Great Players RIP Sonny Rollins

[rhysonsax]

I wonder whether we were at any of the same gigs.

I remember seeing Sonny at the Fairfield Hall, Croydon when BBC Radio 3 recorded the concert and broadcast it a few weeks later. I still have that on cassette and also as mp3 files that are pretty good. Here's one tune from that date:

View: https://youtu.be/Svko_rMmP3I?si=L3PKgXWLSJhJmg9U


I also saw him at other London venues including:

• The Dominion Theatre, Tottenham Court Road
• Festival Hall - I sat behind the band where the choir would sit for choral concerts.
• The Barbican
• Other venues I don't remember but might be able to find out. Maybe the Hammersmith Odeon or the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane ?

Sometimes the other players in the band seemed to be going through the motions a bit and not all Sonny's solos were brilliant but there was always some amazing playing and extended inventions from Sonny. Later into the mid and late 90s I felt that his playing was in decline and it was too upsetting to hear that happening, so I stopped going to see him.

@jonf do you remember where you saw Sonny play and when ?

Rhys

 

[Dr G]

Nice to see some respect and recognition of Sonny in the BBC.

Sonny Rollins: 'Saxophone colossus' jazz legend dies aged 95

Known as the "saxophone colossus", Rollins had a lauded career spanning decades.

www.bbc.com

 

[progger]

Yesterday I was practicing along to "Sonny Rollins Plus Four" in the early afternoon on both my main instruments (tenor and piano), and it had been quite a while since I'd done that. I had no idea at the time. Spent a long time just hanging out with his brilliant sound and sensibilities, then read the news and couldn't believe it. The universe is weird like that sometimes.

Thank you for your service, Master Rollins, you gave us so very much. A lifetime of inspiration and a wonderful role model when it comes to the right values and priorities for music and the arts overall. Fearless honesty, sincere mastery of the craft, and endless imaginative exploration. ❤️

With this event, I think the Mount Rushmore of jazz saxophone has left the material world at last. I'm grateful we have their recordings.

 

[saxyjt]

Another great musician and exceptional human being by all accounts goes away but he left such a legacy that we will keep him close by for quite some time. I know I will...

 

[jonf]

@jonf do you remember where you saw Sonny play and when ?

Rhys

I saw him at The Festival Hall in 1990. I also saw him earlier, in the mid 1980s, which I had thought was at the Barbican, but I can't find any record of him playing there at that time so it must have been somewhere else. Maybe Fairfield Halls?

 

[Pasogent]

R.IP. Sonny Rollins

 

[cappers]

Four of the most popular songs in our band's repertoire are Sonny's.
Tenor Madness, St.Thomas, Alfie's Theme, and Doxy. They all have that 'something' that makes them fun to play and listen to.
His playing is sublime, probably my favourite player, a true Master.
Listening to 'Decision' as I type this.
R.I.P.

 

[skeller047]

The universe is weird like that sometimes

I am on a long road trip, yesterday was in Reno NV. It was my last full day in that town, and I had plans to hang out with and play a bit with a close friend and fellow tenor player. I felt out of sorts all day, kind of like I was high, spaced out and didn’t know what was going on. Went to my friend’s house, we listened to some music and played a bit, and I felt better.

Got back to my AirBnB and looked at Instagram. Here was a post from another saxophonist, a guy I know, saying that he had felt out of it all day, and went to his gig where he found out that Sonny Rollins had passed on. Of course they played his tunes all night. Reading that post is how I found out.

This is the universe explaining to us that there has been a shift. One of the most powerful spirits in our world has made the transition to the next phase. We felt it without really understanding at the time. Now we know.

Go in peace master.

 

[Sacks Of Phones]

He had a good run - 95 years old. Most don't make it that far. Dizzy's Sonny Side Up album is one of my favorite all time jazz albums. Rollins was at his peak going toe to toe with Stitt.

 

[Greg Strange]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuNJJZ3xteY

 

[rhysonsax]

I found a couple of old photos that I took of Sonny and the band when I saw him at the Royal Festival Hall in the 80s. I was sitting in the choir seats behind the band and possibly using my old Olympus Trip or Canon A1.

Rhys