Sonny Rollins – Saxophone Colossus

by | May 26, 2026

Episode Playlist This is the news that I have been dreading-the death of Sonny Rollins at 95 at his home in upstate New York on May 25th. To my mind Sonny was the greatest musician ever to pick up a saxophone and one of the foremost improvisers in the history of jazz....

Tenor Madness

by | May 13, 2026

Episode Playlist If there is one instrument that is indelibly associated with jazz, it is surely the saxophone. In a recent post-Altoitis I made the case for the alto saxophone-my own instrument. However, over the life span of jazz it could be argued that the tenor...

In Memory Of Mike Westbrook 1936-2026

by | Apr 14, 2026

Episode Playlist With the death of Mike Westbrook just recently announced I want to pay brief homage to one of the towering figures in European jazz. I deliberately reference Mike’s European lineage because while so much of his work speaks to his deep immersion in...

Can you name these Jazz Legends?

by | Apr 4, 2026

Episode Playlist For every Miles Davis or John Coltrane- both of whom are celebrating their centenaries in 2026-for every Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker, Mary Lou Williams, Ornette Coleman or Sonny Rollins whose reputations and legacies within and beyond the jazz...

Alto-itis

by | Mar 17, 2026

Episode Playlist The instrument most elementally linked to jazz is unquestionably the saxophone. Full disclosure – I write as an alto player who was drawn to that member of the sax family all those years ago because it seemed to embody the quintessential soul...