Sonny Rollins: Road Shows Vol. 3

Rating: ★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

Steve Jordan (g)
Stephen Scott (p)
Kimati Dinizulu (perc)
Sonny Rollins
Perry Wilson (d)
Sammy Figueroa (perc)
Clifton Anderson (tb)
Bobby Broom (g)
Bob Cranshaw (b)
Peter Bernstein (g)
Victor Lewis (d)
Kobie Watkins (d)

Label:

OKeh/Doxy

June/2014

RecordDate:

2001-2012

This begins with a lengthy bout of applause, entirely justified by what follows. It's not just Rollins' infernally catchy riff tunes that get you going – in this instance, ‘Biji’ (first studio-recorded in 1995) and the fairly new ‘Patanjali’. Like those, two hoary old standards (‘Why Was I Born?’ and ‘Some Day I'll Find You’) seem to afford limitless inspiration for alternately straight-ahead and wacky improv. And, although this compilation allows for a solo each from Anderson, Scott, Broom, Bernstein and Steve Jordan (the latter jousting in fours with the leader), it's inevitably the extraordinary and inimitable saxophone that draws and retains the attention. ‘Born’ in particular goes on so long you think everyone will run out of ideas or energy, but no. As expected, the eight-minute unaccompanied track ‘Solo Sonny’ is the real highspot for most listeners, a virtual collage of quotations, yet one that rarely loses the momentum of a spontaneous invention. A short closing ‘Don't Stop The Carnival’ is followed by even longer applause, but even that makes you think: ‘Don't stop’.

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