A beautiful soundtrack to the dark British comedy of the same name – starring a young Michael Caine! You might expect it to be a bit schmaltzy, but it's pure jazz all the way through, and features strong inside playing by Rollins over lively orchestrations by Oliver Nelson – filled with moody colors, great changes, and a vibrant sense of energy that's far deeper than the actual film! The group includes Phil Woods, Kenny Burrell, and J.J. Johnson, and they swing hard on all tracks. Titles include the 10 minute workout of "Alfie's Theme", plus a shorter "Differently" version" – plus "On Impulse", "Transition Theme", and "He's Younger Than You". Nice stuff throughout, and much more of a jazz album than a soundtrack! LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing work from tenorist Sonny Rollins – a set of recordings that we'd rank right up there with his groundbreaking Village Vanguard sessions for Blue Note! As with those recordings, the setting here is live, and a trio – Sonny blowing with incredible imagination in the very open space of the tunes, many of which are very long – with accompaniment from the wonderful bassist Henry Grimes on all numbers, and a shifting lineup of very hip drummers – Pete LaRoca on most tracks, sometimes replaced by Joe Harris or Kenny Clarke. The huge package features a wealth of live tracks, including some material that has been bootlegged before – concerts from 1959 in Stockholm, Zurich, Aix-En-Provence, Frankfurt, and Laren – all presented here with superb sound, voluminous notes, and through cooperation with Sonny Rollins himself. Titles include "Lady Bird", "But Not For Me", "Cocktails For Two", "I Want To Be Happy", "Oleo", "Paul's Pal", "Love Letters", and "I've Told Every Little Star" – but as always with live Sonny Rollins at this point in his career, it's not the melodies, but what he does with them – which is amazing! LP, Vinyl record album

About as classic as you can get for Sonny Rollins during the 50s – from the cover right down to the incredible solos on the set! The album's got Rollins really stretching out – still not finding the freer trio mode of his Vanguard session, but still bringing in plenty of fresh ideas in both his phrasing and the construction of his tunes – way more than just the roots of his (still excellent) years as a boppish player. The group's nice and loose – with Wynton Kelly on soulful piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – all able to snap into a groove when needed, but also letting Rollins really lay back into a solo too. Titles include the sublime "Asiatic Raes", plus "Namely You", "Tune Up", "Wonderful Wonderful", and "Blues For Philly Joe". If you've ever needed a record to convince you how great Rollins is, this might just be the one! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous little album from Sonny Rollins – one of his most sharp-edged sessions of the mid 60s, and a bold departure from some of his previous work for RCA! The album has a crackling sense of energy that more than lives up to the exclamation point in the title – a starker quality than some of Sonny's earlier records, and one that brings out some sharper tones in his horn, even on the mellower numbers. The rhythm support is loose, but somewhat soulful and spontaneous – and features Ray Bryant on piano, Walter Booker on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums – an unusual pairing for Sonny, but that's what makes them so great. In a way, the album's almost Rollins' equivalent of John Coltrane's earlier Ballads album for Impulse – in that it includes familiar tunes, but remade into completely new numbers by the sound of the leader. Titles include "Green Dolphin Street", "Everything Happens To Me", "Three Little Words", and "Hold Em Joe". LP, Vinyl record album

A groundbreaking album from Sonny Rollins, largely for the extended track "Tenor Madness", which runs on for 13 minutes, and features him and Coltrane blowing head to head – redefining the sound of the tenor sax in jazz through the course of that amazing track! Backing is by the Red Garland/Paul Chambers/Philly Joe Jones group that backed up 'Trane on many of his Prestige sides, and they work equally well with Rollins – especially on the ballads "When Your Lover Has Gone" and "My Reverie", plus the lyrical "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set that brings the east coast tenor of Sonny Rollins into contact with a west coast rhythm section of Ray Brown and Shelly Manne! Despite Rollins' silly look on the cover, and the album's overall "western" theme, the session's a brilliant one – right up there with Sonny's strongest trio sides of the late 50s, and a key link in a string of excellent recordings for Blue Note, Prestige, and Riverside! The lack of a piano really opens up the style of the set – letting Sonny explore freely on his solos, while Brown's bass and Manne's drums do more than enough to keep the rhythms going on their own. Solos aren't as "out" as on the Village Vanguard sessions, but certainly every bit as inspired – and titles include "I'm An Old Cowhand", "Solitude", "Come, Gone", "Way Out West", and "Wagon Wheels". