There may not be a more apropos album title in all of recorded music than tenor saxophonistIke Quebecs 1961 classicHeavy Soul.The session marked a comeback for a crucial player in Blue Note history. Quebec had recorded a series of 78s for Alfred Lion in the 1940s and also served as a talent scout who encouraged Lion to record important figures of the emerging bebop scene including Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell. After a difficult period through the 1950s, Lion began to reintroduce Quebecs music to jazz fans in 1959 with a series of 45 jukebox singles that were well received and inspired Lion to put the saxophonist back into the studio for a full album session. So, in November 1961 Quebec brought a 4-piece band into Van Gelder Studio that includedFreddie Roachon organ,Milt Hintonon bass, andAl Harewoodon drums. The resulting 8-song set is a soul jazz masterclass with Quebecs robust tenor conjuring a variety of moods from the rhythmic drive of swinging originals like Acquitted and Ques Dilemma to slow-tempo stunners including Just One More Chance, Brother Can You Spare a Dime, and I Want A Little Girl. A remarkable reading of The Man I Love leads into the sultry title piece, which practically drips with soul, but its the album closer which delivers a showstopper. With Roach and Harewood laying out Quebec and Hinton converse in a duo setting on a spellbinding performance of Nature Boy that reverberates in the listeners soul long after the last note has faded.

UHQ-CDs reproduce the sound of original master tapes as faithfully as possible by utilizing new transfer technologies and improved materials to produce high-quality sound with a better representation of the whole stage. UHQ-CDs comply with CD standards and can be played on existing players. Each title is presented in a UHQ-CD jewel case with an obi-strip and the original sleeve notes reproduced on the back inlay.

Tracklist:
1. Acquitted
2. Just One More Chance
3. Que’s Dilemma
4. Brother Can You Spare A Dime
5. The Man I Love
6. Heavy Soul
7. I Want A Little Girl
8. Nature Boy