Doug Payne got in touch to point out that many of these series releases can be purchased through Dusty Groove in Chicago. [1]A link to some of the available releases https://www.dustygroove.com/item/201559/Jim-Hall:Concierto?cat=jazz [2]This is a short video about the store https://vimeo.com/333772940
Re-issues of CTI and KUDU albums come and go every decade and a few in between, often only on specialist labels. Some on vinyl, some on CD. Today marks the day where the next big wave of re-issues rolls out in Japan. There will be 60 titles this month (March 2025) and another 60 titles in September 2025. The releases, as I understand it, will be CD only.
I don’t have a formal news release or anything translated into English, only a Japanese promotional email. If any readers from King Records, or otherwise, could provide a full list of the CDs in English, that would be a fantastic help. In the interim, you can see the list on the King Records website [3]https://www.kingrecords.co.jp/cs/artist/artist.aspx?artist=46839&ps=18#dtype=ALL.
As always, King Records, along with their retail partners, are doing promotional offerings including posters, coasters, and others yet to be announced [4]The promotional offerings are available via Tower Records stores and Disc Union stores, while stocks last, and require at least two purchases from the series.. All titles come with a deluxe booklet that reprints the liner notes from the time of the original Japan LP release. This is CTI’s ultimate reissue series that revives the hot breath of the jazz scene from the 1970s to the present day. The series covers CTI and subsidiary labels like KUDU and Salvation. At least all of the releases I’ve looked at have been priced at ¥1,650 (Price without tax ¥1,500) circa $11.
Some of the interesting releases include:
Airto – Virginland – KICJ-2670
Actually produced by Billy Cobham, this 1974 album has never been released on CD in the USA.
Art Farmer Live in Tokyo – KICJ-2662
The King Records website claims this is the first CD release in Japan, except I have a 1991 copy from King Records KICJ 2055 [5]https://www.discogs.com/release/6223181-Art-Farmer-Live-In-Tokyo. What is true is that this has never been released at all in the USA on vinyl or CD.
Again, not produced by Creed Taylor but faithful to Art’s playing at the time, produced by Motohiko Takawa and Jiro Kohno.
Also, for release on CTI Alltime is Art Farmer’s excellent “Crawl Space,” which is barely known in the USA on vinyl and has never been released here on CD.
Eric Gale – Forecast – KICJ-2684
Eric Gale first recorded with Creed in 1965; it wasn’t until 1973 that he recorded his first leader album, produced by Creed and issued on Kudu. Again, it was never released in the USA or Europe on CD.
Weirdly, this album has never been reissued after its initial vinyl release year in 1973. The initial distribution releases sold well enough to be re-pressed a number of times.
Gabor Szabo – Mizraab / Gamblers Life
Both Szabo’s CTI albums are released on CD as part of this series. The two albums are somewhat chalk and cheese, but both are great in their own way. If I had to pick one to order, it would be Mizrab; both are complete with Bob James arrangements, while Rambler is less so in orchestration.
What is perhaps interesting to note about the series, rather than just the Szabo releases, is that King Records has stuck to the original tracks and avoided cramming two albums onto one CD.
Gabor Szabo – Macho – KICJ-2687
Another Salvation reissue, probably to complete Gabor’s contract with Creed Taylor International rather than CTI Records. Bob James produced this rather than Creed, likely because Taylor was busy fighting the companies financial daemons.
As Doug Payne notes, “As much a product of its time as it is the result of session overlord Bob James’ style, MACHO makes for quite a good Gabor Szabo record. The guitarist again opts to work with studio musicians here. But he is heard in markedly good form, spinning out exceptionally memorable solo lines and playing leads like he means it.” [6]GABOR SZABO: MACHO.
Again previously issued on CD in Europe and Japan, never on CD in the USA.
Kathy McCord – KICJ-2688
I have to admit, this album is for CTI completists. This album was from the initial independent CTI releases in the 1000 series from late 1969 and early 1970. It was a period when Creed was experimenting with ideas to build his company. Having a label was more in the direction of pop and folk was being considered. This album, along with negotiations with Billy Vera, McCord’s brother, never went anywhere, and Kathy died all too young to know what direction she might have taken next [7]http://ctproduced.com/tag/kathy-mccord/.
The album has seen the light of day a few times, including both as a South Korean CD release and a UK Ace Records vinyl pressing. Never issued in Europe or the USA on CD.
Jack Wilkins – Opal – KICJ-2696
Finally, on my list to feature is this Wilkin’s album. Wilkin’s had a great pedigree, and Taylor had hopes that his jazz guitar, fluid playing, solid technique, and composition might give Taylor a kickstart back into jazz production. It wasn’t to be. Wilkins recorded two albums with Creed, Opal and Captain Blued.
Wilkins also subbed for Jim Hall on the version of “All Blues” that is included on another release in the CTI Alltime Collection, “Studio Trieste.” ‘Trieste again has never been released in the USA or Europe on CD. It’s my experience that “Studio Trieste” ends up in the bargain bins at your favorite vinyl dispensary, mostly because they don’t know what else to do with it.
As Frankie “Hollywood” Crocker might have said “in store now, take a copy home and groove tonight!”
References
| ↑1 | A link to some of the available releases https://www.dustygroove.com/item/201559/Jim-Hall:Concierto?cat=jazz |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | This is a short video about the store https://vimeo.com/333772940 |
| ↑3 | https://www.kingrecords.co.jp/cs/artist/artist.aspx?artist=46839&ps=18#dtype=ALL |
| ↑4 | The promotional offerings are available via Tower Records stores and Disc Union stores, while stocks last, and require at least two purchases from the series. |
| ↑5 | https://www.discogs.com/release/6223181-Art-Farmer-Live-In-Tokyo |
| ↑6 | GABOR SZABO: MACHO |
| ↑7 | http://ctproduced.com/tag/kathy-mccord/ |
UPDATES
March 21st, 2025: added note about availability via Dusty Groove. see also post comment below about ordering from Japan.
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THANK YOU!!!!
I meant to include a link for those that dont have a personal shopper in japan, I’ve used https://zenmarket.jp/en/ to purchase from Tower Records new and from yahoo auctions for used. Zenmarket handles the purchase and ships to their warehouse, when they’ve received all the items in an order, they pack them and write up a customs invoice and will ship via fedex, ups and others. Net net is it’s not cheap to order just one CD. ..