Charles Mingus – Pithecanthropus Erectus (1956)

Atlantic – 1237Rec. Date : January 30, 1956Stream this Album Bass : Charlie MingusAlto Sax : Jackie McLeanDrums : Willie JonesPiano : Mal WaldronTenor Sax : J.R. Monterose Billboard : 8/25/1956Score of 77 In his first Atlantic LP, Mingus departs from the strict composter-imposed discipline of his “Composer Workshop” series. There is more of a conventional “jazz” feel and more improvisation. However,

Teddy Charles – The Teddy Charles Tentet (1956)

Atlantic – 1229Rec. Dates – January 6, 1956, January 11, 1956, January 17, 1956Stream this Album Vibes : Teddy CharlesAlto Sax : Gigi GryceBaritone Sax : George Barrow, Sol SchlingerBass : Teddy KotickDrums : Joe HarrisGuitar : Jimmy RaneyPiano : Mal WaldronTenor Sax : J.R. MonteroseTrumpet : Art Farmer (as Peter Urban)Tuba : Don Butterfield Billboard : 05/12/1956Score of 78 Using an unusually constructed jazz ensemble (vibes,

Kenny Dorham – And the Jazz Prophets, Volume One (1956)

ABC-Paramount – ABC-122Rec. Date : April, 1956Stream this Album (YT only) Trumpet : Kenny DorhamBass : Sam JonesDrums : Arthur EdgehillPiano : Dick KatzTenor Sax : J.R. Monterose Billboard : 09/01/1956Score of 73 Ex-jazz Messenger Dorham in his first disk with his new group. The idiom is rugged post-bop, like the Messengers, but Dorham’s trumpet is heavily featured. J.R. Monterose is on tenor, Dick Katz on piano,

Teddy Charles – Evolution (1957)

Prestige – PRLP 7078Rec. Dates : August 31, 1953, January 6, 1955 Vibes, Piano : Teddy CharlesDrums : Shelly ManneBass : Curtis Counce, Charles MingusTenor Sax : Jimmy Giuffre, J.R. MonteroseTrumpet : Shorty Rogers Listening to Prestige : #91, #134Album is Not Streamable Billboard : 04/29/1957Score of 74 A representative, varied sampling of the West and East Coast recording activities of the adventurous vibist-writer, Teddy

Kenny Burrell – Kenny Burrell (1957)

Blue Note – BLP 1543Rec. Date : March 12, 1956, May 29, 1956, May 30, 1956 Guitar – Kenny BurrellBass : Oscar Pettiford, Paul Chambers, Sam JonesCongas : CándidoDrums : Shadow Wilson, Kenny Clarke, Arthur EdgehillPiano : Tommy Flanagan, Bobby TimmonsTenor Sax : Frank Foster, J.R. MonteroseTrumpet : Kenny Dorham Strictlyheadies : 02/20/2019Album is Not Streamable Audio : July, 1957Charles A. Robertson The second collection featuring Kenny Burrell is a most

J.R. Monterose – J.R. Monterose (1957)

Blue Note – BLP 1536Rec. Date : October 21, 1956 Tenor Sax : J.R. MonteroseBass : Wilbur WareDrums : Philly Joe JonesPiano : Horace SilverTrumpet : Ira Sullivan Strictlyheadies : 02/13/2019Stream this Album Billboard : 03/09/1957Score of 71 J.R. Monterose (not to be confused with another tenor-man, Jack Montrose) here gets his first LP showcase as leader. For the date he picked a

Kenny Dorham – ‘Round About Midnight At The Café Bohemia (1957)

Blue Note – BLP 1524Rec. Date : May 31, 1956 Trumpet : Kenny DorhamBass : Sam JonesDrums : Arthur EdgehillGuitar : Kenny BurrellPiano : Bobby TimmonsTenor Sax : J.R. Monterose Strictlyheadies : 02/01/2019Stream this Album Billboard : 01/19/1957Score of 77 Dorham, original trumpet man in the Jazz Messenger group, is framed here with a group of up-and-coming but as yet not over-recorded