Road Shows, Vol. 1

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Road Shows, Vol. 1
Live album by
Sonny Rollins
Released2008
GenreJazz
LabelDoxy/EmArcy
ProducerClifton Anderson
Sonny Rollins chronology
Sonny, Please
(2006) 		Road Shows, Vol. 1
(2008) 		Road Shows, Vol. 2
(2011)

Road Shows, Vol. 1 is a live album by the American saxophonist Sonny Rollins, released in 2008 via Doxy/EmArcy Records.[1][2] It was the first volume in a series of Rollins live Road Shows recordings.[3] The tracks, recorded between 1980 and 2007, came from the archives of Rollins and from recordings by enthusiast Carl Smith.[4][5] The album peaked at No. 3 on Billboard's Jazz Albums chart.[6] It was released around the same time as a DVD, Sonny Rollins in Vienne.[7]

Production[edit]

The version of "Some Enchanted Evening" was taken from a 2007 performance.[8] "Easy Listening" was recorded in 1980 in Warsaw.[9] "Best Wishes", from 1986, was recorded in Japan.[10] "Nice Lady" was recorded at Victoria, British Columbia's Royal Theatre.[11] Rollins had been including in sets for more than 50 years a version of "More Than You Know".[12] Trombonist Clifton Anderson appeared on the majority of the tracks; he also produced the album.[13][14] Al Foster was Rollins's most used drummer.[15]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Robert ChristgauA+[16]
The Gazette4/5[17]
The Guardian[18]

The Democrat and Chronicle stated: "It says a lot about Sonny Rollins' ability and physical stamina that he can release a collection of live recordings, captured over three decades, and show little or no drop-off in power and inventiveness as he ages from his early 50s into his late 70s."[8] The News & Observer praised the "twisting, punching, hard-edged turn" of the cadenza on "Easy Living".[19] The Winnipeg Free Press wrote that each song "is a gem that confirms that Rollins onstage in full improvisatory flight is one of the ultimate jazz experiences."[20] The New York Times deemed the album "a bonanza for admirers of latter-day Rollins (and perhaps a rejoinder to those who still pine for the Sonny of yore)."[9]

JazzTimes concluded: "If the Road Shows series maintains the high standard established by this first volume, it is destined to become one of the great live-album projects of jazz, ranking right up there with Miles Davis' Plugged Nickel sets and Coltrane's Village Vanguard recordings."[21] Robert Christgau determined that Rollins's "tenor sound [has] grown huge and warm without a hint of corn syrup ... his astonishing cadenzas and unaccompanied improvs are the most generous kind of high shtick."[16] The Wall Street Journal noted that Rollins's "intensity of focus, the depth and breadth of his musical references (revealed through both direct quotation and subtle implication), and the sheer visceral pleasures he offers during a solo are simply unmatched."[22] The Courier-Mail listed Road Shows, Vol. 1 as the best jazz album of 2008.[23]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."Best Wishes" 
2."More Than You Know" 
3."Blossom" 
4."Easy Living" 
5."Tenor Madness" 
6."Nice Lady" 
7."Some Enchanted Evening" 

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Discs". The Buffalo News. 24 Oct 2008. p. G20.
  2. ^ Considine, J.D. (18 Nov 2008). "Road Shows, Vol. 1 Sonny Rollins". The Globe and Mail. p. R3.
  3. ^ "Sonny Rollins Road Shows Vol. 1". Culture. Le Monde. 18 Nov 2008. p. 24.
  4. ^ Poses, Jon W. (23 Nov 2008). "Notes and Tones". Columbia Daily Tribune.
  5. ^ a b "Road Shows, Vol.1 Review by Ken Dryden". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  6. ^ "Sonny Rollins". Billboard. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  7. ^ Scott, Ron (27 Nov 2008). "Music for Changing Moods". New York Amsterdam News. No. 49. p. 29.
  8. ^ a b Garner, Jack (31 Oct 2008). "Critic's Playlist". Democrat and Chronicle. p. C3.
  9. ^ a b Chinen, Nate (16 Nov 2008). "Savvy Jazz Veterans and Fiery Rock Newcomers". The New York Times. p. AR26.
  10. ^ Infantry, Ashante (9 Dec 2008). "CD Reviews". Toronto Star. p. L10.
  11. ^ Andrews, Marke (20 Nov 2008). "Sonny Rollins Road Shows Vol. 1". Vancouver Sun. p. D14.
  12. ^ Gioia, Ted (2021). The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire. Oxford University Press. p. 308.
  13. ^ Weinstein, Norman (21 Nov 2008). "Jazz in the Spotlight". Arts & Culture. The Christian Science Monitor. p. 15.
  14. ^ "CD Notes: Sonny Rollins, 'Road Shows, Vol. 1'". The New Yorker. October 28, 2008.
  15. ^ Karlovits, Bob (23 Nov 2008). "CD reviews: Rollins shines on 'Road Shows'". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
  16. ^ a b "Sonny Rollins". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  17. ^ Block, Irwin (29 Nov 2008). "New Music". The Gazette. p. E11.
  18. ^ Fordham, John (8 May 2009). "Jazz, world, folk". Guardian Film And Music Pages. The Guardian. p. 12.
  19. ^ Cordle, Owen (2 Nov 2008). "Rollins, fierce and bright". The News & Observer. p. D5.
  20. ^ Smith, Chris (8 Nov 2008). "Sonny Rollins Road Shows, Vol. 1". Winnipeg Free Press. p. C4.
  21. ^ Greenlee, Steve (December 1, 2008). "Sonny Rollins: Road Shows, Vol. 1". JazzTimes.
  22. ^ Blumenfeld, Larry (27 Dec 2008). "Jazz 2008: The Best Musicians Span Continents, Generations". The Wall Street Journal. p. W12.
  23. ^ Mengel, Noel (13 Dec 2008). "Year of Plenty". The Courier-Mail. p. M4.
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