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Saxophone Colossus: The Life and Music of Sonny Rollins
Sonny Rollins has long been considered an enigma. Known as the "Saxophone Colossus," he is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz improvisers of all time. His seven-decade career has been well documented, but the backstage life of the man once called "the only jazz recluse" has gone largely untold—until now.
Based on more than 200 interviews with Rollins himself, family members, friends, and collaborators, as well as Rollins' extensive personal archive, Saxophone Colossus is the comprehensive portrait of this legendary saxophonist and composer, civil rights activist and environmentalist. Yet his meteoric rise to fame was not without its challenges. He served two sentences on Rikers Island and won his battle with heroin addiction. In 1959, Rollins took a two-year sabbatical from recording and performing. In 1968, he left again to study at an ashram in India. He returned to performing from 1971 until his retirement in 2012.
The story of Sonny Rollins is the story of jazz itself, and Sonny's own narrative is as timeless and timely as the art form he represents. Part jazz oral history told in the musicians' own words, part chronicle of one man's quest for social justice and spiritual enlightenment, this is the definitive biography of one of the most enduring and influential artists in jazz and American history.
31 hrs. 21 min.
Based on more than 200 interviews with Rollins himself, family members, friends, and collaborators, as well as Rollins' extensive personal archive, Saxophone Colossus is the comprehensive portrait of this legendary saxophonist and composer, civil rights activist and environmentalist. Yet his meteoric rise to fame was not without its challenges. He served two sentences on Rikers Island and won his battle with heroin addiction. In 1959, Rollins took a two-year sabbatical from recording and performing. In 1968, he left again to study at an ashram in India. He returned to performing from 1971 until his retirement in 2012.
The story of Sonny Rollins is the story of jazz itself, and Sonny's own narrative is as timeless and timely as the art form he represents. Part jazz oral history told in the musicians' own words, part chronicle of one man's quest for social justice and spiritual enlightenment, this is the definitive biography of one of the most enduring and influential artists in jazz and American history.
31 hrs. 21 min.
32 pages, Audible Audio
First published December 6, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
November 29, 2022
This is one of the best biographies I’ve ever read. Not just a narrative of the life of Sonny Rollins, but rather an immersion into the life of one of the greatest musicians ever. Highly recommended
September 18, 2022
Excellent read! Excellent overview of the music of Sonny Rollins!
Aiden Levy has done a very thorough review of the life and music of Sonny Rollins. I am not quite sure how he did it, but he seems to review almost every performance (clearly he couldn't have) sharing all sorts of small details that make the scene come alive for the reader.
As I read, I found myself going to look up different performers, and actual performances on youtube just to see exactly what the author was writing about. I grew up in a household that loved jazz- and early on knew who Monk, Coletrane and Ornette were, but I have to say the name Sonny Rollins was often tossed around as if he was kind of an afterthought, "Of course Sonny Rollins was there." The book expanded my knowledge about Rollins and the development of modern jazz and also my knowledge of the political/racial climate through Sonny's personal experiences. While Levy touches on these topics-with clear explanations, the book itself does not fall into a treatise on social justice or political will, it merely points out the issues at hand that informed the jazz of the day, and how it encouraged or detracted from the music. The main focus, - as would be the main focus of Sonny Rollins- is the music itself.
This is a book that belongs on the shelf of not just jazz aficionados, but any music lover. Levy shows in great detail the dedication to the craft that jazz musicians have, their ability to use and borrow from all styles of music and incorporate them into their own performances, that then influence other musical genres so that jazz gives back to even those that don't consider themselves jazz lovers.
It is densely packed with facts, figures, stories and opinions, all of which come together to create an immensely absorbing and readable study of Rollins.
I highly recommend.
Aiden Levy has done a very thorough review of the life and music of Sonny Rollins. I am not quite sure how he did it, but he seems to review almost every performance (clearly he couldn't have) sharing all sorts of small details that make the scene come alive for the reader.
