Out Front is probably the greatest realization on record of trumpeter Booker Little's scope as a musician and composer. It is also one of only five sessions led by Little as a band leader before his premature death at the age of 23 in 1961. The sextet on these dates include the great Max Roach on drums, Eric Dolphy on reeds, and Julian Priester on drums. At the time, a growing number of younger jazz artists were exploring ways to further expand the range and depth of communication in jazz. This album is a perfect example of that "new wave."
