Tina Brooks

Harold Tina Brooks could have been a tenor sax contender for legendary status and certainly had the ability, the sound and the creative imagination. A colorful player (and exceptional composer) whose hard bop solos were soulful, inventive and stimulating, Brooks had the misfortune of having three of his four Blue Note albums as a leader lay unissued until he had passed away.

As difficult as it is to believe after listening, Back To The Tracks was one of these unreleased sets. In truth, there was no logical reason why this very rare 1960 session was bypassed for it features Brooks coming up with one brilliant solo after another throughout a consistently superb set. More than holding his own with a stellar cast including trumpeter Blue Mitchell, altoist Jackie McLean and a superb rhythm section on a mixture of originals and standards, Tina constantly takes solo honors. Brooks plays his heart out during these rare recordings that really define where jazz was in 1960.

Back To The Tracks is a timeless hard bop gem that should not to be missed!

PERSONNEL:

• Blue Mitchell (trumpet)
• Jackie McLean (alto sax)
• Tina Brooks (tenor sax)
• Kenny Drew (piano)
• Paul Chambers (bass)
• Art Taylor (drums)

Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, September 1 and October 20, 1960.

TRACKS:

• 01. Back To The Tracks
• 02. Street Singer
• 03. The Blues And I
• 04. For Heavens Sake
• 05. The Ruby And The Pearl