Road Shows, Volume 3 (Doxy Records)

Sonny Rollins

Released May 5, 2014

DownBeat Five-Star Review

YouTube:

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjh7IBCy2-4&list=OLAK5uy_mJG0be7FqVy9niqd6zcQ4hkE-1cFDY7IM

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/album/5fTtxvwGPfCWslRzNbZOD9?si=D9l4UZ9fQcGm4QL1nepShg

About:

Over the span of his storied and still-unfolding 65-year career, Sonny Rollins has established himself as one of the giants of jazz — a towering influence, a trailblazer, a powerfully creative force in the music. From his earliest masterpieces, such as Saxophone Colossus and Freedom Suite, to his Road Shows archival series of live performances for his Doxy label in the 2000s, Rollins has presented his peerless music without compromise — and to consistent international acclaim.

Track Listing:

1. Biji (Sonny Rollins) 8:32

recorded November 11, 2001 at Saitama City Culture Center, Saitama, Japan

2. Someday I’ll Find You (Noël Coward) 15:19

recorded May 15, 2006 at Halle aux Grains, Toulouse, France

3. Patanjali (Sonny Rollins) 12:26

recorded July 25, 2012 at Palais Longchamp, Marseille, France

4. Solo Sonny (Sonny Rollins) 8:31

recorded September 19, 2009 at Blanche M. TouhillPerforming Arts Center, St Louis, MO

5. Why Was I Born? (Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern) 23:39

recorded August 11, 2007 at Le Chapiteau, Marciac, France

6. Don’t Stop the Carnival (Sonny Rollins) 4:22 recorded July 25, 2012 at Palais Longchamp, Marseille, France

Personnel:

Sonny Rollins: tenor saxophone

Clifton Anderson: trombone

Stephen Scott: piano

Bob Cranshaw: bass

Perry Wilson: drums (1)

Kimati Dinizulu: percussion

Victor Lewis: drums (2)

Kobie Watkins: drums (3)

Sammy Figueroa: percussion (3)

Steve Jordan: drums (5, 6)

Producer: Richard Corsello, Sonny Rollins

Engineer: Richard Corsello

Mastered by Allan Tucker

Design: Jamie Putnam

Photography by John Abbott (7)

Review:

We don’t need to recount Sonny Rollins’ aversion to the studio at this late date. He has said it countless times: His muse is mired by the recording booth. That’s one reason why the Road Shows series was born. Newk goes to the gig, enjoys the elbowroom of a concert performance and crosses his fingers that greatness joins him onstage. On occasion, it does. Each of the previous installments boasts stellar moments. But this third edition is the most successful presentation of Rollins’ titanic skills so far. Whether he’s milking a simple riff, reconfiguring a Noel Coward ballad or romping through the Caribbean, the blend of vision and spirit is astounding. With Rollins, exuberance can be its own reward. Regardless of whether his solos hit innovative design pinnacles on any given night, the ardor of his attack is imposing. That energy marks each of Volume 3’s six tracks. From the jumpy clusters of “Biji” to the puckish allusions of “Solo Sonny,” his instrument glows with trademark fervor. Many listeners believe the saxophonist’s ever-shifting groups usually don’t contain improvisers of his stature, so the maestro’s bravura solos seem out of balance when compared to those of his colleagues. That’s partially true here, but in general these bands (the personnel changes from track to track) feed their boss some keen kinetics. It’s all the feisty leader needs to reach creative high ground.    Once there, he definitely attains those often-elusive design pinnacles. The architecture of his excursion on “Someday I’ll Find You” is breathtaking. In a perpetual realignment of melody, he gracefully spends 15 minutes swooping around, shooting the blues into the sky, interrogating himself and wearing his heart on his sleeve. In music rife with metaphors, the saxophonist’s well-known search for eloquence is nicely wrapped up in a piece with this title. Inspiration is everywhere, from “Solo Sonny”’s unaccompanied glide through a barrage of melody snippets (“A-Tisket A-Tasket,” “Oh! Susanna,” “The Song Is You”) to the rampaging exchange between drummer Steve Jordan and our hero on the 24-minute explosion of “Why Was I Born”—the definition of tour de force. “Playing doesn’t mean anything until you do it on a stage before an audience,” Newk told The New York Times in 1961. It means everything on Volume 3. Get yourself in a big room and turn this album up loud. Genius awaits.

Jim Macnie (DownBeat)