Benny Bailey - Grand Slam

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:34
Size: 131.8 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1978/1998
Art: Front

[ 6:53] 1. Reflectory, Pt. 1
[ 7:34] 2. Who's Bossa Now
[ 8:26] 3. Let Me Go, Pt. 1
[10:53] 4. Judgement Of Certain Kind
[ 9:55] 5. Thelonious Assault
[ 6:33] 6. Let Me Go, Pt. 2
[ 7:17] 7. Reflectory, Pt. 2

Trumpeter Benny Bailey was teamed with veteran tenor-saxophonist Charlie Rouse on this hard-blowing quintet date. The fresh material (two songs by Fritz Pauer who arranged the date, a pair from Bailey and one by Pepper Adams) inspires the soloists to play near their peak. With a fine rhythm section (pianist Richard Wyands, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Billy Hart) pushing the horns, this set is even better than expected. ~Scott Yanow

Grand Slam

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Clifford Jordan - Drink Plenty Water

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:41
Size: 82,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:55) 1. The Highest Mountain
(3:08) 2. The Witch Doctor's Chant (Ee-Bah-Lickey-Doo)
(3:08) 3. Drink Plenty Water and Walk Slow
(3:13) 4. I've Got A Feeling For You
(3:09) 5. My Papa's Coming Home
(9:32) 6. Talking Blues
(9:33) 7. Talking Blues (Instrumental)

This long-lost 1974 recording from the late Chicago tenor sax master is finally available. Originally recorded for the Strata-East label, Drink Plenty Water is Clifford's only primarily vocal recording release, with inventive arrangements courtesy of bassist Bill Lee. Joining Jordan are Dick Griffin on trombone, Bill Hardman on trumpet, Charlie Rouse on bass clarinet, Strata East co-founder Stanley Cowell on piano, Billy Higgins on drums, Bernard Fennell on cello, and Lee and Sam Jones on bass.

Her late husband's passion project, Sandy Jordan spearheaded the effort to release Drink Plenty Water. Jordan’s daughter, Donna Jordan Harris sings lead vocals on several tracks, backed by remaining members of the ensemble. The vocal arrangements bring an unexpected new take to the compositions “Witch Doctor’s Chant (Ee-Bah-Lickey-Doo)” and “I’ve Got a Feeling for You” that first appeared on Clifford Jordan’s 1968 album Soul Fountain. The vocal arrangement for “The Highest Mountain” on Drink Plenty Water makes it the most unique treatment of one of his finest compositions.

Additional tracks include “My Papa’s Coming Home,” a rhythm changes vamp with what trombonist Griffin describes as a “stunning” solo from the leader, and “Drink Plenty Water and Walk Slow,” a short track featuring Fennell and Jordan under a spoken word story from actor David Smyrl. Other highlights of the 35-minute-long recording are the two tracks titled “Talking Blues” a spoken-word story from Smyrl about a hustler living the fast life, followed by the instrumental track that reveals great interplay between Jordan, Hardman, Fennell and Griffin.
https://shop.mapleshadestore.com/Clifford-Jordan-his-Friends-Drink-Plenty-Water-CD_p_1498.html

Personnel: Clifford Jordan (ts,composer), Bill Hardman (tp), Dick Griffin (tb), Charlie Rouse (b-cl), Stanley Cowell (p), Bernard Fennell (cello), Bill Lee (b,arr), Sam Jones (b), Billy Higgins (d), Donna Jordan Harris and David Smyrl (vcl) and Kathy O'Boyle, Denise Williams and Muriel Winston (backing-vcl).

Drink Plenty Water

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Charlie Rouse & Red Rodney - Social Call

Styles: Saxophone and Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1984
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:09
Size: 135,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:23)  1. Little Chico
(5:48)  2. Social Call
(6:31)  3. Half Nelson
(4:46)  4. Greenhouse
(9:35)  5. Darn That Dream (take 1)
(6:16)  6. Casbah
(6:32)  7. Social Call
(7:12)  8. Darn That Dream (take 2)
(6:01)  9. Half Nelson

Tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse, 59 at the time, is in top form for this bop-oriented set. Teamed up with trumpeter Red Rodney, pianist Albert Dailey, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Kenny Washington, Rouse performs Don Sickler arrangements of four jazz standards (including "Half Nelson" and Tadd Dameron's "Casbah"), plus an obscurity ("Greenhouse") and his own "Little Chico." Old friends Rouse and Rodney work off each other very well, and the results are swinging and enjoyable.
~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/social-call-mw0000038083

Personnel: Charlie Rouse (tenor saxophone); Red Rodney (trumpet, flugelhorn); Albert Dailey (piano); Kenny Washington (drums).