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set that brings the east coast tenor of Sonny Rollins into contact with a west coast rhythm section of Ray Brown and Shelly Manne! Despite Rollins' silly look on the cover, and the album's overall "western" theme, the session's a brilliant one – right up there with Sonny's strongest trio sides of the late 50s, and a key link in a string of excellent recordings for Blue Note, Prestige, and Riverside! The lack of a piano really opens up the style of the set – letting Sonny explore freely on his solos, while Brown's bass and Manne's drums do more than enough to keep the rhythms going on their own. Solos aren't as "out" as on the Village Vanguard sessions, but certainly every bit as inspired – and titles include "I'm An Old Cowhand", "Solitude", "Come, Gone", "Way Out West", and "Wagon Wheels". LP, Vinyl record album

The tenor of Sonny Rollins, heard in a very unusual setting – a freewheeling live date from Finland, with wonderful Fender Rhodes work from Heikki Sarmanto! The tracks are all very long, and the use of Fender Rhodes next to Sonny's sharp tenor makes for a wonderful contrast – as Heikki rings out with some really great solos of his own! There's a spirit here that's a bit like the Sonny Rollins In Japan album, recorded around the same time – although the long Rhodes solos are an especially nice touch – set up with rhythms from Pekka Sarmanto on bass and Esko Rosnell on drums. The set includes a 24 minute take on "Night & Day" – plus 17 minute versions of "St Thomas" and "My One & Only Love – both great! LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly THE greatest Sonny Rollins album of the early years – or at least the one that has received the most accolades over the years! The record is a brilliant batch of quartet tracks that reinvents bop through Sonny's complicated, yet seemingly automatic solos – an excellent showcase for his razor-sharp talents for improvisation and invention, played with effortless ease, yet still one of the great bar-setting performances of 50s jazz. The group features Tommy Flanagan, Max Roach, and Doug Watkins – and tunes include an original reading of the perennial Rollins' standard "St. Thomas", plus a great version of "Moritat (Mack The Knife)", and the cuts "Strode Rode" and "Blue 7". LP, Vinyl record album

Two classic albums from the great Sonny Rollins – both made during some time on the LA scene of the late 50s, and matched here with a more obscure third album that issued alternate sides from the sessions! First up is the classic Way Out West – a set that brings the east coast tenor of Sonny Rollins into contact with a west coast rhythm section of Ray Brown and Shelly Manne! Despite Rollins' silly look on the cover, and the album's overall "western" theme, the session's a brilliant one – right up there with Sonny's strongest trio sides of the late 50s, and a key link in a string of excellent recordings for Blue Note, Prestige, and Riverside! The lack of a piano really opens up the style of the set – letting Sonny explore freely on his solos, while Brown's bass and Manne's drums do more than enough to keep the rhythms going on their own. Solos aren't as "out" as on the Village Vanguard sessions, but certainly every bit as inspired – and titles include "I'm An Old Cowhand", "Solitude", "Come, Gone", "Way Out West", and "Wagon Wheels". Next is Sonny Rollins & The Contemporary Leaders – one of Sonny's brilliant west coast sessions for Contemporary – records that shouldn't sparkle as much as they do, but which actually stand with his best work of the 50s! Sonny's blowing in front of a session of "leaders" that includes Hampton Hawes, Barney Kessel, Leroy Vinnegar, Shelly Manne, and Victor Feldman, who plays vibes on one track. Sonny's the real leader here, though – as his bold, proud tenor tone really takes front seat, carving lines that never get tired, bringing a sparkle into tunes like "You", "How High The Moon", "I've Found A New Baby", "The Song Is You", and "I've Told Ev'ry Little Star". Heck, even with songs like those, the album should be weak – but there's an undeniable magic that really makes it great! Last is Contemporary Alternate Takes – a great collection of alternate takes from Sonny's landmark recordings for Contemporary Records in the late 50s – material recorded in LA with an easier-swinging groove than some of his New York work, in a style that let Sonny blow in round, warm, and really open tones – almost foreseeing his work for RCA in the mid 60s. Players include Ray Brown, Shelly Manne, Victor Feldman, and Barney Kessel – and the set features alternate takes of "I'm An Old Cowhand", "Come Gone", "Way Out West", "The Song Is You", and "You". