LEO PARKER Rollin' With Leo (Blue Note Tone Poet Series 2025 limited edition 8-track stereo LP cut directly from the original analogue tapes, mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed at RTI on 180-gram vinyl. Leo Parker wasthe first baritone saxophonist on the bebop scene and gained prominence in Billy Eckstine's band as a member of the "Unholy Four" saxophone section that also included Sonny Stitt, Dexter Gordon, and Gene Ammons in the mid-1940s. Personal troubles sidelined Parker in the 1950s, but in 1961 he made a tragically brief comeback on Blue Note when he recorded two excellent sessions-Let Me Tell You ‘Bout It and Rollin' With Leo-before he died of a heart attack just months later at age 36. Rollin' With Leo had been prepared for release, including an album cover design by Reid Miles, but wound up being shelved and not released until 1980 as part of the LT Series. The 8-song set includes swinging Parker originals like "The Lion's Roar" and "Jumpin' Leo" performed by a band including Dave Burns on trumpet, Bill Swindell on tenor saxophone, Johnny Acea on piano, Stan Conover and Al Lucas on bass, and Wilbert Hogan and Purnell Rice on drums. High quality tip-on pasted gatefold picture sleeve, hype sticker & factory sealed inside its loose bag. Recommended)