New Land

John Wright and his trio of Wendell Marshall and J.C. Heard embody the soulful Chicago sound of the early 1960s. New Land are honoured to be able to present this stunning record for the first time globally since it’s initial release. Mastered directly from the original tapes by Kevin Gray and housed in deluxe reverse-board packaging, featuring a photographic print with a previously unseen image of Wright from the South Side Story photo sessions by Esmond Edwards. This is a must have for any collection.

Truly one of the most underrated pianists of the early 1960s, who’s run of albums on Prestige have gained in stature over the years. Mixing a blend of soulful hard bop with a swinging Chicago edge, these recordings are to be treasured.

His last album for Prestige was released in 1965 (having been recorded in ’61) before Wright disappeared into obscurity, performing on the Chicago club scene and working as a librarian at the Cook County Jail, Chicago from the mid-1980s until 1999. Nice ’N’ Tasty was his second release for Prestige and a sublime collection of songs. Including four originals, the set was engineered by the great Rudy Van Gelder and supervised by Esmond Edwards.