Jazz is Real - Sonny Rollins response to the New Yorker article
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- čas přidán 20. 08. 2024
- During his Google On-Air Hangout with Bret Primack, Sonny Rollins explains how he believes Jazz is a spirit that can't be destroyed. From "The Real Sonny Rollins - His Own Words," a response to the New Yorker article. Camera - Doug Yoel
Sonny Rollins will go down in history as not only the single most enduring tenor saxophonist of the bebop and hard bop era, but also as one of the greatest contemporary jazz saxophonists of them all. His fluid and harmonically innovative ideas, effortless manner, and easily identifiable and accessible sound have influenced generations of performers, but have also fueled the notion that mainstream jazz music can be widely enjoyed, recognized, and proliferated. Born Theodore Walter Rollins in New York City on September 7, 1930, he had an older brother who played violin. At age nine he took up piano lessons but discontinued them, took up the alto saxophone in high school, and switched to tenor after high school, doing local engagements. In 1948 he recorded with vocalist Babs Gonzales, then Bud Powell and Fats Navarro, and his first composition, "Audubon," was recorded by J.J. Johnson. Soon thereafter, Rollins made the rounds quickly with groups led by Tadd Dameron, Chicago drummer Ike Day, and Miles Davis in 1951, followed by his own recordings with Kenny Drew, Kenny Dorham, and Thelonious Monk.
In 1956 Rollins made his biggest move, joining the famous ensemble of Max Roach and Clifford Brown, then formed his own legendary pianoless trio with bassist Wilbur Ware or Donald Bailey and drummer Elvin Jones or Pete La Roca in 1957, doing recorded sessions at the Village Vanguard. Awards came from DownBeat and Playboy magazines, and recordings were done mainly for the Prestige and Riverside labels, but also for Verve, Blue Note, Columbia, and Contemporary Records, all coinciding with the steadily rising star of Rollins. Pivotal albums such as Tenor Madness (with John Jazz Video Guy Recommends
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amzn.to/3CDQ5JK), Saxophone Colossus (with longstanding partner Tommy Flanagan), and Way Out West (with Ray Brown and Shelly Manne), and collaborations with the Modern Jazz Quartet, Clark Terry, and Sonny Clark firmly established Rollins as a bona fide superstar. He also acquired the nickname "Newk" for his facial resemblance to Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe.
But between 1959 and 1961 he sought a less superficial, more spiritual path to the rat race society of the times, visiting Japan and India, studying yoga and Zen. He left the music business until 1962, when he returned with the groundbreaking and in many ways revolutionary recording The Bridge with guitarist Jim Hall for the RCA Victor/Bluebird label. Rollins struck up a working relationship with trumpeter Don Cherry; did a handful of innovative LPs for the RCA Victor, MGM/Metro Jazz, and Impulse! labels; did one record with his hero Coleman Hawkins; and left the scene again in 1968. By 1971 he came back with a renewed sense of vigor and pride, and put out a string of successful records for the Milestone label that bridged the gap between the contemporary and fusion jazz of the time, the most memorable being his live date from the 1974 Montreux Jazz Festival, The Cutting Edge. Merging jazz with calypso, light funk, and post-bop, the career of Rollins not only was revived, but thrived from then onward. He was a member of the touring Milestone Jazz Stars in 1978 with McCoy Tyner and Ron Carter, and gained momentum as a touring headliner and festival showstopper.
Sonny Rollins is a true genius and gift to this world. Thank you Sonny Rollins.
Listen to this Man. He is one of our Elders, and a Genius in Music and on the Saxophone. The younger Generations need to listen to this Interview with Sonny (there are several Parts to it) and meditate on his words.
Listen to this Man. He is one of our Elders, and a Genius in Music and on the Saxophone. The younger Generations need to listen to this Interview with Sonny (there are several Parts to it) and meditate on his words.
....you cant killl a spirit, jazz is forever and ever...
Sonny is the MAN! "Can't kill a spirit..."
Earl Hines book in the back…mad respect.
The way you manipulate a Culture is to devalue their Art, that which contains the Spirit of the People. In order to do that all you need to do is make it seem unimportant, or insignificant, disposable.
Sonny, I appreciate you.
Let’s GO Sonny! 💯
Sonny, technology isn't the problem. It enabled me to see and hear you in a way I wouldn't have been able to otherwise. It enabled you to respond to a piece of satire gone wrong. Don't blame the messenger. CZcams is a brilliant means of communication and way of disseminating music.
But that jazz is real ... boy, are you right there. And thanks for helping to keep its spirit alive ... including this feisty response of yours.
Stay healthy and keep churning out the spirit.
Sonny is saying very important things if one listens hard,i can relate to what he's saying, NO ONE Can KILL JAZZ....Very wonderful music, and it's FREE MUSIC.
So true!
Thanks Mr. Primack. Great job!
Thanks!
My goodness, thank you.
Thank you
"Jazz is real."
"Jazz isn't dead - it just smells funny" - Frank Zappa/
Ironically if it wasn't for technology, he wouldn't be able to get his message across. At least not as quickly
Love Sonny - and agree with true and false. Also love: Technology is a faster way of going backward.
Personally I have never been a fan of "satirical" publications like the Onion and so forth. I find them utterly bland, stilted and stupid most of the time. It always comes off as "trying to be funny" instead of actually being it. The type of humor that this New Yorker article stems from.
If jazz is "a spirit that can't be destroyed," why has the predominant response amongst the (mostly older) intelligentsia been one of rabid outrage and defensiveness?
Will Ramsey Why do you think the article received that response?
Undoubtedly those who responded negatively are less engaged with mainstream comedic discourse (McSweeney's, The Onion, SNL; even Richard Pryor, Saki and P.G. Wodehouse, for heaven's sake), and were unable to immediately discern that the article was patently absurd, obviously ridiculous, and - therefore - satirical. Unfortunately those with the strongest opinions - i.e., those who view the NY article as a vicious (and of course, in Nick Payton's case, racist) attack upon jazz and some of its most venerated figures - are the ones whose voices predominate. It's unfortunate that the jazz community, such as it is, has become so hyper-sensitive and insular that it views satire as an attack, rather than an opportunity for discussion.
Incidentally, I also don't think it's unimportant that the New Yorker is a thoroughly mainstream publication, unlike, say, JazzTimes or Downbeat. While it doesn't necessarily have the readership of a People or a USA Today, the magazine publishing this piece gave unusual public attention to an art form that usually languishes in Arts/Music section obscurity. Therefore it's unsurprising that we've seen a swath of responses in recent days, from the online community to more than one Washington Post Op-Ed - people who are invested (or aggressively disinvested) in this music want to take advantage of the attention and say! something! Loudly! Too bad most couldn't be more imaginative (and constructive) with their voices.
Because the jazz community is full of extremely self righteous self important people who lack a sense of humor and all perspective that is why. Sonny Rollins is in the Sonny Rollins play here lol and he is certainly an amazing musician but the Schtick here is enough to sail a thousand persona ships lol I was done when I heard the “7th dimension” lol . #tired
This video is itself a piece of satire lol . A far better one than the article lol