Social Call

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Clifford Brown - Memorial Album (Remastered)

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1953/2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:12
Size: 165,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:14)  1. Bellarosa
(3:56)  2. Carvin' The Rock
(3:14)  3. Cookin'
(3:46)  4. Brownie Speaks
(4:51)  5. De-Dah
(4:19)  6. You Go To My Head
(3:51)  7. Carvin' The Rock (Alternate Take)
(3:08)  8. Cookin' (Alternate Take)
(4:05)  9. Carvin' The Rock (Alternate Take #2)
(4:02) 10. Wail Bait
(4:07) 11. Hymn Of The Orient
(3:56) 12. Brownie Eyes
(3:27) 13. Cherokee
(3:44) 14. Easy Living
(4:34) 15. Minor Mood
(4:07) 16. Wail Bait (Alternate Take)
(3:42) 17. Cherokee (Alternate Take)
(4:01) 18. Hymn Of The Orient (Alternate Take)

Clifford Brown emerged fully formed in 1953, a trumpeter gifted with an ebullient swing and technical skills that added polish and precision to fresh invention. Foregoing both the manic pyrotechnics of Dizzy Gillespie and the laconic introversion of Miles Davis, he also provided a stylistic model for jazz trumpeters that has never gone out of style. This CD combines Brown's first two recording dates as leader, placing him in quintet and sextet settings with some of the core musicians of the New York bop scene. The first nine tracks have Brown in an inspired quintet, prodded by the twisting, off-kilter solos and comping of the brilliant and underrated pianist Elmo Hope and the sparkling complexity of drummer Philly Joe Jones. While altoist Lou Donaldson is deeply in the sway of Charlie Parker, Brown sets his own course, whether it's the boppish "Cookin'" or the standard "You Go to My Head." 

The final nine tracks have Art Blakey's drums driving the sextet, while altoist Gigi Gryce's understated concentration acts as an effective foil to Brown's joyous, dancing lines. Taken at a medium up-tempo, "Cherokee" is one of Brown's most effective vehicles. The alternate takes from each session highlight Brown's spontaneous creativity, while Rudy Van Gelder's remastering adds fresh focus to both his gorgeous tone and the explosive drumming. ~ Stuart Broomer - Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Memorial-Album-Clifford-Brown/dp/B00005MIZ6

Personnel: Tracks 1-9: Clifford Brown - trumpet; Lou Donaldson - alto saxophone; Elmo Hope - piano; Percy Heath - bass; Philly Joe Jones - drums. Tracks 10-18: Clifford Brown - trumpet; John Lewis - piano; Gigi Gryce - alto saxophone, flute; Charlie Rouse - tenor saxophone; Percy Heath - bass; Art Blakey - drums

Memorial Album

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Charlie Rouse - Bossa Nova Bacchanal

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:32
Size: 97,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:56)  1. Back to the Tropics
(2:58)  2. Aconteceu
(4:50)  3. Velhos Tempos
(6:18)  4. Samba de Orfeu
(5:56)  5. Un Dia
(5:58)  6. Meci Bon Dieu
(5:29)  7. In Martinique
(7:05)  8. One for Five

About eight or nine years ago, the major record labels finally realized that they could sell more copies of classic jazz CDs if they reissued them with the respect they deserved, including high-quality remastering and packaging. This has proved an unprecedented boon for the jazz fan; never have so many records by so many artists been readily available, even if the inventories are in cyberspace rather than in the attic of the corner shop. However, there is a cloud to this silver lining. There are simply so many old albums in the reissue queue that some artists, particularly those who were more prolific as sidemen than as leaders, are underrepresented. And not just in quantity sometimes whole stylistic forays are lost. A case in point is Charlie Rouse, the vastly underrated tenor man best known for his long tenure with Thelonious Monk in the late '50s and '60s. Thankfully, then, Blue Note has reissued Rouse’s 1962 Bossa Nova Bacchanal as part of its limited edition Connoisseur Series. I know, I know, “not another bossa nova cash-in album!” But keep an open mind; this is no crass marketing ploy. Bacchanal is actually a fine album, and apparently Rouse was very serious about making authentic bossa nova music, recruiting excellent Latin rhythm players alongside the dual guitar line of Kenny Burrell and Lord Westbrook (playing acoustic Spanish guitars). 

