Sonny Rollins - Way Out West (1957)
Genres: Hard Bop, Jazz
"Sonny Rollins will go down in history as not only the single most enduring tenor saxophonist of the bebop and hard bop era, but also the greatest contemporary jazz saxophonist of them all. His fluid and harmonically innovative ideas, effortless manner, and easily identifiable and accessible sound have influenced generations of performers, but have also fueled the notion that mainstream jazz music can be widely enjoyed, recognized, and proliferated." - All Music
Way Out West is not only a timeless release, but it also helped label Sonny Rollins as the top tenor saxophonist in Jazz (until John Coltrane exceeded him the following year). The creation of this album is stunning. Rollins recorded the album with Ray Brown (bassist) and Shelly Manne (drummer); whom he had never played with before prior to Way Out West. In addition, statements from the liner notes also show how exceptional the album is. Lester Koenig stated in the liner notes, "At 7 A.M., after four hours of intense concentration, during which they recorded half the album, and should have been exhausted, Sonny said, 'I'm hot now.' Shelly who had been up for 24 hours, said, 'Man, I feel like playing.' And Ray, who was equally tired and had a studio call for the afternoon, just smiled."
Way Out West has a notable place in Jazz history due to the confident decision Sonny Rollins made to dispense the piano and carry on in a trio format. It's clear that both Shelly Manne and Ray Brown were inspired by Rollins' jaunty standpoint. Compositions from the fellow Jazz musicians Johnny Mercer, Duke Ellington, Peter DeRose, and Isham Jones were all rigorously done within this release. The precise work from the trio turned this album into a classic.
This release is exceptional for more than it's musical facet. The album cover also adds on to why Way Out West is such a fine album. The celebrated jazz photographer William Claxton is responsible for taking the picture of the cover. According to the liner notes, the idea for the cover was Rollins' idea; he wanted to celebrate his first trip to the West Coast. A Stetson hat, holster, and horn in place of a pistol? If that isn't looked to be classic material, I don't know what the word classic means!
"Sonny Rollins’ playing is immediately attractive because of his muscular harmonic conservatism. Where he might have never have licked every scalar corner in existence as Coltrane did, he does always perform at the highest level. Way Out West remains a standard for this higher level." - All About Jazz
Way Out West is highly recommended to anyone that favors Jazz. This album should be included in every Jazz fan's music collection. Discogs has a variety of copies for sale (here). There's even a sealed vinyl copy available for $12.95. I can't guarantee the copy will still be available, because I might grab it for myself. However, there seems to be a variety of vinyl copies in good condition, so be sure to grab yourself one. Lastly, I've included a track I personally enjoy below. Enjoy!
Sonny Rollins - There Is No Greater Love
4 comments:
This album art is amazing. I love old jazz. As was said in your post, it's just timeless.
There's nothing like it V.
I remember growing up hating Smooth Jazz, and I still do kinda. It was my mother's niche at the time though, so I had to endure it. Older Jazz never rubbed me in the same way though. It's always been relaxing to me, even as a child. I'm so glad I grew up to appreciate it as much as I do. Plus, older Jazz albums have some of the best album covers.
They really do. Smooth jazz… meh. I can only do Kenny G around the holiday. but give me that blues-infused jazz from the 50s and 60s... i'll sop it up with a biscuit.
Lol, Kenny G around the holidays. I never liked Kenny G. Not sure why though. Maybe I should give him a chance. But yeah, I normally look for music from the 50's and 60's, and earlier if I dig hard enough... not just Jazz. I love those eras.
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