Record Store Day 2026 Jazz Releases

Many vinyl enthusiasts get excited when the Record Store Day lists appear, and understandably so: most of the titles are limited-run pressings that can disappear quickly once the doors open. The only drawback, however, is that the lists can be overwhelming to sort through, often spanning multiple pages and covering releases across a wide range of genres.

Record Store Day always features jazz to some degree. Sometimes there are more available titles than at other times, and Record Store Day 2026 offers an especially strong lineup. This year's jazz titles range from major archival discoveries and carefully restored historical recordings to classic reissues and cutting-edge experimental projects. To help navigate the flood of releases, the following guide highlights a selection of jazz titles scheduled for Record Store Day on April 18, 2026.

As always, Record Store Day titles are available on a first-come, first-served basis so availability will vary by store. The official list is also subject to change, meaning some titles may appear or disappear as the date approaches. Still, whether you're searching for rare live recordings, long-awaited reissues, or simply exploring something new, there is plenty here worth digging for.

Roy Ayers 
Daddy Bug
Nature Sounds
Quantity: 1,500

Daddy Bug was the third and final studio album Roy Ayers recorded for Atlantic, released in 1969, one year before he formed the groundbreaking band Ubiquity. Like previous Record Store Day reissues, Virgo Vibes and Stoned Soul Picnic, Herbie Mann  produced the album, which features an impressive lineup of sidemen, including Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Hubert Laws, Sonny Sharrock, Bruno Carr and Freddie Waits. For Record Store Day 2026, Daddy Bug returns to vinyl on a limited yellow pressing.

Chet Baker  
Live in Japan 1987 (Fukui Vol. 1)
Spin This Now! 
Quantity: 1,000

Spin This Now! is issuing two volumes from a 1987 Chet Baker  concert recorded in Fukui, Japan. While these performances have circulated previously on CD, this Record Store Day release marks their first appearance on vinyl. The session features Baker along with Harold Danko  on piano, Hein van de Geyn on bass and John Engels on drums, delivering a warm late-period set that includes signature repertoire such as "My Funny Valentine." Spin This Now! is releasing both volumes on blue vinyl.

Chet Baker
Live in Japan 1987 (Fukui Vol. 2)
Spin This Now!
Quantity: 1,000

The second volume from the same 1987 Fukui City performance continues Baker's late-career collaboration with pianist Harold Danko and his trio. Like its companion release, the set highlights Baker's understated lyricism and relaxed swing in an intimate live setting. This edition arrives on deep-blue vinyl for Record Store Day.

Bruford 
Feels Good to Me
Culture Factory 
Quantity: 1,000

Although Bill Bruford  is primarily known for his work in progressive rock, most notably with Yes  and King Crimson , his appreciation for jazz is evident throughout his career. Feels Good to Me, his first solo album, features an impressive lineup including Allan Holdsworth  on guitar, Jeff Berlin  on bass, Dave Stewart on keyboards and Kenny Kenny Wheeler  on flugelhorn. Guest appearances by Annette Peacock  on vocals and John Goodsall   on guitar add further depth. This deluxe Record Store Day edition includes an OBI strip, printed inner sleeve, and crystal-clear blue vinyl.

James Carter, Cyrus Chestnut, Ali Jackson & Reginald Veal 
Gold Sounds: A Jazz Tribute to Pavement
Modern Harmonic
Quantity: 1,000

Pavement emerged in the late 1980s as one of indie rock's most distinctive voices. While their music might seem far removed from jazz, saxophonist James Carter  and his collaborators find surprising connections. Joined by Cyrus Chestnut on piano, Ali Jackson  on drums and Reginald Veal  on bass, Carter reimagines Pavement's songs through a jazz lens that ranges from adventurous, near-avant-garde explorations to more melodic grooves. Previously issued on CD, Gold Sounds now makes its vinyl debut as an expanded double LP pressed on gold-colored vinyl, with liner notes by Jim Allen and updated artwork by Steve Keene.

