TROY, N.Y. — There’s very little to say about Sonny Rollins that hasn’t already been said. National Public Radio called him “a brilliant improviser… one of jazz’s most beloved living legends.â€
The New York Times said “when he ’s good, he’s remarkable… Mr. Rollins belongs in the jazz pantheon.†And audiences checking out his show at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Friday, November 5th at 8 p.m. are sure to call him one of the greatest jazz performers they’ve ever seen.
Rollins, who received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in February 2004, has had a career that today’s young players can only dream of having. His childhood was spent in the Harlem of the 1930s and 40s, steps from the Savoy Ballroom and the Apollo Theatre. By the time he was a teenager, he would draw moustaches on with eyebrow pencil to look old enough to enter clubs to see Charlie Parker, and had already begun jamming with Thelonius Monk, who became his mentor.
A virtuoso on alto and tenor sax, Rollins recorded with Monk, Babs Gonzalez, J.J. Johnson, Bud Powell and Miles Davis before he reached his twentieth birthday. Davis became a fan of Rollins early on, calling him “an aggressive, innovative player who always had fresh musical ideas.â€
In 1956, while playing as the featured saxophonist with Max Roach and Clifford Brown’s quintet, Rollins came out with “Saxophone Colossus.†The album catalogued his talents during this period—frenetic energy, an encyclopedic knowledge of American musical styles and Caribbean rhythms, and a gift for unstoppable invention that set other musicians reeling.
By the time the 1950s had drawn to a close, Rollins had cemented his reputation as a fiercely intellectual social critic and one of jazz’s finest improvisers and performers (particularly after the release of 1957s “A Night at the Village Vanguard,†which is still regarded as the epitome of live jazz recordings).
As the decades have rolled on, Rollins continues to produce albums that reflect his musical fervor and formidable skill. A relentless self-critic, he has never shied from self-improvement and is constantly in search of a more difficult hook, a more challenging riff. At 74, Sonny Rollins is known as a living legend, and is still at the top of his game. Concertgoers are in for a very special evening with one of the greatest jazz musicians ever to hit the scene.
Reserved seats for Sonny Rollins are $30 and $27, and may be purchased by calling the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Box Office at (518) 273-0038 or online at www.troymusichall.org. The Music Hall Box Office opens one hour prior to the performance. Otherwise, Box Office operations are handled at its business office at 7 State Street, Monday through Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., on show days only. The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall’s full season schedule can be viewed at www.troymusichall.org.
The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, named a National Historic Landmark in 1989, is in use over one hundred and fifty days a year. Since it opened its doors in 1875, the Hall has hosted performances by numerous world-renowned artists including Marion Anderson, Dizzy Gillespie, Peter Seeger, Ella Fitzgerald, Isaac Stern, Yo-Yo Ma, Henri Vieuxtemps, Ignace Jan Paderewski, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Jose Iturbi, Vladimir Horowitz, Yehudi Menuhin, and Artur Rubenstein, among many others.
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Dalton Day Returns This Saturday
By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The town's popular Dalton Day festival is returning this weekend after a year's hiatus.
The event will kick off this Saturday at 11 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. in the field in front of the Senior Center.
The community celebration was established in 2023 by the Cultural Council in an effort to increase resident participation at town meetings while also showcasing the area's welcoming, diverse, artistic and sporty atmosphere. In 2024, the event brought together 300 residents.
"The primary mission of Dalton Day is to foster a strong sense of community, build civic pride, and bring residents together through a shared celebration of local culture, music, and food," said Jeannie Ingram, Select Board member and cultural council chair, and Lori Venezia, executive assistant to the town manager.
The event provides an accessible and free platform for "civic education, community bonding, and supporting local businesses, artisans, makers, and culture more broadly," they said.
The festival strengthens the fabric of the town both civically and economically by connecting grassroots organizations with residents, fostering a shared sense of belonging, and providing free, family-friendly entertainment.
It also serves as an opportunity for community members to meet with local officials and a couple of state officials. State Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. Leigh Davis will be coming from Beacon Hill to speak at the event.
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