Wayne Shorter’s still here, but Miles is not here. Max Roach is not here. Trane is not here. Monk is not here. Do I feel nostalgic about that? No. These guys are alive to me. I hear their music. OK, Charlie Parker is not in his body, but everything about Charlie Parker is here to me in spirit. Any time of day, any time of night, I might think of Miles, and the spirit is there. Occasionally I go, Gee, I can’t hang out with Dizzy Gillespie or Clifford Brown after a gig. I think about that, but it’s receding. Those guys — I don’t worry about them not being here in the flesh. I’m not going to be in the flesh, either. Sonny Rollins
The Saxophone Colossus turns 92 on Wednesday, September 7. Rollins is a towering figure in Jazz, not only on the tenor sax but also with regard to the music’s development and history: a seven decade career, over sixty albums recorded as a leader and a composer of tunes that are considered “standards” in the Jazz repertoire. Join Jesse ‘Chuy’ Varela on Wednesday September 7 for a celebration of Sonny Rollins, 2:00 – 4:00 PM! Pledge at KCSM.ORG