Sold Date: November 25, 2017
Start Date: November 15, 2017
Final Price: $256.00 (USD)
Bid Count: 16
Seller Feedback: 231
Buyer Feedback: 1244

SONNY ROLLINS PLAYS FOR BIRD
PRESTIGE LP 7095
SONNY ROLLINS, tenor sax - KENNY DORHAM, tenor sax - WADE LEGGE, piano - GEORGE MORROW, bass - MAX ROACH, drums

Rare original 1st pressing on PRESTIGE, recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in 1956.
- 1st MONO press with DEEP GROOVE yellow & black FIREWORK labels - RVG AB stamped on deadwax - Prestige 1st address edition: 446 W. 50th ST., N.Y.C.

Includes the VERY RARE original plastic inner bag provided with the first Prestige Records and Riverside label pressings

Record: stunning NM top shape copy, hard to find in such beatiful condition. Cover: damaged spine as visible on pics, worn corners. Almost perfect front and back, overall solid VG shape.



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Rollins Plays For Bird, a recording of the Sonny Rollins Quintet which was actually the line-up of The Max Roach Quintet shortly after the passing of trumpeter Clifford Brown and pianist Richard Powell. It feels rather as if Rollins is treading water and not getting to the point one would hope for in the case of a tribute to one of his major musical forebears, Charlie Parker. The Bird Medley that takes up the full 23 minutes of side A does possess a relaxed, swinging vibe and a tacky structure where Rollins, Dorham and pianist Wade Legge subsequently guide us through the themes. Dorham’s sweet-tart tone and fluent, unhurried phrasing are assets. The confident flow of Rollins’ lines is evident, the finest moments coming when he playfully explores the low register of the tenor sax in They Can’t Take That Away From Me. However, considering Bird, the choice of repertoire hardly does justice to the modern music giant. Indeed, Parker regularly played these tunes but one would expect songs that he wrote himself or configurations of standards that have become iconic. Moreover, a medium tempo (excluding a short double-time section) is maintained throughout, interspersed with formulaic theme-solo-theme sections and trading of fours between drums and soloists. Attention easily drifts elsewhere. Compared with the commanding title track of Freedom Suite, the cooperation of Rollins with Max Roach and Oscar Pettiford of five months later, a medley of varied Rollins originals that also takes up the whole of side A, the Bird Medley comes up a decisive second. In favor of the latter, it consisted of one spontaneous take, while the Freedom Suite was glued together from seperate tracks.I’ve Grown Accustomed To Your Face is a solid if not extraordinary ballad rendition, and a common choice of Rollins, who otherwise was revered for digging up obscure or unlikely standards. The Rollins original Kids Know, like the medley also played in medium tempo, has a frolic, catchy theme. Alas, Max Roach, seemingly not in the best of moods, practically drags it to death.

Just one week later, the clouds parted considerably and the quintet (including Ray Bryant) delivered the sprightly, inspired album Max Roach + 4. Six months later, Rollins delivered on the promise of Rollins Plays For Bird with the A Night At The Village Vanguard album, reviving standards and Parker contrafacts with a level of spontaneity and experimentation that has set a standard to this day.

Considering a giant like Rollins, expectations run, and ran, high. In this respect, Rollins Plays For Bird underachieves considerably.