J.R. Monterose is certainly not a household name in Jazz music but he is one of the important tenor saxophonists who was in New York in the md-50s during the Jazz boom. Monterose was born in Detroit but raised in upstate New York in Utica and paid his dues in various big bands and by the mid-50s was heard on recordings by vibist Teddy Charles and bass master Charles Mingus. Monterose worked off and on with Mingus from 1954 to 1956 when he appeared on a famous and important Mingus recording called "Pithecanthrophus Erectus". Soon after he left Mingus and joined trumpeter Kenny Dorham's short-lived band called "The Jazz Prophets" and it was from a live recording with Dorham that Monterose came to the attention of Blue Note's head honcho Alfred Lion. Lion gave Monterose his first opportunity to record under his own name and this great recording is the result. J.R.'s hard-hitting tenor saxophone dominates and his partner, Chicago legend Ira Sullivan provides a great foil with his fast crackling trumpet. The rhythm section is one of New York's finest and was picked by J.R. specially for their astuteness and deep groove. Horace Silver on piano, the great Chicago bassist Wilbur Ware and the dynamic drummer Philly Joe Jones. The tunes are three by J.R., one by trumpeter Donald Byrd, one by bassist Paul Chambers and a hip original by drummer Philly Joe Jones. All in all this was one great debut recording and a perfect example of New York Jazz from the 1950s. J.R. Monterose!

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