Happy Birthday, Sonny Rollins

September 7 is the birthday of arguably the greatest living jazz saxophonist, Sonny Rollins, who turns 81 today. Rollins is particularly important for his ability to hint at the underlying melody of a song while improvising. He is also known for the energy and exuberance of his live concerts, a feeling that some critics have argued cannot be captured in studio recordings.

Rollins plays one of his best-known compositions, "St. Thomas," here:

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends Saxophone Colossus and More (Prestige P-24050, 2 LPs) and More from the Vanguard (Blue Note BN-LA475-H2, 2 LPs). The former is now available on CD — see below — but the latter is not. Jim Determan, who has updated the Lyons list for CD, also recommends the last four CDs in the list below.

• Saxophone Colossus and More (Purchase from Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Saxophone Colossus (Purchase from Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Rollins Plays for Bird (Purchase from Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Plus 4 (Purchase from Barnes & Noble.)
  
• A Night at the Vanguard (Purchase from Barnes & Noble.)
  

Robert