Part of the ultimate audiophile Prestige stereo reissues from Analogue Productions — 25 of the most collectible, rarest, most audiophile-sounding Rudy Van Gelder recordings ever made. All cut at 33 1/3 and also released on Hybrid SACD

All mastered from the original analog master tapes by mastering maestro Kevin Gray. 180-gram LPs pressed at Acoustic Sounds’ state-of-the-art pressing plant, Quality Record Pressings, plated by Gary Salstrom

Tip-on jackets on thick cardboard stock

“Both are gorgeous impressions of soul, jazz and blues, brought together through the legacy of standards and new compositions. The tonality of Gene Ammons in particular is transfixing and it is with the stereo reissues from Prestige that Gene will get a lot of love with multiple titles scheduled for release. Booker Ervin was another great tenor sax player and his contributions to the Prestige vaults are timeless with Exultation!.” — Erik Otis, Sound Colour Vibration, May 9, 2015.

Intensity marked everything that Booker Ervin played. In his harmonic concept, slashing attack, and broad Texas sound, Ervin demanded attention and constantly built improvisations of searing drama and epic sweep. His primary legacy is a series of albums recorded for Prestige in the 1960s, of which this was his first, a riveting quintet recital where the alto saxophone of Frank Strozier supplies an urgent complement and the rhythm section is piloted by Horace Parlan, Ervin’s longtime compatriot from their days together in the Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop and in a cooperative quartet that worked at Minton’s Playhouse.

In addition to four inspiring originals by Ervin and drummer Walter Perkins, the session features an eloquent reading of Fats Waller’s immortal “Black and Blue” and an exploration of the show tune “Just in Time.” Both the latter and “No Land’s Man” are included in two versions, the shorter of which were cut for release as a 45 single.