SONNY ROLLINS: The Tonight Show 1979

[@PaulGreen11]

Gave the Brother a national stage and played what he wanted to play, Respect.

[@jeffryhammel3035]

The best living jazz man.

[@Frankie-O]

✊️

[@alkebulansan]

It's true hey! Excellent comment.

[@Frankie-O]

​Hey! Hey! Hey! It's true blue.

[@rickbrown8730]

Sonny Rollins, a great player, & a great human being

[@jeffryhammel3035]

Thank you. It's my eternal wish to see him - aside from the many great concerts he's given my family.

[@Frankie-O]

Sonny Rollins is the jazz chief.

[@StephenDorocke]

@@Frankie-Othe Big Man🙏

[@Frankie-O]

Shaq is the biggest man.

[@dherz108]

Whatever we feel about Bill Cosby today, this for me was truly a good thing. One of the best things I have seen/heard on TV. For all of Rollins' greatness, most of the general public have never heard or even heard of him. This type of genuine forum for an artist of Rollins' stature on TV is so rare...especially considering how much airtime lesser artists get.

[@jeffryhammel3035]

It freaks me out that so few have heard of Sonny. Your comment hit me hard. Rollins is the one person I'd love to see.

[@farshimelt]

@@jeffryhammel3035 I heard him one night at Shelly's Manne Hole in Hollywood. People were so excited by his playing that the entire audience was on it's feet screaming.

[@jeffryhammel3035]

@@farshimelt Awh, thanks! We saw so many Sonny Rollins concerts from the 70's to the 80's. I was always afraid to go back stage and at least shake his hands.

[@Frankie-O]

🎙

[@michaelchelette8415]

A Giant Among Giants.Go Back To His Collaborations With The Giants Of The 50s And 60s. He Was A Young Virtuoso Among Tenor Saxophonists Playing The Highly Demanding Classical Jazz Genre Of Bebop! I Saw Him Live In 1968 At Shelley's Mannhole In Hollywood, California. Azar Lawrence And I Were Both 16 Years Old At The Time. We Used To Sneak In Because We Were Under Age. He Had A Trio With Buster Williams On Bass And Tootie Heath On Drums.No Piano. I Was Mesmerize By Just Looking At Him Play As He Walked Through The Aisles Among The Audience Of The Club. Full Of Charisma. He Has Been A Trailblazer In Every Genre Of Jazz. His Endurance Is Epic. I've Been Discovering Awesome Videos Of Sonny Out Of Europe From The 1990s 2000s 2010 Here On KZbin....And He's Still Playing Strong. Over 60 Years And Still Playing! Amazing. I Consider Sonny Rollins And John Coltrane As The Two Greatest Tenor Saxophonists In The History Of Classical Jazz Music🎼🎶🎤🧚‍♀️💕👌🎼🎶😎

[@rinahall]

He stoped playing in 2012 you idiot crazy fool

[@jeffryhammel3035]

Thanks. Regards to some of the other comments, screw them. Sonny hasn't been playing a lot lately, but his concerts have always got us going.

[@Frankie-O]

📺

[@AlanSenzaki]

Shellys was my go to place!🙏😑

[@qwerwerterytrtyutyuiyuiouiop]

Are you permanently on acid?

[@FCntertainr]

Amazing some who have small attention spans! I could listen and even watch Sonny bust changes and segway in and out of tune after tune after tune! The content is just like a band, he hits some bass notes of chords, jumps in some chords with arpeggios, melodies. He is doing what a band does like a solo piano, guitar whatever. Harmonic foundation. That's why he's a killer with the band. !

