CiTR

Baritone saxophone master Leo Parker has been unfairly treated in the history books and left out as one of the pioneers of Modern Jazz and the first major baritone saxophonist of the modern era. Parker's life, like many musicians of his era was short and blighted by drug use and he experienced long periods of incarceration because of that. Tonight's Feature was to be his second album marking a "comeback" in 1961. The first was issued on Blue Note and was musically fine and a positive step in bringing Parker's name back to the forefront of Jazz. Parker, who was no relation to Charlie Parker was born in Washington D.C. on April 18, 1925 and died at age 36 in New York on February 11, 1962, dead of a heart attack brought on by a drug overdose. This fine album was never issued until the Blue Note vaults were opened in the 80's. It's a good example of accessible and swinging Jazz with Leo's well organized band of lesser known but excellent players. Lots of blues and jump tunes and Leo's huge toned and distinctive baritone saxophone make "Rollin' With Leo" an enjoyable musical trip. Leo Parker deserves a much more prominent place in the pantheon of baritone saxophonists. The greats as we know are Harry Carney then the modern players like Gerry Mulligan, Serge Chaloff, Cecil Payne, Pepper Adams, Bob Gordon and LEO PARKER!