Sonny Rollins to Perform Anniversary Concert at Carnegie Hall

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of his Carnegie Hall debut, tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins will take the stage on Sept. 18 to perform the same repertoire from his Nov. 29, 1957 concert. That night, the 27-year-old Rollins played three songs with bassist Wendell Marshall and drummer Kenny Dennis, “Moritat,” “Sonnymoon for Two” and “Some Enchanted Evening,” and will play the same program with a new all-star trio. Acoustic bassist Christian McBride and drummer Roy Haynes will accompany Rollins for the concert, which will also feature a set with Rollins’ regular band of Clifton Anderson, Bobby Broom, Bob Cranshaw and Kimati Dinizulu. The performance will be taped, and in Spring 2008, Doxy Records will release a recording of it, including a 20-minute tape of the 1957 trio material.

Presented by Rollins’ own Oleo Productions, the September performance will revive a tradition of special-guest concerts hosted by Rollins that stretched for 25 years, beginning in the 1970s and ending in November 1995.

Tickets for the anniversary concert go on sale Monday, July 30, and are available at the box office at 57th Street and 7th Avenue, by phone at (212) 247-7800, or online at the Carnegie Hall Web site.

Originally Published July 20, 2007