Review by Michael G. Nastos
As the tenor sax is not in the same key as an alto, Sonny Rollins would have to transpose a lot of music to take a tribute to Charlie Parker to a high level. Instead Rollins has chosen standards associated with Parker, and recorded them within a year after Bird's passing. This idea poses some peculiar challenges, added on to the fact that the quintet of Rollins starts the proceedings with a 27-minute medley of seven tunes seamlessly stitched together. Pianist Wade Legge, an unsung hero of jazz in the '50s for sure, plays some wonderful music here, and laces the grooves of the tunes together, while bassist George Morrow and the always exceptional drummer Max Roach keep things moving forward. Even more unusual is that trumpeter Kenny Dorham is in many instances invisible on the date, playing less than a cursory role to Rollins. Dorham rarely plays together with him, and is much more separate than equal, which in many regards is a shame. Considering how well Dorham and tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson worked as a tandem, one wonders why this happened. The music certainly has its moments, as on the inexhaustible medley. Rollins plays the melody on alternating songs "I Remember You" and "They Can't Take That Away from Me," Dorham has at it for "My Melancholy Baby" and "Just Friends," with Legge getting his two cents in on trio only versions of "Old Folks" and "My Little Suede Shoes." Finally the whole band joins in on the ten-minute finale "Star Eyes." Even for the heartiest fans, this long-winded exercise might prove taxing. Rollins does the ballad "I've Grown Accustomed to Your (Her) Face," and the horns finally play together for the nearly 12-minute cool waltz "Kids Know." A disappointment in terms of the division of labor, and not the merging of titans jazz lovers would have wished for, this recording still provides a great deal of high level music that could have been so much more.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/rollins-plays-for-bird-mw0000542840
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Reseña de Michael G. Nastos
Como el saxo tenor no está en la misma tonalidad que un alto, Sonny Rollins tendría que transponer mucha música para llevar un homenaje a Charlie Parker a un alto nivel. En su lugar, Rollins ha elegido estándares asociados a Parker, y los ha grabado un año después del fallecimiento de Bird. Esta idea plantea algunos desafíos peculiares, además de que el quinteto de Rollins comienza el proceso con un popurrí de 27 minutos de siete melodías perfectamente unidas. El pianista Wade Legge, un héroe olvidado del jazz de los años 50, toca una música maravillosa y une los ritmos de las canciones, mientras que el bajista George Morrow y el siempre excepcional baterista Max Roach hacen que las cosas avancen. Aún más inusual es que el trompetista Kenny Dorham es en muchos casos invisible en la cita, jugando un papel menos que superficial para Rollins. Dorham raramente juega junto a él, y está mucho más separado que igualado, lo que en muchos aspectos es una lástima. Considerando lo bien que Dorham y el saxofonista tenor Joe Henderson trabajaron como tándem, uno se pregunta por qué sucedió esto. La música ciertamente tiene sus momentos, como en el inagotable popurrí. Rollins toca la melodía en canciones alternas como "I Remember You" y "They Can't Take That Away from Me", Dorham se ocupa de "My Melancholy Baby" y "Just Friends", y Legge aporta su granito de arena a las versiones en trío de "Old Folks" y "My Little Suede Shoes". Finalmente toda la banda se une al final de los diez minutos de "Star Eyes". Incluso para los fans más entusiastas, este largo ejercicio puede resultar agotador. Rollins hace la balada "Me he acostumbrado a tu (su) cara", y los cuernos finalmente tocan juntos para el vals de casi 12 minutos "Kids Know". Una decepción en términos de la división del trabajo, y no la fusión de titanes que los amantes del jazz hubieran deseado, esta grabación todavía proporciona una gran cantidad de música de alto nivel que podría haber sido mucho más.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/rollins-plays-for-bird-mw0000542840
Tracks:Medley: 26:52
A1 - I Remember You
A2 - My Melancholy Baby
A3 - Old Folks
A4 - They Can't Take Away From Me
A5 - Just Friends
A6 - My Little Suede Shoes
A7 - Star Eyes
B1 - Kids Know - 11:36
B2 - I've Grown Accustomed To Your Face - 4:51
Credits:
Bass – George Morrow
Drums – Max Roach
Liner Notes – Ira Gitler
Piano – Wade Legge
Recorded By – Van Gelder
Supervised By – Bob Weinstock
Tenor Saxophone – Sonny Rollins
Trumpet – Kenny Dorham
Notes
Prestige Records Inc., 446 W. 50th ST., N. Y. C.
Kenny Dorham credited on Tenor Sax
Recorded on October 5, 1956
Recorded At – Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey
Label: Prestige – PRLP 7095
Released: 1956
Genre: Jazz
Style: Hard Bop
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