Sonny Rollins, Milt Jackson, Kenny Drew, Art Blakey / Germany, October 30, 1965 & more

This miraculous all-star session from Berlin in 1965—featuring the towering tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins alongside vibraphone master Milt Jackson, renowned pianist Kenny Drew, virtuoso bassist Percy Heath, and one of jazz’s greatest drummers, Art Blakey—has been revived here using pitch-corrected broadcast recordings. It is a must-hear live performance that fully captures the unbridled freedom and overwhelming creativity Rollins had attained by the mid-1960s. The ensemble—comprising Rollins’ incisive tenor sax, Jackson’s lustrous vibraphone, Drew’s sophisticated piano, and the powerhouse rhythm section of Heath and Blakey—unites to deliver thrilling renditions of everything from standards to modern jazz numbers. Rollins’ improvisations are in peak form; his masterful ability to reconstruct compositions while fluidly transforming their themes truly embodies the essence of jazz. Furthermore, Blakey’s explosive drumming injects intense energy throughout the performance, drawing the listener right to the front row of the stage. This release features the previously unissued recording from the first night of the two-day Berlin engagement. It also includes a bonus track: a broadcast recording from a 1966 concert in Boston. This is a historic live recording—an essential for collectors—that documents the rich, intricate interplay of elite musicians from the golden age of hard bop. 1,Oleo(6:39) 2.Sonny’s Blues(9:49) 3.Blue And Boogie(4:58) 4.There Will Never Be Another You(10:38) 5.Someone To Watch Over Me(10:36) Tracks 1&2 : Live At Philharmonie, Berlin, Germany October 30th, 1965 Sonny Rollins(ts) Milt Jackson(vib) Kenny Drew(p) Percy Heath(b) Art Blakey(dr) Tracks 3-5 : Live At Boston, MA 1966 Sonny Rollins(ts) Milton Sealy(p) Herb Brown(b) Frankie Dunlop(dr)