Extraordinary story. A joy that Sonny Rollins lived long enough to see this horrific miscarriage of justice overturned that once ensnared his father. Bless Aidan Levy and Terri Hinte for their roles in making this happen, and a H/T to @thenation.com for publishing.
Happy 72nd birthday to drummer Peter Erskine, who isn't from Detroit but, as these photos prove, got an early taste of the city's jazz tradition c. 1961-62 by spending time in the orbit of two of the all-time great Detroiters at Kenton summer camps. Louis Hayes (left) and Donald Byrd (right).
Jazz from Detroit, c. 1988
Tremendous footage. Charles McPherson Kenn Cox, Rodney Whitaker (at 20), Roy Brooks. The tenor sax you hear at the top is host Donald Walden, who came up w/ Charles & Lonnie Hillyer, all under the tutelage of Barry Harris.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfzg...
Lovely stuff.
Many thanks to Ethan Iverson for hosting my expanded reflections on Sonny Rollins, including a Desert Island list of recordings.
substack.com/@iverson/not...
Thanks, Mark. I thought of you the moment I heard of Sonny's passing. This is a perfect tribute.
Listening to The Standard Sonny Rollins right now because of this.
The jazz legend fought for nearly 80 years to clear his father of racially motivated charges.
