BLP 4087

Leo Parker - Let Me Tell You 'Bout It

Released - November 1961

Recording and Session Information

Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, September 9, 1961
John Burks, trumpet #1-6; Bill Swindell, tenor sax #1-6; Leo Parker, baritone sax; Yusef Salim, piano; Stan Conover, bass; Purnell Rice, drums.

tk.4 Glad Lad
tk.6 Low Brown
tk.9 Parker's Pals
tk.11 TCTB
tk.25 Vi
tk.28 Let Me Tell You 'Bout It
tk.31 Blue Leo

Session Photos

Photos: © Francis Wolff/Mosaic Images 
https://www.mosaicrecordsimages.com/

Track Listing

Side One
Title	Author	Recording Date
Glad Lad	Leo Parker	09 September 1961
Blue Leo	Leo Parker, Ike Quebec	09 September 1961
Let Me Tell You 'Bout It	Robert Lewis	09 September 1961
Vi	Robert Lewis	09 September 1961
Side Two
Parker's Pals	Leo Parker	09 September 1961
Low Brown	Yusef Salim	09 September 1961
TCTB	Leo Parker, Bill Swindell	09 September 1961

Liner Notes

THAT the jazz scene has changed since the days of Minton's and the early Bop Period is reflected in almost every facet of present-day jazz, as well as the men that create it and the atmosphere in which they perform. Some of these changes have been fundamental, and have resulted in establishing a solidification of the elements of good jazz, as well as demanding more proficiency and responsibility on the part of the performer to his art and to his listening public. Changes in the jazz personnel have given us a wealth of fresh, invigorating ideas, and in other instances have left us regretting the loss to the jazz world of such greats as Bird, Navarro, etc. Nevertheless, even with change, we always find there are certain essential ingredients that are inherently constant and basic to the virility and character of any type of systematic expression. Insofar as jazz is concerned, these constants would be swing, soul, and rhythm. The means that are employed to effect these ends and the variety of musical patterns that serve as vehicle for their expression ma be ever so simple or complex, but if it does not result in a swinging experience for the listener, then it is just not jazz. There has been a strong tendency on the part of most writers to attempt to epithetize jazz into categories such as "the funk school", "the cool school," "the hot school," "east coast," or "west coast," and what have you. To me there is only one school of jazz, that being the "swinging school." If the music does not enter and graduate from this school, then it just plain flunks out. The ability to swing has been a characteristic possession of most great jazz artists. Bird used to swing like a whole orchestra, and if he established nothing else in his successors' minds, through his playing he kept them ever mindful of the need to swing.

The album that you are about to hear will demonstrate, I think, the meaningfulness of this basic ingredient in jazz. The tunes are of a nice variety, ranging from a good funky blues through some real cute, swinging melodic things. They are all originals, coming from the pens of the members in the band and two by yours truly. They are very ably handled by the leader, Leo Parker, who is an old hand at jazz, and the newcomers with whom he has chosen to surround himself.

This album represents Leo's debut on Blue Note, and I think it is quite fitting. Leo is an example of the scene changing. During the Forties he was very much a part of the innovating crowd; then as a result of the interplay of various forces he was absented from the scene for a while. But he is back now, belting out with a real big sound. Leo hails from Washington, D.C., the home of many Fine jazz musicians. As previously stated, during the Forties, he was one of the dominant influences on baritonists, and one of the pace setters in the evolution of jazz concepts. Leo holds the distinction of occupying the first baritone chair in the ill-fated, most hip bop band of the era, that of Billy Eckstine. That band claimed such notables as Bird, Dizz, Navarro, Dexter Gordon, and Art Blakey to name a few. It was just too much. Leo was originally an alto player, but Bird was playing the lead, and Billy needed a baritonist, so he asked Leo to try blowing baritone. Well, needless to say, he liked what he heard and he bought Leo his First baritone horn. The Lad, as he was most commonly called at that time, and still is in select circles, was on his way. Unfortunately, that band boasted too much advanced talent, and lack of general enthusiasm and support brought about its premature disruption. Nevertheless, Leo as well as most of its members went on to carve their names in the jazz hall of fame. Leo formed his own groups and recorded with such notables as Tadd Dameron, J. J. Johnson, Fats Navarro, Dexter Gordon, Charlie Rouse, Stitt, Ammons, and a host of others. Some of Leo's most memorable performances were recorded in a dual type of session with Dex, "Settin' the Pace" by Leo and Dex was a standard by word among jazz listeners during the late Forties, as well as things like "Wild Leo," "Mad Lad," and "El Cino."

