Only the Good Lord knows if the most important living tenor saxist Sonny Rollins is ever going to do any more live shows. He’s going to be 84 this year, so he’s entitled to rest on his laurels if he so desires. Still, this collection of material that he’s performed in the US, France and Japan from 2001-2012 simply validates Rollins’ famous line that “recordings are simply invitations to the concert.” Every gig includes Clifton Anderson/tb and Bob Cranshaw/b while the guitars are split between Bobby Broom and Peter Bernstein, the drums mixed and matched by Perry Wilson, Victor Lewis and Kobie Watkins while Sammy Figueroa and Kimati Dinizulu divide up the percussion.
As for sound, just get a load of Rollins for the almost 8 unaccompanied minutes where he fills the auditorium in St. Louis for “Solo Sonny.” On the grooving “Why Was I Born” he takes the tenor through the entire range, displaying inspiring dynamics while the band also takes turns in the spotlight for 23 minutes. A funky backbeat on “Biji” has Anderson bopping away, while Broom simmers on the lazy and crazy days of “Someday I’ll Find You.” Even as recent as 2012 Rollins sounds in vintage form, popping, slurring and snapping his notes on the hard driving “Patanjali” while he brings the audience to its feet on the celebrative “Don’t Stop the Carnival.” Not a bad theme for Rollins’ career!
Okeh-Records