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Sonny Rollins

Titan of the tenor sax and arguably the greatest living jazz musician, Sonny Rollins turns eighty-six next month. Geoffrey Smith celebrates with masterworks from the late 1950s, culminating in his famous sabbatical album, The Bridge.

1 hour

Last on

Sun 28 Aug 2016 00:00
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Sonny Rollins

    I'm an Old Cowhand

    • The Freelance Years.
    • Riverside.
    • 5.

  • Sonny Rollins, Oscar Pettiford & Max Roach

    Freedom Suite

    • Freedom Suite.
    • Proper.
    • 5.

  • Sonny Rollins

    Love Is A Simple Thing

    • The Contemporary Leader.
    • Proper.
    • 11.

  • Sonny Rollins

    You Are Too Beautiful

    • The Contemporary Leader.
    • Proper.
    • 4.

  • Sonny Rollins

    I've Told Every Little Star

    • The Contemporary Leader.
    • Proper.
    • 7.

  • Sonny Rollins

    The Song Is You

    • The Contemporary Leader.
    • Proper.
    • 2.

  • Sonny Rollins

    God Bless The Child

    • The Contemporary Leader.
    • Proper.
    • 3.

  • Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Bob Cranshaw & Roy McCurdy

    Four

    • Now's The Time.
    • RCA.
    • 4.

Performers:

  Title:  I'm an Old Cowhand  
  Artist: Sonny Rollins 
  Composers: Johnny Mercer 
  Album Title: The Freelance Years 
  Label:  Riverside Catalogue No: 5RCD-4427-2 
  Duration: 05’39 
  Performers: Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophone; Ray Brown, bass; Shelly Manne, drums.

  Title:  Freedom Suite  
  Artist: Sonny Rollins 
  Composers: Sonny Rollins 
  Album Title: Freedom Suite 
  Label:  Proper Catalogue No: Properbox186 
  Duration:  10’30
  Performers: Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophone; Oscar Pettiford, bass; Max Roach, drums.

  Title:  Love Is A Simple Thing
  Artist: Sonny Rollins 
  Composers: Carroll-Spiegel 
  Album Title: The Contemporary Leader 
  Label:  Proper Catalogue No: Properbox 186 
  Duration: 02’59 
  Performers: Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophone; Nat Adderley, cornet; Renauld Jones, Ernie Royal, Clark Terry, trumpet; Billy Byers, Jimmy Cleveland, Frank Rehak, trombone; Don Butterfield, tuba; Rene Thomas, guitar; Dick Katz, piano; Henry Grimes, bass; Roy Haynes, drums.

  Title:  You Are Too Beautiful  
  Artist: Sonny Rollins 
  Composers: Rodgers/Hart 
  Album Title: The Contemporary Leader 
  Label:  Proper Catalogue No: Properbox 186 
  Duration: 06’07
  Performers: Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophone; Milt Jackson, vibraphone; John Lewis, piano; Percy Heath, bass; Connie Kay, drums. 

  Title:  I’ve Told Every Little Star  
  Artist: Sonny Rollins 
  Composers: Hammerstein/Kern
  Album Title: The Contemporary Leader 
  Label:  Proper Catalogue No: Properbox 186 
  Duration: 04’51  
  Performers: Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophone; Victor Feldman, vibraphone; Barney Kessel, guitar; Hampton Hawes, piano; Leroy Vinnegar, bass; Shelly Manne, drums.

  Title:  The Song is You  
  Artist: Sonny Rollins 
  Composers: Hammerstein/Kern 
  Album Title: The Contemporary Leader 
  Label:  Proper Catalogue No: Properbox 186 
  Duration: 05’40 
  Performers: Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophone; Barney Kessel, guitar; Hampton Hawes, piano; Leroy Vinnegar, bass; Shelly Manne, drums.

  Title:  God Bless The Child  
  Artist: Sonny Rollins 
  Composers: Holiday/Herzog
  Album Title: The Contemporary Leader 
  Label:  Proper Catalogue No: Properbox 186 
  Duration: 07’29
  Performers: Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophone; Jim Hall, guitar; Bob Cranshaw, bass; Harry Saunders, drums. 
 
  Title:  Four  
  Artist: Sonny Rollins 
  Composers: Miles Davis 
  Album Title: Now's The Time 
  Label:  RCA Catalogue No: LPM-2927 
  Duration: 07’13 
  Performers: Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophone; Bob Cranshaw, bass; Roy McCurdy, drums.

Broadcast

  • Sun 28 Aug 2016 00:00
    BBC Radio 3

Podcast

  • Geoffrey Smith's Jazz

    Geoffrey Smith's Jazz - a weekly sequence exploring what makes great jazz great music