St. Thomas and Mack The Knife – 1981
Sonny Rollins
The great tenor leads an all-star quartet
Sonny Rollins, who was 51 at the time of this concert from Japan, is heard very much in prime form.
The great tenor, is joined by pianist George Duke, Stanley Clarke (on acoustic bass), and drummer Al Foster, each of whom look quite pleased to be playing with Rollins.
From June 22, 1981, all of the musicians have an opportunity to solo on a relaxed version of “St. Thomas” before Rollins tears into a hard-swinging “Mack The Knife (Moritat),” giving one the impression that he could play the latter piece for hours.
-Scott Yanow
Ella Fitzgerald