Rollins Among Friends, Still Finding His Voice
Sonny Rollins sharpens his tenor against a band of strong personalities, and the friction is part of the fun.
Sonny Rollins, Volume 2 is a 1957 Blue Note session where the presence that shapes the record is pianist Thelonious Monk. Monk's angular, percussive comping gives the music its edges, and Rollins responds with the kind of restless, muscular improvisation that made him one of the most admired saxophonists of his generation. The two play off each other with a looseness that feels more like a conversation between equals than a leader backed by sidemen.
The band around them is hard-hitting. Art Blakey on drums pushes everything forward, and Paul Chambers on bass keeps the lines grounded. Horace Silver and J.J. Johnson also appear, and the sessions have the bustle of a band of strong voices sharing one stage. Nothing here is polished to a sheen. Some passages sound like musicians working out ideas in real time, which is part of the appeal.
Where does this sit in Rollins's catalog? It comes early, during the stretch when he was establishing himself as a major voice on tenor. It is not the place most people start, since Saxophone Colossus (1956) is the usual entry point, but it is a worthwhile record for listeners who already know Rollins and want to hear him in a looser, more combative setting.
Who's playing
Paul Chambersdouble bass
Horace Silverpiano
Thelonious Monkpiano
Sonny Rollinstenor saxophone
J.J. Johnsontrombone
Art Blakeydrums
Where next?
More by Sonny Rollins
All 23 albums →
The musicians on this record
Brilliant Corners 1957
Thelonious Monk
plays piano here
plays piano here
A Night in Tunisia 1960
Art Blakey
plays drums (drum set) here
plays drums (drum set) here
Blowin' The Blues Away 1959
Horace Silver
plays piano here
plays piano here