The selection of tunes is perfect, too, with really only one bossa warhorse (“Samba de Orfeu”), several refreshingly lesser-known gems (the breezy “Aconteceu,” the ominous “Meci Bon Dieu”), and a Rouse original for good measure. Rouse does nothing to soften his sharp-edged, sinusoidal tone but lacks nothing in melodic invention, and his acerbic lines provide a citric zing where this kind of music is often too sticky sweet. The dual-guitar team is a real treat, providing excellent solos (both Westbrook and Burrell have their chance to shine) and a constant stereophonic percolation in the background. A startling bonus track, however, threatens to steal the show, at least for Rouse fans "One For Five," a non-bossa original from a later, 1965 session with (get this) Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Bob Cranshaw, and Billy Higgins. The tune is reminiscent of something that might have fit on Wayne Shorter’s contemporary Blue Notes, and it features a nice Rouse solo different from his Monk guise, as well as fleet work by Hubbard and Tyner. How the rest of this session could remain in the vaults is beyond imagining, and only goes to prove the point made above. So please, Blue Note, put out the rest, and soon but until then, thanks for the Brazilian appetizer. ~ Joshua Weiner https://www.allaboutjazz.com/bossa-nova-bacchanal-charlie-rouse-blue-note-records-review-by-joshua-weiner.php

Personnel: Charlie Rouse, tenor sax; Kenny Burrell and Chauncey "Lord" Westbrook, guitars; Larry Gales, bass; Willie Bobo, drums; Patato Valdes, conga; Garvin Masseaux, chekere. On "One For Five": Rouse; Freddie Hubbard, trumpet; McCoy Tyner, piano; Bob Cranshaw, bass; Billy Higgins, drums

Bossa Nova Bacchanal

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Charlie Rouse Quintet - Takin' Care Of Business

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:54
Size: 87,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:26)  1. Blue Farouq
(7:27)  2. ''204''
(4:48)  3. Upptankt
(6:02)  4. Wierdo
(5:16)  5. Pretty Strange
(6:52)  6. They Didn't Believe Me

Charlie Rouse's debut as a leader (not counting his earlier work co-leading Les Jazz Modes with the great French horn player Julius Watkins) was made for Jazzland and is available as an OJC CD. The distinctive tenor saxophonist, who had just started a decade-long stint as a member of the Thelonious Monk Quartet, teams up with trumpeter Blue Mitchell, pianist Walter Bishop, Jr., bassist Earl May, and drummer Art Taylor. Together they perform straight-ahead material including Rouse's own uptempo "Upptankt," the standard "They Didn't Believe Me," and songs by Mitchell, Kenny Drew, and Randy Weston. A fine modern mainstream jam session-flavored set. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/takin-care-of-business-mw0000312067

Personnel:  Charlie Rouse - tenor saxophone; Blue Mitchell - trumpet; Walter Bishop, Jr. - piano; Earl May - bass; Art Taylor - drums

Takin' Care Of Business

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Charlie Rouse & Seldon Powell - We Paid Our Dues!

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:10
Size: 92,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:52)  1. Two For One
(5:53)  2. When Sunny Gets Blue
(7:18)  3. For Lester
(5:48)  4. Quarter Moon
(6:07)  5. Bowl Of Soul
(7:09)  6. I Should Care

Possessor of a distinctive tone and a fluid bop-oriented style, Charlie Rouse was in Thelonious Monk's Quartet for over a decade (1959-1970) and, although somewhat taken for granted, was an important ingredient in Monk's music. Rouse was always a modern player and he worked with Billy Eckstine's orchestra (1944) and the first Dizzy Gillespie big band (1945), making his recording debut with Tadd Dameron in 1947. Rouse popped up in a lot of important groups including Duke Ellington's Orchestra (1949-1950), Count Basie's octet (1950), on sessions with Clifford Brown in 1953, and with Oscar Pettiford's sextet (1955). He co-led the Jazz Modes with Julius Watkins (1956-1959), and then joined Monk for a decade of extensive touring and recordings. In the 1970s he recorded a few albums as a leader, and in 1979 he became a member of Sphere. Charlie Rouse's unique sound began to finally get some recognition during the 1980s. He participated on Carmen McRae's classic Carmen Sings Monk album and his last recording was at a Monk tribute concert. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/charlie-rouse-mn0000176387/biography

A veteran tenor saxophonist and flutist, Seldon Powell adjusted and honed his style over the years, being flexible enough to play anything from swing to hard bop and in between. He wasn't the greatest soloist, most ambitious composer, or most spectacular arranger; he was simply a good, consistent player who survived many changes and trends to remain active from the late '40s until the '90s. Powell was classically trained in New York, then worked briefly with Tab Smith in 1949 before joining Lucky Millinder and recording with him in 1950. Powell was in the military in 1950 and 1951, then became a studio musician in New York. He worked and recorded with Louis Bellson, Neal Hefti, Friedrich Gulda, Johnny Richards, and Billy Ver Planck in the mid- and late '50s. Powell also played with Sy Oliver and Erskine Hawkins, and studied at Juilliard. He traveled to Europe with Benny Goodman's band in 1958, and worked briefly with Woody Herman. Powell was a staff player for ABC television in the '60s, and also played and recorded with Buddy Rich, Bellson, Clark Terry, and Ahmed Abdul-Malik. 

