Holy Ghost Posted May 27 Posted May 27 8 hours ago, gmonahan said: A titan has left us. I saw him in Portland on his last west coast tour. The ticket for that concert sits in a frame on my wall. I'll be playing a lot of wonderful music today. Absolutely! I tucked my ticket stubs (friend I went with gave me his stub) in my copies of "A Night at the Village Vanguard" CD's (have the three volume TOCJ's). Third row seats too! Quote
clifford_thornton Posted May 27 Posted May 27 8 hours ago, John L said: Let's see if New York has the sense to rename the bridge for him. THIS. Quote
romualdo Posted May 27 Posted May 27 10 hours ago, Peter Friedman said: He was the last survivor from the classic photo by Art Kane - Harlem 1958There is an enlarged framed copy of that photo hanging on my wall. After reading that comment, I walked over to the photo and located Sonny Rollins in the midst of all those wonderful jazz musicians . He's just above Marian McPartland & Mary Lou Williams wearing the shades. I've had that image up on the wall at home for years His recent biography is currently sitting in my "to read" pile RIP Sonny (G-Man) Quote
tranemonk Posted May 27 Posted May 27 I had the privilege of seeing him perform probably 5-6 times. Each was a joy. I know we are all getting old and all these deaths and obits suck... It's a strange place to be where the people who gave you joy are saying goodbye over and over again... My favorite Sonny story had nothing to do with his music. When Obama was President... someone asked Sonny about the first Black president... and he said (something to the effect of)... "I dunno... I voted for Dennis Kucinich." He was definitely his own man. Quote
AllenLowe Posted May 27 Posted May 27 41 minutes ago, tranemonk said: I had the privilege of seeing him perform probably 5-6 times. Each was a joy. I know we are all getting old and all these deaths and obits suck... It's a strange place to be where the people who gave you joy are saying goodbye over and over again... My favorite Sonny story had nothing to do with his music. When Obama was President... someone asked Sonny about the first Black president... and he said (something to the effect of)... "I dunno... I voted for Dennis Kucinich." He was definitely his own man. I am going to pretend I didn't know this. Quote
rostasi Posted May 27 Posted May 27 4 hours ago, tranemonk said: I had the privilege of seeing him perform probably 5-6 times. Each was a joy. I know we are all getting old and all these deaths and obits suck... It's a strange place to be where the people who gave you joy are saying goodbye over and over again... My favorite Sonny story had nothing to do with his music. When Obama was President... someone asked Sonny about the first Black president... and he said (something to the effect of)... "I dunno... I voted for Dennis Kucinich." He was definitely his own man. Quote
Peter Friedman Posted May 27 Posted May 27 I don't think I ever posted this, my first live, Sonny Rollins experience. It was in the mid-1960's in Detroit. My wife and I went to see Sonny Rollins at a rather strange venue that I can't truly describe. After we had been there a while, the Trumpet player, Bassist and Drummer walked out of a separate side room and came up on the stage. No speaking, they just began playing. About 8 minutes later we could hear a tenor sax playing in that side room. Then Sonny Rollins walked out while playing and went up on the stage to join the other 3 musicians. Sonny was an imposing figure with a full Mohawk haircut. The group played non-stop for just over an hour. Then Sonny, while continuing to play, walked off the stage and back into that side room. No words from Sonny or any of the musicians were spoken during that entire period. Most of the music was very difficult for my wife and I to grasp. No actual familiar tunes, and the style of music being played sounded a bit strange and jarring to us. However, it was surely an unforgettable experience that I still sometimes think about all these decades later. Quote
