Melissa Aldana Trio plays "Sonny"

[@sbaiar]

Wow! She sounds just like Sonny. That was amazing, even the ideas AND rhythmic diversity are totally Sonnyesque. What a monster. I've heard many other cuts of hers and she doesn't normally sound like this. To have that amount of a command of your horn that you can emulate whoever you choose... only masters tread in that territory. Her normal sound is so much less in your face and it has this beautiful airy fluid quality to it... mesmerizing to listen to.

[@manssonfilm]

Many thanks for this comment. Good to hear that you liked the post, and that you find her playing so "sonnyesque". interesting that she gave us this at a concert in a smaller swedish town on a cold winter evening

[@migehlito]

Scott Baiar couldn't agree more. I always think of Joe Henderson when she plays.

[@sbaiar]

migehlito Interesting you say Joe Henderson. Joe is undoubtedly a master, but she's never reminded me of him. I suppose there are qualities of her playing which resemble Joe though. I've thought of Joe as being this transcendent odd ball who kind of walks to the beat of his own drum and all you have to do is listen to him for a very short while to tell that he is a complete monster and quite deep. That is one of things I love about Melissa. She doesn't really sound like anybody I've heard before. Ya, she has many qualities of many other masters, but her package as a whole is quite unique. Her sound, style of play, and harmonic ingenuity are fascinating to me, and I totally dig the soft airy quality to her tone. Her subtoning is gorgeous. I also love the harmonic choices she makes. They sound so cool and obviously completely deliberate. She's going for the Sonny thing here, but when it's her being her, that's how I hear it.

[@JRNL75]

Yes Scott ! Just like you say

[@mistuhmiles]

I always say she is a cross between Sonny and Dexter. With modern ideas. Just awesome player

[@Joshualbm]

That kind of tone is what it's all about. Absorbing the foundational masters while being clearly one's own voice is a rare achievement. Melissa's such a smart and soulful player. Bravo.

[@ducciocastelli7560]

?

[@LuisArmienta]

Eah, suena fenomenal, tuve la oportunidad de escucharla en Ensenada Baja Califonia hace un mes y fue estupendo su concierto.

[@tayoung301]

I've been playing for 35 years and I wish I had 1/2 of her ideas.

[@joelpowzyk5295]

Great tenor and bass.

[@npeabs]

Hold crap. I love how laid back she is, while still attacking the notes. Very talented.

[@Xavia_Dimoff]

Someone needs to show this to Sonny Rollins

[@mambojazz1]

They've already met! She even played at his Lifetime Achievement Award Ceremony back in 2015! She won the Monk sax Competition~

[@pepperwilliams4428]

Yeah! She nailed "Sonny" with that song of hers. Her playing is quite strong and she has that 'earthy' Sonny Rollins New York playing!

[@hashimotoyuji7075]

I am confident that I would say that this is the Rollins' recording from 1950's if I blind listen this. WOW!!

[@janjespersen8838]

Oh yes - Sonny indeed! Power, sound, melodic lines and ideas. Nice :-)

[@KeisOhtsuka]

And rhythmic. Yes, Sonny Rollins is a rhythmic master.

[@RandyResnick]

Great tribute to a great player by a great player!

[@carlosjazzpick]

¡¡¡blessing reeds!!! incredible flow of ideas and wise notes choice, swing, groove and melody sense.

[@jazzpsychic]

Thanks for posting! This is the best I've heard from her.

[@crazybunkum]

0:28 ‘Oh!’ - indeed😀

[@dorotihelenabernardi5991]

SHOW !!

[@patam-patam]

Very very good ! Massiv !

[@caponsacchi9979]

Proof that, even in the world of boss tenor gods, women have arrived!

[@michaelroach4219]

She's an amazing saxophonist!

[@wardellmobley77]

YES,YES,YES,YES,YES!!!!!

[@kentonstout4655]

Oh my God. It's like other worldly

[@TonyAguirreJazz]

Love Melissa's rhythm and tone. Just fantastic. .

[@saxman3336]

Great player

[@reiniermuntjewerff874]

Hello Hans Månsson, she is someone special. She also teaches students, you can watch a solo, just before her masterclass in Groningen concervatoire where I lived. Please search for my name + her name. Enjoy 🙂

[@alejandrojimenez6103]

Tremendo Trio ¡¡¡¡ Felicitaciones a todos, grande Melissa ¡

[@memoherrerasounds]

I fall in love!

[@sergioclavijo9291]

Impresionante Melissa, impresionante como tocas el saxo y el buen acompañamiento de tu grupo. Felicitaciones !!!!!!!!!!!

[@freetofu]

Huh, I was just lying down and listening without checking the screen and I thought it actually was Sonny. Another player I had a similar reaction to is Grant Stewart.

[@jazzman_10]

Really impressive!!

[@pacoltrane]

Veeeery nice. Great sound. Just like Sonny. She's very good.

[@jacksonburris5179]

Impeccable

[@jzavala]

Qué maestra!

[@karawisapaki]

Que visionario fue Peter Rock.. Grande Melissa

[@fernandoabdo1255]

y que mal lo vio Enrique Lafourcade !!!!

[@ekke62]

Pablo Menares (b), and Alan Mednard (dr) (for those who do not want till the end of the clip to know the other two members of the trio)

[@guillermokeller1985]

Buenisimo!!!!!!!!!

[@shaonemusic]

Mind blowing-ly awesome!

[@giovannicultrera]

muy bueno!!

