Customer Reviews

Way Out West

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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. Even the usually aggravating practice of sticking alternate takes behind the originals hardly makes a difference. 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.

Believe it or not, this reviewer has been a Jazz fan for years and surprisingly had never heard anything by Sonny Rollins until this week with the purchase of "Way Out West". I must say that listening to this album was like unlocking a door to a mansion (like my discovering of John Coltrane was) and there definitely will be more Sonny albums making their way to my collection soon.
With that out of the way, onto the music itself: "Way Out West" was recorded in 1957 and finds Rollins playing in a piano-less trio backed only by bassist Ray Brown and drummer Shelly Manne. The liner notes to the album state that the three musicians hadn't played together before until this recording session. You'd never know it by listening to this album though. Rollins, Brown and Manne play off each other effortlessly and are like six hands in a glove. It's as if they'd played together for years.
On the upbeat tracks, "I'm an Old Cowhand", "Come Gone" and the title track, Rollins and his trio really swing and leave plenty of space for improvisation and soloing. "Come Gone" is an especially prime example of this.
The same can be said for the slower ballad-oriented pieces. Sonny's take on Duke Ellington's "Solitude" is superb and soothing and is a real standout. "Wagon Wheels", while not neccesarily a ballad, is also a standout with its mid-tempo blues-like runs.
Besides the original tracks that made up the album, there are also three alternate takes tacked on as bonus tracks. The alternate version of "I'm An Old Cowhand" is arguably stronger than its master take and is also twice as long running at 10 minutes rather than five and a half. The alternates of "Come Gone" and the title track are performed in such a way that they almost become different pieces of music altogether. Rollins solo in the alternate "Come Gone" is more raspy and edgy which gives the impression that this take was recorded live in a club rather than a studio. It's fabulous too.
With that said, "Way Out West" is an excellent first choice for the emerging Sonny Rollins fan. The playing is excellent and the musicianship is flawless. The only minor complaint is that the bonus alternate takes are presented on the CD after their master take counterparts (example: The master take of I'm An Old Cowhand is immediately followed by its alternate take as is "Come, Gone" and "Way Out West"). They should have been sequenced at the end of the disc following the original album tracks. Apart from that, who really cares? This is a great album with great music on it.
Essential!!

Next to Saxophone Colossus, don't pass up this recording if you want excellent Rollins for your collection. Years ago, I bought this on a recommendation from a friend. Having never listened to Rollin's before, I was pretty floored! I still am every time I listen to it, which (at least to me), is a testament to the recording's magic and longevity.

Rollins was absolutely incandecent on "Come, Gone" and "There is No Greater Love". He also really injects some very wry, swinging humor into his renditions of "I'm An Old Cowhand", "Wagon Wheels" and "Way Out West". The man's artistic genius and humanity really shine in this recording. Highly recommended!

Sonny Rollins, Ray Brown and Shelly Mann are all superb on this 71 minute album. It comprises 6 tunes; three of which have alternate takes added as bonus tracks. The originals and alternates are similarly compelling. Although my personnal favourite is Wagon Wheels, all 9 tracks are excellent.

The uncanny sense of space and the Western mood created by the trio make the cd great listening.

I am a big fan of Sonny Rollins and his happy, muscular, witty, rich and edgy sound. This album sees all three musicians in marvellous form, with the rhythm section brilliantly creating the illusion of movement.

I would recommend this as THE album to buy to begin a Sonny Rollins collection.

No words can adequately describe the treat that awaits you; however some may point in the right direction. They are; lyrical, witty, warm and imaginative. Way Out West is most original and is one of my favourite cds.

It's Sonny Rollins trio. Can somebody play better in late 50's ? And perfect production too. Like band's playing in my living room. I love similar productions, it's the best in jazz. Only two songs are composed by Rollins, but no problem in his music is essantial his solo playing. No highlights, whole album is perfect with beautiful resourceful playing. Must for any true jazz fan.

The freshness of this enchanting CD cut in a few hours is like a mirage. Beautiful and temporary while leaving an impact.
The motiff and location of the Wild West as the idea of Cowboy Rollins on the CD cover and the sense of wilderness felt in the pure uncluttered music reveals a spacious quality as the jagged flowing pointed playing of Rollins,accompanied here with a bass player and drummer makes a statement of clear distinct music. The sparseness and texture of the emptiness of a desert/LA in the 1950's, as distinct from the hustle of a New York or Chicago, serves as a backdrop to Rollins's music here while the choice of compositions was well intended as a return to nature and basic heartfelt playing.
A few swinging Cowboy Western style tunes with Lincoln County imagery, some compositions in the ballad form, even a dreamy Ellington cover of Solitude (lost and stranded in a desert?),with many alternate takes, makes this CD both a lengthy one, and a worthy piece of music somehow unique coming from a great sax player and this stripped down band.

