Prestige Records Remasters Sonny Rollins - Plus 4 & John Coltrane with the Red Garland Trio - Traneing In

The stars of Rollins and Coltrane were on the rise during the late '50s and early '60s but it wasn't until recently that jazz musicians and fans have truly realized the impact that these two men had on contemporary jazz. Plus 4 featuring Rollins and Traneing In by Coltrane are two of the finest examples of art in motion, or at least the sound of motion.

First, a glance at Plus 4. This CD features Rollins on tenor sax along with Clifford Brown on trumpet (except track #4), Richie Powell on piano, George Morrow on bass, and Max Roach on drums. It contains five tracks with 32 minutes of swinging jazz, from "Valse Hot" right through to "Pent-Up House."

Not since Monk had interpreted "Carolina Moon" could anyone else successfully grasp the idea of a jazz-waltz, yet Rollins does it with "Valse Hot." He makes a waltz feel like you're dancing through the clouds, climbing and reaching with every note. Rollins likes to take notes and stretch them for all they are worth then puts them back all hot and wet. This sweet eight-minute jewel is followed by Sam Coslow's "Kiss and Run." The liner notes say that Rollins does more running than kissing in his version, and you can tell that to be a fact as soon as the song starts. Once again his tenor sax is jetting up and down the scales, pulling and pushing on every note in his path. That's Rollins; like our never-ending universe, he is always expanding and stretching forward.

"I Feel A Song Coming On" is another freight train rolling down the tracks at break-neck speed. Rollins and Brown square off for a duel of reed vs. brass as the drums, piano, and bass scurry around to get the best seat in the house to watch the brawl. This song's energy and drum solos by Roach make it my favorite off the album.

Like a super-nova, Plus 4 gets the feet tapping and the heart jumping. Even "Count Your Blessing Instead Of Sheep," which has a slower tempo than all the others, still gives Rollins the opportunity to push the architecture of how to utilize a tenor sax in a traditional jazz band. To me, I feel that Sonny Rollins is the spirit and the heart of the tenor sax. The tenor sax has a mind and a soul too; it goes by the name of John Coltrane.