A Night at the Village Vanguard (album)

A Night at the Village Vanguard is an album by tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins. It was recorded at the Village Vanguard in New York City.

Recording and music
This album was the first recorded at the Village Vanguard. Two sessions on the same day – November 3, 1957 – were recorded. In the afternoon, Rollins played with Donald Bailey on bass and Pete LaRoca on drums; in the evening they were replaced by Wilbur Ware (bass) and Elvin Jones (drums).

Reception
The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow states "This CD is often magical. Sonny Rollins, one of jazz's great tenors, is heard at his peak... Not only did Rollins have a very distinctive sound, but his use of time, his sly wit, and his boppish but unpredictable style were completely his own by 1957". Music critic Robert Christgau highly praised the album, writing "Rollins is charged with venturing far out from these tunes without severing the harmonic moorings normally secured by a piano. He does it again and again – but not without a certain cost in ebullience, texture, and fullness of breath. Impressive always, fun in passing, his improvisations are what avant-garde jazz is for." The album was identified by Scott Yanow in his Allmusic essay "Hard Bop" as one of the 17 Essential Hard Bop Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz gave it a maximum four stars plus crown, concluding that "these are record[ing]s which demand a place in any collection".

Track listing

 * Original Album:


 * 1) "Old Devil Moon"
 * 2) "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise"
 * 3) "Striver's Row"
 * 4) "Sonnymoon for Two"
 * 5) "A Night in Tunisia"
 * 6) "I Can't Get Started"


 * Double CD Re-issue (presented in chronological recording order):


 * 1) "A Night in Tunisia"(Afternoon Take)
 * 2) "I've Got You Under My Skin"(Afternoon)
 * 3) "A Night in Tunisia"(Evening Take)
 * 4) "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise"
 * 5) "Four"
 * 6) "Woody N' You"
 * 7) "Old Devil Moon"
 * 8) "What Is This Thing Called Love?"
 * 9) "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise"
 * 10) "Sonnymoon for Two" (Rollins)
 * 11) "I Can't Get Started"
 * 12) "I'll Remember April"
 * 13) "Get Happy"
 * 14) "Striver's Row" (Rollins)
 * 15) "All The Things You Are"
 * 16) "Get Happy"

Personnel

 * Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone
 * Don Bailey – double bass (afternoon set)
 * Pete LaRoca – drums (afternoon set)
 * Wilbur Ware – double bass (evening set)
 * Elvin Jones – drums (evening set)