Sonny Rollins in concert. (source: nypost.com)
Beacon Theater. New York City. Friday, Sept. 10, 2010. Around 8:30 PM. I was celebrating Sonny Rollins’ 80th birthday, along with 2,893 other friends. This included my friend Adam, a long time jazz fan, and my nephew Sean, a 13 year-old sax player.
Figuring that this may be the last time we get to see Sonny, and his all-star band, we splurged for the nice seats. Fifth row center, just off the right aisle. The gods approved, because Sonny spent most of his time right in front of us.
As the last of the great living jazz legends (or so I thought), Sonny came shuffling out. He struggled as he walked. He is, after all, 80. And a jazz musician, which means he’s something like 115 in non-musician years.
But once that man opened up on the saxophone, he didn’t stop. Two hours straight. And he still has it, arguably as good as he’s ever been.
As I sit here, the morning after, listening to Sonny on CD (both live and in the studio), I’m reminded how nothing can compare to hearing jazz live. It’s one of the reasons I regularly go to places like New Orleans and Amsterdam. But finding the kind of talent we saw on stage the other night is about as rare as finding an honest politician.
Sonny Rollins 80th Birthday Concert at the Beacon Theater. (source: sonnyrollins.com)
As jazz legend Chico Hamilton once told me, jazz is one of the few things that is authentically American, and our generation is letting it die. Chico and his wife lived across the hall from me at the time, and his passionate words are what rekindled my interest in the genre, which had never been more than a passing curiosity about my father’s Ramsey Lewis Trio albums. But I got wise.
To celebrate his birthday, Sonny brought out a star-studded lineup. His band was fantastic, but after the first two numbers he started bringing out “friends” to play with him. The exceptionally stylish Roy Hargrove was a delight, as trumpet matched wits with the sax. Guitarist Jim Hall came out looking frighteningly frail, but then proceeded to play beautifully. And then bassist Christian McBride came out with who we thought was the surprise guest of the night, drummer Roy Haynes, whose attire actually surpassed Hargrove’s threads (Haynes was named one of Esquire’s Best Dressed Men in America back in 1960).
Ornette Coleman portrait in 2007 by Juan Carlos Hernandez. (source: 4bp.blogspot.com)
As Rollins was jamming along with McBride and Haynes, he approached the seldom used mic and said there was a man with a horn backstage who wanted to come out and play. The trio then continued playing – and waiting – for what began to be an amusing amount of time. Eventually an elderly man shuffled on stage, with several nervous handlers watching him from the shadows. He was neatly dressed with a white saxophone. My nephew asked me who he was. I told him that he looked like Ornette Coleman, but it couldn’t be him because Ornette Coleman is dead.
Ornette Coleman Is Not Dead
I repeat, Ornette Coleman is not dead. Having turned 80 earlier this year, Coleman doesn’t have the pipes or passion that Sonny still has, but he gave it his best – and it was still better than most. Which means that, when the latter half of the 21st century rolls around, my nephew will be one of a handful of people on the planet who can say that they saw two jazz legends - two of the greatest talents ever to pick up a saxophone, Ornette Coleman and Sonny Rollins – play live.
As for me, I was happy to have had a chance to see talents like Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald perform before they passed. But Sonny was special, in that I wasn’t seeing a star on the decline, as I expected. At 80, the man is burning as brightly as ever. Blow, baby, blow!
To learn more about Sonny, including a list of upcoming tour dates, please visit his Web site. For example, I learned that he’ll be playing at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam on Nov. 24, 2010. Hey, Adam, are you listening?
NEW: A CLIP FROM THE SHOW
I found this one on YouTube. It’s shot from the audience, so it’s not the greatest quality (sound, clarity, angle, etc.) but it captures a little of the magic of that night. Definitely worth sharing. Thanks to Scott Tamburrino for posting (and presumably filming).
Thanks for sharing a great article on a memorable night.
I’m not finding your name as author on this page.
Also, you failed to list the names of Sonny Rollins “working band.”
Kandie Le Britain Webster in Washington State ~ jazzylover59
Thanks for your comment, Kandie. The review was written by Christopher Dobens.
As for the band members, they were Russell Malone on the guitar, Bob Cranshaw played the electric bass, Kobie Watkins was on drums, and Sammy Figueroa rocked the congas.
We added another clip to the piece in hopes of making up for the omission!