Label: Riverside
Audio CD: (July 1, 1991)
Recorded at Reeves Sound Studios, New York,
on June 11, 12 & 19, 1957
Jazz
"The Sound of Sonny" is Sonny Rollins' first and only recording with one of my all-time favorite bop pianists, Sonny Clark. While this date was cut for Riverside (during three days in June of 1957), the lineup of Clark, either Paul Chambers or Percy Heath on bass and Roy Haynes on drums makes you think it would be a Blue Note session. In fact, Sonny was with Blue Note at this time and "The Sound of Sonny" was recorded in between Sonny Rollins, Vol. 2 and Newk's Time (see my review). Regardless of labels, this disc is a classic. Like most Sonny albums from this period, 80% of the material here is standards. However, it is a perfect blend of familiar and seldom heard standards, up-tempo grooves and touching ballads. Of particular interest here is Sonny's first unaccompanied solo recording ("It Could Happen To You"). The CD also features a bonus selection not on the original vinyl release, "Funky Hotel Blues," which along with "Cutie" are the album's only Rollins compositions. I know there a lot of classic Sonny Rollins discs from 1955-58 to choose from (it was arguably his greatest period), but "The Sound Of Sonny" ranks right up there with the best of them.
By Michael B. Richman.
**
The interpretive and understated fire of tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins is at the heart of The Sound of Sonny. This disc is among those produced during the prolific years (1957-1959) when Rollins was jumping from record label to record label, a practice unheard of at the time. Joining Rollins during the seminal June 1957 East Coast outing are pianist Sonny Clark, drummer Roy Haynes, and either Percy Heath or Paul Chambers on bass. There are a few variations to the personnel, highlighted by Rollins' unaccompanied solo debut on "It Could Happen to You." Likewise, the results of Rollins' self-imposed liberation are expressed throughout the innovative and playful interaction as part of a piano-less trio on "The Last Time I Saw Paris." While on the subject, it should be noted that these sessions heralded the East Coast debut of pianist Sonny Clark. His previous outings with Oscar Pettiford, Vido Musso, and Buddy DeFranco's short-lived quartet (1953-1956) earned Clark a reputation as a bebop entrepreneur along the lines of Bud Powell. As an interpreter, there are arguably few artists with the ability to seemingly reinvent their style of playing numerous times within a single piece. Thelonious Monk is one and Sonny Rollins is another. "Just in Time" prototypically exemplifies how Rollins darts around heavily improvised solos with little more than the economy of emphasis as support. He does so in the context of the solid rhythm trio behind him, while likewise blazing throughout with the trademark freedom of his tenor sax. Other personalized reworkings of note are the provocatively percussive "Mangoes" and the lightly syncopated "Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye." On the original LP, Rollins' formidable skills as a composer were delegated to the midtempo "Cutie." The CD bonus track, "Funky Hotel Blues," recorded during these sessions and issued on Riverside's Blues for Tomorrow jazz compilation, is replete with expansive solos from Paul Chambers and Sonny Clark. In 2004 The Sound of Sonny was reissued as a Super Audio Compact Disc. At a time when many jazz reissues yield nominal sonic improvements at best, this title may be one of the most flagrant exceptions to the rule. The resonance is staggering when compared to previous incarnations of the album. Audiophiles and Rollins enthusiasts alike
will find many sonic details to absorb on this revisitation.
By Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide.
**
Sonny Rollins- (Tenor Sax)
Sonny Clark- (Piano)
Paul Chambers- (Bass)
Percy Heath- (Bass)
Roy Hanes- (Drums)
**
01. The Last Time I Saw Paris (2:58)
02. Just In Time (3:59)
03. Toot, Toot, Tootsie (4:25)
04. What Is There To Say (4:56)
05. Dearly Beloved (3:05)
06. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye (3:23)
07. Cutie (5:54)
08. It Could Happen To You (3:47)
09. Mangoes (5:34)
10. Funky Hotel Blues (6:00)
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