On May 28, 2025, Aloysius Tyrone Foster aka Al Foster, died aged 82. He was musician (drums), recorded and performed with Blue Mitchell, Illinois Jacquet, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, McCoy Tyner, Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock, Kenny Barron, Joe Henderson, Joanne Brackeen, Cedar Walton, Larry Willis, Steve Kuhn, Tommy Flanagan, Chris Potter, George Adams, Richie Beirach, Peter Bernstein, Walter Bishop Jr, Donald Byrn, Eli Degibri, Eliane Elias, Eric Le Lann, Red Garland, Dexter Gordon, Charlie Haden, Sadik Hakim, Jimmy Heath, Duke Jordan, Shirley Horn, Bobby Hutcherson, Sam Jones, Yusef Lateef, Andy LaVerne, Abbey Lincoln, Fred Lipsius, Larry Willis, George Mraz, Lonnie Liston Smith, Joe Lovano, Frank Morgan, Johnny Lytle, Hugh Masakela, Ronnie Mathews, Tete Montoliu, Sam Morrison, Bud Shank, Reggie Workman, Peter Zak, Cecil Payne, Dave Liebman and Art Pepper. As leader, Foster released eighth albums.
Tag Archives: Sonny Rollins
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messenger: A Night In Tunisia
In February 1958, “RCA Victor” label released “A Night in Tunisia”, album by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers. It was recorded in April 1957, in New York City, and was produced by Bob Rolontz.
Personnel:
- Art Blakey – drums
- Jackie McLean (listed as Ferris Benda/Ferris Bender on the cover) – alto sax
- Johnny Griffin – tenor sax
- Bill Hardman – trumpet
- Sam Dockery – piano
- Spanky DeBrest – bass
Track listing:
- A Night in Tunisia – Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Paparelli
- Off the Wall – Johnny Griffin
- Theory of Art – Bill Hardman
- Couldn’t It Be You? – Art Blakey, Jackie McLean
- Evans – Sonny Rollins
Freddie McCoy: Beans & Greens
In January 1968, “Prestige” label released “Beans & Greens”, the fifth Freddie McCoy album. It was recorded in May 1967, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Cal Lampley.
Personnel:
- Freddie McCoy – vibraphone
- Wilbur “Dud” Buscomb, Edward David Williams – trumpet
- JoAnne Brackeen – piano
- Wally Richardson – guitar
- Dave Blume – organ
- Joseph Macho, Don Payne – electric bass
- Ray Lucas – drums
- Rudy Van Gelder – recording
- Don Schlitten – design, photography
- Chris Albertson – liner notes
Track listing:
All tracks by Freddie McCoy, except where noted.
- Beans & Greens
- Tony’s Pony
- A Whiter Shade of Pale – Gary Brooker, Keith Reid, Matthew Fisher
- I Was Made To Love Her – Stevie Wonder, Lula Mae Hardaway, Henry Cosby, Sylvia Moy
- You Keep Me Hangin’ On – Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Eddie Holland
- Take My Love (And Shove It Up Your Heart)
- Sixth Avenue Stroll
- Makin’ Whoopee – Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn
- Doxy – Sonny Rollins
Art Pepper: Art Pepper + Eleven – Modern Jazz Classics
In January 1960, “Contemporary” label released “Art Pepper + Eleven – Modern Jazz Classics”, the ninth Art Pepper album. It was recorded March – May 1959, and was produced by Lester Koenig.
Personnel:
- Art Pepper — alto and tenor saxophone, clarinet
- Herb Geller — alto saxophone
- Bud Shank — alto saxophone
- Charlie Kennedy — alto saxophone
- Bill Perkins — tenor saxophone
- Richie Kamuca — tenor saxophone
- Med Flory — baritone saxophone
- Pete Candoli — trumpet
- Al Porcino — trumpet
- Jack Sheldon — trumpet
- Dick Nash — trombone
- Bob Enevoldsen — valve trombone, tenor saxophone
- Vincent DeRosa — French horn
- Russ Freeman — piano
- Joe Mondragon — bass
- Mel Lewis — drums
- Marty Paich — arrangements, conductor
Track listing:
- Move – Denzil Best
- Groovin’ High – Dizzy Gillespie
- Opus De Funk – Horace Siver
- Round Midnight – Thelonious Monk
- Four Brothers – Jimmy Giuffre
- Shawnuff – Dizzy Gillespie
- Bernie’s Tune – Jerry Leiber, Bernie Miller, Mike Stoller
- Walkin’ Shoes – Gerry Mulligan
- Anthropology – Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker
- Airegin – Sonny Rollins
- Walkin’ – Richard Carpenter
- Donna Lee – Miles Davis
Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt and Sonny Rollins: Sonny Side Up
In January 1959, “Verve” label released “Sonny Side Up”, album by Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt and Sonny Rollins. It was recorded in December 1957, at “Nola Recording Studio” in New York City, and was produced by Norman Granz.
