Number 43 May 17, 2010

Sonny Rollins last Thursday at Zellerbach as part of Cal Performances was fantastic, as always.  His first solo was a monumental 10 or 15 minute sermon that is tied for the most amazing display of energy and emotion I've ever heard in person from a sax player.  The other solo was just last year by Kenny Garret with The Five Peace Band and Kenny is half Sonny's age.  A living master, a genius, and one of the last living links to be-bop and hard-bop (musicians rightly never like labels, but Sonny invented the post be-bop sensibility) every show is nothing but the truth.   Kobie Watkins on drums was one of the most dynamic and manaically driving drummers I've ever seen, and reminded my of Al Foster's work with Miles and Sonny.  He had the entire auditorium pulsing.  With the ever steady and groovey Bob Cranshaw on bass, and the percussionist Victor See-Yuen, each tune had a perfect groove that made the 90 minute set seem like one short tune.  One of the secrets of Sonny's artistry, (and Miles') is that at heart the tunes are simple, even though the virtuosity is high.  A modal tune, a blues, a calypso, a standard.  Quotes from nursery rhymes.  I once heard him play a version of "How Are Things In Glocca Morra?" that I sing in my mind almost every day.  See Sonny Rollins while you can!