Sonny Rollins on "Sumphin'"

Happy birthday, Sonny! The greatest living tenor saxophonist turns 83 today, so I thought I'd share one of my favorite solos: "Sumphin'," a slow F blues from Duets (1957), which features the same band that's heard on the more famous Sonny Side Up (1957). 

I will say that musical notation is especially inadequate for this incredibly nuanced solo, so bear that in mind when you check out the transcription:

Bb
C
Eb

* * * * *

Nextbop contributor Ben Gray referred to my transcriptions of Monk and Charlie Rouse's solos on "Green Chimneys" from Underground (1968) in a recent blog post. Also, I was informed last week that a feature story of mine from the spring, "Social Class at Harvard," is a finalist for an Associated Collegiate Press story of the year award; 'twas a pleasant surprise.