Way Out West (album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Way Out West
Type = Album
Artist = Sonny Rollins


Released = 1957
Recorded = Mar 7, 1957
Genre = Hard bop
Bebop
Length = 69:54
Label = Contemporary/OJC
Producer = Lester Koenig
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3de67uy030jh link]
Last album =

This album = "Way Out West"
(1957)
Next album = "Alternate Takes"
(1957)

"Way Out West" is a 1957 album by Sonny Rollins. It is an example of a technique that Sonny Rollins often used called strolling, when he would solo over only the bass and drums with no pianist playing chords. The recent reissue of the CD has additional takes of three of the songs, including the title track. These additional takes are all about twice as long, containing much longer solos from all three of the members of the band.

In order to fit the recording session into the musicians' busy schedules, it was scheduled at 2 in the morning. At the end, Sonny Rollins told his band and the producer: "I'm hot now."

Track listing

All compositions by Sonny Rollins except where noted.
# "I'm an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande)" (Johnny Mercer) – 5:42
# "Solitude" (Duke Ellington ) – 7:52
# "Come, Gone" – 7:53
# "Wagon Wheels" (Peter DeRose ) – 10:11
# "There Is No Greater Love" (Isham Jones ) – 5:17
# "Way Out West" – 6:30

CD reissue

When the album was reissued on CD in 1988 (and in subsequent years), some alternate takes were included.
# "I'm an Old Cowhand" (Mercer) – 5:40
# "I'm an Old Cowhand" (Mercer; alternate take) – 10:06
# "Solitude" (Ellington) – 7:49
# "Come, Gone" – 7:50
# "Come, Gone" (alternate take) – 10:27
# "Wagon Wheels" (DeRose) – 10:09
# "There Is No Greater Love" (Jones) – 5:14
# "Way Out West" – 6:28
# "Way Out West" (alternate take) – 6:36

Personnel

*Sonny Rollins - Tenor Saxophone
*Ray Brown - Bass
*Shelly Manne - drums

Album Credits

Produced by Lester KoenigRecorded March 7, 1957 at Contemporary Records Studio in Los Angeles.