Sonny Rollins Tenor Madness (Vinyl LP) * * *

Sonny Rollins Tenor Madness on LP

By the time Tenor Madness was released in 1956 Sonny Rollins already had such albums under his name as Worktime and Sonny Rollins Plus 4 in addition to his sideman exploits with the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet. Tenor Madness, on which he is joined by the rhythm section from the Miles Davis Quintet, further substantiated and underlined his rapidly rising stature. The material is an effective mixture of Rollins' playing attitudes with an intriguing original, "Paul's Pal," and the mining of unusual fare such as "My Reverie" and "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World." And, of course, there is the celebrated title track featuring the two biggest titans to emerge in the '50s, Rollins and his guest, visiting in the studio that day, John Coltrane. 

1. Tenor Madness    

2. When Your Lover Has Gone    

3. Paul's Pal    

4. My Reverie    

5. The Most Beautiful Girl In The World