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Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert
SONNY ROLLINS, 2005
Milestone BOOOA7DVNQ
It is almost impossible to write about Sonny Rollins without superlatives. Although he has become quite self-effacing in his later years (he is 75 years old), he is probably playing at his peak. He has remembered all he has learned about playing the saxophone and, most likely, about living life itself. Certainly his reaction to life's events is demonstrated in his recent release, subtitled The 9/11 Concert.
Rollins witnessed the attacks on the Twin Towers from his New York apartment, was trapped in his building and rescued by the National Guard, saved his sax and four days later, at his wife's urging, played this concert in Boston. His wife has since died, a factor in Rollins's releasing this first live recording in 20 years. I have urged him, along with many others, to release the whole trove of live recordings in his possession. While Sonny recorded in a studio is great, Sonny live is on another level completely.
He is one of the few true innovators in jazz, a real improviser. That means that some nights he may not find just what he is seeking. The performance may be flat. I have heard him in the same night go from a jazz titan to one who was fumbling around running chords. The reason is...