As I read, I found myself going to look up different performers, and actual performances on youtube just to see exactly what the author was writing about. I grew up in a household that loved jazz- and early on knew who Monk, Coletrane and Ornette were, but I have to say the name Sonny Rollins was often tossed around as if he was kind of an afterthought, "Of course Sonny Rollins was there." The book expanded my knowledge about Rollins and the development of modern jazz and also my knowledge of the political/racial climate through Sonny's personal experiences. While Levy touches on these topics-with clear explanations, the book itself does not fall into a treatise on social justice or political will, it merely points out the issues at hand that informed the jazz of the day, and how it encouraged or detracted from the music. The main focus, - as would be the main focus of Sonny Rollins- is the music itself.
This is a book that belongs on the shelf of not just jazz aficionados, but any music lover. Levy shows in great detail the dedication to the craft that jazz musicians have, their ability to use and borrow from all styles of music and incorporate them into their own performances, that then influence other musical genres so that jazz gives back to even those that don't consider themselves jazz lovers.
It is densely packed with facts, figures, stories and opinions, all of which come together to create an immensely absorbing and readable study of Rollins.
I highly recommend.
July 3, 2022
Saxophone Colossus: The Life and Music of Sonny Rollins, by Aidan Levy, is both a captivating biography of Rollins and an exciting history of the time from the depression until now.
I enjoyed the other Levy book I read, Dirty Blvd, and found this one to be even better. Because of the extensive research and many interviews, much of the story is in the words of those who lived it. Levy does a great job of providing a narrative skeleton which is fleshed out by the first-person accounts. This is done extremely well and keeps the biography itself moving forward without sacrificing many moments of reflection and even nostalgia on the part of Rollins.
While I have always liked his music I was painfully ignorant of what his life was like. I knew snippets here and there, largely the things that become "newsworthy," which usually means sensationalized and also usually misunderstood. I feel like I have a much better grasp of what went on both personally and musically in his life and in the universe he inhabited.
The musical discussions included offers some interesting insight into what he liked and disliked about things (like studio vs live audience) as well as influences he had growing up and well beyond.
I would recommend this to any jazz fan, any Rollins fan, and anyone who simply enjoys reading biographies. In particular biographies where the subject is given plenty of chance to talk. In fact, this likely is somewhere between the standard biography and an autobiography with a cowriter.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
I enjoyed the other Levy book I read, Dirty Blvd, and found this one to be even better. Because of the extensive research and many interviews, much of the story is in the words of those who lived it. Levy does a great job of providing a narrative skeleton which is fleshed out by the first-person accounts. This is done extremely well and keeps the biography itself moving forward without sacrificing many moments of reflection and even nostalgia on the part of Rollins.
While I have always liked his music I was painfully ignorant of what his life was like. I knew snippets here and there, largely the things that become "newsworthy," which usually means sensationalized and also usually misunderstood. I feel like I have a much better grasp of what went on both personally and musically in his life and in the universe he inhabited.
The musical discussions included offers some interesting insight into what he liked and disliked about things (like studio vs live audience) as well as influences he had growing up and well beyond.
I would recommend this to any jazz fan, any Rollins fan, and anyone who simply enjoys reading biographies. In particular biographies where the subject is given plenty of chance to talk. In fact, this likely is somewhere between the standard biography and an autobiography with a cowriter.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
January 11, 2023
“Sonny Rollins, man!” Wynton Marsalis has rarely been at a loss for words, but backstage June 4, 1983, at the Beacon Theater in New York City where he had just been treated to a demonstration of improvisational skill and ideas by the great tenor saxophonist, this was all he could say. The onstage meeting of the legendary performer, then age 52, and the fresh-faced young lion trumpeter, then age 22, takes place a little past the half-way point of this monumental new biography of Rollins.
