Horace Parlan Speakin' My Piece XRCD24

The Definitive Versions of Blue Note are on XRCD24... Listen & Compare!
Like Django Reinhardt, Horace Parlan did the impossible and turned a disability into an advantage. Stricken with polio as a youth that left him with a partially paralyzed right hand, Parlan became a major jazz pianist who developed a highly original rhythmic style. By the time he recorded the classic Speakin' My Piece in 1960, he had convinced Charles Mingus (who hired him in 1957) that he was one of the most soulful pianists on the scene. At 29, Parlan in 1960 was a member of Lou Donaldson's group and recording regularly as a leader for Blue Note. Speakin' My Piece was Parlan's first album with horns, teaming his trio with the Turrentine Brothers. Tenor-saxophonist Stanley Turrentine already had his very recognizable soulful style together while trumpeter Tommy Turrentine adds bebop fire to the performances. The music that the group plays, catchy originals including Parlan's most famous composition, "Wadin,'" is swinging and sophisticated but also bluesy, greasy and overflowing with soul. While Horace Silver may have been thought of as the king of funky jazz, another Horace, one named Parlan, was making quite a bit of noise of his own. Speakin' My Piece, which has superb sound, is essential.
"When I listened to the Audio Wave XRCD release of [AWMXR0008] Lee Morgan - Tomcat I was awestruck. My conclusion was that rather than comparing digital to analog, a more logical conclusion was that the entire digital vs. analog debate becomes irrelevant when listening to a recording that is so far superior to anything that has come before it. My analog setup costs six times what my digital one does, but given the same Blue Note title on LP or XRCD I'd choose the XRCD each time. I question the motive of any writer who claims that there is an LP re-issue that equals the sound you all are achieving."
"I recently purchased three more Audio Wave Blue Note titles and the sound on each of them is really stunning. The clarity (without any brightness), dynamics, instrumental timbres and subtlety that I hear in these performances is amazing. You can really hear the emotion and intent of the performers in a way I have not experienced with my Blue Note records before, be it an original pressing, RVG remaster or one of the 45 rpm re- issues from other labels. When playing [AWMXR0010] Horace Silver- Cape Verdean Blues over the weekend, my mom (who was visiting from out of town) and daughter actually came in the room and started dancing around. Its magic on a silver disc."
"I hope you will have the opportunity to visit other back catalogs or more Blue Note titles with wizard Alan Yoshida at the helm. I have a new appreciation for the importance of mastering. Thanks for the great music." - Steven Frost
"I recommend these highly. If you want the best digital versions of these great Blue Note albums, grab these. In my opinion they are the best that have ever been done and probably the best that ever will be. They can't stay in print forever so don't delay!" - Steve Hoffman, Mastering Engineer
"Blue Note has never sounded this good on CD before - these are the first digital Blue Notes that come close to the sound of vinyl. And the packaging is outstanding. I love the high quality glossy covers, and the insert booklets are the first effort I've seen to fit high quality photography into such a small package. Keep up the good work!" - Dennis Davis, Hi-Fi+
"Astute listeners know that the very first Blue Note CD issues are sonically superior to the more recent RVG remasters. Well, these XRCD24s absolutely crush them both, displaying high-frequency air, midrange presence, and bottom-end definition and weight missing on earlier CDs and many LPs as well." - Mark Mickelson, TheAudioBeat.com
"Compared to the 45 r.p.m. vinyl, the LPs still have a slight edge in smoothness and liquidity, but thanks to the XRCD process and the care that was taken transferring these albums directly from the original analog masters, these CD's have to be approaching the limit of what the compact disc is capable of resolving. Instrument timbre is stunningly real, and the amount of air and decay present on these recordings will make the uninitiated swear that there is a record playing on a turntable somewhere. I've never heard this music sound this good in any digital format." - Jeff Dorgay, TONEAudio
"The quality is next to none and as far the sound goes they are absolutely beautifully recorded, the timing is perfect and the clarity of the instruments is spot on, I will treasure these CDs. I am eagerly awaiting the rest of the collection." - Victor A.
"The sound is absolutely stunning and natural and represents digital at its best. The space around instruments and decay times are reminiscent of live acoustic performances. The mini-hardcover book format packaging is exceptional with great photography and legible liner notes. Truly well done and keep them coming." - Roger B.
"a well done XRCD... It's a sound that comes about as close to analog excellence as we've heard from any digital format" - Wayne Garcia, TAS Issue 203, June/July 2010 pg. 120-123
"These discs are open, dynamically free, tonally natural... the bass is textured, melodic, and explosive when a drummer lets loose." - Wayne Garcia, TAS Issue 203, June/July 2010 pg. 120-123
"...they may not quite equal the breathtaking sonics of the vinyl discs in transparency, immediacy, and ultimate dynamic pop, they come very close. So close, in fact... I was prepared to get up and flip the LP to Side Two except I wasn't listening to an LP but to a Yoshida-mastered XRCD." - Wayne Garcia, TAS Issue 203, June/July 2010 pg. 120-123

Features:

• Mastered and produced by Alan Yoshida and Joe Harley from the Original Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note 2-Track Analog Tapes!
• Highest Quality Analog-to-Digital transfers from tape to CD
• Deluxe Packaging with Hi-Resolution Black & White Session Photos by Francis Wolff.
• Includes Original Album Liner Notes
• XRCD24 is Compatible with ALL CD PLAYERS!

Musicians:

• Horace Parlan, piano
• George Tucker, bass
• Al Harewood, drums
• Stanley Turrentine, tenor saxophone
• Tommy Turrentine, trumpet

Selections:

1. Wadin'
2. Up In Cynthia's Room
3. Borderline
4. Rastus
5. Oh So Blue
6. Speakin' My Piece

Bonus Tracks:

1. Rastus (Alternate Take)
2. Oh So Blue (Alternate Take)