MEDIUM Vinyl Record WEIGHT 180gr (black vinyl) 33rpm One Step CONDITION sealed COVER Getefold with OBI CONDITION COVER M mint SERIALNUMBER Yes STAMPER NO. 1 LIMITED Yes, to 1650 Copies MISCELLANEOUS Stereo COVER DAMAGES No, we take care about that MUSICIAN HOMEPAGE sonnyrollins.com
Doug Watkins - bass
Max Roach - drums
Tommy Flanagan - piano
Sonny Rollins - tenor sax
st. thomas - 6:45
you don't know what love is - 6:28
strode rode - 5:13
moritat - 10:04
blue 7 - 11:17
For this vinyl reissue, Hemiolia Records wanted to go beyond a “standard” restoration of “Saxophone Colossus”
While the “Saxophone Colossus” reissues previously available on the market were based on master tape copies of the recordings, Hemiolia Records had access to an original first-generation 1/4"-mono production master tape!
This allowed the label to create a unique stereo reinterpretation of the monophonic source material, one that is a far cry from the usual invasive mono manipulations in terms of sound quality
Pietro Benini’s remastering approaches “Saxophone Colossus” with the utmost respect, allowing this magnificent work to breathe in a broader and deeper soundstage without distorting the sonic essence and original dynamics of the 1956 recording
With “Saxophone Colossus,” Sonny Rollins finally achieved the widespread recognition as a central figure in the jazz world that he had long deserved
Until this release, music critics had not really taken Rollins seriously, while his peers were already predicting that he would become one of the influential new forces on the jazz scene
“Saxophone Colossus” was released in 1956 on Prestige Records and later inspired critics to write scholarly essays
Fans celebrated Rollins’ creativity, his sense of humor, and his outstanding ballads
The album is now considered a milestone in the history of jazz
It showcases Rollins’ virtuoso saxophone playing and his unique approach to improvisation, and was one of the first albums to highlight the importance of the saxophone as a solo instrument in jazz
Rollins’ playing technique and melodic style influenced numerous generations of subsequent saxophonists
In 1999, “Saxophone Colossus” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and in 2006, Jazzwise magazine ranked it No. 5 on its list of the “100 Jazz Albums That Shook the World”
In 2013, the German edition of Rolling Stone ranked it No. 45 on its list of the 100 best jazz albums, and in 2017, the album was added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry
Produced by Bob Weinstock and recorded on June 22, 1956, at Van Gelder Studios in Hackensack, New Jersey, the album features the legendary quartet lineup with Tommy Flanagan on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Max Roach on drums
To mark the launch of the “Hermiolia Reference Vinyl” series and lovingly remastered by Pietro Benini, the master cuts for this exclusive reissue were created by Andreas Bauer at AB Mastering in Germany
Stamper Discs in the UK is responsible for manufacturing the stampers
Although the market standard allows for the production of up to 1,000 copies per stamper, Hemiola Records limited production to just 550 copies per stamper to ensure consistent and uncompromising sound quality
The series is therefore limited to 1,650 strictly numbered copies with an OBI strip
Furthermore, “Saxophone Colossus” was pressed using the sonically superior one-step process to avoid intermediate duplicates and ensure the absolute purity of the grooves
Finally, RPM Records in Denmark monitors every single step of the “WarmTone” pressing process with meticulous care and professionalism to ensure that the quality of the 180-gram “Virgin” vinyl (33 rpm) is in no way inferior to the sound quality
RECORDING June 22 1956 at van Gelder Studio Hackensack ENGINEERING Rudy van Gelder LABEL Prestige MASTERING Pietro Benini MASTER SOURCE Tape Machine: Otari MTR15 Recorder • Mixing Desk: D&R Merlin – Full Analog 96-channel console • Outboard Processing: Maselec, Tube-Tech, Drawmer, Studer RELEASED 2026 AVERAGE RATING 5 Stars out of 5 PRESSING by RPM Records MADE IN Denmark STYLE Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop AVAILABLE as long as inventory
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