Personnel:
- Dizzy Gillespie – vocal, trumpet
- Sonny Stitt – tenor saxophone
- Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone
- Ray Bryant – piano
- Tommy Bryant – double bass
- Charlie Persip – drums
- Burt Goldblatt – cover photography
- Nat Hentoff – liner notes
Track listing:
- On the Sunny Side of the Street – Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields
- The Eternal Triangle – Sonny Stit
- After Hours – Avery Parrish
- I Know That You Know – Vincent Youmans, Anne Caldwell
Sonny Rollins: Next Album
In November 1972, “Milestone” label released “Next Album”, the 29th Sonny Rollins album. It was recorded in July 1972, at “Mercury Sound Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Orrin Keepnews.
Personnel:
- Sonny Rollins – soprano and tenor saxophone
- George Cables – piano, electric piano
- Bob Cranshaw – bass, electric bass
- David Lee – drums
- Jack DeJohnette – drums
- Arthur Jenkins – congas, percussion
- Chuck Stewart – photography
Track listing:
All tracks by Sonny Rollins, except where noted.
- Playin’ in the Yard
- Poinciana – Buddy Bernier, Nat Simon
- The Everywhere Calypso
- Keep Hold of Yourself
- Skylark – Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer
Roy Haynes
On November 12, 2024 Roy Owen Haynes died aged 99. He was musician (drums), regarded as one of best and most influential drummers in the history of jazz music. In his career lasting over 80 years he recorded and performed with the best known and most important jazz musicians, including Miles Davis, Lester Young, Kai Winding, Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Wardell Gray, Sarah Vaughan, Cal Tjader, Eddie Shu, Nat Adderley, Milt Jackson, Red Rodney, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Art Farmer, Art Blakey, Dorothy Ashby, John Handy, George Shearing, Randy Weston, Kenny Burrell, Phineas Newborn, Jr, Sonny Stitt, Lee Konitz, Eric Dolphy, Etta Jones, Booker Little, Betty Roché, Tommy Flanagan, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Oliver Nelson, Sonny Stitt, Kai Winding, J. J. Johnson, Lem Winchester, Steve Lacy, Ray Charles, Jaki Byard, Ted Curson, Bob Brookmeyer, Jackie Paris, Roland Kirk, Willis Jackson, McCoy Tyner, Ted Curson, John Coltrane, Frank Wess, Andrew Hill, Jackie McLean, Jimmy Witherspoon, Gary Burton, Archie Shepp, Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette, Leon Thomas, Clifford Jordan, Pharoah Sanders, Gato Barbieri, Dave Brubeck, Duke Jordan, Warne Marsh, Mary Lou Williams, Nick Brignola, Dizzy Reece, Johnny Griffin, Alice Coltrane, Art Pepper, Sal Nistico, Red Garland, Hank Jones, Stanley Cowell, Joe Albany, Freddie Hubbard, Toshiyuki Honda, Michel Petrucciani, Mark Isaacs, Dave Holland, Pat Metheny and Kenny Barron. Roy Haynes received big number of awards including “Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award” by the “National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences”, and the award at the “Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception” of the “54th Annual Grammy Awards”. In 2019, Haynes was given the “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the “Jazz Foundation of America”. As leader and co-leader, Roy Haynes released 32 albums.
Thelonious MonkQuartet featuring Sonny Rollins: Sonny Rollins And Thelonious Monk Quartet
In November 1954, “Prestige” label released “Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk Quartet”, album by Thelonious Monk Quartet featuring Sonny Rollins (the seventh Thelonious Monk album). It was recorded in October 1954, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was released as 10” LP.
Personnel:
- Thelonious Monk – piano
- Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone
- Tommy Potter – bass
- Art Taylor – drums
- Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
Track listing:
- The Way You Look Tonight (As The Way You Blow Tonight) – Dorothy Fields, Jerome Kern
- I Want to Be Happy – Irving Caesar, Vincent Youmans
- More Than You Know – Edward Eliscu, Billy Rose, Vincent Youmans
Sonny Rollins: Sonny Meets Hawk
In October 1963, “RCA Victor” label released “Sonny Meets Hawk!”, album by Sonny Rollins and Coleman Hawkins (the 23rd Sonny Rollins album overall). It was recorded in July 1963, at “RCA Victor Studios” in New York City, and was produced by George Avakian.
Personnel:
- Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone
- Coleman Hawkins – tenor saxophone
- Paul Bley – piano
- Bob Cranshaw – bass
- Henry Grimes – bass
- Roy McCurdy – drums
- George Avakian – liner notes
Track listing:
- Yesterdays – Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach
- All the Things You Are – Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II
- Summertime – DuBose Heyward, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
- Just Friends – John Klenner, Sam M. Lewis
- Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?) – Jimmy Davis, Roger “Ram” Ramirez, James Sherman
- At McKies’ – Sonny Rollins
Sonny Rollins: Tenor Madness
In October 1956, “Prestige” label released “Tenor Madness”, the fifth Sonny Rollins album. It was recorded in May 1956, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Bob Weinstock.
Personnel:
- Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone
- John Coltrane – tenor saxophone
- Red Garland – piano
- Paul Chambers – double bass
- Philly Joe Jones – drums
- Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
Track listing:
All tracks by Sonny Rollins, except where noted.
- Tenor Madness
- When Your Lover Has Gone – Einar Aaron Swan
- Paul’s Pal
- My Reverie – Larry Clinton, Claude Debussy
- The Most Beautiful Girl in the World – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
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