R.I.P. saxophone colossus Sonny Rollins, 1930-2026

Sadly, jazz great Sonny Rollins has passed away at 95. He'll be greatly missed. We're remembering Sonny with a few interviews and recordings. 

From Sonny Rollins HQ...

It is with deep sorrow and profound love that we announce the passing of Sonny Rollins. The Saxophone Colossus died this afternoon at his home in Woodstock, NY at the age of 95. 

“I think when the creative person ends, he continues in the next existence. I’m a person who believes this life isn’t the be-all and end-all of everything. A spiritual person doesn’t feel like that.” – S.R. (2009) 

Sonny Rollins 48-Hour Memorial Broadcast 

on NYC's WKCR 89.9 FM 

May 29-30

This Friday and Saturday, May 29th and 30th, WKCR will air 48 hours of Sonny Rollins to honor the life and work of the renowned saxophonist, who passed away this Monday, May 15th, at the age of 95.

Hailing from Sugar Hill, Harlem, Rollins was immersed in the budding scene of hard bop right out of high school, collaborating with J.J. Johnson, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, Clifford Brown, and Miles Davis. In his autobiography, Davis writes, “People loved Sonny Rollins up in Harlem and everywhere else. He was a legend, almost a god, to a lot of the younger musicians. Some thought he was playing the saxophone on the level of Bird. I know one thing–he was close. He was an aggressive, innovative player who always had fresh musical ideas. I loved him back then as a player, and he could also write his ass off…”

Over his many years and broad influence, Rollins became a defining voice in his craft through landmark recordings such as Saxophone Colossus (1956), Way Out West (1957), and The Bridge (1962). Past his legendary improvisation, or lasting compositions such as “Oleo,” “St. Thomas”, and “Tenor Madness”, his dedication to this music manifested in pauses from the scene. Most famously, his two-year hiatus, where he took to practicing on the Williamsburg Bridge so as not to disturb his neighbors.

We invite you all to join us at WKCR 89.9 FM in celebrating the enduring legacy of Sonny Rollins through 48 hours of programming from one of the most transformative voices in the tradition of jazz.

Listeners in NYC can tune in at 89.9 FM or at wkcr.org.

 

Sonny Rollins' 1959 European tour recordings collected on "Freedom Weaver"

Resonance is releasing Sonny Rollins' Freedom Weaver 3CD live set on April 26th. Check out some tour footage below. 

Here's the scoop...

Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings is the first official release of the 'Saxophone Colossus' Sonny Rollins’ European tour in 1959 with bassist Henry Grimes, and drummers Pete La Roca, Kenny Clarke and Joe Harris covering performances in Stockholm, Sweden; Zurich, Switzerland; Laren, Holland; Frankfurt, West Germany; Aix-en-Provence, France. While some of the recordings from Rollins' tour leading up to his Williamburg Bridge sabbatical have been previously available – with varying sound quality – in Europe, this is the first official release in cooperation with Sonny Rollins and released as a 3-CD set out April 26th via Resonance Records. Freedom Weaver includes an elaborate booklet with rare photos by Ed van der Elsken, Jean-Pierre Leloir, Bob Parent and many others; lead liners by jazz scholar Bob Blumenthal, and new interviews with Rollins himself, Branford Marsalis, James Carter, Joe Lovano, James Brandon Lewis and Peter Brötzmann. Mastered by the legendary mastering engineer Bernie Grundman. 

Get a digital download or 3CD version of Freedom Weaver via Bandcamp right here.or via Amazon over here. Check out some footage of Sonny Rollins in action during his European tour of 1959 followed by the Freedom Weaver track listing below. 

Happy Birthday Kenny Dorham!

Remembering jazz trumpet titan Kenny Dorham on his birthday with a few sessions where he really shines in a support role. 

Happy Birthday Jackie McLean!

Remembering saxophone great Jackie McLean with a Gil Noble interview and some thoughts on Jackie from Sonny Rollins. 

New book Saxophone Colossus reveals the untold story of Sonny Rollins

Check out author Aidan Levy's discussion about his 772-page Sonny Rollins biography with jazz critic Gary Giddins below.  

Here's the scoop...

The long-awaited first full biography of legendary jazz saxophonist and composer Sonny Rollins, chronicling the gripping story of a freedom fighter and spiritual seeker whose life has been as much of a thematic improvisation as his music.

Sonny Rollins has long been considered an enigma. Known as the “Saxophone Colossus,” he is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz improvisers of all time, winning Grammys, the Austrian Cross of Honor, Sweden’s Polar Music Prize and a National Medal of Arts. A bridge from bebop to the avant-garde, he is a lasting link to the golden age of jazz, pictured in the iconic “Great Day in Harlem” portrait. His seven-decade career has been well documented, but the backstage life of the man once called “the only jazz recluse” has gone largely untold—until now.

Based on more than 200 interviews with Rollins himself, family members, friends, and collaborators, as well as Rollins’ extensive personal archive,Saxophone Colossusis the comprehensive portrait of this legendary saxophonist and composer, civil rights activist and environmentalist. A child of the Harlem Renaissance, Rollins’ precocious talent landed him on the bandstand and in the recording studio with Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, or playing opposite Billie Holiday. An icon in his own right, he recordedTenor Madness ;Freedom Suite ; and the 1956 classic Saxophone Colossus.

Yet his meteoric rise to fame was not without its challenges. He served two sentences on Rikers Island and won his battle with heroin addiction. In 1959, Rollins took a two-year sabbatical from recording and performing, practicing up to 16 hours a day on the Williamsburg Bridge. In 1968, he left again to study at an ashram in India. He returned to performing from 1971 until his retirement in 2012.

The story of Sonny Rollins—innovative, unpredictable, larger than life—is the story of jazz itself, and Sonny’s own narrative is as timeless and timely as the art form he represents. Part jazz oral history told in the musicians’ own words, part chronicle of one man’s quest for social justice and spiritual enlightenment, this is the definitive biography of one of the most enduring and influential artists in jazz and American history. 

Get a copy from Aidan Levy's site right here. Watch Aidan Levy's chat with Gary Giddins below.

Goodbye to NYC's historic East River Park Amphitheater!

Along with Sonny Rollins gigs in 1962, East River Park Amphitheatre was the site of the climactic hip hop concert in Wild Style.

LINKS

Gothamist City Demolition of East River Park Amphitheater Underway

Happy Birthday Han Bennink!

Celebrating the birthday of Dutch jazz drummer Han Bennink with an interview and a 1965 performance with Wes Montgomery. 

R.I.P. Henry Grimes, 1935-2020

Sadly, bass boss Henry Grimes has passed away from complications due to COVID-19. He'll be greatly missed.

LINKS
The Wire William Parker pays tribute to Henry Grimes

Happy Birthday Don Cherry!

Here's some rare live footage of Don Cherry in Rome with Sonny Rollins in 1963 followed by Neneh Cherry's tribute and a Sun Ra duet.  

Happy Birthday Heikki Sarmanto!

Celebrating the birthday of Finnish composer/keyboardist Heikki Sarmanto with his salute to Duke and Trane.