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous little album from Sonny Rollins – one of his most sharp-edged sessions of the mid 60s, and a bold departure from some of his previous work for RCA! The album has a crackling sense of energy that more than lives up to the exclamation point in the title – a starker quality than some of Sonny's earlier records, and one that brings out some sharper tones in his horn, even on the mellower numbers. The rhythm support is loose, but somewhat soulful and spontaneous – and features Ray Bryant on piano, Walter Booker on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums – an unusual pairing for Sonny, but that's what makes them so great. In a way, the album's almost Rollins' equivalent of John Coltrane's earlier Ballads album for Impulse – in that it includes familiar tunes, but remade into completely new numbers by the sound of the leader. Titles include "Green Dolphin Street", "Everything Happens To Me", "Three Little Words", and "Hold Em Joe". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-issued work from Don Cherry – and a really key piece of the puzzle in the career of this legendary trumpeter! The recordings were done for Swedish Radio, with great fidelity – more than just live tracks captured in a club, and instead some really thoughtful material that marks an early pairing of Cherry's talents with the Swedish scene that he would soon call home! Don plays cornet, and the music is maybe a bit inside compared to some of his later Swedish experiments – but still pretty amazing, and a great bridge from his work with Ornette Coleman and Sonny Rollins. Players include Mogens Bollerup on tenor, Atli Bjorn on piano, Benny Nielsen on bass, and Simon Koppel on drums – and titles include the Cherry originals "Priceless", "Nigeria", and "The Ambassador From Greenland" – plus a reading of "You Took Advantage Of Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A great set by Hampton Hawes – really one of his best ever records, and for a number of reasons! First up, Harold Land's playing tenor on the record, opening it up a lot more than some of Hamp's regular trio sides. Secondly, the bassist on the set is Scott LaFaro, the challenging modernist from Chicago who played such great work with Ornette and Sonny Rollins, and who gives the session a fresher tone than some of Hawes' other recordings. Lastly, the tracks are longish, giving both Land and LaFaro plenty of room to roam, making for a much more adventurous record overall. Titles include "Hip", "Crazeology", "I Love You", and "Numbers Game". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first-ever full length collections of work from bop piano legend Bud Powell – a record with a seminal Blue Note cover image, and the well-earned "Amazing" in the title! Powell's in great form throughout – very much at that restless, effortless best of his early career on the piano – working on a number of tracks in a trio with Max Roach on drums and Curly Russell on bass – and even more unusually in another group with Fats Navarro on trumpet and Sonny Rollins on tenor – some of his few non-trio recordings of the time! The set features some key early classics, a few with alternates too – and titles include "Un Poco Loco", "Parisian Thoroughfare", "Dance of The Infidels", "Wail", "Bouncing With Bud", and "52nd St Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary John Coltrane was a leader on some amazing recordings of the late 50s and 1960s – but right at the start of his career, he also added key contributions to records headed up by other folks too – and some of the best of those moments are collected here in this well-done set! The "other side" isn't really a part of the Coltrane legacy that's different than the rest – but these early tracks show just how important his tenor saxophone stylings were to the transforming sound of jazz at the end of the 50s – taking things past earlier bop expressions, yet still in a straightforward mode – with solos that are sometimes even more stunning than the work of the leaders under whom the records were issued! Most of the tracks here are from the Prestige and Riverside Records catalogs – and titles include "CTA" by Art Taylor, "Monk's Mood" and "Trinkle Trinkle" by Thelonious Monk, "Someday My Prince Will Come" and "Airegin" by Miles Davis, "Soultrane" by Tadd Dameron, "Billie's Bounce" by Red Garland, and "Tenor Madness" by Sonny Rollins. 