Steppin' Out! - Harold Vick (1LP Vinyl) [Tone Poet Series]

Steppin' Out! by Harold Vick.

Few records capture the vitality of early sixties Blue Note quite like Harold Vick's "Steppin' Out!" Recorded on May 27, 1963, at the legendary Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, this session finds the tenor saxophonist stretching out across six tracks of hard bop and soulful blues. Originally released in 1963 by Blue Note Records, it remains a definitive statement of the era's sound and swagger.

The album opens with "Our Miss Brooks," setting the tone before moving into the deep, blues drenched "Trimmed In Blue" and a warm reading of the standard "Laura." Side B carries the momentum forward with "Dotty's Dream," "Vicksville," and the title cut "Steppin' Out," a program that balances original writing with the kind of lyrical interpretation that made this period of Blue Note so enduring.

This particular edition belongs to the acclaimed Blue Note Tone Poet Series, a program devoted to presenting classic Blue Note titles with the fidelity and care they deserve. Every detail has been considered, from the mastering process to the physical manufacturing, resulting in a pressing that honors both the music and the artistry of its original creation at Rudy Van Gelder's studio.

The audiophile credentials here are impeccable. The reissue was mastered from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, with the entire project supervised by Joe Harley. Manufactured at Record Technology Inc. on heavyweight 180 gram vinyl, this pressing delivers the depth, warmth, and detail that Van Gelder captured in the room back in 1963. The runouts are etched, a small but telling mark of the attention paid throughout.

Harold Vick's tenor sound sits comfortably within the great Blue Note lineage, muscular yet melodic, equally at home digging into the blues or floating over a ballad. "Steppin' Out!" showcases that range, offering a listening experience that rewards both the casual spin and the deep, focused sit down with a good pair of speakers.

For collectors of the Blue Note catalog and admirers of classic tenor saxophone jazz, this Tone Poet edition of "Steppin' Out!" is an essential addition. It brings a cornerstone 1963 session back into circulation with all the sonic integrity of its analog origins, ready to fill the room with the sound of Van Gelder Studios at its finest.

Pressing Details:
[From back cover]
Recorded on May 27, 1963, at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
A Blue Note Records release; Originally released in 1963 by Blue Note Records © 2022 UMG Recordings, Inc., 1750 N. Vine Street, Hollywood, CA 90028 - U.S.A.
Distributed by Universal Music Enterprises, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. [...] Blue Note® is a registered trademark of Capitol Records, LLC.

[From labels]
A Blue Note Records release; Originally released in 1963 by Blue Note Records © 2022 UMG Recordings, Inc.

[From 'Blue Note Tone Poet Series' sticker]
Mastered from the original analog tapes
Recorded By Rudy Van Gelder
Reissue Supervised by Joe Harley
Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
Manufactured at Record Technology Inc. (RTI) on 180 gram vinyl

Runouts are etched.

Track Listing:
A1. Our Miss Brooks
A2. Trimmed In Blue
A3. Laura
B1. Dotty's Dream
B2. Vicksville
B3. Steppin' Out

Artist: Harold Vick

Format: 1LP

Genre: Jazz

Label: Blue Note

Catalog Number: B0033843-01

Series: Tone Poet Series

Release Year: 2022

Country: United States

Condition: Sealed (New)