Ray Charles
Ray Charles Live in Concert
Tangerine Records
Quantity: 900

Ray Charles Live in Concert is an expanded reissue of the popular ABC-Paramount album originally released in 1965. An expanded CD version appeared in 2011 and received a five-star review on All About Jazz. The Ray Charles Foundation supervised this release, and this Record Store Day edition presents the complete 75-minute concert on vinyl for the first time as a remastered double LP, pressed on tangerine-colored vinyl and accompanied by a lithograph reproduction of the original concert poster. 

Don Cherry 
Blue Lake
 Charly Records
Quantity: 1,000

Don Cherry 's Blue Lake returns to print after decades of scarcity. Originally released only in Japan in 1974, the album has long been a collector's item in the United States, with original pressings commanding high prices. Though Cherry is best known as a jazz innovator, the music here leans strongly toward global influences, reflecting his deep engagement with world music traditions.

This first official reissue from Charly Records and BYG Records presents the recording as a deluxe double-LP gatefold edition, restored and remastered from the original master tapes. Recorded live in Paris on April 22, 1971, with Johnny Dyani  and Okay Temiz , the set also includes new liner notes by Kevin Le Gendre.

John Coltrane 
The Tiberi Tapes: A Preview of the Mystic Recordings
Verve/Impulse! 
Quantity: 6,000

Frank Tiberi  is an accomplished saxophonist, educator, and devoted John Coltrane  admirer who spent much of the early 1960s recording Coltrane performances whenever possible. Decades later, those tapes were transferred to CD, eventually totaling 86 discs of previously unheard live recordings captured between 1961 and 1965. The material documents Coltrane's evolution during one of the most transformative periods of his career, including performances by the classic quartet as well as earlier lineups in intimate club settings.

This Record Store Day release offers a preview in the form of a two-track EP featuring "Giant Steps" and "Satellite," serving as a teaser for a larger project expected later in the year. Sound quality has long been a question mark with these tapes, though they are supposedly somewhat higher in quality than the original recordings. Keep in mind, though, that these are not going to be audiophile-quality by a long shot. They do, however, provide a glimpse into Coltrane's work during one of his prime periods. For Coltrane collectors, the EP offers an intriguing first listen and a taste of what is to come in the longer set.

The John Coltrane Quartet 
France 1965: The Complete Concerts
Charly Records 
Quantity: 2,500

In contrast to the archival glimpse offered by The Tiberi Tapes, France 1965 presents a substantial document of the John Coltrane Quartet during its final European tour. This four-LP set features the classic lineup of Coltrane with McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison  on bass, and Elvin Jones  on drums.

The collection includes a full performance of "A Love Supreme" along with Coltrane staples such as "My Favorite Things" and "Naima." For listeners drawn to Coltrane's more exploratory side, the set also includes "Ascension." Presented as complete concerts, the package includes photographs, a concert poster, and newly written liner notes.

Miles Davis
The New Sounds (Mono 10")
Craft Recordings 
Quantity: 2,000

The New Sounds marked Miles Davis 's first release as a bandleader when it originally appeared on Prestige in 1951. The session features an exceptional lineup including Jackie McLean  on alto saxophone, Sonny Rollins  on tenor saxophone, Walter Bishop, Jr.  on piano, Tommy Potter  on bass and Art Blakey  on drums. The album was originally issued as a 10-inch LP, which was the standard format before the 12-inch LP became dominant later in the decade.

In honor of Davis's centennial, this Record Store Day release faithfully replicates the original 10-inch format. While the music has remained available digitally, the vinyl has not appeared outside of a box set since 2014. This edition was cut from the original mono tapes by Jeff Powell. As critic Ira Gitler noted, the LP format gave Davis "more freedom than he ever had on record," allowing room to stretch beyond the constraints of the earlier 78 RPM format.

Alabaster DePlume 
Dear Children of Our Children, I Knew
International Anthem
Quantity: 900

Dear Children of Our Children, I Knew is a 2025 EP by Alabaster DePlume , recorded with bassist Shazhad Ismaily  and drummer Tcheser Holmes . Captured during tour downtime, the session leans into the trio's on-the-road rapport, yielding intimate, improvisation-forward instrumentals shaped more by atmosphere and feel than by traditional song structures. Positioned as something of an epilogue to DePlume's A Blade Because A Blade Is Whole, the EP may be brief, but it feels complete: music that breathes, listens, and trusts the room.

