May 26, 2026 11:08 AM
Sonny Rollins Passes Away at 95
Sonny Rollins, the iconic saxophonist, composer and improviser whose career stretched from the origins of bebop to 21st…
David Sanborn’s roots are laid deep in the blues—he played with Albert King when he was 14—and he also came up around avant-gardists in his hometown of St Louis.
(Photo: Michael Jackson)Experimentalist Anthony Braxton was a devotee of Desmond, too.
I was there when Braxton met Lee Konitz and Anthony sang Lee’s solo on “Subconscious Lee” back to him note for note. Lee was floored. People make suppositions, but musicians can sometimes surprise you as to the music they listen to.
I’m not so interested in what is or isn’t jazz. The guardians of the gate can be quite combative, but what are they protecting? Jazz has always absorbed and transformed what’s around it. It’s not like “When the cha-cha went away, music died.” Writers have a vested interest in creating conflict too, sometimes it seems as though they don’t want to like something that everybody loves, but I never cross anybody off. I mean, some young player on the internet claimed Wayne Shorter couldn’t play! They used to say that about Miles. It’s not a contest. Is Clifford Brown a better player than Miles Davis? Wayne and Miles came out of bebop but they also transcended it. Real musicians don’t have any time to spend thinking about limited categories.
Stylistically, you like to try things, on Closer (Verve 2005) you delve into a South African township vibe on “Capetown Fringe.” How did that come about?
I have a friend named Morris Goldberg, who plays the penny whistle on Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al.” He was from South Africa. Morris and I talked about the essence of that subtle South African time feel, which is a little like calypso, but I never really felt I got inside it, it’s deceptively simple. I guess I’d give myself an E for Effort.
You don’t seem to have lost an iota of enthusiasm for music. It all seems to telescope back to those days playing the blues in St Louis.
We used to go hear these musicians like Little Milton and Albert King at what were known as teen towns—recreation centers, where there’d be a swimming pool, a bandstand, a dance. There’d be no alcohol but regular touring bands like the Chi-lites, Ike and Tina, Chuck Berry as well as Milton and Albert. I was about 14 and I befriended this older guy, Rick Bolden (probably himself only 16 or 17), who played piano with Albert and saw me and a pal standing by the stage hoping to sit in, these young white guys, fans of the music. Little Milton graciously allowed me to sit in and boom, I was in show business! Then I thought to myself, I get to feel like this at my job? Then I’m in! DB
Onstage, Rollins would move about restlessly, thrusting his tenor sax in the air as he blew.
May 26, 2026 11:08 AM
Sonny Rollins, the iconic saxophonist, composer and improviser whose career stretched from the origins of bebop to 21st…
“We thought it’s important that Ronin has a new statement,” said Nik Bärtsch of his band’s latest album, Spin. “The sound is differently produced, so it reflects more of who we are.”
Apr 21, 2026 10:00 AM
Nik Bärtsch cuts an imposing figure on stage. He’s unmistakable with his soul patch, shaven head and black attire.…
Dave King (left) and Reid Anderson offer insights into why The Bad Plus’ chemistry was cool, the accomplishments many and its longevity so fruitful.
May 12, 2026 11:42 AM
The scene still sticks with me. I had heard the oddball name of this new group being dropped around town, and…
Ava Preston, a 12-time DownBeat Student Music Award winner, is currently pursuing her master’s degree in jazz voice at Juilliard.
May 12, 2026 10:00 AM
Ava Preston, from Cleveland, Ohio, was named the winner of the ninth annual Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition on…
How best to mark Miles Davis’ centennial? By allowing the stories to flow, and cross-discussions to happen.
May 26, 2026 10:40 AM
Editor’s Note: The iconic trumpeter, composer and bandleader Miles Davis would have turned 100 today (May 26, 2026).…
