Sonny Please
Now in his mid-70s, Sonny Rollins plays with undiminished passion on this, his first new studio recordings in five years.Sonny, Pleasealso marks a turning point in Rollins's life: his wife died in 2004, and he soon thereafter departed Milestone Records to set up his own Doxy imprint, ending one of the longest artist-label relationships in jazz. Playing selections that date back to his youth (such as Noël Coward's "Someday I'll Find You," on which he rolls out melodic lines as if from a beautiful and endless spool) as well as his own originals, the set flows with the compelling vigor of a giant who carries himself with the utmost humility. A powerful soloist, Rollins has seen the years bring even more depth to his musical explorations. As part of a supple sextet, his lines dance around the trombone of Clifton Anderson (who also produced the set) with grace and invention.--David Greenberger