Customer Reviews

Silver City

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

 

 

I'm giving this two-disc compilation only four stars, because except for 'G-Man,' most of this music does not even compare to early Rollins like SAXOPHONE COLOSSUS, THE BRIDGE, TENOR MADNESS, or his work with Miles Davis. However, there are still some notable tracks here and this whole compilation acts as a great introduction to later Rollins works, especially if you are only familiar with his 50's/60's music.

There are a few songs here that really stand out for me, and without this compilation, I never would have purchased any 70's Rollins. Most of the songs have a real 'Miami Vice/Disco' sound to them, and this is just an example of Sonny adapting to the times. The sax playing, though, is still magnificent. My favorite song here is the 15-minute epic 'G-Man' from the album of the same name. Another favorite of mine is 'Harlem Boys' off the DON'T ASK album. You also get 'Autumn Nocturne' performed live with an extended coda much along the same lines as Coltrane's performances of Billy Eckstine's 'I Want To Talk About You.'

I would recommend that first you get into early Rollins, especially some of his work with Max Roach. Once you've checked all that stuff out, then pick up this compilation. Rollins has TONS of records, and this two-disc set is a great place to start.

I'm not a huge fan of the Rollins style but I enjoy it very much. Also, the selections are a little thin on substance. It is the absolutely incredible imporvisations and solos of Rollins that makes this compilation as good as it is. There is a lot of Rollins typically stunning improvs and solos featured in this set. Enjoy.

Added 8/12/07: The Milestone period was one of inconsistency for Rollins. This cream of that period has been wisely culled from that period for this collection.

Rollins' Milestone recordings are notoriously erratic, but this compilation has all the good stuff with none of the filler.

This double CD set shows how versatile Rollins became in the later years. His creative solo phrasing didn't lose any steam regardless of if he was playing a more tradition 15 minute jazz jam on "G-Man" or a more contemporary "Harlem Boys". One of my favorite is "Cabin the Sky" which has the trademark touch that Rollins in known for. For the folks that selected the tunes for this CD set, kudos.