Customer Reviews

The Bridge [Vinyl]

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In 1962, it had been three years since Sonny Rollins had released a record. Frustrated with what he felt was his own limitations, he took sabbatical to work on his form, practicing at the Williamsburg Bridge. This odd habit led to his comeback album being named "The Bridge". A quartet record featuring guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Ben Riley, invariably this album and it's story is the stuff of legends, and deservedly so.

Rollins is on fire throughout-- playing mostly standards (with only two originals), it sounds as if he was itching to get in the studio again, his playing is powerful, focused ("Without a Song"), lyrical (one of the definitive readings of "God Bless the Child") and emotive ("Where Are You?"). Rollins' support is generous and sympathetic, particularly on "God Bless the Child", where Cranshaw in particular feels like he's breathing in time with Rollins.

All in all, a worthwhile effort, and an essential point in Rollins' catalog. It also may be the best place (either this or "Saxophone Collosus") to begin exploring Rollins' catalog. Highly recommended.

Following a three year hiatus, some influential figures in the New York City jazz scene of the early 1960's began to notice Sonny Rollins practicing on the Williamsburg Bridge. Rollins has always been his harshest critic, and some thought the tenor sax god would never return. However, in 1962, Rollins did reappear on the scene with the stunning classic jazz release, THE BRIDGE.

Rollins would deviate from the typical quartet of the day, dropping the piano and adding the element of guitar - Jim Hall in this case. Rounding out the group are Ben Riley on drums and Bob Cranshaw on bass, who would go on to appear on countless Rollins recordings up to and including his contemporary works. The absence of piano is nothing new to Rollins, who often performed in trios during this same time period, most notably for a few months with the obscure bassist, Henry Grimes, who up until recently was feared dead until his return to New York City just last year.

The addition of Jim Hall adds an element that creates a certain 'aliveness' to the music, which is evident on the two Rollins originals here, 'John S' and the title track. Both of these tracks are superb and the group swings hard at times. On 'John S' the main theme is played twice, similar to Rollins' playing with Thelonius Monk during the mid-50's, except in this case there is no piano. Shortly after the main theme, the time doubles, and Rollins is magnificent in his lyricism and tone. The same can be said for the title track, which is a real barn-burner! In addition to the two Rollins originals, there are four standards of that time, most notably Billie Holiday's 'God Bless The Child.'

Sonny's ability to play with and against the flow of Hall's guitar makes this an essential release for any jazz collection. It is easily accesible for your typical jazz newbie, but at the same time makes for a fine listening experience many times over. In addition to THE BRIDGE, those who are interested in Sonny Rollins should also check out SAXOPHONE COLOSSUS and the Thelonius Monk classic, BRILLIANT CORNERS.

This is one of the most cohesive groups Sonny Rollins was ever with, and is perhaps one of the high points of his career. I find it to be one of my favorites - particularly when Jim Hall and Sonny are trading 4's on 'John S'. This is one of the ideal records for relaxation!!

This is one of the greatest recordings ever made. I say this catagorically, without hesitating. Like "Saxophone Colussus", Sonny's other monster LP, this record changed my life. And it ranks as a milestone in the history of recorded music. Why? There are three reasons. First it is perfectly recorded. Second Jim Hall and Sonny was a pairing made in music heaven. And lastly every note sparkles like a diamond crystal of sound.
Jazz masterpieces on record are rare. There are only a handful of absolutely perfect recordings in the entire history of the music. Why? Few of the great jazz artists to date really understand the process of making great recordings or were given the resources to realize their vision. Jazz is primarily a live music period. The greatest performances happen in clubs and mostly after midnight. And the greatest recordings are usually collaborations with fabulous engineers and producers. In other words, all the stars have to line up. This is not only rare, but ofter happens once in a musicians life time. For Sonny, this took place twice in his life so far, in my opinion. The first masterpiece was Saxophone Colossus. This record is raw and powerful. The Bridge was the second masterpiece. This is the work of a mature man. It is a new type of lyricism that is utterly modern yet full of the heartfelt romanticism that marks Sonny's genius. You can never hear this album enough, because it is a musical treasure that is beyond the hightest plane of creation. For Sonny, this would be a peak that he would match many times in live performances, but never again in a recording studio. This is not only perfection, it is utter genius. Sonny, you created a piece of recorded music that will live forever. And all of us who love your music will never forget this unbelievable moment in recorded time, when the gods spoke through you and you recorded your most perfect creation for all of us to hear.

My first encounter with Sonny was on his most famous record: Saxophone colossus. I have collected a few more albums by Rollins since my first encounter, and I have to tell you, The Bridge is among the best Sonny's ever done. Sonny is my favorite Jazz musician of all time, and this record falls nothing short of my high standard.

The Cd begins with "Without a Song". This tune is a Rollins/Hall masterpeice. Hall's solo on this track is very tasteful and melodic. But make no mistake, Rollins is the main force on this album. His solo is as fierce as it is tender. The 3 ballads on this Cd show Sonny's gentle touch. I would like to highlight "God Bless This Child" His horn playing sings like Billie Holiday. But the highlight are the two Rollins origionals. I first heard "John S." on Ken Burns' Jazz videos (#9) and it is a masterpiece. If you pay attention to Hall's comping, you'll understand that Rollins' solo is spontaneous to that moment. "The Bridge"... What to say. Rollins' focefull playing is astonishing. I was also surprised that him, and Hall both play in 6/8! How many jazz players can do that? Ben Riley's drum solos on the two origionals make him one of the best drummers of all time. Believe me. His lines and licks are so sophisticated and rudimental.

