The Best Historical Jazz Released in 2024

It seems that every year the jazz detectives-those aficionados that love this music and don't mind putting the effort and time it takes to unearth musical gems from the past -have taken releasing historical releases to a new level. Archival music has been of special interest to true fans who seemingly cannot get enough of a favorite artists work. Previously, music that was for whatever reason, ignored, poorly recorded, legally hampered, or inexplicably misplaced have become sources of renewed interest. Recordings of artists of import who are still living or perhaps deceased, still generate almost a cult-like following and re-releases and previously undiscovered recordings of their work has become lost gold. Often these treasures were stored in neglected record industry vaults, or  may have been forgotten audio mementos preserved by the artist's family or friends. Bootleg recordings, the unauthorized recording of artists work, and archived radio station tapes, or recorded concert performances that never saw the light of day to the listening public, could also be fertile sources for historical releases.

One of the pioneers who took a special interest in formerly unreleased material and bringing them to life, was the recently deceased (April 20, 2024) and rightfully revered Michael Cuscuna. Cuscuna was with Blue Note Records from 1975-1981 where he convinced management to let him dive deeply into the label's vast treasure trove of recorded jazz legend music. Blue Note was founded in 1939 by Alfred Lyon and Max Marguilis who started to record hot jazz and other forms that were considered at the time uncommercial. The professional photographer Francis Wolff joined with Lyon in late 1939. With Lyon's musical acumen and Wolff's keen photographic eye, the two rode, photographed and recorded the changes of jazz from hot jazz, stride, bebop, hard bop, fusion and beyond. Despite many corporate changes, the label had one of the richest catalogs of the music and an unmatched photographic record of the era's greats, and Cuscuna saw the historical importance of getting the unreleased material out to the public. In 1983, Cuscuna formed Mosaic Records. There, from his modest Stamford, CT base, he curated the release of over three hundred limited released, marvelously informative, smartly packaged boxed sets of musically important jazz that was previously neglected. His first Mosaic release was Thelonious Monk-The Complete Blue Note Recordings in 1983.The New York Times named Mosaic "the most distinctive reissue label in jazz."

Another producer who also made serious contributions to our trove of historical releases in the world of jazz has been Richard Seidel, who amongst other things worked for Verve records for twenty years and curated important reissue releases including artists work from Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Bill Evans and Miles Davis. 

Today, names that seems synonymous with superb historical releases include George Klabin- the one time jazz radio station DJ on WKCR in NYC, record producer, sound studio owner, and self taught audio-engineer who created his Los Angeles based Resonance Records in 2008- has been a major force in the release of historical jazz since the label's inception.

His protege Zev Feldman, co-president of Resonance Records, has tirelessly worked to discover, refurbish, curate, and produce some of today's most sort after, never before released, archival recordings. Feldman has become today's pre-eminent Jazz Detective, a label he now uses on some of his releases. Besides his association with Resonance, Feldman has teamed up with other partners, like the Barcelona based Elemental Music label, with their President and Founder Jordi Soley under the labels of Elemental and Deep Dives Music Group. Feldman also teamed up with the Canadian based saxophonist Cory Weeds who is the founder of the label Cedar Music and the archival label Reel to Real. 

What makes newer historical releases so appealing is that they follow Cuscuna's pattern of treating the music and the presentation with great respect for the listeners who will purchase and listen to it. Today, so much music is digitally streamed. The recording is less of a physical object where one can read about the music and the process, see the artists come to life in photographs, and listen to their art. Instead, streaming allows the music to become a transient piece of impersonal data. It has made the leisurely listening to of an extended album for enjoyment almost a lost art. Modern historical releases offer a difference. The packaging is of high quality, the notes informative, the photography is relevant and compliments the music, interviews add personality to the date and offer personal anecdotes from fellow musicians, and the recordings-often offered in CD, Vinyl or Digital packages- are enjoyable as well as important preservations of the music's history.

This year has been particularly rewarding year for historical releases . These are six of my best of historical releases for 2024, there are surely other equally as worthy releases that I have not had a chance to listen to, but these were the best that I had a chance to sample , so decide for yourself.

