Saturday, June 17, 1995
Rollins unleashes overwhelming sax sound
By Peter B. King, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
Arts & Entertainment
Music Review
“Less is more,” goes the old saying. But tenor saxophonist
Sonny Rollins stands that venerable bit of wisdom on its
head, as he demonstrated last night at the newly
refurbished Regent Theatre in East Liberty.
Rollins will rarely play three choruses of a solo when
there’s no compelling reason not to go for four or five or
six. Part of the excitement in seeing him perform is
wondering whether he’ll venture into yet another chorus,
and whether he’ll continue to play with energy and
invention and brass-hard swing. Almost always, he does.
Now 64, Rollins is generally regarded as one of the
greatest living jazz improvisers — one of the last of a
breed that was present during the ferment of bop in the
‘40s. Rooted in swing and bebop, and especially in the
huge, burnished sound of Coleman Hawkins, Rollins has
absorbed elements of newer styles as well, from Coltrane to
Ornette Coleman. By continually refining his approach, he
has arrived at one of the quirkiest of styles that could
still be considered “mainstream.”
At the heart of his style is that huge, overwhelming sound
— a freak of nature that rolled over the audience like a
50-foot wave.
The sound takes on even greater weight due to Rollins’
impressive presence. With his snow-white beard and
sunglasses, his arms furiously raising and lowering his
sax, Rollins combines the cool of a hipster with biblical
authority.
But Rollins also offered subtlety — working melodic alchemy
on the old pop tunes like “East of the Sun, West of the
Moon” and “Long Ago and Far Away,” taking them to some far
country their creators would never have imagined.
Rollins also performed two of his signature calypso tunes,
“Duke of Iron” and “Don’t Stop the Carnival,” and the blues
“Tenor Madness.”
His famous wit was in evidence — quotes from “Oh, Susannah”
and “Pop Goes the Weasel” appeared in his bravura cadenza
to “Someone To Watch Over Me.”
Rollins has taken criticism from some critics who say he
employs inferior musicians, but you couldn’t make a case
for that last night. The band was top- notch. Pianist Kevin
Hays and trombonist Clifton Anderson employed some subtle
melodic thought of their own; drummer Billy Drummond kept
pace with every rhythmic accent; percussionist Victor
See-Yuen added sudden sounds of water and wind from his
array of exotic instruments; and electric bassist Bob
Cranshaw listened closely and followed every twist and turn
made by the soloists.
Last night’s show was sold out. Rollins performs again at
the Regent tonight at 8; a few tickets remain.
Copyright © 1995, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