[@tenorman2764]

Oh yeah !!

[@jurgenschwing4259]

on drums Alan Mednard, bass: Pablo Menares

[@PabloVestory]

If it was not for he is still alive, it could seem that Sonny has reincarnate already ;) Evidently Melissa loves Sonny, who doesn't? but she has much more than plenty of originality herself. This is not copyng, this is Honoring. She assimilates, applies and evolves the previous stuff magistrally

[@tonyaguirre8316]

Melissa’s timing is fantastic

[@robdarimartin]

Mel todo lo que tocas magnifico...

[@gillos7488]

Super

[@armandocairo5444]

Great!

[@obergssin]

She's putting lots of air through the horn now and her core sound is really improved not that there was anything wrong with it ... ... It's all there folks .... I love this style of playing ...

[@roberthunt1540]

This woman a super badass!

[@Blijdenstein]

Wow!

[@ustwoalberts]

the whole trio magnificent . Blimey !

[@manuelpolanco4528]

sonidon excelente lineas de jazz congratulacion melissa woow

[@ruudbergamin4361]

Impressive!!

[@oscarpizarro6448]

Increíble sonido de los 3, Grande Melissa!

[@marcioramosfoto]

Toca muito essa mina.

[@curibass_curico]

Hola yo quiero tocar como Pablo menares pliss

[@hemanthkamana1886]

Omg😭😭

[@bvgmusic]

muy deli y rico

[@alejandrosoza8006]

Beast!

[@michaelroach4219]

Wow

[@carloslg80]

Amazing attack...

[@lukasalihein]

damn

[@pepperwilliams4428]

I've never heard of her, but she sure ripped her composition, "Sonny". I met Sonny Rollins a long time ago, when I happened to be in the same room with him, Sonny Stitt, Art Blakely and Dizzy. Her solo nails the "essence" of Rollins, with the jagged rhythms, playing 'against the beat'. I would be hard-pressed in a blindfold test, because I would SWEAR that it was Sonny that I was listening to. 5 stars out of 5 to you Melissa.

[@kfhenderson]

Good sound, like Sonny...... Lovery Tenor-girl !!

[@MrJazzohjazz]

Wonderful solo.

[@cconmunroe]

what ligature is that?

[@youngandrew66]

Love this. Awesome playing and a mad 'Muppet Show Band on crack' feel to it..

[@dominusaeternum4220]

Does anyone know her setup?

[@maryborbonio6398]

alguien sabe que boquilla usa???

[@zan77460]

Does anybody know what she is playing? It looks Reference 54 to me. Is it?

[@danilomitic7237]

Melje.

[@denizkum3433]

3:56

[@richardsteinberg7654]

What mouthpiece and ligature are you playing on in this video? Best Wishes, Richard

[@fernandoabdo1255]

Cásate conmigo Melissa, pero no tengo ni uno :( pero escucharemos buena música :)

[@べち-z8i]

0:30

[@charlesbarry6730]

Echoes of Sonny Rollins.

[@dhalper1]

AWESOME! Breathtaking... Yes, Like Sonny! (but the bass solo was too long?...) Awesome track, thanks

[@torindavies1176]

I like the bass solo

[@rsrsax9492]

raaaaaaad!

[@cesarkero]

That audience makes me angry. Melissa Aldana is going to be one of the greatest and they don't even notice.

[@manssonfilm]

If you'd been there you would have noticed that they did notice.

[@XxSaxCannon921xX]

Hans Månsson pew pew pew

[@jelenfticekcvrcek]

GOGO honey!

[@tayoung301]

She's another Mark Turner/Joshua Redman/Eric Alexander/Chris Potter/JD Allen et al. They don't come around very often.

[@tonyaguirre8316]

I can’t stand Alexander

[@demonslayed8895]

I wouldn’t say all of that....lol

[@fenacastro3455]

Si es chilena es buena!!! XD

[@andystephenson5407]

they needa good jazz guitar player..uhm uhm its not me but i sure wish it was

[@alejandrosoza8006]

Because of The Bridge,

[@torindavies1176]

I think it works well as a trio, more space for exploration of each instrument

[@vaibhavjoshi9141]

She's quite quite good but does she play only BeBop?

[@ertoliart]

No

[@hincapiej4]

If anything this is post bop

[@fluidjazz]

Joe Henderson much?..........

[@tellitlikeitis-rg4ny]

i wish these players would find thier own style its like a tribute act sorry but jazz can only evolve through individuality

[@ducciocastelli7560]

I prefer King Oliver.

[@ducciocastelli7560]

🍾🎶🎶😄😄

[@tomscott1741]

Melissa aldana is a great player, but somebody needs to tell her to fix her posture. The tenor saxophone is probably just too heavy for her. I notice Grace Kelly switch to a curved Bell soprano, and that seems to be the perfect size for her. I'm just saying, doing that for years will turn her into a hunchback. Maybe she should do back exercises or something to strengthen the muscles. I appreciate her playing very much though, she's great! Just don't want to see her become a permanent hunchback.

[@saulholmes8199]

Who’s worried about posture when sounds come out this fantastic. This is jazz not the Olympics.

[@tomscott1741]

@@saulholmes8199 because when she gets old she's going to be a complete hunchback, that's why.

[@essbo53]

Pres never addressed his, neither did Monk, or Miles. Fix your ears 'n eyes.

[@tomscott1741]

@@essbo53 Lester Young did not slouch when he played tenor, Miles Davis played the trumpet, and Monk played the piano 🙄