Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
In Memoriam: Al Foster, 1943–2025
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
The cover image of one of two new Sun Ra releases on vinyl.
(Photo: Courtesy Strut Records)If you’re like DownBeat’s editors and need a good dose of music from the avant garde side of jazz, get to your local record store because RSD has you covered with these five titles…and more!
Pharoah Sanders
Izipho Zam (My Gifts)
Strata East/Mack Avenue
Mack Avenue Records has started rolling out some classic recordings from the Strata East label. An early release is this classic Pharoah Sanders masterpiece from 1973. It’s an RSD Exclusive limited to 1,500 copies. The album features a 13-member ensemble and includes the 28-minute exploration of the album’s title track. The new release is top-shelf — 180-gram vinyl, pressed at Record Technology Inc. and mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio.
mackavenue.com
recordstoreday.com
Sun Ra
Nuits de la Fondation Maeght (DELUXE EDITION)
Strut
Here’s an RSD First with a limited pressing of 800 copies. Sun Ra’s recordings from Fondation Maeght had become the stuff of legend. They were among the first concerts Ra performed outside the North America as he joined a crazy fest lineup that included Albert Ayler, Cecil Taylor, LaMonte Young and Marian Zazeela. Originally released on the Shandar label in 1971, Strut has expanded the package to a six-album box set complete with a reprint of the festival program and a 12-page, oversized booklet.
strut-records.co.uk
recordstoreday.com
Sun Ra
Stray Voltage
Modern Harmonic
Here’s another Sun Ra release delivered as an RSD First with a limit of 1,000 copies. The album marketing materials hit the mark here with a laugh: “If you’re looking for melodies, structured compositions, pleasant harmonies, songs you can whistle, and serenades for social gatherings — seek elsewhere.” It’s a two-album set of unissued electronic adventures from the 1970s and ’80s, pressed on frosted orange vinyl.
sundazed.com
recordstoreday.com
Morphine
Bootleg Detroit
Rhino
Recorded live at St. Andrew’s Hall in Detroit during the band’s 1994 Cure for Pain tour, Bootleg Detroit is getting its first release on vinyl. An RSD Exclusive with a limit of 3,500 copies, Bootleg Detroit is pressed on translucent milky clear vinyl.
rhino.com
recordstoreday.com
Various Artists/Gilles Peterson
Gilles Peterson Presents International Anthem
International Anthem
This RSD First release, limited to 1,000 copies, delivers a deluxe double album compilation curated by the renowned London DJ Gilles Peterson, who culle the broadcast archives of BBC 6 Music, Worldwide FM and other syndicated radio programs. The set includes Angel Bat Dawid, Damon Locks with members of Black Monument Ensemble, Junius Paul, Makaya McCraven and more. Pressed on “Frozen Lake Michigan” colored vinyl, it’s part of the label’s IA11 series.
intlanthem.com
recordstoreday.com
Foster was truly a drummer to the stars, including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson.
Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
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