Anthony Williams – Life Time Blue Note Tone Poet Series 180g Vinyl LP
Drummer Tony Williams had joined Miles Davis’ band and played on landmark Blue Note albums by the time he recorded his 1964 debut album Life Time at age 18. These five adventurous original compositions featured Sam Rivers, Bobby Hutcherson, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Gary Peacock and Richard Davis. This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.
Blue Mitchell Quintet – Down With It! – Blue Note Tone Poet Series 180g Vinyl
Bobby Hutcherson – Medina – Blue Note Tone Poet Series 180g Vinyl
Bobby Hutcherson – Dialogue – Blue Note Tone Poet Series 180g Vinyl
1965’s Dialogue was the debut by vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson who had already proven himself a versatile sideman on albums from Idle Moments to Out To Lunch.
Dialogue showcased his more adventurous leanings with a sextet featuring Freddie Hubbard, Sam Rivers, Andrew Hill, Richard Davis & Joe Chambers.
Bobby Hutcherson – Total Eclipse – Blue Note Tone Poet Vinyl Series 180g LP
Vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson was a defining feature of the sound of Blue Note Records throughout the 1960s, equally at home in hard bop, soul jazz, and avant-garde settings. His 1968 album Total Eclipse was the vibraphonist’s first recording to feature tenor saxophonist and flutist Harold Land who would go on to become a key collaborator in the years to follow. Hutcherson and Land had been co-leading a band on the West Coast and came to New York City for engagements at Slugs’ Saloon and the Village Vanguard before heading into Plaza Sound Studio to record the album.
Booker Ervin – Tex Book Tenor Blue Note Tone Poet Series 180g Vinyl
Booker Ervin cut two stellar Blue Note records as a leader in 1968 including Tex Book Tenor which had to wait nearly 40 years until 2005 for its first standalone release. With a sleek post-bop quintet featuring trumpeter Woody Shaw, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Jan Arnet, and drummer Billy Higgins, the Texas-born saxophonist slices through a set of compelling bandmember originals including Barron's sinuous tune "Gichi" and Shaw's lilting waltz "In a Capricornian Way," as well as Ervin's lovely ballad "Lynn's Tune" and the hard-swinging "Den Tex," named for his hometown of Denison.
Booker Little & Max Roach – Blue Note Tone Poet Series 180g Vinyl
Trumpeter Booker Little made only a few albums during his tragically short life including his astounding debut Booker Little 4 & Max Roach recorded in 1958 for United Artists. Little came to prominence in Max Roach’s band and the drummer joins him here along with George Coleman, Tommy Flanagan, and Art Davis.
This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe tip-on jacket.
Clifford Jordan – Cliff Jordan – Blue Note Tone Poet Series 180g Vinyl
Under-recognized tenorman Clifford Jordan blew in from Chicago with a trio of excellent Blue Note sessions in 1957 including Cliff Jordan featuring a septet with Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, John Jenkins on alto, Ray Bryant on piano, Paul Chambers on bass & Art Taylor on drums.
This mono Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.
Donald Byrd – Kofi – Blue Note Tone Poet Series 180g Vinyl
Drawn from two sessions in 1969 and 1970, Kofi found Donald Byrd in the early stages of his transformation from top-notch hard bop trumpeter to fusion pioneer. Byrd explores a variety of textures with bandmates including Frank Foster, Lew Tabackin, Duke Pearson, Ron Carter, Mickey Roker, and Airto Moreira.
This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe tip-on jacket.
Donald Byrd – Byrd Blows On Beacon Hill (Blue Note Tone Poet Series) 180g Vinyl
Recorded in 1956 for producer Tom Wilson’s Boston-based label Transition Records, Byrd Blows On Beacon Hill presented trumpeter Donald Byrd in a relaxed and intimate quartet setting with Doug Watkins on bass along with Boston area musicians Ray Santisi on piano and Jim Zitano on drums.
This mono Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe tip-on jacket with a booklet.
