Blue Mitchell Down With It!: Blue Note Tone Poet Series

All-Analog 180g Vinyl LP of Blue Mitchell's Down With It!. Mastered From the Original Master Tapes by Kevin Gray & Pressed at RTI: Reference-Caliber Blue Note Reissue Helmed by Music Matters' Joe Harley.

Miami-born trumpeter Blue Mitchell had a soulful, swinging style that was equally at home in jazz, R&B, and funk settings. Mitchell been a sideman on Blue Note sessions led by Lou Donaldson, Jimmy Smith, Jackie McLean and appeared on numerous classics as a member of the Horace Silver Quintet before he began recording his own Blue Note leader albums. For his 1965 date Down With It! the trumpeter reconvened the same dynamic quintet that had recorded his label debut The Thing To Do the year before including his Silver bandmates Junior Cook on tenor saxophone and Gene Taylor on bass along with a 24-year-old Chick Corea on piano and 22-year-old Al Foster on drums. The band comes flying out of the gate on the boogaloo grooved opener “Hi-Heel Sneakers” with other highlights of the set including the high-spirited “March On Selma” and the gorgeous ballad “Alone, Alone, Alone.”

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 tip-on jacket.

Musicians:
Blue Mitchell, trumpet
Junior Cook, tenor saxophone
Gene Taylor, bass
Chick Corea, piano
Al Foster, drums

Features:
• Blue Note Tone Poet Series
• Curated by Music Matters co-founder Joe Harley
• Audiophile-quality 180g vinyl LP
• All-analog mastering (direct from the master tapes) by Kevin Gray
• Manufactured at Record Technology Incorporated
• Deluxe gatefold jacket packaging