Bossa Nova Music

It seems Charlie Rouse still doesn't get the respect he deserves, and that's a shame. Because he was the perfect sideman for Thelonious Monk, his own music often gets overlooked or underrated. The few albums he recorded as a leader during his tenure with Monk are varied and excellent. He had a distinctive, individual style and was fluent in different non-Monk contexts including the latin bag he explores here.

As the word "bacchanal" in the title suggests, this CD has a joyous, partylike atmosphere, somehow both relaxed and boisterous. This does NOT sound like the lame, commercial Stan Getz copycats of the time [absolutely no disrespect to Getz intended]. The mood reminds me more of Charlie Parker's "My Little Suede Shoes", Sonny Rollin's classic forays into calypso, or Dexter Gordon's "Soy Califa". This isn't strictly a bossa nova album anyway. The first and last songs on the original album are calypso tunes [which suit Rouse's style perfectly], and the haunting "Meci Bon Dieu" is a Haitian tune.

Make no mistake, Rouse knows what he is doing here. He both understands and appreciates the music. Leonard Feather says in the liner notes,"As befits the overall concept of bossa nova, Charlie plays with a remarkable blend of smoothness and assertion...and his sense of time is always acute and appropriate". Regularly navigating the rhythmic displacements and complexities of Monk's music couldn't have hurt.

The rhythm section sounds authentic because it is, and establishes a great groove with plenty of percussion. The guitarists both shine-Kenny Burrell is his usual impeccable self and Chauncey "Lord" Westbrook is colorful and pithy. I would have liked to hear more from them, but this is Charlie's show and he masterfully commands centerstage most of the time. His playing is great-running the gamut from bouyant and juicy exuberance to gorgeously wistful.

The bonus track is a sunny, modal piece from a straight ahead session with the stellar lineup of Rouse, Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Bob Cranshaw, and Billy Higgins. It's worth the price of the CD by itself. I wish that session hadn't been abandoned, but at least we have this great, tantalizing performance.

I've been listening to this CD for a year and a half and it never gets old. I highly recommend it. Listen to the samples!

I love Blue Note's limited edition Connoisseur Series, but unfortunately they are running out of things to reissue. Of the six titles in this latest batch of releases, two are real duds -- Hank Mobley's "The Flip" (see my review) and this title. Charlie Rouse's "Bossa Nova Bacchanal" is a boring mainstream attempt to capitalize on the Brazilian fad that was sweeping the nation back in the early 1960s. Stan Getz successfully rode that wave, ultimately because of the authentic contributions of Joao Gilberto and Luis Bonfa. It is no surprise then that Bonfa penned this November 26, 1962 session's two best numbers -- the others are mere imitations. The album does feature some excellent guitar work from Kenny Burrell, but drummer Willie Bobo's contribution is surprisingly sedate. Rouse though is the biggest disappointment -- how could someone who produced so much memorable music with Monk stoop to this level? Ironically, the best track on this CD isn't even from the original album! It is a single song from an aborted January 22, 1965 session featuring Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Bob Cranshaw and Billy Higgins. It is called "One for Five" and it was the lone highlight of an earlier Connoisseur title called "The Lost Sessions." Why didn't Alfred Lion record more on this date, did he run out of tape? If so, he should've just recorded over the master for "Bacchanal."

. . . but otherwise Michael B Richman's review is pretty much on the money.

The main difficulty here is that Charlie Rouse just isn't a bossa nova kind of player. His declamatory, aggressive approach is much more suited to the music of Thelonius Monk, in whose employ he recorded some truly spectacular music. He just doesn't have either the rhythmic feel or legato fluidity that marked Stan Getz as such a wonderful interpreter of Brazilian samba. It also doesn't help that the first cut, which can't help but set the stage, sounds more like a calypso than a samba.

But you know what? Charlie Rouse is ALWAYS worth hearing, even when not optimally presented. I for one am glad to have this disc, despite its obvious difficulties.