More of the Music of Sonny Rollins

Yet Another Record We’ve Discovered with (Potentially) Excellent Sound

The complete Tenor Madness album is found here, with big, full-bodied, MONO jazz sound at its BEST, courtesy of the great one, Rudy Van Gelder

This is what classic ’50s jazz is supposed to sound like – they knew how to do these kinds of records forty years ago, and those mastering skills are in short supply nowadays, if not downright extinct

The transfers from 1978 by David Turner are in tune with the sound of these recordings – there’s not a trace of phony EQ on this entire record

This Two-Fer includes all of Tenor Madness and most of Work Time and Tour De Force.

Top jazz players such as Ray Bryant, John Coltrane, Red Garland, Kenny Drew, Max Roach and Paul Chambers can be heard on the album.

If you want all the tubey magic of the earlier pressings, a top quality pressing of the real Tenor Madness album on Prestige is going to give you more of that sound.

David Turner’s mastering setup in the ’70s has a healthy dose of Tubey Magic, but it can’t compete in that area with the All Tube cutting chains that were making records in the ’50s and ’60s.  Without one of those early pressings around to compare, we don’t think you’re going to feel you are missing out on anything in the sound with best copies.

And where can you find an early Prestige pressing with audiophile playing surfaces like these?  
Album Background

Side 1 and Side 2, #1 originally included on Work Time (Prestige 7020); Side 2, #2-4 and Side 3, #1 and 2 originally issued as Tenor Madness (P-7047); “Sonny Boy” included on Sonny Boy (P-7207); and the balance of Sides 3 and 4 on Tour de Force (P-7126). “Tenor Madness” and “When Your Lover Has Gone” were reissued as part of the “twofer” Sonny Rollins (P-24004) but are also included here so that the important Tenor Madness session can be presented in its entirety.

TRACK LISTING

Side One

A1 There’s No Business Like Show Business Written-By – Irving Berlin 6:18
A2 Raincheck Written-By – Billy Strayhorn 5:59
A3 There Are Such Things Written-By – Baer*, Meyer*, Adams* 9:26

Side Two

B1 It’s All Right With Me Written-By – Cole Porter 6:05
B2 My Reverie Written-By – Larry Clinton 5:10
B3 Paul’s Pal Written-By – Sonny Rollins 6:07
B4 The Most Beautiful Girl In The World Written-By – Rodgers – Hart* 5:34

Side Three

C1 Tenor Madness Written-By – Rollins* 12:07
C2 When Your Lover Has Gone Written-By – E. A. Swan* 6:10
C3 Ee-Ah Written-By – Rollins* 6:54

Side Four

D1 Sonny Boy Written-By – Jolson*, DeSylva*, Brown*, Henderson* 8:21
D2 B. Swift Written-By – Rollins* 5:15
D3 B. Quick Written-By – Rollins* 9:12