2 of the best studio albums from the legendary trumpeter
Booker Little – back to back on 1 CD! The first 7 tracks on the set are from the Bethlehem album
Booker Little & Friend – a fantastic sextet session recorded in 1961, shortly before
Booker Little's death, and filled with all the promise and power he ever packed into his playing! The lineup includes Julian Preister, George Coleman, and Pete La Roca, and the groove is tight modern hard bop all the way through. An excellent album, and one of the best recordings ever on Bethlehem – with tracks that include "Matilde", "
Booker's Blues", "Forward Flight", and "Victory and Sorrow". Next up are 6 tracks from the album
Booker Little 4 & Max Roach – recorded for United Artists in 1958, at a time when
Little was in the Max Roach band. The album is virtually a Max Roach session, as it features regular Roach group members Coleman and
Little – plus bassist Art Davis and pianist Tommy Flanagan – all of whom fall perfectly into line behind Roach's masterful drumming on tracks like "Rounder's Mood", "Dungeon Waltz", and "Jewel's Tempo". 13 tracks in all.