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Sonny Rollins - Newk's Time
Price: $49.95

 One of the greatest saxophonists of all time, Sonny Rollins stands apart from his contemporaries in ways that are very much in evidence throughout this outstanding album. Rollins' main musical role model was the huge sound of Coleman Hawkins rather than the cool tone of Lester Young. Sonny preferred playing unique and sometimes unusual material and his own originals rather than the more typical bebop standards of the day. Rollins could improvise endlessly on a song's melody rather than just play riffs over chord changes. On Newk's Time, the masterful tenor turns such unlikely material as "The Surrey With The Fringe On Top" and "Wonderful! Wonderful!" into powerfully swinging jazz. With the backing of a superb trio including pianist Wynton Kelly, Rollins brings out the hidden beauty of these songs, often by sticking close to the melody and using repetition inventively, and at other times through the sheer humanity of his sound. A volcanic force on the tenor sax for for nearly 60 years, Sonny Rollins effortlessly uses his creative powers to create musical magic throughout Newk's Time.
Sonny Rollins, Vol. 1
Price: $49.95

In jazz history, Sonny Rollins ranks among tenor-saxophone giants with Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Ben Webster and John Coltrane. In his dazzling 60-year career at the top, Rollins has balanced melodic development with unpredictable phrases, infusing his innovative ideas with his memorable wit. Who else could take the show tune "How Are Things In Glocca Morra?" and turn it into a fertile device for a heated solo? On Vol. 1, Rollins plays that song and several of his originals in a quintet with Donald Byrd and Max Roach. While Rollins has composed quite a few jazz standards, his four songs on Vol. 1 (particularly "Decision" and "Sonnysphere") are long overdue to be revived. But who else could play those songs with the passion, intensity and humor of the immortal and always-original Sonny Rollins.