Customer Reviews

Freedom Suite

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

 

 

This ranks highly amongst Rollin's must have works, and there is a lot of depth here. No one could ask for a more perfect trio than Rollins, Oscar Pettiford, and Max Roach. Frankly I just cannot listen to Rollins without Max Roach or Elvin Jones. Rollins demands an explosive and unpredictable drummer. Considering the title, and the harmonic possibilities opened up by the lack of piano, it's surprising how few chances Rollins takes here, indeed Rollins' freedom lies in melody, and there is no more melodically varied twenty minute jazz track out there than the Freedom Suite. To me this album is a spiritual precursor to the equally brilliant East Broadway Run Down, a trio album of similar structure on the Impulse label, cut nearly a decade later. On East Broadway Run Down, Rollins comes off as carefully probing for a freedom of playing style he does not actually want. He meanders uncertainly, trying to abandon his bop and broadway roots for a freer approach, and he does it with some success; personally I like to hear a soloist thinking and trying to change the way they usually play, it takes a lot of skill and humility to do. Here, however, Rollins plays with absolute artistic confidence, the 60's had not yet made him question the artistic viability of his rich melodic style, and he kills it on every number, laying down birdlike spontaneous ideas with the slow grace of a true master at ease. Like Trane once said, Rollins can play any song as if he wrote it, and he showcases this quality on this album's second side where he runs down standards. Unlike Tenor Madness where track 2 and onwards feel less energetic than the first marathon blowout, and even fail to hold the listeners attention sometimes, Rollins and company keep the fire burning for the whole second half, and a slew of bonus tracks. Rollins also rivals the likes of Albert Ayler in his ability to make the simplest melodies speak, just listen to the beginning of Freedom Suite. Of special significance is the bonus bass and drums duet on There Will Never Be Another You, taped before Rollins showed for the session, best bonus track I have heard in a while.

As of now, this album is being sold brand new for $1.99 by another seller here, I bought it this way, and for a total of $4, skip Starbucks or something, and buy this!

The stunning Freedom Suite 24-bit remastered in the Keepnews Collection helps crank up the sonic boom to this beautifully recorded session from early `58. Sonny's in peak form along with Max Roach on drums and Oscar Pettiford on bass.

The themes to Freedom Suite have Sonny's finger prints all over them, typically original and strong enough for the galvanizing variations that follow. I've tried searching for a transcription of this juggernaut of modern jazz and can't find one anywhere. It's not just the outer movements of razors edge excitement that keeps one turning it up for the neighbourhood to share, but the mesmerizing slow middle movement puts this way beyond the pale of most musicians ability of handling the blues.

My only qualm is that I wished the three movements to the Suite had been individually tracked as sometimes I head straight for that magisterial middle movement.

The rest of the tunes are pleasant enough and won't cause any side long glances, making this album a bit of something for everyone. The booklet too is an improvement on the earlier CD release.

Now could we have Harold Land's West Coast Blues, Eastward Ho! and Wynton Kelly's Full View given the same remastering treatment? . . . please Mr. Keepnews.

In the latter part of 1959, I was a guest DJ on KJAZ that first year of it's inception . I won 2 record album's. I picked a Cecil Taylor and this Sonny album. It's great to hear it again. A BIG TENOR SAX TONE, slipping and sliding idea's with a wet number 5 reed? Max Roach is one of the great drummers of all time , playing with ease, as smooth as drum butter. The same thing with the masterful Oscar Pettiford. There were 3 truly great Jazz bass players at that time;Mingus,Ray Brown and Pettiford. These guy's worked well together here, It's a perfect Jazz marriage. There are 3 takes of "Till there was you?" "The freedom Suite" has a few different movements in it. And, single tracks of,"Shadow Waltz","Someday I'll find you", "Will you still be mine"'. Because Sonny was Late for the session,Pet&Max did their thing on"There will never be another you". This is a perfect , totally satisfying top of the line Jazz performance that the listener will never tire of. Over 50 minutes of CLASSIC JAZZ ! There is a booklet featuring, Orrin Keepnews (Producer), his view and his opinions on the session written in 1958 and 2008. When will they have the staples on the other side of the booklets, so that it's easier to slide it out,when it's thick? I usually put it back upside down, that way it's easier later to slide it out. In the 70's I played on my show(KPOO); Sonny Rollins at the Village Vanguard ( the complete album ) which was another 5 star (My opinion) performance with Wilber Ware and drummers on different tracks;Pete Larocca or Elvin Jones,Recorded in 1956. P.S. Sonny sure know's how to pick 'em.

A Genius at his best always. The Smooth sounds of his sax, coupled with changes in tempo, is Haunting. Sonny is by far amongst my favorites. Genius all over again