Description
Sonny Rollins – Volume Two – Compact Disc
Recorded at on April 14, 1957 at Van Gelder Studios, Hackensack, New Jersey.
Sonny Rollins – Volume Two, released in 1957 on Blue Note Records, is a landmark hard bop album that showcases the saxophone titan in one of his most creative, adventurous, and collaborative settings. As the follow-up to his acclaimed Volume One, this session finds Rollins surrounded by an all-star lineup that includes Thelonious Monk (piano), Horace Silver (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Art Blakey (drums)—a veritable dream team of modern jazz. The interplay between these giants results in a fascinating collision of styles, with Rollins’ muscular, witty tenor lines weaving through Monk’s angular chords and Blakey’s propulsive drumming.
What makes Volume Two stand out is not just the level of musicianship, but the restless energy and sharp contrasts between tracks. The album opens with “Why Don’t I?”, a brisk, swinging original that sets the tone for Rollins’ confident and exploratory phrasing. The centerpiece is arguably “Misterioso,” Thelonious Monk’s own composition, where Monk himself joins the band, engaging in a spiky, playful dialogue with Rollins. Their chemistry is undeniable—Monk’s abstract comping and melodic quirks push Rollins into unusual and thrilling improvisational territory.
The track “Reflections” offers a moment of introspective lyricism, showing Rollins’ tender ballad playing at its finest, while “You Stepped Out of a Dream” and “Poor Butterfly” display his command of standards, turning familiar melodies into fresh explorations with subtle rhythmic and harmonic twists.
With Horace Silver also contributing on piano (he and Monk alternate across tracks), there’s a dynamic range of stylistic contrast—Silver’s bluesy, soulful touch balancing Monk’s cerebral dissonance. Meanwhile, Paul Chambers and Art Blakey keep the rhythm section locked and energetic, pushing the session forward with urgency and groove.
Volume Two is not only a showcase of Sonny Rollins at a creative peak, but also a snapshot of 1950s jazz innovation, where the boundaries between bebop, hard bop, and modern jazz were being constantly pushed. The album’s sound is crisp and immediate, thanks to the legendary Rudy Van Gelder, whose engineering for Blue Note gave the session a warm, intimate clarity that has aged beautifully.
Sonny Rollins Volume Two is an essential listen—bold, elegant, and full of life. It captures the spirit of post-bop New York, the chemistry of some of jazz’s finest minds, and the genius of Rollins as both an improviser and bandleader. For anyone building a jazz library, this is not just a recommended record—it’s foundational.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Why Don’t I
Wail March
Misterioso
Reflections
You Stepped Out Of A Dream
Poor Butterfly
