Sonny Rollins

This 1965 session marked Sonny Rollins's debut recording for the Impulse! label and ranks among his best releases. This collection of standards showcases Rollins's sax playing but his band has also been lauded for an exceptional performance here, notably pianist Ray Bryant.

Sonny Rollins made his debut for the Riverside label with this album, recorded and released in 1957, the same year he was named New Star of the tenor saxophone by the critics of DownBeat. Rollins is surrounded by top names, including pianist Sonny Clark, bassists Percy Heath and Paul Chambers and drummer Roy Haynes on a programme of covers and standards, with one original Rollins song.

This album, not released until 1956, contains the first recordings Sonny Rollins made for Prestige as leader in 1951 and 1953. Rollins is backed on four songs by the Modern Jazz Quartet (John Lewis, Milt Jackson, Percy Heath and Kenny Clarke), eight other tracks feature Heath with Kenny Drew and Art Blakey, while Miles Davis plays piano on the closing number I Know. Several of these songs appeared in 1952 on 10 inch vinyl entitled Sonny Rollins Quartet.

Sonny Rollins' first outing for Blue Note label was recorded at that label's last session of 1956. The album features Rollins playing with Gene Ramey (bass), Max Roach (drums), Donald Byrd (trumpet), and Wynton Kelly (piano). The original LP record, Blue Note release BLP-1542, did not distinguish the volume number in the title. It was simply called "Sonny Rollins".

Not released until 1961, this album repackages the final recordings Sonny Rollins made for Prestige in 1956. Four of the songs previously appeared on Tour de Force, while the fifth was recorded at the session for "Rollins Plays for Bird". Rollins is backed by pianist Kenny Drew, bassist George Morrow and drummer Max Roach, with pianist Wade Legge and trumpeter Kenny Dorham performing on one track.

"Sonny Rollins, Vol. 2" brought together some of the greatest players of the post-bop era. In addition to Rollins, it featured Art Blakey on drums, Horace Silver and Thelonious Monk on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and J.J. Johnson on trombone. This classic record is a must-have for any jazz lover.

Rollins Plays for Bird is an album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, recorded in 1956 for the Prestige label, and released in the end of July 1957. It featuring performances by Rollins with Kenny Dorham, Wade Legge, George Morrow and Max Roach on material associated with Charlie Parker.

"Newk's Time" is Sonny Rollins' third album for Blue Note Records and was released in March 1959. This lesser-known album contains some great renditions of tunes by Miles Davis ("Tune Up"), Kenny Dorham ("Asiatic Raes"), and a couple Tin Pan Alley song interpretations. For fans of hard bop, and especially Sonny Rollins, this album is a 'must listen'.

This 1965 session marked Sonny Rollins's debut recording for the Impulse! label and ranks among his best releases. This collection of standards showcases Rollins's sax playing but his band has also been lauded for an exceptional performance here, notably pianist Ray Bryant.