Sonny Rollins was probably the last great player from the bebop age though who was there at its birth, and probably the last master who played with Charlie Parker too!
Ron Carter and Herbie Hancock are still going strong of course, and still brilliant. George Coleman, Jack DeJohnette, and Dave Holland are all still playing to pick some other names at random.
I have to admit, I was a little surprised to discover that Rollins was still alive. You tend to assume that giants like him are all in the distant past, not still walking the earth.
Just came from my kid's school district jazz fest. One of the band instructors mentioned Sonny Rollins had passed and he was the last jazz legend alive that appeared in the A Great Day in Harlem photo : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Great_Day_in_Harlem Maybe what they were referring to...
Depending on your definition, in jazz, I would say there are a few who might become/already are legends: Branford and Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Pat Metheny, John Scofield. Maybe also John Patitucci, Dave Weckl, Bill Charlap, Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Bill Stewart, Brian Blade, Kenny Garrett, Kenny Barron, Bill Frisell. I tried to pick the bigger names who do a lot more touring internationally and who I think already have some wider visibility, rather than some of the (perhaps) lesser known players like Mike LeDonne, Chris Potter, Eric Alexander, Sam Yahel, Andy Gravish, David Hazeltine (who are all still phenomenal of course). I think Wynton and Branford, Mehldau, and McBride all have pretty visible profiles.
We saw him live in Kansas City in 1998. He soloed for 36 choruses on St. Thomas. Gave the people what they came to see. Amazing to have so many ideas flow effortlessly.
I saw Sonny Rollins at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1997. I bought a single ticket from a classified ad. The group who sold it were about 10 or 12 people who have been attending together for 30 years — the type of people you would want to be sitting with there.
Diana Krall opened and by open I mean she was the first of 4 acts and had a free concert a couple days before at a coffee shop down the street — practically unknown.
Sonny Rollins headlined and for the encore he played La Cucaracha. After about 20 minutes of La Cucaracha the pianist was signaling to the sound engineer to cut the sound. 5 minutes later the band one by one started to put down their instruments walking off the stage. Sonny Rollins kept belting La Cucaracha from his saxophone probably for another half hour or more after that. Life is good.
I saw Sonny Rollins at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 2005. I had written a paper that was accepted at a conference, and thing realized the festival was going on at the same time. Unfortunately I learned this very late. Pat Metheny was the featured artist that year, and I'm a big fan, but all the tickets for him were sold out. I checked the lineup and realized Rollins was playing and snagged a couple of tickets for him instead. Honestly, I admit I mainly went to see him because I wasn't sure how much longer he would be playing.
I especially remember that he played "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" - my wife and I still talk about it.
Maybe not the most flattering story about Sonny Rollins but, it was funny and one of the more notable storires told to us at Hartt by Jackie McLean: Jackie was coming home to NYC early AM with Sonny in Sonny's car - I forget the model, but it was referred to as "The Blue Demon" in this story. As they're getting close to the city, maybe crossing the GW, Sonny asks Jackie, "who is better, me or Trane?" Jackie feeling very put on the spot starts trying to find a way out without hurting Sonny's feelings says something like, "Aw man, it's not like that. You can't compare you guys.". At this point Sonny abruptly stops the car and says, "Get out." Jackie had to find the rest of his way home. Maybe KD in DB can corroborate, pretty sure he's on here too.
rtsil | 17 hours ago
[OP] boarsofcanada | 17 hours ago
On bass we still have Ron Carter, age 89, still touring.
bananaboy | 16 hours ago
Ron Carter and Herbie Hancock are still going strong of course, and still brilliant. George Coleman, Jack DeJohnette, and Dave Holland are all still playing to pick some other names at random.
[OP] boarsofcanada | 16 hours ago
bananaboy | 14 hours ago
dhosek | 15 hours ago
bananaboy | 14 hours ago
BashiBazouk | 14 hours ago
dyauspitr | 12 hours ago
bananaboy | 11 hours ago
anentropic | 9 hours ago
Julian Lage picking up the torch
davio | 17 hours ago
npunt | 16 hours ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Parry
bag_boy | 16 hours ago
He thought to himself, “finally, a Rolling Stones song that I like.”
Then he remembered he was the saxophone player on the song…
dataviz1000 | 16 hours ago
Diana Krall opened and by open I mean she was the first of 4 acts and had a free concert a couple days before at a coffee shop down the street — practically unknown.
Sonny Rollins headlined and for the encore he played La Cucaracha. After about 20 minutes of La Cucaracha the pianist was signaling to the sound engineer to cut the sound. 5 minutes later the band one by one started to put down their instruments walking off the stage. Sonny Rollins kept belting La Cucaracha from his saxophone probably for another half hour or more after that. Life is good.
jbgreer | an hour ago
I especially remember that he played "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" - my wife and I still talk about it.
phodo | 8 hours ago
throw0101a | 7 hours ago
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Great_Day_in_Harlem
Documentary:
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vao3d_QNnA
nunez | 2 hours ago
h-c-c | 2 hours ago