In his hard, but varied tone, Rollins plays solos that are logical, funny and fluent. But that might be Tchaikovsky's fault. Rollins gets admirable support from his rhythm sections, including drummers like Max Roach, Roy Haynes, Shelley Manne and Art Blakey.
Roach sounds particularly compatible.
Rollins is confident in his ideas and a master of his instrument. He presents himself in the nakedest of contexts. No one else in modern jazz, except perhaps his mentor, Thelonious Monk, would have chosen a tune with such a background. The piece, and three Monk compositions that follow, helped reestablish Monk's reputation as a genius of modern music. Perhaps the reissue will help fans remember this trumpeter, whose bopping, fluent solos display his warm tone and dancing inventiveness.