When it comes to demanding music, the fact that it’s all about having fun in the end often gets pushed into the background. A special sense of humor is even one of the pillars on which the music of saxophonist Sonny Rollins rests. Maybe that’s why he has always been one of the favorites of Weilheim saxophonist Johannes Enders, who also has his own sense of humor – Americans would call him “sophisticated”. That’s evident now with Ender’s new album (on both CD and limited-edition 180-gram vinyl), on which he pays homage to 92-year-old Rollins, one of the last living jazz legends.
What about the album title? “Sweet Freedom” begins, which is a hilarious reversal and reinterpretation of Rollins’ “Freedom Suite”. And picking up on titles like “Air and Gin” – “Airegin” where Rollins spelled “Nigeria” backwards – or “There Will Always Be Another Mystery”. The latter brings together Henry Warren’s “There Will Never Be Another You” and Thelonious Monk’s “Misterioso”, both famous recordings by Rollins, to create new meaning. A play on words that reflects Enders’ musical principle on this album.
Rarely does Enders use just one piece by Rollins as a template, like “Doxy” at the end, one of his most famous. He almost always combines several other influences and processings and makes something of his own out of it, carried by his unmistakable, slightly hoarse tone, which is still committed to musical beauty in the most experimental improvisational parts or solos. It’s amazing that until now there have been almost no comparable tributes to Sonny Rollins, even though he’s in the same league as Charlie Parker or John Coltrane. Maybe because it needs a special game intelligence for its disguised humor. So, for example, to give tempo changes and delays that ironic note like here on “Air & Gin” or to make complex swingbop sound as casual as on “Mostly Sonny”.
Enders put together a richly blessed trio for this. Bassist Henning Sieverts has proven his fondness for cheerful musical brain teasers, among other things, with albums that deal with bird calls or palindromes. And the Spaniard Jorge Rossy, whom Enders has long had on his list as one of his favorite drummers, not only refined “The Art of the Trio” with Brad Mehldau for ten years, he also looks back as a pianist and vibraphonist (originally he even worked with one trumpet studies started) beyond the edge of the box. Which then results in an album that is great fun on several levels. Which will certainly increase thanks to another one, namely the live factor, when the three “Sweet Freedom” are now in the underpass present.
Johannes Enders: “Sweet Freedom – A Tribute to Sonny Rollins”, enja / Ammerton; live on Wednesday, February 15, 8:30 p.m., Unterfahrt, Einsteinstraße 42