This week’s theme: Sonny Rollins on the Impulse label. Featured artists include Sonny Rollins, Tommy Flanagan, Bob Cranshaw, Billy Higgins, Mickey Roker, Freddie Hubbard, Elvin Jones, Jimmy Garrison, Oliver Nelson, Kenny Burrell, Roger Kellaway, Ray Bryant, Walter Booker, Mickey Roker

This week’s theme: Sonny Rollins on RCA. Artists include Sonny Rollins, Jim Hall, Bob Cranshaw, Ben Riley, Billy Higgins, Don Cherry, Coleman Hawkins, Paul Bley, Roy McCurdy, Henry Grimes, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Thad Jones

This week’s theme: Sonny Rollins. Featured artists include Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, Clifford Brown, Richie Powell, George Morrow, Miles Davis, Horace Silver, Percy Heath, Kenny Clarke, George Cables, Bob Cranshaw, David Lee, Ray Brown, Shelley Manne, Barney Kessel, Hampton Hawes, Leroy Vinnegar, Ben Riley, Jim Hall, Ray Bryant, Red Garland, Philly Joe Jones, Paul Chambers, Wade Legge, Kenny Dorham, Tommy Flanagan.

In addition to this podcast featuring Sonny Rollins, I’ve also done several Sonny-themed podcasts in the past. Here’s a list:

April 21, 2025, Sonny and Trane, Trane and Sonny

Nov. 11, 2024, Rollins Plays Rollins

May 27, 2024, Sonny Rollins, European Tour, 1959

Jan. 29, 2024, Random Rollins

June 26, 2023, Sonny Rollins, Prestige

The one from June 26, 2023, was  the third show I ever did and the first themed show after two introductory shows.

This week’s theme: A potpourri of jazz songs that have crossed over into the mainstream in some way. For example, Mercy, Mercy Mercy, The Sidewinder, or The Girl From Ipanema. Featured artists include John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Steve Davis, Vince Guaraldi, Monte Budwig, Colin Bailey, Herbie Mann, John Handy, Wes Montgomery, Ron Carter, Ray Barretto, Billy Taylor, Ben Tucker, Grady Tate, Les McCann, Eddie Harris, Benny Bailey, Leroy Vinnegar, Donald Dean, Stan Getz, Jaoa Gilberto, Astrid Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Joe Morello, Eugene Wright, Lee Morgan, Joe Henderson, Bob Cranshaw, Barry Harris, Billy Higgins, Cannonball Adderley, Nat Adderley, Joe Zawinul, Victor Gaskin, Roy McCurdy.

This week’s theme: Exploring recent vinyl reissues from Blue Note, Prestige, and Riverside. Featured artists include Dexter Gordon, Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, Dave Burns, Ron Carter, Hank Mobley, Freddie Hubbard, Wynton Kelly, Art Blakey, Donald Byrd, Frank Foster, Lew Tabackin, Julian Priester, Joe Chambers, Jimmy Ponder, Horace Silver, Stanley Turrentine, Bob Cranshaw, Mickey Roker, Miles Davis, Oscar Pettiford, Sonny Red, Sam Jones, Roy Brooks.

This week’s theme: Jim Hall as a sideman/dollaborator with, among others, Sonny Rollins, Paul Desmond, Art Farmer and Bill Evans. Other artists include Walter Perkins, Steve Swallow, Connie Kay, Percy Heath, Bob Cranshaw, Ben Riley, Pete LaRoca and more.

This week’s theme: Sonny Rollins plays the compositions of Sonny Rollins. Musicians include Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, Clifford Brown, George Morrow, Richie Powell, Art Blakey, JJ Johnson, Horace Silver, Paul Chambers, Red Garland, Philly Joe Jones, Kenny Burrell, Jim Hall, Bob Cranshaw, George Cables, Tommy Flanagan, Arthur Taylor, Miles Davis, Percy Heath, Kenny Clarke, and many more.