The Golden Rule: For Sonny Eric Wyatt

• 1If Ever I Would Leave You08:09
• 2What the World Needs Now06:41
• 3The Golden Rule (For Sonny Rollins)05:28
• 4Grand Street05:18
• 5Bud Powell08:01
• 6Don't Stop the Carnival06:35
• 7After the Morning (For Roy Hargrove)07:28
• 8Best Wishes05:19
• 9In the Spirit of Arthur (For Arthur Rhames)08:11
• 10Nubia06:58
• 11Azalea05:28
• 12The Bridge05:09
• Total Runtime01:18:45

Info for The Golden Rule: For Sonny

Through his six recordings as a bandleader, tenor talent Eric Wyatt has basically been performing unspoken tributes to Sonny Rollins. Wyatt calls Rollins his actual/musical godfather and has a way of injecting his passion for bebop and affection for geniuses like Rollins, Charlie Parker, and Pharaoh Sanders, into virtually every note he plays. Wyatt’s latest, The Golden Rule: for Sonny, is his inimitable way of paying tribute to those strong boppers of the past, joined by talents that have been contributing valiantly to the vibrancy of today’s jazz scene—guitarist Russell Malone, pianist Benito Gonzalez, trombonist Clifton Anderson, tenor JD Allen, and emerging youth like Giveton Gelin on trumpet and pianist Sullivan Fortner. Together, the posse exudes both class and bold promise as well as dashes of melodic invention. It is in this alchemy—blending experience with youth, merging tradition with progress—that Wyatt does his greatest service to jazz.

From the opening notes of the opening title track, Wyatt sets out to make a statement. His driving tenor is confident and beautiful, with just enough boogie to put a smile on your face. His improvisation surrounding the Bacharach chestnut “What the World Needs Now” is charming, familiar, and challenging all at once. Elsewhere, the splashy “Don’t Stop the Carnival” is fizzy and fresh, pivoting on Anderson’s sweet trombone. “Best Wishes” lets Fortner loose with the kind of up-tempo hard bop that an ambitious young talent can tackle. The recording closes with the Rollins’-esque “The Bridge,” featuring extended work from Wyatt, with a little room leftover for Fortner. It’s a blast and a great way to fade this session out.

Wyatt has said that he will never forget the impact Rollins—who often played with Wyatt’s father—had on him growing up. Here, on The Golden Rule: for Sonny, he proves he is a man of his word. Wyatt’s Whaling City Sound recording is a tenor-driven tour de force that you won’t soon forget.

Eric Wyatt
is a saxophonist born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He was introduced to the sax by his father Charles Wyatt, who played tenor and hung out with many of the great jazz icons: Charlie Parker, Gary Bartz, George Braith, Wilber Ware, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, and more.

Eric had the privilege of meeting two great jazz masters, both of whom changed his life: Miles Davis and his godfather, Sonny Rollins. Eric recalls, "When I met Miles I was 10 years old and was playing trumpet at the time. He was playing at the Bottom Line, a club in New York, and I never forgot all the energy and joy that this man brought to the audience. Sonny was a friend to the family and stayed connected to us after my father passed."

Sonny Rollins also helped Eric record his first CD for King Records (Japan) titled "God Son", with the great Al Foster on drums, Rufus Reid on bass and pianist Mark Soskin from Sonny’s band.

Eric has been recording and traveling the world as both leader and sideman and continues to build an impressive, solid resume.HIGHLIGHTS of his perfomances in 2015 Eric was invited to perform at the Kuala Lumpur International Arts Festival .performing music from his new cd Borough of Kings . He also was invited to perform in Singapore at several jazz venues during this tour . He did several workshops an master classes at Lasalle College an the World Arts University. Also was the spoecial guest of master bassist Christy Smith at several venues Sing Jazz club an Blu Jazz.He also was invited to perform at the Apollo for the Sonny Rollins Lifetime Achievement Award were he performed with Kenny Garrett , Rene Mclean an many jazz legends Oct 22. There is a video on youtube Dont Stop the Carnival 2015 were the event was documented. He has played with and recorded on records with Jeff Tain Watts, Robert Glasper, Kenny Garrett, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Donald Vega, Branford Marsalis, Bob Cranshaw, James Spaulding, Keyon Harrold, E. J. Strickland, Jeremy Pelt, Willie Jones III, Clifton Anderson, Warren Wolf, Monty Alexander, Benito Gonzalez, Larry Willis, Stephen Scott, Justin Robinson and many others.

Eric has performed internationally in Japan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Singapre Malaysia, Athens, Thessolnikki Greece, Nice, and Paris, France. He has recorded 5 CDs as a leader: "God Son", King Records (Japan), "Live at the Half Note", "The Blue Print", and "Live at the Brookyln Paramount". His new CD entitled "From the Borough of Kings" is on Positone records an was voted one of the best cds of 2014 on several jazz list www.burningambulance.com. Upon his return to the US from Singapore he recorded a new cd which features Grammy nominated pianst Benito Gonzalez, Eric Wheeler bassist with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Shinnosuke Takahashi drums, Keyon Harrold trumpeter from the new Miles Davis documentary an Kyle Poole drummer from the Thelonious Monk competition.

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