An under-sung great of the tenor saxophone, J.R. Monterose recorded his first date as a leader for Blue Note in 1956. This session united him with pianist Horace Silver, drummer Philly Joe Jones, bassist Wilbur Ware, and Chicago multi-instrumentalist Ira Sullivan (here on trumpet), and it's an absolute barnstormer. Three tunes by the leader and one each by Jones, Paul Chambers, and Donald Byrd make up this fine hardbop gem. “Wee Jay” is a smoothly powerful opener, with sharp and staccato turns entering into “what the heck is he doing?” tenor choruses, as well as Sullivan’s lilting and incisive solo. Silver is curiously austere in his short statements, prompting a stripped-down trading of fours between drums and bass. Pulling together Rollins, Johnny Griffin, and Wayne Shorter on “Bobbie Pin,” Monterose changes the tune’s dynamic from a midtempo swinger into a quixotic, exploratory workout. An auspicious debut that was followed by obscurity, J.R. Monterose is far from the average post-bop staple.