2LP set features bonus tracks – "Nutty" by Thelonious Monk, and "Birk's Works" by Red Garland. LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant title for this brilliant album from Thelonious Monk – a set that really has him coming back strongly in the second half of the 50s – with a new talent for arrangements that really goes past his previous work! Monk's piano and compositions are every bit as great as before – but what really makes the album amazing is his ear for horn lines – particularly the alto of Ernie Henry and tenor of Sonny Rollins, both of whom add in an additional angular quality to Monk's groove. Clark Terry replaces Henry on a few numbers – and the rhythm is from the wonderful team of Oscar Pettiford and Max Roach – on classic long takes of "Brilliant Corners", "Ba-Lue Bolivar Blues Are", "Pannonica", and "Bemsha Swing". LP, Vinyl record album

A unique large group session from Art Pepper – one of his few this way as a leader, despite constant 50s presence as a sideman in big ensembles! Arrangements are by Marty Paich, who more than makes things swing – and there's a nice rhythm section dancing underneath a larger group – with Russ Freeman on piano, Joe Mondragon on bass and Mel Lewis on drums. Players in the fuller lineup include Jack Sheldon on trumpet, Herb Geller on alto, Bill Perkins on tenor, and Bob Enevoldsen on trombone and tenor – and titles are mostly modern numbers written by other jazzmen like Horace Silver, Denzil Best, Jimmy Giuffre, and Sonny Rollins. Titles include "Groovin High", "Move", "Four Brothers", "Anthropology", and "Airegin". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark recording – Albert Ayler's first album for the ESP label, and a record that hit the jazz world like a bullet! Spiritual Unity sets the stage for a format that would become huge in the European avant scene of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and even today – the sax-driven power-trio, tenor against bass and drums, working freely with less rhythmic constraints than before, searching for new sounds and new modes of expression, working through changes in a style first proposed by Sonny Rollins, but taken to new intensity by the New York underground of the 60s. That sound is summed up here perfectly by Ayler, Gary Peacock, and Sunny Murray – working together with an edgey brilliance, on classic tracks that include "Ghosts: First Variation", "Ghosts: Second Variation", "The Wizard", and "Spirits". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful little album from the young John Coltrane, and one that hides its strong sense of depth behind a familiar jazz standard used as a title! In some way, the record is almost experimental for the time – as side one features the tenor of Coltrane alongside just the bass of Earl May and drums of Art Taylor – a saxophone trio setting that Sonny Rollins would used in a more progressive mode, but which here allows Coltrane to demonstrate his unique tenor phrasing on ballads, but in ways that are even set more free than his earlier material with Miles Davis. Side two adds in the piano of Red Garland, alongside bass from Paul Chambers, and drums from either Albert Heath or Louis Hayes – and the trumpet of Donald Byrd joins in on one track too. Trio tracks include "I Love You" and "Like Someone In Love", as well as the original "Trane's Slow Blues" – and Byrd plays on "Lush Life", and steps out on "I Hear A Rhapsody". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work by Kenny Dorham as a leader – a Riverside session recorded in two "contrasting" moods that both perfectly show his young talents on the trumpet! Side one is a bit more in a hardbop mode – with two long lyrical tracks ("Falling In Love With Love" and "I'll Remember April") – recorded with a quintet that features Sonny Rollins on tenor, Hank Jones on piano, Oscar Pettiford on bass, and Max Roach on drums – with plenty of space for all players to solo nicely! Side two features the same group, but also adds in some work on harp by Betty Glamman – an unusual player, but one who works well in the setting – and really helps to emphasize the sweeter sounds in Kenny's horn! Titles on that side include "La Villa", "Larue", and "My Old Flame". LP, Vinyl record album