The Cutting Edge is a live album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival and released on the Milestone label in 1974, featuring performances by Rollins with Stanley Cowell, Yoshiaki Masuo, Bob Cranshaw, David Lee and Mtume with Rufus Harley joining on one track.[1]

The Cutting Edge
Live album by Sonny Rollins
Released	1974
Recorded	July 6, 1974
Genre	Jazz
Length	42:35
Label	Milestone
Producer	Orrin Keepnews
Sonny Rollins chronology
Sonny Rollins in Japan (1973) The Cutting Edge (1974) Nucleus (1975)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Christgau's Record Guide	B[3]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[4]

The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow states: "Sonny Rollins' 1974 appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival was warmly received... Rollins manages to turn such unlikely material as 'To a Wild Rose' and 'A House Is Not a Home' into jazz."[2] Music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a B rating, writing "...although I hoped for belated paydirt from his first live album in years, more careful examination reveals that the straight melodies do get dull and the improvisations aren't rich enough to invite deep digging..."[5]

Track listing

All compositions by Sonny Rollins except where noted.

1. "The Cutting Edge" – 6:50
2. "To a Wild Rose" (Edward MacDowell) – 8:42
3. "First Moves" – 6:58
4. "A House Is Not a Home" – (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) – 5:33
5. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" (Traditional) – 14:41

• Recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, on July 6, 1974

Personnel

• Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone
• Stanley Cowell – piano
• Yoshiaki Masuo – guitar
• Bob Cranshaw – electric bass
• David Lee – drums
• Mtume – congas
• Rufus Harley – bagpipes (track 5)

References