Search - Sonny Rollins :: Sound of Sonny (20 Bit Mastering)

Two Sonnys

N. Dorward | Toronto, ON Canada | 08/26/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This disc, originally released on Riverside, is from Rollins' freelance period after his notable period with Prestige. It's a slightly odd disc in that all the tracks are very short--most are 3 or 4 minutes long, & only the bonus track, "Funky Hotel Blues", reaches 6 minutes. I find this a total mystery--was it a producer's decision or Rollins' own?--given that Rollins was in this period stretching out majestically on albums like the Vanguard session.



The disc's high point is "It Could Happen to You", one of Rollins' wonderful a cappella solos (with a big, cavernous studio sound that's noticeably different from the group tracks: I take it Rollins was standing back a bit from the mike). It's also nice to hear Rollins playing with his namesake Sonny Clark, the ill-fated pianist who has become something of a cult favourite among hard bop fans. Clark really doesn't get much of a look-in, truthfully--a few discreet choruses here & there, but the focus remains very much on Rollins. Percy Heath & Roy Haynes play well but somehow the music often seems less intense & freewheeling than usual for Rollins, especially in the later tracks on the disc. "The Last Time I Saw Paris" is an interesting opener--Paul Chambers takes over on bass & Clark sits out, & most of Rollins' solo is in stoptime, like his work on the contemporaneous "I Know That You Know" on Gillespie's _Sonny Side Up_--& there are excellent medium-up performances on "Just in Time" & "Toot, Toot, Tootsie", but later on there are a few prosaic tracks like "Cutie" or the oddball sped-up treatment of "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye", dispatched in just over 3 minutes as if Rollins were trying to get through it as quickly as possible. "Dearly Beloved" is one of Rollins' sardonic manglings of a pop song, with the theme delivered as woozily as possible & the solo scribbling over the theme with Parker licks & sped-up bits of "Undecided". Altogether it's a strange but interesting session, but I regret that it's the only recorded meeting between Rollins & Clark--the relationship doesn't really strike a lot of sparks here.



I have this on the 20-Bit remaster, & it sounds very good; reports are that the plain old OJC remaster isn't so hot."

This is not a three-star album

Benjamin I. Smith | Pittsburgh, PA | 05/31/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As for the other review by N. Dorward, I think it is well done except for the rating. 3 stars? Shame on you! This was Rollins' prime as far as his recordings go, and everything from this era (late 1950s) under his name is stellar. It is indeed a somehwat unusual session, in that it is maybe more emotionally subtle and intellectual than others, and Rollins' playing was intellectual to begin with. Perhaps this is attributable to the lack of 'stretching out' time for the soloists, but hatt is also (along with the sometimes acquired-taste quality of Clark's playing) what distinguishes this album from others of the same time period. The point is that Rollins doesn't have to be ultra-aggressive to have a lot to say, and he doesn't need eight minutes of soloing time to drive his point home. Great rhythm section with highly original song selection. Highly recommended (get this version - the older remastering is weak), both for fans and newcomers alike."