Charlie Rouse Quartet & Quintet (3 1/2 Lps On 2 Cds)

Charlie Rouse

Featuring: Charlie Rouse (ts), Blue Mitchell (tp), Billy Gardner, Gildo Mahones, Earl May, Walter Bishop Jr. (p), Peck Morrison, Reggie Workman (b), Dave Bailey, Art Taylor (d)

REFERENCE: FSRCD 700_2
BAR CODE: 8427328607001 

Despite a decade as an important member of Thelonious Monk’s high-profile quartet, Seattle-born Charlie Rouse (1924-1988) remained somewhat taken for granted. It was partly due to his consistency; as a soloist his work was wellordered, interesting and melodic. But it was also because, although influenced by Ben Webster and Charlie Parker, he was essentially a more understated player than either, though no less warm and, in his own way, just as individual. 

His gifts were appreciated by leaders as disparate as Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Tadd Dameron and Count Basie, and when he came to make his debut as sole leader in 1960 with “Takin’ Care of Business,” it was clear why. A lovely ballad player, he was equally at home on the blues and uptempo pieces, characteristics also demonstrated on the quartet performances of “Yeah!” and “We Paid Our Dues!,” and on the live album, “Getting’ Into Somethin’” with drummer Dave Bailey’s sextet. Regardless of tempo, he was always a rhythmically acute, swinging and thoughtful storyteller – and the story he told was his own.


Tracklisting:

CD 1

01. You Don’t Know What Love Is (Raye-DePaul) 6:26
02. Lil’ Rousin’ (Rouse) 5:01
03. Stella by Starlight (Young-Washington) 6:16
04. Billy’s Blues (Rouse) 8:43
05. Rouse’s Point (Rouse) 4:44
06. (There Is) No Greater Love (Symes-Jones) 6:21
07. When Sunny Gets Blue (Segal-Fisher) 5:50
08. Quarter Moon (Mahones) 5:49
09. I Should Care (Cahn-Stordahl) 7:09

CD 2

01. Blue Farouq (Mitchll) 7:24
02. 204 (Weston) 7:24
03. Upptankt (Rouse) 4:44
04. Weirdo (Drew) 6:00
05. Pretty Strange (Weston) 5:13
06. They Didn’t Believe Me (Kern-Reynolds) 6:52
07. Slop Jah (Terry) 7:23
08. Little Old Mongoose (Terry) 5:47
09. Evad Smurd (Terry) 3:19
10. Blues for J.P. (Parlan) 16:47



Sources:

CD-1, tracks #1-6 from the 12" album
“Yeah!” (Epic BA17012)
CD-1, tracks #7-9 from the 12" album
“Charlie Rouse & Seldon Powell - We Paid Our Dues!”
(Epic BA17018)
CD-2, tracks #1-6 from the 12" album
“Takin' Care of business!” (Jazzland JS919)
CD-2, tracks #7-10 from the 12" album
“Dave Bailey Sextet - Gettin' Int Somethin'” 
(Epic BA17008)



Personnel on "Yeah!" + "We Paid Our Dues!": 
Charlie Rouse (ts), Billy Gardner #1-6 or Gildo Mahones #7-9 (p), Peck Morrison #1-6 or Reggie Workman #7-9 (b), Dave Bailey #1-6 or Art Taylor #7-9 (d).

Recorded in New York City, December 20 & 21 (#1-6), 1960, and July 13 (#7-9), 1961.


Personnel on "Takin’ Care Of Business!": 
Blue Mitchell (tp, out on #5), Charlie Rouse (ts), Walter Bishop Jr. (p), Earl May (b), Art Taylor (d).

Recorded in New York City, May 11, 1960.


Personnel on "Gettin' Into Somethin'": 
Clark Terry (tp, flgh), Curtis Fuller (tb), Charlie Rouse (ts), Horace Parlan (p), Peck Morrison (b), Dave Bailey (d).

Recorded live in the studio, NYC, Oct. 26 & 27, 1960.




Original recordings produced by Mike Berniker
and Orrin Keepnews (CD-2, #1-6)
Cover photos/design by Henry Parker (Yeah!), 
Ken Deardoff (Takin' Care) and Gary Glastone (Gettin')
Photo web-site by William Gottlieb

This compilation produced by Jordi Pujol

Stereo · 24-Bit Digitally Remastered