Rollins Finds His Voice on Riverside
The first of Rollins's Riverside sessions, and a confident step into a new label and sound.
The Sound of Sonny, released in 1957, marks the beginning of Sonny Rollins's stint with the Riverside label, his first recordings for that imprint. By this point Rollins was already one of the most promising tenor saxophonists in jazz, and this record shows him pushing his playing into looser, more adventurous territory while keeping a firm grip on melody.
The band is a sharp, compact quartet built around Sonny Clark on piano, Roy Haynes on drums, and a bass chair shared between Percy Heath and Paul Chambers. The tracks have the feel of a working group that knows its material well. Rollins sounds relaxed and inventive, moving through his solos with a fluid logic that rarely sounds forced. Clark's comping is crisp, and Haynes keeps the rhythm light and buoyant without ever getting in the way.
AllMusic reviewer Lindsay Planer called the record a sign of Rollins entering a new phase in his career, pointing to his experiments with alteration and his growing melodic confidence. It is a strong place to hear Rollins before his later, more ambitious albums. If you are coming to him fresh, start with Saxophone Colossus (1956), then return here to hear how his playing developed in the Riverside years.
Who's playing
Paul Chambersdouble bass
Percy Heathdouble bass
Sonny Clarkpiano
Sonny Rollinstenor saxophone
Roy Haynesdrums
Where next?
More by Sonny Rollins
All 23 albums →
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