Leo's sidemen on this date consist of:

BILL SWINDELL on tenor saxophone, who also hails from D, C. Swinny is a fine musician. His tone is very clear and crisp and he is a hard-blowing swinger. Swindell has played in the bands of Lionel Hampton, Lucky Millinder, and Trummy Young. He turns in a fine performance on this session.

ALFRED STANLEY CONOVER, more commonly Stan hails From Chattanooga. His family moved to Chicago when he was twelve, and Stan now calls that home. Stan is a fine bassist. He and Wilbur Ware were stablemates in Chicago and they woodshedding together. Stan has worked with Arnett Cobb, Gene Ammons, and Eddie Harris of Exodus fame.

JOHN BURKE, the trumpet player, no relation to Dizz, comes from Oceala, AK, but now makes Baltimore his home. Johnny has played in the bands of Johnny Hodges, Louis Bellson, and Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson, among others. He plays a clean. controlled horn.

PURNELL RICE, the drummer, hails from Baltimore and has played in the Hal Singer, Red Prysock, and most recently with Dakota Staton. Purnell is a fine drummer, very fiery, and swinging. He turns in an enthusiastic performance.

YUSEF SALIM, the piano player and youngest member of the group, comes from Baltimore also. He has worked in the bands of Red Prysock and Frank Culley. Yusef is a fine composer as well as a pianist. He has a real "greasy" tune on this date, "Low Brown," which definitely gets the message over. I don't doubt that the jazz world will be hearing a lot more from this talented young man. His conception is very hip.

Side one opens up with an original by Leo called "Glad Lad." It's an up-tempo thing with a cute melodic line. Leo has the opening solo. Johnny then takes a chorus, followed by Swinny, who blows real crisp-like. Yusef's chorus follows in a Horace-like fashion. Leo returns for the final chorus and then they go out. Purnell does not solo on this number, but he turns in a real driving, fiery account of himself.

"Blue Leo" is the next tune, with Leo playing in real K. C. tradition. It is one of those early in the morning grooves, and it calls to mind Bird's "Parker's Mood." Leo maintains a nice blues line throughout, Yusef comes in for a tenderly played chorus to keep things going. Stan drops a few low-down notes, then Leo returns for the final say.

"Let Me Tell You 'Bout It" is a real churchy type tune done in 3/4 time. The tune opens up with a largoish statement by the deacons on the date. The mood of the sermon is set, then they go into a gospel type figure. Leo has the solo spotlight all to himself and he builds up a nice fire and brimstone sermon. They return to the figure and the final "Amen" is spoken. Church lets out.

The fourth tune is a little thing called "Vi," a dedication to my wife. It is a minor type thing, but the fellows give it a major, swinging treatment. Leo opens up with a really driving, free-wheeling solo. Johnny, Swinny and Yusef follow in like manner. All turn in swinging performances. Purnell keeps a steady pulse behind them, accenting effectively on his very lively drums.

"Parker's Pals" is the opener On side 2. It is an original by Leo and it has a very happy feeling. One of those feet shuffling kind. Swinny and Leo are twin-billed on this one, with Bill getting the show on the road and Leo keeping it going. The rhythm establishes a fine groove for the soloists.

"Low Brown" is an original by the pianist, Yusef Salim, It is one of those real greasy numbers that makes you want to loosen up. The solo order has Leo out front, with Johnny, Swinny, and Yusef following. The Lad returns for one more chorus and they go out. Yusef takes an especially earthy solo on this tune.

"ICTB (Taking care of the Business)" is the closer on side two. It is a bright-tempoed thing, in a dual type of frame work, with the fellows leaping right into their solos. Leo gets things going, and he and Swinny exchange choruses. They then move into eights and fours, sharing some fours with Purnell who turns in some real crackling stick work. The tune goes out in a Jazz at the Philharmonic style, with the horns playing in harmony.

