Charlie Rouse: Cinnamon Flower : The Expanded Version

Cinnamon Flower: The Expanded Edition is a reissue of The Charlie Rouse Band's 1977 Brazilian-inspired album originally released by Douglas Records. Now, nearly 50 years later, Resonance Records presents a deluxe, definitive edition of the album featuring previously unreleased versions of the songs from the original release. Recorded during a prolific period in Rouse's post-Thelonious Monk career, this project reveals a rarely heard side of the tenor saxophonist: a rhythmic sensuality and melodic elegance inspired by Brazil's vibrant music scene.

The 11-piece ensemble for the recording features musicians recognized as maestros in transcontinental jazz fusion. Brazilian stalwarts like pianist Dom Salvador, guitarist Amaury Tristao, drummer Portinho and trumpeter Claudio Roditi, blend seamlessly with world-renowned bassist Ron Carter, delivering performances characterized by rich tonal colour and soulful articulation. The arrangements—handled with understated elegance by Salvador and Tristão—achieve a delicate balance between Brazilian rhythmic vitality and jazz's improvisational depth. This CD presents an interesting juxtaposition: the original, unadulterated album, which is the focus of this review, and the Douglas release, offering listeners the opportunity to hear the overdubbed version and compare the differences themselves.

The album opens with "Backwood Echo," the first of three pieces by Salvador, a flowing track where Rouse's rich tenor weaves through a forest of syncopated percussion and Roditi's lively trumpet commentary. There is a gentle elegance to the rhythm section, with Wilbur Bascomb's adaptable bass anchoring the band in warm, earthy tones. "Disenchantment" is a nostalgic bossa nova, with its composer, Tristão, delivering a heartfelt acoustic guitar intro, followed by a delicate, expressive cello solo from Jesse Levy. Rouse continues the narrative, his phrasing sounding conversational yet intimate, evoking longing without overt sentimentality.

One of the highlights among the previously unissued takes is "New Dawn," which opens with a meditative guitar prelude by Tristão and a bird-like flute solo from Lou Orenstein before blossoming into a buoyant samba-jazz hybrid. As the time doubles, it sets the stage for Rouse to deliver a lyrical statement over a foundation of Brazilian percussion. "Quiet Pictures" lives up to its name, delicate and understated. Cellist Jesse Levy is the main soloist and provides a painterly backdrop for Rouse's introspective lines, with Roditi following along in the same vein. Milton Nascimento is an internationally recognized Brazilian musician and composer who wrote "Clove and Cinnamon," a samba that sizzles with romantic heat. Salvador's arrangement provides an insistent groove, with Portinho's rhythmic subtlety drawing attention to every shifting accent. Rouse's and Roditi's interventions mimic each other's strengths. With "Roots," the band finds a hypnotic pulse offering a darker, more introspective flavour. Rouse and Roditi deliver inter-connective solos with shared intensity, prodded by Salvador's assertive chords.

The closer is "Waiting on the Corner," with the group locking into a funky street-samba feel—playful, vibrant, celebratory. The solos by Rouse, Salvador and the guitarist George Davis add to the exuberance. It is a fitting finale for an album that radiates warmth, craftsmanship and cross-cultural unity.

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