Kenny Burrell, Art Blakey - On View At The Five Spot Cafe

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:42
Size: 146,7 MB
Art: Front

( 9:48)  1. Birk's Works
(10:00)  2. Lady Be Good
( 8:23)  3. Lover Man
( 9:52)  4. Swingin'
(11:43)  5. Hallelujah
( 4:35)  6. Beef Stew Blues
( 5:29)  7. If You Could See Me Now
( 3:48)  8. 36-23-36

Kenny Burrell and Art Blakey played together infrequently during their careers, so this meeting of jazz minds is a welcome occasion. On View is a rather short set issued from club dates at the Five Spot Cafe in New York City. No matter the configuration, this is come-what-may jazz that has no pressurized content, and a relaxed atmosphere allowing the music to organically breathe and come alive naturally. This feeling comes to the fore right away on Dizzy Gillespie's "Birk's Works," a rather polite version as Burrell tosses out his discriminating versions of the melody. Incorrectly identified as "Lady Be Good," this is actually an adaptation reworked by Thelonious Monk titled "Hackensack." It's a fast jam kicked off by a signature Blakey solo, where the band flies by the seat of their pants, and good feelings are fostered through the simple and solid tenor work of Tina Brooks. Though not penned by Duke Ellington, the elegance he displayed and Burrell revered is quite evident during the ballad "Lover Man." Randy Weston's "Beef Stew Blues," Ray Brown's obscure "Swingin'," and the classic Tadd Dameron ballad "If You Could See Me Now" further illuminate how good this group could have been had they turned into a working unit. As the dawn of the '60s saw new breed jazz fomenting, Burrell, Blakey, and company proved you could still swing and remain melodic while creating new sonic vistas.~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/on-view-at-the-five-spot-cafe-mw0000191601

Personnel: Kenny Burrell - guitar; Tina Brooks - tenor saxophone (tracks 1–2, 4); Bobby Timmons - piano (tracks 1-4); Roland Hanna - piano (tracks 5-8); Ben Tucker - bass; Art Blakey - drums

On View At The Five Spot Cafe

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Freddie Hubbard - Open Sesame

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:38
Size: 124,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:13)  1. Open Sesame
(6:28)  2. But Beautiful
(6:24)  3. Gypsy Blue
(5:36)  4. All Or Nothing At All
(6:03)  5. One Mint Julep
(7:02)  6. Hub's Nub
(7:19)  7. Open Sesame (Alt Tk)
(7:29)  8. Gypsy Blue (Alt Tk)

Open Sesame (1960) was Freddie Hubbard’s first record as a leader. If it was his only record it would be legendary, but within two years he had recorded four better ones. What raised the other records above Open Sesame was the drummers: Philly Joe Jones, Elvin Jones, and Louis Hayes. There is nothing wrong with Clifford Jarvis he swings, he interacts with the other players, and he fits the band’s conservative concept. But on his best records Hubbard fed off his drummer’s energy. That does not happen here. According to the liner notes Tina Brooks was studying with Jackie McLean at the time of this session, and he does mirror McLean’s penetrating, bluesy sound. He solos with logic and passion but without McLean’s fire and edge. As a writer Brooks contributes the two best tunes of the session: “Open Sesame,” a close relative to Sonny Rollins’ “Airegin”, and “Gypsy Blue,” a blues that inspires Hubbard. The ballad “But Beautiful” is nothing special. Hubbard doesn’t do much with it (Brooks does.), but like the other cuts it gives the listener a taste of Hubbard’s upcoming brilliance in the genre. ~ Craig Jolley https://www.allaboutjazz.com/open-sesame-freddie-hubbard-blue-note-records-review-by-craig-jolley.php?width=1920 

Personnel: Freddie Hubbard: trumpet; Tina Brooks: tenor sax; McCoy Tyner: piano; Sam Jones: bass: Clifford Jarvis: drums.

