In 2017, Saxophone Colossus was selected for preservation inward the National Recording Registry past times the Library of Congress equally existence "culturally, historically, or artistically significant."
There are v tracks on the album, 3 of which are credited to Rollins. "St. Thomas" is a calypso-inspired slice named after Saint Thomas inward the Virgin Islands. The tune is traditional too had already been recorded past times Randy Weston inward 1955 nether the championship "Fire Down There". (In the booklet provided with the boxed set, The Complete Prestige Recordings, Rollins makes it clear that it was the tape fellowship that insisted on his taking credit.) In whatsoever case, the slice has since move a jazz standard, too this is its almost famous recorded version.
Finally, "Blue 7" is a blues, over xi minutes long. Its main, rather disjunct tune was spontaneously composed. The surgical physical care for is alongside Rollins' almost acclaimed, too is the dependent area of an article past times Gunther Schuller entitled "Sonny Rollins too the Challenge of Thematic Improvisation". Schuller praises Rollins on "Blue 7" for the purpose of motivic evolution exploring too developing melodic themes throughout his 3 solos, too thus that the slice is unified, rather than existence composed of unrelated ideas.
Sonny Rollins recorded many memorable sessions during 1954-1958, but Saxophone Colossus is arguably his finest all-around set. Joined past times pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Doug Watkins, too drummer Max Roach, Rollins debuts too performs the definitive version of "St. Thomas," tears into the chord changes of "Mack the Knife" (here called "Moritat"), introduces "Strode Rode," is lyrical on "You Don't Know What Love Is," too constructs a solo on "Blue Seven" that practically defines his style. Essential music that, equally with all of Rollins' Prestige recordings, has also been reissued equally part of a huge "complete" box set; listeners with a tight budget are advised to selection upwards this unmarried disc too endure amazed.
Rollins remains 1 of the almost pop draws on the international jazz circuit, too the qualities that accept led to him existence dubbed "the greatest living improviser" are all the same abundantly audible. Last November, at London's Barbican Hall inward the city's annual jazz festival, Rollins played without a intermission for an lx minutes too three-quarters. He rolled through characteristically rough-hewn ballads, blearily soulful blues, unquenchable uptempo bebop runs inward double-time amount of mocking, police-siren warbles too boneshaking depression notes, too injure upwards on his signature calypso, Don't Stop The Carnival. It was the form of tour de strength this saxophone colossus has been delivering for one-half a century.
The phrase "saxophone colossus" regularly comes upwards when Rollins is discussed – non only because he continues to endure one, but because the album of that championship was the high betoken of the astonishing creative breakout he made inward 1956. Through a succession of improvisational masterpieces that year, his torrential creativity began to inspire sax-players everywhere, including John Coltrane. Though he had been the dominant partner inward recordings with the Modern Jazz Quartet, Miles Davis too Thelonious Monk that had begun several years before, it was from early on 1956 that Rollins actually took off. The saxophonist's personal merging of tenor-founder Coleman Hawkins's big-toned gravitas too harmonic sophistication, Charlie Parker's uptempo intensity, too Lester Young's lyricism opened a novel chapter of jazz soloing possibilities on a saxophone. During this menses Rollins had joined trumpeter Clifford Brown, pianist Richie Powell, bassist George Morrow too onetime Charlie Parker drummer Max Roach inward a grouping that, nether Roach's too Brown's articulation leadership, became 1 of the standard-bearers of a pungent novel jazz mode dubbed "hard bop". In the clip above, yous tin hear that band inward March 1956 on the Rollins original, Valse Hot.
Rollins's powers seemed to endure expanding past times the calendar week inward this period, too inward May he made the Tenor Madness album with boyfriend saxophonist John Coltrane too Miles Davis's musical rhythm department of the time. Then inward June came Saxophone Colossus. The almost thematically interesting too improvisationally unfettered Rollins recording of that year, it featured the calypso St Thomas (the saxophonist's parents came from the Virgin Islands, too calypsos stay a characteristic of his music still), a reworking of Mack the Knife equally the drily eloquent Moritat too a long, steadily-building, tonally colourful too intricate improvisation on a mid-tempo blues (Blue Seven) that came to endure widely regarded equally 1 of the keen recorded jazz solos.
This eruption of spontaneous music didn't come upwards from nowhere. Rollins had immense natural gifts, but he also grew upwards inward Harlem inward the 1930s with some of the almost famous musicians of the hateful solar daytime - including Duke Ellington too Coleman Hawkins - living unopen to the corner, too pianist Thelonious Monk was a childhood friend who opened his ears to odd melodies too harmony. Rollins led a high schoolhouse band that included the Charlie Parker-ish alto saxist Jackie McLean, too Miles Davis was a regular playing partner betwixt 1949 too 1954. After that, the saxophonist was prepare to run his ain show, equally he has done always since - though the tragic deaths of Clifford Brown too Richie Powell inward a auto crash, only days after Saxophone Colossus was recorded, undoubtedly brought a shattered Rollins's career equally an ensemble sideman to an halt sooner that he could accept imagined.
Track listing:
1 St. Thomas 6:45
ii You Don't Know What Love Is 6:28
3 Strode Rode 5:13
iv Moritat 10:04
5 Blue Seven 11:17
Personnel:
Sonny Rollins — tenor saxophone
Tommy Flanagan — piano
Doug Watkins — bass
Max Roach — drums
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