Oscar Brown, Jr.'s 'Strong Man,' performed by Abbey Lincoln with Sonny Rollins, Kenny Dorham, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Max Roach, recorded for the LP Abbey Lincoln with the Riverside Jazz Stars on this day in 1957. youtube.com/watch?v=MWNxmx…

Happy birthday, Dizzy Gillespie! Here's the trumpeter on his blues 'Sumphin',' with Sonny Rollins, Ray Bryant, Tommy Bryant, and Charlie Persip, recorded for the 1958 Verve LP Dizzy Gillespie Duets with Sonny Rollins and Sonny Stitt. youtube.com/watch?v=l2fant…

Happy birthday, Thelonious Monk! 'To Thelonious, my guru, and our guru.' –S.R. (photog. unknown)

Sonny Rollins performs his composition 'The Stopper' with John Lewis, Milt Jackson, Percy Heath, and Kenny Clarke, recorded for the Prestige LP 'Sonny Rollins with the Modern Jazz Quartet, Art Blakey and Kenny Drew' on this day in 1953. youtu.be/Be3fmkp0K04

Happy Birthday Oscar Pettiford! Here's the bassist with Sonny Rollins, Kenny Dorham, Hank Jones, and Max Roach, on Rodgers & Hart's 'Falling in Love with Love,' recorded for Dorham's 1957 Riverside LP 'Jazz Contrasts': youtu.be/-3IZep_AQn0

'Music is something monumental, and living an ethical life is also monumental. They enhance each other.' Sonny Rollins returns to Sounds Visual Radio to talk about his new initiative, the Freedom Suite Foundation: soundsvisualradio.com/podcast/sounds…

A sprightly version of Cole Porter's 'Just One of Those Things,' performed by the Max Roach Quintet with Sonny Rollins, trumpeter Kenny Dorham, pianist Ray Bryant, and bassist George Morrow, recorded for the EmArcy LP Max Roach + 4 on this day in 1956:
youtube.com/watch?v=ycBO_L…

Happy Birthday Elvin Jones! Here's the drummer with Sonny Rollins and Wilbur Ware on Sonny's 'Sonnymoon for Two,' from the 1957 Blue Note LP A Night at the Village Vanguard. youtu.be/Cl4LKaS1nLI

Happy Birthday to bassist Wilbur Ware, born in Chicago on this day in 1923. Here he is with Sonny Rollins and Elvin Jones on Sonny's 'Striver's Row,' from the 1957 Blue Note LP A Night at the Village Vanguard. youtu.be/bQntyoRDLzI

Walter Theodore 'Sonny' Rollins was born in New York City on this day in 1930. 'So far so good for me. It’s all good.' –S.R.

Sonny Rollins plays his composition 'Young Roy,' written for and featuring trumpeter Roy Hargrove, along with pianist Mark Soskin, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Al Foster. Recorded for the Milestone album 'Here's to the People' on this day in 1991. youtube.com/watch?v=JQx32B…

Sonny Rollins performs his composition 'G-Man,' with Clifton Anderson, Mark Soskin, Bob Cranshaw, and Marvin 'Smitty' Smith. Recorded in Saugerties, NY on this day in 1986 for the Milestone LP Sonny Rollins Plays G-Man. youtube.com/watch?v=m7VLoV…

“Jazz had been seen as a bunch of ghoulish characters that came up after it got dark, like Dracula… this picture showed jazz musicians to be people.” Sonny Rollins talks to the CBC about Art Kane’s “Great Day in Harlem” photograph, taken this day in 1958. cbc.ca/radio/q/thursd…