Slide Show

The Walt Disney Concert Hall is packed once again awaiting the entrance of the world famous historic jazz figure, Mr. Sonny Rollins. He is greeted with elated roars and cheers as he and the rest of his band enter stage right. There is no time wasted for this musical family affair and their off.

 

Sonny and his trombone playing nephew are surrounded in a semi-circle of musical love. Holding down the melody on guitar positioned to the far left of the horse shoe is Bobby Broom on guitar. Next is a cat that has been a creative and a melodic part of many a jazz legend on electric bass, Mr. Bob Cranshaw. On drums, Steve Jordan plays the beats and controls the constant pace of the music. On percussion with a full assortment of instruments that span the continent of Africa is Kimati Dinizulu. And, on the bone out front and center stage with Uncle Sonny is Clifton Anderson.

 

The stage is lit in the strips of a tiger as the band performs. Sonny takes his solo center stage and you can’t help but realize from the sound and stature of this powerfully iconoclastic figure that he and the other cats of his time were responsible for forming, shaping and creating the jazz music that we have loved for so many years. After his solo, the audience screams like it was an encore performance. This is my second encounter with Sonny Rollins. I saw him first a number of years ago here in Los Angeles at the Bovard Auditorium on the campus of USC. The music tonight as well as in previous years starts off with a sense of jazz but, will soon take a turn and open up allowing many more world influences to come to light.

 

Sonny is very lyrical and melodic in his delivery. He plays and trades with each of the cats allowing the colors and flavors of each of his players to shine through. Everyone has a specific role in this band and the sea is parted for the clarity of their expression. In his “Italian Folk Song” you can imagine images of Italy but, Clifton’s trombone at times plays behind the beat and I hear some Louisiana slightly mixed up in there. Kimati had a buffet of musical instruments laid out on a table behind his kit which provided a smorgasbord of interesting sounds, textures and colors. He made sure he put some of everything on his plate.

 

Sonny’s Caribbean heritage started to dominate the sound and soon the music would open up to all the sounds of the world. This was certainly feel good music with jovial rhythms and chants all in the mix. Bodies and heads were swayin’ with ideals of white sands, distant lands, sunshine and bronze Goddesses sportin’ flowers and shakin’ grass. Sonny even comments when he take the microphone that the fact is that he wants everyone to be happy and enjoy what is going on the inside of the body and not all of the craziness of the world outside.

 

Personally, I think there is nothing wrong with vacation, but musically, I prefer the dark side. As much respect as I have for Sonny and the music, I would have liked to hear the fire and energy of the days of yesteryear. But, even with the sun, sand and clear waters, you still get the captivating sound on tenor that is non-other than the great Sonny Rollins.

Sonny and Clifton give you a really nice feeling when they are out front on a romantic ballad. The happiness in their instruments dance like an old school black and white movie over the sounds of the rhythmic grooves. Bob Cranshaw and Bobby Broom laid down some groovy chords as they walked and talked in conversation together on a tune Sonny wrote for his good friend Horace Silver called “HS”. Straight Ahead, no, but definitely music with a much broader spectrum that spreads the feeling of warmth, love and happiness and there is certainly a need in music and in this world for that!

 

 

LeRoy Downs