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Avg: 4.0 (21 ratings)
- Date Released: December 7, 1956
- Genre: Jazz
- Style: Bebop, Classic Jazz
- Label: Fantasy / Prestige
One of the most interesting and unusual albums from the saxophone colossus.
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We Say...
By December 1956, when Tour de Force was cut, Sonny Rollins had already made impressive albums with Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and under his own name, and was already emerging as one of the great jazz tenor saxophonists of all time. His big tone and aggressive style linked him to the Coleman Hawkins school, although his main influence was Charlie Parker. Though it caused little comment when it was released and has since largely been forgotten, Tour de Force ranks among Rollins' most interesting and unusual albums.
On the opening track "Ee-ah," a blues, Rollins uses a short recurring figure which resembles the braying of a mule; "Two Different Worlds" and "My Ideal" contain Billy Eckstine-like vocals by Earl Coleman and some pretty Rollins solos. On "Sonny Boy," Rollins, backed by pianist Kenny Drew, bassist George Morrow and drummer Max Roach, is near his best, turning in characteristically hard-driving work.
But the two most amazing tracks are "B. Quick," based on "Cherokee," and "B. Swift," based on "Lover." Here Rollins challenges himself to play as fast as he possibly can, and he does play amazingly fast — so fast that he doesn't swing much, despite his remarkable chops. Swinging requires an element of relaxation, and Rollins is clearly not into relaxing during these hell-bent-for-leather solos. But then Sonny Rollins didn't emphasize swing — he played a different kind of way. In fact, "B. Quick" and "B. Swift" resemble the kind of solos Albert Ayler would've played — if Ayler had played on changes. Whether listeners like these two tracks depends on their taste, but after all these years people should take another listen to these iconoclastic sides. -
They Say...
A better purchase than Sonny Boy (OJC 348) which has four of this set's six numbers plus "The House I Live In" from an earlier date. None of the Sonny Rollins' originals (which include "B. Swift," "B. Quick" and "Ee-Ah") on this release caught on. With pianist Kenny Drew, bassist George Morrow and drummer Max Roach completing the quartet, Rollins was in consistently creative form during this prime period but the overall set is not as classic as most of the tenor's other recordings from the 1950s.
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| 01. |  |
EE-AH |
6:56 |
|
| 02. | |
B. Quick |
9:13 |
|
| 03. | |
Two Different Worlds |
7:41 |
|
| 04. | |
B. Swift |
5:18 |
|
| 05. | |
My Ideal |
4:23 |
|
| 06. | |
Sonny Boy |
8:22 |
|
06 Total Tracks, 41:53 Total Length
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Credits
- Earl Coleman - Vocals // Earl Coleman - ? // Kenny Drew - Piano // Kenny Drew - Piano // Kenny Drew - ? // Kenny Drew - ? // Max Roach - Drums // Max Roach - Drums // Max Roach - Drums // Max Roach - ? // Max Roach - ? // Max Roach - ? // Sonny Rollins - Sax (Tenor) // Sonny Rollins - Sax (Tenor) // Sonny Rollins - Sax (Tenor) // Sonny Rollins - Main Performer // Sonny Rollins - Main Performer // Sonny Rollins - Main Performer // Ira Gitler - Liner Notes // George Morrow - Bass // George Morrow - ?
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