Upptankt – Charlie Rouse
From Charlie Rouse's first album as a leader comes this exciting "rhythm changes" head. There's not a lot of melodic material, but there are some rhythm section hits to keep it going.
- Recording: Charlie Rouse - Takin' Care Of Business!
- Recorded on: May 11, 1960
- Label: Jazzland (JLP 19)
- Concert Key: B-flat
- Vocal Range: , to
- Style: Swing (uptempo)
- Trumpet - Blue Mitchell
- Tenor Sax - Charlie Rouse
- Piano - Walter Bishop Jr.
- Bass - Earl May
- Drums - Art Taylor
Video
- Description
- Historical Notes
- Solos
- Piano Corner
- Bass Corner
- Drum Corner
- Guitar Corner
- Inside & Beyond
- Minus You
This uptempo "rhythm changes" song has a lot of space for improvisation within the head chorus. There are only six measures of melodic material, used for the A and C sections; the last two measures of these sections have piano fills, and the bridge is also open for blowing. The six measures of melody, which chug along in typical Rouse fashion, are enlivened by a rhythm section hit on the fourth beat of the second measure. At the beginning of the head, there is another hit to launch the melody, on the third beat of the pickup measure; this starts a break until the next hit in the second measure. The coda repeats the fifth and sixth measures of the C section to complete the chorus.
The bridge changes have a classic tritone substitution, with II-V7s descending in half steps instead of a circle of fourths. Charlie Rouse's solo from the bridge of the in head is notated in the lead sheet; the C treble clef lead sheet also has Walter Bishop's piano fills at the ends of the A and C sections.
The bridge changes have a classic tritone substitution, with II-V7s descending in half steps instead of a circle of fourths. Charlie Rouse's solo from the bridge of the in head is notated in the lead sheet; the C treble clef lead sheet also has Walter Bishop's piano fills at the ends of the A and C sections.
"Takin' Care Of Business" was Charlie Rouse's first album as a leader, recorded while he was already working with Thelonious Monk. It is the only recording Rouse did with Blue Mitchell, Walter Bishop Jr., or Earl May. Rouse and Art Taylor were both in Monk's band in 1959, playing on the famous Town Hall concert on February 28th of that year. Rouse played on two Taylor-led albums: "Taylor's Wailers" in 1957 and "Taylor's Tenors" in '59 (with Frank Foster). "Takin' Care Of Business" is also one of only two '60s albums featuring both Blue Mitchell and Walter Bishop Jr.; both also played on Jackie McLean's "Capuchin Swing" in April 1960.
Related Songs
Email Send Upptankt to a friend
Send this page to a friend via email. Add your name or email in the first field. In the second, add one or more email addresses, separated by a comma.
Charlie Rouse
April 6, 1924 – November 30, 1988
An instantly recognizable tenor saxophonist, Charlie Rouse became well-known through his work with Thelonious Monk. Rouse played in Monk's quartet from 1958 to 1970; his dry, crackling timbre and bouncy rhythmic feel complemented Monk's music perfectly. Read more...
There was a problem.
...