He did a number of soul-jazz and pop dates in the late '60s and early '70s, among them a session with Groove Holmes and big-band dates backing Gato Barbieri and Dizzy Gillespie. Powell was principal soloist in Gerry Mulligan's 16-piece band at the JVC Jazz Festival in New York in 1987. He recorded as a leader for Roost and Epic. ~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/artist/seldon-powell-mn0000005234/biography

Personnel: 
The Charlie Rouse Quartet : Charlie Rouse - Tenor Saxophone;  Gildo Mahones - Piano;  Reggie Workman - Bass;  Arthur Taylor - Drums

The Seldon Powell Quartet : Seldon Powell - Tenor Saxophone, Flute;  Lloyd Mayers - Piano;  Peck Morrison - Bass;  Denzil Best - Drums

We Paid Our Dues!

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Clifford Brown - New Star On The Horizon

Styles: Trumpet Jazz 
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 23:32
Size: 55,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:25)  1. Cherokee
(3:42)  2. Easy Living
(3:59)  3. Wail Bait
(4:33)  4. Minor Mood
(4:05)  5. Hymn Of The Orient
(3:46)  6. Brownie Eyes

2015 reissue from Blue Note Records' 75th Anniversary Vinyl Initiative series. New Star On The Horizon compiles some of American jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown's best moments for Blue Note. Brown died in a car accident at the age of 25, leaving only four years of recorded material. Within his short career, he managed to influence many future jazz trumpeters, like Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan. New Star On The Horizon is a part of Blue Note's 10" reissue series. Originally released in 1953. https://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/brown-clifford-new-star-on-the-horizon-10-/BN.5032LP.html

Personnel:  Trumpet – Clifford Brown;  Alto Saxophone, Flute – Gigi Gryce ;  Bass – Percy Heath ;  Drums – Art Blakey ;  Piano – John Lewis ;  Tenor Saxophone – Charlie Rouse

New Star On The Horizon

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Fats Navarro - Fats Blows 1946-1949

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:54
Size: 166,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:53)  1. Dance Of The Infidels
(2:49)  2. 52nd St. Theme
(5:34)  3. Double Talk
(2:35)  4. Move
(2:41)  5. Hollerin' And Screamin'
(2:54)  6. The Tadd Walk
(3:09)  7. Jumpin' For Jane
(2:50)  8. Lady Bird
(2:53)  9. Goin' To Minton's
(2:45) 10. Nostalgia
(2:25) 11. Eb Pob
(2:59) 12. Our Delight
(3:16) 13. Bouncing With Bud
(3:04) 14. Wail
(3:05) 15. Symphonette
(3:07) 16. Boperation
(2:49) 17. Fats Blows
(4:02) 18. Stop
(2:52) 19. Sid's Delight
(2:53) 20. Jahbero
(2:57) 21. The Skink
(2:59) 22. The Squirrel
(3:13) 23. Groovin' High

A 23-track overview of Fats' brief moments of brilliance in the jazz skyline. The groups are varied, as was Navarro's wont, featuring such luminaries as Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Tadd Dameron, Leo Parker, Art Blakey, Howard McGhee, Bud Powell, Sonny Rollins, Kenny Clarke, Milt Jackson, and Fats' idol, Charlie Parker. Navarro was a brilliant musician, done in by drugs and tuberculosis. This disc gives you an idea of how tragic his loss was to the jazz world. ~ Cub Koda http://www.allmusic.com/album/fats-blows-1946-1949-mw0000051021

Personnel includes: Fats Navarro (trumpet); Leo Parker (alto & baritone saxophones); Charlie Parker, Ernie Henry, Budd Johson, Sahib Shihab, Ernie Henry (alto saxophone); Eddie Davis, Charlie Rouse, Don Lamphere, Allen Eager, Coleman Hawkins, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins, Wardell Gray (tenor saxophone); Cecil Payne, Marion De Veta (baritone saxophone); Howard McGhee (trumpet); Kai Winding (trombone); Milt Jackson (vibraphone); Al Haig, Tadd Dameron, Lennie Tristano, Linton Garner, Bud Powell (piano); Huey Long, Billy Bauer, Chuck Wayne (guitar); Gene Ramey, Curley Russell, Nelson Boyd, Tommy Potter, Jimmy Johnson, Jack Lesberg (bass); Denzil Best, Kenny Clarke, Art Blakey, Shadow Wilson, Buddy Rich, Max Roach, Roy Haynes (drums); Chano Pozo, Diego Ibarra (bongos); Vidal Bolado (conga).