Markolino Dimond 
Brujería
Craft Recordings 
Quantity: 1,350

Keyboardist, composer, and arranger Mark Dimond (AKA Markoino Dimond) remains one of the great "what-if" figures of the early salsa era. He was a brilliant pianist whose career was tragically derailed by addiction. His 1971 album Brujería (Spanish for "witchcraft") captures Dimond at the height of his creative powers, leading Conjunto Sabor through a vibrant blend of Afro-Cuban son, jazz-inflected piano improvisation, and hard-driving salsa grooves. Dimond wrote and arranged the entire program, and his keyboard work serves as the band's engine, propelling standout tracks such as "Mi Irmita," "Aguardiente," and "Tiene Sabor."

Though overlooked upon its original release, Brujería has since earned cult status among Latin music collectors and DJs, thanks in part to the album's stellar personnel and the early appearance of vocalist Ángel Canales, who would later become a major figure in the salsa world. With contributions from players associated with Eddie Palmieri , Willie Colon , and the Fania All-Stars, the album brims with musical chemistry. This limited Record Store Day pressing shines a welcome spotlight on a lost classic of early-'70s New York Latin music.

Bill Evans 
Bill Evans at the BBC: The Complete 1965 London Sets
Elemental Music 
Quantity: 3,500

Bill Evans is unquestionably one of jazz's most influential pianists, and this recording captures him during one of the most fertile periods of his career. Broadcast on the BBC program Jazz 625 from the Television Theatre in March 1965, the performance features Evans with Chuck Israels  on bass and Larry Bunker  on drums. Introductions by host Humphrey Lyttleton provide a bit of historical framing, but the real focus remains the trio's elegant interplay and Evans's lyrical, harmonically rich improvisations.

Transferred from the original BBC tape reels and restored and mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab, this limited-edition 180g two-LP set also includes rare photographs from the broadcast and liner notes by jazz critic and author Marc Myers.

Ghost-Note 
Swagism
Mixto Records 
Quantity: 1,500

Ghost-Note  is a percussion-driven jazz-funk collective led by Snarky Puppy's multi-Grammy-winning rhythm duo of Robert Searight  and Nate Werth . The group features an expansive roster of musicians who have worked with artists ranging from Prince  and Erykah Badu  to Herbie Hancock , Kendrick Lamar  and Marcus Miller. Their sound blends deep funk grooves with elements of afrobeat, hip-hop, psychedelia, and global rhythmic traditions, creating an energetic and modern take on jazz-funk fusion.

Vince Guaraldi 
It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown / Charlie Brown's All Stars! (Original Soundtrack)
Lee Mendelson Film Productions 
Quantity: 5,000

Vince Guaraldi's Peanuts soundtracks have become a familiar presence on Record Store Day, and this release highlights music from two different periods of the composer's career. The first portion features material from Charlie Brown's All Stars!, the 1966 television special that followed the success of A Charlie Brown Christmas. The second comes from It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown, which originally aired in 1976, offering a slightly funkier and more groove-oriented take on Guaraldi's sound.

The packaging is particularly playful: a two-disc 10-inch set, with one record shaped like a baseball glove and the other shaped like a baseball. While some tracks are brief cues originally written as incidental music for the programs, the sequencing works well as a listening experience. For fans of Guaraldi or collectors drawn to creative vinyl packaging, this release hits the sweet spot between nostalgia and design.

Roy Hargrove
Bern
Time Traveler Recordings 
Quantity: 2,200

Taken from Roy Hargrove's 2000 appearance at the International Jazz Festival in Bern, Switzerland, this previously unreleased set features a stellar band: Sherman Irby on saxophone, Larry Willis on piano, Gerald Cannon on bass and Willie Jones III on drums. Hargrove's gift was always his ability to honor the bebop tradition while exploring adventurous new sounds, and a live document like this captures that balance beautifully. Hargrove had an excellent feel and could maneuver between traditional jazz and modern sounds with perfect execution. Released in coordination with the Hargrove estate, Bern lands as both a discovery and a reminder of how complete Hargrove sounded on the bandstand.

