Sonny, Please (Bonus Track Version)

Sonny Rollins has been one of jazz’s preeminent tenor sax players for more than 50 years. Though he doesn’t record often these days (this is his first studio release in five years), he continues to tour regularly, and he sounds loose and unhurried here, at ease with this excellent ensemble which includes longtime collaborator Bob Cranshaw (bass), Clifton Anderson (trombone), Bobby Broom (guitar), Steve Jordan (drums), and Kimati Dinizulu (percussion). Comprised of four originals and three standards, Sonny, Please mostly simmers, though the energy does surge on the title track (especially the live bonus version) and the standout “Nishi,” both of which feature powerful, supple, and hard-swinging solos. There’s also a trio of warm ballads, a moving tribute to the late pianist Tommy Flanagan (“Remembering Tommy”), and the irresistible “Park Place Parade,” which incorporates the calypso stylings that Rollins has always favored and includes a flowing, funky solo by Anderson, and long, lyrical lines from Rollins that perfectly capture the Caribbean mood. Sonny, Please is a thoroughly captivating release from this timeless saxophone colossus.