sonny rollins

I saw him in Miami a few years ago and he was great.

Sonny Rollins is one of the last remaining links to an era which will never be duplicated. I read an article once where the author opined that he is the world's greatest living saxophonist.

All of this is to say how can there be a question as to whether to go see him?

If you like improvisational music, or think you might, don't hesitate.

I have not heard him on this tour but have heard him live. He is the best living tenor player and one of this planet's finest musicians. GO!

I have seen him twice in about the last year. Even though
he is well into his seventies, the man can still blow! He
is a national musical treasure who manages to combine great virtuosity and technical skill with the joy that he so obviously puts out there when he plays. Although he is a great technical player, there is nothing analytical about his music. He is the last of a kind, in my opinion. It will be a long time before anyone comes up to challenge him. GO!

Saxophone Colossus is supposed be his best recording, and is certainly the most popular, but if you want to hear him really stretch out, listen to his 'A night at the Village Vanguard' (a BlueNote 2-disk live session).

Both recordings are rated 5***** at AllMusic.com and The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD

But 'best ever'... I don't know. What about Charlie Parker?

I notice the great virtuoso jazz musicans usally are also great composers. And no wonder since they are composing as they play...all the time! So, even then, their compositions are a drop in the bucket of what they actually create musically.

No doubt, he is up there. But again, so many guys have superlative chops that it leaves the popularity issue up for question.

Notice how the icons of jazz typially changed the sound of the music, as with Louis Armstrong, and Bird, or the sound of the instrument, Miles.

Leaving their contributions more significant than even the music they made. The mark of a true genius, I think, having to do with originality, coupled with talent,and virtuosity.

+Sinatra, Ray Charles, Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Gershwin, and let me close a much longer list with.... Duke Ellington.

Thank God for for them, and music in general.

Saw him in Princeton NJ in 1987 or 1988. Great show.

Dida - 'best living sax player'. Charlie's been dead 50 years.

Charles Parker was an alto sax player;Rollins play a tenor and occasionally a soprano sax.

In addition to the fine recording mentioned above,allow me to add anything recorded by the Clifford Brown/Max Roach quintet-of which Rollins was a member.

I love Sonny but wish he'd never adopted electric bass in his band.

Second greatest tenor sax living legend is Joe Henderson (at least I think he's still around).

I saw him a couple of years ago in Minneapolis. He wasn't as good as he used to be but one must consider his age (still great though). I read an interview in which he was asked why he didn't play some of his early stuff. He relied that "they are too difficult". I thought it was a funny rely.