[Saxplayer67]

Anyone else going to see Sonny at the Barbican, London this Saturday? See you there!

 

[itspman]

Anyone else going to see Sonny at the Barbican, London this Saturday? See you there!

Hi

Myself and a friend of mine are going, I will look out for you.

 

[Saxplayer67]

Well, Itspman, you know what I look like from my avatar - no, that brass thing isn't glued to my face! How about a pic of you?

 

[itspman]

Well, Itspman, you know what I look like from my avatar - no, that brass thing isn't glued to my face! How about a pic of you?

I have updated my avitar with my goodself

 

[RootyTootoot]

Yes, I am going. But I certainly won't be looking out for you, sad to say. Saxplayer and I are supposed to be ignoring each other you see, friends!!

 

[Saxplayer67]

Hey Rooty, you're un-ignored!!!!

I've no probs with shaking your hand and burying the hatchet - which was really caused by me being over-sensitive as usual! In all honesty, the impression one gets of a person through email, messaging or good old fashioned letter writing is totally different to how they are in real life. But don't ask me to kiss and make up!

 

[RootyTootoot]

I hope you enjoy the concert, Saxplayer. All the best.

 

[Saxplayer67]

Cheers, Rooty, this is my fifth Sonny gig!

 

[docformat]

I'll be there.

I'm going with my disabled father-in-law so we'll be sitting in the wheelchair section - basically the gangway halfway up the hall - so I should be easy to spot.

BTW I saw Enrico Ravva (trumpet) and Stefano Bollani (piano) there last night. Terrific gig - check em out.

 

[Saxplayer67]

I'll be there.

I'm going with my disabled father-in-law so we'll be sitting in the wheelchair section - basically the gangway halfway up the hall - so I should be easy to spot.

BTW I saw Enrico Ravva (trumpet) and Stefano Bollani (piano) there last night. Terrific gig - check em out.

Would you believe, I have only seen the following 'name' saxophonists live:-

Branford Marsalis (six times - met him after the fifth but corresponded a few times), Sonny Rollins (this is fifth time, as I said), David Sanborn (once - couldn't afford his last couple of visits to Ronnies!), John Dankworth (twice - second time had good chat with him). Also there was Soweto Kinch as support for Sanborn - I hated Kinch, I was tempted to walk out til he'd finished!

 

[itspman]

Would you believe, I have only seen the following 'name' saxophonists live:-

Branford Marsalis (six times - met him after the fifth but corresponded a few times), Sonny Rollins (this is fifth time, as I said), David Sanborn (once - couldn't afford his last couple of visits to Ronnies!), John Dankworth (twice - second time had good chat with him). Also there was Soweto Kinch as support for Sanborn - I hated Kinch, I was tempted to walk out til he'd finished!

I totaly agree with you about David Sanborn at Ronnies, I saw him a couple of years back and he was charging £45 a ticket and that included a meal which I thought was execlent value, this year he wanted £75 and that was without food. Not sure if its him or Ronnies but unfortunately I didnt go.

I saw David Sanborn at the barbican a couple of years back and the tickets were £25 so Im not sure its him that is charging the earth.

As for Kinch total agree - absoultely dreadful stuff

 

[cleger]

As for Kinch total agree - absoultely dreadful stuff

Now I'm curious, I don't know anything about this cat other than he's trying to do a sort of hip hop/jazz fusion sort of thing. Is that what turned you off or was it something about his playing? The samples I've heard online seem to vary quite a bit depending on which of his CDs they're from.

To be honest, I wouldn't be able to sit through a Sanborn performance so maybe we're just coming from different places.

 

[Saxplayer67]

Now I'm curious, I don't know anything about this cat other than he's trying to do a sort of hip hop/jazz fusion sort of thing. Is that what turned you off or was it something about his playing? The samples I've heard online seem to vary quite a bit depending on which of his CDs they're from.

To be honest, I wouldn't be able to sit through a Sanborn performance so maybe we're just coming from different places.

When I saw him at the Sanborn concert, Kinch's slot consisted of him playing a few licks on his alto - very poor tone and technique, IMO - and then most of the time rapping. His trumpeter friend rapped along with him holding the trumpet but didn't use it at all! And the crowd thought it was amazing, cheering and all the rest which confirms my suspicion - most people who attend concerts are just sycophants. Sanborn could have come out and played Three Blind Mice using wrong notes and the crowd would have still cheered and whooped it up.

 

[Sigmund451]

I recently saw him in Portland, Oregon. DO IT. It was a great time. Its not likely you will ever have the chance again.

 

[RootyTootoot]

In an hour or so i'll be departing on my "Sonny Rollins road trip" to see the show referred to in this thread..

Yes!!!

Got to get ready..

 

[Saxplayer67]

Rooty, say wha-? It's not til Saturday, you're a day early - how far are you travelling for gawd's sake?

 

[trigger]

Saxplayer i was at that sanborn gig at the Festival Hall and i must agree apart from a few licks a guy who didn't use the trumpet he clung onto
it was just a rapping gig .Sanborn was his brilliant self and paid tribute to
Michael Kamen who died that day.I was also put off by the price at Ronnies
although i was going to go i changed my mind at the last minute.I only paid £10 for Joshua Redman last night and usually only pay around £14 to see the Yellowjackets

Ronnie's are charging to much for gig's

 

[RootyTootoot]

Back from my road trip.

Ok. I'll kick off. The concert itself was a very mixed experience for me. It was deeply moving to see Sonny play live (he's always been and still is one of my very favourite players) and there was a great sincerity in his playing. But, for me, the band was not so good. I've got more to say but if i do i'll probably start to rant. I'd be interested to hear what others thought. The concert ended with a standing ovation, BTW.

 

[gary]

But, for me, the band was not so good. I've got more to say but if i do i'll probably start to rant. I'd be interested to hear what others thought.

You shouldn't feel inhibited by that opinion. It's a recurrent theme in the Sonny threads here in the past.

 

[Saxplayer67]

Back from my road trip.

Ok. I'll kick off. The concert itself was a very mixed experience for me. It was deeply moving to see Sonny play live (he's always been and still is one of my very favourite players) and there was a great sincerity in his playing. But, for me, the band was not so good. I've got more to say but if i do i'll probably start to rant. I'd be interested to hear what others thought. The concert ended with a standing ovation, BTW.

Rooty, his band, apart from some personnel changes and the dropping of the pianist in recent years is about the same as it's been the last five times I've seen him at the Barbican (this was number five and number three for Katharine, my fiance). Performance-wise also about the same - they back Sonny up and are more background.

Kath and I had a nice chat with Sonny (and before him, BBC newsreader - now a freelancer - Moira Stewart, a friend of Sonny's who I've seen at every one of his concerts) after the gig, in his dressing room and Kath (as a qualified chef and expert traditional cake maker) presented him with a pack of her renowned chocolate brownies! Got some nice photos of Sonny and us too.

I started to get a stinking cold on the Saturday morning (as Sonny had - the reason he didn't do an encore) but of course wouldn't let that stop me going to the gig and Sunday I was playing for a street festival in Ramsgate, Kent - the show must go on! I even ended my last set by singing a couple of Christmas tunes to my backing tracks! And the cold is even worse now, being in the cold all day - at least it was a paid gig!