This album is routinely mentioned as a classic and one of Sonny Rollins's best. For whatever reason, that acclaim doesn't translate into the same popularity attained by Saxophone Colossus. Nevertheless, if you like Sonny Rollins's playing or jazz from the mid-to-late 50s then you should definitely put this one in your shopping cart.

Sonny was one of the big innovators of the saxophone trio format -- saxophone, bass, drums -- and this was his first recording with such a lineup. Getting rid of the piano has several implications. The first is that the harmonies become a lot less obvious to the listener without the piano banging out the chords every few seconds. The second is that there's a lot more pressure on the musicians --- particularly the saxophonist, but also the bassist -- to generate interest without using piano solos as a crutch. There's a lot more space to be filled in, and in the hands of lesser musicians this space would turn into gaping holes.

Fortunately, Sonny Rollins is one of jazz's greatest improvisers. The fact that he doesn't have to share solo space with a pianist on this recordings means he can let loose some brilliant, unfettered and uninterrupted improvisations. There's a LOT of Sonny's playing on this album. Sonny's notorious for the humor/wit in his playing and there's a ton of that here.

Sonny's companions on this date for Contemporary Records were bassist Ray Brown and drummer Shelly Manne. Manne was one of the premier drummers on the west coast and appeared on a lot of Contemporary sessions. Manne wasn't a "power drummer" like most of the drummers that appeared on Sonny's east coast recordings (Philly Joe Jones, Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, and Max Roach). That means that he's content to be an accompanist rather than an almost equal partner a la Max Roach.

The compositions offer a nice amount of variety. "I'm an Old Cowhand" is the kind of semi-cheesy tune that Sonny specializes at transforming and gives the album a great start. "Come, Gone" is just straight-up fast bebop. "Solitude" and "There Is No Greater Love" are intense ballad performances. "Wagon Wheels" is a medium-tempo jam, and "Way Out West" closes the album on a jaunty note. The overall mood is more mellow and introverted than Saxophone Colossus; the album was recorded in the middle of the night, so this is not surprising.

One annoying thing about some versions of this album is that the alternate takes are placed in the middle of the album (immediately following the masters), destroying the album's original sequence. I recommend looking for the now-out-of-print 20 bit remaster or any other version that places the alternates at the end of the album, where they belong. The alternate takes are actually fascinating to explore once you get to know the original album, as two of the tunes are given much longer explorations.

This album is highly recommended and an essential part of any collection. If you like Sonny in a trio format, other albums to check out are A Night at the Village Vanguard (Blue Note), The Freedom Suite (Riverside/OJC), and East Broadway Rundown (Impulse!). I'm probably forgetting some others. And of course, if you haven't heard Saxophone Colossus, be sure to pick that one up.

It has been awhile since I have listened to this, but I remember it fondly. Much has been made of the nocturnal recording session behind this session. It is evident when one hears it--it just sounds like 3 AM.

Sonny Rollins appears to be at the top of his game on this album,he recorded in '57,with Shelley Manne on drums and Ray Brown on bass.I just don't understand why he felt he needed to take off '59 to '61 from public performing to practice on The Williamsburg Bridge before coming back with 'The Bridge';maybe seeing him on the bridge could beat 'Way Out West' and 'The Bridge',but nothing else could. I also can't understand why 'Way Out West' includes two takes of some of the tunes,beginning with
'I'm An Old Cowhand';it was brilliant on the first take...and the second..

Sonny Rollins, one of the most influential tenor saxophonists in the history of jazz. His deep tone, influenced by Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster. Sonny Rollins is my favorite tenor saxophonist.

Sonny is a very unique musician. Some of his ideas are very experimental, but his overall message, just swing! In this interesting format, tenor sax-bass-drums, Sonny shows his stuff, and plays his heart out.

In jazz, tenor sax trios are fairly rare. Here, Ray Brown on bass and Shelly Manne on drums help Sonny out by delivering this swinging session.

Obviously, the theme of this album was westerns. The old western standard I'm an Old Cowhand, is done here by Newk and the gang. Rollins' original Wagon Wheels is very catchy.

Sonny Rollins had some great albums in his career, and this one should be considered to be among the best.