Wendell Harrison & TRIBE 
A Tribute to Pharoah Sanders
Org Music 
Quantity: 1,000

Recorded at the Detroit Institute of Arts in 2025 and originally broadcast on PBS, this tribute finds Wendell Harrison  and TRIBE honoring Pharoah Sanders  in the most appropriate way possible and not imitating his style, but capturing his spirit. Solid tenor projection, hypnotic vamps, and Afro-spiritual momentum build patiently into moments of uplift. The personnel is impressive, including Sky Covington  on vocals, Pamela Wise  on piano, Michael Abbo  on guitar, and a large supporting ensemble, performing the feel of a communal gathering as much as a concert. This limited LP is issued exclusively on vinyl for Record Store Day 2026.

Joe Henderson
Consonance: Live at the Jazz Showcase
Resonance 
Quantity: 2,000

Recorded at Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase in Chicago in February 1978, this previously unreleased set captures Joe Henderson in a powerful quartet featuring JoAnne Brackeen on piano, Steve Rodby on bass(prior to his time with Pat Metheny ) and Danny Spencer on drums. It also marks a significant moment for Resonance Records, serving as the first release drawn from the label's new Jazz Showcase archive series. Issued as a deluxe 180g three-LP set mastered from the original tapes, Consonance showcases Henderson in his element, and the music is as powerful today as it was almost fifty years ago. It feels alive, active, and contemporary, proving that quality music doesn't have a shelf life.

Ahmad Jamal 
At the Jazz Showcase: Live in Chicago
Resonance Records
Quantity: 2,000

Another major offering from Joe Segal's archives, this previously unreleased March 20—21, 1976 recording documents Ahmad Jamal  in a trio setting with John Heard on bass and Frank Gant on drums. Issued as a deluxe 180g two-LP set, the recording sits comfortably alongside Resonance's Emerald City Nights series, highlighting Jamal's famously strategic use of space, rhythmic feints, and sudden dynamic shifts. The repertoire ranges from standards and pop material to bossa nova and more modern selections, with the intimate Jazz Showcase setting providing exactly the kind of focused listening environment where Jamal's arrangements can turn on a dime.

Yusef Lateef 
Alight Upon the Lake: Live at the Jazz Showcase
Resonance Records 
Quantity: 1,800

Recorded live at Chicago's Jazz Showcase in June 1975, this previously unissued set features Yusef Lateef  leading a superb quartet with Kenny Barron on piano, Bob Cunningham on bass and Albert Tootie Heath on drums. This recording highlights Lateef in his element. spiritual intensity, blues-rooted swing, angular post-bop lines, and Lateef's signature ability to move between inside and outside language without losing the narrative thread. Issued as a deluxe 180g three-LP package with newly curated notes and interviews, Alight Upon the Lake also serves as a compelling companion to the Feldman-produced Atlantis Lullaby: the same core band, but here the music feels looser, more raucous, and deeply at home in a room Lateef knew well.

James Brandon Lewis 
These Are Soulful Days
Tao Forms 
Quantity: 500

Tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis  continues to expand his musical palette with These Are Soulful Days, a long-form composition for saxophone and string quartet performed with Poland's Lutoslawski Quartet . Commissioned by the National Forum of Music for the Jazztopad Festival in Wrocław, the work moves beyond traditional jazz structures, unfolding as a multi-part suite rather than a collection of individual tunes. Lewis's searching tenor voice interacts with the quartet's chamber textures in a striking blend of contemporary classical composition and improvisational language, offering another example of the saxophonist's willingness to push beyond stylistic boundaries.

Abbey Lincoln 
That's Him
Craft Recordings 
Quantity: 2,000

Abbey Lincoln's That's Him, originally released on Riverside in 1957, returns for Record Store Day as a limited-edition mono reissue. Cut all-analog from the original tapes by Kevin Gray and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Fidelity Record Pressing, the release faithfully recreates the album's original sound and presentation. An extraordinary lineup backs Lincoln, including Kenny Dorham  on trumpet, Sonny Rollins on tenor saxophone, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Max Roach  on drums, making the album as notable for its stellar personnel as for Lincoln's commanding vocal presence.

