Review: Sonny Rollins – Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings – 2024

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 Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Recordings. Rollins’ performance on November 3, 1957, was the first-ever gig recorded at the New York City club, and Rollins’ first-ever live gig.

The Freedom Weaver recordings are assembled officially for the first time, although 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 and 1961, when he practiced on the Williamsburg Bridge. These discs capture Rollins’ trio concerts, and 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, and 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 that with 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 11-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 a lot of 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. Contrast 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 authoritative, fingerpopping dialogue with Clarke, who manages to stay in swing no matter where Rollins takes the harmony. For Rollins fans, Freedom Weaver is simply indispensable.

CD 1
1. St. Thomas (Live in Nalen, Stockholm, March 2, 1959) 07:32
2. There Will Never Be Another You (Live in Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) 05:53
3. Stay as Sweet as You Are (Live in Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) 04:41
4. I’ve Told Ev’ry Little Star (Live in Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) 04:50
5. How High the Moon (Live in Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) 10:45
6. Oleo (Live in Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) 05:59
7. Paul’s Pal (Live in Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) 09:28
8. Sonny Rollins Interview (Live at the Sodra Teatren, Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) 01:55
9. It Don’t Mean a Thing (Live at the Sodra Teatren, Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) 04:54
10. Paul’s Pal #2 (Live at the Sodra Teatren, Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) 06:59
11. Love Letters (Live at the Sodra Teatren, Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1959) 05:35

CD 2
1. I Remember You (Live in Zürich, Switzerland, March 5, 1959) 06:48
2. I’ve Told Ev’ry Little Star (Live in Zürich, Switzerland, March 5, 1959) 06:32
3. It Could Happen to You (Live in Zürich, Switzerland, March 5, 1959) 03:25
4. Oleo #2 (Live in Zürich, Switzerland, March 5, 1959) 03:13
5. Will You Still Be Mine? (Live in Zürich, Switzerland, March 5, 1959) 04:16
6. I’ve Told Ev’ry Little Star #3 (Live in Laren, Holland, March 7, 1959) 04:25
7. I Want to Be Happy (Live in Laren, Holland, March 7, 1959) 04:07
8. A Weaver of Dreams (Live in Laren, Holland, March 7, 1959) 04:07
9. It Don’t Mean a Thing #2 (Live in Frankfurt, Germany, March 9, 1959) 04:31
10. Cocktails for Two (Live in Frankfurt, Germany, March 9, 1959) 04:58
11. I’ve Told Ev’ry Little Star #4 (Live in Frankfurt, Germany, March 9, 1959) 05:55
12. I Want to Be Happy #2 (Live in Frankfurt, Germany, March 9, 1959) 05:16

CD 3
1. Woody ‘N’ You (Live in Aix-en-Provence, France, March 11, 1959) 15:54
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

Tenor Sax – Sonny Rollins
Bass – Henry Grimes
Drums – Pete La Roca (1-1 to 1-7, 2-1 to 2-12)
Drums – Joe Harris (1-9 to 1-11),
Drums – Kenny Clarke (3-1 to 3-3)