John Coltrane first recorded his composition Like Sonny during his initial recording session for Giant Steps, his debut LP for Atlantic, on March 26, 1959. The personnel on the first attempt: John Coltrane (ts), Cedar Walton (p), Paul Chambers (b) and Lex Humphries (d). But the song wasn't used on Giant Steps, which came out in February 1960. [Photo above of John Coltrane by Francis Wolff (c)Mosaic Images]
Instead, Like Sonny was recorded again on December 2, 1959 with John Coltrane (ts), Wynton Kelly (p), Paul Chambers (b) and Jimmy Cobb (d) and used on Coltrane Jazz, Coltrane's second album, released in February 1961. [Photo above of Sonny Rollins by Francis Wolff (c)Mosaic Images]
Here's Like Sonny...
But what did the title mean? Like Sonny, meaning similar to Sonny Rollins? Or like Sonny, meaning I admire Sonny. And what was Coltrane's influence for the Sonny-like melody line? As Aidan Levy notes in Saxophone Colossus, his new biography of Sonny Rollins, “The tune was more than just “like” Sonny; it was lifted directly from Sonny’s solo on My Old Flame on Kenny Dorham’s Jazz Contrasts.“ The Dorham album was recorded in May 1957 and released that October.
Here's My Old Flame. You'll find the passage at 3:22...
In 1962, Sonny returned the honor. Writes Levy: “Later, Sonny would write his own tribute to Coltrane, John S., 'private code,' Sonny said, for 'John and Sonny,' not New York Times jazz critic John S. Wilson, as some mistakenly thought." The song first appeared on Sonny's comeback album, The Bridge, recorded on February 13, 1962 and released that April.
Here's Sonny Rollins's John S... .
Fresh off a two-year sabbatical practicing on New York's Williamsburg Bridge, Sonny offered a a lurching paean to Coltrane, with Sonny briefly working in Coltrane's “sheets of sound" attack. As for Sonny's influence, I hear the roots of John S. in Art Davis's opening bass line for Africa, from Coltrane's Africa/Brass album, recorded in May and June of 1961 and released that September. Hear for yourself. Here's Africa, from Africa/Brass...
Instead, Like Sonny was recorded again on December 2, 1959 with John Coltrane (ts), Wynton Kelly (p), Paul Chambers (b) and Jimmy Cobb (d) and used on Coltrane Jazz, Coltrane's second album, released in February 1961. [Photo above of Sonny Rollins by Francis Wolff (c)Mosaic Images]
Here's Like Sonny...
But what did the title mean? Like Sonny, meaning similar to Sonny Rollins? Or like Sonny, meaning I admire Sonny. And what was Coltrane's influence for the Sonny-like melody line? As Aidan Levy notes in Saxophone Colossus, his new biography of Sonny Rollins, “The tune was more than just “like” Sonny; it was lifted directly from Sonny’s solo on My Old Flame on Kenny Dorham’s Jazz Contrasts.“ The Dorham album was recorded in May 1957 and released that October.
Here's My Old Flame. You'll find the passage at 3:22...
In 1962, Sonny returned the honor. Writes Levy: “Later, Sonny would write his own tribute to Coltrane, John S., 'private code,' Sonny said, for 'John and Sonny,' not New York Times jazz critic John S. Wilson, as some mistakenly thought." The song first appeared on Sonny's comeback album, The Bridge, recorded on February 13, 1962 and released that April.
Here's Sonny Rollins's John S... .
Fresh off a two-year sabbatical practicing on New York's Williamsburg Bridge, Sonny offered a a lurching paean to Coltrane, with Sonny briefly working in Coltrane's “sheets of sound" attack. As for Sonny's influence, I hear the roots of John S. in Art Davis's opening bass line for Africa, from Coltrane's Africa/Brass album, recorded in May and June of 1961 and released that September. Hear for yourself. Here's Africa, from Africa/Brass...
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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