
Leo Parker - Rollin' With Leo
Baritone Saxophone – Leo Parker
Bass – Al Lucas (A1-2, B1-4), Stan Conover (A3-4)
Drums – Wilbert Hogan (A1-2, B1-4), Purnell Rice (A3-4)
Piano – Johnny Acea
Tenor Saxophone – Bill Swindell
Trumpet – Dave Burns
Written by Leo Parker (A1, A3, B1-2, B4), Stan Conover (A2), Illinois Jacquet (A4), Coleman Hawkins (B3)
1 LP, Gatefold jacket
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Record Technology Incorporated
Label : Blue Note Tone Poet
Original Label : Blue Note
Recorded on October 12 (A3-4) and October 20 (A1-2, B1-4), 1961.at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Engineered by Rudy Van Gelder
Original session produced by Alfred Lion
Reissue produced by Joe Harley
Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
Cover design by Reid Miles
Liner Notes by Bob Porter
Photography by Francis Wolff
Originally Released in 1980
Reissued in 2025
Tracks :
Side A:
- The Lion's Roar
- Bad Girl
- Rollin' with Leo
- Music Hall Beat
Side B:
- Jumpin' Leo
- Talkin' the Blues
- Stuffy
- Mad Lad Returns
Review :
“Drugs and addictions defined most of Leo Parker's adult life, finally claiming it entirely in February of 1962 when he was only 36 years old. Only months earlier in 1961, in two sessions held on October 12 and October 20, Parker had played his heart out in what would have been his second album for Blue Note Records that year, and it had appeared that the baritone saxophonist was well on his way to a much deserved career comeback. The sessions, however, weren't released until almost 20 years later. Rollin' with Leo, presented here in remastered form, is a wonderful portrait of this unsung but brilliant player, whose huge, sad, but almost impossibly strong tone always felt like it carried the world on its shoulders. The centerpiece of Rollin' with Leo is the fascinating "Talkin' the Blues," which unfolds, nearly themeless, like a late-night conversation, ebbing and flowing exactly the way a conversation does, with Parker's baritone swinging back to gather notes, but always moving and stretching forward, expanding the conversation until it seems like everything that could be said HAS been said. Parker's death was tragic because he had so much more to say, and that makes this fine set all that more of a treasure.” AllMusic Review by Steve Leggett
Rating:
AllMusic : 4.5 / 5 ; Discogs 4.39 / 5