Hammond B-3 organ soul jazz fans know and love the music of Jimmy Smith, but lesser known is the tragically short life and career of Roosevelt “Baby Face” Willette who produced some of the deepest grooves ever recorded on the B-3 on just two Blue Note albums recorded in 1961. Willette’s debut Face to Face is a showcase for his blues-drenched organ pyrotechnics. Joined by the brilliant guitarist Grant Green, tenor sax master Fred Jackson and the rock-solid drums of Ben Dixon, Face to Face is a tour de force of rough and ready soul jazz brilliance with an iconic Reid Miles cover design to match!

Blue Note Tone Poet Series

The Blue Note Tone Poet Series was born out of Blue Note President Don Was’ admiration for the exceptional audiophile Blue Note LP reissues presented by Music Matters. Was brought Joe Harley (from Music Matters), a.k.a. the “Tone Poet,” on board to curate and supervise a series of reissues from the Blue Note family of labels.

Extreme attention to detail has been paid to getting these right in every conceivable way, from the jacket graphics and printing quality to superior LP mastering (direct from the master tapes) by Kevin Gray to superb 180 gm audiophile LP pressings by Record Technology Inc. Every aspect of these Blue Note/Tone Poet releases is done to the highest possible standard. It means that you will never find a superior version. This is IT.

Blue Note Records’ Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series is produced by Joe Harley and features all-analog, mastered-from-the-original-master-tape 180g audiophile vinyl reissues in deluxe gatefold packaging. Mastering is by Kevin Gray (Cohearent Audio) and vinyl is manufactured at Record Technology Incorporated (RTI).

Tracklist:

A1: Swingin At Sugar Ray’s
A2: Goin’ Down
A3: Whatever Lola Wants

B1: Face To Face
B2: Somethin’ Strange
B3: High N’ Low

Baby Face Willette - Face to Face LP (Tone Poet Series)