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Booker Little -- Out Front -- 1961 -- Candid

Personnel : Booker Little (trumpet); Eric Dolphy (alto saxophone, flute, bass clarinet); Julian Priester (trombone); Max Roach (vibraphone, drums, tympani); Don Friedman (piano); Ron Carter, Art Davis (bass). Recorded at Nola Penthouse Studios, New York, New York on March 17 & April 4, 1961.

Notes :When one lists the many names of musicians that died an early death, countless jazz and reggae artists come to mind. One that may not ring a lot bells, however, is Booker Little.

Little was born in 1938 and attended the Chicago Conservatory. At the age of 20, he was already playing with the likes of Max Roach. By the time he died of uremia (a condition resulting from advanced stages of kidney failure) at age 23, Little was well on his way to becoming a very formidable hard bop trumpeter and composer.

One of only a few dates recorded and available on CD, Out Front stands as a perfect example of the direction Little was heading with his music. Recorded only six months before his death, this release is a strong compilation of original compositions running the gamut from hard bop to sensual ballads bordering on early avant-garde. Little is joined by Julian Priester on trombone, the great Eric Dolphy (another jazz musician who met an untimely death) on alto sax, clarinet, and flute, Don Friedman on piano, Ron Carter an Art Davis swapping turns on bass, and Max Roach on drums, tympani, and vibes.

Little's powerful phrasing is reminiscent of the sound Clark Terry had at the time and Clifford Brown's later output. Little's tone is uncharacteristically confident for a 23-year-old; there's no doubt that he knew what he wanted to say with his music and the most effective way to say it.

Few others could so effectively use dissonant harmonies and beautiful melodies the way Little did. "Moods in Free Time" is a perfect example: Roach's deep tympanies, Dolphy's screechy, Shepp-like sax, and Little's long, drawn-out solos are wonderfully structured and organized with a light shot of creative madness for good measure. There is a similar, though even more somber mood evoked on "Man of Words," which focuses more intently on Little's pure tone. Ron Carter's bass and Julian Priester's trombone are used in an effectively minimalist fashion, serving as a deep, soulful backdrop for Little's outstanding song-length solo.

The album's most unique cut, "Strength and Sanity," draws together a very slight and occasional upbeat Latin vibe alongside some of Out Front's most beautiful trumpet playing. It's a hard combination to pass up, especially the way Little presents it.

Though a number of the tunes here are slower numbers, Little flexes his hard bop chops on tracks like the album's opener, "We Speak" and the closer "A New Day." Both are solid quintet pieces, with each member at their best.

Artists Only! has done a good job with this Candid re-issue, featuring the original cover art and liner notes. It's painfully clear that if Booker Little were still around today that he'd be one of history's most respected jazz trumpeters and composers. The things he achieved and the songs he created by the time he was 23 were more than most musicians could claim in their lifetime.

Tracks :

1. We Speak

2. Stength And Sanity

3. Quiet Please

4. Moods In Free Time

5. Man Of Words

6. Hazy Blues

7. A New Day

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