Kind Of Blue: A Reggae Interpretation By Jeremy Taylor
Back in 2009 the admirable Secret Stash Records (a cool label out of Minneapolis along the same lines as Numero Group) began working with the Jeremy Taylor estate, a music professor at NYU, to dust off this collection and breath new life into it via a blue vinyl-only release.
In the spring of 1981 a group of reggae studio musicians from Jamaica gathered in New York City under the direction of Jeremy Taylor, a music professor at NYU at that time. The result was this Reggae Interpretation of Kind of Blue.
Unfortunately, weeks after directing the sessions Taylor passed away in his Paris hotel room while on a speaking tour of Europe. A final mix of the album was never made and it was never released. Collectors have long spoken of this album and in the late 80s lo-fi cassette tapes of rough mixes circulated. No official release was ever issued until now.
The final release of the album has both final mixes on side-A and dub versions on side-B. A Reggae Interpretation Of Kind Of Blue is the result of their efforts. Here’s a sample for your listening pleasure: