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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 201600:00
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 201600:00
    BBC Radio 3

Podcast

  • Geoffrey Smith's Jazz

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