Blue Note Records Marks 75th Anniversary With Special Limited Edition High-Res Audio Box Set Created By Astell&Kern

Blue Note's Don Was with Henry Park and Barak Moffitt

Marking legendary jazz label BLUE NOTE RECORDS' 75th Anniversary, the iconic company has partnered with high-end audio manufacturer ASTELL&KERN to offer an exclusive, limited edition box set.

"THE ASTELL&KERN BLUE NOTE 75th ANNIVERSARY BOX SET: LIMITED EDITION" features 75 of the historic label’s most essential albums, newly remastered from analog for the first time to the hi-res MQS digital format (24bit/192kHz). Five BLUE NOTE albums make their exclusive hi-res audio debuts with this release:  ART BLAKEY & THE JAZZ MESSENGERS' "Mosaic," TINA BROOKS' "True Blue," DON CHERRY's "Complete Communion," ANDREW HILL's "Point Of Departure" and BOBBY HUTCHERSON's "Components." 

The lavish collection includes the BLUE NOTE-branded ASTELL&KERN AK240 high-resolution portable audio player, a special book filled with original album art (front and back cover) for the 75 titles, as well as RICHARD HAVERS’ new book, "BLUE NOTE: Uncompromising Expression."  For more information about the collection and how to order, go to www.astellnkern.com/eng/htm/ak240/ak240_bluenote.asp.

The collection spans BLUE NOTE’s storied history, from THELONIOUS MONK's first sessions in 1947 to GRAMMY-winning jazz phenomenon GREGORY PORTER's "Liquid Spirit." Each album, in high resolution on a microSD card, in an acrylic glass case with original album artwork stacked in a decorative tower that can be placed next to your home system for display.  The 75 albums are pre-loaded on the included ASTELL&KERN AK240 high-resolution audio player, revealing every detail heard on the original analog masters.

Last night at the CAPITOL studios in HOLLYWOOD, the box set package was previewed at a private event for invited music industry executives and journalists.

BLUE NOTE President DON WAS recalled a life-changing experience while a student at UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, hearing WAYNE SHORTER's "Speak No Evil," before introducing the box set. “Our good friends at ASTELL&KERN -- a company that respects authenticity, fidelity and artistry -- are a perfect complement to the BLUE NOTE aesthetic. With the advent of their new MQS Hi Fi Audio Players, aficionados can now experience these classic recordings just like the musicians originally did. We are proud to make our most treasured recordings available in this manner.”

HENRY PARK, CEO of IRIVER, the parent company of ASTELL&KERN, added, “The BLUE NOTE RECORDS catalog of jazz is the perfect showcase for high resolution audio.  The ASTELL&KERN line of portable high-resolution audio players were designed to showcase the range of instruments in these musical genres.  Now, everyone can listen to these new and classic albums the way they were meant to be heard, how the artist and engineer intended them to be heard.”

Also on hand for the event was UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP Head of Strategic Operations BARAK MOFFITT, who spoke on the new digital technology that enabled the box set to be put together.

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