Roarin

Description

Billed to the New Don Rendell Quintet, this 1961 album was an important document of early-60s British jazz, proving that U.K. jazz musicians could play well in the hard bop style that had been pioneered in the United States. Its not incredibly distinctive or innovative when measured against the best American music in the style, particularly since the group chose to make three of the seven tracks covers of famous compositions by three major U.S. jazzmen (Thelonious Monks Blue Monk, Duke Pearsons Jeannine, and Miles Davis So What). However, the group does perform with respectable energy and swing, as well as effectively integrating decent original material. For rock fans, the records most notable for Graham Bonds presence on alto sax; a couple of years or so after this session, Bond would form his own group, the other players including future Cream rhythm section members Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. Hes not the dominant force on this LP, however, or even the only sax player, as leader Rendell handles the tenor sax. In addition, theres little specific similarity with Bonds later work, on which hed usually sing and play organ on British blues-rock with a jazz influence, though you can hear some of the manic intensity for which Bond was known in his alto playing on Manumission.