The Essentials: Record Store Day 2020 (October Edition)
Photo by Surya Urs via Unsplash
October's Record Store Day festivities are upon us and the drops span the gamut of genres, eras, and regions.
Closing in on the penultimate installation of this year's sprawled-out, three-turned-four-part Record Store Day 2020 celebration, somehow there are still quite a few exclusive drops for both novice and seasoned collectors slated for the remaining couple of segments.
On the heels of the first two editions of the year (both of which went a long way in boosting an ailing vinyl market at large,) October's Record Store Day run is one for ears with a broad palette. From synth pioneers reworking the compositions of soul icons to legendary studio bands interpolating Fab Four classics to the recently unearthed sessions of jazz giants to modern masterpieces refit with limited edition cover art to must-cop compilations and well beyond, there's plenty of heat in this month's haul.
You can comb through our picks for October's batch of Record Store Day 2020 exclusives below. Tune in next month for one more run through the crates. For those that missed out on the drops of previous months, there could still be some leftovers out there. Jump back to our lists for August and September to aid your pursuit.
Jimmy Giuffre - Graz 1961 (2xLP)
Quantity: 1,000
Jazz nerds take heed, a rare live performance from Jimmy Giuffre is getting its first-ever pressing. Recorded in Austria in 1961, Giuffre, backed by Paul Bley on piano and Steve Swallow on the upright, the show is an early glimpse at the genre's break from standards and its heady improv-leaning future.
Dexter Gordon - The Squirrel: Live at Montmarte '67 (2xLP)
Quantity: 1,500
This cross-pond outing from the mighty Dexter Gordon is making its debut on wax. High-flying, spirited, and a perfect accompaniment to loungeful nights in the pandemic era, The Squirrel deserves a look, at the very least, from anyone trying to round-out their live jazz archive.
Hugo Montenegro - Hugo In Wonderland (LP)
Quantity: 1,200
Back on wax for the first time since its initial release in 1974, Hugo Montenegro's reworks timeless selections from Stevie Wonder's catalog on the aptly-titled Hugo in Wonderland. Equipped with new cover art and some, frankly, brilliant moments of Moog mastery, you'll want to grab a copy while you can, whether for sample research or merely general enjoyment.
Booker T. & The M.G.'s - McLemore Avenue (LP)
Quantity: 2,500
The originators of Memphis Soul, and a sturdy backbone of "The Stax Sound," Booker T. & The M.G.'s took a hard left with this collection of Fab Four recalibrations in 1970. In commemoration of its 50th-anniversary, the album is being reissued on wax with an all-analog remaster culled from the original tapes.
Miles Davis - Double Image: Rare Miles from The Bitches Brew Sessions (2xLP)
Quantity: 6,000
One of the more abundant pressings on October's list, this collection of demos, outtakes, and alternate versions of songs from the jazz giant's seminal Bitches Brew sessions is the first standalone release of the material. And it's arriving in a spiffy translucent red pressing.
Sumy - "Funkin' In Your Mind" (12" 45)
Quantity: 1,500
A cerebral, proto-boogie-rap gem with all shades of dance-floor appeal, Sumy's slept-on 1982 single is returning to wax with a properly electric blue pressing set in a 12-inch frame, featuring both the radio and extended edits of the track.
Tear Da Club Up Thugs (Three 6 Mafia) - CrazyNDaLazDayz (2xLP)
Quantity: 1,000
Disguised as a compilation from "Tear Da Club Up Thugs," CrazyNDaLazDayz is essentially the fourth studio album from Three 6 Mafia. The 24-track project was initially a regional release from the Memphis rap legends with contributions from a number of affiliates. This double-LP pressing is the project's first appearance on wax and holds a grip of early club anthems from the group, including "Throw Your Sets" and "Slob On My Nob."
Freddie Gibbs and Madlib - Piñata : The 1974 Version (LP)
Quantity: 2,000
The MadGibbs era-starter is back on the shelves with a spiffy new cover from Quasimoto artist Jeff Jank and Pathetic Pixels. Originally released in 2014 as a double-LP, this version of the album is condensed to a single disc and fit with new art inspired by the iconic Blaxploitation films that line its interludes.
Various Artists - The Rough Guide to Brazilian Psychedelia (LP)
Quantity: 1,000
World Music Network's long-running and essential The Rough Guide To... compilation series returns this month with a focus on Brazil's oft-unheralded hand in the proliferation of psychedelic funk, soul, and rock. Charting the mind-alterations through the decades, the comp features selections from the last 50 years of lush and lucid releases, including criminally overlooked selections from Jose Mauro, Piry Reis, Jupiter Maca, Mopho, and more.
Music Makers Band - You Can Be (Now-Again Records Edition)
Quantity: Subscription-based
As they tend to do, Now-Again Records is offering a first life to the previously-unreleased album from a Macon-based funk and disco outfit. Formerly known as The Mighty Chevelles, whose lone studio album, Black Gold, has become a gaudily-priced grail in the years since its 1977 release, Music Makers Band's unheard sophomore project is only available through Now-Again's deluxe vinyl subscription service. And there's no time like now to sign up for the gift that gives all year long.