[@rinahall]

No

[@WestCoastJazzForever]

Yes

[@Frankie-O]

🤩

[@claryscat]

Sonny in his PRIME! Well not like he ain't been solidly in the Saxophone Colossus all these years!!! This clip brings smiles and tear to my eyes. What a beast!! Sonny givin' the $500 tenor lesson here... or else five hundred dollar lessons!! Hun? This clip is golden. He was taking some heat for playing with an electric band at the time. I remember this period, you can hear him quote Playin' In The Yard and snips of Poinciana. I told Sonny "Playin'" was one of my favorite records... it didn't seem to be one of his favorite recordings by 2010. haha Thanx for this clip...

[@rinahall]

@hemanth kamana who care ?

[@bobmerrillnet]

I know, it's uncomfortable seeing Cosby now, but I thought it best to leave an historical document as is.

[@zackbowman4100]

BOB. You did the RIGHT THING leaving the Cosby intro in... You are RIGHT!!! This IS a historical document... People in AMERICA keep forgetting HISTORY.. World history, American history... We can't pick and chose what we are "comfortable with" to suit our emotions, needs, goals.... IF WE DO NOT STUDY HISTORY, WE ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT... We learn from history. We don't edit it...

[@skineyemin4276]

Well, it's been really uncomfortable having to watch this pussy grabbing buffoon p.o.s. of a POTUS everyday for the past 3 years. So, honestly, I don't even think that you needed to explain your discomfort. It's a Sonny Rollins performance.

[@rillloudmother]

agreed

[@Frankie-O]

😬

[@wyndhl8309]

Nice seeing William Cosby, the hitman,👋 in his youthful splendor. And the aspiring actresses? Well! Well! Well!

[@terryturner261]

I remember seeing it on tv 📺 and just loved it and so cool how he played so freely, just beautiful

[@Frankie-O]

James Blunt sang about being beautiful.

[@christopherfischer6998]

I love this video way too much

[@Frankie-O]

Sonny Rollins, in the zone!

[@tonymarino7391]

One of the all time greats.

[@Frankie-O]

Sonny Rollins sure can play on and never give the tenor saxophone a rest, Coleman Hawkins to thank.

[@Frankie-O]

Hey! NOW you must watch, then see and hear, plus listen to the Sonny Rollins tenor saxophone solo on G-Man (1986).

[@WestCoastJazzForever]

I've listened to G-Man so many hundreds of times, practically have his solo memorized!😉

[@Frankie-O]

Despite a broken heel, Sonny Rollins then resumed and just kept playing on and made cinema history at Opus 40 in New York.

[@amberchubb3818]

Facebook wouldn't let me share this, Because Cosby?

[@rickdavenport9538]

Love Bill Cosby and Sonny Rollins and make NO apologizes about it..

[@Nologo902]

Cos almost had NBC lmao

[@Frigoni]

One of the best clean comedians, regardless of personal behavior

[@leobrahmachari6611]

Bad doesn’t erase good, good doesn’t erase bad. They can both coexist and be perceived accordingly

[@mavelous1763]

Love Sonny, despise rapists. No apologies for that

[@Frankie-O]

No apologies whatsoever.

[@TheJeffMiller]

Rollins the Stone Cold Killer!

[@Frankie-O]

Rahsaan Roland Kirk is not onstage to challenge nor take Sonny Rollins down.

[@henridelagardere264]

Edvard Grieg and Johannes Brahms are no longer with us, but Sonny and Bill still are. We wish all the best and good health, may they enjoy their twilight years! The song is ended, but the melody lingers on.

[@Frankie-O]

🎼

[@davidwood351]

This is about the time I saw Sonny at The Roxy. He was into the black Chuck Taylor shoes then.

[@rillloudmother]

wow, this is before mics on the bell. you can hear him moving the horn around.

[@billarchibald5106]

Sonny was using them back then. This was 1979. I caught Sonny back in '76 & he was using a lavalier Mic, I think it was a Sony ECM150. I think this had more to do with being on the Tonight Show than Sonny's choice in microphones. It's just great to catch him again!

[@Frankie-O]

Emile Berliner founded the microphone.

[@sethjohnston2331]

Thought he was gonna play the lick at the end lmao

[@Frankie-O]

What about a scoop?

