In November 1960, trumpeter Donald Byrd introduced his quintet into the Half Word Café in New York Metropolis to document a soulful dwell set of arduous bop. Now, in 2025, Blue Word Information are reissuing At The Half Word Café, Vol. 2 as a part of their Tone Poet sequence. The reissued vinyl can be obtainable on December fifth.
At The Half Word Café options Pepper Adams on baritone saxophone, Duke Pearson on piano, Laymon Jackson on bass, and Lex Humphries on drums. Vol. 2 options 4 tracks: “Jeannine,” “Pure D. Funk,” “Kimyas,” and “When Sunny Gets Blue.” “Pure” and “Kimyas” have been each composed by Byrd.
Blue Word’s Tone Poet sequence was born out of President Don Was’ admiration for the distinctive audiophile Blue Word LP reissues introduced by Music Issues. Was introduced Joe Harley, a.ok.a. the “Tone Poet,” on board to curate and supervise a sequence of reissues from the Blue Word household of labels.
Excessive consideration to element has been paid to getting these proper in each conceivable manner, from the jacket graphics and printing high quality to superior LP mastering (direct from the grasp tapes) by Kevin Grey to very good 180g audiophile LP pressings by File Expertise Inc.
This launch of At The Half Word Café Vol. 2 was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Grey (Cohearent Audio) from the unique analog grasp tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at File Expertise Inc. (RTI), and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.
Earlier Tone Poet releases embrace Chet Baker’s Chet Baker Sings, Duke Ellington’s Cash Jungle, and Herbie Hancock’s The Prisoner amongst different classics. At The Half Word Café Vol. 2 is the sequence’ third reissue of Byrd’s work, following 1961’s Chant and 1960’s Byrd in Flight.
Store the Blue Word Tone Poet sequence now.
