Sonny Rollins – St. Thomas

Sonny Rollins passed away not long ago, and I hate to admit it, but I only knew him for playing sax on Waiting On A Friend by the Stones. Christian always runs a jazz song on his Sunday Six posts, and I find myself getting excited to hear another jazz song to start my Sunday. This post took me a while to write. I went out of my comfort zone with this one, but it was worth it, and I would like to do more in the future.

Sonny Rollins spent years learning from some of the giants of the era. He was born in New York City in 1930; Rollins came of age during the rise of bebop. By the early 1950s, he had already recorded with legends such as Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and Charlie Parker. Rollins quickly developed a style of his own. His playing was powerful and melodic. He became known for taking simple melodies and turning them into something completely new through improvisation.

This one was recorded on June 22, 1956, during the sessions for the album Saxophone Colossus. Rollins was backed by pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Max Roach. The tune was based on a Caribbean folk melody that Rollins had heard from his mother’s family. His parents were from the Virgin Islands, and the song reflected those roots. The calypso rhythm immediately set it apart from many jazz recordings of the period.

What I’m hearing is Rollins using a melody as a launching point for a series of inventive solos. Max Roach drives the recording while Flanagan and Watkins provide a steady foundation. I’ve noticed in these recordings that the musicians leave plenty of space for one another, which gives tracks a loose and natural feel. It is one of those recordings that sounds new no matter how many times you hear it because it’s unpredictable in the best way.

This song introduced many listeners to Rollins and became his signature tune. More than seventy years later, it is still played by jazz musicians around the world. Like so many great recordings, it takes something simple and familiar and turns it into something you remember. I understand why Sonny Rollins is regarded as one of the true giants of jazz.

Unknown's avatar

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

35 thoughts on “Sonny Rollins – St. Thomas”

  1. Pingback: Sonny Rollins – St. Thomas – MobsterTiger

    1. I’m ashamed I didn’t know much about him. Of course it’s a benefit into this…now everything is new to me in his catalog. I’ve told people before…I wish I could undiscover other artists…just to find them all over again and listen to them for the first time.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  5. Pingback: The Song That the Morning Brings – A Unique Title For Me

  6. Thanks for covering him. Having the video is gratifying so we can watch Tommy Flanagan’s fingers dancing on the keys. The whole tune just flows and, despite all the variations, the melody never gets lost. I know that’s what bothers some people about jazz – that the melody may just be a stepping-off point and the listener may lose the flow. This tune stays danceable throughout..which is part of what makes hard bop – and Sonny Rollins in particular – more accessible than some jazz, without getting into the pop sound of some crossover/lounge artists. You might call Rollins a gateway for new jazz listeners. He doesn’t make you work too hard but rewards you if you do.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I’m so loving this. I told someone else in the comments…yea I’m late to the party but I have wished I could “undiscover” some artists and have the pleasure of listening to them for the first time again with fresh ears…thats what I get with Rollins now…the start and discovery.
      I’ve always respected jazz musicians always… but I never gave it a chance…now I’m rectifying that problem.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  7. Very good sax playing there. It’s maybe a little long & free-form to be something I’d listen to a lot but it’s quite good and the playing is excellent. I didn’t know he was the guy on ‘Waiting for a friend’…the sax really elevated that song

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. Ive been listening to Sonny everyday since he passed away. The live cut you posted is so good. To be able to play music like that is a gift and a gift to hear. One of the coolest human beings ever. Max what about that fretless bass? I think it was fretless. What a treat this was to hear this this morning

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Oh yes…those standup basses…I love them and yea…that is what an electric fretless basses tries to emulate…love that sound.
      I love the small little runs/riffs they do in these songs. They don’t jump out at you until you pay attention.

      Like

      Reply

  11. Thanks for the shoutout, Max. Immediately after I started featuring jazz tunes in my Sunday series in March 2021, I was drawn to saxophone-driven jazz. I’ve always loved the sound of that instrument. One of the first tunes I included was “My Reverie” by the Sonny Rollins Quartet, off 1956’s “Tenor Madness,” the album that preceded “Saxophone Colossus.” I’ve since featured Rollins multiple times.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. You’re welcome. The way you describe the format is the format that most good jazz groups use. Someone sets the melody and then everybody gets a solo and then they pull it together at the end. (from my view anyway.)

        Liked by 1 person

  13. Yeah, he really was great. I have an album with him and Coleman Hawkins that I got in a bundle of records from a garage sale. One of my best finds. Waiting on a Friend was the first I’d heard of him too until that garage sale. Then I was like…no wonder that sax solo stands out like it does.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    2. Pam, not that Im a Sonny expert but Coleman was his the guy he really liked .You can hear it in Rollin’s sound. Lots of power. Obviously he loved all those older guys before him like Lester and Ben also. I see comments like this and I cant keep my mouth shut. How many people can you sit down and talk about Rollins with. Thanks to Max for shedding light on an American treasure.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. I’m not a Sonny Rollins expert either, CB. Far from it. Not a Coleman Hawkins expert either, though I’m more familiar with him. I know the album Sonny Meets Hawk, cause I picked it up at a garage sale. It’s fantastic.
        I love Jazz…especially the Coleman Hawkins era. Art Tatum. Lester Young. Billie Holiday, Chick Webb. Ella Fitzgerald. So many greats.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. I listen to more jazz than any other kind of music ‘Rollins playing ‘God Bless The Child’ on my box right now. The best. All those people you named Im very familiar with. Billie being one of my favorite vocalists in all genres. If you scroll down on Max’s takes you will find her doing ‘Fine And Mellow with Hawkins, Young,Webster and a bunch of other great players. All I can say is It is the best!

        Liked by 2 people

      3. That’s cool. I didn’t know Max was into jazz. I’m glad that he is.
        When people tell me they don’t like jazz, I don’t believe them. There are so many different styles that there has to be something you like.
        Another favorite of mine, from the same era as Sonny Rollins, is Chet Baker. Chet Baker Sings is in my top 10 favorite albums. In fact, I like Baker more than I like Miles Davis and Wynton Marsalis.

        Like

      4. Funny you mention Baker. Max and I were discussing Charlie Watts getting Sonny to do ‘Waiting On a Friend’. Elvis Costello did the same thing with Baker on his ‘Shipbuilding’ song which you probably know.

        Liked by 2 people

Leave a comment