After Sonny Rollins first appeared on a Blue Note session as a member of Bud Powell’s Modernists in 1949, the Saxophone Colossus began building his name as a bandleader with a run of albums for Prestige before returning to make his Blue Note debut as a leader in 1956. Volume 1 hit all the marks of a classic Rollins session with four hard-swinging originals that showcased the saxophonist’s robust sound and seemingly limitless improvisational creativity with a top-shelf quintet featuring Donald Byrd on trumpet, Wynton Kelly on piano, Gene Ramey on bass, and Max Roach on drums. In true Rollins fashion, the album’s centerpiece is a stunning ballad performance of an unexpected song choice: “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” from the Broadway show Finian’s Rainbow.

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is mono, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.