Sonny Rollins Quartet – live at The Village Gate, New York – July 28, 1962 (Third set).
Perennial favorite Sonny Rollins this weekend. From the same live date which became part of the legendary Our Man In Jazz release for RCA-Victor. This is from the third set of the second night, and wasn’t issued in either the original album or the CD reissue. This is the Quartet which featured Don Cherry, Billy Higgins and Bob Cranshaw and signaled a change in style from his previous work.
Listening to Sonny Rollins has always been a wonderful adventure. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential figures in Modern Jazz, and I will add, something of a National Treasure. If anyone would epitomize the vast possibilities of Jazz as a musical statement, it would be Sonny Rollins. Going through a body of work that is well over 60 albums, it’s abundantly apparent that Rollins has always been striving and reaching; reaching the mark, hitting it and taking it further. And what I’ve picked up, from listening to his work all these years, is an incredible sense of joy he has instilled in every note he plays.
It’s clearly obvious why Sonny Rollins has been accorded every accolade, award and recognition throughout his career – you cannot create this world of constant wonderment without imbuing it with a sense of great love and commitment as Sonny Rollins has done so effortlessly. And he makes it sound effortless. But in truth, it took endless hours of soul-searching and sculpting – the whole process of creating something is the amount of work and effort it takes to arrive there. And you can say the same with any creative endeavor. Sonny Rollins epitomizes the results of the search and the effort. It’s the same with any form of music, art, writing – any form of expression that evokes a feeling or conveys a message.
Okay – enough of my rant.
Suffice to say, the music of Sonny Rollins is profound and profoundly rewarding. If you have the Our Man In Jazz release, or reissue, this makes a great companion. If you don’t, or aren’t familiar – get hold of a copy – and while you’re at it, grab any or all of the 60+ albums available.
