Booker Little

[Milestones]

I have enjoyed what I've heard of Booker Little, and I'm inclined to think he would have turned into a major figure had he not died at the ridiculously young age of 23.  I have heard him quite a bit with Max Roach and of course the Five Spot concert with Dolphy, which means he was part of some serious jazz history.

Still, I don't really think of individual performances.  I'm looking for folks to list or talk about some remarkable and/or expressive Booker Little solos. 

Thanks.

 

[clifford_thornton]

Aggression on the Eric Dolphy Five Spot recordings for one. 

[kh1958]

Pretty much every Booker Little solo on his Bethlehem and Candid leader dates.

[Teasing the Korean]

When I was about 15, a community radio station started up where I lived, and they played jazz in the evenings, Monday through Thursday, between around 7 pm and 10 pm.  It was a great time and place for me to begin exploring jazz at an impressionable age.

I remember hearing tracks from the Booker Little/Booker Ervin Sounds of Inner City LP.  I didn't know either name at the time; I guess it stuck in my head because I liked the music, and thought it was interesting that there were two jazz guys named Booker.

Anyway, I was happy to find the LP many years later, on the TCB label.  It is apparently an early 70s issue of recordings from the early 1960s.  Includes Teddy Charles on vibes.

 

Edited September 13, 2022 by Teasing the Korean

[Tom in RI]

I don’t generally like trumpet and rhythm quartet lps, this one is an exception for me:

https://www.allmusic.com/album/booker-little-mw0000313900
 

My appreciation for this record may be affected by the fact that I came into a mint first press around 1979 but it is one of my personal favorites. I’d cite Bee Tee’s Minor Plea and Opening Statement as highlights.

Edited September 13, 2022 by Tom in RI
More info

[kh1958]

Sounds of the Inner City was a Teddy Charles album that was originally on Warwick.

The Teddy Charles New Directions Quartet

Booker Little, trumpet; Booker Ervin, tenor sax; Teddy Charles, vibes; Mal Waldron, piano; Addison Farmer, bass; Ed Shaughnessy, drums.

"The Museum Of Modern Art", NYC, August 25, 1960

	Scoochie	Warwick W 2033
	Cycles	-
	Embraceable You	-
	Blues De Tambour	-
	Stardust	-
	Take 3 Parts Jazz Suite: Route 4; Byriste; Father George	-
	The Confined Few	-

Booker Little, trumpet; Booker Ervin, tenor sax; Teddy Charles, vibes; Mal Waldron, piano; Addison Farmer, bass; Ed Shaughnessy, drums; Joe Scariza, editing engineer, remixing engineer.

	Scoochie (as Souchie)	TCB LP 1003
	Cycles	-
	Stardust	-
	The Confined Few	-
	Blues De Tambour (as Blues De'Tambour)	-

* Warwick W 2033, W 2033 ST   The Teddy Charles New Directions Quartet - Metronome Presents Jazz In The Garden At The Museum Of Modern Art
* TCB LP 1003   Booker Little, Booker Ervin - Sounds Of Inner City

 

[Teasing the Korean]

1 hour ago, kh1958 said:

Sounds of the Inner City was a Teddy Charles album that was originally on Warwick.

Yes, but the DJ didn't know that, and either did 15-year-old me.  I was happy to hear the music.

By the way, my copy of Sounds of Inner City has a track not listed above, "Witch Fire."  Was this not on the Teddy Charles album?

[mjzee]

2 hours ago, Teasing the Korean said:

By the way, my copy of Sounds of Inner City has a track not listed above, "Witch Fire."  Was this not on the Teddy Charles album?

Willie Rodriguez Octet

Don Ellis, Booker Little, trumpet; Curtis Fuller, trombone; Mal Waldron, piano; Addison Farmer, bass; 'Philly' Joe Jones, drums; Willie Rodriguez, congas; Ed Shaughnessy, percussion, vibes.

NYC, spring 1960

	November Afternoon	Warwick W 5003
	Witchfire	-
	Construction Crew	-

Don Ellis, Booker Little, trumpet; Curtis Fuller, trombone; Mal Waldron, piano; Addison Farmer, bass; "Philly" Joe Jones, drums; Willie Rodriguez, congas; Ed Shaughnessy, percussion, vibes; Joe Scariza, editing engineer, remixing engineer.

	Witchfire (as Witch Fire)	TCB LP 1003
	Construction Crew (as Construction)	TCB LP 1004
	November Afternoon	-

* Warwick W 5003, W 5003 ST   Curtis Fuller, Booker Little, Donald Byrd, 'Philly' Joe Jones, Paul Chambers, Pepper Adams, Bill Evans, Mal Waldron, Ed Shaughnessy, Armando Peraza, Marcus Belgrave, Addison Farmer, Don Ellis, Willie Rodriguez, Earl Zindars - The Soul Of Jazz Percussion
* TCB LP 1003   Booker Little, Booker Ervin - Sounds Of Inner City
* TCB LP 1004   Donald Byrd, Booker Little - The Third World

[Teasing the Korean]

21 minutes ago, mjzee said:

I need this record!!!

[JSngry]

Look at all that Ed Shaunessy! 

[Teasing the Korean]

41 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Look at all that Ed Shaunessy! 

Drummer on the first jazz album that I heard all the way through, and also the album with the greatest title ever!

Which album is this, you ask?

Why, none other than TV ACTION JAZZ! by Mundell Lowe!

 

 

Edited September 14, 2022 by Teasing the Korean

[Teasing the Korean]

On 9/14/2022 at 10:24 PM, mjzee said:

Been enjoying this LP, thanks to a generous forum member!