Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series

•  pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal

After Sonny Rollins first appeared on a Blue Note session as a member of Bud Powell’s Modernists in 1949, the Saxophone Colossus began building his name as a bandleader with a run of albums for Prestige before returning to make his Blue Note debut as a leader in 1956. Volume 1 hit all the marks of a classic Rollins session with four hard-swinging originals that showcased the saxophonist’s robust sound and seemingly limitless improvisational creativity with a top-shelf quintet featuring Donald Byrd, Wynton Kelly, Gene Ramey, and Max Roach In true Rollins fashion, the album’s centerpiece is a stunning ballad performance of an unexpected song choice: “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” from the Broadway show Finian’s Rainbow.

PERSONNEL:

Sonny Rollins - (tenor saxophone)
Donald Byrd - (vibraphone)
Wynton Kelly - (piano)
Gene Ramey - (bass)
Max Roach - (drums)

TRACKS:

A1 Decision
A2 Bluesnote
A3 How Are Things In Glocca Morra

B1 Plain Jane
B2 Sonnysphere