Sonny Rollins, who was hailed as one of the greatest tenor saxophonists of all time, passed away on Monday. He was 95.
The New York Times reports Rollins publicist, Terri Hinte, confirmed that “The Saxophone Colossus” passed at his home in Woodstock, N.Y.
Born Walter Theodore Rollins Sept. 7, 1930, in New York City, Rolling grew up on Sugar Hill, Harlem’s “strivers’ row.” The neighborhood featured some of the most acclaimed jazz artists, who deeply influenced Rollins.
Beginning as a pianist, then switched to alto saxophone after being inspired by Louis Jordan. Eventually, switched to tenor saxophone in 1946, influenced by his idol Coleman Hawkins.
Several of his compositions, including “St. Thomas”, “Oleo”, “Doxy”, and “Airegin”, have become jazz standards. Rollins recorded classics like Saxophone Colossus and Freedom Suite while collaborating with fellow legends like Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and Max Roach. At the peak of his fame, Rollins took several high-profile sabbaticals practicing alone for hours on the Williamsburg Bridge in the late 1950s to refine his craft.
In a career that spanned several decades, Rollins left his mark on hard bop, avant-garde, and modern jazz improvisation.
“I think when I’m playing completely spontaneously, just something comes out from somewhere, that’s my best work,” Rollins told NPR. “Say, for instance, if I’m doing a song, any song — I practice it, I learn it, I learn the lyrics, I learn everything that’s possible to learn about the physical piece of the composition, or whatever it is. Then, when I get on a concert stage, I forget about it. I try not to think about it. Then I let the music play me.”
In his remarkable career, Rollins was a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, a recipient of a Kennedy Center honor, and a recipient of the National Medal of the Arts. He was also a recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.