Sonny Rollins - 'Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings'

 

'Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings' was released, by Resonance Records (in cooperation with Sonny Rollins) for Record Store Day, April 2024, as a 3-CD or 4-LP set.

This is the first official release of Sonny's European Saxophone Colossus tour in 1959 with bassist Henry Grimes, and (depending on venue) drummers Pete La Roca, Kenny Clarke and Joe Harris.  Previously, these recordings were only available as bootlegs, with varying audio quality.

What makes the new Freedom Weaver album, and its 26 tracks, so interesting is that they were the last recordings by Sonny before his famed Williamsburg Bridge sabbatical, which lasted from spring 1959 to late 1961.

So by definition, this music that frustrated Sonny and motivated him to create a new approach to his playing.  And by frustrated, I mean tired of the same approach and not satisfying or ground-breaking, which is what he sought to do with his extended break.

Performance wise, make no mistake, Sonny's playing is fluid, agile, and warm, and the risks he undertakes are truly remarkable.

Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone
Henry Grimes – bass
Pete La Roca, Joe Harris (*), Kenny Clarke (**) – drums

Tracks, location, and dates:
LP 1
A1. St. Thomas (Nalen Stockholm, March 2, 1959)
A2. There Will Never Be Another You (Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959)
A3. Stay As Sweet As You Are (Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959)
A4. I’ve Told Ev’ry Little Star (Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959)
B1. How High the Moon (Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959)
B2. Oleo (Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959)
B3. Paul's Pal (Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959)

LP 2
C1. Sonny Rollins Interview (Sodra Teatern, Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959)
C2. It Don’t Mean a Thing (*) (Sodra Teatern, Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959)
C3. Paul’s Pal #2 (*) (Sodra Teatern, Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959)
C4. Love Letters (*)(Sodra Teatern, Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959)
D1. I Remember You (Zürich, Switzerland, March 5, 1959)
D2. I’ve Told Ev’ry Little Star #2 (Zürich, Switzerland, March 5, 1959)
D3. It Could Happen To You (Zürich, Switzerland, March 5, 1959)
D4. Oleo #2 (Zürich, Switzerland, March 5, 1959)
D5. Will You Still Be Mine? (Zürich, Switzerland, March 5, 1959)
D6. I’ve Told Ev’ry Little Star #3 (Laren, Holland, March 7, 1959)

LP 3
E1. I Want to Be Happy (Laren, Holland, March 7, 1959)
E2. A Weaver of Dreams (Laren, Holland, March 7, 1959)
E3. It Don’t Mean a Thing #2 (Frankfurt, Germany, March 9, 1959)
E4. Cocktails For Two (Frankfurt, Germany, March 9, 1959)
E5. I’ve Told Ev’ry Little Star #4 (Frankfurt, Germany, March 9, 1959)
E6. I Want to Be Happy #2 (Frankfurt, Germany, March 9, 1959)
F1. Woody ‘n’ You (**) (Aix-en-Provence, France, March 11, 1959)

LP 4
G1. But Not for Me (**)(Aix-en-Provence, France, March 11, 1959)
H1. Lady Bird (**) (Aix-en-Provence, France, March 11, 1959)

The freeload is a sweet sounding 24-bit vinyl rip.

For the freeload, who are some of your favorite drummers?