Fats Blows 1946-1949

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Thelonious Monk - The Thelonious Monk Orchestra At Town Hall

Styles: Piano Jazz

Year: 1959

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 53:19

Size: 123,3 MB

Art: Front

( 3:04)  1. Thelonious (Complete Version)

( 9:32)  2. Friday the 13th

(10:27)  3. Monk's Mood

( 8:56)  4. Little Rootie Tootie

( 7:56)  5. Off Minor

( 4:53)  6. Crepuscule With Nellie

( 8:29)  7. Little Rootie Tootie (Encore)

Pianist Thelonious Monk's appearance with a tentet at a 1959 Town Hall concert was a major success. With Hal Overton contributing arrangements of Monk's tunes (including a remarkable transcription of Monk's original piano solo on "Little Rootie Tootie") and solos provided by trumpeter Donald Byrd, trombonist Eddie Bert, altoist Phil Woods, Charlie Rouse on tenor, and baritonist Pepper Adams, this date was a real standout. There would only be one other recorded occasion Monk's 1963 Philharmonic Hall concert when the unique pianist was as successfully featured with a larger ensemble. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-thelonious-monk-orchestra-at-town-hall-mw0000200098

Personnel: Thelonious Monk (piano); Phil Woods (alto saxophone); Charlie Rouse (tenor saxophone); Pepper Adams (baritone saxophone); Donald Byrd (trumpet); Robert "Brother Ah" Northern (French horn); Eddie Bert (trombone); Jay McAllister (tuba); Sam Jones (bass guitar); Art Taylor (drums).

The Thelonious Monk Orchestra At Town Hall

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Oscar Pettiford & Vinnie Burke - Bass

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:07
Size: 85,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:56)  1. Sextette
(2:33)  2. Golden Touch
(2:20)  3. Cable Car
(2:42)  4. Tricrotism
(2:24)  5. Edge of Love
(2:33)  6. Oscar Rides Again
(2:51)  7. The Continental
(2:18)  8. For All We Know
(3:15)  9. Yesterdays
(2:42) 10. Imagination
(2:41) 11. Time Out
(1:24) 12. Softly As In The Morning Sunrise
(4:02) 13. On the Alamo
(2:20) 14. Honeysuckle Rose

Although the great bassist Oscar Pettiford gets first billing, this CD actually has six selections from his quintet (with tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse, Julius Watkins on French horn, pianist Duke Jordan, and drummer Ron Jefferson) and eight from bassist Vinnie Burke's quartet (clarinetist Ronnie Oldrich, Don Burns on accordion, and guitarist Joe Cinderella). The Pettiford half is notable for including three of his compositions ("Tricrotism" is best known), utilizing the Rouse-Watkins front line (which would become the Jazz Modes during 1956-1958) and for Pettiford doubling on cello. The Burke group has the usual instrumentation exploring melodic versions of seven standards, plus the bassist's "Time Out." These two unrelated sessions are complementary, displaying the cooler side of 1950s bebop. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/bass-by-pettiford-burke-mw0000671915

Personnel: Oscar Pettiford (cello); Joe Cinderella (guitar); Don Burns (accordion); Ron Odrich (clarinet); Charlie Rouse (tenor saxophone); Julius Watkins (French horn); Duke Jordan (piano); Ron Jefferson (drums).

Bass by Pettiford/Burke

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Nat Adderley & The Big Sax Section - That's Right!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 37:57

Size: 86.9 MB

Styles: Bop, Soul-jazz

Year: 1960/1993

Art: Front

[3:56] 1. The Old Country

[6:10] 2. Chordnation

[4:15] 3. The Folks Who Live On The Hill

[4:17] 4. Tadd

[4:16] 5. You Leave Me Breathless

[2:28] 6. Night After Night

[3:49] 7. E.S.P

[8:43] 8. That's Right!

Alto Saxophone – Julian "Cannonball" Adderley; Baritone Saxophone – Tate Houston; Bass – Sam Jones; Cornet – Nat Adderley; Drums – Jimmy Cobb; Flute – Yusef Lateef; Guitar – Jim Hall; Oboe – Yusef Lateef; Piano – Wynton Kelly; Tenor Saxophone – Charlie Rouse, Jimmy Heath, Yusef Lateef. Recorded Aug. 9 and Sept., 1960.

