Sonny Rollins, jazz saxophonist, has died
rollingstone.comI saw Sonny Rollins at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1997. I bought a single ticket from a classified ad. The group who sold it were about 10 or 12 people who have been attending together for 30 years — the type of people you would want to be sitting with there.
Diana Krall opened and by open I mean she was the first of 4 acts and had a free concert a couple days before at a coffee shop down the street — practically unknown.
Sonny Rollins headlined and for the encore he played La Cucaracha. After about 20 minutes of La Cucaracha the pianist was signaling to the sound engineer to cut the sound. 5 minutes later the band one by one started to put down their instruments walking off the stage. Sonny Rollins kept belting La Cucaracha from his saxophone probably for another half hour or more after that. Life is good.
I saw Sonny Rollins at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 2005. I had written a paper that was accepted at a conference, and thing realized the festival was going on at the same time. Unfortunately I learned this very late. Pat Metheny was the featured artist that year, and I'm a big fan, but all the tickets for him were sold out. I checked the lineup and realized Rollins was playing and snagged a couple of tickets for him instead. Honestly, I admit I mainly went to see him because I wasn't sure how much longer he would be playing.
I especially remember that he played "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" - my wife and I still talk about it.
My favorite Sony Rollins story: he heard ‘Waiting on a Friend’ in a grocery store.
He thought to himself, “finally, a Rolling Stones song that I like.”
Then he remembered he was the saxophone player on the song…
RIP - last of the greats - hugely influential to me in his disciplined approach to perfecting his craft and overall grit - https://www.selmer.fr/en-int/blogs/infos/sonny-rollins-bridg...
Maybe not the most flattering story about Sonny Rollins but, it was funny and one of the more notable storires told to us at Hartt by Jackie McLean: Jackie was coming home to NYC early AM with Sonny in Sonny's car - I forget the model, but it was referred to as "The Blue Demon" in this story. As they're getting close to the city, maybe crossing the GW, Sonny asks Jackie, "who is better, me or Trane?" Jackie feeling very put on the spot starts trying to find a way out without hurting Sonny's feelings says something like, "Aw man, it's not like that. You can't compare you guys.". At this point Sonny abruptly stops the car and says, "Get out." Jackie had to find the rest of his way home. Maybe KD in DB can corroborate, pretty sure he's on here too.
We saw him live in Kansas City in 1998. He soloed for 36 choruses on St. Thomas. Gave the people what they came to see. Amazing to have so many ideas flow effortlessly.
Rollins was the last living musician that was in the famous 1958 jazz photograph:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Great_Day_in_Harlem
Documentary:
He was the last of the legends.
Definitely on sax.
On bass we still have Ron Carter, age 89, still touring.
Just came from my kid's school district jazz fest. One of the band instructors mentioned Sonny Rollins had passed and he was the last jazz legend alive that appeared in the A Great Day in Harlem photo : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Great_Day_in_Harlem Maybe what they were referring to...
Sonny Rollins was probably the last great player from the bebop age though who was there at its birth, and probably the last master who played with Charlie Parker too!
Ron Carter and Herbie Hancock are still going strong of course, and still brilliant. George Coleman, Jack DeJohnette, and Dave Holland are all still playing to pick some other names at random.
Jack DeJohnette died in October.
Oh crap I completely missed that! Boo!
I have to admit, I was a little surprised to discover that Rollins was still alive. You tend to assume that giants like him are all in the distant past, not still walking the earth.
Yeah I know what you mean! I’m so thankful we can still go see Ron Carter and Herbie Hancock.
you just got me to go to https://www.herbiehancock.com/tour/ and https://roncarterjazz.com/pages/ron-carter-performance-sched...
They’re playing together at the Monterey Jazz Festival in September. Bit of a stretch to go to that, but I might go to Indianapolis to see Herbie in August.
Yep. Who in the current milieu (specifically in music) has a chance of becoming a legend? I can’t really think of anyone.
Depending on your definition, in jazz, I would say there are a few who might become/already are legends: Branford and Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Pat Metheny, John Scofield. Maybe also John Patitucci, Dave Weckl, Bill Charlap, Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Bill Stewart, Brian Blade, Kenny Garrett, Kenny Barron, Bill Frisell. I tried to pick the bigger names who do a lot more touring internationally and who I think already have some wider visibility, rather than some of the (perhaps) lesser known players like Mike LeDonne, Chris Potter, Eric Alexander, Sam Yahel, Andy Gravish, David Hazeltine (who are all still phenomenal of course). I think Wynton and Branford, Mehldau, and McBride all have pretty visible profiles.
Scofield and Frisell are both legends to me, both getting on in years by now though...
Julian Lage picking up the torch
Absolutely! Maybe also Jonathan Kreisberg for guitar.. oh and on piano how could I forget Benny Green! I kind of feel he's not as big as he should be. Another pianist who I really love and took a few lessons with in NYC is Bruce Barth, also sorely underappreciated.
Comes just a few days after the death of Dick Parry, Pink Floyd's saxophonist.
KCSM 91.1 San Mateo is doing an all-day tribute to the Sax Colossius today! HOT DAMN did he put out a lot of stuff.