180-gram LP

Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio from the original master tape

Plated and pressed at RTI

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.

Pianist McCoy Tyner had been increasingly looking to Mother Africa for inspiration on his Blue Note recordings of the late-1960s on pieces such as “African Village” and “Message from the Nile.” With his 1970 albumAsante, Tyner brought those influences to the fore with a powerful set rooted in the swirling percussive rhythmic bed laid by drummer Billy Hart and percussionist Mtume. Bassist Buster Williams, guitarist Ted Dunbar, and alto saxophonist Andrew White make up the rest of the extraordinary ensemble on this four-song set that also includes the ethereal vocals of Songai on the extended album opener “Malika” and the title track. While elements of the modal jazz that Tyner pioneered in the John Coltrane Quartet course through the album, most prominently on the kinetic closing track “Fulfillment,” the music here also pointed towards future creative directions that Tyner would explore.

Side A
1. Malika
2. Asante

Side B
1. Goin’ Home
2. Fulfillment