Coming after the Way I Feel, last year's dismal attempt at presenting Rollins as a crossover player, this album is a welcome relief and reassures us that the great Sonny Rollins record of the Seventies is still a possibility. All traces of rock haven't been eliminated, but such influences are heard only in traces as the artist concentrates his tenor sax on more suitable formats. Oddly, "Isn't She Lovely," Easy Living's only cover version, is among the best examples: the repetitive simplicity of Stevie Wonder's tune is enhanced by a 4/4 insouciance quite close to Rollins' theme from Alfie. Besides picking the melody apart with characteristic care, the saxophonist somehow manages to blend in a few "outside" sonic discoveries. Other tenor gems are "Down the Line," where Rollins and drummer Tony Williams challenge each other before and during their duet, and the title piece, a crazy quilt of thematically derived ideas from the opening soliloquy through a charging final bridge.

The recording studio gives Sonny Rollins an opportunity to assemble better bands than the uneven groups he's toured with in the past few years. Of the present rhythm section, only Williams can be considered a musician on Rollins' level, and his contribution is mixed. His right foot kicks out a rigid, constant high-hat cymbal beat with none of the flexibility of his finest playing, but what he does with his other foot and hands (and the energy with which he does it) is exhilarating. George Duke, a talented, if often trivial, keyboardist, responds to the heavy company with his most impressive recent work. (RS 267)

BOB BLUMENTHAL