Way Out West [Original recording remastered]

Sonny Rollins | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 1, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Contemporary
• ASIN: B00004UEI7
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #310,644 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. I'm an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande)

2. Solitude

3. Come, Gone

4. Wagon Wheels

5. There Is No Greater Love

6. Way Out West

7. I'm an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande) [Alternate Take][*]

8. Come, Gone [Alternate Take][*]

9. Way Out West [Alternate Take][*]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sonny At His Absolute Prime, September 21, 2000

By 

"marleyscott" (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Way Out West (Audio CD)

Sonny was in his absolute prime when he cut Way Out West. No tennor ever had a better tone than "Newk", and that includes some very exclusive company, (Clotrane, Getz, Shorter, etc.) The painstaking remastering job here brings out the brillance of his majestic sound. To me Sonny's pharsing has always had the same inherent rhythem as the great post-war singers like Sinatra and Tony Bennett. Without a single bad note or overstated pharse, Way Out West is some of the best hard-bop you'll ever hear. Fortunately Sonny is still going strong and at seventy-something he is still producing vital music for us to enjoy.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A bonafide classic, December 3, 2000

By 

"jazzfanmn" (St Cloud, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Way Out West (Audio CD)

This cd is packed with timeless music. Rollins' performance on this classic from 1957 not only solidified him as one of the greatest tenors of his generation, but, along with all of the other material from his illustrious fifty plus year career, has stood the test of time to make him one of the all-time greatest musicians regardless of style. Backed by a duo of legends in bassist Ray Brown and drummer Shelly Manne, Rollins cooks from beginning to end. He is in prime form, still a relativly unknown tenor when this album came out, he plays like a man ahead of his years. Sonny's tone is hard, percussive, rasping, and even playful, a full spectrum of colors and moods. What makes this a truly great album is that every single note Rollins plays is a highlight. His soloing stands up to repeated listening and rewards the effort with something new each time through. Manne and Brown contribute fantastic performances of their own, matching Rollins by producing phenominal solos of their own. This version offers remastered sound, new packaging, a higher price tag, and reshuffled track order from the previous OJC cd. Usually alternate takes offer limited interest to all but those starved for every note from their favorite artists. On this date, however, Rollins, Manne, and Brown are so brimming with ideas, the longer alternates offer the listener just that much more of a good thing. This is one of those albums that needs to be in every jazz collection, even the cover photo is a classic. Buy this cd if you do not already own it, you will not be dissapointed.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dry Airy Freedom, December 1, 2000

By 

Eddie Watkins (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Way Out West (Audio CD)

From the cover to the contents this disc is suffused with a dry free cool. Listen as Sonny idly weaves his way to heights then loops back down to swing real low with upfront self-assurance delivering notes on the clear crest of Time. Each of his phrases is as cleanly articulate as a desert landscape in dead-on Sun, yet cool as Lester Young in multiplicity. By no means don't rush, this music wouldn't want you to, but sometime please find your way to buying it. No time limit, this stuff is timeless.