In 2017, Saxophone Colossus was selected for preservation inwards the National Recording Registry past times the Library of Congress every bit beingness "culturally, historically, or artistically significant."
There are 5 tracks on the album, 3 of which are credited to Rollins. "St. Thomas" is a calypso-inspired slice named after Saint Thomas inwards the Virgin Islands. The tune is traditional in addition to had already been recorded past times Randy Weston inwards 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 companionship that insisted on his taking credit.) In whatever case, the slice has since larn a jazz standard, in addition to this is its virtually famous recorded version.
Finally, "Blue 7" is a blues, over 11 minutes long. Its main, rather disjunct tune was spontaneously composed. The functioning is alongside Rollins' virtually acclaimed, in addition to is the bailiwick of an article past times Gunther Schuller entitled "Sonny Rollins in addition to the Challenge of Thematic Improvisation". Schuller praises Rollins on "Blue 7" for the role of motivic evolution exploring in addition to developing melodic themes throughout his 3 solos, in addition to then that the slice is unified, rather than beingness 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, in addition to drummer Max Roach, Rollins debuts in addition to 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," in addition to constructs a solo on "Blue Seven" that practically defines his style. Essential music that, every bit with all of Rollins' Prestige recordings, has also been reissued every bit business office of a huge "complete" box set; listeners with a tight budget are advised to choice upward this unmarried disc in addition to endure amazed.
Rollins remains i of the virtually pop draws on the international jazz circuit, in addition to the qualities that accept led to him beingness dubbed "the greatest living improviser" are all the same abundantly audible. Last November, at London's Barbican Hall inwards the city's annual jazz festival, Rollins played without a pause for an hr in addition to three-quarters. He rolled through characteristically rough-hewn ballads, blearily soulful blues, unquenchable uptempo bebop runs inwards double-time amount of mocking, police-siren warbles in addition to boneshaking depression notes, in addition to injure upward on his signature calypso, Don't Stop The Carnival. It was the sort of tour de forcefulness this saxophone colossus has been delivering for one-half a century.
The phrase "saxophone colossus" regularly comes upward 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 inwards 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 inwards recordings with the Modern Jazz Quartet, Miles Davis in addition to 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 in addition to harmonic sophistication, Charlie Parker's uptempo intensity, in addition to 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 in addition to sometime Charlie Parker drummer Max Roach inwards a grouping that, nether Roach's in addition to Brown's articulation leadership, became i of the standard-bearers of a pungent novel jazz fashion dubbed "hard bop". In the clip above, you lot tin forcefulness out hear that band inwards March 1956 on the Rollins original, Valse Hot.
Rollins's powers seemed to endure expanding past times the calendar week inwards this period, in addition to inwards May he made the Tenor Madness album with beau saxophonist John Coltrane in addition to Miles Davis's musical rhythm department of the time. Then inwards June came Saxophone Colossus. The virtually thematically interesting in addition to improvisationally unfettered Rollins recording of that year, it featured the calypso St Thomas (the saxophonist's parents came from the Virgin Islands, in addition to calypsos rest a characteristic of his music still), a reworking of Mack the Knife every bit the drily eloquent Moritat in addition to a long, steadily-building, tonally colourful in addition to intricate improvisation on a mid-tempo blues (Blue Seven) that came to endure widely regarded every bit i of the neat recorded jazz solos.
This eruption of spontaneous music didn't come upward from nowhere. Rollins had immense natural gifts, but he also grew upward inwards Harlem inwards the 1930s with some of the virtually famous musicians of the 24-hour interval - including Duke Ellington in addition to Coleman Hawkins - living around the corner, in addition to pianist Thelonious Monk was a childhood friend who opened his ears to odd melodies in addition to harmony. Rollins led a high schoolhouse band that included the Charlie Parker-ish alto saxist Jackie McLean, in addition to Miles Davis was a regular playing partner betwixt 1949 in addition to 1954. After that, the saxophonist was gear upward to run his ain show, every bit he has done e'er since - though the tragic deaths of Clifford Brown in addition to Richie Powell inwards a automobile crash, only days after Saxophone Colossus was recorded, undoubtedly brought a shattered Rollins's career every bit 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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