Kenny Cox & The Contemporary Jazz Quintet – Multidirection: Third Man 313 Series (180g Vinyl LP)

Third Man / Blue Note Records 313 Series Reissue of Kenny Cox and the Contemporary Jazz Quintet’s Multidirection on 180g LP. All-Analog Remaster from the Original Master Tapes. Lacquers Cut in the Studio on a Neumann VMS-70 Cutting Lathe.

Detroit has a long tradition of being the farm team for the Big Apple jazz big leagues, but just as important is the acknowledgement of local stars who left their mark on the city by staying and releasing amazing music in Detroit. Kenny Cox and the Contemporary Jazz Quintet is one such group that could have, and definitely should have, had a wider audience in their day, but their recorded legacy continues to grow in estimation. A comprehensive group with no weak links the band featured Kenny Cox on piano, Leon Henderson on tenor saxophone, Charles Moore on trumpet, Ron Brooks on bass, and Danny Spencer on drums. The compositions and playing on Multidirection show the incredible talent and innovation that was brewing in Detroit before, during and after Motown locked its doors in the Motor City. Moore and Cox composed all the material on this record, which Cox described as “more of an orchestral-type effort than just a combo per se,” in the original liner notes by Nat Hentoff. Often the best albums shine brightest as a whole with new dimensions to discover during each listen. This exciting first-ever vinyl reissue is certain to provide the listening experience with the best possible platform.

313 Series

Detroit has long held a shared respect with New York; a similar outlook on authenticity. Tough to describe, but you know it when you see it. Third Man Records and Blue Note Records share this respect and also a commitment to integrity regarding the musical legacies they support that extends to the collaboration happening on the 313 Series partnership. The five unique albums from the Blue Note catalog chosen for limited edition re-release by Blue Note Records President and Detroiter Don Was represent the best of the Motor City; innovative sounds, incredible playing and that inexplicable something you know is real.

For an undertaking like this you have to walk the extra mile. The original tapes were sent to Third Man’s Detroit mastering and pressing facility where their extensive all analog re-mastering process ensured that the albums delivered live up to the tradition they are part of. The Third Man Records team’s commitment to audio purity means no corners can be cut; sound and mastering engineer Warren Defever’s goal being to provide the closest possible approximation of the magic found on the original master’s tape brought to your living room. From the lacquers cut in the studio on the Neumann VMS-70 Cutting Lathe to the 180 gram vinyl pressed across the hall, every step of the process is tested in the facilities against exacting standards. That’s the Detroit way and the reason why the musical legacy from the 313 area code remains beloved around the world.

Kenny Cox – piano

Charles Moore – trumpet

Danny Spencer – Drums

Ron Brooks  – Bass

Leon Henderson – Tenor Sax

Recorded at GM Recording Studio – East Detroit, MI 1969 by Jim Bruzzese

A1: Spellbound
A2: Snuck In
A3: Sojourn
B1: Multidirection
B2: What Other One
B3: Gravity Point