Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Theodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930 in New York City) is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St. Thomas", "Oleo", "Doxy", and "Airegin", have become jazz standards.
Rollins is recognized by many for the length and quality of his career, one not easily matched in the world of jazz or other genres. His melodic sensibilities, playing style and solos have also influenced several generations of musicians.
Rollins was awarded the 2010 National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama.
The city of Minneapolis, Minnesota officially named October 31, 2006, after Rollins in honor of his achievements and contributions to the world of jazz.
In 2007 he received the prestigious Polar Music Prize in Stockholm, Sweden, together with Steve Reich, while Colby College awarded Rollins a Doctor of Music, honoris causa, for his contributions to jazz music.Rollins was elected to the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1973.
His widely acclaimed album Saxophone Colossus was recorded on June 22, 1956 at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in New Jersey, with Tommy Flanagan on piano, former Jazz Messengers bassist Doug Watkins and his favorite drummer Max Roach. This was Rollins' sixth recording as a leader and it included his best-known composition "St. Thomas", a Caribbean calypso based on a tune sung to him by his mother in his childhood, as well as the fast bebop number "Strode Rode", and "Moritat" (the Kurt Weill composition also known as "Mack the Knife").
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