Leo Parker Rollin' with Leo (Blue Note Tone Poet Series) 180g LP

Leo Parker was the first baritone saxophonist on the bebop scene and gained prominence in Billy Eckstine's band as a member of the "Unholy Four" saxophone section that also included Sonny Stitt, Dexter Gordon, and Gene Ammons in the mid-1940s. Personal troubles sidelined Parker in the 1950s, but in 1961 he made a tragically brief comeback on Blue Note when he recorded two excellent sessions—Let Me Tell You 'Bout It and Rollin' with Leo—before he died of a heart attack just months later at age 36. Rollin' with Leo had been prepared for release, including an album cover design by Reid Miles, but wound up being shelved and not released until 1980 as part of the LT Series. The eight-song set includes swinging Parker originals like "The Lion's Roar" and "Jumpin' Leo" performed by a band including Dave Burns on trumpet, Bill Swindell on tenor saxophone, Johnny Acea on piano, Stan Conover and Al Lucas on bass, and Wilbert Hogan and Purnell Rice on drums.

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 stereo 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 gatefold tip-on jacket.

...a wonderful portrait of this unsung but brilliant player, whose huge, sad, but almost impossibly strong tone always felt like it carried the world on its shoulders.