[@JentschChris]

Thanks for this. I downloaded the video, did a quick remaster and centering of the audio track, and replaced the one channel only audio. I'd be happy to give you a DropBox link to the new version if you want to repost it, or just to have it. Let me know...

[@Frankie-O]

🖥

[@JentschChris]

@@Frankie-O I can't tell if your reply is meant to request an action, but I'm happy to repeat the offer for you...

[@Frankie-O]

It's already been posted.

[@bobmerrillnet]

Just saw this now. I’d love to hear it. [e-mail]

[@bandicoot5412]

Definition of independence

[@Frankie-O]

Kelly Clarkson - Miss Independent

[@JRM---516]

The great saxophonist Ernie Watts wasn't clapping...

[@dmzabo3914]

Two Rivals within the Rivalry? I guess it’s just like the Steelers fans don’t clap when the Browns score a TD.

[@coryholland1811]

Watts and Rollins. Watts is a very fine player, but hardly in the same league.

[@Frankie-O]

Sonny Rollins lets no tenor saxophone player stop him from trying to win a jazz battle, especially Rahsaan Roland Kirk (whom he was previously taken down by).

[@postatility9703]

He was too awestruck.

[@Frankie-O]

📣

[@demetriuswhite1589]

Hope Hope you left the same comment on Tumps videos. Didn't he grab a few himself? But probably different,huh?

[@Frankie-O]

☺️

[@diamondhands8505]

The original Bleeding Gums

[@blackie8083]

None of the sax section are clapping... That's a sax legend playing gents!

[@dmzabo3914]

Yes, but they are rivals?

[@Frankie-O]

Sonny Rollins won against John Coltrane, but got pwned by Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

[@farshimelt]

@@dmzabo3914 Sonny had no rivals.

[@Frankie-O]

The I Love Lucy onscreen couple actors were rivals in reality; William Frawley, Vivian Vance.

[@golds04]

What us there to say, what is there to do… but nobody noticed- the swag as he walked on? ?????Horn section:” %^*% - should move to drums or piano- by by Selmer” Love love Sonny- hope you are well Newk

[@farshimelt]

Have you read Saxophone Colossus, Sonny's biography?

[@golds04]

@@farshimelt yep. Did you go to his 80th bd concert to see him play with Ornette? That was something special.

[@Frankie-O]

Sonny Rollins said that the piano is way difficult to play for him.

[@aleisterjames]

Liking this performance (or not) it's definitely a matter of taste; some people have it, others do not.

[@Frankie-O]

I have the taste.

[@pyannaguy]

Love tenor sax, play it myself and while it's just my personal feeling, I'm not a fan of extended unaccompanied playing any more than I care to hear a single a cappella singer. There's a reason why you don't see a lone sax player in a restaurant or bar. It's best in a setting with a chordal instrument in my opinion (and apparently in most peoples). PS: I know Sonny's a brilliant player and I'm a fan of many years. Again, it's subjective and just an opinion.

[@drewlaredo7220]

so correct. and NEVER a drum solo please

[@dcuss7294]

Just curious. So how do you feel about and treat the lone busker?

[@pyannaguy]

If the busker is playing recognizable melodies (for the most part) - I can dig it....for x-amount of time. But, even as masterful as Sonny is - nearly 7 minutes of what likely feels like almost aimless jamming to the uninitiated listener would be seen as self-indulgent if he weren't famous. Woodwinds and brass instruments are divine solo instruments...but, ( again, it's just a matter of taste) I don't enjoy them as extended un-accompanied solo instruments. Thanks for your time and interest!

[@pepperwilliams4428]

I can't agree more! I play saxophone and I can't stand it when I hear a 5 minute solo of just the horn. Coltrane (my all time favorite), would play these long unaccompanied solos and I would tire of that as well. Love Rollins, but not like this!

