Sonny Rollins performs Saturday 10/13/07 at Music Hall in Detroit

Be sure to check out the greatest living legend of jazz - Sonny Rollins.

And you don’t have to drive to Ann Arbor or fall asleep in Orchestra Hall to see him perform, because Sonny Rollins is finally playing in a proper venue right in the heart of Detroit: that little gem called the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts.

This is a fantastic place - with all the opulence of a fine theater, but small and intimate so there’s not really a bad seat in the house. If you haven’t been there, you’re missing out on a unique venue.

He’ll have band members Clifton Anderson, Steve Jordan, Bobby Broom, Kimati Dinizulu, and the ageless Bob Cranshaw on bass (doesn’t he look the same as he did in the 1970’s?). Tickets are $27-$37-$47, plus all those fees that seem to add up - especially if you buy them online.

So avoid the excess fees and go to the theater to buy your tickets - you’ll save some real money. Not sure if you can order them by phone, but that’s worth a shot, too. Their number is 313-963-2366.

Here is an excellent Sonny Rollins interview in today’s Detroit Free Press with columnist Mark Stryker.

Now, just a little rant on the fees …

…for me to get two Main Floor tickets at $47 each while sitting here on the internet, I have to pay an additional $16.10 “convenience charge” as well as a $6.00 “building facility charge”, whatever that is.

So now the total price for two tickets is $116.10. This is over 23% more than the face value of the ticket!

I can go down to Music Hall and buy the tickets which could eliminate the “convenience charge” (I think), but there’s no way around that “building facility charge.” Since I love the venue, I feel ashamed to bitch about this one - but I wish they’d just include it in the ticket price and tell us about it in small type on the back of the stub with all the legal disclaimers, etc..

Sonny’s definitely worth it all, and then some - but with all the hype about a service tax here in Michigan, it makes me wonder: would I be taxed on the face value of the ticket, or would the convenience charge and building facility charge be taxed, too?

2007 Detroit Jazz Fest Aug 31-Sep 03

I love the summer festivals in Detroit.

You see and hear all the people that make up this artistically rich city - not just the performers, but personalities that enjoy soaking it all in, too. And there’s none better than this gathering on the river that celebrates Detroit’s jazz heritage. What other event brings together such a wide array of people who all get along?

For some blessed reason, this music speaks to all kinds of people on many different levels - and when they come together to embrace the song and spirit that Detroiters share, something truly special rises in the air. Just sit, look, and listen to everything around you… this is Detroit at it’s finest.

So with the festival only weeks away, it’s time to start planning my weekend of music. Of course, I can’t take them all in - so I plan a shortlist from the schedule and go from there.

Kenny Garrett, Herbie Hancock, and the Curtis Fuller Super Band are on my list - and jazz historians Jim Gallert and Lars Bjorn have a great set of discussions in the “Jazz Talk Tent” I plan on hitting.

Can’t wait. Any other recommendations or curiosities out there?

Alma Smith - Baker’s 7/31/07

Something too many Detroit music lovers have not experienced is the mature and good-natured performance of our own legendary Alma Smith.

When a woman plays professionally for nearly 70 years (she played with Wardell Gray in the 1940’s, and was crooned by Errol Garner himself), she obviously brings a lot to the table. Her amicable stage presence and good cheer almost mask her impeccable keyboard skills. But the grace and ease this lady plays with just sounds so right you can’t help but think you’ve heard something that’s mighty hard to come by these days. This is what a lounge pianist is supposed to be - her words and music go into your soul and heals whatever aches you. And isn’t that why you’re there in the first place?

I’ve taken for granted too many of our elders in the jazz community, and I sorely regret not soaking up all they had to offer when it was right there in front of me. Fortunately, she’s playing Baker’s on a regular basis - and there’s no better venue to experience her performance than this intimate setting.

This month it’s on Tuesday, the 31st of July. As usual, there’s no cover charge. Beats the hell out of TV, I’d say.

James Carter 7/27/07

James Carter is playing in the newly renovated Detroit Film Theater this Friday, July 27th at 8pm.

Sidemen for this date are Dwight Adams on trumpet, Ralphe Armstrong (bass), Gerard Gibbs (on piano - not organ this time), and Leonard King (drums).

I am especially fond of this lineup - although at $20 bucks I initially thought it was a bit steep. But hey - these are world class musicians that were talking about, and have you been to the DFT lately? Ambiance counts, in my book.

Come to think of it, I’ve never seen James or any of these guys play in a setting like this - it’s always been in a club or at a festival. And in those places (charming as they are) I always end up missing some of the performance because I’m talking to friends, trying to order a drink, or listening to the loud birthday party at the table next to me.

This will be a serious listening experience - and surely worth every penny of twenty bucks.

Highly recommended.