Open Sesame

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Kenny Burrell - Blue Lights Volume 1 And Volume 2

Album: Blue Lights Volume 1

Styles: Guitar Jazz

Year: 1958

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 34:56

Size: 80,7 MB

Art: Front

(11:10)  1. Yes Baby

( 8:00)  2. Scotch Blues

( 5:48)  3. Autumn In New York

( 9:56)  4. Caravan

Album: Blue Lights Volume 2

Time: 40:11

Size: 92,7 MB

(11:22)  1. Rock Salt

( 6:47)  2. The Man I Love

(12:13)  3. Chuckin'

( 9:47)  4. Phinupi

The music on this 1997 two-CD set was originally on two LPs and already previously reissued as a pair of CDs. Guitarist Kenny Burrell leads a very coherent jam session in the studio with a particularly strong cast that also includes trumpeter Louis Smith, both Junior Cook and Tina Brooks on tenors, either Duke Jordan or Bobby Timmons on piano, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Art Blakey. The material consists of basic originals and standards and has excellent playing all around; six of the nine tunes are over nine minutes long. At that point in time, Cook and Brooks had similar sounds, but, fortunately, the soloists are identified in the liner notes for each song. The solo star is often trumpeter Louis Smith, who fell into obscurity after a few notable appearances on Blue Note during the period (including his own brilliant date, Here Comes Louis Smith). He was one of the finest of the Clifford Brown-influenced players of the period and deserves much greater recognition. This is a recommended reissue for hard bop collectors who do not already have the two individual CDs. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-lights-vols-1-2-mw0000024842

Personnel:  Kenny Burrell – guitar;  Louis Smith – trumpet;  Tina Brooks (Volume 1 tracks 2, 3 & 5, Volume 2 tracks 1-3), Junior Cook (Volume 1 tracks 1-3 & 5, Volume 2 tracks 1-3) - tenor saxophone;  Duke Jordan (Volume 1), Bobby Timmons (Volume 2) – piano;  Sam Jones – bass;  Art Blakey - drums

Blue Lights Volume 1 And Volume 2

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Tina Brooks - The Waiting Game

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:33
Size: 90.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[7:38] 1. Talkin' About
[4:41] 2. One For Myrtle
[6:52] 3. Dhyana
[6:39] 4. David The King
[7:29] 5. Stranger In Paradise
[6:11] 6. The Waiting Game

Bass – Wilbur Ware; Drums – Philly Joe Jones; Piano – Kenny Drew; Tenor Saxophone – Tina Brooks; Trumpet – Johnny Coles. Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on March 2, 1961.

Like two of his other three albums, Tina Brooks' final session as a leader (in March 1961) was sequenced and prepared for release, but remained on the shelves until well after the tenor's tragically early death. That's why the title of The Waiting Game is not only apt, but sadly poignant. Despite Blue Note's reservations at the time, Brooks' output for the label was uniformly strong, demonstrating his skills as a smooth, graceful soloist and a composer of considerable dexterity within the hard bop idiom. Swinging and bluesy, yet sophisticated and refined, The Waiting Game upholds the high standard Brooks set with his previous sessions. Brooks is especially fine on his minor-key compositions, such as "Talkin' About" and "Dhyana," which allow his streak of melancholy romanticism to emerge (as does the lone cover here, the Tony Bennett hit "Stranger in Paradise"). With its hints of Eastern modalities, "David the King" is perhaps the most challenging piece here; in fact, it had been attempted without success at the Back to the Tracks sessions. Brooks sounds especially searching on the album-closing title cut, and pianist Kenny Drew and trumpeter Johnny Coles contribute some long, fluid lines of their own. Hard bop fans will find The Waiting Game just as necessary as Brooks' other albums. Not counting the out-of-print Mosaic box, The Waiting Game was first issued as its own entity in 1999 in Japan, and was finally released in the U.S. in October 2002. ~Steve Huey

The Waiting Game

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Tina Brooks - Minor Move

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:21
Size: 108.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1958/2000
Art: Front

[ 8:49] 1. Nutville
[10:38] 2. The Way You Look Tonight
[ 8:12] 3. Star Eyes
[ 6:37] 4. Minor Move
[ 6:10] 5. Everything Happens To Me
[ 6:52] 6. Minor Move

