Sonny the Samurai

Once saw a great photo of Sonny Rollins accompanying an interview that was shot (I think) in his old Tribeca apartment. Remember seeing a really cool poster behind him that depicted the musician in a traditional Japanese wood block style. Never could find a print of that poster, but always loved the idea of Mr. Rollins as a jazz samurai, wreaking havoc with his trusty sax. So did this for fun from memory (sure the original was much better).

Some of my Favorite Artists (4): Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus

There are musicians who shine brightly on recordings and then there are artists who must be experienced live. Sonny Rollins is one those artists.
In the Leopard's early days of collecting jazz records, Sonny Rollins' work was conspicuously absent. At first, I didn't appreciate the throatiness of his sound and the boldness of his approach. It's hard to imagine now that I simply didn't understand why he had won so many jazz polls and why he was on top of so many people's lists. I found his playing overpowering, drowning out the other musicians. It didn't surprise me that he had been among the first to experiment with pianoless trios, leaving out for me an essential component.

But a friend one day casually handed me a copy his CD Saxophone Colossus, and I finally began to understand the fuss. On it, he plays to his considerable strengths, from the self penned, now- standard tune "St. Thomas" to his version of "Mack The Knife" and the beautiful, tender balladry of "You Don't Know What Love Is". I could hear on this record the melodic, inventive style that made his name.

Then, in the Summer of 2006, I saw him play at The Community Theater in Morristown, NJ. It was a revelation. Even at the tender age of 76, Rollins completely dominated the concert, improvising brilliantly throughout the entire evening. Though to Rollins it was probably just another date on the tour, every number seemed classic to me. He played with such virtuosity and creativity I was shaking my head in astonishment and awe.
By then, I had already fallen in love with many of his recordings, particularly Way Out West and Sonny Rollins At The Village Vanguard, but seeing him live was another thing. I now understood his greatness, And how lucky we are to have him still among us, making great music.
(Click on title to hear St. Thomas)

Some of My Favorite Artists (2) : Ornette!

The Leopard once had the extraordinary pleasure of meeting the great Pulitzer-Prize winning saxophonist/composer/trumpeter/violinist Ornette Coleman. The organization I worked with at the time was putting together a tribute to his music, and along with some colleagues, I had lunch with the legendary musician one crisp Fall day at a local restaurant near our offices.

For such a world famous, highly respected artist, Coleman treated everyone at the table like family. Not in the true sense of the word, mind you, in the familiar, but regarded each and everyone of us with a graciousness I've rarely experienced from one so accomplished.

Ornette Coleman shocked the jazz world back in 1959 when he and the brilliant young trumpeter Don Cherry and band appeared at the legendary Five Spot jazz club in New York with a new, already fully formed style of music based on a complex system devised by Coleman called harmolodics. Coleman was at first greeted by fellow musicians and critics with derision, (much like that of Thelonious Monk in the beginning) who harped on his use of a plastic saxophone and the unfamiliar avant-garde sound (which, in turn, effectively started a movement). Still, some well-established musicians, like Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane, embraced this exciting new music.

Listening to his first album, The Shape of Jazz To Come now, it's hard to believe so many people thought the music was difficult. So full of melody, beautiful solos, and soul stirring blues performances, only the most closed-ear listener wouldn't appreciate its brilliance.

Coleman has went on to make many more excellent recordings, movie soundtracks, and modern classical pieces as well as garnering unprecedented critical acclaim. In 2006, he received the Pulitzer Prize for the music on his CD Sound Grammar.

At the lunch with Coleman, like any star-struck fan, The Leopard trudged along several dusty LP's, including At Town Hall, which Coleman dutifully signed, as well as for a few others at the table.
I can't remember specifically much of what was said in conversation that day, but I do remember the thrill of being the presence of a true humble genius.