Charlie Rouse

Charlie Rouse (April 6, 1924 – November 30, 1988) was an American hard bop tenor saxophonist and flautist. His career is marked by his collaboration with Thelonious Monk, which lasted for more than ten years.

Rouse was born in Washington, DC in 1924. At first he worked with the clarinet, before turning to the saxophone.

Rouse began his career with the Billy Eckstine Orchestra in 1944, followed by the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band in 1945, the Duke Ellington Orchestra from 1949 to 1950, the Count Basie Octet in 1950, Bull Moose Jackson And His Buffalo Bearcats in 1953, and the Oscar Pettiford Sextet in 1955. He made his recording debut with Tadd Dameron in 1947, and in 1957 made a notable album with Paul Quinichette.

He was a member of Thelonious Monk's quartet from 1959 to 1970. In the 1980s he was a founding member of the group Sphere, which began as a tribute to Monk.

Charlie Rouse died from lung cancer on November 30, 1988 at University Hospital in Seattle at the age of 64.

The asteroid 10426 Charlierouse was officially named to honor Rouse by American astronomer Joe Montani of Spacewatch, who discovered it in 1999. Earlier, in 1994, asteroid 11091 Thelonious had also been discovered and named by Montani.

As leader

• 1957: The Chase Is On (Bethlehem) with Paul Quinichette
• 1958: Just Wailin' (New Jazz) with Herbie Mann, Kenny Burrell and Mal Waldron
• 1960: Takin' Care of Business (Jazzland)
• 1960: Yeah! (Epic) – also released as Unsung Hero with bonus tracks
• 1961: We Paid Our Dues (Epic) – shared LP with Seldon Powell
• 1962: Bossa Nova Bacchanal (Blue Note)
• 1973: Two Is One (Strata-East Records)
• 1977: Cinnamon Flower (Casablanca Records) – also released as Brazil (Douglas Records)
• 1977: Moment's Notice (Storyville)
• 1981: Upper Manhattan Jazz Society (Enja Records)
• 1984: Social Call (Uptown)
• 1988: Epistrophy (Landmark)
• 1988: Soul Mates (Uptown) with Sahib Shihab – released 1995

With Julius Watkins as Les Jazz Modes/The Jazz Modes

• 1956: Jazzville Vol. 1 (Dawn) – shared LP with Gene Quill-Dick Sherman Quintet
• 1956: Les Jazz Modes (Dawn)
• 1957: Mood in Scarlet (Dawn)
• 1958: The Most Happy Fella (Atlantic)
• 1959: The Jazz Modes (Atlantic)

With Sphere

• Four in One (Elektra/Musician, 1982)
• Flight Path (Elektra/Musician, 1983)
• Sphere On Tour (Red, 1985)
• Pumpkin's Delight (Red, 1986 [1993])
• Four for All (Verve, 1987)
• Bird Songs (Verve, 1988)

As sideman

With Dave Bailey

• Gettin' Into Somethin' (Epic, 1961)

With Clifford Brown

• Memorial Album (Blue Note, 1953)

With Donald Byrd

• Byrd in Hand (Blue Note, 1959)

With Benny Carter

• Further Definitions (Impulse 1961)

With Sonny Clark

• Leapin' and Lopin' (Blue Note 1961)

With Art Farmer

• The Art Farmer Septet Prestige, (1953–54)

With Joe Gordon

• Introducing Joe Gordon (EmArcy, 1954)

With Bennie Green

• Bennie Green Blows His Horn (Prestige, 1955)
• Back on the Scene (Blue Note1958)

With Hank Jones

• Groovin' High (Muse, 1978)

With Duke Jordan

• Les Liaisons Dangereuses (quintet) (Charlie Parker records 1962)
• Duke's Delight (SteepleChase, 1975)

With Thelonious Monk

• At Town Hall (Riverside, 1959)
• 5 by Monk by 5 (1959)
• Thelonious Monk at the Blackhawk (Riverside, 1960)
• Monk in France (Riverside, 1961)
• Thelonious Monk in Italy (Riverside, 1961 [1963])
• Monk in Copenhagen (1961)
• Criss Cross (Columbia, 1962)
• Monk's Dream (Columbia, 1963)
• At Newport 1963 and 1965 (1963, 1965)
• Monterey Jazz Festival '63 (1963)
• Big Band / Quartet In Concert (Columbia 1963)
• It's Monk's Time (Columbia, 1964)
• Monk (Columbia 1964)
• Live at the It Club (Columbia, 1964)
• Live At The Jazz Workshop (Columbia 1964)
• Monk In Paris (1965)
• Olympia, 6 Mars 1965 (1965)
• Olympia, 7 Mars 1965 (1965)
• Paris At Midnight (1965)
• Straight, No Chaser (Columbia, 1966)
• The Nonet – Live! (1967)
• Underground (Columbia, 1968)
• Monk's Blues (Columbia 1969)

With Oscar Pettiford

• Oscar Pettiford (Bethlehem, 1954)

With Louis Smith

• Smithville (Blue Note, 1958)

With Art Taylor

• Taylor's Wailers (Prestige 1957)
• Taylor's Tenors (Prestige New Jazz 1959)

With Mal Waldron

• The Git Go – Live at the Village Vanguard (Soul Note, 1986)
• The Seagulls of Kristiansund (Soul Note, 1986)