Blue Note Records celebrates 85th anniversary with busy year of releases and live events

Eighty-five years ago in January 1939, a German-Jewish immigrant and passionate jazz fan named Alfred Lion produced his first recording session in New York City founding what would go on to become the most iconic and longest-running Jazz label in the world. For 85 years Blue Note Records has represented The Finest In Jazz, tracing the entire history of the music from hot jazz, boogie woogie, and swing, through bebop, hard bop, post-bop, soul jazz, avant-garde, and fusion, and – after being relaunched by Bruce Lundvall in 1984 – has remained the leading label dedicated to documenting today’s vibrant and creatively thriving Jazz scene under the leadership of current President Don Was, who took the helm in 2012.

Throughout 2024 the 85th anniversary of Blue Note Records will be celebrated including an extensive tour by The Blue Note Quintet featuring the label’s young stars, The Francis Wolff Collection presenting fine art photography collector’s items and exhibitions, the return of the Blue Note Review vinyl boxset subscription series, the acclaimed Tone Poet Vinyl and Classic Vinyl reissue series, and new releases from Charles Lloyd, Joel Ross, Melissa Aldana, Ethan Iverson, Julian Lage, Bill Frisell, Nduduzo Makhathini, Immanuel Wilkins, Meshell Ndegeocello, Norah Jones, and more.

Some of the key events so far announced include:

• The Blue Note Quintet - 85^th Anniversary Tour: An all-star collective comprised of Blue Note recording artists pianist and musical director Gerald Clayton, alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, vibraphonist Joel Ross, and drummer Kendrick Scott, as well as bassist Matt Brewer will embark on an extensive 35-date North American tour which kicks off January 18 and brings the band across the entirety of the U.S. with shows in Detroit (Majestic Theater, Jan. 19), Los Angeles (Lodge Room, Feb. 4), Chicago (Symphony Center, Feb. 16), New York (Symphony Space, Feb. 23), and more. Visit bluenote.com for a full list of dates and ticket info.
  
  
• The Francis Wolff Collection: A new series of limited-edition fine art photography collector’s pieces celebrates the legacy of Blue Note co-founder and photographer Francis Wolff as well as the musicians he loved. The series launched with a collection of one-of-a-kind pieces featuring Wolff’s iconic photographs of the legendary saxophonist John Coltrane at the 1957 recording session for his masterpiece Blue Train and will continue this year with additional releases. In recent decades, thanks to the tireless dedication of the collection’s longtime caretaker Michael Cuscuna of Mosaic Images, Wolff’s photos have begun to be recognized as works of art. With the collection now owned once again by Blue Note, the label is working to preserve and reveal even more of this remarkable archive which includes more than 20,000 black & white and color images taken between 1940-1970. Stay tuned for more news about exhibitions of Wolff’s photography as well...
  
  
• Canvas Wall Art of Classic Blue Note Album Covers:  Blue Note has expanded its offerings of archival-quality, framed canvas prints in dynamic scale featuring the legendary album cover designs of Reid Miles. New designs include Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers Indestructible, Hank Mobley Soul Station, Grant Green Idle Moments, Dexter Gordon A Swingin’ Affair, Lee Morgan Cornbread, Larry Young Unity, Andrew Hill Black Fire, and more.
  
  
• Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series: The acclaimed series is produced by the “Tone Poet” Joe Harley and features definitive all-analog, 180g audiophile vinyl reissues that are mastered from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray of Cohearent Audio, manufactured at RTI, and packaged in deluxe gatefold tip-on jackets. The titles featured in the series are handpicked by Harley and include acknowledged treasures of the Blue Note catalog as well as underrated classics, modern era standouts, and albums from other labels under the Blue Note umbrella including Pacific Jazz, United Artists, and Transition. The 2024 line-up can be found at bluenote.com, and stay tuned for the announcement of a special Tone Poet Vinyl Edition of Sonny Rollins’ 1957 tour de force live trio album A Night at the Village Vanguard.
  
  
• Classic Vinyl Reissue Series: Curated by Don Was and Cem Kurosman, the series is an exploration of the extensive Blue Note catalog with titles that span the many eras and styles of the legendary label’s storied history. The series presents 180g all-analog vinyl reissues in standard packaging that are mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes and manufactured at Optimal. The current run of titles presents some of the most iconic Blue Note masterpieces by Jazz legends including Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, Jimmy Smith, Donald Byrd, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins, and more.
  
  
• The Return of Blue Note Review: Our vinyl boxset subscription series returns this year with the release of the long-awaited Volume Three which celebrates the legacy of trumpeter Lee Morgan. Curated by Don Was, the series encapsulates the continuum of the legendary Jazz label’s storied past and auspicious future with an exclusive collection of new recordings and timeless treasures from the Blue Note vaults accompanied by unique physical items and writings that capture the enduringly hip Blue Note aesthetic. Blue Note Review: Volume Two – Spirit & Time is still available at bluenotereview.com.
  
  
• VMP Anthology: The Story of Blue Note Records: The first-ever release in the acclaimed Vinyl Me, Please Anthology series was a six-album 7-LP boxset that celebrated the legacy of Blue Note Records and took listeners on an immersive journey into the label’s history. The first run of the limited edition set sold out in minutes when it was released in 2019 but will get a 2^nd pressing this year.

See the March issue of Jazzwise for an exclusive interview with Charles Lloyd and for more info visit www.bluenote.com