• Home
  • About
    • Doug Ramsey
    • Rifftides
    • Contact
  • Purchase Doug’s Books
    • Poodie James
    • Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond
    • Jazz Matters
    • Other Works
  • AJBlogs
  • ArtsJournal
  • rss

Rifftides

Doug Ramsey on Jazz and other matters...

Sonny Rollins at 88

Today is Sonny Rollins’s 88th birthday. He looks back on a lifetime in music that began when he was a teenager in New York City and took him to the heights of his profession, and of creativity unmatched by few artists in any category. It is tempting to bring you a survey of the saxophonist’s most notable works, but lists can’t say what music can. Mr. Rollins’s best playing—with its rhythmic power, lyricism and wit—helps a listener understand how jazz at its most expressive represents the spirit and character of a great nation. Let’s listen.

Here are two of his masterpieces; first, “St. Thomas,” a reflection of his Caribbean (Virgin Islands) heritage. This was filmed in Copenhagen at the Jazzhus Montmarte with Kenny Drew, piano; Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, bass; and Albert “Tootie” Heath, drums.

From 1955 and Sonny Rollins’s indispensable Worktime album, here is his transformation of a classic Irving Berlin song. I have always hoped that Berlin had a chance to hear it. This is where two of those qualities mentioned above, Sonny’s power and his wit, make a famous showstopper even more dramatic. He has inspirational backing from pianist Ray Bryant, bassist George Morrow, and drummer Max Roach, who has an inspired solo.

Happy Birthday, Sonny Rollins. Congratulations on a magnificent career.

Related

Doug Ramsey

Doug is a recipient of the lifetime achievement award of the Jazz Journalists Association. He lives in the Pacific Northwest, where he settled following a career in print and broadcast journalism in cities including New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, San Antonio, … [MORE]

Subscribe to RiffTides by Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Archives

Recent Comments

  • Rob D on We’re Back: Pianist Denny Zeitlin’s New Trio Album for Sunnyside
  • W. Royal Stokes on We’re Back: Pianist Denny Zeitlin’s New Trio Album for Sunnyside
  • Larry on We’re Back: Pianist Denny Zeitlin’s New Trio Album for Sunnyside
  • Lucille Dolab on We’re Back: Pianist Denny Zeitlin’s New Trio Album for Sunnyside
  • Donna Birchard on We’re Back: Pianist Denny Zeitlin’s New Trio Album for Sunnyside