What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Stanfordian]

I've always felt both front line players were at too early a stage in their respective developments for this to have been the success it might have been had they delayed it by, say, 6 years - at which time Sonny was coming out of his Erensburg Bridge woodshedding period, and recording "The Bridge", and 'Trane his first famous Village Vanguard sets. Both were "in transition" and might have profitted creatively from such an onstage interchange. Instead of which, Coltrane pushed ahead singlemindedly within his own terms and Rollins chose to cut whatever losses he might have incurred in his hard-won acquisitions by going free, and remained within the changes.

I know nothing about Jazz. However, I know what I like and I slightly prefer 'Saxophone Colossus' but 'Tenor Madness' is great too! I think Sonny Rollins then in his mid-twenties was one of those performers who did some of their best work early in his career.

The AllMusic review by Michael G. Nastos calls the album "a recording that should stand proudly alongside Saxophone Colossus as some of the best work of Sonny Rollins in his early years."

[Ian Thumwood]

I've always felt both front line players were at too early a stage in their respective developments for this to have been the success it might have been had they delayed it by, say, 6 years - at which time Sonny was coming out of his Erensburg Bridge woodshedding period, and recording "The Bridge", and 'Trane his first famous Village Vanguard sets. Both were "in transition" and might have profitted creatively from such an onstage interchange. Instead of which, Coltrane pushed ahead singlemindedly within his own terms and Rollins chose to cut whatever losses he might have incurred in his hard-won acquisitions by going free, and remained within the changes.

I think that Rollins was a more mature player in the 1950s but would have to admit that Coltrane's earlier recordings don't have the appeal of his final work with Miles and his later quartet. A later encounter in the early 60's would have been a mismatch and I am not convinced that coupling Rollins with the likes of McCoy Tyner would have worked. I would have liked to have heard Rollins lock horns with Coltrane in the early 60s but without a piano and maybe someone like Elvin Jones on drums. I just think that the lack of a harmony instrument would have made the encounter more interesting.


I would have had to say that a meeting between Joe Henderson and Sonny Rollins would have been more compatible and would have liked to have heard that. Conversely to the SA's Coltrane and Rollins mash up, I wish that Ornette and Rollins had met much earlier and not when they were so old.

One weird notion that I had in my mind was Sonny Rollins and Grover Washington having made an album together or at least play on one track. I am sure that I saw such an LP in WHSmith back in the mid1980's when I was first getting in to jazz. I can find no mention of this on the internet and wonder if I was making it up. Did this ever happen? Can't find anything on YouTube either.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Grover Washington guested on Dexter Gordon's last studio album, American Classic? He toured with Sonny Rollins as a guest during 1982.


People make far too much out of Tenor Madness, a jam encounter with neither outstanding, although it's a nice marker. Rollins with Elvin and Garrison (Broadway Rundown) was OK, nice moments, but sparks didn't fly. I'm not a fan of "great meetings", they rarely live up to billing.

[Ian Thumwood]

Grover Washington guested on Dexter Gordon's last studio album, American Classic? He toured with Sonny Rollins as a guest during 1982.


People make far too much out of Tenor Madness, a jam encounter with neither outstanding, although it's a nice marker. Rollins with Elvin and Garrison (Broadway Rundown) was OK, nice moments, but sparks didn't fly. I'm not a fan of "great meetings", they rarely live up to billing.

I tend to agree with the "great meetings " scenarios but the problem for me is often that they have little by the way of preparation about them and often little more than ad hoc jams. This is something which was particularly redolent of the 1950s where LPs allowed performances to be captured that tried to emulate jam sessions by benefitting by the greater recording length. There are some great recordings where unlikely musicians have hooked up but they do tend to benefit from someone doing a bit of writing beforehand - thinking of the exceptional Ellington / Hawkins record in particular. Blowing sessions rarely bear up after repeated listening.

