Should Saxophonists Do A "Sonny Rollins"?

[Dan Gould]

So our friend Allen Lowe made an interesting comment on FB and I thought I could turn it into a poll/discussion here.

Allen said:

I’m going to make a strong suggestion that unfortunately does not have the power of law, though I wish it did. It comes as a result of having seen two very fine tenor saxophonists recently who committed the cardinal sin of copying in the most shallow of ways: they started songs by doing what I will refer to as a “Sonny Rollins”: they played long, technically complex but artistically lackluster solo introductions on the horn, solo bits clearly inspired by Sonny, both of which came off, in his extended shadow, like treading water until the song actually started. I found it irritating and pointless, so proprietary is this technique in the way that Rollins has perfected it and turned it into the most personal of gestures. I want this technique banned. I find it embarrassing in its transparent Imitation, and maddening in its violation of that particular space that only Sonny can and should occupy. In each case it was like a violation of the intimate relationship between Rollins and song, and it was just wrong. And I find it shocking that neither of these two very brilliant players had the artistic sense or perspective to realize this. And I am not joking. An artist needs to be more introspective and self-aware

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So what do you all think?

 

Edited April 14, 2022 by Dan Gould

[Milestones]

Well, a cadenza usually comes at the end (or near the end) of a piece.  But they can occur anywhere.

Isn't banning a "Sonny Rollins" a bit like banning cadenzas?

 

 

[Teasing the Korean]

2 minutes ago, Milestones said:

Well, a cadenza usually comes at the end (or near the end) of a piece.  But they can occur anywhere.

Isn't banning a "Sonny Rollins" a bit like banning cadenzas?

We have a Brutalist credenza, the same model that was in Don Draper's office for a few seasons of Mad Men.  One of my speakers is directly beside it, meaning that my credenza comes beside each jazz piece rather than before or after.  Here it is:

[Dub Modal]

I’m just glad opinions about art don’t have the power of law. 

[JSngry]

In the cabals of management and bookings, they often do 

[danasgoodstuff]

If it were banned (as if such a thing could be done), it would be limiting Sonny's influence on others.  And I've heard Sonny do it at the end more often than at the beginning of tunes.  I voted for the second option; do it just do it well.