''Sonny Rollins with the Modern Jazz Quartet'' (also released as ''Sonny & the Stars'') is a 1956 compilation album by

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

saxophonist Sonny Rollins, featuring his earliest recordings for the

Prestige Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.) Prestige may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnet ...

label under his leadership, including four tracks performed by Rollins with the Modern Jazz Quartet (

John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...

, Milt Jackson,

Percy Heath Percy Heath (April 30, 1923 – April 28, 2005) was an American jazz bassist, brother of saxophonist Jimmy Heath and drummer Albert Heath, with whom he formed the Heath Brothers in 1975. Heath played with the Modern Jazz Quartet throughout ...

, and

Kenny Clarke Kenneth Clarke Spearman (January 9, 1914January 26, 1985), nicknamed Klook, was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. A major innovator of the bebop style of drumming, he pioneered the use of the ride cymbal to keep time rather than the hi-ha ...

), eight tracks where Kenny Drew and Art Blakey replace Lewis, Jackson, and Clarke, and one track with

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

on piano. The first four tracks, featuring the members of the Modern Jazz Quartet, had been previously released as the 7" 45rpm EP ''Sonny Rollins With Modern Jazz Quartet'' (PREP 1337). Tracks 5–11 and 13 were featured on the Prestige 10 inch LP ''Sonny Rollins Quartet'' (1952)(PRLP 137), which is reissued in its entirety here. Track 12 was released on the 10" compilation ''Mambo Jazz'' (PRLP 135). "I Know", featuring Miles Davis on piano, was recorded at the same session as four other tracks under Davis's name, using the same musicians, including the young Rollins. This was Davis's first recording session for Prestige Records and his first with Rollins. Producer Bob Weinstock tried to dissuade Davis from using Rollins, feeling he was not ready, but Davis persuaded Weinstock to let Rollins record a cut under his own name. The Davis tracks recorded that date were issued on the 10" LP '' Modern Jazz Trumpets'' and appeared on the album '' Miles Davis and Horns''.

Reception

The

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

review by Lindsay Planer describes the album as a "fresh and vibrant baker's dozen of selections... a vital component in any jazz enthusiast's collection." Author and musician Peter Niklas Wilson called it "patchwork, but an interesting one."

Track listing

:''All compositions by Sonny Rollins except where indicated'' # "The Stopper" – 2:59 # " Almost Like Being in Love" ( Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe) – 3:26 # "No Moe" – 3:32 # " In a Sentimental Mood" ( Duke Ellington, Manny Kurtz, Irving Mills) – 3:20 # "Scoops" – 2:16 # " With a Song in My Heart" ( Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) – 3:08 # "Newk's Fadeaway" – 3:15 # " Time on My Hands" (

Harold Adamson Harold Campbell Adamson (December 10, 1906 – August 17, 1980) was an American lyricist during the 1930s and 1940s. Early life Adamson, the son of building contractor Harold Adamson and Marion "Minnie" Campbell Adamson, was born and raised in ...

Mack Gordon Mack Gordon (born Morris Gittler; June 21, 1904 – February 28, 1959) was an American composer and lyricist for the stage and film. He was nominated for the best original song Oscar nine times in 11 years, including five consecutive years betwee ...

Vincent Youmans Vincent Millie Youmans (September 27, 1898 – April 5, 1946) was an American Broadway composer and producer. A leading Broadway composer of his day, Youmans collaborated with virtually all the greatest lyricists on Broadway: Ira Gershwin, ...

) – 2:42 # " This Love of Mine" (Sol Parker, Henry W. Sanicola, Jr., Frank Sinatra) – 2:26 # " Shadrack" ( Robert MacGimsey) – 2:35 # " On a Slow Boat to China" (

Frank Loesser Frank Henry Loesser (; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals ''Guys and Dolls'' and ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', among others. He won a Tony ...

) – 2:41 # "Mambo Bounce" – 2:25 # "I Know" (

) – 2:32

Personnel

Tracks 1-4 * Sonny Rollins –

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while ...

– piano * Milt Jackson – vibes *

– bass *

– drums Tracks 5-12 *Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone * Kenny Drew – piano *Percy Heath – bass * Art Blakey – drums Track 13 *Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone *

– piano *Percy Heath – bass *

Roy Haynes Roy Owen Haynes (born March 13, 1925) is an American jazz drummer. He is among the most recorded drummers in jazz. In a career lasting over 80 years, he has played swing, bebop, jazz fusion, avant-garde jazz and is considered a pioneer of jaz ...

– drums

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sonny Rollins With The Modern Jazz Quartet 1956 albums Prestige Records albums Sonny Rollins albums Modern Jazz Quartet albums Albums produced by Bob Weinstock