Charlie Rouse
Tenor Sax
November 30, 1988 (Age 64) died
April 6, 1924 Birthday
Washington, D.C., U.S. Birthplace
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About
Charlie Rouse was a hard bop tenor saxophone player. After growing up in Washington D.C., he began his career in the mid 1940s and played with many of the biggest stars of the day including the Billy Eckstein Orchestra, Dizzy Gillespie's Big Band, Tad Dameron, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Oscar Pettiford. In 1955 he created the group Les Jazz Modes with french horn player Julius Watkins before joining Thelonious Monk in 1959. His 10 year partnership with Monk is widely considered one of the most fruitful collaborations in jazz music. Rouse released several albums as leader in the 1970s and in 1980 became one of the founding members of the group Sphere, a group dedicated to the principles and music of Thelonius Monk. Rouse continued to perform with Sphere and with his quartet until his death from lung cancer in 1988 at the age of 64.
Trivia
Astronomer Joe Montani named an asteroid after Charlie Rouse, 10426 Charlierouse. In 1950 Charlie Rouse was set to tour Europe with the Duke Ellington big band but couldn't find his birth certificate and was therefore unable to obtain a passport.
Early Life
Charlie Rouse was born in Washington, D.C. in 1924. Growing up he lived near the rehearsal space for a local band and became interested in music, first playing the clarinet and later switching to the tenor saxophone. In high school he played in the school jazz band and by the time he graduated he was playing regularly with John Malachi's group at the D.C. jazz club, Crystal Caverns. In 1944 at age 20 he joined Billy Eckstein's Orchestra.
Charlie Rouse Solos
1960
Tenor Sax solo - You Don't Know What Love Is - 1960
4/4 ballad in D minor at 109 BPM
Tenor Sax solo - Lil Rousin' - 1960
4/4 swing in F major at 237 BPM
Tenor Sax solo - Stella By Starlight - 1960
4/4 ballad in B♭ major at 93 BPM
Tenor Sax solo - Billy's Blues - 1960
4/4 swing in F major at 112 BPM
Tenor Sax solo - Rouse's Point - 1960
4/4 swing in C minor at 307 BPM
Tenor Sax solo - There Is No Greater Love - 1960
4/4 swing in F major at 113 BPM