Sample Liner Notes for Sonny Rollins by Ashley Kahn:
The Rollins footage on this bonus disc was taped in early 1959 at two stops on his first tour of Europe—just a few months before he went into self-exile. It offers a rare opportunity to compare the younger Rollins with the post-hiatus, mid-1960s model on display in this collection.
The first gig takes place at the Nalen Club in Stockholm, Sweden. Rollins, in the company of young bass sensation Henry Grimes and veteran drummer Joe Harris, kicks off the set with a full-tilt treatment of “It Don’t Mean A Thing…” that ends on a dime. Other highlights include a pre-concert interview with Rollins; an early version of his a cappella-style introductions, that leads to a heart-stilling take of “Love Letters;” plus the big sound of Harris—a Dizzy Gillespie alumnus whose manner imparts a swing-era flavor to the trio.
Sample Liner Notes for Roland Kirk by John Kruth:
The tender “Everything Happens To Me” showcases Kirk’s shimmering, cascading flute lines on the Matt Dennis/Tom Adair standard made famous by Frank Sinatra in 1940. When the likes of Charlie Parker, Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk, Chet Baker and Carmen McRae (to name a few) felt the need for a moment of introspection in their set, this ballad always did the trick, as it does once again for Kirk.
Sample Liner Notes for Nina Simone by Rob Bowman:
The version of “Love Me Or Leave Me” filmed in Sweden is superb. Simone phrases her vocal so it literally floats over the swing-inflected groove laid down by guitarist Rudy Stevenson, bassist Lisle Atkinson and drummer Bobby Hamilton. Her piano solo amply displays her highly developed classical technique, climaxing with a series of sequences at ever increasing speeds. The excitement is palpable
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