![]() ![]() While Vinnegar’s catalog as a leader is limited, his solo material stands as a testament to his talents. ![]() A busy sideman, who worked alongside the likes of Les McCann, Stan Getz and labelmate Shelly Manne, Vinnegar was known for his “walking” basslines (a signature move that gave him the nickname “The Walker”). Next up is Leroy Walks! from bassist Leroy Vinnegar and his sextet. Released in 1960, three years after the legendary musical opened on Broadway, the instrumental album includes eight memorable selections from Leonard Bernstein’s score, including “I Feel Pretty,” “Maria” and “America.” While the all-star trio stays true to the original material, they present each tune in a sophisticated new light. Available May 19, this special reissue will mark the album’s first vinyl pressing in more than three decades. The series’ 2023 collection kicks off in style with a swinging interpretation of West Side Story, led by pianist André Previn and His Pals (drummer Shelly Manne and bassist Red Mitchell). Since its initial rollout, the series has earned accolades from a slew of outlets, including JazzTimes, which spoke to the impact of the label, reflecting: “Artists, producers, and engineers alike have held Contemporary aloft…as a label dedicated to presenting jazz at its absolute purest, richest, and live-est,” adding that the new reissues “are living, breathing proof of that label’s hotly cutting clarity.” Audiophile Review, meanwhile, marveled at the stereo pressing of Art Pepper + Eleven: Modern Jazz Classics, which it called “top-notch,” elaborating that it sounds“richer and more inviting…deliver a bit more cinemascopic ‘view’ of the group.” Praising Hampton Hawes’ Four! as “pristine,” Audiophile Audition added, “Kudos to Craft Recordings for re-introducing a brilliant pianist.” The Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds series-which launched in the spring of 2022 with titles by Art Pepper, Barney Kessel and Benny Carter, among others-honors the label’s rich legacy through meticulous reissues that highlight the label’s influential classics, as well as its must-hear rarities. Each title, originally engineered by Roy DuNann and/or Howard Holzer, boasts lacquers cut from the original master tapes (AAA) by the GRAMMY winning engineer (and former Contemporary Records employee) Bernie Grundman, while all LPs are pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings (QRP) and presented in Stoughton old style tip-on jackets.Īll albums are available for pre-order today, with release dates beginning May 19 through the end of 2023.įounded in 1951 by film producer, screenwriter and record collector Lester Koenig (1917–1977), Contemporary Records became the epicenter of the West Coast jazz scene, while its cutting-edge approach to sound and design attracted some of the era’s most exciting artists. These latest reissues, which continue Craft’s celebration of the iconic jazz label, include choice albums from Ornette Coleman, André Previn, Phineas Newborn, Jr., Art Farmer, Leroy Vinnegar and Curtis Counce. Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds have announced seven new titles in their acclaimed Contemporary Records Jazz Acoustic Sounds series for 2023. ![]()
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