| The Solo Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | 1985 | |||
| Recorded | July 19, 1985 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 56:10 | |||
| Label | Milestone | |||
| Producer | Lucille Rollins | |||
| Sonny Rollins chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Solo Album is a live album featuring a solo performance by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins recorded at the Sculpture Garden of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and released on the Milestone label in 1985. [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Los Angeles Times | [3] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |  [4] |
Calling it "a major disappointment" and "[o]ne of the few complete duds of Sonny Rollins' career," AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow describes the album as a "rambling live session" that "sounds as if Rollins were merely warming up, playing whatever came into his mind without any thought of developing a coherent statement". [2] While Yanow's retrospective view differs dramatically from the generally favorable critical reaction accorded the album's release, one contemporary reviewer, jazz historian and Los Angeles Times critic Leonard Feather, foreshadowed Yanow precisely and passionately. Stating that the album, "complete with fleeting quotes from 'Pop Goes the Weasel', 'Jim', 'Mairzy Doats' and a dozen other sources, suggests what one might hear if any Rollins-like saxophonist were caught warming up in the dressing room," Feather went further, taking some of his colleagues to task:
It is alarming that a genuine colossus of jazz, rightly hailed 25 years ago as an emperor, can remove his raiments and be seen by responsible critics as fully clothed. What is happening to critical responsibility? To Sonny Rollins? To jazz? One star. [3]
Feather was not entirely alone; High Fidelity cited "Rollins' obvious discomfort and nervous flitting about," which "ultimately grinds The Solo Album down to the level of a hip parlor game." [5] Still, theirs was decidedly the minority view. The New York Times critic Jon Pareles, writing shortly after the album's release, described it as "one of Mr. Rollins's most illuminating albums," adding that it "may be as close as we can get to a great jazz musician's stream of consciousness." [6] Others sounded a similar theme, including Saturday Review's John Swenson, who described the album as "nearly an hour [of] Rollins develop[ing] stunning solo ideas that rank with some of the best playing of his career," [7] The Providence Journal's Jim MacNie, who called it "an amazing tour de force," [8] and The Boston Phoenix , which named it one of the top 10 jazz albums of 1985. [9]
The reviewer for The Saxophone Symposium, a periodical of the North American Saxophone Alliance, described his "considerable time spent" with Rollins' album as "[p]robably one of my most intense recent listening experiences," [10] while Musician's Chip Stern called the album "a wondrous thing, like the peak of some inscrutable mountain parting through the clouds for the first time," noting its emphasis of "melodic rhythmic development over the harmonic," and ascribing to Rollins' improvisation "a stately thematic inevitability that would do Mozart proud." [11]
Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and blues, especially in saxophone and piano playing.
Henry "Hank" Mobley was an American hard bop and soul jazz tenor saxophonist and composer. Mobley was described by Leonard Feather as the "middleweight champion of the tenor saxophone", a metaphor used to describe his tone, that was neither as aggressive as John Coltrane nor as mellow as Lester Young, and his style that was laid-back, subtle and melodic, especially in contrast with players like Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. The critic Stacia Proefrock claimed him "one of the most underrated musicians of the bop era." Mobley's compositions included "Double Exposure," "Soul Station", and "Dig Dis," among others.
Saxophone Colossus is the sixth studio album by American jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins. Perhaps Rollins's best-known album, it is often considered his breakthrough record. It was recorded monophonically on June 22, 1956, with producer Bob Weinstock and engineer Rudy Van Gelder at the latter's studio in Hackensack, New Jersey. Rollins led a quartet on the album that included pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Max Roach. Saxophone Colossus was released by Prestige Records to critical success and helped establish Rollins as a prominent jazz artist.
Way Out West is a 1957 album by Sonny Rollins with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Shelly Manne, neither of whom had previously played or recorded with Rollins. The music employs a technique called "strolling", used here by Rollins for the first time, in which he would solo over only bass and drums with no pianist or guitarist playing chords. The recent reissue of the CD has additional takes of three of the songs, including the title track. These additional takes are all about twice as long, containing much longer solos from all three members of the band.
Miles Davis and Milt Jackson Quintet/Sextet, also known as Quintet/Sextet is a studio album by trumpeter Miles Davis and vibraphonist Milt Jackson released by Prestige Records in August of 1956. It was recorded on August 5, 1955. Credited to "Miles Davis and Milt Jackson", this was an "all-star" session, and did not feature any of the members of Davis's working group of that time. Alto saxophonist Jackie McLean appears on his own compositions “Dr. Jackle” and “Minor Apprehension”.
A Night at the Village Vanguard is a live album by tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, released on Blue Note Records in 1958. It was recorded at the Village Vanguard in New York City in November 1957 from three sets, two in the evening and one in the afternoon with different sidemen. For the afternoon set, Rollins played with Donald Bailey on bass and Pete LaRoca on drums; in the evening they were replaced respectively by Wilbur Ware and Elvin Jones.
Soul Station is an album by jazz saxophonist Hank Mobley that was released in 1960 by Blue Note Records. It is considered by many critics to be his finest album.
Work Time is an album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, recorded for the Prestige label, featuring performances by Rollins with Ray Bryant, George Morrow, and Max Roach.
The Bridge is a studio album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, recorded in 1962. It was Rollins' first release following a three-year sabbatical and was his first album for RCA Victor. The saxophonist was joined by the musicians with whom he recorded for the next segment of his career: Jim Hall on guitar, Bob Cranshaw on double bass and Ben Riley on drums.
Sunny Days, Starry Nights is an album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, released on the Milestone label in 1984, featuring performances by Rollins with Clifton Anderson, Mark Soskin, Russell Blake and Tommy Campbell.
No Problem is an album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, recorded for the Milestone label in 1981, featuring performances by Rollins with Bobby Broom, Bobby Hutcherson, Bob Cranshaw and Tony Williams.
Love at First Sight is an album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, released on the Milestone label in 1980, featuring performances by Rollins with George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Al Foster and Bill Summers.
Don't Stop the Carnival is a live album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, recorded at the Great American Music Hall and released on the Milestone label in 1978, featuring performances by Rollins with Mark Soskin, Aurell Ray, Jerome Harris and Tony Williams with Donald Byrd joining on five tracks.
Easy Living is an album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, released on the Milestone label in 1977, featuring performances by Rollins with George Duke, Paul Jackson and Tony Williams with Byron Miller and Bill Summers added on one track and Charles Icarus Johnson on two.
Horn Culture is an album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, his second to be released on the Milestone label, featuring performances by Rollins with Walter Davis Jr., Yoshiaki Masuo, Bob Cranshaw, David Lee and Mtume.
Next Album is an album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, his first to be released on the Milestone label, featuring performances by Rollins with George Cables, Jack DeJohnette, Bob Cranshaw and Arthur Jenkins. The cover photography was credited to Chuck Stewart.
Sonny Rollins and the Big Brass is an album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, recorded for the MetroJazz label, later reissued on Verve Records as Sonny Rollins/Brass - Sonny Rollins/Trio.
There Will Never Be Another You is a live album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, recorded at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City on June 17, 1965, and released on the Impulse! label in 1978, featuring a performance by Rollins with Tommy Flanagan, Bob Cranshaw, Billy Higgins and Mickey Roker.
Tour de Force is an album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins containing his final recordings for the Prestige label. Rollins performed with Kenny Drew, George Morrow, and Max Roach, with vocals by Earl Coleman on two tracks.
Urban Dreams, is an album by jazz baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams which was recorded in 1981 and originally released on the Palo Alto label.