In honor of Women’s History Month, we pay tribute to the female jazz vocalists of Bethlehem Records with rare releases from Jerri Winters, Audrey Morris, Marilyn Moore, Betty Blake, Sallie Blair, The Pat Moran Quartet, Frances Faye, Carmen McRae, Chris Connor, and Helen Carr. All tracks have been remastered as high res 24-bit audio files for 100% clarity.

Click the following titles below to preview each track in high fidelity sound as part of the Mastered for iTunes program. 

• Audrey Morris - The Voice of Audrey Morris
• Marilyn Moore - Moody Marilyn Moore
• Helen Carr - Why Do I Love You
  
• Sallie Blair - Squeeze Me
• The Pat Moran Quartet - While at Birdland
• Frances Faye - I’m Wild Again
• Jerri Winters - Somebody Loves Me
• Betty Blake - Betty Blake
• Carmen McRae - Carmen McRae
• Chris Connor - Sings Lullabys at Birdland

Click here for previously released titles. Sign up for the Bethlehem Records newsletter here to stay updated on exclusive sales and releases. 

#Chicago #jazz #pianist & #vocalist Audrey Morris got her start w/ this album, available now on @iTunesMusic: http://t.co/RsiFK9Ur4k

— Bethlehem Records (@BethlehemJazz)

March 5, 2014

Happy Birthday, Dexter Gordon! The lengthy, swinging tenor & rhythm formula that Dexter Gordon perfected coined him a major force in the emergence of modern tenor saxophone styles.

Today, we celebrate what would’ve been his 91st Birthday with a free download of the song, “Daddy Plays The Horn,” a happy, twelve bar blues, medium tempo track that was considered so good it became the title track for his 1955 release on Bethlehem Records.

"Daddy Plays The Horn" has been remastered from the original analog tape recordings and is available on 180-Gram vinyl here, CD here and exclusively selected as part of the “Mastered for iTunes” program as a digital download here. We also have a limited run of Dexter Gordon t-shirts available here.

Enjoy your free download here before the promotion ends on February 28th, 2014 at 12:00AM.

Charlie Shavers melodious ’50s jazz classic, “Molly Malone” from the iconic Bethlehem Records catalog will be featured in the new ABC television drama Killer Women tonight, February 4th at 10PM|9PM c.

As part of the Bethlehem Records relaunch, we are pleased to announce that we have just added 12 titles available in high fidelity sound as part of the Mastered for iTunes program. All tracks have been remastered as high res 24-bit audio files for 100% clarity.

The following titles will be available on Amazon and other digital service providers on January 28th, 2014. 

Newly added reissues include:

• BCP 6026: Charles Mingus - “A Modern Symposium of Music and Poetry”
• BCP 40: Herbie Mann - “Herbie Mann & Sam Most Quintet”
• BCP 81: Herbie Nichols - “Love, Gloom, Cash, Love”
• BCP 6019: Charles Mingus - “East Coasting”
• BCP 6014: Johnny Hartman - “All Of Me - The Debonair Mr. Hartman”
• BCP 6043: Ruby Braff - “The Best of Braff”
• BCP 6023: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - “Hard Drive” 
• BCP 63: Herbie Mann - “Love and the Weather”
• BCP 52: Mel Torme “Mel Torme and Marty Paich Dek-Tette”
• BCP 6013: Mel Torme - Mel Torme Sings Fred Astaire
• BCP 29: Bud Freeman - “Newport News”

Click here for previously released titles. Sign up for the Bethlehem Records newsletter here to stay updated on exclusive sales and releases. 

John Coltrane original analog tape recordings for “The Winner’s Circle” are now available for purchase on 2 safety reels through the exclusive direct-to-fan pre-order platform, PledgeMusic. Other available John Coltrane product includes vinyl, mp3 & FLAC downloads, CD, Tote Bags, Posters, T-Shirts and more. Join fellow pledgers and learn more about this special opportunity here.

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Verse Music Group & PledgeMusic Join Forces to Reissue its Vault of Iconic Recording such as John Coltrane’s In The Winners Circle From Bethlehem Records.

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Verse Music Group  will be re-releasing four iconic albums from its Bethlehem Records catalogue through a PledgeMusic direct-to-fan preorder. The classic albums to be released through the PledgeMusic platform are Stan Levey’s Grand Stan, Bobby Scott’s Great Scott, Eddie Davis’ The Best of Eddie Lockjaw Davis and John Coltrane’s In the Winners Circle.

Pledge Today!  By participating in this exclusive preorder through PledgeMusic, fans will also be able to enjoy PledgeMusic exclusives such as limited edition apparel, vinyl bundles, posters, t-shirts and more including exclusive footage from the vaults of these legendary VMG brands. Starting with Bethlehem Records, Jazz enthusiasts will be able to enjoy tracks restored from the original analog sound recording and digitally remastered to meet the highest level of clarity and quality standards. The experience will allow fans a behind-the-scenes update in the release process. Pledge your support now at:

http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/johncoltrane
http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/bobbyscott
http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/eddielockjawdavis
http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/stanlevey

All projects list here.

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Verse Music Group Founder and CEO, Curt Frasca looks forward to his company’s partnership with PledgeMusic. “Verse Music Group has always been about acquiring value brands and creatively growing those brands internally as well as partnering with forward thinking companies that deliver results. PledgeMusic’s platform is unique in offering a true “fan to artist experience” which offers Verse insight into what products fans truly want.”