[@Frigoni]

Sonny very often would play in trios with just bass and drums and make amazing music without any chordal instrument

[@Ren-nf4pz]

:) the ending!!!

[@contactkeithstack]

Ren what melody was that?

[@tab89]

contactkeithstack Percy graingers country gardens

[@Frankie-O]

Get that last note out.

[@ulrap1202]

This is fun and Sonny's a great player, but, I don't really like his tone here. Not sure if it's the recording quality, or just how he was sounding at this time..

[@Frankie-O]

King Of The Hill, on that Texas City Twister episode where Bill Dauterive didn't like how Hank Hill was speaking to him. I can't hear you!

[@chavruta2000]

we can take out the bill cosby intro now

[@Chris-is1rd]

+chavruta2000 lol

[@zackbowman4100]

Jim: Strong but CORRECT. We have to study history, not edit it to chose our liking. I've got your back in soul.

[@pierluigiqui3007]

Do not 'remove' all. Study,elaborate, and do never repeat that. . Study...study...study....live... . Americans mostly still have to learn all. And It s too late. See the consequences. .. . A historucal tragedy. The best ones understood that decades ago. The other ones insist on their evil mistakes and wrong ignorant directions. And force all the World to follow them. . Wush u All the best . . Prof. Pierluigi PETTOROSSO

[@demetriuswhite1589]

Really? I'm sure you've been canonized for your lifelong saintly behavior. Let ye among you without sin cast the first stone

[@chavruta2000]

@@demetriuswhite1589 please. Lets have a little perspective.

[@bobdownes162]

He was my original influence. But find this hectic - nervosic. Nothing really being said. Mind you, if he pauses for more than 2 secs, the viewer will start banging at his TV set in the beleif that the sound has broken down.

[@Frankie-O]

📺

[@rinahall]

I just listened to a 10h European podcast radio show on Sonny Rollins (yes, 10x 1h, covering 1951-2001 !!!). My opinion of Rollins is that it seems very overrated to me. First of all as a player, he does not seem to me better than Johnny Griffin, Stitt, Roland Kirk, Phil Woods, Lateef ... but enjoys a much more important reputation ... and unjustified in my opinion. Ok he plays well, but not better than the musicians I mentioned. In terms of composition, he did not compose anything, everyone knows that St Thomas is a Caribbean folklore already recorded by Randy Weston in 1955 under the title Fire Down There. His other compositions from the 50s ... well, Oleo, Airegin etc ... this can in no way be compared to the compositions of Trane, Bird, Monk or Shorter ... also, his playing and his sound are terribly degraded after 1966 (36 years). It seems that he was traumatized by the arrival of Ornette, Trane, Ayler ... In the 60's he tried to be more free than Ayler, more calypso / blues than Ornette, and more mystical than Trane, but he didn't. did not succeed. Then in the 70s / 80s he tried to be funky, disco ... with really ridiculous and cheesy results ... Did he want to be funkier than James Brown himself? Also, in the radio show they say that he was paid current $ 300,000 for himself to record the Nucleus album (so listen to the result !!!!), and that, for his concerts, his financial claims were unrealistic, only the big festivals could afford it. He played with the Stones but didn't want to go on tour with them because, according to Jagger himself, he wanted too much money! I mean, I'm not making anything up here. In my opinion, he should have remained what he was before, a disciple of Bird at the Tenor, and quit at the age of 40 to leave a quality job, and without trying to follow fashion. Thank you for not insulting me because I have documented myself on Rollins and I like to have constructive discussions without being attacked on my person.

[@Frankie-O]

🇪🇺

[@raefblack7906]

Well Cosby wasn't that race in those fays with his all white house band and the 1 token black in the trumpet section .. sheesh.

[@demetriuswhite1589]

That wasn't his show my friend. He was just sitting in for Johnny Carson.

[@Frankie-O]

🎺

[@rinahall]

corny as hell

[@Frankie-O]

Sentimental.