Theodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930 in New York City) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins' long, prolific career began at the age of 11, and he was playing with piano legend Thelonious Monk before reaching the age of 20. Rollins is still touring and recording today, having outlived most of his contemporaries such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Max Roach, and Art Blakey, all performers with whom he recorded. While Rollins was born in New York City, his parents were born in the United States Virgin Islands. Rollins received his first saxophone at age 13. Rollins started as a pianist, changed to alto saxophone, and finally switched to tenor in 1946. During his high-school years, he played in a band with other future jazz legends Jackie McLean and Kenny Drew. He was first recorded in 1949 with Babs Gonzales ??? in the same year he recorded with J. J. Johnson and Bud Powell. In his recordings through 1954, he played with performers such as Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk. In 1950, Rollins was arrested for armed robbery and given a sentence of three years. He spent 10 months in Rikers Island jail before he was released on parole. In 1952 he was arrested for violating the terms of his parole by using heroin. Rollins was assigned to what was then the only assistance in the U.S. for drug addicts: "Narco", "The Farm", aka Federal Medical Center, Lexington. While there he was a volunteer for then-experimental Methadone therapy and was able to "kick" ??? endure an opiate withdrawal. Rollins himself initially feared sobriety would impair his musicianship, but then went on to greater success. As a saxophonist he had initially been attracted to the jump and R&B sounds of performers like Louis Jordan, but soon became drawn into the mainstream tenor saxophone tradition. Joachim Berendt has described this tradition as sitting between the two poles of the strong sonority of Coleman Hawkins
1 | The Freedom Suite | The Riverside Records Story |
2 | The Stopper | Sonny Rollins with The Modern Jazz Quartet |
3 | Now's The Time | The Bluebird Sampler 1990 |
4 | Almost Like Being In Love | Sonny Rollins with The Modern Jazz Quartet |
5 | Shadrack | Sonny Rollins with The Modern Jazz Quartet |
6 | With A Song In My Heart | Sonny Rollins with The Modern Jazz Quartet |
7 | This Love Of Mine | Sonny Rollins with The Modern Jazz Quartet |
8 | Hold 'Em Joe | The Best of Impulse! Volume 1 |
9 | In A Sentimental Mood | Sonny Rollins with The Modern Jazz Quartet |
10 | Decision | The Best Of Blue Note (Vol. 2) |
11 | Scoops | Sonny Rollins with The Modern Jazz Quartet |
12 | Mambo Bounce | Sonny Rollins with The Modern Jazz Quartet |
13 | No Moe | Sonny Rollins with The Modern Jazz Quartet |
14 | On A Slow Boat To China | Sonny Rollins with The Modern Jazz Quartet |
15 | Time On My Hands | Sonny Rollins with The Modern Jazz Quartet |
16 | I Know | Sonny Rollins with The Modern Jazz Quartet |
17 | Newk's Fadeaway | Sonny Rollins with The Modern Jazz Quartet |