Itinerary

 

2010

• June 27  Montreal Jazz Festival, Montreal, Canada
• July 11    North Sea Jazz Festival, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• July 16    Perugia Jazz Festival, Perugia, Italy
• July 20    Molde Jazz Festival, Molde, Norway
• Sept 10   Sonny Rollins @80: A Celebration with Special Guest, Beacon Theatre, NYC
• Oct 1       Shimin Hall, Sapporo Japan   
• Oct 7       Forum A Tokyo International Hall Tokyo
• Oct 9       NHK Hall Osaka
• Nov 8      Philharmonie Luxembourg, Luxembourg
• Nov 12   K K L Luzern, Konzertsaal,  Lucerne, Switzerland
• Nov 16    Europauditorium, Bologna, Italy
• Nov 20    Barbican, London, United Kingdom
• Nov 24    Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
• Nov 28    Pallas Theatre, Athens, Greece

Guitarist Russell Malone is now playing with Sonny.

He reports on the gig in Winnipeg:

"The concert in Winnipeg was a lot of fun. We were scheduled to play two forty-five minute sets. The first set ended up being eighty minutes long, although it sure didn't feel like it. Sonny was on fire, the band sounded great, and Sonny never lost the audience. He's a master of pacing a set, and in addition to being a serious musician, he is also a charismatic performer. But what was really amazing yesterday was the sound check. We ran through some songs, just to get the sound together. And then, we spent about forty minutes or so just jamming on tunes. We played "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square", "Where Are You", "Dearly Beloved", and I had the honor of playing a duet with Sonny on "P.S. I Love You". He's an encyclopedia of songs and melodies. This man has not lost his passion, his drive, or his enthusiam. It is an honor to be making music with him."

Here are his thoughts on the Discover Jazz gig in Burlington, Vermont where Jim Hall sat in, playing two numbers with Sonny at the Discover Jazz Festival, In a Sentimental Mood and If Ever I Would Leave You:

"The gig was a lot of fun. Sonny was in a good mood, laughing and talking with some of the band members just before we hit the stage. One of the the things he talked about was the importance of exercise, a sensible diet, and drinking plenty of water. He said that these were some of the things that have helped him to stay around for almost eighty years. And we are very blessed to still have him here with us. When he starts to play, you can see him transform into something else. I don't know what, but it is as if something takes possession of him. It's beautiful and scary, all at once. And last night was no exception. He played beautifully, and he was very encouraging and inspiring to the band. Then, towards the end of the show, he invited Jim Hall to the stage. To see Sonny, Jim, and Bob Cranshaw on the same stage was surreal. That one still hasn't sunk in yet. All in all, it was a great night of music."