Rollins Come Back

( Naar de Nederlandse vertaling.)
Some weeks ago I found a letter in my archive dated the 6th of June 1972 sent by Fred "Cigar" Canté. During the 1960s and the decades to follow Fred Canté was very active into the Amsterdam jazz scene, as jazz publicist and discographer. He was a great admirer of the music made by Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk and wrote a Thelonious Monk discography in cooperation with Leen Bijl.

Click on the picture to enlarge.

He got his nickname Cigar because he loved to smoke cigars and in the early 1960s he was involved with an advertisement campaigns for the Dutch cigarettes brands Caballero and Brandaris shag, full-strenght tobacco to roll your own cigarettes.

Click on the picture to enlarge

I remember that I wrote him because he made an appeal to Sonny Rollins to start playing again. Between August 1959 and November 1961 Sonny Rollins had retired from music, due to a poor health and a feeling that he could do better ( The story tells, that he practiced his tenor playing on the Williamsburg Bridge in New York), but between September 1969 and November 1971 Sonny Rollins abandoned music again. In the Jazzwereld (number 38 April-May 1972), a Dutch jazz magazine, in which I found the call from Fred "Cigar" Canté, Jaap Ludeke gives in the article Sonny Rollins terug en weg ( = Sonny Rollins gone and back) as a reason problems with his teeth. (Max Roach's dentist made him crowns on his teeth), but also problems to accept the new modern electronic styles in jazz.

Never mind - I wrote Fred "Cigar" Canté and received a letter I refound in my archive. It reads: Beste Hans (= Dear Hans), ............. Een mogelijk nog verheugender mededeling is dat Rollins naar Nederland komt. In oktober. Rotterdam. Newport Jazz Festival ( = And a very joyful announcement, Rollins will visit The Netherlands. In October. Rotterdam. Newport Jazz Festival )Paul Acket vertelde me dat in een briefje. Tot dan. Sonnymoon for all, ( = Paul Acket (= a well known Dutch producer) told me that in a message - see you at the concert. Sonnymoon for all.). The letter was dated the 6th of June 1972 and signed by Fred "Cigar" Canté.
I remember he had put one or two stickers in this letter with the text: Rollins Come Back Enkele verontruste jazzfans ( = Some worryed jazz fans). I sticked one at my school diary. Well, I haven't met Fred at the Newport Jazz Festival in Rotterdam in October 1972 as he suggested and as far as my information is now, Sonny Rollins didn't play at that festival, although a lot of great names were there: Dave Brubeck, Charles Mingus, Elvin Jones, Gerry Mulligan, Nat Adderley, Jimmy Smith, Kenny Burrell, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, Kai Winding, Thelonious Monk and last but not least Art Blakey. As far as I know the verontruste jazzfans (= worried jazz fans) had to wait until the International Laren Jazz Festival (August 1973) were Sonny Rollins gave an unforgetable concert. I found a fragment of the start of the concert in Laren. Hope you like it.

TERENCE BLANCHARD: I had the pleasure to see and hear Terence Blanchard perform the Movie Music of Spike Lee with his quintet and the Metropole Orchestra conducted by Vince Mendoza, with special guests Jamie Cullum, Bilal and Patti Austin. To say it was thrilling is an understatement. As his solos swelled and ebbed the orchestra invoked a special feeling different than what I remember sitting in the movie houses, giving each soundtrack selection a different emotional feeling for me. On a large screen behind the orchestra movie film clips coordinated with the musicial selections in a kinetic and dramatic presentation. We were left breathless at the last note.

Evette Dorham

keepswinging@live.nl


AT RANDOM:

NOBODY ELSE BUT ME - BRAD MEHLDAU Trio: Brad Mehldau piano, Larry Grenadier bass and JHorge Rossy drums. Recorded in Los Angeles 4 and 5 September 1996.

Keep swinging

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

Nederlands ( To the English translation )

Vandaag de Engelse vertaling van een bijdrage, onder de titel Sonnymoon for all die ik gisteren in het Nederlands plaatste over de actie Rollins Come Back door Fred Cigar Canté gehouden begin jaren zeventig. Wie toch ook wat wil lezen raad ik de bijdragen aan over de twee bluesgiganten Sonny Terry en Brownie McGhee of een bijdrage over de grote jazz trombonist Jay Jay Johnson.

TERENCE BLANCHARD: Hallo Hans, Ik had vorig jaar het genoegen om pleasure Terence Blanchard te zien en horen optreden in het programma rond de muziek van de film Spike Lee met zijn quintet en het Metropole orkest o.l.v. Vince Mendoza, met speciale gasten Jamie Cullum, Bilal en Patti Austin. zou zeggen dat het opwindend was, dan is dat een understatement. Terwijl zijn solo's zwelde de muziek door het orkest aan of juist weg op een manier die heel anders was dan in de bioscoop. Elk nummer kreeg voor mij zo een andere diepere betekenis. Op een groot scherm achter het orkest werden filmfragmenten vertoond, waardoor het een flitsende uitvoering werd. We luisterden ademloos tot aan de laatste noot.
Evette Dorham

keepswinging@live.nl


27 maart / March 27th:
1928:

• that's what i call keen = emerson gill bamboo garden o
• willow tree / sippi / thou swell / persian rug = louisiana sugar babes
• st. louis blues = warren mills blues serenaders

1968:

• pannonica / samba yantra / windows = chick corea trio

Keep swinging

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

Retrospect
QHCF, Django - and Robert! Sun Ra's Cry of Jazz Keep Swinging Oscar Aleman Flexible Records Choro Music Hit of the week - Durium