Complete Sonny Rollins In Japan - Victor (Japan), 1973

[Late]

your knowledge ... is a wolverine to my mink

Never heard that one before. It's added to the list.

(Collectors like to get giddy about a record before they've heard it. S'part of the fun.)

[Edited for typo.]

Edited May 2, 2008 by Late

[MartyJazz]

Dude, I bought the LP waaaay back in the day, 1976-77, somewhere in there. Might even be the first Japanese import music I'd ever bought. The opener I kinda snooze on, but everything after that is pure gold in my book.

As for the bonus cuts, as noted above, nice but not essential.

And I really do dig the David Lee/Mtume hookup, and David Lee w/Rollins, period. Big bunches. I'm bummed that he's dead, because I held out hopes of someday findiing him on a "local" level & jamming for a little bit. So much for that one.

Anybody else besides me notice how much Sonny's band from this little window often sounds like what Grossman/Stone Alliance would be getting into just a few days later?

I too bought the LP way back in the mid '70s when it first came out and to this day, I think the greatest thing about the album is the cover. Gorgeous photo of Sonny in his early '40s. Music itself never did that much for me, although truth to tell, I've never hesitated to display my extreme partiality to the '60s taut tone, fiery, Sonny. Will crank up the turntable today for a new listen which hopefully will generate a positive reassessment.

On another note, sorry to hear that David Lee is gone. I was at the Vanguard in March '72 when Sonny made his return appearance to New York after a 3 year hiatus and that rhythm section of Albert Dailey, Larry Ridley and David Lee really cooked.

Edited May 3, 2008 by MartyJazz

[MartyJazz]

The question is what is happenin' in my pantaloons. Admit I got a rise re-listening to this LP after having many a year gone by with it sitting undisturbed whatsoever on the shelf. The version of "Alfie", in particular, which evinces quite a bit of the muscular Rollins I recall so well having often witnessed live during the '70s. Perhaps it was the opening non-happenin' track of "Powaii" that always did me in, to the point that I don't recall ever having previously heard the 2nd side. So I thank one and all for moving me to do a reassessment. But then again, check out "Alfie's Theme Differently" and "Street Runner with Child" from the Impulse ALFIE soundtrack. That's the proverbial "desert island" stuff for me.

[JSngry]

Perhaps it was the opening non-happenin' track of "Powaii" that always did me in, to the point that I don't recall ever having previously heard the 2nd side.

Perhaps indeed!

[kh1958]

Perhaps it was the opening non-happenin' track of "Powaii" that always did me in, to the point that I don't recall ever having previously heard the 2nd side.

Perhaps indeed!

I like the first track the best.

[MartyJazz]

One man's plodding is another's..."hard" beat. Fair enough.

I would, however, accept "unfocused" for the opener of the LP, what is it, "Kawai" or something like that.

Re> the Grossman/SA comparison, I was referring mostly to the stylistic similarity in the material, although SA brings a more overt..."Elvin" flavor to their pocket, whereas Sonny is more...straight four, walking down the street.

The comparison does crack me up though, because the longest I though that it wasn't until the whole Way Out East thing that SG showed his Rollins tip. In retrospect though, it was there before that. There are similarities between Shapes To Come & Cutting Edge, although I'd not put too fine a point on them.

Back in the late '80s, I recall going backstage at Mickell's (I believe) in NYC with a local tenor player friend, Jeff Hittman (now deceased at far too young an age, 47), and meeting Grossman who was headlining there while being heavily into a late '50s Newk bag at that time. We played a tape of Newk in Zurich '59 (since released on a bootleg CD, Moon label I think) for SG who had never heard the material before. His eyes lit up as he heard the tape and I had to promise him a copy (since delivered) as he didn't want to return mine. I also recall Joe Chambers, his drummer in the group, getting really pissed off because SG apparently didn't know when to end a set, playing an hour and a half at one point. Ah memories!

[king ubu]

Missed this the first time around, but it's making a re-appearance end of Nov.:

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/VICJ-70051

Guess I better order NOW!

[HutchFan]

Thanks for the heads-up, ubu. I'll be ordering this as well.

[felser]

It's a great set.   

[Rooster_Ties]

Seems to be some video footage of the same group / maybe the same concert?

 

[mjzee]

22 minutes ago, Rooster_Ties said:

Seems to be some video footage of the same group / maybe the same concert?

 

I bought the CD based on Ubu's heads-up.  Not the same concert or tour, since the CD doesn't list a pianist - the group is Masuo, Cranshaw, Lee, Mtume.  Interestingly, the pianist in the above clip seems to be Walter Davis, Jr. (see @ 7:30).

[mjzee]

Anyone know why this was released on Victor?  Sonny was signed to Milestone at the time.

[JSngry]

I don't know that Milestone's contract was internationally exclusive. Plus, Milestone and Japanese Victor had a relationship of sorts, Milestone put out several of their things over here. Maybe this was going to be one and somebody decided not to.

Either way, Japanese record contracts are/were usually a whole 'nother  world.

[mjzee]

Listening now to disc 2.  A little slice of heaven.