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Prestige Records, launched and run by jazz fan, collector, and record purveyor turned label owner and producer Bob Weinstock, has a catalog of classic jazz recordings that is second perhaps only to Blue Note in both quality and quantity. Not only did Weinstock record artists whose careers would later explode such as Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, and John Coltrane, but also established artists such as Coleman Hawkins and Red Garland, young musicians who created a great deal of buzz, such as Jackie McLean and Eric Dolphy, and blues and R&B-style artists like Lightnin’ Hopkins and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis. Starting in 1958, the label spawned several subsidiaries, including New Jazz (the original name of the Prestige label), Swingsville, Moodsville, and Bluesville. In 1971 the label was sold to Fantasy Records, who reissued many Prestige recordings under their Original Jazz Classics (OJC) banner, which also included reissues of other acquired labels, such as Riverside. In 2005, Fantasy was acquired by Concord Records, the largest independent jazz label left in the United States. Some music fans were concerned over whether Concord would keep much of the Prestige and OJC catalog in print, but it appears that Concord has committed to doing so. In all honesty, this had to be a huge part of the attractiveness of the Fantasy label to Concord, although Fantasy has a rich catalog of its own. As part of its commitment to the label, Concord has recently reissued ten volumes of Prestige’s “Best of “ series from several years ago, adding to each release a “Prestige Profiles Collector’s Edition” featuring artists who either play the same instrument as the artist featured on the Profile disc or whose music is stylistically similar to the featured artist. Each bonus disc contains around 45 minutes of music in addition to the hour or so on the main Profile disc. Each disc by one of the featured artists has been 24 bit remastered, and the sound quality is excellent, crisp and clean. Buyers get all of this for $11.98 per disc, so it’s a phenomenal value for anyone seeking an introduction to these artists and their Prestige catalog, or for those who want to sample some of an artist’s work without delving too deeply into their catalog. Read reviews of the individual releases, as well as what's on the bonus disc included with each, or buy by clicking on 'Review' or 'Buy' below.
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