Blue Note Records Announces 'Blue Note Re:imagined II'

Blue Note Re:imagined returns in 2022 with a new 16-track compilation featuring fresh takes on music from the illustrious Blue Note Records vaults recorded by a heavyweight line-up of the UK jazz, soul, and R&B scene's most hotly-tipped rising stars.

Arriving off the back of the widespread international success of the first volume, which topped jazz charts around the globe, Blue Note Re:imagined II once again infuses the spirit of the new UK jazz generation into the legendary label's iconic catalog, balancing the genre's tradition with its future and reflecting the melting pot of talent and diversity within the current scene.

The first track to be released is South London vocalist Ego Ella May's reimagining of visionary drummer Chico Hamilton's "The Morning Side Of Love," which first appeared on Hamilton's 1975 Blue Note album Peregrinations. Mirroring the understated, laid-back groove of the original while showcasing Ella May's arresting vocals.

"For more than eight decades the artists of Blue Note Records have continually pushed the envelope of contemporary music," said Blue Note President Don Was. "Blue Note Re:imagined II once again honors that legacy by letting the UK's most creative young artists reinvent the treasures of the Blue Note catalog through their own lens."

Additional tracks on the album will include funk-pop duo Franc Moody's version of Donald Byrd's "Cristo Redentor," fast-emerging vocalist Cherise's take on Norah Jones' "Sunrise," Maya Delilah covering Neil Young's "Harvest Moon," which was recorded by Cassandra Wilson on her 1995 Blue Note album New Moon Daughter, Birmingham-born pianist Reuben James' reimagining of Wayne Shorter's ballad "Infant Eyes," London tuba player and Sons of Kemet member Theon Cross with a version of Thelonious Monk's composition "Epistrophy," and 9-piece afro-jazz outfit Nubiyan Twist's fresh spin on Donald Byrd's "Through The Noise (Chant 2)."

Blue Note is celebrated almost as much for its visionary album art as for its legendary recordings. Designer for the Blue Note Re:imagined campaign Jay Vaz said "The Blue Note Re:imagined identity explores an abstract graphic notation score, aiming to represent the exciting energy and diverse range of artists that the new wave of jazz offers. The LP cover pays homage to a selection of legendary Reid Miles covers [in particular, Jackie McLean - It's Time] that I felt perfectly executed the energy of this compilation."

Additional singles will be released across the coming weeks. The full Blue Note Re:imagined II album will be released on September 30, 2022.

Listen to the new single here:

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