Category: Catalog

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Introducing The Story of Memphis Rap, a trunk-rattling nine-album, 11-LP slice of the origins of Memphis Rap, capturing a city and a scene as it began to create the most distinctive rap music of the ’90s. The Story of Memphis Rap, a collaboration between VMP and Now-Again Records, collects nine albums that were originally released within Bluff City limits and occasionally to other cities in the region.

Albums:

∙ Gimisum Family – Gimisum Family (1993)
∙ Skinny Pimp – Vol. 1 (1993)
∙ Gangsta Blac – Breakin Da Law (1994)
∙ Carmike – Comin’ At Yo Ass (1994)
∙ Shawty Pimp & MC Spade – Vol. 2: Gotta Get My Pimp On (1994)
∙ MC Money & Gangsta Gold – Da Hard Ov Frayser (1995)
∙ DJ Zirk – Looken for tha Chewin (1996)
∙ Lil Ced – Playin’ by the Rules (1997)
∙ MC Mack – Chapters of tha Mack for Life (2000)

LP Box-Set, Digital. 2023. VMP-A020. Now-Again X VMP.

Tracklist:

1. Alvin Batiste & The Jazzstronauts – “Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child / Music Came (Live)”
2. Alvin Batiste & The Jazzstronauts – “Samba Dee (Live)”
3. Alvin Batiste & The Jazzstronauts – “Ray’s Tune (Live)”
4. Alvin Batiste & The Jazzstronauts – “North American Idiosyncrasy (Excerpt) (Live)”
5. The Southern University Jazz Ensemble – “Unknown Title (Live)”
6. The Convertible World, The Southern University Jazz Ensemble – “Unknown Title (Demo Track For Cannonball Adderley)”
7. The Southern University Jazz Ensemble – “Mud Hole (Live)”
8. Alvin Batiste & The Jazzstronauts, The Southern University Jazz Ensemble – “Kinshasa (Live)”
9. The Southern University Jazz Ensemble – “Spain (Live)”

Digital. 2023. NA5255.

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This is the first-ever commercial releases of New Orleans’ legend Alvin Batiste’s Spiritual Jazz albums created with the college band he instructed and led in Baton Rouge. Originally given away as souvenirs at Southern University, the two albums contains deep Batiste originals and, on Live, are paired with excellent John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard covers. They are some of the most sought after albums of Americas 70s jazz underground.

Tracklist:

A1. Music Came
A2. Tunjii
A3. Straight Life
A4. North American Idiosyncrasy
B1. Milestones
B2. In My Solitude
B3. So What
B4. God Save Us A Song (A Negro Spiritual)

Personnel:

FLUTE
Henry Scott –
Arranger
CLARINET
Arthur Marcal –
Organ and Bell Drum
HARMONICA
Adrian Lanier
VOCALS AND SPECIAL EFFECTS
Ernest Jackson
Edward Perkins
ALTO SAXOPHONES
Vincent York – oboe, section leader
Willie Keyes – arranger
Roy Johnson – arranger
TENOR SAXOPHONES
Kirk Ford (award recipient)
Gerald Anderson
BARITONE SAXOPHONE
Reginald Houston
(Award winner 1970) reciter
TRUMPETS
Raymond Deggs
Andrew “Candy” Gerrard
Kenneth Hardin
Walter Walker
Willie Tucker
Charles Randolph

BUSINESS MANAGERS
John Banks – Alto Saxophone
Kirk Stuart – Arranger, Pianist, Conductor Assistant
Alvin Batiste – Director, Clarinet, Arranger, Composer

PERCUSSION AND PROPERTY MANAGER
Clarence Acox

TROMBONES
Terral Jackson
Lloyd Oby (Award Winner)
Lester Williams – arranger
Clifford Landry
Nelson Jasmin
Nathaniel Brickens
TUBA
Robert Jackson
FRENCH HORNS
Wadie Ervin – arranger
Emanuel Billups
Gable Watkins – piano
PIANO
Henry Butler – Captain
ELECTRIC PIANO
Daryl Jefferson
BASS
Julius Farmer
Gibson Sewell
DRUMS
Herman Jackson
SPECIAL INSTRUMENTS
Emerson Bell
LIBRARIAN
Ernest Nation-trumpet
ANNOUNCER
Charles “Chuck” Siler

Credits:

This anthology produced, with an introduction by, Eothen Alapatt
Licensed by The Batiste Family
Liner Notes by Bret Sjerven
Mixing, mastering, restoration and remastering by Jason Bitner
Tape restoration and transfers by Dan Johnson for Audio Archiving
Vinyl transfers by Tanner McCrary
Art Direction by Errol F. Richardson

LP, Digital. 2023. NA5243.

Buy it here

This is the first-ever commercial releases of New Orleans’ legend Alvin Batiste’s Spiritual Jazz albums created with the college band he instructed and led in Baton Rouge. Originally given away as souvenirs at Southern University, the two albums contains deep Batiste originals. They are some of the most sought after albums of Americas 70s jazz underground.

Tracklist:

A1 Samba Dee
A2 Ah Ja Ge Da Ba
A3 Clean Air
B1 Music Came
B2 Nanigo
B3 Holdin’ Meetin’

FEATURING:

Edith Batiste
Poet

James McElroy
Soprano Saxophone

Ernest Nation
Trumpet

Willie Singleton
Trumpet

Alphonso Rodriguez
Guitar

Charles Singleton
Bass

Antonio York
Organ

Richard Hunter
Percussion
Album Design

Herman Jackson
Drums

George Mitchell
Conga
Electronics

Juan Mosquera
Conga French Spanish
Monologue

Bennie Robertson
Conga

Marcia Batiste
Choreographer

Credits:

This anthology produced, with an introduction by, Eothen Alapatt
Licensed by The Batiste Family
Liner Notes by Bret Sjerven
Mixing, mastering, restoration and remastering by Jason Bitner
Tape restoration and transfers by Dan Johnson for Audio Archiving
Vinyl transfers by Tanner McCrary
Art Direction by Errol F. Richardson

LP, Digital. 2023. NA5244.

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The definitive reissue of HAIR composer Galt MacDermot’s quirky masterwork, the impressionistic soundtrack of filmmaker and photographer Martine Barrat’s film for designer Yves St. Laurent. Lacquered by Bernie Grundman in an all-analog transfer from the original master tape. Contains extensive oversized book with an essay on MacDermot’s life in music by his long time friend and Now-Again Records’ founder Eothen Alapatt; unpublished and rare photos. Officially-sanctioned Record Store Day release from Now-Again Records.

Tracklist:

1. Tango
2. Fragments IA
3. Fragments IB
4. Fragments II
5. Bass
6. Cathedral
7. Woman Is Sweeter
8. Moving Clothes
9. Bathtub
10. Radio Rock
11. Princess Gika
12. Merry-Go-Round
13. Space
14. Perfume Bottles

Personnel:

Galt MacDermot – keyboards
Bernard Purdie and Idris Muhammad – drums
Jimmy Lewis – bass
Charlie Brown – guitar
unknown violinist

Credits:

Produced for reissue by Eothen Alapatt.
Art direction and layout by Errol Richardson.
All-analog lacquer master/cut: Bernie Grundman.
Tape restoration: Dan Johnson.
Licensed from MacDermot Music, with thanks to Vincent and MaryAnne MacDermot.
Original sessions produced by Galt MacDermot and others.

LP, Digital. 2023. NA5242.