Sonny Rollins
Tenor Sax Solo on
Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)

About

Sonny Rollins's tenor saxophone solo is the second and final improvisation on this recording. Rollins solos over the second half of the form to end the tune, taking a half chorus of the 32-bar AABA in F at 105 BPM. His solo brings the performance to a warm conclusion, the relaxed tempo drawing out a gentler side of his artistry that contrasts with the rhythmic bravura heard on the album's up-tempo tracks. The half-chorus format creates an intimate, song-like quality well suited to Berlin's tender composition.

Sonny Rollins was 25 to 26 years old at the time.