Jazz legend Sonny Rollins: The “saxophone colossus” is dead

When a creative person’s life ends, it continues into the next existence, Rollins’ agent Terri Hinte quoted the musician as saying in a statement distributed by several US media outlets: “I am one of those people who believe that this life doesn’t mean everything.”

Rollins was born in 1930 in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. With his unmistakable tone – full, robust, rough, but at the same time subtle and nuanced – the award-winning Rollins was considered a “saxophone colossus” in the jazz world. That’s what he called one of his albums in 1956. He worked with all the greats in his scene – whether Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk or John Coltrane. He outlived most of them for a long time.

“Greatest tenor saxophonist of all time”

His recordings include “Oleo”, “Doxy” and “St. Thomas” which are jazz standards. Trumpeter Miles Davis, whom Rollins accompanied in various groups in his early years, called him “the greatest tenor saxophonist of all time.” Respiratory illnesses forced Rollins into retirement several years ago.

In a 2017 interview with radio station NPR, Rollins recalled his early days playing the instrument that he later became a master at. “When my mom gave me a saxophone, it was the Great Depression back then,” Rollins said. “It took me a while to convince her that I really wanted to play. She then got a used saxophone from my uncle. I had this instrument – went into my room, closed the door and was in heaven.”