Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Tina Brooks: True Blue

Tina Brooks: True Blue

By Germein Linares
September 9, 2005
View read count

As with Minor Move and Back to the Tracks, Tina Brooks' True Blue is an album of hard bop excellence. Recorded in '60, it finds the tenor saxophonist accompanied by Freddie Hubbard on trumpet (a week after Brooks helped Hubbard on his debut album, Open Sesame), Duke Jordan on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. The six original compositions by Brooks are well-crafted, though none are stellar. The group's cohesive sound, its consistent blues-induced jazz groove, and the numerous well-defined solos are the album's strengths.

You'd never know it from listening to his distinctive tone and melodic attitude, but Brooks never made it big. Though he recorded four albums for Blue Note, True Blue was the only one that was released during his lifetime. Ill health and drugs eventually took their toll and he passed away in '74 at 42 years of age.

Though released several years ago on CD, this new Rudy Van Gelder edition of True Blue will undoubtedly be easier to find. Packed with Blue Note's best amenities, 24-bit digital sound, original and new liner notes, as well as alternate takes of "True Blue," and "Good Old Soul," True Blue finally gets the attention it deserves.

Track Listing

Good Old Soul; Up Tight's Creek; Theme for Doris; True Blue; Miss Hazel; Nothing Ever Changes My Love for You.

Personnel

Tina Brooks

saxophone, tenor

Tina Brooks: tenor saxophone; Freddie Hubbard: trumpet; Duke Jordan: piano; Sam Jones: bass; Art Taylor: drums.

Album information

Title: True Blue | Year Released: 1960 | Record Label: Blue Note

About Tina Brooks

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Cole, Blanchard, Bennett in Philly
< Previous

Eric Lewis: Hopscotch
Next >

Become a Sustaining Member

Since 1995, All About Jazz has championed jazz as an art form and supported the musicians who create it. Over three decades, it has grown into one of the world's leading jazz resources, serving hundreds of thousands of readers, musicians, presenters and industry professionals each month.

Help Build the Future of All About Jazz

Your support helps us continue building All About Jazz for the next generation—expanding our editorial coverage, preserving jazz history, developing new community features and creating better ways to discover the music and the people behind it.

Become a sustaining member for as little as $20 per year and you'll immediately enjoy an ad-free experience along with access to subscriber features and future articles for a full year.

Together, we're not simply sustaining All About Jazz—we're building its future. Thank you for being part of the journey.