Personnel:
Brew Moore, Harold Wylie (ts), Dick Mills (tp), John Marabuto, Vince Guaraldi (p), Cal Tjader (vib), Eddie Duran (g), Max Hartstein, John Mosher, Dean Reilly (b), Gus Gustafson, John Markham, Bobby White (d)
Reference: FSRCD 705
Bar code: 8427328607056
Lesterian tenor saxophonist Brew Moore (1924-1973) spent much of his career like an archetypal Fifties counterculture icon, always on the move, turning up in New York, or San Francisco, Copenhagen or Stockholm for a year or so, playing beautifully and then disappearing. Unsurprisingly, he left very few recordings, particularly of his early US career, which makes this collection, recorded on the West Coast, particularly valuable.
Surrounded by capable West Coasters, on The Brew Moore Quintet his Lester Young inspired tenor delivers glorious ballad playing on Fools Rush In, and an affectingly direct I Want a Little Girl. And he swings mightily through I Cant Believe That You're In Love with Me, Tea for Two and Five Planets in Leo. On Brew Moore, made with another Lesterian tenor, Harold Wylie, he remains the star of the show and their evident compatibility enlivens the exchanges on Edisons Lamp, the jaunty Rhode Island Red and Marna Moves. Both albums benefit from accomplished drummers, Gus Gustafson on the first and John Markham on the second.
The Brew Moore Quintet
"An excellent cool-toned tenor saxophonist proud of the influence of Lester Young, Brew Moore only recorded on an infrequent basis during his career. He did make two albums for Fantasy [...] The three dates included on this set were all cut in San Francisco with local (and now obscure) musicians: trumpeter Dick Mills, pianist John Marabuto, bassist Max Hartstein, drummer Gus Gustofson and an unidentified guitarist. Marabuto contributed three originals; Mills wrote "Rotation," and the other four songs are familiar standards. Moore plays well (despite a hectic lifestyle, he was pretty consistent on records) and the music is relaxed and swinging."
Brew Moore
"Brew Moore lived in San Francisco during the latter half of the 1950s, playing mostly with local musicians. On five of the six selections included on this album, Moore is matched with his fellow tenor Harold Wylie, pianist John Marabuto, bassist John Mosher and drummer John Markam. The music is pleasing and fairly typical of the era's cool jazz [...] "Dues Blues" is taken from a slightly later concert matching Moore with vibraphonist Cal Tjader, pianist Vince Guaraldi, bassist Dean Reilly and drummer Bobby White."
Both by Scott Yanow -All Music Guide
