A Night at the Village Vanguard [Complete]

Sobriquets like the world's greatest saxophonist and the world's greatest improviser are often applied to Sonny Rollins. That's a lot to live up to, yet who would call him that if he couldn't play with such commanding intensity and creativity? He is now in his sixth decade as a vital working musician. This is Rollins' riveting first appearance as a bandleader and the first live recording ever made at New York City's infamous Village Vanguard. Both are still going strong.

A Night at the Village Vanguard includes a rare track recorded there by day, A Night in Tunisia, from an afternoon set with bassist Donald Bailey and drummer Pete La Roca. The rest of the tracks feature Wilbur Ware on bass and John Coltrane's future drummer Elvin Jones on drums. Included is an alternate take of Softly As in a Morning Sunrise and Rollins' swinging sonic serenade, Sonnymoon for Two.

Remastered by original engineer Rudy Van Gelder with photos by Francis Wolff, original liner notes by Leonard Feather and new notes by Bob Blumenthal.

-Richard Antone

This CD is often magical. Sonny Rollins, one of jazz's great tenors, is heard at his peak with a pair of piano-less trios (either Wilbur Ware or Donald Bailey on bass and Elvin Jones or Pete La Roca on drums) stretching out on particularly creative versions of "Old Devil Moon," "Softly As in a Morning Sunrise," "Sonnymoon for Two," and "A Night in Tunisia," among others. Not only did Rollins have a very distinctive sound but his use of time, his sly wit, and his boppish but unpredictable style were completely his own by 1957. [Originally released as separate albums, A Night at the Village Vanguard was reissued in its entirety, complete with alternate takes, as a two-disc set in 1999; it was part of Blue Note's acclaimed Rudy VanGelder reissue series.] ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide