New batch of CTI reissues scheduled for release on 24-bit remastered Blu-spec CDs

"CTI Supreme Collection," a new batch of CTI reissues is scheduled for release on December 11, in Asia. These will be the first CTI albums distributed by King Records on Blu-spec CD format (CTI's previous Japanese series came out in 2009 on SHM-CDs remastered by Rudy Van Gelder under supervision of Creed Taylor himself), except for two Seawind albums reissued on that format also in 2009 by Sony.

Blu-spec CD is the next generation Compact Disc that employs the Phase Transition Mastering, the technology developed for mastering of Blu-ray discs, to further perfect the acclaimed characteristics of Blu-spec CD.

Fully compatible with standard CD players, Blu-spec CDs completely alters the experience of music. It applies the manufacturing technologies optimized for the specifications demanded for Blu-ray discs. During the manufacturing of the disc, laser beam is pinpointed to encode data on the microscopic tracks molded on the polycarbonate plastic constituting the surface of the disc.

Compared to the conventional laser beam used for the manufacturing of standard CD, the blue laser beam used for the manufacturing of Blu-spec CD has a shorter wavelength, allowing more accurate encoding of the data. Furthermore, polycarbonate plastic optimized for Blu-ray is used to ensure accurate reading of the data.

These are the 40 titles selected for release on December 11, with suggested retail price in Japan of  ¥1,000, including albums also from CTI's subsidiary labels Kudu and Salvation, most of them engineered by Van Gelder, with gorgeous pics by Pete Turner and Alen MacWeeney, and cover art by Bob Ciano:
1. Joe Farrell: "Penny Arcade" (Herbie Hancock, Herb Bushler, Steve Gadd, Joe Beck, Don Alias)
2. Joe Farrell: "Outback" (Chick Corea, Buster Williams, Elvin Jones, Airto)
3. Eumir Deodato: "Prelude" (John Tropea, Jay Berliner, Ron Carter, Stanley Clarke, Billy Cobham, Airto, Marvin Stamm, Hubert Laws)
4. Eumir Deodato: "Deodato 2" (Stanley Clarke, Billy Cobham, John Giulino, Rick Marotta, Rubens Bassini)
5. Ron Carter: "Spanish Blue" (Roland Hanna, Leon Pendarvis, Jay Berliner, Billy Cobham, Ralph MacDonald)
6. Milt Jackson: "Sunflower" (Don Sebesky, Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Billy Cobham, Jay Berliner, Ralph MacDonald)
7. Eric Gale: "Forecast" (Bob James, Gordon Edwards, Idris Muhammad, Rick Marotta, Hubert Laws)
8. Johnny Hammond: "Gambler's Life" (Larry Mizell, Fonce Mizell, Jerry Peters, Tony Dumas, Harvey Mason)
9. Hubert Laws: "Chicago Theme" (George Benson, Eric Gale, Bob James, Don Grolnick, Stanley Clarke, Steve Gadd, Joe Beck, David Sanborn, Brecker Brothers)
10. Ray Barretto: "La Cuna" (Tito Puente, Charlie Palmieri, Steve Gadd, John Tropea, Joe Farrell, Carlos Franzzetti)
11. George Benson: "White Rabbit" (Don Sebesky, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, Airto, Jay Berliner, Earl Klugh, Phil Kraus, Gloria Agostini, John Frosk)
12. George Benson: "Good King Bad" (David Matthews, Gary King, Don Grolnick, Roland Hanna, Bobby Lyle, Ronnie Foster, Joe Farrell)
13. Hank Crawford: "I Hear A Symphony" (Richard Tee, Leon Pendarvis, Steve Gadd, Bernard Purdie, Gary King, Eric Gale, David Matthews)
14. Kenny Burrell: "God Bless The Child" (Freddie Hubbard, Hubert Laws, Hugh Lawson, Richard Wyands, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, Airto, Don Sebesky)
