The cover art of
Reel Life, with a tiny image of
Sonny Rollins sitting on top of a giant tape reel, is a telling factor in this 1982 studio session.
Rollins was one of the first beboppers, and one of the last remaining to record with magnetic audio tape in an analog format. This sterling band with
Rollins featured two electric and distinctly different guitarists in
Bobby Broom and
Yoshiaki Masuo, longtime electric bass guitarist
Bob Cranshaw, and the keen and vibrant drummer
Jack DeJohnette. As the career of
Rollins moved into fourth gear, his love for hard bop, Caribbean music, and funkier styles continued to appeal to die-hard fans and the urban crowd. A matchless melodic tenor saxophone,
Rollins just kept rolling along like the rotating metal wheel that documented these selections. Since his hit "St. Thomas," the tenor man always serves up an obligatory calypso, in this case the strolling "Rosita's Best Friend" with a brief lead, then one extended with
Masuo's acoustic guitar. Hard bop and easy swing are also staples with
Howard McGhee's hot "McGhee" and the classy take of "My Little Brown Book" respectively. When
Rollins became interested in more contemporary music, it was never at the point of selling out, as the title track, in its basic child's melody in a funky soup with the two electric guitarists, is a pure delight. The
Masuo original "Sonny Side Up" also brims with soulful beats, while "Best Wishes" swaps from swing to contemporary funk with ease, with
Broom's deft solo emphasizing the marriage of the two styles. Both guitar players are so distinctly different, with
Broom's Chicago based rhythm & blues roots and the resonant, steelier sound of Japanese national
Masuo offering contrast aside the spike bass of
Cranshaw and
DeJohnette's purposeful, fluent drumming. In the middle is
Sonny Rollins, at ease and comfortable in not so much driving the band as being the golden centerpiece in this stable display of modern jazz that in many ways set the standard for an upcoming new era. ~ Michael G. Nastos