If you'd like to support me you can do so at this link: paypal.me/Char... Tenor Madness Coltrane&Rollins's Solos. Transcribed by Carles Margarit. CD: Tenor Madness, Sonny Rollins Quartet (1956)
Sometimes I think, were guys like Coltrane, Bird, Rollins, from like, another planet? Did that actually happen? Wtf? ( And not to forget the genius females too, like Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan.)
Ps. No disrespect to anyone. I’ve been playin for over 45 years and I remember these same opinions in front of Berklee collage on the daily. But I was raised by some real Jazz fathers and they had me straight. Sonny Stitt and Gene Ammons duos. Stitt was like Ali Ammons like Tyson I ain’t fighting either one of them.... Peace
You can hear how much stuff sonny is taking from Dexter HERE imo who was much stronger melodically and in his power and projection. Trane just really makes sonny look so basic here in his approach. He was so far ahead of the TIME just like bird BEFORE him and Jimi Hendrix on guitar. Sonny was something but after TRANE i saw no real reason to listen to sonny out side of saxophone collosus. He was on some next warp drive capability in jazz at the TIME.
Sure, Coltrane cut Sonny in this recording harmonically / technically but Sonny came at it from a lyrical / melodic perspective and did that really well, and he continued evolving as an improviser after this session. Sonny Rollins was one of the strongest melody playing, baddest mfers ever. Check out his record "Live at the Village Vanguard" and his recordings with Monk, etc.
Sonny and Trane were the best of friends and no body cut no body. Trane said in an interview they were both just messing around and created this classic. Sonny had it together way before Trane. I would not be so bold as to say who was the baddest. I think lightning might strike if i did. blasphemy. rock on.
Can't really agree with that assessment. Here's my 2 cents...Trane was a vertical player and Sonny was a horizontal player. I can't argue that Trane wasn't technically more accomplished on the tenor but that's only one aspect of performing this music. In my humble opinion it's the least important aspect. Is it melodic? Does it swing? Does it have any reference to the original melody(however abstracted that may get)? I saw Sonny in New York state about 10 years ago and it was incredible. The man sings with his horn. At any rate, I love Trane just as much as Sonny , just for different reasons
STOP......... ain’t nobody cut anybody. 2 different players 2 different stories. You sound like a collage kid. Liston to Trane if you can read music look at the solo. Then do the same with Sonny. 2 different ways of traveling. Trane was dancing and spinning, Sonny was stepping with conviction and direction. Both were the SHIT...... Long live this music and honor the people who took care of it. Trane was playin some fly shit but Sonny was layin the PiPE ! It’s all good....
