The Quintet’s Personnel
Sonny Rollins, tenor sax; Kenny Dorham, trumpet; Ray Bryant, piano; George Morrow, bass; Max Roach, drums
Dave recalls...
The group Max Roach re-formed after the untimely death of virtuoso trumpeter Clifford Brown (of the Max Roach-Clifford Brown Quintet) displayed a level of creativity that, at times, was simply breathtaking. An obviously inspired Sonny Rollins showed a technical and conceptual determination to convince us that he had no tenor saxophone equals. Many of his phrase contours were rhythmic and harmonic cliffhangers, and I wondered frequently if he would regain the improvisational equilibrium necessary to maintain structural integrity. But somehow, out of the depths of solo complexity, he always did.
In Roach’s touring quintet, Kenny Dorham had the unfortunate task of following in the footsteps of the supremely gifted Clifford Brown, and he did his best to play within himself and not attempt to fill impossible shoes. He still remains one of the finest trumpeters in the history of jazz and proved it this night with crackling solos at Roach’s unenviable tempos.
Ray Bryant is not nearly as well known as he should be and conceived innumerable choruses of superbly tasteful single lines. As I think back to that period however, it’s possible that he was not the best choice for Roach’s bebop/hard bop approach. More relaxed mainstream surroundings were where Bryant always excelled. George Morrow held the torrid up tempos the quintet delighted in sustaining and, for more than any other reason, he was hired to do just that.
Max Roach and Shelly Manne are arguably the two most musical drum soloists in jazz history, and each represents conceptual values that are valid though contrasting. In Los Angeles during the mid-1950s, Manne dominated experimental styles, some of which were derived from classical forms, but he was equally at home in straight-ahead environments. Roach’s vertical phrasing (between snare drum, tom-tom components and the bass drum) remain masterful in their profound structures. His Basin Street performances are, in hindsight, best appreciated on the Max Roach Plus Four EmArcy label CD.