Rollin' with Leo is the second, and last, album as a leader by American jazz saxophonist Leo Parker

Leo Parker

Leo Parker was an American jazz baritone saxophonist.Parker studied alto saxophone in high school, and played this instrument on a recording with Coleman Hawkins in 1944. He switched to baritone saxophone later that year when he joined Billy Eckstine's bebop band, playing there until 1946...

, recorded in 1961 but not released on the Blue Note

Blue Note Records

Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...

 label until 1980.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Steve Leggett awarded the album 4½ stars and calling it "a wonderful portrait of this unsung but brilliant player, whose huge, sad, but almost impossibly strong tone always felt like it carried the world on its shoulders".

Track listing

All compositions by Leo Parker except as indicated

1. "The Lion's Roar" - 4:54
2. "Bad Girl" (Conover) - 6:17
3. "Rollin' with Leo" - 6:25
4. "Music Hall Beat" (Illinois Jacquet
   Illinois Jacquet
   Jean-Baptiste Illinois Jacquet was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, best remembered for his solo on "Flying Home", critically recognized as the first R&B saxophone solo....
   
   ) - 4:56
5. "Jumpin' Leo" - 4:30
6. "Talkin' the Blues" - 6:30
7. "Stuffy" (Coleman Hawkins
   Coleman Hawkins
   Coleman Randolph Hawkins was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Hawkins was one of the first prominent jazz musicians on his instrument. As Joachim E. Berendt explained, "there were some tenor players before him, but the instrument was not an acknowledged jazz horn"...
   
   ) - 5:41
8. "Mad Lad Returns" - 4:35

Recorded on October 12 (tracks 3 & 4) and October 20 (tracks 1, 2 & 5-8), 1961.

Personnel

• Leo Parker
  Leo Parker
  Leo Parker was an American jazz baritone saxophonist.Parker studied alto saxophone in high school, and played this instrument on a recording with Coleman Hawkins in 1944. He switched to baritone saxophone later that year when he joined Billy Eckstine's bebop band, playing there until 1946...
  
   - baritone saxophone
  Baritone saxophone
  The baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
  
  
• Dave Burns - trumpet
  Trumpet
  The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
  
  
• Bill Swindell - tenor saxophone
  Tenor saxophone
  The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
  
  
• John Acea - piano
  Piano
  The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
  
  
• Stan Conover (tracks 3 & 4), Al Lucas
  Al Lucas (musician)
  Al Lucas was a Canadian jazz double-bassist.Lucas's mother was a concert pianist, and he took lessons from her as a child, eventually switching to bass and tuba at age 12. After moving to New York City, Lucas played with Kaiser Marshall, then joined the Royal Sunset Orchestra, where he played from...
  
   (tracks 1, 2 & 5-8) - bass
  Double bass
  The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
  
  
• Wilbert Hogan (tracks 1, 2 & 5-8), Purnell Rice (tracks 3 & 4) – drums
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....