Ashby, Dorothy: The Rubaiyat Of Dorothy Ashby (Verve By Request) LP

Verve Records/UMe and Third Man Records have partnered to resurrect the popular reissue series, Verve By Request, with a vinyl twist. Focusing on rare gems and fan-requested jazz albums from the Verve Label Group's stable of iconic labels, the series will offer two titles per month – each hand-picked by Verve and Third Man Records. The records will include both long-out-of-print titles from the vault as well as the first-ever vinyl pressings for albums released in the ‘90s and aughts that were only originally released on CD. The Rubaiyat Of Dorothy Ashby, released on Cadet Records in 1970, is a wonderous mix of spiritual and funky jazz with unique instrumentation that defies categorization. Harpist Dorothy Ashby adds the koto, a 13-string Japanese instrument, to her arsenal and her longtime arranger Richard Evans blends flutes, vibraphone, oboe, kalimba and Ashby's own vocals into a singular, soul-affirming set. Albums will be newly remastered from original analog sources, when available, and pressed on audiophile-quality, 180-gram vinyl at Third Man Pressing in Detroit.