The sound of the Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet on their studio recordings for EmArcy starting in 1954 was unmistakable. Trumpeter Brown's pointed and lyrical blowing combined with Roach's restless drums and the deliberate sound of Harold Land's tenor saxophone poured the foundation for a new daring and elegant form of hard bop.
By 1956, tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins had replaced Land. He did so after turning down Miles Davis's offer to join his quintet (John Coltrane would take the job). Sonny was signed to Prestige Records and owed the label an album, so Brown, Roach, pianist (and Bud Powell's brother) Richie Powell and bassist George Morrow agreed to record on Sonny's session. The result was the gorgeous and majestic Sonny Rollins Plus 4.
Recorded on March 22, 1956, the album's songs were Sonny's Valse Hot, Sam Coslow's Kiss and Run, the standard I Feel a Song Coming On, Irving Berlin's Count Your Blessings and Sonny's Pent-Up House. Sonny didn't like the title, since it minimized Brown and Roach.
In June, the quintet was booked into Chicago's Blue Note. As Aidan Levy wrote in his biography Saxophone Colossus: The Life and Music of Sonny Rollins, the five men usually traveled together but split up. Max, George and Sonny drove from New York to Chicago, stopping only for gas. In advance of the gig, Brown and Powell decided to spend time with family and friends.
After leaving Philadelphia for Chicago the night of June 26, Brown, Powell and Powell's wife, Nancy shared the driving and wound up on Pennsylvania Turnpike in the rain. Nancy lost control of the car while the two musicians were sleeping and crashed. All three were killed instantly.
Sonny Rollins Plus 4 would be the quintet's last and prettiest studio recording.
Here's the full album without ad interruptions...
By 1956, tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins had replaced Land. He did so after turning down Miles Davis's offer to join his quintet (John Coltrane would take the job). Sonny was signed to Prestige Records and owed the label an album, so Brown, Roach, pianist (and Bud Powell's brother) Richie Powell and bassist George Morrow agreed to record on Sonny's session. The result was the gorgeous and majestic Sonny Rollins Plus 4.
Recorded on March 22, 1956, the album's songs were Sonny's Valse Hot, Sam Coslow's Kiss and Run, the standard I Feel a Song Coming On, Irving Berlin's Count Your Blessings and Sonny's Pent-Up House. Sonny didn't like the title, since it minimized Brown and Roach.
In June, the quintet was booked into Chicago's Blue Note. As Aidan Levy wrote in his biography Saxophone Colossus: The Life and Music of Sonny Rollins, the five men usually traveled together but split up. Max, George and Sonny drove from New York to Chicago, stopping only for gas. In advance of the gig, Brown and Powell decided to spend time with family and friends.
After leaving Philadelphia for Chicago the night of June 26, Brown, Powell and Powell's wife, Nancy shared the driving and wound up on Pennsylvania Turnpike in the rain. Nancy lost control of the car while the two musicians were sleeping and crashed. All three were killed instantly.
Sonny Rollins Plus 4 would be the quintet's last and prettiest studio recording.
Here's the full album without ad interruptions...
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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