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Tenor Madness (released on Craft/OJC, 1956)
A 30-year-old man Sonny Rollins he had already made his special mark with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk by the time this 1956 piece was cut, just a year after the death of bebop sax revolutionary Charlie Parker – but a collaboration with his then friend and admirer John Coltrane was a fortuitous double-header for this album’s title track. In a fun atmosphere with the Miles Davis music section of the time (Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, Philly Joe Jones on drums), the unquenchable talent of the leader shines through on Paul’s Pal, and The Most Beautiful Girl in the World.
Saxophone Colossus (Prestige, 1957)
This writer’s first contact with the music of Sonny Rollins was not through music but words: the New York poet Whitney Balliett’s encouraging review of Sonny Rollins’ 1957 Saxophone Colossus, in which he mentioned the saxophonist’s gffawing, haranguing improvisational style as coming from the same ideas of Jazz Parker’s. Rollins was joined on this classic show by pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Doug Watkins and bebop-pioneering drummer Max Roach. Calypso St Thomas has been a hallmark of Rollins throughout his career, but the long-running Blue Seven charted new levels of how short-term changes in title pieces could redefine generations of jazz producers to come.
Way Out West (Contemporary, 1957)
When UK jazz musician Courtney Pine was blossoming as a young saxophonist in the early 80s, he remembers Sonny Rollins’ 1957 recording of Way Out West as a huge inspiration. This style was a favorite of Rollins in his early years – a dynamic setup of the sax improviser with bass and drum support, and with unknown west coast partners. Rollins has already known his preferences for the game that can be released from the inside (especially I’m Old Cowhand), and with the great bass Ray Brown and the drummer of the “good school” Shelly Manne, he created a great song – especially on Come, Gone, which rivaled Saxophone Colossus’s Blue Seven in production.
A Night at the Village Vanguard (Blue Note, 1957)
Rollins’ music isn’t as extensive as it sounds in the open air, but this song from the Village Vanguard in New York makes a lot of room. Freed from vocal duties due to the lack of a pianist, he is in a difficult situation between rock-solid guitarist Wilbur Ware and soon-to-be Coltrane vocalist Elvin Jones, whose vocal range matches Rollins’ voice. Standouts are Old Devil Moon, two versions of Softly, such as Morning Sunrise, and sonnymoon’s original saxophonist cover Sonnymoon for Two.
Freedom Suite (Riverside, 1958)
Rollins wasn’t a natural composer – like Miles Davis, he liked songs that could be recorded on the backs of envelopes. But the Freedom Suite was an interesting time for him, fueled by the politics of US racial relations and civil rights in the late 1950s, and their impact on African American music. Rollins is backed here by the A-list rhythm section of Oscar Pettiford and drummer Max Roach. The saxophonist is very powerful in the 19-minute title track, revealing his ideas on how to create and explain evolution from limited resources.
The Bridge (RCA, 1962)
Rollins took a break between 1959 and 1961, and his comeback came The Bridgenamed after the refuge he found: practicing alone on the Williamsburg Bridge in New York with company trains passing by. He returned to the studio in 1962 in a few other places – but one, with his famous songs covered by the clever guitarist Jim Hall, the first to move freely between the roles of music, sound and melody, suitable for the jazz tone opened by Ornette Coleman. Rollins is mostly quiet on this set, but he’s engaging all the same, especially on the difficult version of God Bless the Child.
Stay at Ronnie Scott’s (Gearbox Records; recorded January 1965)
Rollins’ tours as a soloist at Ronnie Scott’s London club in the late 50s and early 60s introduced his magic to the UK public, and helped boost the local community’s confidence at a time when European jazz was becoming more liberal in the US. During these tours, Rollins developed a close relationship with London-based pianist Stan Tracey, an artist who always wanted to drop unexpected hits. With Tracey, bassist Rick Laird and drummer Ronnie Stephenson, this is a fascinating example of what Rollins gigs, far from any concert halls, sounded like in the past.
Sunny Days, Starry Nights (Milestone, 1984)
From the 1980s onward, Rollins settled into concert venues that were both recognizable — with their leading points — and appealing to audiences new to him. Sunny Days, Starry Nights featured him with his lifelong stage companions, including trombonist Clifton Anderson, and pianist Mark Soskin. On the latter stage, Rollins was more often clever than dramatic, but he always managed to stick to his voice, as he does here on I’ll See You Again, Kilauea and the calypso Mava Mava.
This Is What I Do (Milestone, 2000)
The best and most romantic display of the genius of Sonny Rollins as he hit his 70s. The saxophonist’s lifelong friends are there, as well as one of the pioneers of modern jazz drumming, Jack DeJohnette, who has mastered many of the musical arts that have evolved over fifty years. DeJohnette plays four of the six songs here, but Rollins’ soulful voice alone is the signature of this 2000s man – a mix of calypso, blues, almost-gospel and a devoted nod to Billie Holiday’s Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square.
Without Music: The 9/11 Concert (Milestone; recorded 2001)
Sonny Rollins and his wife, Lucille, lived near the World Trade Center, saw the building fall on 9/11, and left their home shortly after. Four days later, the saxophonist performed and recorded this exciting session with his regulars at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, including a beautiful performance of Why Was I Born? This performance won the 2006 Grammy Award for jazz solo instrument.
