Craft Recordings is excited to reveal its titles for Record Store Day 2025. This year’s lineup—available at participating independent music retailers on April 12—includes seven exclusive releases across several genres, including jazz, salsa, rock and soul. Many of these albums come in limited-edition vinyl colors exclusive to Record Store Day.
Among the much-anticipated releases: Gerry Mulligan and Thelonious Monk’s exceptional Mulligan Meets Monk (in rare mono mix), Celia Cruz and Willie Colón’s seminal Only They Could Have Made This Album, a collection of alternate takes from Vince Guaraldi Trio’s legendary Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown and a rare release of Attack of the Killer B-Sides EP from hardcore band A Day to Remember.
Other highlights include the exclusive release of Jazz Dispensary: Night Lights (featuring treasures from Prestige Records’ storied Moodsville imprint), as well as the vinyl debut of Sweet Sweetheart, from Stax Records queen Carla Thomas, and a 25th-anniversary pressing of Collective Soul’s rock stand-out, Blender.
Scroll down for a detailed look into each release.
***
Jazz Dispensary: Night Lights (1-LP, Midnight Blue Vinyl)
The new compilation from Jazz Dispensary collects cuts from Prestige Records’ imprint Moodsville, featuring hauntingly beautiful late-night tunes from multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef, guitarist Kenny Burrell, saxophonists Coleman Hawkins and Gene Ammons, and many more. The smoke-hued blue vinyl befits the album’s enchanting sonic landscape, complimented by original artwork from acclaimed illustrator Liam Cobb.
Evoking the feeling of a warm cup of diner coffee on a cold, sleepless winter night in the city, Night Lights takes listeners on a long stroll that kicks off with Willis Jackson’s nostalgic contemplation “Home,” complimented by the warm hug of bookend “What’s New” from Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis (which features the oft-forgotten, prolific organist and bandleader Shirley Scott). At its center, the new collection also features the silky motifs of Yusef Lateef’s “Don’t Blame Me,” the understated confidence of Kenny Burrell’s six-string meditation “No More,” Coleman Hawkins’ “When the Day Is Done” (which sooths like a much-needed salve), and Gene Ammons’ tableau of contentment, “Under a Blanket of Blue” — among many other timeless Moodsville cuts.
Jazz Dispensary serves as a treasure trove for Craft Recordings’ stash of gems, deep cuts, and mind-expanding experimentations from the ’60s and ’70s. The label’s compilations have become a celebrated Record Store Day tradition, earning rapturous reviews from outlets such as Under the Radar (“You are in for an absolute treat”) and Goldmine (“a…blossoming collection of remastered reissues).”
Jazz Dispensary: Night Lights, arrives on midnight blue vinyl and is limited to 4,400 copies.
Jazz Dispensary: Night Lights Tracklist:
Side A
1. Willis Jackson – Home
2. The Frank Wess Quartet – It’s So Peaceful in the Country
3. Arnett Cobb – Hurry Home
4. Lem Winchester – To Love and Be Loved
5. Coleman Hawkins – When Day Is Done
6. Kenny Burrell – No More
Side B
1. Gene Ammons – Under a Blanket of Blue
2. Clark Terry – This Is Always
3. Yusef Lateef – Don’t Blame Me
4. Red Garland Trio – I Heard You Cried Last Night
5. Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis feat. Shirley Scott – What’s New
Gerry Mulligan and Thelonious Monk – Mulligan Meets Monk (1-LP, Black Vinyl)
An exclusive edition of the rare mono mix, Mulligan Meets Monk was originally released on Riverside Records in 1957 and met with great intrigue. At the time, Thelonious Monk was just making his name, while Gerry Mulligan was firmly ensconced in the jazz world. This collaboration thrillingly entwined their very different approaches, dazzling critics and fans alike.
At heart, Mulligan Meets Monk is a study in contrasts, with Mulligan’s bright, smooth sax playing off Monk’s edgier piano (and vice versa), all grounded by the rhythm section of bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Shadow Wilson. “Mulligan enjoys himself,” Jazzwise wrote, “and his improvising style fits well with Monk’s backing, recalling again the pianist’s roots in the swing era.”
The more unforgettable tracks include the dexterous “’Round Midnight” (co-written by Monk), a breathless delight of an album opener, and the slyly corkscrewing “Straight, No Chaser” (a Mulligan composition) — proving Mulligan Meets Monk can indeed be all things at once. “The program, which includes four compositions by Monk and one by Mulligan, is unassailable,” AllMusic enthused. “This top-notch session — with its great tunes, chemistry, and soloing — is a true classic.”
