Sonny is back from Europe, where he played in France, Italy and Spain,

New York Jazz writer and DJ Ted Panken reviewed the Umbria concert on jazz.com and he wrote: "...Sonny Rollins brought his group—Clifton Anderson, trombone; Bobby Broom, guitar; Bob Cranshaw, bass; Kobie Watkins, drumset; Kimati Dinizulu, hand drums—to the Santa Giuliani Arena to play the Umbria Jazz Festival. Perhaps 5,000 souls paid 80 Euros a ticket to hear the 78-year-old legend fulfill the operative trope of his singular career—to execute the impossible by shaping cogent, poetic musical architecture on the tenor saxophone while navigating the high wire of tabula rasa improvisation.

Already in town since the previous Thursday, Rollins, a striking figure with his white beard, flowing red shirt and white pants, was rested and ready for feats of derring-do. This was apparent on the set-opener, “Here’s To The People,” on which, over a powerful Afro-Funk groove, Rollins swung the vamp for five minutes or so, probing the contours of the line, facing Broom to set up a motif here, facing Watkins to develop another there, walking one end of the stage to the other to get in the flow. At the exact moment that it occurred to the listener that he might worry the vamp all night, Rollins shifted gears, beginning a 20-minute tour de force on which he roared like a lion from the top to the very bottom of the horn, building momentum to a point where it seemed impossible to take it further, but then ratcheting up the flow even more, crossing the right hand over the left to find tones that only he could play, and finally winding down to a collective holler of approbation from the accumulated voices that faced him."

Sneak Preview: Live in Vienne, Sonny's new DVD, has been released internationally. The Universal release hits US stores October 28.

 

The Sonny Rollins Podcast Uncle Sonny features an interview with Clifton Anderson, who has been playing with Sonny for over two decades. Clifton talks at length about his unique relationship with his Uncle. His Doxy Records debut, which drops October 7, is Decade. Check out Sonny's new Video Player, where you can view all his Podcasts, performance clips, interviews and special features.

New! The Sonny Rollins Calendar: Deluxe Edition | Standard Edition

Music For Download: Rare Live Recording - Sonny and Max - 1965 - Lover

  Music includes all of Sonny's recordings currently in print with links to listen and   buy at Amazon or iTunes.

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