After a meteoric ascent to fame inwards the 1950s, legendary tenor sax human being Sonny Rollins had walked away from it all past times the decade's end, embarking on an introspective, almost monastic three-year request to amend his technique, during which fourth dimension he would pass upward to sixteen hours a solar daytime playing his sax, alone, on New York City's Williamsburg bridge, together with that solitary catamenia of fourth dimension spent practicing on the pair is what gives this album its title. Although critical reception to the album was initially mixed, every bit many had hoped Rollins would lead keep re-emerged from his sabbatical having developed unopen to revolutionary novel technique or amongst a markedly evolved mode that differed to a greater extent than strongly from his before work, it was nonetheless a commercial success, together with has since larn regarded every bit i of his finest albums, fifty-fifty beingness inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame inwards 2015. Featuring Rollins inwards a novel quartet that too included Jim Hall on guitar, Bob Cranshaw on bass together with Ben Riley on the drums, the album has a spare, subdued sound, which mightiness live on why the ballads are to a greater extent than oft than non to a greater extent than evocative together with memorable than the uptempo numbers, amongst Rollins' haunting accept on the touchstone "God Bless the Child" beingness my alternative for the standout track, every bit good every bit the i that likely best reflects what it must lead keep been similar to pass all that fourth dimension playing lone on that bridge.
Tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins' showtime recording afterwards ending a surprising three-year retirement flora the groovy saxophonist sounding rattling similar to how he had played inwards 1959, although he would presently begin investigating freer forms. In a pianoless quartet amongst guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Bob Cranshaw, together with drummer Ben Riley, Rollins explores 4 standards (including "Without a Song" together with "God Bless the Child") addition 2 fiery originals, highlighted past times the championship cut. The interplay betwixt Rollins together with Hall is consistently impressive, making this ready a near-classic together with a rattling successful comeback.
Sparse nonetheless thoughful; carefree nonetheless deliberate. Sonny's musical note is inwards fine form: Typically powerful together with muscular, together with at the same fourth dimension amount of beauty together with complexity. This album for me is a perfect event of why he ranks amongst Coltrane: The talent, the dedication, the forever-seeking, together with the fearlessness are all on 'The Bridge'. Highly recommended for historical reference together with listening pleasure.
So many times you lot hear close the "essential albums inwards jazz:" "Kind of Blue" "Blue Trane" "Time Out" "Giant Steps" ect. One absolute essential that you lot don't hear close rattling oft is Bridge past times Sonny Rollins. This is most unfortunate because non merely is the musicianship on this recording incredible, but this album too made a leap frontward inwards the history of jazz.
Make no mistake, Sonny Rollins is an incredible player. His tenor saxophone cuts through amongst that boomy, rich musical note that all jazz adicts love. His solos are great, well-developed together with exciting. His writing on unopen to of the tunes on this album is quite innovative together with groundbreaking. Everything that Sonny does on this disc is incredible together with deeply satisfies the lovers of jazz who hear it. However, at that topographic point are 2 words that tin live on used to depict what makes this album stick out from all the other jazz albums of this fourth dimension period: "Jim Hall."
Jim Hall's Guitar piece of employment on this recording is rattling of import to what makes this disc worthwhile together with distinguished. He essentially fills the labor description of a pianist on the guitar. The result: jazz guitar similar never before. This was i of the showtime jazz quartets to run a guitar inwards house of a pianoforte together with the effects are quite satisfying. Every footling nuance that Hall adds to the music complements Rollins' genius quite nicely. The chemical scientific discipline is quite incredible. Each of the musicians are then into each other's heads that they create music that is then exciting together with then fresh to fifty-fifty the untrained ear. Basically this entire album is 2 geniuses collaborating to brand unbelivable, character jazz inwards the presence of a rattling corporation bass thespian together with drummer.
The album is a must lead keep for whatever jazz completist. It's a squeamish mix of proficient onetime standards together with fresh innovative originals from Sonny that makes for a rattling fun listening experience. Incredible musicianship is the production of the incredible chemical scientific discipline on this album. Break off from the collective. Recognize the historical importance of Bridge. It volition render a pleasant listening sense fourth dimension afterwards time.
The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame inwards 2015.
Track listing:
"Without a Song" (Edward Eliscu, Billy Rose, Vincent Youmans) – 7:26
"Where Are You?" (Harold Adamson, Jimmy McHugh) – 5:10
"John S." (Sonny Rollins) – 7:46
"The Bridge" (Sonny Rollins) – 5:59
"God Bless the Child" (Arthur Herzog Jr., Billie Holiday) – 7:27
"You Do Something to Me" (Cole Porter) – 6:51
Personnel:
Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone
Jim Hall – guitar
Bob Cranshaw – bass
Ben Riley – drums
Harry "H.T." Saunders – drums (replaces Riley on "God Bless the Child")
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