Overlooked genius from the Dutch jazz scene of the postwar years – a set of small combo dates that feature trumpeter Rob Pronk, including two groups led by American players too! Pronk's got a tone that's clear, but never too clean – maybe the focused brightness of the young
Howard McGhee, mixed with some of the richer feeling of the young Kenny Dorham – almost always matched here by great tenor work, which makes the tracks an equally strong delight! Players include Harry Verbecke, Toon Van Vilet, and Ruud Brink on tenor sax – plus Herman Schoonderwalt on alto, Rob Madna on piano, Ack Van Rooyen and Jerry Van Rooyen on trumpets, and Ruud Pronk and Cees Slinger on drums – and the set then also features an unusual twist – as Pronk steps over to piano, and works in one group with Ake Persson and Frank Rosolino on trombones, and another with Zoot Sims on tenor. There's a huge amount of music here to discover – and the presentation and recording quality is superb – on titles that include "Latecomer", "Four Roses", "Jack's Wax", "Blue Monk", "Funkerin", "Tune", "Sassy", "Minor", "Corner Pocket", and "Monotones".