SONNY ROLLINS
Volume Two (Blue Note)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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This Rudy Van Gelder Edition release of Sonny Rollin's second date as a leader for Blue Note, recorded in the spring of 1957, got pushed back on my "to be reviewed" shelf for a bit, since my Sonny Rollin's jones was so fully satisfied by the recent 5 disc set of his Riverside and Contemporary recordings of roughly the same period. It's a bit of a shame, though, that I let that happen, because this disc has considerable charms of its own.

First of all, it's unlikely that any you'll find a more impressive lineup on any album in your collection. For most of the tracks, Rollins' tenor is featured in a quintet that includes J.J. Johnson on trombone, Horace Silver on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Art Blakey on drums. If you're thinking that it doesn't get any better than that, well, you're almost right. The mix is made even sweeter when Thelonius Monk sits in on two of his own compositions, "Misterioso," on which he shares piano duties with Silver, and "Reflections," when he takes over the piano bench on his own.

Those cuts are sandwiched between a pair of Rollins originals and a pair of standards, and if the Monk tunes stand out because of the impressive augmentation of the lineup, that doesn't mean that any of the others are inferior in any way. This disc offers up six great tracks featuring seven of the greatest players in the genre assisted and revisited by the man who is doubtless the most legendary producer in jazz. If you need another reason to snatch it up and put it on replay all you have to do is listen.

Track List:

Why Don't I * Wail March * Misterioso * Reflections * You Stepped Out Of A Dream * Poor Butterfly

© 2000 - Shaun Dale