I'm a sucker for the baritone saxophone, which may be why the most I've ever spent on a CD set was $78 for the Mosaic box of the complete recordings of Gerry Mulligan and his Concert Jazz Band. Something about the deep sound of the big horn attracts me, as well of the challenge of making such a beast produce jazz, especially up-tempo jazz.
Two cases in point, the boppy opener "Glad Lad" and the fast-moving "VI" on the new Blue Note reissue of the 1961 Leo Parker date "Let Me Tell You 'Bout It." Parker does more than just run with his bari, however. You get some blues ("Blue Leo"), R&B ("Parker's Pals") and even a little funky gospel (the title track) in the bargain, which the disk is at $11.99.
John Burks, trumpet, Bill Swindell, tenor sax, Yusef Salim, piano, Stan Conover, bass, and Purnell Rice, drums, aren't exactly household names, but they play really well here. I'm glad Blue Note reissued this. Leo Parker would make one more LP and be dead of a heart attack a few months later at 36.
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