Saxophone Colossus

When Sonny Rollins entered the studio to record Saxophone Colossus, one of his more acclaimed albums as a leader, on June 22, 1956, he had already been a regular member of the celebrated Max Roach-Clifford Brown Quintet for half a year. This fact explains the presence of Max Roach on drums (also featured are Tommy Flanagan on piano and Doug Watkins on bass). Four days later, that group would no longer exist, for on June 26 Clifford Brown was killed in a tragic car accident. Age 26, Rollins was already a well-known jazz figure but after this LP he became a true star. It includes his' first reading of his classic "St. Thomas" and his unforgettable version of  "Moritat / Mack the Knife".