Sonny Rollins
A Night at the “Village Vanguard”
Blue Note (Japan) 1977
GXF 3007 (LP) w/insert.
sleeve : EX-(one small dent, wear on corner)
media : EX/EX(some slightly noise)
One of Blue Note’s finest live albums, recorded by Sonny Rollins at the Village Vanguard in 1957. With a piano-less trio lineup of tenor saxophone, bass, and drums, the structure of Rollins’ phrasing, his rhythmic playfulness, and the sheer weight of his tone are captured in a strikingly exposed form. On “Old Devil Moon,” after lightly stating the theme, Rollins develops the performance as if freely roaming over the chords. The way he shifts short motifs, leaves space, and builds the music through exchanges with the rhythm section is truly thrilling. “Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise” carries the tense atmosphere of a late-night club, while on “A Night In Tunisia,” Elvin Jones’ drumming powerfully drives and shakes the performance. A superb album that reveals Rollins’ greatness as a live performer, where boldness and humor, structure and the danger of improvisation all appear at once. Japanese reissue released by King Records in 1977. Includes insert.
A2: Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
B2: A Night in Tunisia