Sonny Rollins - Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings (2024) (Hi-Res)

Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings is the first official release of the 'Saxophone Colossus' Sonny Rollins’ European tour in 1959 with bassist Henry Grimes, and drummers Pete La Roca, Kenny Clarke and Joe Harris. Available previously only as a bootleg release, this is the first official release in cooperation with Sonny Rollins and released as a 3-CD set. Freedom Weaver includes an elaborate booklet with rare photos by Ed van der Elsken, Jean-Pierre Leloir, Bob Parent and many others; lead liners by jazz scholar Bob Blumenthal, and new interviews with Rollins himself, Branford Marsalis, James Carter, Joe Lovano, James Brandon Lewis and Peter Brötzmann. Mastered by the legendary mastering engineer Bernie Grundman.

On Record Store Day in April 2024, Sonny Rollins fans were faced with an abundance of riches. Two archival offerings appeared: Blue Note's A Night at the Village Vanguard: The Complete Masters (in the Tone Poet series), and George Klabin's and Zev Feldman's Resonance Records issue of Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Recordings. Rollins' performances on November 3, 1957 at the famed club marked his first live album, as well as the first ever recorded at the New York City club.
The Freedom Weaver recordings are assembled officially for the first time, while some have previously appeared on bootlegs. Freedom Weaver has been painstakingly remastered from source tapes (and now sounds like excellent mono), and Rollins, protective of his legacy, personally approved the release of these final shows before his retreat between late 1959-61, when he practiced on the Williamsburg Bridge. These discs capture Rollins' trio concerts, radio and TV appearances in Sweden, Switzerland, Holland, Germany, and France, in March 1959. Throughout, the saxophonist is supported beautifully by bassist Henry Grimes, and an alternating cast of drummers including Pete La Roca, Joe Harris, and bebop legend, Kenny "Klook" Clarke. As expected from Resonance, the three discs contain five hours of music packed inside a handsome booklet adorned with rare photos, an excellent liner essay by Bob Blumenthal, and new interviews with Rollins, Branford Marsalis, James Carter, Joe Lovano, James Brandon Lewis, and Peter Brötzmann. La Roca is the drummer on most of the first two discs. His hard swing, trademark phrasing, innovative use of toms toms and bass drum syncopation pushed the saxophonist hard on 1957's A Night at the Vanguard, and continues to do so here. Check his fiery accents on disc one's "Oleo," then contrast with the more his more relaxed approach on disc two, where it's boiled down to a three minute sprint. The interplay between saxophonist and bassist is simply canny throughout. About halfway into an eleven-minute version of disc one's "How High The Moon," Grimes and Rollins seemingly make their instruments sing together. Of the three performances that feature Harris, it's his pacing, accents, and fills on "Paul's Pal #2," that are most remarkable: While relaxed, they're inventive, making much room for Grimes.
The final disc is made up of three uncharacteristically long jamming performances with Clarke. the drummer's Afro-Latin groove introduces "Woody 'N' You," and sets up a melodic vamp by Grimes. Rollins responds playing around the melody before digging into it and establishing assonant trio interplay. Constrast it with Clarke's senstive support on "But Not For Me." Rollins again edges around the melody in the lower register before traveling to the middle in the chorus, extending lines and phrases. Grimes is anticipatory. He knows when to comp and when to push. Even his walking lines sound purposeful and intent as the tune evolves and he enters and authoitative, fingerpopping dialogue with Clarke, who manages to stay in swing no matter where Rollins takes the harmony. For Rollins fans, Freedom Weaver is simply indispensible.

Tracklist
CD1
1. St. Thomas (Live in Nalen, Stockholm, March 2, 1959) (7:32)
2. There Will Never Be Another You (Live in Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) (5:53)
3. Stay as Sweet as You Are (Live in Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) (4:42)
4. I've Told Ev'ry Little Star (Live in Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) (4:51)
5. How High the Moon (Live in Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) (10:45)
6. Oleo (Live in Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) (6:00)
7. Paul's Pal (Live in Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) (9:29)
8. Sonny Rollins Interview (Live at the Sodra Teatren, Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) (1:56)
9. It Don't Mean a Thing (Live at the Sodra Teatren, Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) (4:55)
10. Paul's Pal #2 (Live at the Sodra Teatren, Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) (6:59)
11. Love Letters (Live at the Sodra Teatren, Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) (5:35)

CD2
1. I Remember You (Live in Zürich, Switzerland, March 5, 1959) (6:49)
2. I've Told Ev'ry Little Star (Live in Zürich, Switzerland, March 5, 1959) (6:32)
3. It Could Happen to You (Live in Zürich, Switzerland, March 5, 1959) (3:26)
4. Oleo #2 (Live in Zürich, Switzerland, March 5, 1959) (3:14)
5. Will You Still Be Mine? (Live in Zürich, Switzerland, March 5, 1959) (4:16)
6. I've Told Ev'ry Little Star #3 (Live in Laren, Holland, March 7, 1959) (4:26)
7. I Want to Be Happy (Live in Laren, Holland, March 7, 1959) (4:08)
8. A Weaver of Dreams (Live in Laren, Holland, March 7, 1959) (4:07)
9. It Don't Mean a Thing #2 (Live in Frankfurt, Germany, March 9, 1959) (4:32)
10. Cocktails for Two (Live in Frankfurt, Germany, March 9, 1959) (4:58)
11. I've Told Ev'ry Little Star #4 (Live in Frankfurt, Germany, March 9, 1959) (5:56)
12. I Want to Be Happy #2 (Live in Frankfurt, Germany, March 9, 1959) (5:17)

CD3
1. Woody 'N' You (Live in Aix-en-Provence, France, March 11, 1959) (15:55)
2. But Not for Me (Live in Aix-en-Provence, France, March 11, 1959) (17:39)
3. Lady Bird (Live in Aix-en-Provence, France, March 11, 1959) (18:49)