Tina Brooks' first session for Blue Note was recorded in March of 1958, a month after he appeared on Jimmy Smith's sessions for The Sermon and House Party, but the music wasn't released at the time. The sessions remained unreleased for years, eventually appearing as Minor Move in Japan during the '80s. Listening to Minor Move, it's hard to see why the record was shelved. Not only does it feature Brooks in robust form, but he's supported by pianist Sonny Clark, trumpeter Lee Morgan, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Blakey -- a first-rate lineup if there ever was one. Stylistically, the music here is no great surprise -- it's straight-ahead, driving hard bop -- but the performances are exceptional. Brooks has no problem keeping up with Morgan and Clark, who both have more than their fair share of fine moments here. He has a rich, full-bodied tone and clever phrasing, keeping the music fresh on standards like "The Way You Look Tonight" and "Everything Happens to Me." His original compositions "Nutville" and "Minor Move" are equally impressive, offering the entire band opportunities to stretch out and improvise vigorously. It is true that Minor Move is right within the hard bop tradition, but fans of that style will find much to treasure here. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Minor Move

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Tina Brooks - True Blue

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:00
Size: 114.5 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1960/2015
Art: Front

[8:04] 1. Good Old Soul
[5:14] 2. Up Tight's Creek
[5:49] 3. Theme For Doris
[4:55] 4. True Blue
[5:29] 5. Miss Hazel
[7:50] 6. Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You
[5:05] 7. True Blue
[7:32] 8. Good Old Soul

Obscure but talented tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks is teamed with the young trumpeter Freddie Hubbard (on one of his earliest sessions), pianist Duke Jordan, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Art Taylor for a set dominated by Brooks' originals. None of the themes may be all that memorable ("Nothing Ever Changes My Love for You" comes the closest), but the hard bop solos are consistently excellent. [Some reissues add alternate takes of "True Blue" and "Good Old Soul."] ~Scott Yanow

True Blue

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Freddie Redd - Redd's Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:29
Size: 88.1 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1988/2002
Art: Front

[7:12] 1. Now
[6:13] 2. Cute Doot
[7:00] 3. Old Spice
[5:00] 4. Blues For Betsy
[5:53] 5. Somewhere
[7:08] 6. Love Lost

Many times in the history of jazz, album titles have played word games with artists' names. Think of Grant Green and Green Street and Green is Beautiful. There is also Freddie Hubbard, with Ready for Freddie, Hub-Tones, and Hub-Cap. You may not have heard of the bop-pianist Freddie Redd, who not to be left out, made Shades of Redd and Redd’s Blues. The latter album, recorded in 1961, has been released now for the first time as part of Blue Note’s limited edition Connoisseur series.

Why would this album interest you? Well, you may not have heard of Freddie Redd, but you will have definitely heard of sidemen Jackie McLean, Tina Brooks and Paul Chambers. The other good news is that Freddie Redd had a good ear for a nice bop melody, and most of the themes feature great harmonic interplay between the three horns. One reason for the obscurity of Freddie Redd may be his rather lacklustre soloing, which although melodic, lacks the necessary pyrotechnics. As a consequence the three horn players take the more interesting solos. Still you can’t complain; this CD has an all-star cast and is classic 1960s Blue Note. Not only that, but unreleased 1960s Blue Note. The ultimate deciding factor in this album is your opinion of Jackie McLean. I personally find his off-sharp tone a little grating. But many listeners like it, in which case you'd be almost certainly be Reddy for Freddie (groan). ~Keiran Smalley

Freddie Redd: piano; Benny Bailey: trumpet; Jackie McLean: Alto saxophone; Tina Brooks: tenor saxophone; Paul Chambers: Bass; Sir John Godfrey: drums.

