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Sonny Rollins (tenor sax), Clifford Brown (trumpet), Richie Powell (piano), George Morrow (bass) and Max Roach (drums). From the album Sonny Rollins Plus 4 (1956).

Sonny Rollins Plus 4 is an album in which Sonny Rollins plays with the Clifford Brown and Max Roach Quintet. It was the last recording Brown and Richie Powell made before their death in a traffic accident. Previously, Rollins worked as a janitor in Chicago, thinking about what to do with his life.

At that time, Brown and Roach’s quintet were also playing in the same city. After playing with them during a performance to try it out, Rollins stayed as a permanent member of the band. Jazz critic Scott Yanow said that the album is a “particularly strong hard bop set” and musician Peter Niklas Wilson called it “a hastily produced –though ultimately rewarding– session”.

The theme goes in 3/4 meter, like a waltz, and has a very nice melody. Rollins begins his solo by enjoying every note he plays, but he also incorporates quick phrases. They return to play the main part of the song to give way to Brown’s solo, which is more dynamic, although he also plays quiet passages. They play the main part of the song again and Powell plays his solo with extreme delicacy. Roach plays his solo in 3/4 meter, which is an innovation in the jazz scene, without missing a beat not a single moment. At the end comes the re-exposure of the theme.