Customer Reviews

Complete Rca Victor Recordings

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Powerful. Graceful. Inspiring. Little more needs to said about this fabulous collection. While this set does not include any new or rare material that is not available in other sources, this set is a must for anyone trying to build a jazz library. The selections here are all from top notch albums ("The Bridge" being my fav.) that, while not on the level of "Tenor Madness" or "Saxophone Colossus" are still required listening. Rollins is even throughout, displaying his signature style and tone in equal part. The set is neatly packaged complete with beautiful photos and liner notes. I would strongly suggest any jazz fan who does not already own the albums contained in this set to purchase "Complete RCA."

Sonny Rollins' 1962-64 sessions for RCA include, in my own opinion, quite possibly the best music of his career, ranging as they do from brief, snappy covers of the most overplayed standards to the loosest and lengthiest of jams and featuring a shifting series of styles, sidemen and arrangements which makes each of the albums from this prolific portion of the famed tenor saxophonist's catalogue a little musical world unto itself. At various times on this sonically and visually beautiful boxed set, one hears the great Rollins in the company of such masters as Jim Hall, Coleman Hawkins, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Billy Higgins, Don Cherry and Paul Bley (just to name a few), alternately tackling atmospheric post-bop (THE BRIDGE), scorched-earth Latinisms (WHAT'S NEW?), postmodern onstage chaos (OUR MAN IN JAZZ), intergenerational gymnastics (SONNY MEETS HAWK) and fresh, subtle approaches to familiar repertoire (THE STANDARD SONNY ROLLINS). A cluster of outtakes and alternate versions filters in nicely; every disc here is a winner, even if everyone (myself included) will necessarily pick his or her favorites from among them.
So why the four - or rather four and a half - stars? Because of RCA's silly decision to make six discs out of what should have been five. Only one of these CDs runs (just) over an hour; and since some of the original albums are divided and several of the 1964 alternate takes are tacked onto the end of disc two (the rest of which dates from 1962), no argument about preserving the integrity of the sessions via more and shorter discs can be made. It's price-gouging, coupled perhaps with a bizarre aesthetic sensibility (which is also revealed in the mid-seventies photos of Rollins adorning several of these mid-sixties discs), plain and simple. That doesn't stop this from being one of the very finest jazz boxes I have the pleasure to own, however, and I hope it's reissued soon (on five OR six CDs) so that others will have the opportunity to add it to their collections without having to pay top dollar.

In my opinion, the best part of this collection includes the pairing of Sonny Rollins and Jim Hall. A true shame they did not work together after this. They drove each other, inspired each other, and also experimented with bossa nova when it was first becoming part of the US jazz scene. This box set includes material that, while previously released on cassette or on French discs, is nice to have all in one CD collection. Sonny and Jim have had distinguished, amazing careers, but rarely have either been more tuneful or fun than they were here.

As some of the previous reviewers correctly stated this is not one of Sonny's most "powerful" works (i.e. Saxophone Colossus, Way Out West, ect.) but is is still incredibly good - especially if you like Jim Hall's mellow guitar - it works well with Sonny's melodic playing in these sessions.