Blue Note Tone Poet Series
Produced by Joe Harley
All-analog, mastered-from-the-original-master-tape
180g audiophile vinyl reissues
Deluxe gatefold packaging.
Mastered by Kevin Gray of Cohearent Audio
Pressed at Record Technology Incorporated (RTI)
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.
How is it that one of Art Blakey's greatest albums with the Jazz Messengers is so little known? The 1961 edition of the Messengers included Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Bobby Timmons on piano, and Jymie Merritt on bass. In February and May of 1961, this group (with pianist Walter Davis Jr sitting in on two tracks) entered Rudy Van Gelder's studio in New Jersey and proceeded to lay down Roots & Herbs, a brilliant set of six Shorter compositions including the driving hard bop of the title track, the playful “Ping Pong,” and the clever “United.” The album was eventually released in 1970 and deserves a place among Blakey’s finest recordings.
Tracks
Side A
1. Ping Pong
2. Roots and Herbs
3. The Back Sliders
Side B
1. United
2. Look at the Birdie
3. Master Mind
UPC: 602508840524