John McLaughlin 
Music from Abandoned Heights 
Impex Records 
Quantity: 450

John McLaughlin's ever-expanding musical curiosity takes another turn with Music from Abandoned Heights, a film score that blends his signature fusion energy with more reflective, cinematic writing. Known for groundbreaking work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra and collaborations with artists ranging from Carlos Santana to Paco de Lucia, McLaughlin brings that same exploratory spirit to this project. The music moves between fiery electric passages and atmospheric ballads, supported by longtime collaborators including Gary Husband on drums and keyboards, Julian Siegel on saxophone along with bassists Misha Mullov-Abbado  and Etienne Mbappe. The result is a dramatic and textural work that connects McLaughlin's fusion legacy with a more orchestral sense of storytelling.

Michel Petrucciani 
Kuumbwa
Elemental Music 
Quantity: TBA

Recorded on May 11, 1987, at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, California, Kuumbwa captures French pianist Michel Petrucciani in a dynamic trio performance with bassist Dave Holland and drummer Eliot Zigmund. At just twenty-four years old, Petrucciani had recently signed with Blue Note and was rapidly gaining international recognition, and the concert finds the young pianist playing with remarkable energy, lyricism, and technical command.

Produced by Zev Feldman and drawn from the archives of Kuumbwa co-founder Tim Jackson, the recording has been restored and mixed by Marc Doutrepont and mastered for vinyl by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab. Issued as a 180-gram double LP, the package includes reflections and interviews that place the performance within the context of Petrucciani's remarkable life and career.

Gil Scott-Heron
Reflections
Culture Factory 
Quantity: 1,700

Gil Scott-Heron's 1981 album Reflections remains one of the artist's most compelling statements, blending spoken word, soul, and jazz-inflected grooves with the sharp political commentary that defined his work. Backed by the Midnight Band, the album includes the powerful track "B-Movie," often cited as one of Scott-Heron's most incisive pieces of social critique. Long out of print on vinyl, Reflections returns for Record Store Day as a deluxe edition featuring original artwork, a printed inner sleeve, OBI-style spine strip, and purple marble-effect vinyl.

Snarky Puppy 
Live at GroundUP Music Festival
GroundUP Music 
Quantity: 2,000

This Record Store Day exclusive gathers standout performances from Snarky Puppy's own GroundUP Music Festival in Miami, drawing from multiple years of the event. Known for their virtuosic ensemble playing and genre-blurring approach, the band thrives in the festival's collaborative atmosphere, where expanded lineups and guest appearances are common. The release captures several of those moments, including a collaboration with Moroccan ensemble Innov Gnawa, highlighting the global, improvisation-driven spirit that has become a hallmark of both Snarky Puppy and the GroundUP festival itself.

Masayoshi Takanaka
All of Me
Universal Music Japan 
Quantity: 2,500





Masayoshi Takanaka 
On Guitar
Victor Entertainment 
Quantity: 2,500

By the mid-1970s, jazz fusion was everywhere, and guitarist Masayoshi Takanaka emerged as one of Japan's most colorful figures. After gaining early recognition with the Sadistic Mika Band, Takanaka launched a successful solo career that blended jazz fusion with pop accessibility and disco-era polish. These two Record Store Day releases highlight that upbeat approach. All of Me is a best-of-style compilation drawing on recordings from 1976 to 1978, while On Guitar presents the 1978 instrumental album originally associated with a guitar "high-technique" instructional series. Although the music leans toward fusion, it also carries a bright, groove-oriented feel, which shows the definite influence of Breezin'-era George Benson. Even though Takanaka's music here is totally rooted in the seventies, it is still a lot of fun today.

Cecil Taylor Unit
Fragments: The Complete 1969 Salle Pleyel Concerts
Elemental Music 
Quantity: 1,550

This release documents a powerful performance by the Cecil Taylor Unit recorded at Salle Pleyel in Paris on November 3, 1969. Featuring Taylor on piano alongside Jimmy Lyons on alto saxophone, Sam Rivers on tenor and soprano saxophone along with Andrew Cyrille  on drums, the concert captures the group at the height of its explosive free jazz intensity. The recording has been transferred from the original INA tape reels and restored and mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab. Issued as a limited-edition 180g three-LP set, the release also includes rare photographs and liner notes by jazz critic Phil Freeman.

