Blue Mitchell – Boss Horn [Stereo] (Blue Note Tone Poet Series Tone Poet Society Exclusive Edition)

(AAA) — Lacquers cut from the original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio.

This is a Tone Poet Society Exclusive release, limited to 1,000 individually numbered copies, adorned with a Tone Poet Society Exclusive gold foil stamp, and comes with a lithographic print of a photo by Francis Wolff.

Trumpeter Blue Mitchell had appeared on numerous Blue Note classics as a member of the Horace Silver Quintet in addition to making sideman appearances with Lou Donaldson, Jimmy Smith, Jackie McLean, and others before he began recording his own leader albums for the label. While his first three albums—The Thing To Do, Down With It, and Bring It Home To Me—all featured quintet line-ups, for his 1966 date Boss Horn the palette was expanded to an octet with arrangements by Duke Pearson that created a variety of settings and moods to showcase the trumpeter’s versatility on funky boogaloo grooves, beautiful ballads, blistering modal post-bop, and a joyous Calypso. A top-flight ensemble was assembled for the session including a saxophone section with Jerry Dodgion (alto), Junior Cook (tenor), and Pepper Adams (bari) plus Julian Priester on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano, Gene Taylor on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums with pianist Chick Corea replacing Walton on two Corea originals: “Tones for Joan’s Bones” and “Straight Up and Down.”

Blue Note Tone Poet Series

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 including a lithographic print of a Francis Wolff photograph from the session.

Tracklist:
A1. Millie
A2. O Mama Enit
A3. I Should Care
B1. Rigor Mortez
B2. Tones For Joan’s Bones
B3. Straight Up And Down

Limited to 1 per customer.

(Above description from BlueNote.com)