Chet Baker & Art Pepper Picture of Heath (Blue Note Tone Poet Series) 180g LP (Mono)

Michael Fremer Rated 9/11 Music, 9/11 Sonics!

Having teamed up on two prior Pacific Jazz recordings, trumpeter Chet Baker & alto saxophonist Art Pepper continued their fruitful collaboration with the supremely swinging 1956 album, Picture of Heath (which was originally released as Playboys until Hugh Hefner objected). The sextet for the session was brimming with top talent from the West Coast Jazz scene including tenor saxophonist Phil Urso, pianist Carl Perkins, bassist Curtis Counce, and drummer Larance Marable. A notable feature of the date was its focus on the compositions of saxophonist Jimmy Heath who penned five of the album's tracks: "Picture of Heath," "For Miles and Miles," "C.T.A.," "For Minors Only," and "Resonant Emotions." The set is rounded out by two of Pepper's tunes - "Minor-Yours" and "Tynan Tyme" - and the playing throughout is unfailingly vibrant with exquisite solos and lively band interplay, all of which makes this a quintessential cool jazz date.

The Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series was born out of Blue Note President Don Was' admiration for the exceptional audiophile Blue Note LP reissues presented by Music Matters. Was brought Joe Harley, a.k.a. the "Tone Poet," on board to curate and supervise a series of reissues from the Blue Note family of labels.

Extreme attention to detail has been paid to getting these right in every conceivable way, from the jacket graphics and printing quality to superior LP mastering (direct from the master tapes) by Kevin Gray to superb 180g audiophile LP pressings by Record Technology Inc. Every aspect of these Tone Poet releases is done to the highest possible standard. It means that you will never find a superior version. This is IT.

This mono Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray (Cohearent Audio) from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at Record Technology Inc. (RTI), and packaged in a deluxe tip-on jacket.

Despite the inherent lightness and breeze of 'West Coast' jazz, this set recorded Halloween day 1956 is simultaneously cool and blazing hot, with Art Pepper and Chet Baker at their youthful peak navigating a set of intricately written and charted tunes. On the faster tunes when the horn trio gets going in lockstep formation supported by the formidable rhythm section, it produces a feel that combines comfort and ease with daredevil swagger and immediacy that's as fresh and exciting today as it must have felt back when fins were still on the automotive drawing board. This is happy, uptempo music. The Radio Recorder monophonic sound presents as strong a case for the joys of mono as Masterpieces By Ellington and that's saying a lot. The sound is immediate, dynamic, intense, and 'snappy' in the best sense of the word. An earlier Pure Pleasure reissue cut by Ron McMaster on the Capitol lathe obviously in need of an update, sounded fine until this release, which restores the transient 'snap' and clarity clearly on the tape missing from that reissue.