Home    Saxophone Colossus

Sonny Rollins

Saxophone Colossus

CELSON and MUSIC

LPM2048

LP Black $29
  • Originally released in 1957
  • Pressed on Black Vinyl
  • Rollins’s breakthrough record

Description

One of the pivotal recordings in bringing about the widespread acceptance of Sonny Rollins as a major figure, Saxophone Colossus inspired critics to write scholarly analyses and fans to revel in the hard-swinging invention, humor, and tender-strength balladry. Up to this album, while most musicians recognized Rollins as one of the new influential forces in the jazz of the ’50s, most critics were carping at Rollins or damning him with faint praise. St. Thomas, a traditional West Indian melody which Mal Waldron remembered as The Carnival, was recorded by many artists after Sonny introduced it here, and it remains a jazz standard today. The contributions of Tommy Flanagan’s elegant swing, Doug Watkins’s steady lift, and Max Roach’s most musical accompaniment and soloing(hear Blue Seven) make this a landmark album.

Preview Tracklist

  • 1 St. Thomas
  • 2 You Don’t Know What Love Is
  • 3 Strode Rode
  • 4 Moritat
  • 5 Blue Seven