Charles Tolliver All Stars 
Right Now... And Then
Strata-East Records 
Quantity: 1,250

Originally recorded as Charles Tolliver's debut album, Right Now... And Then features an exceptional lineup including Gary Bartz on saxophone, Herbie Hancock on piano, bassist Ron Carter and drummmer Joe Chambers . This Record Store Day edition presents the album in a newly remixed version prepared by Tolliver himself, with audio cut from the original analog tapes and mastered by Kevin Gray. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI and housed in a deluxe tip-on jacket, the release also includes photos, new liner notes, and Record Store Day—exclusive stickers.

McCoy Tyner 
The Seeker
Red Records 
Quantity: 1,200

The Seeker presents a previously unreleased live recording from Perugia featuring pianist McCoy Tyner with bassist Avery Sharpe and drummer Aaron Scott joined by vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson. Though Tyner and Hutcherson crossed paths occasionally during their careers, opportunities for them to share the spotlight were surprisingly rare, making this collaboration particularly notable. The performance blends Tyner originals with selections from Hutcherson and a handful of standards, capturing the pianist's powerful harmonic approach alongside Hutcherson's luminous vibraphone textures. This edition is a hand-numbered 180g double LP, which includes an illustrated insert and liner notes drawn from the original concert documentation.

Various Artists 
Jazz Dispensary: Maria Brazileira
Craft Recordings 
Quantity: 4,000

Get ready to groove wth Jazz Dispensary as they head to Brazil with a groovin' mix of samba, vocal jazz, funk, and groove-oriented selections. The compilation brings together artists such as Bola Sete, Flora Purim, Dom Um Romao, João Donato and Paulinho Da Costa, highlighting the rhythmic vitality and cross-cultural spirit that connects Brazilian music with jazz improvisation. Pressed on "Brazilian Shimmer" green, yellow, and gold vinyl with newly commissioned artwork, the release continues the Jazz Dispensary tradition of pairing adventurous selections with eye-catching presentation.

Mal Waldron 
Stardust & Starlight: Live at the Jazz Showcase
Resonance Records 
Quantity: 1,800

A previously unreleased August 1979 performance at Chicago's Jazz Showcase, Stardust & Starlight captures pianist Mal Waldron in a setting well suited to his intense, percussive style. Backed by Steve Rodby on bass and Wilbur Campbell on drums, Waldron moves between standards and originals with the distinctive "inside-outside" balance that defined his approach. The session also features a special appearance by saxophonist Sonny Stitt on two tracks, adding a bright, hard-swinging counterpoint to Waldron's darker tonal palette. Resonance presents the recording as a deluxe 180g two-LP set with newly curated liner notes and interviews.

Buster Williams 
Pinnacle
Time Traveler Recordings 
Quantity: 1,500

Originally recorded in 1975, Pinnacle finds bassist Buster Williams leading a remarkable lineup that includes Woody Shaw on trumpet, Sonny Fortune on saxophone, pianist Onaje Allan Gumbs and drummer Billy Hart. The session blends straight-ahead jazz, post-bop and early fusion, reflecting Williams's emerging voice as both composer and bandleader during the period following his work with Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi group. From the cosmic groove of "The Hump" to the lyrical "Tayamisha," the album balances exploratory improvisation with strong melodic direction. This Record Store Day edition has been cut from the original analog tapes at AAA by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab, pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Optimal Media, and housed in Stoughton tip-on jackets with newly written liner notes and rare photographs.

Final Thoughts

Record Store Day continues to evolve as both a celebration of independent record stores and vinyl culture in general. It also provides an opportunity to revisit important moments in jazz history. From rediscovered live recordings to beautifully restored classics and adventurous new projects, the 2026 lineup reflects the music's wide stylistic reach. As always, availability may vary from store to store, but for collectors and listeners alike, this year's selections offer plenty of reasons to spend some time flipping through the bins.

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