In honor of Blue Note Records’ 80th Anniversary, the legendary jazz label is launching the Blue Note 80 Vinyl Reissue Series. Distinct from the Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series, this second series curated by Don Was and Cem Kurosman features 180g vinyl LP releases in standard packaging with albums spanning the many eras of the label’s history presented by themes: Blue Note Debuts, Blue Grooves, Great Reid Miles Covers, Blue Note Live, and Blue Note Drummer Leaders. The series resumes in August 2019 with Part 2 of the Blue Grooves theme – Lou Donaldson Alligator Bogaloo (1967), Donald Byrd Ethiopian Knights (1972) and John Scofield Hand Jive (1994) – and will continue with three albums released each month for the coming year.

John Scofield’s guitar work has influenced jazz since the late 70’s and is going strong today. Possessor of a very distinctive sound and stylistic diversity, Scofield is a masterful jazz improviser whose music generally falls somewhere between post-bop, funk edged jazz, and R&B. On his cookin’ 1994 Blue Note outing Hand Jive he adds tenor saxophone veteran Eddie Harris to the fold on an upbeat funk-jazz session rounded out by regular associates, Larry Goldings (keyboards), Dennis Irwin (bass), Bill Stewart (drums) and Don Alias (percussion). Harris proves to be the perfect harmonic foil for Scofield here as the pair move and groove with an electrifying ease throughout.