Aidan Levy wrote a previous biography of Lou Reed, which I’m now curious to read. This new book is as detailed a chronological story of a musician’s life as you can find. For a long time, I was convinced Levy was going to mention every single place and approximate date Rollins played or recorded. I was kind of looking forward to seeing the shows I saw included – the 1985 Webster College appearance is at least mentioned, but his appearance at Mississippi Nights a few years later, and the one at the Touhill Performing Arts Center in 2009 don’t make the cut.
But Saxophone Colossus is much more than a list of names and dates. Built on meticulous research into virtually every article ever written about the great man, along with interviews with Rollins himself and as many people who played with him or knew him as could be rounded up alive in the last seven years, not to mention access to letters and papers written by Rollins and his wife Lucille, this book explores the musical and spiritual development of a magnificent musician across the first 92 years of his life. Though Rollins has not been able to play his horn for over ten years, thanks to pulmonary fibrosis which could very well have been triggered by the toxic air he breathed in for two days after 9/11/01 when he lived six blocks from the World Trade Center, he has continued to grow as a person. For Rollins, the golden rule found in so many religious sources is a constant goal.
For as long as he was playing tenor saxophone, though, his other goal was to reach the space in music that he felt he never quite accomplished. As I said, I saw him play three times. Two of those performances included half-hour long single tunes in which the man played chorus after chorus after chorus, breaking through to a place where music transcends time and space to become pure ecstasy. Levy quotes enough musicians and critics throughout the course of this book to imply that those times I saw him were more in the middle than near the peak of his concert performances. There were nights when he could lead his band for four hours without coming close to earth. That level of playing was what led Marsalis to run out of word choices.
Of course, while transcendent performances can live in our memories, Rollins is best known to most people through the 45 studio albums he made as a leader, and the 15 live records, and the 24 albums on which he appeared as a sideman, not to mention the three songs he played with the Rolling Stones on Tattoo You. For years, the records he made in the 1950s – Dig and Bags’ Groove by Miles Davis; Clifford Brown & Max Roach at Basin Street, Max Roach + 4 and Jazz in ¾ Time by Max Roach; Brilliant Corners by Thelonious Monk: and his own Tenor Madness, Saxophone Colossus, Way Out West, and Freedom Suite, among many others – were considered the peak of his powers. Levy doesn’t deny their greatness. Nobody possibly could. But while acknowledging circumstances which made later work less consistent, he makes a case that Rollins was always able to achieve remarkable things in the studio, if not as remarkable as he could do on stage. It’s impossible to ccount the number of times Rollins himself is quoted as feeling his records, even his live performances, weren’t nearly as good as he wanted them to be. I’ve listened to an assortment of random Rollins records in the last couple weeks that I had ignored or dismissed in the past, and there is some terrific music still waiting to be discovered or rediscovered.
Rollins had a relatively middle class upbringing in New York City during the 30s and 40s, and was able to see many of the great jazz musicians of that time living near the several homes in which he grew up. He was always a workhorse as a player – if somebody had kept track, I’m reasonably sure he would be in the Guinness Book of World Records with the largest number of hours spent practicing in a single lifetime. After he broke into the jazz world, and after his father was unceremoniously court martialed out of the Navy for the crime of dancing with a white woman, Rollins’ obsessive personality turned for ten years towards heroin. Levy does not turn away from the downsides of this period in Rollins’ career, during which time his playing continued to get better as his life became unstable and disordered. At one time he was sentenced to prison for participating in a robbery. The chapters covering this time are depressing to read, though I knew there would be a breakthrough at some point. He then became obsessive about leading a clean life, and substituted his addiction to drugs with a life-long practice of yoga.
The search to constantly improve, even when it was obvious to everybody else that Sonny Rollins was the greatest improvising musician alive, makes for a fascinating biography. Levy also throws in some sharp analysis of the music, sometimes from himself, sometimes from Rollins, and frequently from other musicians along the way. Rollins didn’t participate heavily in political concerns, though his “Freedom Suite” was an explicit musical commentary on the Civil Rights movement and he eventually wrote a piece called “Global Warming” that was one of his most played in the last dozen or more years of his career. Levy makes sure to put Rollins in the context of political times around him, without moving focus away from Rollins himself. This is a close look at a major musician, which kept me learning more and more until nearly the last page. The last sentence of the penultimate chapter is one which probably makes every other musical biographer jealous.