One of cornetist Nat Adderley's best early albums, That's Right has eight selections (seven of which were arranged by Jimmy Heath) that feature Nat with five saxophonists (altoist Cannonball Adderley, baritonist Tate Houston, and the tenors of Yusef Lateef, Jimmy Heath, and Charlie Rouse), and a rhythm section led by pianist Wynton Kelly. Despite Cannonball's presence, this is very much Nat's date (the altoist has just one solo), although there is some ample solo space for the three tenors. Highlights include Nat's memorable original "The Old Country," a touching version of "The Folks Who Live on the Hill," and "You Leave Me Breathless." Recommended. ~Scott Yanow

That's Right! 

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Duke Jordan - Duke's Delight

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 60:14
Size: 110,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:55)  1. Truth
(5:36)  2. In My Solitude
(9:46)  3. Sultry Eve
(6:07)  4. Undecided Lady
(9:13)  5. Tall Grass
(7:25)  6. Duke's Delight
(6:32)  7. Undecided Lady Take 1
(7:36)  8. Duke's Delight Take 4

Duke's Delight is a classy recording from a pianist of renown. While the tape was rolling Duke Jordan's playing was inspired, and the band stayed right with him throughout this session, which includes five Jordan compositions and Duke Ellington's "In My Solitude." Playing piano in a sax and trumpet format is a setting long familiar to Jordon, and his clear, melodic lines rise above a tight band that is consistently up for the challenge. Charlie Rouse on tenor plays a straight forward bluesy sax, much different from his Thelonious Monk days, and Richard Williams on trumpet provides his precise, sometimes fiery, commentary. Bassist Sam Jones and drummer Al Foster round out a rhythm section that's honed and vigorous. This quintet can cook. 

Jordan is primarily remembered for his stellar work in the magnificent Charlie Parker Quintet the famous band that was graced with the presence of the young Miles Davis and the master drummer Max Roach. This was back in the late 1940's when Jordan was a key figure, often providing fine introductions, as well as riveting solos and intricate accompaniment to some of Parker's finest work. Jordan's solos have always been known for their clarity of construction and thoughtful swing. With Parker there was also a lyrical sweetness to his tone that meshed well with the dissonance of the edgier bebop compositions. His sophisticated mastery of the music ensured that he would continue to be an in-demand pianist. After recording with Stan Getz, Sonny Stitt, and a long line-up of other name players, Jordan moved to Denmark in 1978 and developed a productive relationship with SteepleChase Records until his death in 2006.

Duke's Delight is often considered one of Jordan's best SteepleChase recordings. The playing is up front and open, the band having the talent and rapport to sustain such honesty; while Jordan's compositions present solid material to work and develop. Jordan's compositions and arrangements have a similar clarity of construction as his solo work and there's a no-nonsense, sophisticated air about his conceptions that set the tone for this marvelous session. ~ Mike Neely  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/dukes-delight-duke-jordan-steeplechase-records-review-by-mike-neely.php

Personnel: Duke Jordan: piano; Richard Williams: trumpet; Charlie Rouse: tenor saxophone; Sam Jones: bass; Al Foster: drums.

Duke's Delight

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Thelonious Monk - Underground

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:08
Size: 161,4 MB
Art: Front

( 3:13)  1. Thelonious (Take 1)
(10:30)  2. Ugly Beauty (Take 5)
( 6:48)  3. Raise Four***
( 5:48)  4. Boo Boo's Birthday (Take 11)
( 7:42)  5. Easy Street
(13:11)  6. Green Chimneys
( 6:36)  7. In Walked Bud
( 7:39)  8. Ugly Beauty (Take 4)
( 5:29)  9. Boo Boo's Birthday (Take 2)
( 3:07) 10. Thelonious (Take 3)

Underground was recorded in 1967, about 20 years into the career of this wholly distinctive and unorthodox pianist-composer. Whenever the understated saxophone talents of Charlie Rouse accompany Thelonious Monk, one is assured of an invigorating set of music and this collection is no exception. Supported by Larry Gales on bass and the inimitable Ben Riley on drums, Monk and Rouse elaborate on immortal compositions like "Ugly Beauty." 

On "In Walked Bud," the quartet is joined by vocalist Jon Hendricks. With jagged themes and unusual variations of meter and key, Underground showcases an aging Monk's still-brilliant eccentricity on the piano. A good bit looser than much of Monk's earlier work, he and Rouse infuse this date with their tag-team humor and unrelenting musical enthusiasm. ~ Mitch Myers Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Underground-Thelonious-Monk/dp/B0000AVHBO

Personnel: Thelonious Monk (piano); Jon Hendricks (vocals); Charlie Rouse (tenor saxophone); Larry Gales (bass); Ben Riley (drums).

