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