Sonny Rollins - The Bridge

Widely acknowledged as the most significant and accomplished tenor saxophonist in the world, Sonny Rollins's recording legacy is nothing short of extraordinary. Beginning as a sideman in the late-'40s, he worked with Charlie Parker, Fats Navarro, Bud Powell, Max Roach, Clifford Brown, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, and Miles Davis. Since recording his first date as a leader in 1954, Rollins has recorded dozens of albums for numerous labels, eventually settling in for a long stay on Milestone. The Bridge, recorded in 1962 for RCA Records, is one of Rollins's most dramatic recordings: it marks a return from three years of self-imposed retirement and its title track is a nod to the stories that Rollins had spent much of that time practicing by himself on the Williamsburg Bridge. The lineup for The Bridge is unusual for the time, a quartet featuring guitar (Jim Hall) instead of piano. The rest of the band serves simply to frame Rollins, whose time off only improved his already awesome abilities. Along with the title track, the album's standouts include "Without a Song" and "God Bless the Child." --Fred Goodman Amazon.com

Sax Heaven

I first travelled over this "bridge" by LP in the late 1960s. Now on cd, the journey is just as impressive. September 14, 2007

One of the greatest recordings in the history of jazz or all recorded music

This is one of the greatest recordings ever made. I say this catagorically, without hesitating. Like "Saxophone Colussus", Sonny's other monster LP, this record changed my life. And it ranks as a milestone in the history of recorded music. Why? There are three reasons. First it is perfectly recorded. Second Jim Hall and Sonny was a pairing made in music heaven. And lastly every note sparkles like a diamond crystal of sound.
Jazz masterpieces on record are rare. There are only a handful of absolutely perfect recordings in the entire history of the music. Why? Few of the great jazz artists to date really understand the process of making great recordings or were given the resources to realize their vision. Jazz is primarily a live music period. The greatest performances happen in clubs and mostly after midnight. And the greatest recordings are usually collaborations with fabulous engineers and producers. In other words, all the stars have to line up. This is not only rare, but ofter happens once in a musicians life time. For Sonny, this took place twice in his life so far, in my opinion. The first masterpiece was Saxophone Colossus. This record is raw and powerful. The Bridge was the second masterpiece. This is the work of a mature man. It is a new type of lyricism that is utterly modern yet full of the heartfelt romanticism that marks Sonny's genius. You can never hear this album enough, because it is a musical treasure that is beyond the hightest plane of creation. For Sonny, this would be a peak that he would match many times in live performances, but never again in a recording studio. This is not only perfection, it is utter genius. Sonny, you created a piece of recorded music that will live forever. And all of us who love your music will never forget this unbelievable moment in recorded time, when the gods spoke through you and you recorded your most perfect creation for all of us to hear. May 13, 2007

This is essential Rollins!

My first encounter with Sonny was on his most famous record: Saxophone colossus. I have collected a few more albums by Rollins since my first encounter, and I have to tell you, The Bridge is among the best Sonny's ever done. Sonny is my favorite Jazz musician of all time, and this record falls nothing short of my high standard.

The Cd begins with "Without a Song". This tune is a Rollins/Hall masterpeice. Hall's solo on this track is very tasteful and melodic. But make no mistake, Rollins is the main force on this album. His solo is as fierce as it is tender. The 3 ballads on this Cd show Sonny's gentle touch. I would like to highlight "God Bless This Child" His horn playing sings like Billie Holiday. But the highlight are the two Rollins origionals. I first heard "John S." on Ken Burns' Jazz videos (#9) and it is a masterpiece. If you pay attention to Hall's comping, you'll understand that Rollins' solo is spontaneous to that moment. "The Bridge"... What to say. Rollins' focefull playing is astonishing. I was also surprised that him, and Hall both play in 6/8! How many jazz players can do that? Ben Riley's drum solos on the two origionals make him one of the best drummers of all time. Believe me. His lines and licks are so sophisticated and rudimental.

The are two Rollins Cd's you must own. This is one of them... Please buy it, you will not be disappointed.

Personnel: Sonny-Tenor sax, Jim Hall-Guitar, Ben Riley-Drums, Bob Cranshaw-Bass. April 13, 2007

One of Sonny's best

The Bridge is one of two essential recordings by Sonny Rollins (the other being Way Out West). What makes it go is a combination of:
1- The great chemistry with Jim Hall, who completely changes the sound of Sonny's group and gives him the perfect foil;
2- The quality of improvisation. You can almost hear the gears grinding when Sonny is telling his stories - he doesn't just play licks, he's making it up on the spot;
3- Sonny hadn't gotten too "weird" yet. Although he demonstrates that he is perfectly capable of foolishness ("If Ever I Would Leave You" for example), he is still playing musically and melodically. The contrast between The Bridge and Sonny Meets Hawk, for example tells us that Sonny hadn't yet taken leave of his senses.

In a way, the outstanding caliber of play here is a perfect example of what happens when a jazz musician decides that he has to re-invent himself. Sonny could have continued to play very creative, thought-provoking and yet melodic jazz, but chose to go a different direction after The Bridge. In a sense, this album is the most mature Sonny Rollins music that we will ever have. Absolutely a must have. March 1, 2007

Like Sonny

I have to disagree with the feature review that the rest of the band serves to support Sonny. The mix in the remaster proves that guitarist Jim Hall is almost as much of a feature in this wonderul recording as Rollins himself. Hall is heard in the left channel and Rollins in the right channel throughout the recording. Hall, a master of harmony and melody and a darn good guitar player to boot (he's the grandmaster of jazz guitar these days) is the perfect partner for Sonny's melodic improvisations. This is a wonderful session, you walk away with a warm, content kind of feeling from this music. It is literally relaxing without the production being too "CTI" slick. Older jazz listeners will know what I mean by that. Perfect when you want to play something that is different but isn't "out there". One of the few "perfect" recordings I own. February 21, 2007

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