Blue Note Records Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissues. Joe Harley co-founder of the acclaimed Music Matters Jazz audiophile vinyl label is the producer of this new series, handpicked titles mastered from the original master tapes on 180g Vinyl in deluxe covers. Mastering is done by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and vinyl is pressed at Record Technology Incorporated, RTI in the USA.

• Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series
• Blue Note 80th Anniversary 
• All Analog Mastering
• Cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
• Mastered From Original Analog Master Tapes
• Reissue supervised by Joe Harley (Music Matters)
• 180 Gram Audiophile Vinyl Pressed at RTI USA

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.

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 180-gram audiophile LP pressings by Record Technology Inc. Every aspect of these Blue Note/Tone Poet releases is done to the highest possible standard. It means that you will never find a superior version. This is it!

"Per Don Was's direction, everything about this reissue series closely mirrors the Music Matters releases that so impressed Was..." - Michael Fremer, Analogplanet

Released in 1969, Herbie Hancock's album, The Prisoner, is a powerful but overlooked masterpiece. A moving tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, this nonet session features some of the most exceptional instrumentalists in jazz including Joe Henderson, Johnny Coles and more. Hancock said of The Prisoner: "I've been able to get closer to the real me with this album than on any other previous one." Blue Note Tone Poet Series features all-analog, remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

Throughout his brilliant career, Herbie Hancock has always pushed musical boundaries, exploring a wide variety of jazz idioms while bringing his flair and innovation to every single setting. His Blue Note albums of the 1960's ranged all the way from post bop to Latin jazz, to straight ahead and free form. 1969's The Prisoner served as his final recording for the label and one of his first after exiting Miles Davis' quintet. The ambitious post-bop date finds the music legend in a nonet with the likes of Joe Henderson (tenor sax, alto flute), Johnny Coles (flugelhorn), Garnett Brown (trombone), Buster Williams (bass) and Albert "Tootie" Heath (drums). A tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King and the oppression of his fellow African Americans, Hancock explained that he was, "able to get closer to the real me on this album than on any other previous one."

Musicians:

Herbie Hancock, piano & electric piano
Johnny Coles, fluegelhorn
Joe Henderson, tenor saxophone & alto flute
Garnett Brown, trombone
Buster Williams, bass
Albert "Tootie" Heath, drums
Hubert Laws, flute
Jerome Richardson, bass clarinet & flute
Romeo Penque, bass clarinet
Tony Studd / Jack Jeffers, bass trombone

Track Listing:

Side A

1. I Have A Dream
2. The Prisoner

Side B

3. Firewater
4. He Who Lives In Fear
5. Promise Of The Sun

Click here to listen to samples on YouTube.com ♫