On Sonny Rollins

Sonny Rollins - Sonny Rollins With The Modern Jazz Quartet (1951) {2003 Prestige 20bit K2 Remaster}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 127 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 80 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 53 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2003 Prestige / Fantasy | PRCD-7029-2
Jazz / Bop

This album covers roughly two years in Rollins's career when he was beginning to emerge as an important force in contemporary jazz. "I Know" was his first track as a leader, taped at the end of a January 1951 Miles Davis date at Davis's insistence. (Miles even played piano for him.) Sonny's first date as a leader took place on a snowy December night at the end of that year. The meeting with the Modern Jazz Quartet, in October 1953, showed a new maturity, especially in the rendition of Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood."

For this 1997 release, the Keystone Trio focuses its refined elegance on Sonny Rollins the composer. While not principally known as a writer, but rather as a remarkable improviser and interpreter of standards and bop classics, Rollins has written dozens of originals over the decades. Other than "Airegin," none of Rollins' best known pieces, such as "Doxy," "Oleo," "St. Thomas," or "Blue Seven," are presented here. Instead, pianist John Hicks, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Idris Muhammad mainly explore items from the saxophonist's Milestone releases from the '80s and '90s, along with some from mid-'50s Prestige dates. The trio's approach is to draw out the melodic and structural substance of each piece, casting them in a light that has more in common with the grace of the Bill Evans Trio than with Rollins' often challenging and provocative soundscapes…

Sonny Rollins And The Big Brass (1958), Sonny Rollins On Impulse! (1965), Alfie [OST] (1966).
Sonny Rollins And The Big Brass (1958). Big Brass is an appropiate name for the large ensemble arranged and conducted by Ernie Wilkins that accompanies the huge sound of Sonny Rollins. The energy within the leader's gospel-flavored shout "Grand Street" is considerable, while a swinging but no less powerful version of George & Ira Gershwin's "Who Cares" features a choice solo by guitarist Rene Thomas. Also added to this compilation are trio recordings with bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Specs Wright, including a brilliant leisurely stroll through "Manhattan," along with Rollins' tour de force unaccompanied tenor sax on "Body and Soul"…

Mid 50s genius from Sonny Rollins - 5 albums in a single set, all presented in LP-styled sleeves. Includes 'Worktime' (1956), 'With The Modern Jazz Quartet' (1956), 'Tenor Madness' (1956), 'Moving Out' (1956) and 'Saxaphone Colossus' (1957).
Worktime is a record that perfectly illustrates why Rollins was one of the greatest players on his horn for many decades running! There's a depth of tone on the record that rivals Coleman Hawkins or Lester Young - but a quickness of pace and imagination that shows a clear influence from Charlie Parker, and a deftness that few were bringing to the tenor at the time. The rhythm section here is super tight - and features Ray Bryant on piano, George Morrow on bass, and Max Roach on drums…

Sonny Rollins - 5 Original Albums with full original artwork (2016) {5CD Set Prestige - originally released 1956}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 969 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 427 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 161 Mb | 5% repair rar | Mono | remastered
© 1956, 2016 Prestige / Concord / Universal | 08880 7236299
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Saxophone

Official 2016 remastered collection of 5 albums recorded for Prestige, housed in replica card sleeves with full original artwork. Includes 'Worktime', 'With The Modern Jazz Quartet', 'Tenor Madness', 'Moving Out', & 'Saxaphone Colossus'. The quality of the music collected here needs no comment, really. But what I like about this series of box sets is that the original LP covers are faithfully reproduced on the small paper sleeves, front and back, just like the Japanese do it with their ridiculously expensive miniature CD paper sleeves. All relevant discographic data, like musicians, recording dates etc., are listed on the CD labels, which is unique for this kind of box sets and a great service if you ask me.

Sonny Rollins Quartet: Jazz Jamboree video It was beautifully filmed (in color) at the Jazz Jamboree Festival in Warsaw, Poland, during Rollins' first trip behind the Iron Curtain. Sonny Rollins Quartet: Jazz Jamboree film He plays here with his regular group of this period. Sonny Rollins Quartet: Jazz Jamboree review Pianist Mark Soskin and bassist Jerome Harris had first recorded with Sonny in April 1978, when both were professionally recorded live with the saxophonist in San Francisco, as part of a sextet that also included Donald Byrd on trumpet, Tony Williams on drums and Aurell Ray on electric guitar. Also features clips from a San Francisco performance that was also Jerome Harris'first collaboration with Rollins.

We start off in March 1956 with ‘Sonny Rollins Plus 4’ where unsurprisingly we find Sonny accompanied, by you guessed it, four stellar jazzmen. Clifford Brown on trumpet, Max Roach on drums, George Morrow on bass and Richie Powell on piano. Recorded a little later the same year in December 1956 our second offering is ‘Sonny Rollins Volume One’ where Sonny is found in the company of Donald Byrd on trumpet, Wynton Kelly on piano, Gene Ramey on bass and our old friend Max Roach on drums. CD2 moves on to 1957 for ‘Sonny Rollins Volume Two’ where Sonny is joined by another fantastic line up including Thelonious Monk playing piano on his own classic compositions ‘Misterioso’ and ‘Reflections’…