Sonny Rollins
Reel Life
Milestone
www.concordmusicgroup.com
By George W. Harris

The thing about reissues is that they compete with an artists current
output. Many a veteran musician has lamented being compared to
recordings of 20 years past. Sonny Rollins is one of the few guys
around who actually sounds today better than most of his earlier
recordings. This 82 session with Bobby Broom/g, Bob Cranshaw/b (both
who are STILL touring with him), Yoshiaki Masuo/g, and Jack
DeJohnette/dr has So
nny’s tone sounding almost electrified-it doesn’t
have his usual breathiness. The boppisth “McGee,” obligatory calypso
“Rosita’s Best Friend” are the best of the uptempos, while Ellington’s
“My Little Brown Book” shows Rollins’ balladry at its finest. Not a
first choice to get, and his latest discs way overshadow this one. Like
an Old Testament prophet, Rollins gets more committed to his cause with
each year.