The are two Rollins Cd's you must own. This is one of them... Please buy it, you will not be disappointed.

Personnel: Sonny-Tenor sax, Jim Hall-Guitar, Ben Riley-Drums, Bob Cranshaw-Bass.

I have to disagree with the feature review that the rest of the band serves to support Sonny. The mix in the remaster proves that guitarist Jim Hall is almost as much of a feature in this wonderul recording as Rollins himself. Hall is heard in the left channel and Rollins in the right channel throughout the recording. Hall, a master of harmony and melody and a darn good guitar player to boot (he's the grandmaster of jazz guitar these days) is the perfect partner for Sonny's melodic improvisations. This is a wonderful session, you walk away with a warm, content kind of feeling from this music. It is literally relaxing without the production being too "CTI" slick. Older jazz listeners will know what I mean by that. Perfect when you want to play something that is different but isn't "out there". One of the few "perfect" recordings I own.

So many times you hear about the "essential albums in jazz:" "Kind of Blue" "Blue Trane" "Time Out" "Giant Steps" ect. One absolute essential that you don't hear about very often is Bridge by Sonny Rollins. This is most unfortunate because not only is the musicianship on this recording incredible, but this album also made a leap forward in the history of jazz.

Make no mistake, Sonny Rollins is an incredible player. His tenor saxophone cuts through with that boomy, rich tone that all jazz adicts love. His solos are great, well-developed and exciting. His writing on some of the tunes on this album is quite innovative and groundbreaking. Everything that Sonny does on this disc is incredible and deeply satisfies the lovers of jazz who hear it. However, there are two words that can be used to describe what makes this album stick out from all the other jazz albums of this time period: "Jim Hall."

Jim Hall's Guitar work on this recording is very important to what makes this disc worthwhile and distinguished. He essentially fills the job description of a pianist on the guitar. The result: jazz guitar like never before. This was one of the first jazz quartets to use a guitar in place of a piano and the effects are quite satisfying. Every little nuance that Hall adds to the music complements Rollins' genius quite nicely. The chemistry is quite incredible. Each of the musicians are so into each other's heads that they produce music that is so exciting and so fresh to even the untrained ear. Basically this entire album is two geniuses collaborating to make unbelivable, quality jazz in the presence of a very solid bass player and drummer.

The album is a must have for any jazz completist. It's a nice mix of good old standards and fresh innovative originals from Sonny that makes for a very fun listening experience. Incredible musicianship is the product of the incredible chemistry on this album. Break off from the collective. Recognize the historical importance of Bridge. It will provide a pleasant listening experience time after time.

Obviously, this was the first album upon Sonny Rollins' return to public appearence and recording. And with his return he was more powerful, more creative and inventive then ever before.

For the album, Rollins got Jim Hall on guitar, substituting a pianist, and two fairly unknown musicians who were just starting to get recognition, Bob Cransaw on bass and Ben Riley on drums. All together the four men make an extraudinary group.

As on many albums before this Sonny likes to play with the melodies. He's very commical and obscure in his playing. Originals like "John S." are examples of this.

The song was featured on the Ken Burns Jazz Documentary, as many have explained in old reviews, and is easily the best tune on the album. Jim Hall and Sonny get a nice sound blending their two instruments. The tune is very tricky. One highlight is, about the first 12 bars of Sonny's solo where he uses one note eight times in a row, and then plays with it after he is done. Ben Riley's drum solo brings Sonny in back to the melody.

There are two ballads here, and three other swinging tunes. The album opens up with Sonny's rendition of Without A Song. And on the fast paced, Bridge, the boys deliver nice solos.

This was Sonny's comeback album, and it is probaly one of the top five albums in his cataloge, right up against Tenor Madness, Newk's Time, Saxophone Colosuss, Freedom Suite, and Worktime.

This is my favorite Rollins release, due to the material and Sonny's playing. The man is gifted with brilliance, and it comes out in his playing and on albums such as this one.

Sonny is widly regarded as the greatest improviser on any instrument in any style of all time, a title granted to him by Jazziz, Down Beat, and Jazz Times almost unanimously in the 90s, and this album is perhaps the greatest evidence of so. Perhaps only his sessions for On Impulse show the a greater melodic presentation in soloing. Often considered a backwards looking album because of the approchability of this album, many people forget just how deceptivly 'out' the soloing on this album gets and that for the time of its recording how unusual the group setup was.
Without a Song and God Bless The Child show off Sonny's new expansion of soloing concepts since his recording of Saxophone Colossus. Even on his outside tracks such as John S, Sonny's soloing is so melodic we forget that he's considered just as influencial as Trane in the avantguarde jazz movement.
Jim Hall's soloing is equally impressive on these cuts, his solo on God Bless The Child is truely amazing. Any jazz lover looking for a great example of jazz guitar playing will find that this album more than satisfies.
This album is so substantial that once listening to it you may wonder why it's not considered one of the greatest recordings of all time.

Before recording this album, Sonny Rollins had been at the peak of his career and then taken a sudden temporary retirement. He had been spotted practicing on the Williamsburg Bridge by a jazz scribe and hence the title of his comeback album.

Though I feel that SAXAPHONE COLOSSUS is by far his best work, and one of the greatest jazz recordings, this outing holds a special place for me due not only to Rollin's superb playing, but to guitarist Jim Hall's low key, but stunning guitar work. The interplay betwen these two and the rest of the band is stunning, especially on the take of Billie Holiday's classic GOD BLESS THE CHILD.