Back catalogue: Jazz

Review: Joe Pass was a legendary jazz guitarist who worked with many of the greats once his career hit its stride in the 1960s. Amongst his run of early classic albums is For Django, released in 1964 on Pacific Jazz and written as a tribute to another six-string legend, Django Reinhardt. Reissued as part of the Tone Poet series for Blue Note, this new pressing allows you to truly appreciate the wondrous sound Pass could conjure from his axe. The notes have a tender, mellifluous sound, but they can bite when they want to. The feeling Pass could elicit from his playing is why he's so revered, captured here when he was on the rise before the dizzy heights of working with Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald et al.

Review: Carmell Jones' 'The Remarkable Carmell Jones' is a masterpiece of hard bop, reissued from the 1961 debut and which showcases the trumpet virtuoso and Kansas City-born musician's leagues-beyond talent on the brasses. Released as part of the Tone Poet Series on Blue Note - which aims to comprehensively reissue select LPs from the Blue Note catalog in perfect detail, to the point of never needing another reissue again - the LP once more recalls Jones' inventive and mark-making solos, backed by a stellar lineup of musicians including Harold Land and Frank Strazerri.

Review: Harking yet another Tone Poet 2024 edition to come, comes this new forthcoming reissue from the esteemed master drummer Elvin Jones: Poly-Currents. After his six years with the seminal John Coltrane Quartet, Jones signed with Blue Note in 1968 and began building his own career as a bandleader. His first two albums for the label were spare trio outings - Puttin' It Together and The Ultimate - both featuring saxophonist Joe Farrell and bassist Jimmy Garrison. For 1969's unfettered post-bop exploration Poly-Currents, Jones expanded his ensemble with additional woodwinds and percussion while still maintaining spacious realms for the musicians to delve into on modal band member originals including 'Agenda,' 'Agappe Love,' 'Mr. Jones,' and 'Whew'. Jones is joined throughout by a cast that includes Farrell on tenor saxophone, English horn and flutes, George Coleman on tenor saxophone, Pepper Adams on baritone saxophone, Fred Tompkins on flute, Wilbur Little on bass and Cuban conguero Candido Camero.

Review: Norah Jones is one of the most prominent voices of her generation and this record is a perfectly soothing listen that works both in the background - because of its gentle nature - but also up close if you tune into the lyrics. Now 20 years old, it gets a special anniversary reissue having, over the years, reaches in number one in 20 countries around the world. It sold almost 30 million copies and picked up all manner of awards. A real modern gem.