March 31, 2023 - Candid Records Reissues Five Titles From the Alan Bates Years

Featuring
Jamie Cullum – Pointless Nostalgia
Stacey Kent – The Boy Next Door
Kenny Barron – Lemuria-Seascape
Shirley Scott – A Walking Thing
Joanne Brackeen – Snooze

www.candidrecords.com

Since its official relaunch in April 2022 the iconic jazz label Candid Records has reissued a broad spectrum of its legendary back catalog. All remastered by award winning engineer Bernie Grundman to deliver high quality audio sound to new and old aficionados alike, the reissues have been made available on streaming services, CD and 180-gram vinyl.

The next phase continues today with five remastered titles from the 'Alan Bates years,' the veteran British producer who recently passed away at the age of 97 and relaunched the iconic label in the late 1980s. Mark Wexler, head of Candid Records stated: “Candid Records has gone through several incarnations over the course of more than six decades. During the early 1960's, Nat Hentoff recorded some of the greatest jazz and blues artists of the day. We now pay tribute to the Alan Bates years which brought forth a whole new era with breakthrough albums from contemporary jazz artists that we are excited to present in newly remastered form."

Bates built up the catalog to include more than 300 titles by recording and acquiring an impressive array of albums. They include some of the most influential jazz recordings of the time. The selected reissue titles are the hugely successful debut of singer/songwriter Jamie Cullum, the breakthrough album by vocalist Stacey Kent, the great American pianist and composer Kenny Barron, and "the queen of the organ" Shirley Scott in her final recording. Also included is the extraordinary 1975 debut album by avant-garde pianist and composer Joanne Brackeen.

Exceleration Music Partner and producer John Burk comments: “We respectfully continue to pay homage to this extraordinary catalog. In this next phase we showcase the evolution of the label under the auspicious leadership of Alan Bates. This incarnation features not only the jazz greats of the era but the new rising stars. It is our hope we not only reach jazz aficionados but introduce these recordings to a whole new audience.”

JAMIE CULLUM POINTLESS NOSTALGIC
The album that made Jamie Cullum a household name, his cover of Radiohead’s “High And Dry” a standard, and propelled him to Glastonbury and Coachella as a jazz ambassador to the alternative nation.With a mischievous and lighthearted approach that has become his calling card, it endeared him to jazzophiles and pop fans alike. And with its infectious blend of jazz standards, American songbook classics, original compositions, and hip contemporary covers, Pointless Nostalgic went straight to the top of the charts and demanded attention.

STACEY KENT THE BOY NEXT DOOR
Stacey Kent is a classic jazz singer with a legion of fans, international honors and awards, sales in the millions, and chart-topping albums spanning a 25 year career. The Boy Next Door became Kent’s breakthrough and her biggest hit to date when it was released in 2003, establishing her as a household name in France and the UK. Celebrating it’s 20th anniversary this year.

KENNY BARRON LEMURIA-SEASCAPE
A living legend, multiple Grammy nominee and 2022 Downbeat Hall of Fame inductee, the great American pianist and composer Kenny Barron has appeared on hundreds of recordings as a leader and a sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era. This classic jazz trio session encapsulates the essence of Barron’s style, and the work is bookended by two Barron compositions; Lemuria, is the pacific equivalent of the lost continent of Atlantis, while Seascape places the listener above the water and possibly even on it. This marks the first time this album will be available on vinyl.

SHIRLEY SCOTT A WALKING THING
1992’s A Walkin’ Thing is the last of three albums the great American organist Shirley Scott recorded for Candid, and her final recording before her passing. The set has a variety of moods - The infectious romp and joy of Carnival, the marvelous tribute to Art Blakey entitled Shades of Bu, and title track A Walkin’ Thing, which gets an extended workout by Scott. There’s also a swinging version of Irving Berlin’s Remember, the truly funky DB Blues. Probably the standout is Scott’s ultra-slow, hymn-like take on When a Man Loves a Woman. This marks the first time this album will be available on vinyl.

JOANNE BRACKEEN SNOOZE
American pianist and composer Joanne Brackeen has been called the “Picasso of jazz piano,” for her unique style and complex improvisations. Her work is at the forefront of what avant-garde jazz can be and she has long been one of the giants of modal, post-pop piano. Snooze from 1975 is Brackeen's extraordinary debut album. Featuring four outstanding Brackeen compositions, along with her take on Wayne Shorter’s Nefertiti, Miles Davis’ Circles, and the standard Old Devil Moon. Originally released on the Choice label, this album is being presented with it's original title, artwork and running order. It will be available on vinyl for the first time in over 40 years.

All five albums will be available on streaming services on CD and vinyl

About Candid Records

Between 1960 - 1963 founder, A&R man, and producer Nat Hentoff recorded over 30 extraordinary albums for the new Candid Records label. One cannot underestimate the breadth of these recordings - from bebop to the avant-garde, to blues. Candid sat dormant for years until Black Lion Records founder and producer, Alan Bates, bought the label in 1989. The next phase of Candid Records is happening now. Since its relaunch in 2021 the label has reissued ten titles from the Nat Hentoff years to high critical acclaim and thanks to brilliant new releases has received four GRAMMY® awards – 2023 winners Terri Lyne Carrington and Wayne Shorter and 2022’s multiple GRAMMY® winner Eliane Elias. Today’s Candid is not only committed to its legacy but looks forward to defining its future with the quality music that is synonymous with its elite heritage. Learn more at www.candidrecords.com

About Exceleration Music

Exceleration Music is a company formed by global music industry leaders Glen Barros, Amy Dietz, John Burk, Dave Hansen and Charles Caldas to invest in the future of independent labels and artists. Exceleration offers personalized solutions to entrepreneurs seeking capital to achieve growth as well as those trying to achieve liquidity or an honorable exit. The company’s growing team of data, sales and marketing experts works to preserve and enhance the legacies of both the entrepreneurs and their artists alike. To date, Exceleration has strategic relationships with SideOneDummy, Alligator Records, Candid Records, Bloodshot Records, Kill Rock Star, Mom Pop and the Ray Charles Foundation/Tangerine Records and Heroic Music Group. Learn more at www.excelerationmusic.com