Sonny Rollins

Given the singular, distilled sound of the MJQ, it is amazing how well they fit in with such diverse saxophone titans as Paul Desmond and on this recording, Sonny Rollins. Rollins' opening cuts with the MJQ are as gutsy and gritty as his later sides with Art Blakey or his own hard bop ensemble. So not only do you get a young, tough MJQ, you also get early period Rollins. Superb.