SONNY ROLLINS with ORNETTE COLEMAN!

[Jazzrook]

A friend recently gave me a wonderful CD of Sonny Rollins' 80th birthday celebration concert(NYC, August 28, 2011). Sonny is in great form with a guest appearance of Ornette on 'Sonnymoon for Two'. The rest of the group is Jim Hall, Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride & Roy Haynes.
I don't know if this CD is generally available but it's definitely worth searching for.

[Jazzrook]

https://www.npr.org/2011/08/28/139978299/first-listen-sonny-rollins-road-shows-vol-2

[Serial_Apologist]

There was a youtube of the number Ornette joined in on, wasn't there, and then it got withdrawn before one had the presence of mind to download it.

[Ian Thumwood]

Jazzrook

I was intrigued to read your post as I caught Sonny live back in the summer and the consensus amongst those I was sitting with was that he was a shadow of his former self. This was the third time I've seen him live - the first time was about 5 years ago and I would have to rank this experience as one of the best gigs I've been to. Hearing the great man live is a totally different experience from the record. This concert is still available as a DVD :-

https:///http://www.amazon.co.uk/Son...1911082&sr=1-2

If you don't already have this disc, I would strongly advise snapping up a copy whilst it is still available. The sound quality is good and the setting is , in my opinion, probably the best in jazz. There are several calypso's on this DVD and I would suggest that it is a "must have" for any Sonny fan. Some of Sonny's later bands tend to get a bit maligned but the music on this DVD would demonstrate how unfair this criticism is. Bascially, it is Sonny's performance that provides the principle interest and he was unstoppable on that night! Apologies if you've already got this one.

When he played this year, he put in a shadow of this performance and I would have to say that this was about the saddest concet I've ever been to as he struggled to make the music take-off. The best thing about the gig was guitarist Peter Benrstein , withoiut whom the whole evening would have been a write -off. Probably about a dispiriting as Portsmouth's performance st Watford this weekend! (Unless you are a Saints fan!!)

It is a shame that Sonny never locked horns with Ornette back in the 60's. The closest encounter, I suppose, would be when Coleman shared the front line with Dewey Redman which, whilst not the obvious foil for the altoist, works surprisingly well in my opinion. There was an equally intriguing encounter between Ornette and Lee Konitz several years back which is probably more of a sympathetic match - not only for the fact that the instruments are the same and the interaction will be in the same register, but because Konitz is a musician who i feel would find the different approach to improvisation to be both intriguing and rewarding.

Cheers

Ian

[Jazzrook]

Thanks for your comments, Ian. I agree that Sonny's latter-day groups have been rather ropey but his recent birthday celebration concert was something special, I thought. I'll try to track down Sonny's Vienne DVD that you recommended.
This recently released 3-CD set of Rollins 'Live in Europe 1959' looks worth investigating:-

https://www.discovery-records.com/product-ST70371/Live-in-Europe-1959-Complete-Recordings-3CD.htm

[gurnemanz]

A friend recently gave me a wonderful CD of Sonny Rollins' 80th birthday celebration concert(NYC, August 28, 2011). Sonny is in great form with a guest appearance of Ornette on 'Sonnymoon for Two'. The rest of the group is Jim Hall, Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride & Roy Haynes.
I don't know if this CD is generally available but it's definitely worth searching for.

Scenes from this concert included in the promising-looking Arena: Sonny Rollins - Beyond the Notes on BBC4 tonight, followed by a 1974 gig at Ronnie Scott's - embarras de richesses!