August 26, 2020
Blue Note Records has announced a revised 2020 release scheduled for the acclaimed Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series. Pandemic-related closures temporarily put production on hold, but the series will resume again on August 28 with the release of three titles: a first-time vinyl release of vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson’s first session The Kicker (1963), alto saxophonist Jackie McLean’s It’s Time (1964), and tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson’s The State of the Tenor: Live at the Village Vanguard, Volume 1 (1985).
Launched in 2019, the Tone Poet series is produced by Joe Harley and features all-analog, 180g audiophile vinyl reissues that are mastered from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray of Cohearent Audio. Tone Poet vinyl is manufactured at RTI in Camarillo, California, and packaged in deluxe Stoughton Printing “Old Style” Gatefold Tip-On Jackets. Titles are handpicked by Harley and cover enduring favorites of the Blue Note catalog along with underrated classics, modern era standouts, and albums from other labels under the Blue Note umbrella including Pacific Jazz, United Artists, and Solid State. Explore the Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series on the Blue Note Store.
In a recent review, Stereophile‘s Jim Austin called the Tone Poet Vinyl Edition of Lee Morgan’s The Cooker “superb. … The gatefold cover is meticulously crafted. The vinyl is quiet, without meaningful flaws. The stereo images are corporeal, and the soundstage has real depth. … The only reason not to buy this record is if you don’t have a record player, or if you’re broke.”
Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series – Revised 2020 Release Schedule:
August 28, 2020
- Bobby Hutcherson – The Kicker (Blue Note, 1963)
- Jackie McLean – It’s Time (Blue Note, 1964)
- Joe Henderson – The State of the Tenor: Live at the Village Vanguard, Volume 1 (Blue Note, 1985)
September 11, 2020
- Stanley Turrentine – That’s Where It’s At (Blue Note, 1962)
September 25, 2020
- Horace Silver – Further Explorations (Blue Note, 1958)
- Jimmy Smith – Prayer Meetin’ (Blue Note, 1963)
- Herbie Hancock – My Point of View (Blue Note, 1963)
October 30, 2020
- Bobby Hutcherson – Oblique (Blue Note, 1967)
- Duke Pearson – The Phantom (Blue Note, 1968)
November 20, 2020
- Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – Roots & Herbs (Blue Note, 1961)
December 11, 2020
- McCoy Tyner – Tender Moments (Blue Note, 1967)
January 8, 2021
- Donald Byrd – Byrd In Flight (Blue Note, 1960)
- Tina Brooks – The Waiting Game (Blue Note, 1961)
January 29, 2021
- Paul Chambers – Bass On Top (Blue Note, 1957)
- Lee Morgan – The Rajah (Blue Note, 1966)
- John Scofield & Pat Metheny – I Can See Your House From Here (Blue Note, 1993)
Previous Releases:
- Lonnie Smith – All In My Mind (Blue Note, 2017)
- Duke Ellington – Money Jungle (United Artists, 1962)
- Lee Morgan – The Cooker (Blue Note, 1957)
- Herbie Hancock – The Prisoner (Blue Note, 1969)
- Grant Green – Nigeria (Blue Note, 1962)
- Chet Baker – Chet Baker Sings (Pacific Jazz, 1954-56)
- Stanley Turrentine – Comin’ Your Way (Blue Note, 1961)
- Hank Mobley – Poppin’ (Blue Note, 1957)
- Tina Brooks – Minor Move (Blue Note, 1958)
- Grant Green – Born to Be Blue (Blue Note, 1962)
- Stanley Turrentine – Hustlin’ (Blue Note, 1964)
- Donald Byrd – Chant (Blue Note, 1961)
- Andrew Hill – Black Fire (Blue Note, 1963)
- Kenny Burrell – Introducing Kenny Burrell (Blue Note, 1956)
- Dexter Gordon – Clubhouse (Blue Note, 1965)
- Baby Face Willette – Face To Face (Blue Note, 1961)
- Lee Morgan – Cornbread (Blue Note, 1965)
- Lou Donaldson – Shing-A-Ling (Blue Note, 1967)
- Joe Henderson – The State of the Tenor: Live at the Village Vanguard, Volume 2 (Blue Note, 1985)
- Cassandra Wilson – Glamoured (Blue Note, 2003)
- Gil Evans – New Bottle Old Wine (World Pacific, 1958)
- Sam Rivers – Contours (Blue Note, 1965)
- Chick Corea – Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (Solid State, 1968)
- Wayne Shorter – Etcetera (Blue Note, 1965)
