There is a lot of comfort in numbers and it is one of the toughest challenges and a great test of a horn player's mettle is to play with a rhythm section without a harmony instrument. Playing without a piano or guitar is a little like being naked. Any bs in a solo is laid bare. Not only is there less "clutter", but without the harmonic underpinnings supplied by the piano the improviser has to play in such a way that the listener can still follow the harmonic progression of a tune. The player has to have such complete command of the harmony of a tune that by playing a single note at a time the harmony is conveyed. Even many of the greats depended on being able to hear the harmonies while improvising; in a sense, it's a bit of a crutch. Few players could do this as well as Rollins. There is a reason that so many of the "greats" never rose to the challenge; and this wasn't always simple preference.
Acman3, amazing! Thanks for that clip. Probably my favorite Sonny record after "The Bridge". His command of rhythm is simply amazing. This track is from the reissue of that record. It's a two record set that includes several cuts not in the original release. Elvin Jones kills on this:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sBDulH-XsSM
Acman3, amazing! Thanks for that clip. Probably my favorite Sonny record after "The Bridge". His command of rhythm is simply amazing. This track is from the reissue of that record. It's a two record set that includes several cuts not in the original release. Elvin Jones kills on this:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sBDulH-XsSM