Alas, Reese does not explain his editing process — how he winnowed six boxes of material down to a 152-page book that still contains a lot of filler and close-to-meaningless verbiage.

The notebooks have many vital details, but it’s an open question whether they will reveal much to the reader. This is because they are details of saxophone playing that will be familiar to anyone intimate with the instrument but will likely be baffling to others.

Illuminating diary entries by a jazz legend; highly recommended reading for fans, musicians, and general audiences..

Rollins’ thoughtful notebooks chart the discipline and evolution of a deeply spiritual and enduring artist..

Fascinating.

Evocative if occasionally enigmatic.