Underground

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Art Taylor - Taylor's Wailers

Styles: Bop, Hard Bop
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:07
Size: 94,5 MB
Art: Front

(9:52)  1. Batland
(4:43)  2. C.T.A.
(6:15)  3. Exhibit A
(6:35)  4. Cubano Chant
(5:38)  5. Off Minor
(8:01)  6. Well, You Needn't

Five of the six selections on this CD reissue feature drummer Art Taylor in an all-star sextet of mostly young players comprised of trumpeter Donald Byrd, altoist Jackie McLean, Charlie Rouse on tenor, pianist Ray Bryant, and bassist Wendell Marshall. Among the highpoints of the 1957 hard bop date are the original version of Bryant's popular "Cubano Chant" and strong renditions of two Thelonious Monk tunes ("Off Minor" and "Well, You Needn't") cut just prior to the pianist/composer's discovery by the jazz public. Bryant is the most mature of the soloists, but the three horn players were already starting to develop their own highly individual sounds. The remaining track (a version of Jimmy Heath's "C.T.A.") is played by the quartet of Taylor, tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, pianist Red Garland, and bassist Paul Chambers and is a leftover (although a good one) from another session. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/taylors-wailers-mw0000085856

Personnel: Art Taylor (drums); Jackie McLean (alto saxophone); John Coltrane, Charlie Rouse (tenor saxophone); Red Garland, Donald Byrd (trumpet); Ray Bryant (piano); Wendel Marshall, Paul Chambers (bass).

Taylor's Wailers

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Charlie Rouse - Unsung Hero

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:07
Size: 130.8 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1961/1990
Art: Front

[5:47] 1. When Sunny Gets Blue
[8:39] 2. Billy's Blues
[6:14] 3. Stella By Starlight
[5:58] 4. Lil Rousin'
[6:21] 5. (There Is) No Greater Love
[5:49] 6. Quarter Moon
[7:08] 7. I Should Care
[4:40] 8. Rouse's Point
[6:27] 9. Know What Love Is

Tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse, who would spend all of the 1960s as a member of Thelonious Monk's Quartet, had relatively few opportunities to lead his own sessions. This CD reissue has an LP and a half's worth of material that the instantly recognizable tenor cut for Epic. Well-versed in the swing/bop tradition and a veteran of both the Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie orchestras, Rouse plays thoughtful solos with a pair of conventional rhythm sections on this album (which includes either Billy Gardner or Gildo Mahones on piano, Peck Morrison or Reggie Workman on bass and Dave Bailey or Art Taylor on drums), sticking mostly to standards and avoiding Monk tunes (which he performed on a nightly basis anyway). A fine example of Charlie Rouse's playing outside of the world of Thelonious Monk. ~Scott Yanow

Unsung Hero

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Charlie Rouse - Yeah!

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 57:12
Size: 131.0 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 1961/2010
Art: Front

[6:26] 1. You Don't Know What Love Is
[5:59] 2. Lil Rousin'
[6:14] 3. Stella By Starlight
[8:39] 4. Billy's Blues
[4:41] 5. Rouse's Point
[6:21] 6. (There Is) No Greater Love
[5:48] 7. When Sunny Gets Blue
[5:49] 8. Quarter Moon
[7:11] 9. I Should Care

Tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse is best known for his work with Thelonious Monk, playing with the enigmatic pianist and composer during Monk's Columbia years from 1959 until 1970. Rouse's sound with Monk was so fluid and smooth that's it's easy to forget how many eccentric, jagged turns he had to navigate night after night, and that Rouse did it with quiet, steady grace is a testament both to his sax playing and to the space Monk built into his puzzle box compositions. Rouse headed up few sessions on his own as a bandleader, but as this calm, workmanlike set, recorded in 1960 and originally released in 1961 on Epic Records, clearly shows, he could rise to the occasion. Working with a rhythm section of Dave Bailey on drums, Peck Morrison on bass, and Billy Gardner on piano (this was actually Gardner's debut in a recording studio), Rouse's sax lines seem to float effortlessly over the top of things, feeling less urgent and angular than his work with Monk. Highlights include the opener, "You Don't Know What Love Is," the Gardner composition "Billy's Blues," and the pretty ballad, "(There Is No) Greater Love," that closes things out. It's all very pleasant, falling to the easy side of the hard bop spectrum with very few rough edges or surprises. Rouse arguably was at his best as a solid supporting player, but this session has its moments, and it shows a more romantic, gliding side to Rouse than was usually on display with Monk. Everything here on this Japanese reissue was included in Epic's Unsung Hero release, which also added three additional tracks, making it a marginally better purchase than this one. ~Steve Leggett

Yeah!

