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SONNY ROLLINS
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P erhaps the most enigmatic figure jazz has know n, Sonny RolUns has been a commanding presence
since the fifties. Theodore Ro llins grew up in the Sugar H ill section of Harlem. He began studying
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music on piano and switched to sax by age eleven. Coleman Haw kins lived in his neighborhood and was
an early influence on Ro llins.

A t age nineteen, Sonny Ro llins made his recording debut w ith singer Babs Gonzales. For the next
six years, he recorded as a sideman w ith such jazz luminaries as J.J. Johnson, Bud Pow ell, Thelonious
Monk, and Miles Davis (who paired him up w ith a tenor-playing Charlie Parker in 1955). Rellins' rep-
utation began to grow from his outstanding work in the Clifford Brown/ Max Ro ach quintet. W hen that
group disbanded due to Brow n s untimely death, Ro llins headed out on his ow n.

Rellins' early recordings displayed a talented player in the style of Dexter Gordon. This manner of
playing combined the robust tone of Coleman Haw kins (sans vibrato) w ith the rhythmic and asymmet-
rical phrasing of Lester Young. By 1956, Ro llins had discovered his ow n voice and released his landmark
recording zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA
Saxophone Colossus, A t age twenty-seven, his playing demonstrated a sense of maturity. He dis-
played a sardonic w it and an ability to organize his ideas in such a fashion that his improvisational style
became know n as "thematic improvisation." He would get inside of an idea or theme, cuU from it, distill
its essence, and use it for a serious of variations—often forsaking the chord changes to keep the embell-
ishments going. In 1957, Ro llins decided to record an album {W ay Out W est) w ith just bass and drums
(eliminating the piano )—an idea he had experimented w ith before, but not for an entire recording. This
allowed him to play fragments of themes in even more harmonic variations w ithout being boxed in by a
chordal instrument. Still using the trio format, Ro llins released Freedom Suite in 1958, in w hich he ad-
dressed racial and artistic freedom.

By 1959, not yet thirty, Ro llins took the first o fhis self-imposed sabbaticals. He used this time to
reinvent himself, spending many nights practicing on N YC's Williamsburg Bridge. Ro llins developed a
new tone—warmer and huskier—and formulated his "system of orchestration," a new way of arranging
his thematic approach. A fter a two-year break, he returned to the Studio, signing a lucrative contract to
record six albums for R C A . The first of these is called (naturally) The Bridge. A l l six of the R C A record-
ings, although not commercially successful, were masterful and groundbreaking—covering the spectrum
of jazz from hard bop to latin and even including a foray into Ornette Coleman-inspired free jazz.

In 1967, Ro llins took another self-imposed exile and did not enter a recording Studio for five years.
This time, w hen he returned, he had again reinvented himself, using a more pentatonic-modal approach
w ith a broader, edgier tone.

W hen Sonny Ro llins is at his best, he is completely vulnerable and exposes himself more than al-
most any other musician. He leaves an unparalleled legacy of monumental improvisations. Ro llins,
whose live Performances continue to be the stuff that legends are made of, is still very active today.

M usically speaking:

W hile not generally considered a blues player (but rather a major stylistic modernist), Sonny
Rollins takes a unique approach to the blues that deserves attention. Arguably the greatest living Saxo-
phonist, w ith his huge, edgy, resonant tone, speech-like phrasing, harmonic approach, and thematic style
of improvisation, Ro llins defies categorization.