Sonny Rollins - Live in Aix-en-Provence, 1959

[Dmitry]

Saw this one today at the local used joint. 3 extended pieces with Henry Grimes and Klook.

I was itching to buy it, but hid it int back of the pile instead, pending further info.

How's the music, how's the sound quality?

Edited August 14, 2004 by Dmitry

[JSngry]

Go back and get that mofo NOW.

It's a loose, what sounds like a club, date. No pressure. Sonny just relaxes and stretches out. And out...

Sound is just fine. More than just fine, actually. Playing times a wee bit short, but as Tracy said of Hepburn, what there is is chice.

From the geek POV, I think that this is also the last recording of Rollins before the sabbatical. It's easy, possible, and perhaps even accurate to "read" all sorts of things into his playing here in that regard, namely a sense of "completion" with the hard bop conventionalities that he had a large part in creating, as well as hearing some new concepts that he just wasn't able to fully technically execute yet. Puts the sabbatical into a practical and sane light, it does.

One of my favorite Newk boots.

[brownie]

This was originally released on the French bootleg label Royal Jazz. Tapes from the date must originate from the archives to the French national radio broadcast system ORTF from which the label operators helped themselves.

The sound is very good for a club date.

The music is on the Sonny Rollins at the VV lebel, or just about. Slightly more adventurous.

As Jim said, go get it NOW before it disappears.

Edited August 15, 2004 by brownie

[JSngry]

Dmitry, read Larry Kart's comment on this disc here:

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...view=getnewpost

[Dmitry]

As Jim said, go get it NOW before it disappears.

Proceeded to do so today and very grateful for the kicks in the behind. It would've been gone in a few days for sure.

What can I say. It's a must have for anyone who wants to be a Rollins fan.

A very satisfying and revealing performance.

Have you noticed how he weaves St.Thomas into Lady Bird?

This is probably the best live Sonny I've heard. Those tales about his amazing live preformances must be true. Does the tape from his San remo performance of the same year exist?

Guy, in the beginning there are shouts from the French audience. What are they shouting?

Liner notes list Henry Grimes as 1935-1984...cat's got 10 lives.

In the end, Sonny says Je suis fatigué. Pretty symbolic.

[brownie]

Guy, in the beginning there are shouts from the French audience. What are they shouting?

Liner notes list Henry Grimes as 1935-1984...cat's got 10 lives.

In the end, Sonny says Je suis fatigué. Pretty symbolic.

Rollins had good reasons to feel tired since the trio had played a concert in Marseille (which is 20 miles away) earlier in the day.

Will relisten to what the audience shouts when I return home. Rollins must have been pleased with the reception he got from the lucky people who were at the show.

What amazes me with that CD is the way Kenny Clarke managed to insinuate himself in that unique trio feel and get the right dynamics! Klook was magnifique!

I was lucky to hear Rolins with Grimes and Pete LaRoca a few days earlier at the Club Saint-Germain in Paris. One of the great memories of live jazz!

[JSngry]

Two other things from the same tour to keep an eye out for are the Dragon CD TRION IN STOCKHOLM 1959, and the Moon SONNYMOON FOR TWO, which is a little "below" the other two, but which also has one selection from the 1969 IN DENMARK two volume boot, which is one of the glories of Rollinshood.

[Tom Storer]

This is one of my favorite jazz records. It seems to me some of the audience noise indicates Americans are in the audience, too. I agree that Kenny Clarke is just beautiful here.

Given the fast and loud shouting here in favor of this recording, I'm glad I decided in the end not to include any of it on my blindfold test! *

* coming soon to a forum near you

[brownie]

Guy, in the beginning there are shouts from the French audience. What are they shouting?

Don't think it's French that can be heard in the beginning. Sounds more like english (or american?) to me. Tom Storer seems to hear the same. Might be the musicians talking. In any case, it's too brief to make much sense. Whoever they were, they seemed to be ready to enjoy a good evening. And they must have!

[jlhoots]

Pulled this out & listened.

Superb & much better sound than I remembered.

Thanks for the "reminder'.

[Dmitry]

I don't know if audience shouts were English or French, but the recording sure is surprisingly good Mono.

[Tom Storer]

Just listened to the start of the first track - I hear an American voice, among the general hubbub, saying "Go on, Klook, start up, man," then someone says "Shhhhhhh!" while Klook starts up. The voice doesn't sound as deep as Rollins' voice, but it could be him or another musician, or else a front-row patron.