Walter Theodore “Sonny” Rollins September 7, 1930 – May 25, 2026
Sonny Rollins, whose career spanned seven decades, was considered to be one of the most influential and important jazz musicians of all time. Nicknamed “Sonny” by his grandmother, Rollins who grew up in Harlem, began playing first the alto saxophone at the age of seven or eight. He also played the piano while in High School switching to the tenor saxophone in 1946 after being influenced by Coleman Hawkins. While at the Benjamin Franklin High School, he played in the same band that produced future notable jazz legends Jackie McLean, Art Taylor, and pianist Kenny Drew. He was subsequently mentored by pianist Thelonious Monk. One of Sonny Rollins “other” nicknames was “Saxophone Colossus” which became the title of one of the most iconic and influential jazz albums of all times so much so that the album “Saxophone Colossus” was added to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress in 2016.
“Strode Rode” from Saxophone Colossus
Recorded at Van Gelder Studios
Hackensack, New Jersey; June 22, 1956