Astonishingly creative melodic variations in a pianoless trio with Ray Brown and Shelly Manne.

Too much of Sonny's work emphasises Sonny, without much of a band conception, which is part of what makes this album special: I enjoy hearing Max Roach's phenomenal "rolling thunder" and Ray Bryant's wry accompaniment as much as I do Sonny's marvelously inspired performance. The most underrated of Sonny's albums.

I loooove Tommy Flanagan but am not as big a fan of this album as some people. Nevertheless, its importance cannot be denied.

In retrospect, Rollins 1960s 'comeback' from a self-imposed retirement was a transitional period, and while there are some fine albums from the decade, none seem absolutely essential. Skip ahead to this scorching live set from 1973, where you hear the new Sonny Rollins conception of the 1970s and thereafter at its most fierce.

Heading back to the 1950s, I have a soft spot for this set made on Contemporary with an all-star cast of West Coast musicians. I am a sucker for the Contemporary sound, and Sonny fits right in.