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Charlie Rouse - Soul Mates (Feat. Sahib Shihab)

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 61:58
Size: 141.9 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[5:45] 1. November Afternoon
[5:08] 2. Green Chimneys
[5:39] 3. Prayer Song
[5:10] 4. So Nice
[6:05] 5. Soul Mates
[5:36] 6. Bohemia After Dark
[5:58] 7. Soft Shoulder
[7:41] 8. I'm Never Happy Anymore
[4:50] 9. Dida
[5:33] 10. Bittersweet
[4:29] 11. Bird's Nest

Soul Mates, an exciting studio date from 1988, combines a front line of Charlie Rouse, Sahib Shihab, and Claudio Roditi (who doubles on trumpet and flügelhorn), with a first-rate rhythm section of Walter Davis, Jr., Santi Debriano, and Victor Lewis. With Don Sickler providing most of the arrangements, the full sextet is heard on six of the 11 tracks. The fast-paced hard bop opener, "November Afternoon," is a neglected work by Tom McIntosh and features some of the hottest playing of the two sessions that make up the date. Rouse, already well-versed in Thelonious Monk's "Green Chimneys," makes the most of Sickler's well-crafted chart, which incorporates quick quirky phrases by Shihab and Roditi to accent his tenor sax. Shihab composed and arranged the tricky "DiDa," in which Davis mirrors the baritone saxophonist throughout the introduction. Rouse is heard with just the rhythm section in his lyrical arrangement of the ballad "Bittersweet." On a sad note, by the time this Uptown CD was finally released in 1993, Rouse, Shihab, and Davis had all passed away. ~Ken Dryden

Soul Mates (Feat. Sahib Shihab)

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Charlie Rouse & Paul Quinchette - The Chase Is On

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:03
Size: 87,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:14)  1. The Chase Is On
(5:46)  2. When The Blues Come On
(5:21)  3. This Can't Be Love
(4:27)  4. Last Time For Love
(5:13)  5. You're Cheating Yourself
(6:16)  6. Knittin'
(4:21)  7. Tender Trap
(3:21)  8. The Thing I Love

The twin tenor sax tradition yielded grand pairings with the likes of Wardell Gray and Dexter Gordon, Arnett Cobb and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt, and Al Cohn and Zoot Sims. This one-shot teaming of Charlie Rouse and Paul Quinichette brought forth a union of two distinctly different mannerisms within the mainstream jazz continuum. Rouse, who would go on to prolific work with Thelonious Monk and was at this time working with French horn icon Julius Watkins, developed a fluid signature sound that came out of the more strident and chatty style heard here. By this time in 1957, Quinichette, nicknamed the Vice Prez for his similar approach to Lester Young, was well established in the short term with Count Basie. His liquid, full-bodied, soulful tone became an undeniable force, albeit briefly, before he dropped out of the scene shortly after this date to be an electrical engineer. The stereo split of the saxophonists in opposite channels, a technique endemic of the time, works well whether they play solos or melody lines together. It enables you to truly hear how different they are. Working with standards, there's a tendency for them to play the head arrangements in unison, but then one of them on occasion plays an off-the-cuff short phrase that strays from the established melodic path. 

They also seem to do a hard bop jam, then a ballad, and back to hard swinging. The title track is simply a killer, a perfect fun romp of battling duelists, and one that you'd like to hear in any nightclub setting. Some slight harmonic inserts set "This Can't Be Love" apart from the original and "The Things I Love" displays the two tenors at their conversational best, while the lone original, "Knittin'," is a fundamental 12-bar swing blues, straight up and simple but with some subtle harmonic nuances. The rhythm section of pianist Wynton Kelly, bass player Wendell Marshall, and drummer Ed Thigpen do their usual yeoman job. But on two tracks, pianist Hank Jones and rhythm guitarist Freddie Green take over, and the sound of the band changes dramatically to the more sensitive side on a low-down version of "When the Blues Come On" and the good-old basic vintage swinger "You're Cheating Yourself." An LP-length CD (under 40 minutes), it is a shame there are no extra tracks or alternate takes. The combination of Rouse and Quinichette was a very satisfactory coupling of two talented and promising post-swing to bop individualists, who played to all of their strengths and differences on this worthy and now legendary session. ~ Michael G.Nastos   

http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-chase-is-on-mw0000651184

The Chase Is On

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