CTI 50th Anniversary Special Collection released today in Japan!

The "CTI 50th Anniversary Special Collection," that celebrates the legacy of Creed Taylor's label, will be released today in Japan, with nothing less than 40 titles distributed by King Records. 

This batch includes three albums reissued on CD for the very first time anywhere in the world:

- George Benson's "Pacific Fire" (originally released in 1993, including tracks recorded in the same sessions that yielded the "Good King Bad" album in 1976; featuring Roland Hanna, David Matthews, Steve Gadd, Gary King, Fred Wesley, Michael Brecker, David Sanborn etc; until now, only the track "Knock On Wood," which I included in my compilation "CTI Acid Jazz Grooves" released in 1997, had been released on digital format)

- George Benson's "Space" (originally released in 1977, featuring a vocal track from the "Good King Bad" sessions, Isaac Hayes' hit "Hold On, I'm Coming," arranged by David Matthews; there's also an alternate mix of "Summertime" (with a horn section adding Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra" - the famous "2001" theme popularized by Deodato - to the Gerswhin song) and of other tunes which were part of the "In Concert - Carnegie Hall" album)

- Idris Muhammad's "Boogie To The Top" (the follow-up to "Turn This Mutha Out" and Idris' final album for CTI's main subsidiary label, Kudu; produced & arranged by David Matthews, former James Brown's musical director, it's a funk-disco-oriented project featuring Jeremy Steig, Nicky Marrero, Hugh McCracken, Clifford Carter, Will Lee et al)

Among the 40 titles there are also the first CD reissues in Japan of Joe Farrell's "Canned Funk" (previously released in the U.S. by the Wounded Bird label in 2011, with that iconic Pete Turner image used as the cover photo of "The Color Of Jazz," the last book released by the genius photographer), Hubert Laws' "Morning Star" (featuring the wondrous title track written by Rodgers Grant, with arrangements by Don Sebesky and appearances by Bob James, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, Ralph MacDonald and Debra Laws, previously released only in the USA by Sony), Hank Crawford's "We Got A Good Thing Going" (with Sebesky, Bob James, George Benson) and two Esther Phillips' albums -- "Alone Again" and "Capricorn Princess" -- available on CD only in Europe by Reel Music.

There are also eagerly awaited new reissues of rare gems like Roland Hanna's "Gershwin Carmichael Cats" (with Chet Baker, Larry Coryell, Don Sebesky), the Chet Baker/Jim Hall/Hubert Laws reunion on "Studio Triste" (arranged by Sebesky, with Steve Gadd, Jorge Dalto, Kenny Barron, George Mraz, Gary King, Sammy Figueroa, Jack Wilkins), and two masterpieces by the CTI All Stars: "California Concert" (a 2-LP set turned into a single CD) and "CTI Summer Jazz At The Hollywood Bowl" (a 3-LP set transformed on a 2-CD set).

The complete list:

CTI 2017 – DECEMBER 06, 40 titles 
CTI・オールスターズ・カリフォルニア・コンサート

George Benson: Space (KICJ 2575)
George Benson: Pacific Fire (KICJ 2576)
George Benson: Beyond The Blue Horizon (KICJ 2577)
George Benson & Joe Farrell: Benson & Farrell (KICJ 2578)
Hubert Laws: Afro-Classic (KICJ 2590)
Hubert Laws: In The Beginning (KICJ 2591)
Hubert Laws: Carnegie Hall (KICJ 2592)
Hubert Laws: The San Franncisco Concert (KICJ 2593)
Hubert Laws: Morning Star (KICJ 2594)
Paul Desmond: Pure Desmond (KICJ 2596)
David Matthews: Shoogie Wanna Boogie (KICJ 2580)
Deodato/Airto: In Concert (KICJ 2581)
Freddie Hubbard & Stanley Turrentine: In Concert Vol. 1 (KICJ 2582)
Freddie Hubbard & Stanley Turrentine: In Concert Vol. 2 (KICJ 2583)
Roland Hanna: Gershwin Carmichael Cats (KICJ 2599)
CTI All Stars: California Concert (KICJ 2561)
CTI All Stars: CTI Summer Jazz At Hollywood Bowl (KICJ 2563)
Art Farmer/Joe Henderson: Yama (KICJ 2565)
Idris Muhammad: Boogie To The Top (KICJ 2566)
Esther Phillips: Alone Again (KICJ 2567)
Esther Phillips: Capricorn Princess (KICJ 2568)
Esther Phillips: Performance (KICJ 2569)
Esther Philips: Black Eyed Blues (KICJ 2570)
Gabor Szabo: Rambler (KICJ 2571)
Milt Jackson: Goodbye (KICJ 2597)
Gerry Mulligan & Chet Baker: Carnegie Hall Concert (KICJ 2572)
Chet Baker, Jim Hall & Hubert Laws: Studio Trieste (KICJ 2573)
Freddie Hubbard: Straight Life (KICJ 2595)
Yusef Lateef: Autophysiopsychic (KICJ 2598)
Joe Farrell: Canned Funk (KICJ 2574)
Patti Austin: Live At The Botton Line (KICJ 2584)
Hank Crawford: We Got A Good Thing Going (KICJ 2585)
Hank Crawford: Cajun Sunrise (KICJ 2586)
Hank Crawford: Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing (KICJ 2587)
Hank Crawford: Help Me Make It Through The Night (KICJ 2588)
Hank Crawford: Hank Crawford’s Back (KICJ 2589)
Johnny Hammond: Wild Horses Rock Steady (KICJ  2579)
Ron Carter: Yellow & Green (KICJ 2600)
Ron Carter: Anything Goes (KICJ 2601)
Ron Carter: Blues Farm (KICJ 2602)