RIP Sonny Rollins

Truly a great loss, to me Sonny was the greatest musician I've ever witnessed. Neil Young liked to say 'I follow the muse', to me Sonny was the muse. I was fortunate to have seen him perform about 10 times over the years, and every single performance was memorable, whether Carnegie Hall or The Bottom Line.

The first time I saw him it was 1986 and he was playing with a quartet on a boat sailing around Manhattan. He was sitting in a big swivel chair with a footrest because he had recently broke his heel in a fall. He had been performing outdoors in Saugerties NY when he jumped off a stone ledge while playing. He famously continued the song while lying on his back with the broken heel.   

So he's on this boat with his ankle in a cast, playing while sitting down. It was the liveliest performance I've ever seen, the encore was 'Don't Stop The Carnival" and he was literally jumping out of his seat. I've been a fan ever since, started listening to his albums, and really sunk my teeth into jazz. With no regrets.

He led an interesting life, but always on his terms. Hopefully he is reunited with his manager and wife Lucille.

Thanks Sonny, thanks for everything.

Herbie Hancock, Kennny Burrell, Marshall Allen, a few of those still performing from Jazz's classic era.

Saw Sonny siiting in with the Wynton Marsalis sextet at Bill Clinton's inauguration festivities on the Mall in D.C.  His distinct tone drew me in.  His "St. Thomas" is one of the great jazz riffs.

Thanks for all the music!

i'm not the headiest jazz aficionado however, that man's playing was out of this world, maybe my favorite sax player.

OK - we had the Sonny Rollins Quartet in our little theater in Peekskill, NY back in the early 2000's. Sonny was ' told ' to play a shorter first set and a longer second set because the promoter wanted to max the bar between sets and a short first set means better bar sales. 

So, Sonny goes like 30 mins longer than the promoter wanted and backstage between sets the promoter, obviously frustrated, says " i thought we said that you'd keep to the time for the first set "

thats i when i heard the gem of a lifetime ;

' Son, time don't keep Sonny Rollins, Sonny Rollins keeps time '

and he just walked away laughing

I caught Sonny once, with Chick

One of the best performances I've ever been to. I was a fan but truly blown away by his playing. This must've been mid 2000s, so he wasn't a young man. I think he played three songs for 45 minutes, took a break and played another 90. RIP.

Brought my 2 kids at the time to see him at the antique Romain theater in vienne France,  musta been 2004 ish.great show true master, he'll be missed 

I appreciate that he often used guitar rather than piano in his groups.