Benji Rogers, CEO and Founder of PledgeMusic commented: “We are delighted to be working with Verse Music Group and look forward to bringing their iconic artists and albums to the PledgeMusic community. Our direct-to-fan approach is delivering clear benefits to music labels of all genres and continues to win new partners in the industry such as Bethlehem Records and Verse Music.”

Donald Byrd & Pepper Adams “Motor City Scene” Recorded, 1960

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 Bobby Troup “The Songs Of Bobby Troup” Recorded, 1955

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Tenor saxophonist “Zoot” Sims grew up during both the Swing era and the early years of Bop where he absorbed the basic roots of Jazz. In honor of what would’ve been his 88th birthday, we are offering a free download medley of his 1960’s recording of "Down Home."

His playing contains the heartbeat that represents all of the Jazz periods making “Down Home” an enjoyable and consistently swinging set. Also featured on this album is pianist Dave McKenna, bassist George Tucker and drummer Dannie Richmond.

"Down Home" has been remastered from the original analog tape recordings and is available on 180-Gram vinyl, CD and exclusively selected as part of the “Mastered for iTunes" program. Enjoy your free download here. 

Now for a limited time all of the high fidelity Bethlehem Records titles are available at an exclusive price.

Head on over to exclusive Bethlehem Records iTunes store for the full list.

Zoot Sims “Down Home,” Recorded 1960

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Twenty Select Bethlehem Records titles are exclusively available in high fidelity sound as part of the Mastered For iTunes program.

Nina Simone, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane & more were remastered from original analog recordings and available in high resolution sound for the first time in decades.

Bethlehem Records’ Titles Available

Twenty select titles are available as Mastered for iTunes albums in the Bethlehem Records iTunes store.

Titles include…

•  Art Blakey - “Art Blakey Big Band”
• Bobby Scott - “Great Scott”
• Booker Ervin - “The Book Cooks”
• Charles Mingus - “The Jazz Experiments Of Charles Mingus”
• Chris Connor - “Sings Lullabys for Lovers”
• Dexter Gordon - “Daddy Plays The Horn”
• Mel Torme & Frances Faye - “George Gershwins “Porgy & Bess”
• Howard McGhee - “Dusty Blue”
• John Coltrane - “In The Winners Circle”
• Johnny Hartman - “Songs From The Heart”
• Mel Torme - “Songs For Any Taste”
• Nina Simone - “Nina Simone And Her Friends”
• Nina Simone - “Little Girl Blue”
• Oscar Pettiford - “Oscar Pettiford Modern Quintet”
• Paula Castle - “Lost Love”
• Sam Most - “Sam Most Plays Bird, Bud, Monk And Miles”
• Stan Levey - “Grand Stan”
• Zoot Sims - “Down Home”
• Donald Byrd & Pepper Adams - “Motor City Scene”

Nina Simone “Little Girl Blue”, Charles Mingus ”The Jazz Experiments Of Charles Mingus”, Oscar Pettiford ”Oscar Pettiford Modern Quintet”, Chris Connor “Sings Lullabys For Lovers”, Dexter Gordon “Daddy Plays The Horn” and Booker Ervin “The Book Cooks” are currently available in their original configuration in LP Vinyl & CD formats as part of the August 27th, 2013 relaunch.

Verse Music Group & Naxos of America are happy to announce the reissue of iconic 1950’s Jazz catalog, Bethlehem Records. 

Classic Albums will be Restored & Remastered for CD, Digital and 10” & 12” Vinyl Release.

First Reissue Sets Debuts August, 27, 2013

Bethlehem Records’ Discography

Bethlehem Records’ lengthy discography contains over 250 albums that freshly and ambitiously captured an era of music, including West Coast Cool Jazz and East Coast Bop. Bethlehem Records roster of artists includes Nina Simone, Carmen McRae, Chris Connor, Mel Torme, Dexter Gordon, Charles Mingus, Art Blakey, and Duke Ellington.  For some of these legendary artists, the Bethlehem recordings represent their classic debuts, and still for others, their greatest recorded work to date. Each track has been restored from the original analog sound recording & digitally remastered to meet the highest level of clarity and quality standards. For the first time in decades, each of the titles will be available in their original configuration in LP vinyl, CD and digital formats. 

Titles slated for an August 27th, 2013 release include…

•  Oscar Pettiford “Modern Quintet,” 
•  Chris Connor “Chris Connor Sings Lullaby’s For Lovers,”
•  Dexter Gordon “Daddy Plays The Horn,”
•  Charles Mingus “The Jazz Experiments of Charles Mingus,”
•  Nina Simone “Little Girl Blue,”
•  Booker Ervin “The Book Cooks.” 

Iconic Cover Art

Bethlehem Records progressive cover art truly revolutionized the jazz market. Each release includes fully restored, original artwork and liner notes.

In support of the relaunch, limited edition apparel, vinyl bundles and pre-sales will be available at select retailers and the Bethlehem Records Webstore in an exclusive partnership with leading international merchandise & licensing company, Backstreet Merch. Follow Bethlehem Jazz on Instagram here for the latest Burt Goldblatt inspired T-Shirt designs and join the Jazz Exclusives community here.

Oscar Pettiford “Oscar Pettiford Modern Quintet”,  Recorded 1954 

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