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Sonny Fortune R.I.P.

Mark Stryker

By Mark Stryker
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Gheorghe Mentor

Gheorghe

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Never saw him live, but as many I first got to hear him on the 2 1975 Miles Davis albums, and with McCoy Tyner. He´s also on Mingus´ album "Three or Four Shades of the Blues" from 1977. Later he worked with a Libanese Oud player and made some very interesting music with him.

mikeweil Mentor

mikeweil

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R.I.P.

I must admit that he never was among my favourites as I prefer a less forceful sound on alto, but I had a lot of respect for what he achieved and how he took his stand in the powerful surroundings he chose. McCoy Tyner, Miles Davis, these are high level intensity bands and almost too much for an alto saxophone, but he did it! He was in Mongo Santamaria's band, too, and played some powerful solos there:

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Edited by mikeweil
bluenoter Newbie

bluenoter

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Posted (edited)
12 hours ago, sambrasa said:

I knew it!  Jokes aside though, free jazz audiences are predominantly male.

Now you seem to know that some women do in fact like "real musIc." I won't pursue this any further, but I think you're making progress. Maybe you could discuss the situation with a female free jazz musician.   — Rita

Edited by bluenoter
  • 3 months later...
Justin V Community Regular

Justin V

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Posted

I was lucky to have seen him three times.  The first time was with the house band of Claude Black, Clifford Murphy and Sean Dobbins at Murphy's Place in Toledo.  For the second set, I sat a few feet in front of him and absorbed the full force of his intense playing.  The second time I saw him was in Pittsburgh with 4 Generations of Miles (with Jimmy Cobb, Buster Williams and Mike Stern), which was a rare treat.  

The last time I saw him was in Pittsburgh with his excellent working band of Michael Cochrane, David Williams and Steve Johns in a double bill with Buster Williams.  I remember thinking during the short set that it was the closest I was ever going to get to seeing Trane.  He was in the lobby meeting fans after the first set when I arrived and I mistakenly assumed that he would be in the lobby after the set I was attending.  With the set ending kind of late, that didn't happen.  

I somehow missed a gig he did in Pittsburgh after that because I wasn't aware of it at the time.  In fact, the day after he passed away before I heard the news, my wife and I were listening to From Now On and I told her how I hoped he would play close enough for me to see him again.

Since his passing, I have thought of him often and have picked up the two Blue Notes I didn't have and the three albums he did for Konnex.  Thank you for the music, Mr. Fortune, and rest in peace.

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