This mono edition is pressed on 180-gram black vinyl at RTI and limited to 3,400 copies. It features lacquers cut from the original tapes (AAA) by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and comes in a tip-on jacket.
Mulligan Meets Monk Tracklist:
Side A
1. ’Round Midnight
2. Rhythm-a-ning
3. Sweet and Lovely
Side B
1. Decidedly
2. Straight, No Chaser
3. I Mean You
Celia Cruz and Willie Colón – Only They Could Have Made This Album (1-LP, Black Vinyl)
The title of the first Willie Colón and Celia Cruz duet album was telling: With her unmistakably powerful vocals and his production perfectionism, it’s a release that could never have come to life without this momentous collaboration.
The 1977 album found the Queen of Salsa at the top of her game, while Colón at the top of his, as a trombonist and wildly talented producer. With Colón as producer, Celia was able to express a different side of her vocal bravado, aided by the many shades and colors of his extensive musical palette.
There is something for everyone here. Only They Could Have Made This Album’s timeless opener, “Usted abusó” (a cover previously made famous by Brazilian singer Maria Creuza), leaves the original song’s melody intact, while introducing a salsa beat and new lyrics in Spanish. It’s still one of the most popular tracks on the album. The gut-wrenching bolero “Plazos traicioneros” (a classic cover written by Cuban composer Luis Marquetti) is a melancholic tearjerker that evokes a time past, framed by velvety touches of bongos and strings. Meanwhile, “A Papá,” written by Puerto Rican Latin jazz icon Mon Rivera, is the opposite of both: a life-affirming dancefloor-ready cut beamed from the tropics. There’s also the inspiring “Todos somos iguales” (We Are All The Same) with a sobering lesson on religious tolerance, and the traditional merengue “Pun pun catalú" composed by Johnny Pacheco.
AllMusic once said of their collaborations: “A Celia Cruz/Willie Colón collaboration is to salseros what a Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell duet is to soul lovers.”
This edition, limited to 1,200 copies, is pressed on 180-gram black vinyl at MRP and comes in a standard single-pocket jacket. The lacquers were cut from the original master tapes (AAA) by Dave Polster and Clint Holley at Well Made Music, and the reissue celebrates Celia Cruz’s Centennial.
Only They Could Have Made This Album Tracklist:
Side A
1. Usted abusó
2. A Papá
3. Plazos traicioneros
4. Pun pun catalú
5. Zambúllete
Side B
1. Tu y las nubes
2. Todos somos iguales
3. Dulce habanera
4. Rinkinkalla
5. Burundanga
Vince Guaraldi Trio – Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown (Alternate Takes) (1-LP, Sky Blue Color Vinyl)
The original album which introduced the world to Vince Guaraldi’s iconic “Linus and Lucy,” Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown (Alternate Takes) features new and unreleased alternate takes of songs from the original recording sessions.
Jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi was recruited to compose the soundtrack to A Boy Named Charlie Brown, a TV documentary about the cartoon and its creator Charles M. Schulz. That doc would never be aired — although its album would be, by Fantasy Records in 1964 — and its appeal, including its music, would inspire A Charlie Brown Christmas a year later.
The influence of Guaraldi’s music and the trio’s performance, would live on for generations, particularly in what would become his most recognizable song, the plucky “Linus and Lucy.” To that end, Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown, which has amassed glowing reviews over the years, even hit No.20 on Billboard’s soundtracks chart in 2015.
Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown (Alternate Takes) features two alternate versions of “Linus and Lucy,” including an early studio test, as well as outtakes of “Oh, Good Grief,” the charming ode to fellow (albeit animated) pianist “Schroeder,” the sweepingly carefree “Baseball Theme” and more. “It’s not a children’s album,” All About Jazz pointed out, “but rather a top-notch series of breezy jazz treatments.”
This edition is pressed on sky-blue vinyl, limited to 3,400 copies, and mixed and mastered from the original analog sources by GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer Paul Blakemore. The lacquers were cut by Matthew Lutthans at Cohearent Audio.
Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown (Alternate Takes) Tracklist:
Side A
1. Linus and Lucy (Studio Test)
2. Linus and Lucy (Take 3)
3. Happiness Theme (Happiness Is) (Take 4)
4. Pebble Beach (Take 7)
5. Baseball Theme (Take 1)
6. Oh, Good Grief (Take 1)
7. Schroeder (Take 3)
8. Baseball Theme (Take 2)
9. Oh, Good Grief (Take 1 / Later Session)
Side B
1. Schroeder (Take 2)
2. Blues for Peanuts
3. Charlie Brown Theme (Take 4)
4. Blue Charlie Brown (Take 1)
5. Frieda (With the Naturally Curly Hair) (Take 1)
Carla Thomas – Sweet Sweetheart (1-LP, Translucent Light Blue Color Vinyl)
As Stax Records’ most hit-making woman, Carla Thomas was also referred to as the Queen of Memphis Soul. Her 1970 American Sound Studio recording session, produced by country music’s Chips Moman (famous for his work with Elvis), is significant for fusing her soul roots with just enough country, to great effect. This also happens to be Sweet Sweetheart’s vinyl debut, 55 years after it was recorded.
