The best albums from legendary Blue Note Records jazz catalogue get impeccable audiophile treatment by Analogue Productions, cut at 45rpm for ultimate sound quality by equaly legendary mastering engineers Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman at AcousTech, preserving all the analog glory of the Original Master Tapes to bring these sessions to life in spectacular fashion, like they deserve.

• Limited Edition
• Numbered Edition
• Mastered from the Original Analog Master Tapes
• Cut by Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman
• Mastered at AcousTech
• 2LP 180 Gram Virgin Vinyl 45rpm
• Pressed by RTI USA

"…As much as I'd love to relay all kinds of anecdotes about the challenges Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray encounter during the mastering sessions, I witness none. These boys know the sound of the facility and the Van Gelder masters like the backs of their hands…Back home a month later, I unpack some test pressings Chad Kassem has sent me…I hear the most realistic-sounding drums ever reproduced by my system. It's as though I'm sitting at the point of creation, experiencing the same high that brought such gifted musicians together as one. Steve Hoffman, Kevin Gray, Chad Kassem, and Don MacInnis have done Rudy Van Gelder and his Blue Note artists proud." – Jason Victor Serinus, Stereophile

In jazz history, Sonny Rollins ranks among tenor-saxophone giants like Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Ben Webster and John Coltrane in talent and influence. In his dazzling 60-year career at the top, Rollins has balanced melodic development with unpredictable phrases, infusing his innovative ideas with his memorable wit.

J.J. Johnson shared the front line with his tenor master for an exceptional session that features a unique reworking of "Poor Butterfly" and a great original "Why Don't I." Horace Silver is the pianist, but Thelonious Monk replaces him on "Reflections" and both pianists alternate throughout a stunning version of "Misterioso."

"Sonny Rollins, Vol. 2, recorded for Blue Note, is a timeless session and a milestone in jazz history that gathered together some of the founding fathers of the post-bop era. Joining Rollins are Jazz Messengers Art Blakey on drums and Horace Silver on piano, Miles Davis' favorite bassist Paul Chambers, the quintessential trombonist J.J. Johnson, and even Thelonious Monk himself. The tour de force in swing begins with a bang and doesn't let up until the last note has faded away. Rollins' own uptempo "Why Don't I" kicks off the session with a rhythmic jolt before his big tenor launches into a classic swinging solo followed by turns from Johnson and Silver and some heated exchanges with Blakey. The aptly titled "Wail March" begins deceptively with a street-beat groove before careening into several blistering solo choruses. Monk sits in for his own "Misterioso" and "Reflections," two quintessential works from this eccentric master that are given excellent readings here. The bouncing "You Stepped Out of a Dream" provides some tasty interaction between Rollins and Johnson. Finally, the lilting "Poor Butterfly" is a nice bluesy ending to this all-star session." - All Music

Musicians:

Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophone
Jay Jay Johnson, trombone
Horace Silver, piano
Thelonious Monk, piano
Paul Chambers, bass
Art Blakey, drums

Track Listing:

1. Why Don't I
2. Wail March
3. Misterioso
4. Reflections
5. You Stepped Out of a Dream
6. Poor Butterfly

Click here to listen to samples on YouTube.com ♫