One of the only sessions tenor sax player Tina Brooks ever led during his short career, this 1960 recording features a superb studio lineup including trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, Duke Jordan on piano, Sam Jones on bass and Art Taylor on drums. An accomplished songwriter, Brooks wrote every tune here except for one.

Duke Jordan established his credentials as pianist during 1947-48 when he was Charlie Parker's pianist. His composing skills did not emerge until the arrival of hard bop in the mid fifties. Flight To Jordan, recorded on August 4, 1960 was his first full album as a leader and features the distinctive frontline of Stanley Turrentine and Dizzy Reece.

Oscar Pettiford was not only one of the best bassists in jazz but was also one of the first to make the cello a solo instrument. Pettiford had to be considered equal, and possibly even better than Charles Mingus, when discussing the most important bass players in jazz at the time of this 1954 Hollywood recording. The quintet of Pettiford with Julius Watkins on French horn, Charlie Rouse on tenor sax, pianist Duke Jordan and drummer Ron Jefferson are at their best supporting Pettiford who performs here on both bass and cello.

Bebop pioneer Howard McGhee was in and out of prison on drug charges for a good part of the 1950s, so there isn't much on record representing that decade. In fact he hadn't been near the studio in two years prior to this 1955 recordings, hence the title. He was anything but rusty, though: McGhee sounds re-energized here, possibly due to the inspiring presence of session musicians like Sahib Shihab on baritone and alto sax and Duke Jordan on piano.