Sonny Rollins

[mrjazzman]

Which in your opinion is the best Sonny Rollins session for each decade from '50, '60, '70, '80, '90, '00.............

[catesta]

I'm having a tough enough time with just the 50s stuff.

In the 50s I'll say it's probably Plus 4 followed by Saxophone Colossus.

[Free For All]

For the 50s, Night at the Vanguard. No doubt on that one, even though I love the two catesta listed. The VV is probably my favorite Sonny.

For the 60s, probably The Bridge, although there are many great moments on the RCA recordings, like that long version of 52nd Street Theme.

[sal]

For the sixtes, my vote goes to "East Broadway Rundown".

[sal]

Had to think about this for a minute, but I'm gonna go wth "Freedom Suite" as the best fifties session.

Edit for spelling

Edited September 9, 2006 by sal

[ejp626]

Well, I like Global Warming (from the late 1990s).

This is What I Do is a contender for 2000, but I haven't listened to the new one yet ...

[Late]

Nearly impossible to list the "best," but I'll have some fun and list my favorites (two each) from each decade:

1940's

• Bud Powell and His Jazz Modernists (Blue Note)

• Babs Gonzales and His Orchestra (Capitol)

1950's

• Way Out West

• Tenor Madness

1960's

• Sonny Meets Hawk

• Now's the Time

1970's

• In Japan

• The Cutting Edge

1980's

• G-Man

• Falling in Love with Jazz

1990's

• Old Flames

• This Is What I Do

2000's

Too early to tell!

[catesta]

Yeah, more than likely for the 60s, Sonny Meets Hawk.

[Chuck Nessa]

I'd say 5 (or more) from the '50s, 3 (or more) from the '60s and anyone's guess after that.

[Guest akanalog]

60's-our man in jazz

70's-in japan or nucleus

80's-no problem or g-man

[MartyJazz]

I'm a '50s and '60s Rollins man so I'll stick to those two wonderful decades

1950s: Volume 1 and Volume 2 (Blue Note)

1960s: "Our Man in Jazz" (RCA) and "Alfie" (Impulse), the latter being an unbelievably underrated yet very much an essential recording.

[montg]

Lately I've been really, really, digging Worktime (from the 50s) and Alfie (from the mid 60s).

[JSngry]

"Alfie" (Impulse)...an unbelievably underrated yet very much an essential recording.

No f---ing s--t. That bad boy is one of Rollins' most purely realised records.

I'll say it again - Falling In Love With Jazz is worthy of repeated listening.

Records are only part of the story...

[P.L.M]

Fifties:

- SAXOPHONE COLOSSUS

- FREEDOM SUITE

- WAY OUT WEST

- A NIGHT AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD

- NEWK'S TIME

Sixties:

- SONNY MEETS HAWKS

+ What is now the BONUS TRACKS of THE STANDARD SONNY ROLLINS (meaning the long version of NOW'S THE TIME, FIFTY SECOND STREET THEME, TRAV'LIN' LIGHT, etc.)

For the other decades, I'm afraid I just don't know.

Edited September 10, 2006 by P.L.M

[mrjazzman]

2000's

Too early to tell!

[sidewinder]

(In descending order)

50s :

'Plus Four'

'Saxophone Colossus'

'The Sound of Sonny'

'Vol 2'

'Live at the Village Vanguard'

'Rollins Plays Bird'

60s:

'Alfie'

'Our Man In Jazz'

'East Broadway Run Down'

70s:

'Nucleus'

'The Cutting Edge'

'G-Man'

[Aggie87]

Looks like the sessions for 2000, so far, are "This Is What I Do" and "Without A Song: The 9/11 Concert [Live]. Have you heard these? They sound very good coming from a guy whose been playing masterful jazz in each of the last 7 decades...............

Don't forget about his latest, "Sonny Please", which is currently available exclusively through his website, but is to be available through normal retail sources shortly.

Edited September 11, 2006 by Aggie87

[paul secor]

Haven't seen a mention of Tour de Force. I can take or leave Earl Coleman, but there's a lot of prime Sonny on this one.

[mjzee]

I think we need a new volume of Road Shows to brighten the mood.  What say you, Sonny?

And actually, Sony owns the RCA tape archives and has Sonny under contract (under the Okeh imprint).  They can easily do a "bootleg series" for Sonny.  I nominate for the first release, an authorized version of:

[Mark Stryker]

I missed this thread the first time around, but the decade by decade thing is an interesting frame. With Jim's previous caveat in mind -- the records are by no means the whole story; true for any artist but particularly Sonny -- here are my picks. This was actually easier to do than I thought it would be at first glance. Pretty clear choices all the way around.

1950s: "A Night at the Village Vanguard"

1960s: "Alfie" (but on another day I might pick "The Standard Sonny Rollins" and the reality is that if bootlegs were an option, I'd take the 9/6/68 Copenhagen recordings or the 11/4/65 Paris concert with Taylor and Rovere)

1970s: "The Cutting Edge" (underrated)

1980s: "G Man" (but "Falling in Love with Jazz" is also underrated)

1990s: "Sonny Rollins + 3"

2000s:  "This is What I Do"  ("Road Shows Vol. 3" might be contender if it counts since all the tracks were recorded between 2001-12)

2010s: "Road Shows Vol. 2" (all tracks from 2010)

[felser]

50's - Saxophone Colossus or Newk's Time  (my two overall favorite Rollins sessions)

60's - The Bridge

70's - Complete In Japan

80's - G-Man (the last recording of his I have kept in my collection)

 

[Hardbopjazz]

I think we need a new volume of Road Shows to brighten the mood.  What say you, Sonny?

And actually, Sony owns the RCA tape archives and has Sonny under contract (under the Okeh imprint).  They can easily do a "bootleg series" for Sonny.  I nominate for the first release, an authorized version of:

I agree, if not a new Road Shows, how about a new studio album. I know Sonny is basically retired, but one last swan song from one of the greatest tenor players in history would be a treat. But a new Road Show may have to do. I have accumulated  nearly 475 private recording by Rollins, and there is a ton of material, for many Road shows.  

[Peter Friedman]

I'd say 5 (or more) from the '50s, 3 (or more) from the '60s and anyone's guess after that.

I agree with Chuck.

For my taste, the fifties had a load of outstanding recordings by Rollins as both leader and sideman.I liked a few things from the sixties, but after that there were some recordings i enjoyed, but nothing at the level of his 50;s sessions.

Just my opinion. 

[MomsMobley]

 

 

Weirdest thing is Sonny knew this was straight bullshit but the Williamsburg Bridge has never been & never will be as iconic, salable? Yen power!

 

 

 

 

Edited July 10, 2015 by MomsMobley

[JSngry]

I'll say it one more 'gin - Falling In Love With Jazz is worthy of repeated listening.