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y his revelations. He plays for us and we’reconvinced that what he plays is what we, also,feel and would play if only we could.With his passionate lyricism, expressiveimmediacy, warmth and humor, personalintegrity and position of honor within the maincourse of jazz history, Sonny Rollins remains atage 79 more than a hero. He is in 2009 just whata record album called him in 1956: a colossus.Not a cold one, though. His music overflowswith the heart and soul of a man.—Howard MandelIn light of the new (read: historical) FreddieHubbard album Without A Song: Live InEurope 1969, resurrected from the Blue Notevaults posthumously, Sonny Rollins’ decisionto cull through his audio archives now to compilelast year’s Road Shows, Vol. 1 is indeedwelcome. Equally important is that he’s callingthe shots, agreeing to document what he deemsare his best performances and having the freedomto release multiple volumes on his ownDoxy label—all of which will become morefodder for the Sonny canon. These days ifRollins were attached to any record company—majoror indie—it’s highly unlikely thathe would have such creative license to releasethis new live material, which his fans havebeen craving.What’s remarkable about Road Shows, Vol. 1is the degree to which Rollins sustains his tenorsaxophone solos, a rarity for improvisers. He’sarguably the only saxophonist alive who cannever take too many choruses. He never rollswith the flow or engages in egotistic acrobatics.He gusts, he hushes, he swings. He’s an extemporaneouspainter splashing color, a poet whochooses notes carefully, a choreographer whodances to the beat of his own phrases. In hisplaying, there is a searching ebullience,awestruck mystery, in-the-moment creativity.My favorite moment comes when the bandstops and lets Rollins sing alone at the end of theballad “More Than You Know.” It’s heavenly.—Dan OuelletteWhen one considers the element of jazzgreatness that’s so intriguing for listenersand players alike, the feeling of joyous collectivefreedom comes most clearly to mind. It isthe elation of that “sound of surprise” whenone hears something that lifts him/her to anotherplace. It’s a zone that fans of tenor titanSonny Rollins know well.Rollins has made it clear for much of his 60-year career that he feels no need to be fashionablein his musical choices. The performanceson Road Shows, Vol. 1, taped at seven venuesacross the globe circa 1980–2007, have little todo with his classic Blue Note and Prestigerecordings, yet they show a musician honoringthe past with continuing growth and change,much as the world around him shifts andmoves onward.We’re told that Rollins seldom feels that hisconcert recordings are worthy of release, yetthe spirit embodied in his playing comes to thefore in his discovery of new vistas such asthose heard here on the opening “Best Wishes”and “Blossom,” where he tears into the musicwith sweeping authority and abandon. Thereare moments of indecision on “More ThanYou Know,” while “Easy Living” is nonpareil.“Tenor Madness” works in small ways, andthe calypso “Nice Lady” ably covers one ofRollins’ favorite genres. The closing “SomeEnchanted Evening” is a slight disappointment,with Rollins merely skirting the melodyrepeatedly.The sidemen play minor roles, but noteworthyare the contributions of drummer Al Foster,pianist Mark Soskin and trombonist CliftonAnderson.Although this album is short of masterpiecestatus, it is a most worthy documentation.—Will SmithAugust 2009 DOWNBEAT 31