Rollins' Alfie, which I last blogged on, was one of Sonny Rollins small number of recordings on Impulse! Another, and possibly one of his best single recordings, was Sonny Rollins on Impulse! The band includes Ray Bryant (p) Walter Booker (b) Mickey Roker (d). If there is a point of perfection in modern jazz, a perfect expression of genius that promises amazing things and never fails to deliver on that promise, this would be it.
Rollin's supple voice and fingers are guided by pure heart, but they are always digging deep into the human clay. Everything is right here. Rollins' tenor and the rest of the band always seem to be starring at the same thing.
This isn't Rollins' best work. That would be, I have come around to thinking, his Village Vanguard recordings. It's not as good as his Saxophone Colossus. But it's damn near both. Or at least that's how it seems to me on this fine soft night in South Dakota.
Here is a sample. It might be my favorite interpretation of a great standard.
Sonny Rollins/On Green Dolphin Street/Sonny Rollins on Impulse!
So good night jazz babies.
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