Gathering the sessions for both Riverside and Contemporary Records between 1956 and 1958, this five-disc box is chock-full of the magic that has made Rollins the legendary icon he is. Not only are the saxophonist's essential records WAY OUT WEST, THE SOUND OF SONNY, SONNY ROLLINS PLAYS, FREEDOM SUITE, and SONNY ROLLINS AND THE CONTEMPORARY LEADERS included, but classic sessions led by Thelonious Monk, Kenny Dorham, and Abbey Lincoln are also here.
Together these discs show Rollins as a magnificent soloist who had his style fully developed while John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter were still in finishing school. The included booklet contains a thoughtfully written essay on Rollins during this period and a priceless collection of photographs of the legendary participants herein. Even if you only dimly consider yourself a Sonny Rollins fan, these recordings should be in your collection.
Recorded at Reeves Sound Studios, New York, New York between December 1956 and October 28, 1957; WOR Recording Studios, New York, New York in February 1958; Contemporary's Studio, Los Angeles, California on March 7, 1957 and from October 20-22, 1958; Beltone Studios, New York, New York on November 4, 1957.
Personnel: Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone); Abbey Lincoln (vocals); Ernie Henry (alto saxophone); Clark Terry, Kenny Dorham (trumpet); Jimmy Cleveland (trombone); Victor Feldman (vibraphone); Thelonious Monk (piano, celeste); Sonny Clark, Hank Jones, Wynton Kelly, Gil Coggins, Hampton Hawes (piano); Barney Kessel (guitar); Ray Brown, Paul Chambers, Oscar Pettiford, Percy Heath, Wendall Marshall, Leroy Vinnegar (bass); Max Roach (drums, tympani); Shelly Manne, Roy Haynes, Kenny Dennis (drums).
CD 1
1. Brilliant Corners
2. Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are
3. Bemsha Swing
4. Pannonica
5. I'm An Old Cowhand
6. Way Out West
7. Come, Gone
8. There Is No Greater Love
9. Wagon Wheels
CD 2
1. Solitude
2. I'm An Old Cowhand [Alternate Take]
3. Come, Gone (Alternate Take)
4. There Is No Greater Love (Take 2)
5. Way Out West (Alternate Take)
6. Falling In Love With Love
7. My Old Flame
CD 3
1. La Villa
2. I'll Remember April
3. The Last Time I Saw Paris
4. Just In Time
5. Toot, Toot, Tootsie! (Goo'Bye)
6. What Is There To Say?
7. Dearly Beloved
8. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
9. Cutie
10. It Could Happen To You
11. Mangos
12. Funky Hotel Blues
13. Porgy
14. I Must Have That Man
15. When A Woman Loves A Man
CD 4
1. Strong Man
2. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe
3. That's Him
4. My Man
5. Don't Explain
6. I Must Have That Man (Take 3)
7. Porgy (Take 1)
8. Sonnymoon For Two
9. Like Someone In Love
10. Theme From Tchaikovsky's Pathetique
11. Till There Was You (Take 4)
12. Someday I'll Find You
13. Will You Still Be Mine?
14. Shadow Waltz
15. Till There Was You (Take 3)
CD 5
1. The Freedom Suite
2. I've Told Ev'ry Little Star
3. Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie..
4. How High The Moon
5. You
6. I Found A New Baby
7. Alone Together
8. The Song Is You
9. In The Chapel In The Moonlight
10. You (Alternative Take)
11. I Found A New Baby (Alternate Take)
12. The Song Is You (Alternate Take)
