Ever since
Sonny Rollins signed with Milestone in the mid-1970s, critics who prefer his earlier work have complained that
Rollins' sidemen are not worthy of him. For this superb effort, detractors have nothing to complain about, for the immortal tenor is joined by either
Tommy Flanagan or
Stephen Scott on piano, his longtime electric bassist
Bob Cranshaw and either
Al Foster or
Jack DeJohnette on drums.
Rollins is in wonderful form, stretching out on two basic originals and five standards including "What a Difference a Day Made," "Cabin In the Sky" and "I've Never Been In Love Before." Building his rhythmic improvisations off of the songs' strong melodies (returning to the themes often),
Rollins sounds quite exuberant. This studio set captures the excitement of a
Sonny Rollins concert and is highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow