Horace Parlan – Speakin’ My Piece (180g LP)

Label: Music Matters – MMBST-84043 – 180 Gram Virgin Vinyl
AAA 100% Analogue – Mastered By Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
2,500 Limited Edition – Pressed at RTI – Blue Note 84043
This LP was Remastered using Pure Analogue Components Only, from the Master Tapes through to the Cutting Head
Remastered from the original Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note master tapes
The Absolute Sound Super Disc List TAS Harry Pearson Super LP List

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.
Music Matters strongly feels that these Blue Note recordings deserve nothing less than the finest graphic presentation. Accordingly, no expense has been spared. Designed from scratch, these jackets are modeled after the most successful work from the Blue Note and Impulse! labels of the 50s and 60s. The materials and craftsmanship of that era produced many jackets that still look new today. With that in mind, the Music Matters Blue Note jackets are designed to last a lifetime, using ultra-durable extra thick cardboard stock and thick, luxurious lamination. The Impulse! LP jackets from the ‘60s were especially renowned for their crisp, sharp spine hinges. Music Matters has retained one of the artisans who worked on the Impulse! jackets from that era to do the design work on these jackets. It’s all about getting the right tone, texture and weight on the jacket – quality you’ll be able to feel in your hand the moment you pick up one of these albums.
In addition, Music Matters has obtained exclusive access to a treasure trove of over 30,000 original Blue Note session photos from Mosaic Images for use in this series. The gatefold opens to display these session photos in stunning high resolution – four times sharper than original Blue Note jacket photos. Many of these photos have never been seen by the public before, adding additional value to the package. Wherever possible, they are actually rebuilding the original cover art using the original cover photo negative. At least four 4” by 4” photos and a full size 12” by 12” will adorn the inside of each gatefold, all printed on the highest quality, acid free photo paper.