Omnivore Recordings have announced their offerings for the upcoming Record Store Day/Black Friday on Friday, November 26th, including two new vinyl releases: Art Pepper’s Promise Kept: The Artists House Recordings on four vinyl LPs, and reggae band Gladiators’ 1983 — The Nighthawk E.P. on translucent yellow vinyl with opaque green and red splatter.
Regarding the background behind Art Pepper: Promise Kept: The Artists House Recordings, Producer John Snyder booked West Coast jazz saxophonist Art Pepper into a week at the Village Vanguard in New York. At the time, Pepper was under contract to Contemporary Records, and label head Les Koenig decided he would record the gigs, quashing any notion Snyder had of doing the same. However, Art promised Snyder that he’d record an album for Snyder’s label, Artists House, at some point down the road and together they wound up making four albums. This release brings these recordings to vinyl for the first time in more than 25 years, including So in Love, Artworks, New York Album, and Stardust. They have been recreated in their original form, remastered by Grammy winner Michael Graves and recut by Jeff Powell.
Regarding Gladiators: 1983 The Nighthawk E.P., Gladiators were founded by Albert Griffiths in 1968 after he experienced positive reactions to his early solo singles. After a string of successful hits, including “Roots Natty,” “Bongo Red,” and “Jah Jah Go Before Us”, they were signed to Virgin Records where they cut Trenchtown Mix Up, recording new versions of their early hits. Roots reggae underwent a decline in popularity during the ’80s, but it was a busy decade for the Gladiators. They recorded 11 albums during the decade, including three for the U.S. reggae and blues label Nighthawk Records (now owned by Omnivore Recordings). Now, nearly four decades later, the six-track Nighthawk E.P. returns on vinyl. While the original was issued on clear vinyl, the new version for Record Store Day Black Friday will be available on translucent yellow vinyl with opaque green and red splatter, in a four-color, die-cut sleeve.