Redd's Blues  

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Jackie McLean & Tina Brooks - Street Singer

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:42
Size: 96,0 MB
Art: Front

( 6:49)  1. Melonae's Dance
( 7:00)  2. Appointment In Ghana
( 6:44)  3. Medina
( 7:29)  4. Isle Of Java
(10:18)  5. Street Singer
( 3:20)  6. A Ballad For Doll

Street Singer is a hard bop album jointly led by tenor Tina Brooks and alto Jackie McLean, released on the Japanese Blue Note label in 1980. The tracks "Appointment in Ghana", "A Ballad for Doll" and "Isle of Java" were originally released in 1960 on Jackie's Bag. The three tracks left would be later included on the CD reissue of said album. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_Singer

Personnel:  Tina Brooks - tenor saxophone;  Jackie McLean - alto saxophone;  Blue Mitchell – trumpet;  Kenny Drew – piano;  Paul Chambers – bass;  Art Taylor - drums

Street Singer

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Tina Brooks - Back to the Tracks

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:35
Size: 88,5 MB
Art: Front

( 8:05)  1. Back to the Tracks
(10:21)  2. Street Singer
( 8:56)  3. The Blues and I
( 6:06)  4. For Heaven's Sake
( 5:05)  5. The Ruby and the Pearl

And "Street Singer," an outtake from Jackie McLean's Jackie's Bag (Blue Note, 1960) sessions, adds slots in the solo rotation for McLean's alto sax and Paul Chambers' bass. To be sure, such predictable solo rounds are far from unheard of, but the formula may have accounted, at least in part, for Blue Note's decision to leave the album in the can. After the Mosaic release, the album did eventually appear on CD and is currently available as a CD import and a 33-1/3-rpm mono LP. But thankfully, Music Matters has chosen to include it as part of its 45-rpm vinyl reissue program (with 45-rpm necessitating a two-disc format). For not only does the musicianship overcome what might seem a staid musical concept, it also brings to light (or, more precisely, to sound) a fabulous "lost" work by a musician who recorded and lived for far too brief a period (born in 1932, Brooks died in 1974). 

Three of the album's tunes are Brooks originals. They are based on simple, repetitive passages in the hard bop mode a modernist form that had no qualms broadcasting itself as a soloist's jungle gym and contain all the power of Brooks' fabulous and similarly structured numbers on True Blue (Blue Note, 1960). Brooks has a light, playful sound on most of the pieces on Back To The Tracks. His tone courses rounded hills and valleys that usually lead into sharper bop peaks with slashing angles. Shying away from the one-note R&B squawks fired at times on True Blue, Brooks' playing here is a bit more relaxed and soulful, especially on "Street Singer" and "For Heaven's Sake," the latter finding the saxophonist swooning with a deep, reedy timbre. Trumpeter Blue Mitchell, a trusty sideman who gained lesser fame up-front, largely follows Brooks' lead, fashioning bright, metal statements or antagonistic growls that echo the saxophonist's moods. The reliable Drew, a hard bop pianist perhaps best known for his work on John Coltrane's Blue Train (Blue Note, 1957), wields a light yet confident touch in tapping out quick, hard-swinging solos from the stereo's "center channel." 

His harmonic solo on "For Heaven's Sake" employs classical overlays, producing a desperate yearning effect in front of Paul Chambers' dipping bass. The excellent Chambers is afforded a brief moment in the sun near the close of "Street Singer," a tune he transforms with nice, muddy lines. (Again, it is notable that the bassist was given solo light only on the McLean-led track.) Drummer Art Taylor never emerges from the rear. But his percussive support is solid throughout and he comes on with a strong, varied attack on the exotic closer "The Ruby And The Pearl." The stereo sound of this vinyl reissue is impeccable. Play it next to the True Blue CD and you'll hear the difference a warm, live tone that sacrifices none of the stereo separation nor chisels it into a series of conjoined instrumental cubicles; the group dynamic is never lost. You can almost smell the smoke swirling up from a cigarette abandoned in an ashtray at the Van Gelder Studio. The year is 1960 and the music of an extremely talented young saxophonist is blowing with all the promise of a bright future. ~ Matt Marshall  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/tina-brooks-back-to-the-tracks-by-matt-marshall.php#.VFVL78lZi5g

Personnel: Blue Mitchell, trumpet; Jackie McLean, alto saxophone; Tina Brooks, tenor saxophone; Kenny Drew, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Art Taylor, drums.

Back to the Tracks

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