Original Jazz Classics Starter Guide: 5 Essential Albums

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If you have spent any time digging through jazz bins, you have seen the letters OJC on a spine. Original Jazz Classics is one of the most important reissue series in jazz, and it is back with new all analog vinyl pressings. This starter guide explains what OJC is, where the music comes from, how the relaunch works and which albums to buy first.

What Original Jazz Classics is

According to Concord's announcement of the relaunch, Original Jazz Classics was first launched in 1982 under Fantasy Records and presented more than 850 jazz albums over three decades. It served as a home for Fantasy's huge jazz catalog, which had grown to include thousands of titles from Prestige, Galaxy, Milestone, Riverside, Debut, Contemporary, Jazzland and Pablo.

Fantasy had its own place in jazz history. Concord notes that the Bay Area label began in 1949 with its very first signing, Dave Brubeck, and was also home to Cal Tjader, Gerry Mulligan and Vince Guaraldi.

In the 1980s and 1990s, OJC became the go to imprint for jazz reissues on vinyl, CD and cassette. The releases kept their original cover art and liner notes, which is a big part of their appeal. They felt like the real thing.

The relaunch

In 2023, Craft Recordings brought the series back. The relaunch titles share a consistent recipe, as described by Craft and Concord:

• All analog mastering (AAA) from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio.
• 180 gram vinyl pressed at RTI.
• Replica tip-on jackets modeled on the originals.
• 192/24 HD digital reissues for the launch titles.

Craft's president Sig Sigworth said in the announcement that the series' popularity and iconic status had endured decades and many audio formats, and that the goal was for longtime fans to rediscover these titles and to introduce them to a new generation of jazz listeners. Craft's own news post on the relaunch has more detail.

Five essential albums to start with

Miles Davis Quintet, Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet

Workin' was one of the first two titles in the relaunched series. Concord explains that it comes from Miles Davis' Prestige sessions with Rudy Van Gelder and captures his First Great Quintet at its peak, with Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, Philly Joe Jones on drums and John Coltrane on tenor saxophone. The group was assembled in 1955, and between November 1955 and October 1956 it recorded three marathon sessions that produced five albums for Prestige. Workin', released in 1960, mixes standards, originals like Davis' Four and Coltrane's Trane's Blues, and a trio number, Ahmad's Blues.

Miles Davis Quintet, Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet

From the same sessions, released in 1958. It is the band at ease, playing tunes like If I Were a Bell and Oleo. Read our full look at Relaxin' for the lineup and tracklist.

Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane

Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane was the second relaunch title. Concord sets the scene: by the mid 1950s Monk had signed with Riverside Records and secured a six month residency at the Five Spot Café, and Coltrane joined him there. The session was captured in July 1957 and includes Monk classics such as Trinkle, Tinkle, Monk's Mood and Epistrophy, played by trios, quartets and septets with Art Blakey, Wilbur Ware, Gigi Gryce and Coleman Hawkins. Coltrane later said that working with Monk brought him close to a musical architect of the highest order.

Bill Evans Trio, Waltz for Debby

Bill Evans was among the artists Concord named for upcoming OJC reissues, and Waltz for Debby followed in July 2023. Craft calls it the fourth and final album by one of the most influential groups in jazz history, released in 1962 as a companion to Sunday at the Village Vanguard. It is the perfect late night record. See our full post on Waltz for Debby.

Vince Guaraldi Trio, A Charlie Brown Christmas

Vince Guaraldi was one of Fantasy's own artists. Craft says A Charlie Brown Christmas shares the title of best selling jazz album in history, built on Guaraldi's compositions for the PEANUTS television special. It is a gentle, warm way to bring jazz to listeners of any age. Read more in our post on A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Do not feel you need to start with the most famous titles. Part of the fun of a label catalog like this is following a sideman from one record to the next, and the personnel listed on each jacket make that easy to do.

How to collect OJC

• Start with the bands you already know. Miles, Monk, Coltrane and Evans are the gateway.
• Follow the labels. Once you know you love Prestige or Riverside, the OJC catalog opens up quickly.
• Look for the series name. New relaunch pressings are labeled as part of the Original Jazz Classics Series on Craft's product pages.
• Explore beyond. Different labels had very different sounds. Compare OJC with our Blue Note starter guide and our ECM starter guide.

For more label guides and records worth owning, browse our vinyl guides.