TINA BROOKS Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Tina Brooks is actually the name that American tenor sax man Harold Floyd "Tina" Brooks went by. He was a hard bop pioneer active from the 50s onwards and he recorded with But Note between '58 and 61 with sidemen such as Kenny Burrell, Freddie Hubbard and Jimmy Smith. He recorded five albums for the label but many came after his death. Not True Blue, though, which came at the same time as his Blue Note debut, Open Sesame. it wasn't actively promoted but has since got plenty of appreciation from fans and critics alike.

Review: Tina Brooks' final album was one of his most underrated. The tenor saxophonist really brought the goodness on The Waiting Game, which she record din 1961 but did not put out until 1999. The undervalued player might have played a big part in the hard bop era but only one of his Blue Note sessions ever made it out. Here he is joined by Johnny Coles on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, Wilbur Ware on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums, and wrote five of the six tunes himself. It's a soulful sound with highlights like modal masterpieces 'Dhyana' and 'David the King.'