On Sonny Rollins

The Jazz Club series is an attractive addition to the Verve catalogue. With it's modern design and popular choice of repertoire, the Jazz Club is not only opened for Jazz fans, but for everyone that loves good music.
Sonny Rollins will go down in history as not only the single most enduring tenor saxophonist of the bebop and hard bop eras, but also as one of the greatest jazz saxophonists of all time. His fluid and harmonically innovative ideas, effortless manner, and easily identifiable and accessible sound have influenced generations of players. In addition, these skills have fueled the notion that mainstream jazz can be widely enjoyed, recognized, and proliferated. Rollins served early apprenticeships with Babs Gonzalez, J.J. Johnson, Bud Powell, Miles Davis, and Max Roach & Clifford Brown…

A new phase in Sonny Rollins' career began in 1957. He started what was at the time an almost blasphemous trend of recording for a number of different labels. His pioneering spirit yielded a few genre-defining albums, including this disc. His performances were also at a peak during 1957 as Down Beat magazine proclaimed him the Critics' Poll winner under the category of "New Star" of the tenor saxophone. This newfound freedom can be heard throughout the innovations on The Sound of Sonny. Not only are Rollins' fluid solos reaching newly obtained zeniths of melodic brilliance, but he has also begun experimenting with alterations in the personnel from tune to tune. Most evident on this platter is "The Last Time I Saw Paris" - which is piano-less - and most stunning of all is Rollins' unaccompanied tenor solo performance on "It Could Happen to You"…

Sonny Rollins - Rollins In Holland (2020) {Resonance Records}
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© 1967, 2020 Resonance Records / Nederlands Jazz Archief | HCD 2048
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Saxophone

This new 2-CD set of 1967 studio and live recordings of Sonny Rollins is given first class treatment with interviews, detailed histories, and commentaries with photographs in an included 98-page booklet. Discovered poorly labeled in the Dutch Jazz Archives, these performances are fiery and powerful. His Dutch bassist Ruud Jacobs and drummer Han Bennink, who while accomplished, wondered how they would manage, yet they met the challenge brilliantly; Rollins gave them plenty of opportunity to solo and explore. Rollin's himself at age 89 had a hand in the production with Zev Feldman, and his interview is included. Aidan Levy, Rollin's biographer, provided notes and full analysis of each tune. Comments on the choice of saxophone manufacturer and mouthpieces were interesting and unusual.

Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins - Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins (1954) {2006 Prestige RVG Remasters Series}
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© 2006 Concord / Prestige | PRCD-30010-2 | Prestige RVG Remasters Series | 24-bit remaster
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Piano / Saxophone

This disc contains an all-star cast headed up by Thelonious Monk (piano) and includes some collaborative efforts with Sonny Rollins (tenor sax) that go beyond simply inspired and into a realm of musical telepathy. The five tunes included on Work are derived from three separate sessions held between November of 1953 and September of the following year. As is often the case, this likewise means that there are three distinct groups of musicians featured.

Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins - Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins (1954) {Prestige 50th Anniversary 20-bit K2 Edition}
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© 1999 Prestige / Fantasy | PRCD-7075-2
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Post Bop / Piano / Saxophone

“I was the engineer on the recording sessions and I also made the masters for the original LP issues of these albums. Since the advent of the CD, other people have been making the masters. Mastering is the final step in the process of creating the sound of the finished product. Now, thanks to the folks at the Concord Music Group who have given me the opportunity to remaster these albums, I can present my versions of the music on CD using modern technology. I remember the sessions well, I remember how the musicians wanted to sound, and I remember their reactions to the playbacks. Today, I feel strongly that I am their messenger.” — Rudy Van Gelder

Sonny Rollins - Don't Ask (1979) {Milestone OJCCD-915-2 rel 1996}
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© 1979, 1996 Milestone Records / Fantasy / Universal | OJCCD-915-2 / 00025218691529
Jazz / Post Bop / Jazz Funk / Saxophone

Well it's the disco era by the time this album is released and so many people in the jazz and funk world were effected in different ways. Usually it met with mixed results but because Sonny's music was taking on a unique sound that I choose to call funk-bop (there's more on that in my other Sonny Rollins reviews) this wound up being one of his most energized,memorable and creatively satisfying albums of the decade. Not only is Sonny and his band here endlessly abound with creative ideas but also managed to bring the very best out of the musicianship. Miles Davis' drummer Al Foster and guitarist Larry Coryell, himself one of the very earliest architects of jazz fusion in the 60's are the musicians here aside from Sonny who really help a lot in the inspired sound of the music.

In 1965 and 1966 tenor giant Sonny Rollins issued three albums for the Impulse label. They would be his last until 1972 when he re-emerged on the scene from a self-imposed retirement. This date is significant for the manner in which Rollins attacks five standards with a quartet that included pianist Ray Bryant, bassist Walter Booker and drummer Mickey Roker. ~ AllMusic