Sonny Rollins Volume 2

Sonny Rollins had been on the New York scene since 1948, and by 1957 he had played with Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Fats Navarro and Miles Davis. Robert Levin, in the original notes, also recalls Rollins telling Down Beat the year before that he was not happy with much of his own past work. The Audio review reprinted on The Jazz Tome adds that he had just left Max Roach's group and was now recording with all sorts of players. His first Blue Note record as leader had been made in December 1956. This was the second.

The date was Sunday, April 14, 1957, at Rudy Van Gelder's in Hackensack. J.J. Johnson played trombone, Horace Silver piano, Paul Chambers bass and Art Blakey drums. And Thelonious Monk came in to play piano on his own two tunes. Six tunes were cut, and all six made the record.

Side one opens with two Rollins originals. "Why Don't I" is a light, happy swinger, with solos from Rollins, Johnson and Silver and Blakey trading fours with the horns. "Wail March" is a fast march; Johnson takes his solo in double time, and Blakey gets a feature. Then comes Monk's "Misterioso," a slow blues with both pianists in the room. Monk plays the theme with the horns and comps behind Rollins. Silver takes over behind Johnson and then solos himself, and Monk comes back to close it with the horns. Levin liked the idea:

The Blue Note supervisors deserve credit for arranging this.

Robert Levin, original liner notes

Side two opens with Monk's ballad "Reflections," just Rollins and Monk soloing over Chambers and Blakey, with Johnson and Silver sitting out.

No two other musicians are more suited to playing together than this pair of giants.

Robert Levin, original liner notes

"You Stepped Out of a Dream" is uptempo all the way, and Chambers takes his solo with the bow. "Poor Butterfly" closes the record at a relaxed tempo, with solos from Rollins, Johnson, Silver and Chambers.

The sleeve was designed by Harold Feinstein around a Francis Wolff photograph. Wikipedia notes that Joe Jackson copied its look for his 1984 album Body and Soul.

Dom Cerulli gave the record five stars in Down Beat. "Why Don't I" and "You Stepped Out of a Dream" were paired on a single. That November Blue Note taped him with just bass and drums, live at the Village Vanguard.