Joe Henderson: tenor saxophone
Woody Shaw: trumpet
Gary Williamson: piano
Neil Swainson: bass
Jerry Fuller: drums

Four-time Juno award winning jazz bassist Neil Swainson was born and raised in the province of British Columbia, moving to his home base of Toronto in the late ‘70s. Over his career he’s recorded with the likes of George Shearing, Jay McShann, Walter Norris, and Woody Shaw, and has performed with Diana Krall, Nancy Wilson, Mel Torme, James Moody, Tommy Flanagan, Joe Williams, Lee Konitz, and many others.

Initially released on CD by Concord Records in 1988, Swainson’s only album, 49^th Parallel is extremely rare and heavily sought after. This year, it makes its vinyl debut with a limited edition pressing for Record Store Day Canada. The recording features a quintet with jazz legends Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone, trumpeter Woody Shaw, drummer Jerry Fuller and Gary Williamson on piano. (As it turned out, the album was Shaw’s last studio session.) The CD (released May 8) contains one bonus track, “Labyrinth,” not included on the original release  (also available with the LP via download code.) The deluxe package features new liner notes by saxophonist Phil Dwyer, an interview with Swainson by producer Cory Weeds, and rare photographs by Mark Miller and Alice Su.  The LP is pressed on 180-gram vinyl in a gatefold sleeve.

The Reel to Real vinyl re-issue of 49th Parallel will be  available on August 29th, 2020 for Record Store Day Canada/UK. The album will be available in Deluxe CD, digital and streaming on September 11th, 2020.

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