Tonight's Blue Note: Sonny Rollins - Newk's Time

Sonny Rollins (tenor sax); Wynton Kelly (piano); Doug Watkins (bass); "Philly" Joe Jones (drums).

(By Lance).

Somehow or other, I never heard Sonny Rollins live and, I guess, the chance of remedying that now, given his advanced years, is somewhat remote. He's in good company in a list that includes Sinatra, Bird, Billie and a whole lot more. He played London many times but, unfortunately, never when I was in town. Did he ever play at the City Hall? I'm sure I'd have been there if he had.

By coincidence, the first time I met Ron Ainsborough, at the late and sadly missed Cherry Tree, he'd just returned from hearing Sonny at The Barbican. Since then, Ron has become a good friend of mine (and BSH) so maybe one day, whilst he's in lockdown, Ron will share his memories of that gig (over to you Ron).

Newks Time was the last recording Rollins made for Blue Note (he made five in total). Needless to say, like all of his recordings, it is a classic. In the years that followed his tone became huskier and, whilst not going in the same direction as fellow saxophone icon John Coltrane, his playing was freer and less shackled to standard chord progressions without losing a sense of form.

For me this album represented exactly how I wanted to hear him. In Richard Cook's biography of Blue Note Records Cook wrote:"Nobody in jazz has ever reconciled the heart, the mind and the soul with such unmitigated strength as Rollins". 

I'll say Amen to that!

Lance

Tune Up; Asiatic Raes; Wonderful! Wonderful!; The Surrey With the Fringe on Top; Blues For Philly Joe; Namely You.