Out August 2016

Probably the most influential pianist in jazz, Bill Evans has left his mark on the likes of Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea and Brad Mehldau. The pianist on Miles Davis’ quintessential 1959 album "Kind of Blue" and a key figure in the development of jazz piano, Bill Evans was a pioneer in multi-track jazz recording, a key player in the rise of modal jazz, and a multiple Grammy Award winner. Covering the later part of his life, from the Warner Bros and Elektra studio and live recordings, here are five gems in one pack.

In many facets, Big Brother and the Holding Company's Cheap Thrills is the quintessential album to spring from the outcome of the Summer of Love. Best known as Janis Joplin's major-label debut, the 1968 set arrived when the countercultural movement was in full swing and before co-optation, drugs, and violence signaled the fall of the era. Ranked #338 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, it puts a female singer in the prominent position traditionally given to a male and showcases a band pouring a potent cocktail of fiery psychedelic, blues, and folk sounds that informed the unfettered creativity of the San Francisco scene. Produced by John Simon, Cheap Thrills also features one of the most iconic and elaborate album covers in history.

The searching, cyclical aura of double bassist and composer Hayden Prosser’s debut acoustic album "Tether" fascinatingly finds its roots in electronic and process music. Hailing from Somerset, England, and now based in Berlin, Prosser met up with New York pianist Elias Stemeseder - the starting point for this quartet’s sound with tenor saxophonist Philipp Gropper and drummer Max Santner - which set up the piano-and-bass connectivity that informs many of the album’s eleven original tracks.

Janis Joplin is one of the most revered and iconic rock & roll singers of all time, a tragic and misunderstood figure who thrilled millions of listeners and blazed new creative trails before her death in 1970 at age 27. This soundtrack to the acclaimed documentary, Janis: Little Girl Blue, showcases Janis at her very best and features brand new liner notes from Oscar nominated Director & Producer Amy Berg, rare, vintage photos and reproductions of letters written by Janis as detailed throughout the documentary.

Emerging from the distant light is the new double-LP from John Dwyer's Thee Oh Sees the first studio recordings to capture the muscular rhythm section of twin drummers Ryan Moutinho and Dan Rincon with ringer bassist Tim Hellman cracking spines. The groove and bludgeon one has come to expect from the band's live shows is captured seamlessly here they go from zero to headsplitter, and on the rare occasions they do let up on the gas a bit, you're treated to some locked-in hypnotizers, too.

GarciaLive returns with a new installment due for release on August 19th! GarciaLive Volume Seven showcases the Jerry Garcia Band’s November 8th, 1976 performance at Sophie’s in Palo Alto, California. Recorded by Betty Cantor-Jackson, the original master reels were only recently re-discovered, along with a few other reels dubbed the “Houseboat Tapes”, and have been remastered for this release. It was the year of this recording that Donna Jean and Keith Godchaux first joined up with the Jerry Garcia Band.

Frank Sinatra never had a problem with language barriers, he spoke to the heart. His songs served as the soundtrack to people's lives around the globe. World On A String is a portrait of the iconic American entertainer in his prime on international stages. As a time capsule of Sinatra's enduring worldwide appeal, the 4CD/DVD box set is a treasure trove of live recordings from 1953 to 1982, totaling more than four hours of previously unissued audio and video footage.

ESOTERIC proudly introduces a new series of re-master collection - A great Jazz collection. This newly remastered box set, titled as "Great 5" features the five albums recorded by Miles Davis for Columbia label. Includes the follow titles: 'Round About Midnight (Mono); Milestones (Mono); Porgy And Bess; Sketches Of Spain; Miles Smiles. These new audio versions feature ESOTERIC's proprietary re-mastering process to achieve the highest level of sound quality.