Coffee That Cooks?

Jazz, a staple at many coffee houses, is joining the java world in a new way, with an alliance between Starbucks Coffee and Capitol Records.

Last week, Starbucks issued its first new blend of coffee in four years, Blue Note, the same name under which Capitol’s jazz recordings are released.

Starbucks has signed a contract with the recording company and hopes to release four compact discs of jazz annually over the next five years, company spokeswoman Kat Spellman said.

The first CD has 13 cuts, including such classics as John Coltrane’s “Blue Trane” and Thelonius Monk’s “Straight No Chaser,” and sells for $9.95 at Starbucks outlets and through mail-order catalogs.

“I think it’s a natural connection between coffee and music,” she said. “There’s always been a marriage between the two.”