Our Man in Jazz (24bt) (Mlps) [Import, Limited Edition, Original recording remastered]

Sonny Rollins | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 2, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Limited Edition, Original recording remastered
• Label: Bmg Japan
• ASIN: B00005L8EO
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,051,210 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Oleo

2. Dearly Beloved

3. Doxy

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Possibilities, February 1, 2006

By 

directions "neuralbuddhist" (Space Time Foam) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Our Man in Jazz (Audio CD)

If Sonny Rollins had continued in this direction, he might not have been eclipsed by John Coltrane as the most influential tenor saxophonist. This album is one of David S. Ware's personal favorite jazz albums. East Broadway Rundown is also free and an excellent cd but what makes this one different is that it is live. Sonny Rollins has been deemed by critics to be at his best live (after seeing him live, I would support this). Also, with the members of Ornette Coleman's groundbreaking quartet (except of course Ornette) backing him up, the album has the same manic energy and unpredictability of early free jazz. It still is grounded in hard bop, because Sonny Rollins while wanting to absorb the "new thing in jazz" was still somewhat of a traditionalist. However, this is his most creative and innovative playing and is a standout among the myriad of albums he has recorded.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars our man in jazz indeed!, October 30, 2001

By 

Jack Jones (Woodland Hills, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Our Man in Jazz (Audio CD)

I'd been casually looking for this album since a friend turned me onto it in 1990. Why it's not more readily available (perhaps it finally is now) is beyond me. It's been worth the wait.

I love piano-less trios and Sonny's put out many good dates, my favorites being "Way Out West" and "East Broadway Rundown". I'm adding "Our Man In Jazz" to that list. I see it as kind of a midway point between the two, here freeing things up from blowing changes to doing free-ish improvisation. He's joined by two of Ornette Coleman's sidemen Don Cherry and Billy Higgins, along with Sonny's longtime bassist Bob Cranshaw, who is still in his touring band and on many of his current records. Though the Ornette vibe is here (personally a good thing) it doesn't dominate: this is definitely a Sonny record. And his playing is great. The opening track "Oleo" clocks in at 25 minutes (it doesn't feel like it) and most of that is Sonny with a never ending well of ideas. Don Cherry's playing, whose wonderful style I can pick out in about 3 notes, is in good form here too. Bob Cranshaw plays electric bass these days in Sonny's band at Sonny's request "because electric bass has more definition" but his upright playing here has a beautiful tone and he's solid as a rock. Billy Higgins signiture playing shines here too, as usual. Henry Grimes plays bass on the last three tracks which are very nice, though brief, 12 of the records 66 minutes. I don't think those tracks are on the original vinyl release.

In addition to the actual music the recording is superb. That these are live club recordings from 1962 is remarkable, Sonny in the right ear, Cherry in the left and the rhythm in the center, all crystal clear. I found myself wishing modern jazz records sounded like this, a little darker, without artificial reverb.

It's an adventurous record no doubt so if you're in the mood, get it!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars what could have been the best band cooking, February 24, 2001

By 

Jeffrey Little (wilmington, de) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Our Man in Jazz (Audio CD)

for some reason this cd is written off as either a mistake by rollins in approaching the avant-garde, or a well-meaning but failed experiment. listen again. listen closely. this band certainly has not meshed to the degree that it could have, but this is some seriously fine music. and maybe if critics & listeners back then had bigger ears, the band could have stayed together & become one of the truly greats. sonny is together, firing off line after line, smoking & sometimes approaching blue flame. listening to his tone here it seems to me that perhaps albert ayler & sonny were drinking from the same spring. there's no overblowing & explorations of the higher register, but this is "out" playing within the limits of the horn. cherry plays some snake-like lines but seems a bit inhibited or not totally comfortable yet w/in the band. billy higgins as always is billy-higgins-hot, & both cranshaw & grimes are kicking on bass. it makes me yearn for those "rollins meets cherry discs" with the same band live in europe. one can only imagine the incredible music that would have followed had this band stayed together. check it out & dream of what might have been, & be thankful that this disc exists. by the way, it is one of david s. ware's all-time favorite recordings. that in itself should say enough.