We continue now our occasional series of audio interviews from the Claes Dahlgren collection. (Rollins calls him Claus by mistake.) Here is the earliest known audio interview of Sonny Rollins, a short conversation about his early years. This has never been heard other than its broadcast in Sweden.
What he says in Swedish is that this is recorded during an intermission at Village Vanguard with the famous trio with Wilbur Ware and Elvin Jones. (It's not 100% clear that is the case, but it's a possibility)
Thank you Petter. I wanted to check about this since even an English listener can hear Claes mention the Vanguard. And it's true that Claes often interviewed musicians between sets at clubs. The Vanguard recording is from November 3, 1957. The bit at the end is on the issued recording. Claes liked to feature the artist's latest album. It's possible that the album had just been released--I'll look into that. But I must ask you--does he say that the interview was recorded at the Vanguard? Or does he say something less specific like "Recorded at the Village Vanguard"? THANK YOU!
Hi, he says something like this "right now, however, it's break time at Village
Vanguard and that gives us the opportunity to have a little chat with Sonny Rollins" which lead me to believe it was recorded between sets. But I guess it could also mean the trio was taking a break from their engagement at the club, but I think that is a lot less likely. Cheers
Oh, I believe that is just his way of "painting a picture" for the audience. It's possible that it was not recorded at the Vanguard at all. I will add something to my post about this. I think he also says that Jones had recently played with J J Johnson, yes? THANKS AGAIN
I listened to the whole thing again and a bit more focused this time heh. He goes on saying ..."have a little chat with Rollins as he's sitting down recuperating in the little musician room behind the scene" I apologize for my earlier uncertainty as this makes it quite clear.
He says that Jones recently toured Sweden in the summer with J. J. Johnson
What he says in Swedish is that this is recorded during an intermission at Village Vanguard with the famous trio with Wilbur Ware and Elvin Jones. (It's not 100% clear that is the case, but it's a possibility)
Thank you Petter. I wanted to check about this since even an English listener can hear Claes mention the Vanguard. And it's true that Claes often interviewed musicians between sets at clubs. The Vanguard recording is from November 3, 1957. The bit at the end is on the issued recording. Claes liked to feature the artist's latest album. It's possible that the album had just been released--I'll look into that. But I must ask you--does he say that the interview was recorded at the Vanguard? Or does he say something less specific like "Recorded at the Village Vanguard"? THANK YOU!
Hi, he says something like this "right now, however, it's break time at Village
Vanguard and that gives us the opportunity to have a little chat with Sonny Rollins" which lead me to believe it was recorded between sets. But I guess it could also mean the trio was taking a break from their engagement at the club, but I think that is a lot less likely. Cheers
Oh, I believe that is just his way of "painting a picture" for the audience. It's possible that it was not recorded at the Vanguard at all. I will add something to my post about this. I think he also says that Jones had recently played with J J Johnson, yes? THANKS AGAIN
I listened to the whole thing again and a bit more focused this time heh. He goes on saying ..."have a little chat with Rollins as he's sitting down recuperating in the little musician room behind the scene" I apologize for my earlier uncertainty as this makes it quite clear.
He says that Jones recently toured Sweden in the summer with J. J. Johnson
OK, I have rewritten the post--Thank You for your help!!