Sonny Rollins Milestone Jazzstars In Concert CD

Recorded during the Milestone Jazzstars Fall 1978 American tour. Includes liner notes by Orrin Keepnews.

This is a jazz fanatic's dream come true--a supergroup consisting of Sonny Rollins, McCoy Tyner and Ron Carter (with Al Foster on drums). This disc, culled from the best performances of the Jazzstars 1978 American Tour, features almost 75 minutes of superior, cutting-edge improvisatory jazz. One of the most appealing things about this release is its variety. It moves from the full-steam quartet ("The Cutting Edge," "Nubia" and "N.O. Blues") to duets (Tyner and Carter on "Alone Together;" Rollins and Tyner on "In A Sentimental Mood") and solo spots (Rollins imaginative inventions in "Continuum" and Tyner's gorgeous keyboard work on "A Little Pianissimo").

Tyner's years with Coltrane serve him in excellent stead as he becomes the glue which holds this loosely-knit yet perfectly calibrated group together. His combination of free-flowing ideas and beautiful skeleton structures are matched by the sinuous bass lines of Carter. Rollins, coming off of several decades playing beside the greats and heading his own ensembles, is in fine form too, casting about between furious, speedy soloing, traditional tone-rich melody lines and avant-skronk. The result is an ensemble whose sound is completely modern and, at the same time, informed by the canon of jazz.

/McCoy Tyner/Ron Carter.

2 LPs on 1 CD.

Personnel: Sonny Rollins (soprano & tenor saxophones); McCoy Tyner (piano); Ron Carter (bass); Al Foster (drums).

Personnel: Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone).

Recording information: masonic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA (09/1978-10/1978); Union Theater, University Of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (09/1978-10/1978); Woolsey Hall, Yale Univ (09/1978-10/1978).