It's easy to look at the titles of a number of jazz musicians' albums from the 1950s and wonder to oneself: were these guys egotistical? Tenor
Sonny Rollins, for instance, named one album Saxophone Colossus and another
Tour de Force. While one might blush at the lack of modesty, it's still difficult to argue about the results.
Rollins, as he appears on
The Best of Sonny Rollins, simply is a colossus and the music he makes is a tour de force. The album collects tracks from
Rollins' work on Prestige during the early- to mid-'50s, some of the most exciting work he has ever laid down on tape. He's joined by other giants including fellow tenor
John Coltrane, trumpeter
Clifford Brown, and pianist
Tommy Flanagan for a solid set list. Pieces are drawn from the above mentioned albums ("St. Thomas" and "My Ideal" respectively), and offer a good representation of
Rollins' work during this time. There's a forceful take on "It's All Right With Me," featuring pianist
Ray Bryant, bassist
George Morrow, and drummer
Max Roach, and a lovely version of
Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood" with pianist
John Lewis, vibraphonist
Milt Jackson, bassist
Percy Heath, and drummer
Kenny Clarke. The album ends on a high point with an extended version of "Tenor Madness," a title befitting the headlining of two of jazz's best tenors,
Rollins and
Coltrane.
The Best of Sonny Rollins may not collect all of the tenor's best work, but it's a grand place to start for new fans. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.