This week’s theme: More of Sonny Rollins as a sideman. Featured artists include Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Ernie Henry, Oscar Pettiford, Max Roach, Clifford Brown, Richie Powell, George Morrow, Abbey Lincoln, Kenny Dorham, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Hank Jones, Horace Silver, Percy Heath, Kenny Clarke, Art Farmer, Bud Powell, Fats Navarro, Tommy Potter, Roy Haynes, JJ Johnson, John Lewis, Gene Ramey, Shadow Wilson.

This week’s theme: Sonny Rollins as a sideman, starting with his first recordings as an 18-year-old. Featured artists include Sonny Rollins, JJ Johnson, Kenny Dorham, Clifford Brown, Max Roach, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Philly Joe Jones, Babs Gonzalez, Thelonious Monk, Julius Watkins, Percy Heath, Willie Jones, Bennie Green, John Lewis, Roy Haynes.

This week’s theme: Happy Third Anniversary to the Jazz Collector Live radio show and podcast, featuring the best of something. Featured artists include John Coltrane, Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, Miles Davis, Hank Mobley, Wynton Kelly, Jimmy Cobb, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, Percy Heath, Connie Kay, Stan Getz, Duke Jordan, Jimmy Raney, Zoot Sims, Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Rosemary Clooney, Warren Vache, Scott Hamilton, Cal Collins, Charlie Parker, Joao Gilberto, Maxine Sullivan, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Roland Kirk, Charles Mingus, John Handy, Clifford Brown, Max Roach, Harold Land, Richie Powell, Charlie Parker, LaVern Baker, Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Cedar Walton and more.

This week’s theme: Jazz and vocal versions of songs written by Irving Berlin. Featured artists include John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Sonny Rollins, Ray Bryant, Max Roach, George Bryant, Charles McPherson, Jackie McLean, Rosemary Clooney, Ed Bickert, Scott Hamilton, John Oddo, Scott Hamilton, Warren Vache, Bill Evans, Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Lamott, Duke Jordan, Walter Bishop Jr., Oscar Peterson, Dinah Washington, Lockjaw Davis, Paul Quinichette, Clark Terry, Lou Donaldson, Horace Silver, Arthur Taylor.

This week’s theme: Jazz versions of Rodgers and Hart compositions. Featured artists include Miles Davis, Paul Desmond, Jim Hall, Art Tatum, Ben Webster, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Sheila Jordan, Chet Baker, Sonny Stitt, Anita O’Day, Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, John Coltrane, Johnny Hartman, Lee Wiley.

This week’s theme: Miles Davis centennial celebration continues with Miles and Bird, 1947 and 1948. Featured artists include Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, JJ Johnson, Duke Jordan, Tommy Potter, Max Roach, John Lewis, Curly Russell.

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. Miles Davis Centennial. Miles with Bird, 1945-1947, Dial and Savoy. Featured artists include Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Sadie Hakim, Curly Russell, Max Roach, Lucky Thompson, Dodo Marmarosa, Arvin Garrison, Vic McMillian, Roy Porter, Bud Powell, Tommy Potter, John Lewis, Nelson Boyd, Duke Jordan.

This week’s theme: It’s Springtime! Featured artists include Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Dexter Gordon, Karin Krog, Kenny Drew, Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson, Carmen McRae, Stan Getz, Shelly Manne, LeRoy Vinnegar, Lou Levy, Conte Candoli, Johnny Griffin, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Arthur Taylor, Kenny Dorham, Cannonball Adderley, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb, Cedar Walton, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Clifford Brown, Richie Powell, George Morrow, Harold Land, Sarah Vaughan, John Coltrane, Wilbur Hardin, Astrud Gilberto.

This week I indulge myself with a show for my very own birthday. In the past I’ve played tracks recorded on Feb. 4, including Miles Davis Milestones. But two years in, I’ve dipped into that well too often. So this year, the focus is on the year I was born, 1953. As I say on the Podcast, it was a very good year for jazz and boys from Queens. Also a great chance to focus on 10-inch records from the collection. Featured artists include Miles Davis, Horace Silver, Percy Heath, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Curley Russell, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, Oscar Peterson, Charlie Shavers, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Gerry Mulligan, Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Joe Dodge, Ron Crotty, Jay Jay Johnson, Jimmy Heath, Gil Coggins, Tadd Dameron, Clifford Brown, Lou Donaldson, Gigi Gryce, Charlie Parker, Red Garland, Roy Haynes, Chet Baker, Russ Freeman, Carson Smith, Larry Bunker, Shelly Manne, Art Pepper, Bob Cooper, Jummy Giuffre, Bob Enevoldsen, Marty Paich, Curtis Counce, Phil Woods, Jon Eardley, George Syran, Teddy Kotick, Nick Stabulas.