[Dixielandjazz] Sonny Rollins

[Hal Vickery]

I guess it's all a matter of how far into the development of jazz one wishes
to go.  I've heard Rollins live 4-5 times since about 1972 or thereabouts,
the last time maybe 10 years ago.  I never heard him give a bad performance.

I think that's because after my earliest infatuation with OKOM, which is
still very much a part of MKOM, I started getting interested in players
Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and even Sonny Rollins.  I see a natural
progression from the early players to the swing era players, to the boppers,
and even to the hard boppers like Rollins.

You don't like it.  I do.  You say it's not jazz.  I say it is.  You say
he's playing scales.  I say, "If you really want to hear a guy playing
scales, listen to Kenny G.  He even does it while using circular breathing."

This discussion sounds like something from 1948.

Hal Vickery

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of
Cebuisle2 at aol.com
Sent: Saturday, October 01, 2005 9:06 PM
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Sonny Rollins

I read all the way through Steve's post on Rolljns, no mean feat!  The 
interview was a lot more interesting than his playing during the first  and
last 
time I heard him. 
I was in Baltimore. visiting a girl friend at the med school . She asked  
what kind of music I liked, and I said "jazz." Should have been more
specific.
We went to a small club with tables pushed up against each other. Sonny  
Rollins was the feature. Paid the fee, ordered the drinks, and listened to
him  
with a four piece combo. At the conclusion of the number, his band mates
walked  
off the stage. Rollins then proceeded to play a sax solo for a least
fifteen 
minutes, running scales (or so it seemed) and honking his way along,  mostly

with his back to the few patrons in the place. 
I couldn't find any jazz in the performance, and the one man show was not  
entertaining or even swinging. Don't know how long he kept that up, as my
girl  
and I left and looked for other forms of entertainment.
 
Nonetheless, some folks call it  "jazz"                           Regards to

all, Ted
 
 
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