'Complete Sonny Rollins In Japan' was recorded on September 30, 1973, at Nagano San-Plaza, Tokyo. It was originally released as ''Sonny Rollins In Japan' in 1973 on the Victor label.
In September 1973, Sonny Rollins, along with guitarist Yoshiaki Masuo, bassist Bob Cranshaw, drummer David Lee and percussionist James Mtume went to Japan on tour, and recorded a live album that has only ever released for the Japanese domestic market.
The album's opener, "Powaii" is named for the Indian city where Sonny studied yoga and meditation during his sabbatical. It’s a nearly 19-minute piece played with fierce intensity, and it sets the tone for the entire record. We are also treated to Sonny's classics, "St. Thomas", the theme from "Alfie", and "Moritat" aka "Mack the Knife".
Today's freeload is a 2CD version from 2008, and is also a Japanese domestic market only release. It features a full hour’s worth of bonus material. It has a 29-minute version of "Sais", also included are "Hold Em Joe" and "God Bless The Child".
The recording quality excellent, and the music unique blend of traditional jazz with 70s funk/fusion elements, making it a standout from Sonny's mid-70s period. The band is on fire throughout.
This is rare and essential, Sonny Rollins, and to my ears, is one of Sonny's best albums of the 1970s. .
For the freeload, what was the last live show you attended?
Last night - attended a jazz jam at a local club. In terms of a "named" artist would have been Stacey Kent in Nov in Barcelona.
ReplyDeleteA jazz jam at a local club works for me.
DeleteWe are fortunate in Seville to be surrounded by so much live music and in different genres. Typical week has us at a jazz jam on Fri, a middle eastern style jam on Sun nights with a nitecap of manouche music. And, a few shows during the week, too.
DeleteMy Morning Jacket in Philadelphia in October - birthday gift from my son. It was my 4th MMJ show (one of my son's favorite bands).
ReplyDeleteLast night I saw pianist Fred Hersch, with bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Johnathan Blake, at The Village Vanguard.
ReplyDeleteANON RF: Love Fred Hersch. Wish I'd been there! He and Brad Mehldau. Sublime.
DeleteI'm seeing Brad tomorrow night at Smoke. It's a good weekend for piano Jazz here.
DeleteSaw Hersch, solo, last summer - was a really nice evening. Have seen Mehldau a few times and its always been great. Enjoy!
DeleteDang I wish I lived in NYC! How ya liking Mamdani? (I'm a fan...)
DeleteLos Lobos @ E. J. Thomas Hall in Akron on August 30, 2019. It was the last concert that my wife & I attended. I haven't gone to any shows since. Thanks Babs
ReplyDeleteEleanor Ellis (with our son-in-law sitting in) in the front yard of our elderchild's house in Silver Spring, Maryland last August; health stuff has kept me mostly grounded for the past 9 months
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you're not well, Eric.
DeleteYou're very kind; thank you. End of December I got the best news I could hope for, so all on the ups now!
DeleteANON RF: I think it was Roger McGuinn in a small venue near Providence RI. It was lovely.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a minute. Aside from some charming mariachis at a local Mexican joint, I haven't been to a show for a while. Though, at the risk of sounding nepotistic, it was a great one: my little brother's 10 piece, The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra killed it closing the Redwood Coast Music Festival in Eureka. California.
ReplyDeleteBabs, I envy you the amazing access to jazz you enjoy. But I must admit that living in the city is something I can't imagine now. Conversely, folks who stay at our rural mountain home sometimes have trouble sleeping because of the utter silence in winter. Summers, the great gray owls keep the city dwellers awake when they stay at the Pauling manse.
Thanks for the Rollins rarity!
When I visit my daughter in Los Altos, CA, it's way too quiet to get a good nights sleep.
DeleteSupersuckers at the Blue Grotto in Kamloops BC, it was their second visit to our town!
ReplyDeleteThis question makes me realize how old I am. I attend classical music shows fairly regularly (as I will tomorrow and again next weekend). I think the last popular artist I saw was James Taylor a few years back.
ReplyDeleteWe have a record store downtown that regularly hosts solo or duo performers ...because their stage area can't fit three adults! A week ago, I got the spouse out of the house and together we saw Misner & Smith in store, for two hours. It was pretty great, but not that many people browse records on a Friday night and (to my surprise) not that many people calendared the event from emails or other social media from the band. So, it was "beyond intimate."
ReplyDeleteFortunately, the performers are pros and weren't going to slack off just because one of them had both parents in the audience.
D in California
https://music.virginia.edu/evening-hindustani-classical-music
ReplyDeleteLast December I went with 2 old friends to the Clockenflap Festival in Hong Kong, quite an experience as I hadn't been to such a large scale festival in years. Highlights for us were Sparks and Franz Ferdinand. Full story was posted shortly afterwards on my blog...
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ReplyDeletehttps://workupload.com/file/Lah45xU2GBX
8th Jan Karamel Wood Green
ReplyDeleteAlan Barnes alto bari, Oli Hayhurst bs, Bruce Adams tpt,
Henry Lowther sitting in tpt, Liam Dunachie piano, Paul Clarvis drums.
Masters & Johnson maybe.
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Wilco; they were great.
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