Blue Note Records Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissues. Joe Harley co-founder of the acclaimed Music Matters Jazz audiophile vinyl label is the producer of this new series, handpicked titles mastered from the original master tapes on 180g Vinyl in deluxe covers. Mastering is done by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and vinyl is pressed at Record Technology Incorporated, RTI in the USA.

• Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series
• All Analog Mastering
• Cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
• Mastered From Original Master Tapes
• Reissue supervised by Joe Harley
• 180 Gram Vinyl Pressed at RTI USA
• Deluxe Gatefold Cover

The Blue Note Tone Poet 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 (from Music Matters), 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 180-gram audiophile LP pressings by Record Technology Inc. Every aspect of these Blue Note/Tone Poet releases is done to the highest possible standard. It means that you will never find a superior version. This is it!

"Per Don Was's direction, everything about this reissue series closely mirrors the Music Matters releases that so impressed Was..." - Michael Fremer, Analogplanet

"The LPs are mastered directly from the original analog master tapes by Kevin at his incredible facility called Cohearent Mastering. We go about it in the exact same way that we did for so many years for the Music Matters Blue Note reissues. We do not roll off the low end, boost the top or do any limiting of any kind. We allow the full glory of the original Blue Note masters to come though unimpeded! Short of having an actual time machine, this is as close as you can get to going back and being a fly on the wall for an original Blue Note recording session." – Joe Harley

Jackie McLean’s 1962 album Let Freedom Ring reflected the change in the air of the early ‘60s: both the musical freedoms being explored by the emergent avant-garde movement and the social freedoms sought by the ascendent civil rights movement. This four-song set featuring the alto saxophonist with Walter Davis Jr. on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums melds the bluesy language of hard bop with the bristling energy of The New Thing. McLean’s emotive horn wails, shrieks, and soothes as the quartet moves through three striking McLean originals: “Melody For Melonae” (dedicated to his daughter), “Rene” (dedicated to his son), and “Omega” (dedicated to his mother). A plaintive rendition of the Bud Powell ballad “I’ll Keep Loving You” rounds out the date.

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.

Musicians:

Jackie McLean - alto sax
Walter Davis - piano
Herbie Lewis - bass
Billy Higgins - drums

Track Listing:

A1: Melody For Melonae
A2: I'll Keep Loving You

B1: Rene
B2: Omega

Click here to listen to samples on YouTube.com ♫