Blue Note’s Tone Poet Audiophile Series Resumes With Titles By Bobby Hutcherson & More
Launched in 2019, the Tone Poet series features all-analog, 180g audiophile vinyl reissues that are mastered from the original master tape.
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 at 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:
Bobby Hutcherson – The Kicker (1963)
Jackie McLean – It’s Time (1964)
Joe Henderson – The State of the Tenor: Live at the Village Vanguard, Volume 1 (1985)
September 11:
Stanley Turrentine – That’s Where It’s At (1962)
September 25:
Horace Silver – Further Explorations (1958)
Jimmy Smith – Prayer Meetin’ (1963)
Herbie Hancock – My Point of View (1963)
October 30:
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – Roots & Herbs (1961)
Bobby Hutcherson – Oblique (1967)
Duke Pearson – The Phantom (1968)
November 20:
Donald Byrd – Byrd In Flight (1960)
Tina Brooks – The Waiting Game (Blue Note, 1961)
McCoy Tyner – Tender Moments (Blue Note, 1967)
December 11:
Paul Chambers – Bass On Top (1957)
Lee Morgan – The Rajah (1966)
John Scofield & Pat Metheny – I Can See Your House From Here (1993).
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