Requisites

Minor Move ~ Tina Brooks | By Eddie Carter

This morning’s choice from the library is Minor Move (Blue Note GXF 3072), a 1958 recording by tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks. It was his first session as a leader and should have resulted in his debut but remained shelved until 1980 when it hit the stores in Japan. He’s joined here by Lee Morgan on trumpet, Sonny Clark on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Blakey on drums. My copy used in this report is the 2019 Blue Note Tone Poet Series Stereo reissue (B0030487-01). Nutville by Tina Brooks opens Side One with the quintet’s blissfully happy theme. Sonny offers a welcoming smile on the opening statement, then Lee invites us to make ourselves at home next. Tina continues the lighthearted mood with an easy-going interpretation. Doug adds a few cool notes leading to the group’s finale.

The Way You Look Tonight by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields debuted in the film, Swing Time (1936). Tina and Lee accelerate the beat to uptempo for the melody, then Brooks dives straight into an invigorating lead solo. Morgan moves through the second interpretation with surgical precision, followed by Clark who applies infectious enthusiasm to the third reading. Blakey engages in a brief exchange with the front line before everyone reassembles for the ending. Side Two starts with Star Eyes by Gene De Paul and Don Raye from the musical-comedy, I Dood It! (1943). Lee begins with a brief muted intro preceding the midtempo theme. Tina steps up first with a relaxing performance, then Sonny and Lee follow with two satisfying performances of sheer delight.

Minor Move by Tina Brooks gets underway with the quintet’s collective theme, then Brooks settles into a bluesy groove on the lead solo. Lee and Sonny follow with two interpretations that will have your fingers popping and toes tapping to the inviting beat before the ensemble’s closing chorus dissolves into nothingness. Everything Happens To Me by Matt Dennis and Thomas Adair is one of the most beautiful songs from The Great American Songbook. This is a showcase for Tina who gives two emotionally touching performances of lyricism and poignancy. Sandwiched between them is a gorgeous presentation of reflective beauty by Lee and a warm insightful interpretation by Sonny leading to the tenor’s soft conclusion.

Minor Move was produced by Alfred Lion and Rudy Van Gelder was the recording engineer. Joe Harley supervised the reissue and Kevin Gray did the mastering. The packaging is superb with great photos of the session. The recording is fantastic with an exceptional soundstage and outstanding detail that comes through your speakers as clear as Waterford Crystal. The record was pressed on 180-gram audiophile vinyl and is very quiet until the music starts. Tina Brooks released only one album during his lifetime and appeared on several Blue Note sessions. Sadly, he never got the recognition he deserved. He passed away from liver failure at age forty-two on August 13, 1974. If you’re a fan of tenor sax and don’t already own the Mosaic box set, I offer for your consideration, Minor Move by Tina Brooks. It’s a terrific recording by one of the underrated jazz musicians and an album I highly recommend for your library!

~ The Complete Blue Note Recordings of The Tina Brooks Quintets (Mosaic Records MR4-106), True Blue (Blue Note BLP 4041/BST 84041) – Source: Discogs.com ~ The Way You Look Tonight, Star Eyes, Everything Happens To Me – Source: JazzStandards.com © 2022 by Edward Thomas Carter

More Posts: ,,,,,,,,

© Notorious Jazz 2024