BFrank Posted May 28 Posted May 28 I was fortunate to see him at Montreux Jazz 1978 with his band: Jerome Harris, Mark Soskin, Al Foster, Sammy Figueroa. It was the only time I saw him. But glad I did. Quote
Hardbopjazz Posted May 28 Author Posted May 28 Here’s the link to sign the petition to rename the Williamsburg Bridge to the Sonny Rollin bridge. https://c.org/kyxvcMcXMj Quote
Steve Gray Posted May 28 Posted May 28 On 5/26/2026 at 9:30 PM, Peter Friedman said: There is an enlarged framed copy of that photo hanging on my wall. After reading that comment, I walked over to the photo and located Sonny Rollins in the midst of all those wonderful jazz musicians . That's almost as if you don't think he was a wonderful jazz musician 🙂 I saw him 6 times I think Twice at Ronnie Scott's in the 60s where he started playing in the club doorway, playing all the way to the stage. On a bill with Mccoy Tyner and Muddy Waters!. At the Drury Lane Theater. At the Palladium. Last time was at House Of Blues in New Orleans. I also saw him at a CD signing at J&R records in NY. RIP Sonny Quote
Dave Garrett Posted May 28 Posted May 28 It's always said whenever someone of his stature in any discipline passes, but it definitely seems like the end of an era. I only saw him once, in 1999, and envy those who had opportunities to see him multiple times. RIP. Quote
jazzbo Posted May 28 Posted May 28 It does seem like the end of an era, or one more straw on the era's back. There has been so much in my personal life and in the nation and world that feels as if it's a new beginning. . . the beginning of storm winds and nightmares. RIP Sonny. You had an amazing life and had every right to be proud and sassy. Quote
Aggie87 Posted May 28 Posted May 28 The only time I saw Sonny live was on 12 May 2001 in Stuttgart, in the Beethovensaal at the Liederhalle. It was a sextet with Stephen Scott, Clifton Anderson, Bob Cranshaw, and I think Perry Wilson and Kimati Dinizulu. Fantastic show, 25 years ago already. Sonny was kind enough to sign my copy of Saxophone Colossus afterwards, as well as the program booklet for that season's jazz shows. I think I was the only American (among maybe four people total) sticking around after the show, so he chatted with me for about 30 seconds before his handlers moved him along. (also previously signed by Charlie Haden and John Scofield) Quote
cliffpeterson Posted May 29 Posted May 29 saw Sonny three times in the 1990s and 2000s at the Troy Music Hall. Quote
RiRiIII Posted June 1 Posted June 1 (edited) FRENCH RADIO SONNY ROLLINS TRIBUTE Tribute to Sonny Rollins: in concert on October 28, 1986 at the Grand Rex in Paris We pay tribute to his majesty Sonny Rollins, one of the last titans in the history of jazz, the colossus of the tenor saxophone who left us last Monday, at the age of 95... “When I think about my relationship with Coltrane I think I’ve done a lot of stupid things that I could have avoided if I had been more mature."Sonny Rollins Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone) Clifton Anderson (trombone) Mark Soskin (piano) Jerome Harris (Bass) Tommy Campbell (batterie) Solo (Sonny Rollins) I'm Old Fashioned (Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer) U.T. (Sonny Rollins) Autumn Nocturne (Kim Gannon, Josef Myrow Mack The Knife (Kurt Weill) Best Wishes (Sonny Rollins) Don't Stop The Carnival (Sonny Rollins) I’ll Be Seeing You (Sammy Fain) https://www.radiofrance.fr/francemusique/podcasts/les-legendes-du-jazz/hommage-a-sonny-rollins-en-concert-le-28-octobre-1986-au-grand-rex-a-paris-1-2-6086172 https://www.radiofrance.fr/francemusique/podcasts/les-legendes-du-jazz/hommage-a-sonny-rollins-en-concert-le-28-octobre-1986-au-grand-rex-a-paris-2-2-6736367 -------------------------------------------- and one more from the North German Radio NDR: Hamburg Jazz Festival 1987: Sonny Rollins Quintet Jazz is real-time music. It emerges at the moment and unfolds