Saxophone Colossus

So there are a lot of wonderful Jazz saxophonists out there. And, if you asked someone for a list you would probably see some familiar names: Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, etc. I feel like one artist who tends to be overlooked by those who are just starting to look into jazz is Sonny Rollins.

Rollins has been making great tunes since before 1950, and today I feature his sixth album as a leader. The album was cut with several great musicians, including Max Roach, an astounding drummer who I recommend everyone check out.

Rollins' contributions to the genre are immeasurable. He pioneered the "pianoless trio" along with simply giving generations of great players something to strive for.

One of the most awesome things about Sonny Rollins was an homage to him written into a Simpsons episode. If any of you remember Bleedin' Gums Murphy, at one point he appears playing his Sax late at night alone on a bridge. This is an homage to Rollins who, for 3 years, took a break from jazz and disappeared from public, until a fan discovered him playing alone in the middle of the night on the Williamsburg Bridge in NYC.

Anywho, here is "Moritat", of Saxophone Colossus. For those of you familiar with Louis Armstrong, you may recognize the tune as "Mack The Knife"

If you don't think this dude is the coolest, get off my site!

And here is the album! (Saxophone Colossus - 1956)