DukeCity Posted November 4, 2007 Report Share Posted November 4, 2007 OK, technically it was fifty years ago yesterday (Nov. 3, 1957), but it was on a Sunday, so close enough for me. "A Night At The Village Vanguard" Sonny Rollins doing his first record date as a leader (and I think it was also the first live recording done at the Vanguard). The trio date starting with a matinee with Pete LaRoca and Donald Baily. Apparently Sonny wasn't satisfied with the sound/feel of that set, so he sent them home and called Elvin Jones and Wilbur Ware to play that night. A beautiful record of swinging trio playing! Share the love? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted November 4, 2007 Report Share Posted November 4, 2007 Sonny Rollins doing his first record date as a leader I....don't......think so.... But anyway, hell, I love this album. The kids today probably can't understand how cuminmypantsy I got when the extra material came out on the old BN 2-fer. Frankly, I think the cream of the crop made it onto the original album, but hey... This shit swings like a mofo. The dance impulse runs through, over, under, around, inside, outside, the basis of the DNA of it. And it's got brain to match. The body and the brain in perfect sync at a very high level dancing through life without missing anything. Let that be a lesson for us all. Tenor trio, Tenor Trinity, Sonny, Ware, & Elvin. That's gotta be God's band. Gotta be God's band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukeCity Posted November 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2007 Sonny Rollins doing his first record date as a leader I....don't......think so.... My bad. I was reading Leonard Feathers' original liner notes (first mistake...) and it starts, "This LP constituted a double premiere. For the first time Sommy Rollins in heard appearing before the publick as leader of his own combo." Meaning, it's apparently his first "live" date as a leader. Too much Scotch last nite... And if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not think about what you do in your pants... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Storer Posted November 4, 2007 Report Share Posted November 4, 2007 This was one of the albums that was a revelation for me in my high school years and just discovering jazz. That something so imaginative and free could be so swinging and work so perfectly together... clearly jazz had very strong juju. This was like blues and funk but in the stratosphere--so sensual and so cerebral all at once. It still kills me every time I listen to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted November 4, 2007 Report Share Posted November 4, 2007 (edited) Sonny Rollins doing his first record date as a leader I....don't......think so.... My bad. I was reading Leonard Feathers' original liner notes (first mistake...) and it starts, "This LP constituted a double premiere. For the first time Sommy Rollins in heard appearing before the publick as leader of his own combo." Meaning, it's apparently his first "live" date as a leader. Too much Scotch last nite... And if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not think about what you do in your pants... But cumin is an herb, and who amongst us doesn't (or hasn't) appreciate(d) herb? To clarify Feather (which is not as pleasuarble as to clarify butter, but that's another thread, I suppose) through Joe Goldberg's Jazz Masters Of The 50's, Newk had opened at the Vanguard w/a quintet that included Donald Byrd. By thte time the BN recordings were made, there had been a succession of personnel changes (and by all accounts, they were numerous, frequent, and at times quixotic), trio finally became the final format, and remained so up until the comeback (and even then, Sonny kept reverting back to it). So I think that Feather is saying that the Vanguard gig (how long it was, I don't recall, but clubs used to book bands for long-ass stints back then, not the weekend or week so that they do today) was Sonny's debut as a bandleader. The grocery store is loaded with cumin btw. Beware! Edited November 4, 2007 by JSngry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sal Posted November 4, 2007 Report Share Posted November 4, 2007 This is also one of my all time favorites. Like I'm sure it was for many more folks, it was one of the first jazz albums I heard early on that really blew my mind. It was my first time experiencing that openness created by the lack of a piano, and I've always favored piano-less jazz saxophone recordings ever since. This trio just really digs in, swings hard, and makes some tremendously exciting and timeless music. BTW, I really don't think that this album would have worked nearly as well had they not brought Elvin aboard. This is just one more testament to his greatness and shows how he always elevated the greatest artists to an even higher level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted November 5, 2007 Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 I was already a fan of Sonny Rollins when this came out and still remember the thrill of hearing the music for the first time. One could not help but be stunned by the level of energy. It was also the first time I got a shock from getting the sound of Elvin's drum work up close! There was much attention paid on his drumming those days (specially from Bobby Jaspar's enthusiastic reports after playing with Elvin in J.J. Johnson quintet) but the innovations mentioned became evident only after hearing that Village Vanguard album. Plus Wilbur Ware's incredible bass support. A desert island disc! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted November 5, 2007 Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 Everything Brownie said, it was just the same for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WD45 Posted November 5, 2007 Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 That is nuts -- I pulled this off of the shelf last night to spin without knowing that it was the anniversary. Wilbur Ware, man. Damn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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