Winners Circle

All-star jazz session WINNERS CIRCLE recorded in New York, September & October 1957. Featuring the musicians who came first or second in Down Beat’s critics’ poll of 1957.

The Bethlehem Years is a 2CD compilation by John Coltrane. Originally released in 1994, this edition was made by Bethlehem Archives/Avenue Jazz/Rhino Records in 2000, consisting of recording sessions from December 1957 when Coltrane was doing sessions for others.

South of the Circle is an emotional narrative experience with a deep multi-layered cinematic story. The main plot asks questions about the consequences of life choices, of pursuing either career or true love, manoeuvring between now and the past. You play Peter, a Cambridge academic who crashlands in Cold War Antarctica.

This all-star session was put together by Down Beat magazine featuring the winners and runners-up from the magazine's critic's poll in 1957. While John Coltrane's name may leap out at you from the cover art, he only plays his tenor sax on half the songs here. On the remaining material Coltrane leads the orchestra, a new step for him at the time and a glimpse at an interesting early chapter of his history. And what an orchestra it was: composed of the best of the up-and-coming New York jazz scene, the other musicians in the Winner's Circle here include Donald Byrd on trumpet, Al Cohn on baritone sax, Eddie Costa on piano and vibes, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Oscar Pettiford on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums.

Eddie Bond staked his claim to rockabilly immortality with a series of hot cuts for Mercury in 1956 and his constant touring with the likes of Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison. At heart, though, Eddie was a country music man. This is the first compilation dedicated to Bond's country recordings from the 1950s to the 1990s. There are at least 15 tracks here that will appeal to his hardcore rockabilly fans, as they are laced with a western boogie beat and some hot guitar work.

Anderson .Paak has announced a new album, Ventura. The follow-up to last year’s Oxnard is due out April 12 via Aftermath, and was recorded around the same time as that album, according to a press release. He’s also announced a new tour (titled the Best Teef In the Game Tour) with his band, the Free Nationals. There are some heavy hitters among the opening artists as well: Thundercat will join him for all the shows, while Mac DeMarco, Earl Sweatshirt, Noname, and Jessie Reyez are slated to join Anderson on select dates.

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