It is nice to have Leo back on the scene again making things happen. I am sure that we will be hearing more from the Lad in the future.

— BOB LEWIS

Cover Photo by FRANCIS WOLFF
Recording by RUDY VAN GELDER

RVG CD Reissue Liner Notes

A NEW LOOK AT LET ME TELL YOU 'BOUT IT

These recordings represent the beginning of the end for Leo Parker, rather than a new beginning. A heart attack claimed his life four months after Let Me Tell You 'Bout It was taped, ending what promised to be a notable revival for this significant yet neglected early modernist.

Bob Lewis's original liner notes neatly summarize the heady company that Parker kept in his early years, and allude to the heroin habit that sidelined him for the better part of a decade. As Lewis indicates, Parker began his career as an alto saxophonist, and was heard as such on his first recordings With Trummy Young and Coleman Hawkins. By the end of 1944, when he recorded with Billy Eckstine's big band, he had made the switch to baritone; and while he would occasionally return to the smaller horn, it is as a baritone saxophonist that he made his impact. Parker was heard on record with the various luminaries Lewis mentions. plus Sarah Vaughan and Illinois Jacquet, his most frequent employer throughout the '40s; and between 1947 and '54 he cut a handful of sessions under his own name for Savoy, Prestige, Gotham, Chess, United, and King. Parker had been unheard seven years when his old friend Ike Quebec brought him to the attention of Blue Note in 1961.

A talented though virtually unknown band is featured on Parker's Blue Note debut. (Save a few by Bill Swindell on alto Sax with Lucky Millinder and a like number by drummer Purnell Rice in the small group of saxophonist Red Prysock, the sidemen are otherwise unaccredited on jazz recordings.) The format that Parker chose, however, was a well-established small-group blend of jazz and rhythm and blues that had served his former employer well at the peak of the latter's success, and that had also underpinned the subsequent commercial triumphs of Gene Amrnons/Sonny Stitt, James Moody, and (before superstardom allowed the expansion of his ensemble) Ray Charles. These bands operated with at least one brass instrument, two saxophones, and rhythm, put their allegiance to the blues front and center, and swung ferociously. Parker's sextet does all of that, minus the frequent novelty numbers that the others found a necessary part of working life.

Blue Note had rarely ventured into this territory before, with the exception of its late-'50s Bennie Green dates and the Swinget sessions of Quebec and John Hardee more than a decade earlier. This music has the quintessential Blue Note sound, however, thanks to the straightforward drive and muscularity of the players, and the absence of gimmickry in the music. "Glad Lad," a fresh variant on "Exactly Like You" chord changes, and "TCTB," based on "Sweet Georgia Brown," underscore Parker's roots in bebop, while "Parker's Pals" is a relaxed rift with swing-era echoes. The title track and Yusef Salim's "Low Brown" mine the then-current soul vein without sounding hackneyed; "Vi" (the second of two contributions by annotator Lewis) introduces the minor mode for variety, and the remaining titles capture Parker and company deeply into the blues. While Parker receives the majority of the solo space, Burks, Swindell, and Salim all acquit themselves well when the opportunity presents itself.

Regarding the bonus tracks, the longer version of "Low Brown" was the preferred take according to the original session notes. When it was deemed too long for the album, producer Alfred Lion considered releasing it as a two- part single — a plan that was shelved when Parker died. The composition was recorded again in 1962 on Nat Adderley's Jazzland album In the Bag. Space limitations also prohibited inclusion of "The Lion's Roar" on the original release. While the tune may appear to be one of many tributes to the label's owner/producer, it actually is a reference to its composer (he of the leonine given name), and had previously been recorded twice by Parker, under his own name on Savoy (as "The Lion Roars") and with trumpeter Russell Jacquet on Sensation.

Parker would record "Roar" yet again when he returned to Rudy Van Gelder's studio a month after the present session to tape Rollin' with Leo, an album that Blue Note announced yet kept in its archives for over two decades. There would be a final studio appearance six days before Parker's death, in the section of a date led by Illinois Jacquet for Epic. Today, few know Leo Parker for the superior musician he was — a musician who never sounded better than on this unjustly neglected recording.

— Bob Blumenthal, 2005