Sonny Rollins Work Time

At a time when he was a member of the legendary Clifford Brown/Max Roach sextet, Sonny Rollins was still the apple fallen not too far from the tree of Miles Davis. Tenor Madness was the recording that, once and for all, established Newk as one of the premier tenor saxophonists, an accolade that in retrospect, has continued through six full decades and gives an indication why a young Rollins was so well liked, as his fluency, whimsical nature, and solid construct of melodies and solos gave him the title of the next Coleman Hawkins or Lester Young of mainstream jazz. With the team of pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones, staples of that era's Miles Davis combos, Rollins has all the rhythmic ammunition to cut loose, be free, and extrapolate on themes as only he could, and still can…

Rare work from the RCA years of Sonny Rollins - all recorded during the time of his groundbreaking albums for the label in the early 60s, but never issued until this much later Japanese package! The title is quite apt - as the whole set really shows the development that Rollins brought to his music in the years after his classic album The Bridge - that open, freely expressive sound that took his already-great approach to tenor and really pushed it into something new - a bold, fresh style for the 60s that was full of power and freedom, but which took a very different direction than the music of John Coltrane or Archie Shepp. Music runs from bop standards to more thoughtful compositions - and even in the mellow moments, Rollins is really mindblowing - working in small group settings with players who include Herbie Hancock on piano, Jim Hall on guitar, Thad Jones on cornet, and either Ron Carter or David Izenzon on bass.

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…