Sonny Rollins: "Worktime"

Tonight's Jazz Feature is a pivotal album by Sonny Rollins called "Worktime". Sonny had just emerged from a year of renewal and rehab and was clean an healthy and just hired as the tenor saxophonist in the famous Max Roach/Clifford Brown Quintet replacing Harold Land, the original saxophonist who had left. This was Sonny's first recording under his own name since his rehab and he is at maximum strength. This album represents his first step to greatness and as it is the 69th anniversary of the date this evening I thought it appropriate to present it again as our Jazz Feature. Sonny is on tenor saxophone with Ray Bryant on piano. Miles Davis recommended Ray to Sonny to do this date. George Morrow is on bass and he was with The Max/Clifford band and Sonny's new boss, drum master Max Roach. The album has five tracks, three are well chosen standards not normally heard in a Jazz context plus Billy Strayhorn's "Raincheck" and Sonny's "Paradox". One fine anniversary...enjoy "Worktime".