Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis: Trane Whistle (1960) Esquire/ Prestige

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Miles Davis Quintet: unheard ’60s recordings discovered

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A never before heard series of live recordings, provisionally titled “MILES to go“, has been discovered in an abandoned filing cabinet in a derelict Los Angeles building, let at one time to Fantasy Records. The recordings were commissioned by music … Continue reading →

Prestige Bergenfield Years: Mono (Updated)

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Updated May 1, 2021: Ivory/Black Fireworks promo labels (1962) added. Rare!! PRESTIGE ORIGINAL PRESSINGS VOLUME III: MONO, THE BERGENFIELD YEARS To accompany the recent Bergenfield Years – Stereo Edition, a new companion Mono Edition covering releases on the second yellow/black … Continue reading →

Prestige Bergenfield Years: Stereo (Updated)

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UPDATES: April 21, All Reference Sets of labels updated and “complete” April 20, “Remastered for Stereo”, the inside story, plus many newly found labels added. April 17, labels added, thanks to David J and Ian S Playing around with the … Continue reading →

Miles Davis: Honkin’ (1956) Prestige

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Selection: Goosin’  (Davis) .  .  . Artists Miles Davis, trumpet; John Coltrane, tenor; Red Garland, piano; Paul Chambers ,bass; Philly Joe Jones, drums; recorded Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, October 28, 1956 Music In later half of 1956, before jumping … Continue reading →

Azar Lawrence: Summer Solstice (1975) Fantasy

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LJC is going off-piste again, venturing into the mid-70s, and Brazilian-influenced free spiritual jazz fusion or something. You can do this if, like me,  you are a Time Lord. Post intended for new year, but just didn’t happen that way. … Continue reading →

Collector’s Guide To Prestige/ New Jazz – Update

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Rather than just replace the NEW JAZZ Collector’s Guide First Edition with a Second Edition, which I will do in time, I would like to share just the fruits of a more depth analysis of the timeline of New Jazz … Continue reading →

Collector’s Guide To The New Jazz Record Label

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Enforced time away from music, while power cables were being upgraded, seemed an ideal opportunity to tackle a subject that had been at the back of my mind for some time. For once, time was was in abundant supply, to … Continue reading →

It’s as easy as A, B, C… or perhaps not! All aboard the RVG Prestige mystery train.

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(Updated June 12, 2018 – see foot of post) Saxophone Colossus overlooked (and that’s a tall order!) The mystery of RVG/ Prestige alphabetic stamp codes. Followers of The Evil Silver Disc might want to sit this one out. It’s deep vinyl. … Continue reading →

Jackie McLean: Lights Out (1956) Prestige

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Van Gelder fakes fake stereo: it’s all good! Selection: Kerplunk (Byrd) .  .  . Selection chosen for the scarce recording presence of Elmo Hope, and the young Byrd and McLean strutting their stuff backwards and forwards running the changes double … Continue reading →

Ronnie Mathews: doin’ the thang! (1963) Prestige

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Selection: The Orient Artists Freddie Hubbard (trumpet) Charles Davis (baritone sax) Ronnie Mathews (piano) Eddie Khan (bass) Albert Heath (drums) recorded Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, December 17, 1963, the week running up to Christmas. Obit:  PETER KEEPNEWS JULY 2, … Continue reading →

Booker Ervin: Exultation! (1963) Prestige

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Under-rated Tenors Series: Booker Ervin Selection: No Land’s Man (Perkins) – Artists Frank Strozier (alto sax) Booker Ervin (tenor sax) Horace Parlan (piano) Butch Warren (bass) Walter Perkins (drums) recorded Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, June 19, 1963 … Continue reading →

Frank Foster/Elmo Hope: Wail, Frank, Wail (1955) Prestige/Esquire

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Former phantom post, now ready. WordPress thinks this is only an update, so I have had to repost it afresh. Apologies. . Selection : Fosterity (Foster)     Christmas Bonus Selection: Shutout (Foster) . Artists Freeman Lee (trumpet) Frank Foster … Continue reading →

The transition from 10″ to 12″ LP, and the lost recordings.

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I am delighted and honoured to present a piece of essential but almost undocumented history of jazz on vinyl: the transition in the mid-’50s from the 10-inch to the 12-inch LP. Esteemed jazz aficionado and collector Roudolf has put his … Continue reading →

Sonny Criss: Portrait of (1967) Prestige (new: bonus track)

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Hot on the heels of Frank Strozier, celebrating the 700th post at LJC (Strange, this started as a sort of Blue Note tribute site, look now where it has gone… jazz all over) Continuing on the theme of artists deserving … Continue reading →

Prestige: Visual Reference Guide to Original NY Pressings v.1.1 (updated)

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Last Updated: September 18, 2021 UPDATED July 5th: new reference material added to the Prestige Boot Camp and  a QUICK LOOK UP REFERENCE TABLE for Prestige NY label has been added to the permanent pages of LJC Guide to Record Labels/ Prestige and … Continue reading →

Musical Interpretation: “Pent Up House” (Rollins)

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Subject:  classic jazz tunes Sometimes I think I should write more about the music and less about the etchings in the wax. Then I quickly return to my senses and poke the macro in closer, but to capture the thought, this post … Continue reading →

Calling all Prestige LP-owners

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No, it doesn’t exist. At least not yet. With the invaluable help of Diego S, LJC’s Head of Special Projects Involving Quite Complicated Things, LJC is launching an appeal for information from Prestige collectors  about the records they own, in forensic detail.  We … Continue reading →

Miles Davis: Collectors’ Items (Prestige) 1953-6

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Prestige “original”!?  What’s one number difference in an address?  Into the vaults, LJC returns clutching what he thought was his most prized “original” Prestige LP, purchased a few years back from the now-disappeared Intoxica Records, Portobello Road, Notting Hill. The man said … Continue reading →

Prestige: draft guide to original pressings Part 1: the N.Y.C “Fireworks” label

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Prestige Yellow Fireworks Label, 446 W. 50th St., N.Y.C, (1955-8) Prestige Records was one of the main specialist modern jazz labels in the 50’6s and ’60s, a rival to Blue Note. The quality of recording and pressing of its 12″ first NYC label … Continue reading →

Miles Davis: Dig / Diggin’ (1951) Esquire/Prestige

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All this attention given to Prestige covers, it is time to “dig in” to some of the music inside those covers. We take a closer look at what is inside 7012 Miles Davis Dig, but with a few “LJC twists … Continue reading →

Prestige covers continued: the second issues

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Bob Weinstock, ever resourceful, selected many of his prime recordings for a second issue with a new catalogue number and a new cover, and occasionally an altogether new title to snag the unwary. It is worth noting these pairs as they … Continue reading →

Prestige covers: what’s the alternative?

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First and second covers for original Prestige releases, pictures from the bounty of the internet, as I don’t have many of these myself. Though some alternative covers were introduced to accompany the formal reissue with new Prestige catalogue number, the focus here … Continue reading →

Back-to-Back Part Two: the complete New Jazz Esquire

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Hot on the heels of the Prestige Esquire pairs, Prestige’s other label New Jazz, whose artists and covers alike include some of the most iconic work in the genre. Think Eric Dolphy, Roy Haynes, Oliver Nelson, Dizzy Reece… Esquire deliver … Continue reading →

Potayto, pottato: two nations, Prestige and Esquire, back to back

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An occasional post, on the subject of US Prestige and UK Esquire records Prestige is one of the treasure chests of audiophile quality vintage Modern Jazz recordings, along with Blue Note, Riverside, Contemporary, Impulse, without which our lives would be considerably poorer. … Continue reading →