All About Jazz

Home » Articles » Album Review

121

Tina Brooks: True Blue

By

Sign in to view read count
Tina Brooks: True Blue
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: 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

Post a comment about this album

Tina Brooks
About Tina Brooks
Articles | Music | Photos | Related | Search | SHOP

Tags

Tina Brooks CD/LP/Track Review Germein Linares Blue Note Records United States True Blue

Shop Amazon

More

All About Jazz needs your support

Donate
All About Jazz & Jazz Near You were built to promote jazz music: both recorded and live events. We rely primarily on venues, festivals and musicians to promote their events through our platform. With club closures, shelter in place and an uncertain future, we've pivoted our platform to collect, promote and broadcast livestream concerts to support our jazz musician friends. This is a significant but neccesary effort that will help musicians now, and in the future. You can help offset the cost of this essential undertaking by making a donation today. In return, we'll deliver an ad-free experience (which includes hiding the bottom right video ad). Thank you.

Get more of a good thing

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories and includes your local jazz events calendar.