lewis - Goodbye Autumn
- Paul Lewis - Colourful Life Suite: Flowers
- Peter Nicholas - Pastoral Reflections
- Vince Cross - One Summer's Night
- James Harpham - Slow Motion
- James Harpham - Candle Flute / Mexican Motel (2025 medley)
- Cliff Johns - Man O'Vibes
- James Harpham - Asian Dolls
- James Harpham - Pastoral
- James Harpham - Flower Garden
- Liane Carroll - Sweet Dreams
- Bob Cort - Humming Song
Dream B: "Space Temple Midnight"
- James Harpham - Flight Landing
- John Hyde, Andrew Procter - Promise of Beauty
- Trevor Nightingale - On the Wing
- James Asher / Pete Willsher, Tony Kelly - Extra Silky / Funk Fobia (2025 medley)
- Trevor Nightingale - Wastelands
- Stan Medcalf / Pete Giles, Sean Houchin - Computer Games / Night Trawler (2025 medley)
- James Asher - Asian Workload
- John Brown - Slope Soaring
- James Harpham - Star Blossom
- David Stoll - Tight Corner
- John Hyde, Andrew Procter - Private Thoughts
- Harry Wild - Barcarolle Blues
Cal Tjader, Amazonas. 180 gram Jazz Dispensary (Fantasy) LP, $33
Vibraphonist and percussionist Cal Tjader has been described as the most successful non-Latino Latin musician of all time. Getting his start playing in groups with Dave Brubeck and George Shearing, he recorded his first album as a leader for Fantasy Records in 1951, and was a mainstay of the label for the next three decades. In the mid-Seventies, he moved away from strictly Latin-inspired, straight-ahead jazz and recorded a string of influential jazz fusion albums, including 1976's Amazonas. Prior to receiving my review LP, this album was completely off my radar, and I only thought of Cal Tjader as a Latin jazz artist. Hearing Amazonas has been a revelation, and the album plays like an essential jazz fusion record that might have been in my regular rotation in the Seventies and beyond-I've been making up for that in recent weeks!
Amazonas features an impressive cast of players, including Cal Tjader on vibraphone and marimba, David Amaro on guitars (his chops are unbelievable, and the list of jazz greats he's played with is beyond astonishing!), Egberto Gismonti on keyboards and synthesizers, flautist Hermeto Pascoal, trombonist Raul de Souza, Dawilli Gonga on keyboards, Luis Alves on bass, and Robertinho Silva on drums and percussion. Amazonas was produced by percussionist and fusion great Airto Moreira, and all arrangements were written by Frank Zappa's longtime keyboardist George Duke. Ken Caillat recorded the album at Wally Heider Recording in LA, where he was assisted in the studio by Bill Broms. Every aspect of the recording process for this excellent LP suggests that it should be superb, and it really is-Amazonas is an impressively good fusion record that should be in the libraries of most jazz aficionados, but probably isn't, because it's been out of print for almost fifty years. Had I never received this promo LP, I'd probably have remained blissfully unaware of its existence, which strikes me as nearly criminal after having it in recent regular rotation.
This is an incredibly good-sounding LP; Kevin Gray remastered Craft's reissue from the original analog tapes at Cohearent Audio, and the 180 gram LP was pressed at RTI in California. The heavy, tip-on outer jacket was printed by Stoughton, and the LP came encased in a perfectionist rice-paper inner sleeve. Every aspect of this reissue exudes quality; you can order a copy of Amazonas from the Jazz Dispensary web store HERE; it's also available in several bundles with cool t-shirts accompanying the LP. Very highly recommended!
Tracklist
Side A:
- Amazonas
- Xibaba
- Mindoro
- Flying
Side B:
- Corine
- Noa Noa
- Tamanco No Samba
- Cahuenga
Vince Guaraldi, A Charlie Brown Christmas. Zoetrope Picture Disc LP, $35
Nothing really needs said about the musical content of A Charlie Brown Christmas, which over the decades has become one of the most cherished and classic albums of Christmas music loved by generations of listeners. Craft is releasing a total of eight color and picture disc variants available from a variety of online and brick and mortar retailers; most of them also feature a cool new holographic outer jacket. Those versions include both standard black and exotic glitter colored vinyl LPs, along with a Zoetrope picture disc version, all available from Craft's web store. A neon green color vinyl version is exclusive to Best Buy; a Christmas tree green color vinyl LP is exclusive to Target; Urban Outfitters has an exclusive blizzard color vinyl version; a red-and-gold tinsel colored vinyl LP is exclusive to Walmart; and Barnes & Noble exclusively has the two-sided picture disc LP. I received the Zoetrope picture disc version for review, but I was also very jazzed (pun intended!) by Craft's glitter vinyl version as well.
Knowing absolutely nothing about how the Zoetrope process works prior to its arrival, achieving the correct effect required a bit of a learning curve, to say the least. I'm A Charlie Brown Christmas superfan, so right out of the gate, I was beyond jazzed that the Zoetrope disc actually arrived; it's quite visually impressive based on its static, non-moving appearance. Observing the Zoetrope disc's live action function is a bit more challenging to perfectly achieve, and truthfully (to me, at least) proved to be slightly underwhelming compared to my expectations. You place the disc on your turntable and start the record spinning, then using your cell phone, shoot a 30 frame per second video of the disc in action. Ideally, the surface of the disc needs to be well-lit; I have a really great, positionable light attached to my rack, but getting the lighting to indirectly illuminate the LP surface without glare was also a bit of a task. That said, the video turned out really cool, but the realization that it could only be seen by watching it on my cell phone lessened my enthusiasm for the experience. And showing it to friends or family typically resulted in "That's great-would you happen to have any Southern Comfort or rum we could spice up this eggnog with?"
