Sonny Rollins And The Contemporary Leaders (180 g) (LP)

This was Sonny's second Contemporary album and his second West Coast session, a year and a half after the historic Way Out West. Jazz labels get their "personalities" not only from the musical tastes of the owner/recording executive, but also from the musicians signed to the company. The "Contemporary Sound", which was as distinctive as the competing "Blue Note Sound", the "Prestige Sound" and the "Pacific Jazz Sound", was largely a product of the work of Hampton Hawes, Barney Kessel and Shelly Manne, all of whom had won Down Beat Awards for their respective instruments and recorded as "The Poll Winners". With Hampton Hawes, Barney Kessel, Leroy Vinnegar, Shelly Manne, Victor Feldman This edition, released as part of the Acoustic Sounds Series, features (AAA) lacquers cut from the original master tapes by Bernie Grundman and is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI and presented in a tip-on cover.