a special strength live. Every Friday in Musica there is the stylistic variety of the stages of jazz: recordings of current festivals, new recordings of the NDR jazz concerts and legendary treasures from our archive. On Pentecost Monday, the great Sonny Rollins died at the age of 95. With him, an era has come to an end: he was the last great jazz musician to co-developed modern jazz. We remind him of a concert from the Hamburg factory. Sonny Rollins Quintet – O.T.Y.O.G. Sonny Rollins Quintet – I've never been in love before Sonny Rollins Quintet – St. Thomas Sonny Rollins Quintet – Just Once https://www.ndr.de/kultur/sendungen/musica/jazzfestival-hamburg-1987-sonny-rollins-quintet,sendung-1050944.html Edited June 1 by RiRiIII Quote
Stompin at the Savoy Posted June 1 Posted June 1 4 hours ago, RiRiIII said: FRENCH RADIO SONNY ROLLINS TRIBUTE Tribute to Sonny Rollins: in concert on October 28, 1986 at the Grand Rex in Paris We pay tribute to his majesty Sonny Rollins, one of the last titans in the history of jazz, the colossus of the tenor saxophone who left us last Monday, at the age of 95... “When I think about my relationship with Coltrane I think I’ve done a lot of stupid things that I could have avoided if I had been more mature."Sonny Rollins Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone) Clifton Anderson (trombone) Mark Soskin (piano) Jerome Harris (Bass) Tommy Campbell (batterie) Solo (Sonny Rollins) I'm Old Fashioned (Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer) U.T. (Sonny Rollins) Autumn Nocturne (Kim Gannon, Josef Myrow Mack The Knife (Kurt Weill) Best Wishes (Sonny Rollins) Don't Stop The Carnival (Sonny Rollins) I’ll Be Seeing You (Sammy Fain) https://www.radiofrance.fr/francemusique/podcasts/les-legendes-du-jazz/hommage-a-sonny-rollins-en-concert-le-28-octobre-1986-au-grand-rex-a-paris-1-2-6086172 https://www.radiofrance.fr/francemusique/podcasts/les-legendes-du-jazz/hommage-a-sonny-rollins-en-concert-le-28-octobre-1986-au-grand-rex-a-paris-2-2-6736367 -------------------------------------------- and one more from the North German Radio NDR: Hamburg Jazz Festival 1987: Sonny Rollins Quintet Jazz is real-time music. It emerges at the moment and unfolds a special strength live. Every Friday in Musica there is the stylistic variety of the stages of jazz: recordings of current festivals, new recordings of the NDR jazz concerts and legendary treasures from our archive. On Pentecost Monday, the great Sonny Rollins died at the age of 95. With him, an era has come to an end: he was the last great jazz musician to co-developed modern jazz. We remind him of a concert from the Hamburg factory. Sonny Rollins Quintet – O.T.Y.O.G. Sonny Rollins Quintet – I've never been in love before Sonny Rollins Quintet – St. Thomas Sonny Rollins Quintet – Just Once https://www.ndr.de/kultur/sendungen/musica/jazzfestival-hamburg-1987-sonny-rollins-quintet,sendung-1050944.html Thanks for the links! Listening to the first one now. Quote
rostasi Posted June 2 Posted June 2 Quote Rollins’s reputation also hit the rock mainstream when the Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts invited him to play on the Stones’ Waiting on a Friend in 1981. Rollins recalled that he later heard the track in a supermarket, and wondered who the horn-player was – until he remembered it was him. Quote
Milestones Posted June 3 Posted June 3 I'd been trying to listen extensively to those born 100 years ago--Miles, Coltrane, Randy Weston, Jimmy Heath, and others. But now, with Sonny's passing, I'm mostly listening to Sonny, Quote
Gheorghe Posted June 8 Posted June 8 On 5/28/2026 at 8:23 AM, BFrank said: I was fortunate to see him at Montreux Jazz 1978 with his band: Jerome Harris, Mark Soskin, Al Foster, Sammy Figueroa. It was the only time I saw him. But glad I did. Same here, same personnel, minus Sammy Figueroa. I think, that unit was very durable and existed for many years. Quote
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