On this album, which wasn’t released in any form until its CD release in 2013, Thomas transforms many tracks from other popular songwriters of the time—James Taylor, Bee Gees, Gerry Goffin, Carole King, and more—into a wholly unique sound. The album’s first single “Hi De Ho (That Old Sweet Roll)” is a slowed-down King/Goffin track, its pop veneer mingled with warm, soulful vocals. James Taylor’s earthy “Country Road” becomes a beat-driven celebration of freedom. And the Bee Gee’s “To Love Somebody” is a lingering, intimate testament to heartbreak.
AllMusic referred to Sweet Sweetheart, following its 2013 CD release, as “a clean, pure, progressive soul record that belongs to its time.”
Sweet Sweetheart comes to vinyl as a limited-edition translucent light blue pressing, limited to 1,200 copies.
Sweet Sweetheart Tracklist:
Side A
1. Country Road
2. I Loved You Like I Love My Very Life
3. I’m Gettin’ Closer to You
4. To Love Somebody
5. Hi De Ho (That Old Sweet Roll)
6. Heaven Help the Non-Believer
Side B
1. Heavy Load
2. Sweet Sweetheart
3. I Think I Love You Again
4. Everything Is Beautiful
5. I’m Gettin’ Closer to You (Version 2)
A Day to Remember – Attack of the Killer B-Sides (45-RPM, Neon Orange Vinyl)
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of A Day to Remember’s Attack of the Killer B-Sides, Craft Recordings is releasing the trailblazing hardcore band’s four-song EP in limited-edition form. Since their formation in 2003, A Day to Remember quietly emerged as arguably the biggest underground band in the world. The Florida group affirmed this status by achieving one Platinum album, two Gold albums, one Platinum single and four Gold singles.
The 2010 EP effortlessly combines two of the band’s singles with a pair of covers. The originals are comprised of the escapist, fist-in-the-air anthem “Right Where You Want Me to Be” and the thrashier lament “Another Song About the Weekend,” while the covers see the band’s angstier take on Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone” and more caffeinated, rousing version of the Fray’s “Over My Head (Cable Car).”
The expanse of music covered in such a short EP is no surprise for the Billboard-topping A Day to Remember. Writes AllMusic, “A Day to Remember draws from a wide array of genres including emo, pop-punk, hardcore, and heavy metal — affectionately referred to by their fans as ‘pop mosh.’”
This 10" pressing of Attack of the Killer B-Sides is cut at 45 RPM on neon orange vinyl and is limited to 2,000 copies.
Attack of the Killer B-Sides Tracklist:
Side A
1. Right Where You Want Me to Be
2. Since U Been Gone
Side B
1. Another Song About the Weekend
2. Over My Head (Cable Car)
Collective Soul — Blender (1-LP, Translucent Cobalt Vinyl)
This release from alt-rockers Collective Soul commemorates the 25th anniversary of their hook-heavy album Blender. Released in 2000, it marked nearly a decade of meteoric rise for the Georgia-based rock band. The album saw Collective Soul harnessing rock’s mainstream appeal while weaving in elements of pop, industrial and beyond to expand their sound.
Here, the band leads with metal and industrial influences, starting with the doomed romance of “Why Pt.2,” their Mainstream Rock-charting single. Wrote Rolling Stone, “Collective Soul excel at making you pay homage to the Mount Rushmore-like solidity of rock stripped to hard-hitting essentials.”
However, the band made sure to balance the loud with the more ruminative, yielding fan favorites “Vent” and “After All.” But Collective Soul’s most surprising offering on Blender comes from the levitating, oohing “Perfect Day,” which includes vocals and piano by Sir Elton John. Wrote Entertainment Weekly about Blender, “Soul controller Ed Roland displays an effortless knack for pop formula.”
This exclusive release of Blender features translucent cobalt vinyl and is pressed in a run of 3,000 copies.
Blender Tracklist:
Side A
1. Skin
2. Vent
3. Why Pt.2
4. 10 Yrs Later
5. Boast
6. Turn Around
Side B
1. You Speak My Language
2. Perfect Day
3. After All
4. Over Tokyo
5. Happiness
