Sonny Rollins, Tenor Saxophonist Who Defined the Bebop Era, Dead at 95
Sonny Rollins, the tenor saxophonist widely regarded as America's greatest living jazz musician and one of the most important improvisers in the history of the art form, has died. He was 95.
Rollins died Monday afternoon, May 25, at his home in Woodstock, New York, according to a statement from his publicist Terri Hinte. No cause of death was given. He had been largely housebound in recent years due to various physical problems. He is survived by a nephew, Clifton Anderson, and nieces Vallyn Anderson and Gabrielle DeGroat.
The Saxophone Colossus
Theodore Walter Rollins was born Sept. 7, 1930, in New York City and grew up on Sugar Hill, the section of Harlem known as the "strivers' row" of its era. His neighbors included jazz musicians Jackie McLean, Art Taylor, and Kenny Drew. The musical environment shaped him early and completely.
By his late teens he had joined Thelonious Monk's band and was jamming with Miles Davis and Bud Powell. His career accelerated through the early 1950s as he established himself as one of the most formidable young saxophonists in jazz. The year 1956 was his breakout as a leader — he recorded Saxophone Colossus, one of the most celebrated albums in jazz history, which featured the lengthy blues improvisation "Blue 7," hailed by critics as a landmark of the form. That same year he recorded Tenor Madness, which featured an unforgettable head-to-head with John Coltrane on the title track. Alongside Coltrane and Charlie Parker, Rollins was considered one of the three most influential saxophonists of his era.
He penned jazz standards that have been played continuously for seven decades: "St. Thomas," "Airegin," "Doxy," and "Oleo." His 1957 album Way Out West and 1962's The Bridge — recorded after a famous period of voluntary withdrawal when he practiced alone at night on the Williamsburg Bridge to find a new creative direction — are essential documents of mid-century American music.
The Rolling Stones and the 9/11 Concert
Rollins reached audiences who had never heard a jazz record through an unlikely connection with the Rolling Stones. His wistful saxophone solo on "Waiting on a Friend," from the Stones' 1981 album Tattoo You, introduced him to an entirely new generation of listeners. He later said the solo came together after watching Mick Jagger dance.
One of the defining moments of his later career came on Sept. 15, 2001 — four days after the September 11 attacks. Rollins had been evacuated from his Lower Manhattan apartment a few blocks from Ground Zero, but at the urging of his wife and manager Lucille, he went ahead with a scheduled concert in Boston. The recording, released as Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert, documented what many considered one of the most moving performances of his life. Lucille died in 2004.
Seven Decades, 60-Plus Albums, One Williamsburg Bridge
The story of Rollins practicing on the Williamsburg Bridge became one of jazz's most enduring myths — and unlike most myths, it was entirely true. Between 1959 and 1962, dissatisfied with his own playing and searching for new direction, he stopped performing publicly and practiced daily on the bridge, often at night, sometimes in the early morning. His return to recording with The Bridge is one of music's great comeback stories.
He eventually retired from performing in 2014 at age 83, citing health issues, but never stopped being revered as the living embodiment of jazz's greatest era. He was a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, a Kennedy Center honoree, and a recipient of the National Medal of the Arts. President Barack Obama honored him twice.
In a career spanning more than seven decades and more than 60 albums, Sonny Rollins never stopped searching for the next note. On Monday, the search ended.
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