I have to say with Sonny Rollins that, for a musician of his stature, he hasn't really produced a terrific body of recorded work. For me, he is a musician that you have to experience live. I have seen him three times with diminishing results but the first time for me was absolutely staggering. The concert was available on a DVD (Live in Vienne) and is terrific. I thoroughly recommend this DVD. More than any other musician, I think you need to hear Rollins in the "now" and hearing him confined within a studio does not really do him justice. The more recent 9/11 concert is also pretty impressive but none of his studio work from the 70s onwards really resonates like his best work from the 50's and 60's. Despite that, I think he is still one of the greatest improvisers jazz has produced. It was a disaster than he only made the one album with Jim Hall - "The Bridge" being the one Rollins album I return to more than any other.

[Serial_Apologist]

I tend to agree with the "great meetings " scenarios but the problem for me is often that they have little by the way of preparation about them and often little more than ad hoc jams. This is something which was particularly redolent of the 1950s where LPs allowed performances to be captured that tried to emulate jam sessions by benefitting by the greater recording length. There are some great recordings where unlikely musicians have hooked up but they do tend to benefit from someone doing a bit of writing beforehand - thinking of the exceptional Ellington / Hawkins record in particular. Blowing sessions rarely bear up after repeated listening.

I have to say with Sonny Rollins that, for a musician of his stature, he hasn't really produced a terrific body of recorded work. For me, he is a musician that you have to experience live. I have seen him three times with diminishing results but the first time for me was absolutely staggering. The concert was available on a DVD (Live in Vienne) and is terrific. I thoroughly recommend this DVD. More than any other musician, I think you need to hear Rollins in the "now" and hearing him confined within a studio does not really do him justice. The more recent 9/11 concert is also pretty impressive but none of his studio work from the 70s onwards really resonates like his best work from the 50's and 60's. Despite that, I think he is still one of the greatest improvisers jazz has produced. It was a disaster than he only made the one album with Jim Hall - "The Bridge" being the one Rollins album I return to more than any other.

My greatest Rollins experience was seeing him at Ronnie's in 1966 or '67. Apparently the audience was full of musicians that night, each of whom has a slightly diffferent version to tell of the night. Many years later I had occasion to put Lol Coxhill up for a night after a local gig; we were so p*ssed I went over to the piano and proceeded to try to play "Don't Stop the Carnival", while Lol got his soprano sax out of its case. He then asked me if I could play the bridge. Thinking Lol must mean "The Bridge" I said I couldn't remember that one; in fact he meant the bridge to "Don't Stop The Carnival"!!!

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Sonny Rollins' "Worktime" (1955 Prestige) is Sonny's coming of age date. A wonderful record with his suspended time, half steps and displacements etc all in place. Miles used to play the acetates down the phone to impress people, and it was Steve Lacy's favourite Rollins album.

[Stanfordian]

‘Empyrean Isles’
Herbie Hancock with Freddie Hubbard, Ron Carter & Tony Williams
Blue Note (1964)

[Stanfordian]

‘Doin’ Allright’
Dexter Gordon with Freddie Hubbard, Horace Parlan, George Tucker & Al Harewood
Blue Note (1961)

[Stunsworth]

John Coltrane: Both Directions at Once

Very good and in excellent mono sound.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Most of Trane 2018 is now up on YouTube, I'm not sure for how long. Sounds good, the "Slow Blues" sounds initially to me a lot like "Blues for Elvin" . I am waiting on my CD copy.

[Stanfordian]

‘Indestructible’
Art Blakey with Curtis Fuller, Wayne Shorter, Cedar Walton & Reggie Workman
Blue Note (1964)

[Stanfordian]

Sonny Rollins' "Worktime" (1955 Prestige) is Sonny's coming of age date. A wonderful record with his suspended time, half steps and displacements etc all in place. Miles used to play the acetates down the phone to impress people, and it was Steve Lacy's favourite Rollins album.

Good suggestion. I'll get 'Worktime' out next week!

[burning dog]

Good suggestion. I'll get 'Worktime' out next week!

This is also good example of a Rollins graduation piece, I think it's interesting because the "characteristics" have yet to become "trademarks"


from the album 'THELONIOUS MONK AND SONNY ROLLINS' (Prestige Records)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVjakWUFY7g

[Stanfordian]

'Liquid Spirit' - Gregory Porter

[Serial_Apologist]

'Liquid Spirit' - Gregory Porter

As someone not paerticularly into male singers I have to say I quite like Gregory Porter, evenif he is something of a cheerleader for the Bible Belt.