In terms of any auditory value of the disc, as typical with picture discs-which have gotten surprisingly better over the years in terms of listenability-the sound quality is about nil, with the Zoetrope imprint on the disc creating a prominent and constant roar in the background. That much was totally expected, and I'd never get a picture disc with the intent of actually playing it, anyway-it's simply a cherished collectors item! You can order a copy of A Charlie Brown Christmas (Zoetrope Picture Disc) from the Craft Recordings web store HERE. Collectors and superfans alike will definitely want a copy of this! Recommended.
Tracklist
Side 1
- O Tannenbaum
- What Child Is This
- My Little Drum
- Linus & Lucy
- Christmas Time Is Here (instrumental)
Side 2
- Christmas Time Is Here (vocal)
- Skating
- Hark, The Herald Angels Sing
- Christmas Is Coming
- Für Elise
- The Christmas Song
- Greensleeves
Chalino Sanchez, El Pela Vacas. Discos Musart LP, $26
The late Chalino Sanchez was undeniably the King of the Corrido singers, carving a legend in his short lifetime of performances and recordings that are still hallmarks of the genre. Most of his albums have until recently only been released as cassettes, and Craft's new reissue of El Pela Vacas (1992, Discos Musart) represents the first ever LP version of the album. Craft's reissue was remastered by Clint Holley and Dave Polster of Well Made Music, who cut new lacquers from the original AAA tapes, while the LPs were pressed at Memphis Record Pressing. Chalino Sanchez was again accompanied by Norteño band Los Amables del Norte, and the songs feature a typical mixture of love ballads and Corridos. El Pela Vacas is considered one of the linchpins of Sanchez's discography, and he wrote eleven of the album's fifteen tracks, proving again that he was more than just a voice that chronicled the drug related violence of his native Sinaloa region in Mexico.
El Pela Vacas (the cow skin peeler) was also one of Chalino Sanchez's many nicknames, and the album's opening track, "La muerte del Pela Vacas," details the death of a cruel and savage outlaw who came to a violent end. Sanchez never shied away from exposing the brutality of the Sinaloan drug trade, which easily explains why he was almost always in fear for his life. Accordion player Nacho Hernandez is prominently featured on the tune (and throughout the entire album) and despite its sordid nature, provides an often lilting and uplifting accompaniment. Sanchez's singing and songwriting are fairly unvarnished, giving raw descriptions of the killings and characters from his Sinaloan background, while bringing their stories to life.
There's very little information available in terms of actual recording dates, studios, etc. for any of Chalino Sanchez's catalog of albums. As I've mentioned in my previous reviews of his Craft Recordings reissues, he lived in constant fear of death, and took precautions to quickly record as many of his songs as possible in order to leave a legacy for his wife and child should he die unexpectedly. That said, I've been relatively surprised by how very good his Craft reissues have sounded up to this point, but El Pela Vacas for me wasn't on the same level as the two previous titles I'd evaluated, Alma Enamorada and Nieves de Enero. While the LP pressing from Memphis Record Pressing was perfect and exceptionally quiet, the stereo image was more compressed, and Sanchez's voice was slightly recessed in the mix. And overall had slightly less compelling realism, but that's understandable considering the constantly-in-flux nature of his personal existence, and the relative haste to record all these songs. Regardless, this album is presented in very likely the best sound it's ever had. You can order a copy of El Pela Vacas from the Craft Recordings web store HERE, and color vinyl variants are available from both Discos Musart and California-based Amoeba Records. Recommended, and El Pel Vacas will prove invaluable to collectors and fans alike.
Tracklist
Side A
- La muerte del Pela Vacas
- Dinastía de los Ochoa
- Domingo López
- Eleazar Quintero
- Corrido del Gallito
- Víctor Samaniego
- Hermanos García
Side B
- Chico el Colorado
- Tino Quintero
- Nacho Verduzco
- El dos dedos
- Ya después de muerto
- La muerte del Torito
- Toledo Félix
- Julián del Real
Craft's latest group of LP reissues and new releases have something for everyone!
Three of these albums were new to me-Dream a Dream with Studio G, Cal Tjader's Amazonas, and Chalino Sanchez's El Pela Vacas-and those Jazz Dispensary LPs very quickly went into my regular rotation. I have multiple digital and analog copies of A Charlie Brown Christmas-but nothing even remotely like the Zoetrope picture disc. Its level of cool is undeniable, but it's also essentially unlistenable and doesn't tick any of the typical audiophile boxes, but will probably prove to be very collectible. And while the pair of Jazz Dispensary albums offer demonstration quality sonics, Chalino Sanchez's El Pela Vacas falls short of perfection, but all these releases will have significant appeal to collectors and fans. I wouldn't hesitate to grab all of them! Thanks again to Jacob Kossak for his assistance; all these releases are well worth your consideration.
Craft Recordings
All images courtesy of Craft Recordings.
