Sonny Rollins: The Freedom Suite
Musicians:
Sonny Rollins (tenor sax), Oscar Pettiford (bass), Max Roach (drums).
Composed by Sonny Rollins
.Recorded: New York, February 1958
Rating: 95/100 (learn more)
"The Freedom Suite" is a monument that fully belongs to the history of African-American music. It is not the first trio piece by Rollins – but it's the longest – neither the first tune of his where he shows social/political concerns, but it stands as a particularly bold statement. The simple melodic structure of the suite's movements and the invention that Rollins, Pettiford and Roach display on this minimal basis make it hard to imagine anybody but these three giants reproducing this miracle. Hence the uniqueness of this master- work, which few have dared to interpret in the intervening years. But little wonder that among those few is David S. Ware, a tenor player and former protégé of the "saxophone colossus."
Reviewer: Thierry Quénum
Tags: 1950s jazz · riverside · sax trio · tenor sax
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