Peter Friedman

Op. 33/1, Op.33/2, Op.33/3

It is my impression that a number of factors go into decisions about who one should hire (and keep over time) as a sideman. Things such as personal friendships, reliability, availability, and who you feel comfortable with making music. Selecting the best possible musicians may not be the most crucial in decision making.

Brahms piano Quintet

As often happens in discussions of this sort, people begin to overstate the positions of those with whom they disagree and things veer off in directions rather different from where they began. Saying that one prefers Rouse when he is playing outside the Monk Quartet becomes one has disdain for Rouse, or worse. Speaking for myself only, I like the Playing of Rouse on quite a large number of recordings. In fact, in some cases I like his playing very very much. When Rouse plays as part of the Monk Quartet, I am less thrilled by his performance. It is certainly not bad playing, but FOR ME lacks some of the loose less constrained playing I hear from from him in other settings. It will perhaps bother some to hear that I prefer the playing of Wayne Shorter less with Miles compared to his many recordings on Blue Note and Vee Jay as leader as well as when he is a sideman with musicians such as Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard. As for George Coleman with Miles, I received some nasty responses a number of years ago when I indicated I preferred Coleman over Shorter with Miles.

Beethoven - String Quintet Op.104 Rachmanioff - Piano Concerto No.2

The reason he did not do the same to Trane, Rollins or Griffin is that they were much stronger players who had well formed personal musical identities. Their place in the jazz world was at a much different level than Rouse. That is not meant as put down, as i do like many of Rouse's recordings. But when the other 3 played with Monk they could and did bring much more to the music.

I believe Larry made a very strong point when he suggested that Monk, in effect, took over Rouse which decreased his originality and creativity. The Monk recordings with Rouse are enjoyable to me, but are (in my view) well below albums like Brilliant Corners and Monk's Music where soloists such as Sonny Rollins, Coltrane and Ernie Henry add excitement and great richness that one rarely finds from Rouse with Monk.

Barhms Piano Concerto No.1

I also find Rouse a much more interesting tenor man on recordings that do not include Monk. His recordings as leader on Jazzland, Storyville and Uptown are all very good. There are others as a sideman also well worth hearing.

The videos are definitely not my thing. But I have seen Grace Kelly live a couple of times playing with some top level jazz highly experienced musicians. Not only did she hold her own, but sounded damn good. And it sure looked like the musicians she played with had a positive response to her playing.

Disc 5 - Billy Taylor (pianist) Quartet, Rex Stewart Big Four, Jimmy Jones Big Four, Billy Taylor (bassist) Big Four, Billy Taylor (pianist) Quartet

Haydn - Piano Sonata No.34 , Fantasia in C, Adagio in F Glazunov - Suite for String Quartet, Op.35