Sonny Rollins Work Time

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. Rollins, who's been recording for RCA and its Bluebird subsidiary, had spent the previous three years (after emerging from his first retirement) concentrating on standards and focusing deeply on intimate, intricate aspects of melody and harmony. He inverts the approach here, and digs deeply into pulse and rhythm and leaving melody to take care of itself…

Blue Note has done an admirable job of collecting the mellow material of a number of classic players for its Ballads series. Sonny Rollins' entry, like the others, finds the tenor in a late-night mood. The disc begins and ends with intimate trios offering fine renditions of "I Can't Get Started" and "Softly As in a Morning Sunrise," both featuring bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Elvin Jones. The openness of these two live recordings allows Rollins plenty of room to search and discover the right notes. There's a seven-minute version of Thelonious Monk's "Reflections" with Monk himself sitting in, and an adventurous take on "Decision" with trumpeter Donald Byrd, pianist Wynton Kelly, and drummer Max Roach. Certain choices, like "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?" from Finian's Rainbow, also show Rollins' willingness to search outside of the jazz world for good material…

In 1978 a tour was set up that would feature three of the top jazz stars of Milestone Records (tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, pianist McCoy Tyner, and bassist Ron Carter) in a quartet with drummer Al Foster. The resulting recording has many strong moments, including Rollins' unaccompanied solo on "Continuum," his duet with Tyner on "In a Sentimental Mood," Tyner's showcases on "A Little Pianissimo" and "Alone Together" (the latter a duet with Carter), and the bassist's lengthy reworking of "Willow Weep for Me." The quartet pieces generally work well too, with these compatible but very individual stylists blending together much better than one might expect.