Sonny Rollins is getting Kennedy Center Honor

[medjuck]

And so's Barbara Cook.

"Singer Barbara Cook, singer and songwriter Neil Diamond, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, saxophonist and composer Sonny Rollins and actress Meryl Streep will receive honors for 2011 on THE 34TH ANNUAL KENNEDY CENTER HONORS, to be broadcast Tuesday, December 27 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. "

Edited September 7, 2011 by medjuck

[JSngry]

  Quote

Kennedy Center Should Consider Itself Honored Just To Be In The Presence of Sonny Rollins

There ya' go, fixed ttat for you!

[Joe]

  On 9/7/2011 at 3:37 PM, JSngry said:

  Quote

Kennedy Center Should Consider Itself Honored Just To Be In The Presence of Sonny Rollins

There ya' go, fixed ttat for you!

:tup

[Big Wheel]

Has anyone posted about the recent Rollins birthday concert where Ornette showed up to play with him? The show was still streaming via NPR as of this weekend.

Ah, just saw Mark Stryker had posted something recently. Here's the link: http://www.npr.org/2011/08/28/139978299/first-listen-sonny-rollins-road-shows-vol-2?device=iphone

Edited September 7, 2011 by Big Wheel

[ValerieB]

this is great news!! so happy for him.

[Michael Weiss]

Worst editing job EVER.

[marcello]

I agree, and what did they need Ravi Coltrane for?

Every time there is one of these "jazz" tributes on American TV they have to crowd the stage and play truncated medleys with short. meaningless solos.

I guess the blame lays with the "music director" Christian McBride.

Just one well chosen song with a great saxophonist would have been much better.

[Michael Weiss]

Unless I'm mistaken, every musical number performed for the other recipients was uncut. Every piece performed for Sonny was chopped up.

The pieces should have been 2-3 minute selections, arranged accordingly so they could be complete.

Never realized how much Herbie digs Neil Diamond.

Edited December 28, 2011 by Michael Weiss

[JSngry]

Sonny was "honored" by a world less worthy than him.

[slide_advantage_redoux]

  On 12/28/2011 at 4:18 AM, Michael Weiss said:

Unless I'm mistaken, every musical number performed for the other recipients was uncut. Every piece performed for Sonny was chopped up.

The pieces should have been 2-3 minute selections, arranged accordingly so they could be complete.

.....

I agree with the editing comment. One less song so the others could have been done right would have been better.

Re: the other recipients numbers not being edited, I think that one of the songs sung in tribute to Barbara Cook dropped the second A section and went directly to the bridge. Which tune? I forget.

I am pleased that Sonny got his cultural props on the Big Stage, but he really got the old slam bam thank you ma'am treatment.

Pearls before swine is all I can say.

[JSngry]

The opening head to Sonnymoon For Two was edited to be eight bars!

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

wait i wasnt paying attn they EDITED, i thought the performers just arranged it that way for stupid tv. oh god that sucks. of course they did that. well hell at least sonny got the award. he accepted it for all of jazz. i do appriciate it. meryl is definetly deserving to be up there with sonny, but neil diamond and yo yo are small peanuts, neil= sonny? as if. yo yo's good but hes nothing special. the other chick im sure is talented but brodways's broadway. really it was Sonny and Meryl

[ValerieB]

  On 12/28/2011 at 6:09 AM, chewy said:

wait i wasnt paying attn they EDITED, i thought the performers just arranged it that way for stupid tv. oh god that sucks. of course they did that. well hell at least sonny got the award. he accepted it for all of jazz. i do appriciate it. meryl is definetly deserving to be up there with sonny, but neil diamond and yo yo are small peanuts, neil= sonny? as if. yo yo's good but hes nothing special. the other chick im sure is talented but brodways's broadway. really it was Sonny and Meryl

/quote]

why would you be COMPARING the different awardees?!? they're obviously chosen for their different talents. and you think that Yo-Yo is "nothing special"?!? that is one hysterical remark! obviously you're not familiar with Barbara either.

[slide_advantage_redoux]

Comparing Sonny to the other 4 recipients is a waste of time. These are all valid arfists in their own genres. Whether or not we like their music is unimportant.

Barbara Cook is certainly a tremendously talented singer and Broadway star. Had anyone really listened during the course of the her tribute video, they would have clearly heard what an incredibhle voice she had. Phenomenal control and intonation.

I thought it was cool that Patti LaPone (among others) participated in her tribute. Broadway heavyweights all.

Neil Diamond? I never really thought much of his music, even when my then-girlfriend tried to recruit me into the legions of his fans. She pointed out to me that he released a record called "The Jazz Singer". I never could get her to understand the difference between a real jazz singer and a pop singer. Oh well.

His music still isn't on my radar, but why should I poo poo on it. Millions liked his songs - and granted they were well written. Sweet Caroline? Definitely a melody that sticks in your head.

Earth shattering? No. Pleasant? Yes.

YoYoMa? I love his music, and his attutude towards it. I have listened to many of his CDs (in my collection) and I appreciate his artistry. As I appreciate his all embracing approach towards other genres.

A nobody? Small peanuts?

Hardly.

It ain't all about jazz. I wish it was, but we remain in the minority here.

[Joe]

Good to see (and hear) Jimmy Heath, albeit briefly.

[Mark Stryker]

At the State Dinner held in conjunction with the Kennedy Center Honors, President Clinton gave what I think was a truly remarkable toast in honor of Sonny. Here's a link to the text if you haven't seen it: http://www.sonnyrollins.com/billclinton.php

On a related note, here's a phone interview with Sonny that his folks have posted on youtube in which he talks about the experience with Clinton and a couple of other things. I was surprised to hear a familiar name arise in the course of his conversation.

[JSngry]

a familiar name indeed!

[Patch]

Hurrah for Sonny.

But why'd it take so long?

[Hardbopjazz]

If anyone wants a copy, I managed to record it and can send the link to watch the show.

[mjzee]

Very gracious remarks by Bill Clinton. And kudos to Mark Stryker!

[Michael Weiss]

  On 12/28/2011 at 6:00 PM, Mark Stryker said:

At the State Dinner held in conjunction with the Kennedy Center Honors, President Clinton gave what I think was a truly remarkable toast in honor of Sonny. Here's a link to the text if you haven't seen it: http://www.sonnyroll...billclinton.php

On a related note, here's a phone interview with Sonny that his folks have posted on youtube in which he talks about the experience with Clinton and a couple of other things. I was surprised to hear a familiar name arise in the course of his conversation. http://www.youtube.c...h?v=HxI2Z9uhIv4

In case anyone was wondering, that's Paul Jeffrey standing behind Sonny.

[Hardbopjazz]

  On 12/29/2011 at 3:10 PM, Michael Weiss said:

  On 12/28/2011 at 6:00 PM, Mark Stryker said:

At the State Dinner held in conjunction with the Kennedy Center Honors, President Clinton gave what I think was a truly remarkable toast in honor of Sonny. Here's a link to the text if you haven't seen it: http://www.sonnyroll...billclinton.php

On a related note, here's a phone interview with Sonny that his folks have posted on youtube in which he talks about the experience with Clinton and a couple of other things. I was surprised to hear a familiar name arise in the course of his conversation. http://www.youtube.c...h?v=HxI2Z9uhIv4

In case anyone was wondering, that's Paul Jeffrey standing behind Sonny.

Yes, Sonny and Paul are good friends. If you ever saw the BBC film on the Bridge, Paul appears in the documentary with Sonny. At one point both walk on the Williamsburg Bridge and start playing their saxophones.

[flat5]

Yo Yo Ma is most certainly somebody.

Yo MaMa!