Sonny Rollins: One of jazz's last living greats dies at 95

Sonny Rollins died at home at age 95. He was a towering tenor saxophonist whose improvisational brilliance and relentless experimentation made him a defining figure in jazz. Born Walter Theodore Rollins in Harlem in 1930, he grew up surrounded by music, with a clarinet-playing father, a piano-playing sister, and a violinist brother. He played with major jazz figures in the 1950s, including Miles Davis, Bud Powell, and Art Blakey. He gained prominence through landmark albums such as Saxophone Colossus and The Bridge, known for bold tone and marathon solos. He withdrew from performing in 1959 and practiced alone on the Williamsburg Bridge for more than two years, inspiring The Bridge. He also contributed saxophone solos to The Rolling Stones’ Tattoo You in 1981. He spent time in prison in 1950 after an armed robbery arrest and later continued recording and performing.

"Saxophone colossus Sonny Rollins died at his home on Monday at the age of 95, his publicist said. He was a towering tenor saxophonist whose improvisational brilliance and relentless experimentation made him one of jazz's defining figures. A legendary figure of the bebop era alongside John Coltrane and Charlie Parker, Rollins recorded more than 60 albums over a career spanning seven decades."

"Born Walter Theodore Rollins in Harlem on September 7, 1930, the child prodigy grew up surrounded by music. His father played the clarinet and his sister the piano, while his older brother was a violinist. Rollins grew up in a neighborhood with pianist Fats Waller and his idol, saxophonist Coleman Hawkins. The emerging star played with jazz greats including Miles Davis, Bud Powell and Art Blakey in the 1950s."

"At the height of his fame, he withdrew from performing in 1959 and spent more than two years practicing alone on New York's Williamsburg Bridge, a period that inspired "The Bridge" and cemented his legacy. Rollins had recorded the confidently titled "Jazz Colossus" album in 1956 [FILE: October 19, 1987]Image: Achim Duwentaster/teamwork/IMAGO"

"Known for retreats from music, the first instance came involuntarily as he was in prison for 10 months in 1950 after being arrested for armed robbery. Rollins called it "the first of my sabbaticals." "The prison was a brutal place, but fort"

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