Blue Bottle’s First Jazz Album Is Made for Slow Listening

Blue Bottle Coffee has unveiled Notes in Repose, its first-ever compilation album celebrating the shared language of jazz, coffee and composition. Created in celebration of its Signature Blends, the limited-edition vinyl brings together 10 contemporary jazz compositions from artists spanning nine cities across Blue Bottle’s North American and Asian cafe markets.

The lineup includes Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Makaya McCraven, Jeff Parker, Angel Bat Dawid and the Kyoto Jazz Sextet, with the individual tracks woven together by ambient recordings captured inside Blue Bottle cafes. Conceived as an invitation to slow down and listen with greater intention, the project draws a parallel between musical composition and coffee blending — bringing distinct elements together while preserving their individual character to create a more balanced whole.

Jazz has influenced Blue Bottle’s creative approach since its inception, rooted in founder James Freeman’s background as a working clarinetist and inspired by the focused listening environments of Japanese jazz kissas. This deep-seated connection to music is already evident in the brand’s bold, chocolatey Giant Steps blend, named after John Coltrane’s iconic 1960 composition. Even the title Notes in Repose reflects that sensibility, framing the record as a moment of pause in which coffee, sound and physical album artwork become part of the same experience. Limited to 1,500 copies, Notes in Repose will be available beginning October 6 via Blue Bottle’s website while supplies last, while Giant Steps remains available year-round online and at Blue Bottle cafes.