Saxophonist Curtis Amy’s 1962 live album Tippin’ On Through is joining the lineup of Blue Note’s Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series. Originally released on the Pacific Jazz label, the newly reissued record will be available on June 5th.
Amy brought a stacked sextet into legendary venue The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, California on July 29, 1962, to record the live album. With Roy Brewster on trombone, Roy Ayers on vibraphone, John Houston on piano, Bob Whitlock on bass, and Lawrence Marable on drums, Amy played a six-song set including three of his own originals plus tunes by Benny Golson, Dave Brubeck, and George Gershwin.
The year before Tippin’ was recorded, Amy teamed up with drummer Frank Butler for the album Groovin’ Blue, which was reissued in the Tone Poet series in 2025. That album features some of the earliest recorded work from vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, whose record Components is being reissued alongside Tippin’.
The Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue 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, a.k.a. the “Tone Poet,” on board to curate and supervise a series of reissues from the Blue Note family of labels, including Pacific Jazz.
The Tone Poet Vinyl Edition of Tippin’ was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray (Cohearent Audio) from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at Record Technology Inc. (RTI), and packaged in a deluxe tip-on jacket.
“During the 2026 season of Tone Poet we’ll revisit rare gems, bold under-appreciated dates, and, of course, beloved titles from the Blue Note catalog that fans have been patiently waiting for,” Harley shared earlier this year. “Tone Poet 2026 is designed to deepen your listening experience and celebrate the full breadth of the jazz legacy we all treasure.”
