SAXOPHONE COLOSSUS featuring Sonny Rollins
Special Features: Intro by filmmaker Robert Mugge. Mugge and Diana Zelman, his wife and filmmaking partner, will sell/sign copies of his book, "Notes from the Road: A Filmmaker's Journey Through American Music" in the lobby before and after the screening.
SAXOPHONE COLOSSUS is Robert Mugge's dazzling homage to Sonny Rollins (who turned 93 this September), long considered the greatest living improviser in jazz. The film chronicles the 1986 world premiere of Rollins' "Concerto for Tenor Saxophone and Orchestra" in Tokyo, Japan, and an ensemble performance at Opus 40, a sculpted rock quarry in Saugerties, New York, where Rollins introduces his extraordinary composition "G-Man" and performs brilliantly, despite a bizarre accident that has since become jazz legend. According to Richard Harrington in The Washington Post, "SAXOPHONE COLOSSUS brilliantly captures one of the great saxophonists in jazz during one of his most intensely creative periods. The film focuses on two startling performances. The music is always revealing; so is this loving tribute." In JAZZ TIMES magazine, Mike Joyce wrote that the documentary was, "Widely hailed upon its release as essential viewing, not just for fans of jazz but for anyone even remotely interested in the creative process. [A] remarkable film." DIR/PROD Robert Mugge. U.S./UK, 1986, color, 101 min. NOT RATED
AFI Member passes accepted.
Run Time: 101 Minutes
Opening Date: Friday, November 17, 2023
Genre: Documentary - music
