Alfie - Sonny Rollins

...the film and character of Alfie and how it inspired different parts of the score. He was appearing at Ronnie Scott's club when he was invited to compose for Alfie, and was intrigued. He had never scored a movie before.

THE TRACKS
This CD, being the soundtrack to the movie, does NOT feature Bacharach's 'What's it all About Alfie?' popularised by Cilla Black et al, nor does it contain the ballad bawled by Queenie Watts during ...
...two versions of the main Alfie theme, the first is upbeat and 'jaunty', Alfie as Jack the Lad, the second version, final track, is still upbeat but chastened, the final theme where he realises what he has missed out on. The other tracks are lovely incidentals to the plot, eg the sombre moody 'He's Younger Than You Are' as painful home truths comes home after the surprise visit to the hairdresser's fancy flat; similar but more painful 'Little Malcolm ... more

This is the original score to the 60s film Alfie, composed and played by Sonny Rollins, one of the greatest tenor sax players. I watched this film several times before really appreciating the score, being so intent on the story and film locations, and later checked yes, it was Rollins playing, and he also wrote it.

WHO IS SONNY ROLLINS?
If you like jazz you don't need me to provide a biog. Sonny [Theodore Walter] Rollins was born in 1930 in New York, arguably one of the best jazz tenor saxophonists of all time. He was already playing with one of the greats, Thelonious Monk before he was 20, and later performed and recorded with John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Art Blakey. In 1955 he joined the Clifford Brown / Max Roach quintet. He was known for his improvisations, sometimes highly imaginative takes on relatively moribund material, but by the late 70s and the 80s his music became influenced, like that so many players, by jazzfunk which to purists was a bit of a disappointment.
Rollins received a Grammy award for Lifetime Achievement in 2004, not before time.

BACK TO THE CD
Impulse label, IMP 12242

The music was arranged, and sometimes slightly rearranged with Rollins' approval, by Oliver Nelson. Other musicians include Oliver Nelson on tenor sax, Frankie Dunlop (drums), Walter Booker (bass), Roger Kellaway (piano), among others.

The CD only runs for about 33 minutes, but it's 33 minutes of heaven. The booklet with this CD has a few stills from the film and the original liner notes. The notes include an interview with Rollins where he talks about the film and character of Alfie and how it inspired different parts of the score. He was appearing at Ronnie Scott's club when he was invited to compose for Alfie, and was intrigued. He had never scored a movie before.

THE TRACKS
This CD, being the soundtrack to the movie, does NOT feature Bacharach's 'What's it all About Alfie?' popularised by Cilla Black et al, nor does it contain the ballad bawled by Queenie Watts during the pub brawl.

There are 6 tracks:

1 Alfie's Theme
2 He's Younger Than You Are
3 Street Runner with Child
4 Transition Theme for Minor Blues, or Little Malcolm Loves his Dad
5 On Impulse
6 Alfie's Theme Differently

Of the two versions of the main Alfie theme, the first is upbeat and 'jaunty', Alfie as Jack the Lad, the second version, final track, is still upbeat but chastened, the final theme where he realises what he has missed out on. The other tracks are lovely incidentals to the plot, eg the sombre moody 'He's Younger Than You Are' as painful home truths comes home after the surprise visit to the hairdresser's fancy flat; similar but more painful 'Little Malcolm Loves his Dad' with a poignant theme at the beginning and end of the piece; the joyful (but still cool) 'Street Runner with Child' which accompanied Julia Foster skipping through the streets, delighted to be pregnant; and of course the apparently romantic 'On Impulse' played over the sunny afternoon seduction of his pal's wife - which has disastrous consequences.

IN SUM
How did Rollins know London - and Alfie - so well to compose music that really sums up the spirit of that actually not so swinging time and place? Well, I guess it was the Zeitgeist, although Rollins suggests this 'hipster' kind of guy is a universal.

This is cool jazz by a master. If you don't know the film (you can't have avoided the 'Alfie' song, which I repeat is thankfully not on here) you will love the music for its own sake. I don't mean to diminish this work by recommending it as pretty 'accessible', the fact is I love jazz, and many people don't. As part of my crusade I suggest certain pieces for them to try out, neither Acker Bilk or the most avant-garde, just real good jazz. This is one of the [very good] pieces. If you don't like this CD you will never like jazz, but at least you tried, and you'll easily find a mate who covets it and will relieve you of it.

Summer by the Thames, twinkly nights by the Thames, moody London as the nights grow colder and we get older, this is the CD. Thanks Sonny! And all credit to the other musicians, esp the sublime Kellaway on the piano.

AVAILABLE FROM:
I rarely go into CD shops, let alone search around them for jazz, so I get most things from Amazon - there it is currently £13.00 with a wait of four weeks, plus some on marketplace for around a fiver plus p and p.

SONNY ROLLINS WEBSITE:
www.sonnyrolllins.com

 

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