Brew Moore

We all have our favourites, sometimes quite obscure ones, we can also be fickle and forget about them as newer stars come along to illuminate the jazz universe.

I first fell in love with the playing of tenorist Brew Moore when I heard him blowing alongside Howard McGhee on Machito's "Cubop City" one of the first Latin/Jazz records I'd ever heard.

Not that Brew was in any way a Cuban or, come to that, a bopper although his playing did at times hover around the periphery of 52nd Street.

Brew was a Lester Young man and got as close to 'Pres' as did any of his clones with the possible exception of Quinichette. Attributed to Brew is the famous statement that ... "Anyone who doesn't play like Lester is wrong."

Perhaps a slightly over the top remark but it told the world exactly where he was coming from and it was underlined by his playing.

I bought his LPs and played them constantly until, gradually, I turned elsewhere. Art Pepper, I think, took over in my affections and Brew somehow was forgotten - he even died during this period falling down some stairs in Copenhagen after a drinking session. There but for the grace of God...

However, old loves are never totally forgotten and I came across the above LP when looking for a Monk LP (Moore alphabetically follows Monk) and, out of curiosity, gave it a spin.

With a Swedish rhythm section Brew once more won me over - his lyricism on "Old Folks' warmed my very soul and I'm looking forward to reawakening past memories of a great and forgotten tenorman.

Lance.