Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
Our Thing by Joe Henderson and Free For All by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers are the first two titles to be released in Blue Note’s 2026 Classic Vinyl Reissue Series.
(Photo: Courtesy Blue Note Records)Blue Note Records has announced the next run of titles in the Classic Vinyl Reissue Series, which presents all-analog 180g vinyl reissues that are mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes and manufactured at Optimal. Curated by Cem Kurosman, the series continues its exploration of the extensive Blue Note catalog with titles that span the many eras and styles of the iconic label’s history. The newly announced titles begin with two hard-swinging 1960s classics — Free For All by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers and Our Thing by Joe Henderson — released on Jan. 23 and now available on The Blue Note Store.
Other highlights of the new Classic Vinyl Series lineup include two 1990s standouts that get their first-ever vinyl reissues — John Scofield’s Meant To Be (cut directly from the analog master tapes) and Medeski Martin & Wood’s Tonic — as well as bebop classics from the 1500 series by Thelonious Monk (Genius Of Modern Music) and J.J. Johnson (The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson); organ-guitar-drums trio albums by Jimmy Smith (Softly As A Summer Breeze) and Grant Green (Street Of Dreams); contrasting 1969 albums by Eddie Gale (Black Rhythm Happening) and The Three Sounds (Soul Symphony); and hard-bop classics from Blue Note legends including Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, Lou Donaldson and more. See the full 2026 release schedule below.
Jan. 23
• Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Free For All (1964)
• Joe Henderson, Our Thing (1963)
Feb. 20
• Thelonious Monk, Genius Of Modern Music, Vol. 2 [BLP 1511] (1947–’52)
• J. J. Johnson, The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Vol. 2 [BLP 1506] (1953–’55)
March 20
• John Scofield, Meant To Be (1990)
• Medeski Martin & Wood, Tonic (1999)
April 17
• Blue Mitchell, The Thing To Do (1964)
• Stanley Turrentine, Easy Walker (1966)
May 15
• Donald Byrd, The Cat Walk (1961)
• Kenny Dorham, Whistle Stop (1961)
June 19
• Hank Mobley, Hank Mobley [BLP 1568] (1957)
• Kenny Burrell, Blue Lights, Volume 1 (1958)
July 17
• Lee Morgan, Leeway (1960)
• Freddie Hubbard, Goin’ Up (1960)
Aug. 21
• Jimmy Smith, Softly As A Summer Breeze (1958)
• Grant Green, Street Of Dreams (1964)
Sept. 18
• Eddie Gale, Black Rhythm Happening (1969)
• The Three Sounds, Soul Symphony (1969)
Oct. 16
• Jackie McLean, Swing, Swang, Swingin’ (1959)
• Lou Donaldson, Sunny Side Up (1960)
Nov. 20
• Big John Patton, That Certain Feeling (1968)
• Reuben Wilson, On Broadway (1968)
Dec. 11
• Horace Silver, The Stylings Of Silver (1957)
• Sonny Clark, Leapin’ And Lopin’ (1961)
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
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