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Sonny Rollins: A Diamond in the Rough
by Bob Kenselaar
[Sonny Rollins was finishing up an extended tour at the time of this 1978 interview. Milestone Records had brought him together with pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Al Foster to form a group called the Milestone Jazzstars that played 20 shows that year and recorded a live album. He talked about other tours, his work in film, and his continuing musical development.] Sonny Rollins doesn't get at all excited about being called the world's greatest tenor saxophonist.
Continue ReadingSonny Rollins: Mark of Greatness
by R.J. DeLuke
Making two trips to the White House within a calendar year, to receive two of the nation's most prestigious awards bestowed upon artists, is more than fairly momentous. Those are significant feathers in the ol' cap--surely reasons to crow or, at the very least, feel pretty satisfied about oneself.So it had to be a hell of a year for Sonny Rollins--had to be. But, with the ever level-headed, realistic and humble Rollins, one wouldn't really notice it. He ...
Continue ReadingSonny Rollins: Road Shows, Vol. 2
by Greg Simmons
The Beacon Theatre in New York holds 2,700 people, and--much like fans claiming to have seen the final game of the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field--there may already be 20,000 people who swear they were there for Sonny Rollins' 80th Birthday performance. At 80 years old, Rollins is still a damn good tenor saxophonist, and Roadshows Volume 2 captures terrific performances from three 2010 live dates, with a heavy emphasis on that birthday party and some A-list guests.
Continue ReadingSonny Rollins: Road Shows, Vol. 2
by Dan McClenaghan
Tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, into his eighth decade now, has nothing left to prove but keeps doing it anyway. The iconic artist has put out classic albums like Newk's Time (Blue Note Records, 1957) and Saxophone Colossus (Prestige Records, 1956) and The Bridge (RCA Records, 1962), continuing to maintain a vibrant career for more than six decades and surging forward with with 2008's Road Shows, Volume 1 (Doxy Records) and now, with Road Shows, Volume 2.This is, as ...
Continue ReadingSonny Rollins: Road Shows, Vol. 2
by Dan Bilawsky
Road Shows, Vol. 1 (Doxy, 2008) was the cure for all that ailed Sonny Rollins fans who were familiar with his herculean abilities in live settings, yet disappointed with some of his studio output. Famous for being his own worst critic, the tenor saxophonist cherry-picked all of the material for that outing, meeting near-universal acclaim upon its release. Now, three years later, Rollins returns with his highly anticipated sequel. Road Shows, Vol. 2 adheres to the same ...
Continue ReadingSonny Rollins: Newk's Time
by Greg Simmons
Possibly the premier US remastering shop, Music Matters continues to reissue Blue Note albums of the 1950s and 1960s on premium 180 gram, 45rpm vinyl. These recordings are at the heart of the jazz canon and should be heard by any serious student of the music. Now, one of the finest performances in the Blue Note catalogue, tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins' 1957 date Newk's Time, has hit the street. Newk's Time features some of Rollins' most robust ...
Continue ReadingSonny Rollins: On Impulse / There Will Never Be Another You
by Greg Simmons
What could be better than an album by Sonny Rollins? Two albums by Sonny Rollins, especially a reissue of two treasured Impulse! releases--On Impulse! (1965) and There Will Never Be Another You (1978)--in their entirety, on a single 75-minute CD. That's a lot of satisfying tenor time with the Saxophone Colossus. On the heels of his 80th birthday, there's not a lot that can be added to the musical criticism of Rollins. More often than not his press ...
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