Art Tatum: Jewels in the Treasure Box: Resonance Records -3 CD Package-August 16-28, 1953

If there was a "God" of the piano, then most aficionados of the music would say Art Tatum was indeed the closest artist that could fill those big shoes. Tremendous facility and an enormous ability to create harmonic interest and surprise, these live recordings truly transport you back to the 1953  Blue Note Chicago Club performances. The under appreciated fluidity of guitarist Everett Barksdale and the arco high jinks of Slam Stewart make this all the more a treat.

Chet Baker And Jack Sheldon: In Perfect Harmony: The Lost Album-Elemental Music/Jazz Detective/ Deep Digs Music -1972

The rare chance to hear two master trumpeters like Chet Baker and Jack Sheldon is worth the price of the admission. This recording is titled In Perfect Harmony: The Lost Album and was recorded at United Audio in Tustin, CA.in 1972. Co-produced by Feldman with film producer Frank Marshall, it captures the different tonal qualities and musical approaches these two players use to make the horns and their voices lend to this music. Both can play. Chet's more restrained and sensitive , while Sheldon is more boisterous and humorous. The personalities are evident both on their horns and when they sing. They are ably accompanied by Dave Frisberg on piano, Joe Mondragon on bass, Jack Marshall (Frank's dad), on guitar and Nick Ceroli on drums. It's liking being part of a private party.

Mal Waldron and Steve Lacy-The Mighty Warriors-Elemental Music

September 30, 1995

Mal Waldron and Steve Lacy had one of the more progressive groups of their period. This recording is captured on September 30, 1995 in Antwerp, Belgium. Waldron and Lacy are accompanied by the equally forward looking rhythm section of Reggie Workman on bass and Andrew Cyrille on drums. Capturing these four gentlemen live and in the moment of creativity in front of a mesmerized audience is a rare chance to feel what those attendants may have experienced. There is real artistry to bear witness to here.

Emily Remler: Cookin' At the Queens-Resonance Records- 1984 and 1988

Emily Remler is an enigmatic figure in the world of jazz guitar. She was once quoted by a magazine as saying "I may look like a nice Jewish girl from New Jersey, but inside I'm a 50 year old heavyset black man with a big thumb, like Wes Montgomery." No doubt Montgomery was a main inspiration. At twenty-four years of age she was celebrating her successful debut album Firefly and getting accolades from jazz critics and players as well. Being a successful female guitarist was still certainly an anomaly, especially in jazz. The woman had chops and style, was competitive, and had so much promise. She unfortunately struggled with addiction and succumbed to it in May of 1990 at the young age of thirty-two. This album gives many of us a chance to catch her from two live sets she played in Las Vegas in 1984, age 27 and 1988 age 31. A special player in her prime, these recordings capture Remler's improvisational  creativity on the fly.

Yusef Lateef: Atlantic Lullaby- The Concert From Avignon-Elemental Music/ INA-July 19, 1972

The master saxophonist/flutist Yusef Lateef was an religious artist, an educator and a dedicated musician who studied music from a global point of view. He became proficient as a jazz saxophonist playing with Dizzy Gillespie's orchestra and was part of Cannonball Adderley's Quintet for a period. He predominantly recorded as a leader of his own groups. He found the word "jazz" as an incorrect description of the music he  created, and instead called it Autophsiopsychic. This album, Atlantis Lullaby, is from a concert that he performed in Avignon, France in 1972. Lateef is joined here with pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Bob Cunningham and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath. There is energy in this music and yet there is plenty of room for beauty, meditation and spiritualism too, Lateef trademarks. 

Al Jarreau: WOW! Live at the Childe Harold-Resonance Records- August 13, 1976

Listening to the great vocalist Al Jarreau is an experience to be savored. His gymnastically pliable voice was a wonder that could navigate the most challenging musical chicanery possible and yet still execute the music with grace and joy. On this release, recorded at the Childe Harold, his Washington DC debut in August of 1976, Jarreau is captured with Tom Channing on Fender Rhodes and ARP string ensemble, Ben Atkins on bass and Tom Drake on drums. Jarreau's Warner Brothers debut record We Got By was out a year and his second album Glow was just out for a month. This is prime Jarreau making his way into real success and fame. Add the addition of an excited crowd witnessing vocal history and you have

real magic!