This CD reissue features trumpeter
Booker Little
at the beginning of his tragically brief career. The first six selections find the distinctive soloist playing with a quintet also including the young tenor
George Coleman
, pianist
Tommy Flanagan
, bassist
Art Davis
, and drummer
Max Roach
(who was his regular employer at the time).
Little
contributed three now-obscure originals and also plays two
standards
and an early version of
Miles Davis
'
"Milestones."
The remainder of the CD has lengthy versions of
"Things Ain't What They Used to Be"
and
"Blue 'n Boogie"
from a jam session that matched
with fellow Memphis-based players including
Coleman
, altoist
Frank Strozier
, and the masterful pianist
Phineas Newborn
. Overall, this forward-looking
hard bop
set is easily recommended. ~ Scott Yanow