15. Art Farmer & Jim Hall: "Big Blues" (Steve Gadd, Mike Mainieri, David Matthews, Michael Moore)
16. Stanley Turrentine: "Sugar" (George Benson, Freddie Hubbard, Ron Carter, Billy Kaye, Butch Cornell, Lonnie Liston Smith, Richard Pablo Landrum)
17. Stanley Turrentine & Milt Jackson: "Cherry" (Cornell Dupree, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, Bob James, Weldon Irvine)
18. Phil Upchurch & Tennyson Stephens: "Upchurch/Tennyson" (Bob James, Steve Gadd, Hubert Laws, Dud Bascomb, David Sanborn, Eric Gale)
19. Don Sebesky: "Giant Box" (Paul Desmond, Milt Jackson, Joe Farrell, Freddie Hubbard, Hubert Laws, George Benson, Jackie & Roy, Grover Washington, Jr)
20. Astrud Gilberto: "Gilberto with Turrentine" (Deodato, Ron Carter, Dom Um Romão, João Palma, Airto, Sivuca, Toots Thielemans, Bob Mann)
21. Fuse One: "Fuse" (Tony Williams, John McLaughlin, Larry Coryell, Ronnie Foster, Victor Feldman, Paulinho da Costa, Joe Farrell)
22. Chet Baker: "She Was Too Good To Me" (Don Sebesky, Bob James, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, Steve Gadd, David Friedman)
23. Hubert Laws: "The Rite of Spring" (Gene Bertoncini, Bob James, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, Airto, David Friedman)
24. Gabor Szabo: "Macho" (Bob James, Louis Johnson, Harvey Mason, Eric Gale, Idris Muhammad, Ralph MacDonald)
25. Jim Hall: "Concierto" (Chet Baker, Paul Desmond, Roland Hanna, Ron Carter, Steve Gadd, Don Sebesky)
26. Lonnie Smith: "Mama Wailer" (Chuck Rainey, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, Jimmy Ponder, Airto, Grover Washington, Jr.)
27. Nina Simone: "Baltimore" (David Matthews, Andy Newmark, Eric Gale, Will Lee, Gary King, Jimmy Madison, Al Schackman)
28. Lalo Schifrin: "Towering Toccata" (Urbie Green, Joe Farrell, Ronnie Cuber, Will Lee, Steve Gadd, John Tropea, Eric Gale, Jeremy Steig, John Blair)
29. Idris Muhammad: "Power of Soul" (Joe Beck, Randy Brecker, Bob James, Gary King, Ralph MacDonald, Grover Washington, Jr.)
30. Airto Moreira: "Fingers" (Hugo Fattoruso, David Amaro, Flora Purim, Ringo Thielmann, George Fattoruso)
31. Urbie Green: "The Fox" (Toots Thielemans, David Matthews, Anthony Jackson, Mike Abene, Jimmy Madison, Sue Evans, Joe Farrell)
32. Patti Austin: "End Of A Rainbow" (Barry Miles, Mike Abene, Richard Tee, Jeff Berlin, Will Lee, Chuck Rainey, Steve Gadd, Michael Brecker)
33. Joe Beck: "Beck" (David Sanborn, Don Grolnick, Will Lee, Chris Parker, Ray Mantilla, Don Sebesky)
34. Paul Desmond: "Skylark" (Gabor Szabo, Gene Bertoncini, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, George Ricci, Ralph MacDonald)
35. Antonio Carlos Jobim: "Stone Flower" (Deodato, Ron Carter, João Palma, Airto, Harry Lookofsky, Urbie Green, Hubert Laws, Joe Farrell)
36. Freddie Hubbard: "Red Clay" (Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Lenny White, Joe Henderson)
37. Jackie & Roy: "Time & Love" (Don Sebesky, Jay Berliner, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, Airto, Hubert Laws)
38. Bill Evans: "Montreux II" (Eddie Gomez, Marty Morell)
39. Esther Phillips: "From A Whisper To A Scream" (Pee Wee Ellis, Don Sebesky, Cornell Dupree, Eric Gale, Richard Tee, Gordon Edwards, Airto)
40. Randy Weston: "Blue Moses" (Freddie Hubbard, Hubert Laws, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, Airto, Don Sebesky, Grover Washington, Jr.)

(Creed Taylor, CTI's founder and chief producer)