Tina Brooks' passionate full sound and forward-looking style, along with his exceptional compositional gifts, made him a powerful force during his prime years. Brooks' star burned with intense brightness for a brief period before disappearing in the same tragic manner of too many other young bop players of the time. Even many of the most dedicated jazz fans missed Brooks' recordings, the best of which were simply extraordinary.

A soulful hard bop tenor-saxophonist with an original sound and fresh ideas of his own, Brooks (1932-74) had a brief life. He started out playing with Amos Milburn and Lionel Hampton. The prime of his career was during 1958-61 when he recorded four albums for Blue Note, including his most significant recording, True Blue. True Blue has long been one of the most sought-after Blue Notes of all time.

Recorded in June, 1960, True Blue showcases Brooks along with the young firebrand trumpeter Freddie Hubbard (in one of his earliest sessions), pianist Duke Jordan, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Art Taylor in a set of highly inventive originals. True Blue gives listeners plenty of proof of Tina Brooks' majestic sound and soulful writing prowess. For many aficionados of the Blue Note label, True Blue is the very essence of the Blue Note sound and feel.

Like all Music Matters Jazz releases, this audiophile vinyl reissue is mastered from the original analog tape and pressed on 180g virgin vinyl at RTI in Camarillo, CA. The highest quality gatefold cover features original session photography on the inside.

See more Tina Brooks records here.