A private audience with Sonny Rollins

[half diminished]

"A private audience'? Well that's what it felt like sat in the middle of the front row at the Barbican last night. Over 2 hours of the most fabulous music played by the worlds greatest living, possibly greatest ever lived saxophone player.

Sonny walked right up to me, looked into my eyes and seemed to be playing just for me. What a tremendous experience and one that will remain with me for the rest of my life! I can't believe he's 80 years old. Fantastic sound.

Thanks to Phil thehunt and his lovely wife too. Great to meet up with you both.

Here's a taster of an image I shot. I have loads more and might be up for selling one or two prints if anyone's interested - suitable donations to Pete's charity of course. Colour's a little too red after the upload, much better on my screen. I'll have to look into that.

 

[VirusKiller]

Very very envious! If I'd have joined the forum a few months earlier, I would have snapped up the pair of tix for sale here in an instant... Glad you enjoyed it; I hope he'll be around for many years to come!

 

[fishpond]

"A private audience'? Well that's what it felt like sat in the middle of the front row at the Barbican last night. Over 2 hours of the most fabulous music played by the worlds greatest living, possibly greatest ever lived saxophone player.

Sonny walked right up to me, looked into my eyes and seemed to be playing just for me. What a tremendous experience and one that will remain with me for the rest of my life! I can't believe he's 80 years old. Fantastic sound.

Thanks to Phil thehunt and his lovely wife too. Great to meet up with you both.

Here's a taster of an image I shot. I have loads more and might be up for selling one or two prints if anyone's interested - suitable donations to Pete's charity of course. Colour's a little too red after the upload, much better on my screen. I'll have to look into that.

I was also sat on the front row, the concert started at excellent and just got better.
What was annoying was people taking b****y photographs when the audience had been respectfully asked not to, for fear of upsetting the artists and members of the paying public.

 

[half diminished]

I was also sat on the front row, the concert started at excellent and just got better.
What was annoying was people taking b****y photographs when the audience had been respectfully asked not to, for fear of upsetting the artists and members of the paying public.

I think you'll find that people were asked to refrain from taking pictures with flash, there was no request to not take photographs at all just to avoid distracting the artist or annoying the audience and I did neither. I have a silent and tiny Leica with no flash. Even the persons next to me had no cause for complaint nor did they complain and anyone further than two or three people away would not have been aware at all.

 

[thehunt]

Was a few seats away from Ian, but off to the right, i concur it looked like Sonny was playing just to him. Agree was a really fantastic experience, i feel very priviledged to have seen the great man. Wanted to get home after the gig and get the tenor out, but the wife said NO! He just would not put the sax down, i can honestly say that i got lost in some of the pieces he was playing, it was hypnotic. Phil
Good to see you again Ian.

"A private audience'? Well that's what it felt like sat in the middle of the front row at the Barbican last night. Over 2 hours of the most fabulous music played by the worlds greatest living, possibly greatest ever lived saxophone player.

Sonny walked right up to me, looked into my eyes and seemed to be playing just for me. What a tremendous experience and one that will remain with me for the rest of my life! I can't believe he's 80 years old. Fantastic sound.

Thanks to Phil thehunt and his lovely wife too. Great to meet up with you both.

Here's a taster of an image I shot. I have loads more and might be up for selling one or two prints if anyone's interested - suitable donations to Pete's charity of course. Colour's a little too red after the upload, much better on my screen. I'll have to look into that.

 

[Young Col]

Glad you all enjoyed him. Top price tickets were a bit excessive for me, even for one of the greats, and the lower price seats might not have captured the atmosphere (and I have seen him - years ago!).
YC

 

[half diminished]

Glad you all enjoyed him. Top price tickets were a bit excessive for me, even for one of the greats, and the lower price seats might not have captured the atmosphere (and I have seen him - years ago!).
YC

Not much more than a quid a week mate if you start saving now - just in case he comes again next year.

Was a few seats away from Ian, but off to the right, i concur it looked like Sonny was playing just to him. Agree was a really fantastic experience, i feel very priviledged to have seen the great man. Wanted to get home after the gig and get the tenor out, but the wife said NO! He just would not put the sax down, i can honestly say that i got lost in some of the pieces he was playing, it was hypnotic. Phil
Good to see you again Ian.

And you too. I'll bung the images on a website this week so your dear lady can chose what she wants, I'll pm you when its done. I've been playing Don't Stop the Carnival and the Everywhere Calypso since yesterday, I didn't get home until well after midnight so couldn't get the sax out on Saturday. Strangely though we (Sonny and I) seem to be largely playing the same notes, in the same order..... one of us sound rather better than the other though!

There's a great 'animation' here with a transcription video running alongside Sonny playing. Awesome!

I hope to have 1% of his talent before I die!

 

[thehunt]

I don't think you do yourself justice, sure Sonny is awesome but you've only been playing a couple of years like me. He's most probably forgotten more than we know combined. He's been playing over 64 years...!!!
If we can't get a low Bb down by then, then we should give up.lol
Anyway i bet he can't take such nice photos!

 

[thehunt]

Did you notice on the everything calypso it goes round the cycle of fifths.

Not much more than a quid a week mate if you start saving now - just in case he comes again next year.



And you too. I'll bung the images on a website this week so your dear lady can chose what she wants, I'll pm you when its done. I've been playing Don't Stop the Carnival and the Everywhere Calypso since yesterday, I didn't get home until well after midnight so couldn't get the sax out on Saturday. Strangely though we (Sonny and I) seem to be largely playing the same notes, in the same order..... one of us sound rather better than the other though!

There's a great 'animation' here with a transcription video running alongside Sonny playing. Awesome!

I hope to have 1% of his talent before I die!

 

[Young Col]

Thanks Ian, but us poor pensioners you know. Could be a toss up betweeen SR or Karen's next workshop. On the other hand, could use the Winter Fuel Allowance - fully justified on the grounds that the SR gig would produce a warm glow that lasts for years!
YC

 

[half diminished]

I don't think you do yourself justice, sure Sonny is awesome but you've only been playing a couple of years like me. He's most probably forgotten more than we know combined. He's been playing over 64 years...!!!
If we can't get a low Bb down by then, then we should give up.lol
Anyway i bet he can't take such nice photos!

I'd probably swap my photography prowess for his sax/jazz prowess. 🙂

Did you notice on the everything calypso it goes round the cycle of fifths.

Not when I play it..... mainly hangs around a II V I in D and G majors.

Thanks Ian, but us poor pensioners you know. Could be a toss up betweeen SR or Karen's next workshop. On the other hand, could use the Winter Fuel Allowance - fully justified on the grounds that the SR gig would produce a warm glow that lasts for years!
YC

Yep. I asked Karen about another workshop... expect one in the Autumn of 2011. I'll keep you posted. Much as I love Karen, I'd go for Sonny out of the two - he ain't gonna be around for ever whilst she'll run many a workshop in the future.

 

[Young Col]

:welldone