Aidan Levy wrote a previous biography of Lou Reed, which I’m now curious to read. This new book is as detailed a chronological story of a musician’s life as you can find. For a long time, I was convinced Levy was going to mention every single place and approximate date Rollins played or recorded. I was kind of looking forward to seeing the shows I saw included – the 1985 Webster College appearance is at least mentioned, but his appearance at Mississippi Nights a few years later, and the one at the Touhill Performing Arts Center in 2009 don’t make the cut.
But Saxophone Colossus is much more than a list of names and dates. Built on meticulous research into virtually every article ever written about the great man, along with interviews with Rollins himself and as many people who played with him or knew him as could be rounded up alive in the last seven years, not to mention access to letters and papers written by Rollins and his wife Lucille, this book explores the musical and spiritual development of a magnificent musician across the first 92 years of his life. Though Rollins has not been able to play his horn for over ten years, thanks to pulmonary fibrosis which could very well have been triggered by the toxic air he breathed in for two days after 9/11/01 when he lived six blocks from the World Trade Center, he has continued to grow as a person. For Rollins, the golden rule found in so many religious sources is a constant goal.
For as long as he was playing tenor saxophone, though, his other goal was to reach the space in music that he felt he never quite accomplished. As I said, I saw him play three times. Two of those performances included half-hour long single tunes in which the man played chorus after chorus after chorus, breaking through to a place where music transcends time and space to become pure ecstasy. Levy quotes enough musicians and critics throughout the course of this book to imply that those times I saw him were more in the middle than near the peak of his concert performances. There were nights when he could lead his band for four hours without coming close to earth. That level of playing was what led Marsalis to run out of word choices.
Of course, while transcendent performances can live in our memories, Rollins is best known to most people through the 45 studio albums he made as a leader, and the 15 live records, and the 24 albums on which he appeared as a sideman, not to mention the three songs he played with the Rolling Stones on Tattoo You. For years, the records he made in the 1950s – Dig and Bags’ Groove by Miles Davis; Clifford Brown & Max Roach at Basin Street, Max Roach + 4 and Jazz in ¾ Time by Max Roach; Brilliant Corners by Thelonious Monk: and his own Tenor Madness, Saxophone Colossus, Way Out West, and Freedom Suite, among many others – were considered the peak of his powers. Levy doesn’t deny their greatness. Nobody possibly could. But while acknowledging circumstances which made later work less consistent, he makes a case that Rollins was always able to achieve remarkable things in the studio, if not as remarkable as he could do on stage. It’s impossible to ccount the number of times Rollins himself is quoted as feeling his records, even his live performances, weren’t nearly as good as he wanted them to be. I’ve listened to an assortment of random Rollins records in the last couple weeks that I had ignored or dismissed in the past, and there is some terrific music still waiting to be discovered or rediscovered.
Rollins had a relatively middle class upbringing in New York City during the 30s and 40s, and was able to see many of the great jazz musicians of that time living near the several homes in which he grew up. He was always a workhorse as a player – if somebody had kept track, I’m reasonably sure he would be in the Guinness Book of World Records with the largest number of hours spent practicing in a single lifetime. After he broke into the jazz world, and after his father was unceremoniously court martialed out of the Navy for the crime of dancing with a white woman, Rollins’ obsessive personality turned for ten years towards heroin. Levy does not turn away from the downsides of this period in Rollins’ career, during which time his playing continued to get better as his life became unstable and disordered. At one time he was sentenced to prison for participating in a robbery. The chapters covering this time are depressing to read, though I knew there would be a breakthrough at some point. He then became obsessive about leading a clean life, and substituted his addiction to drugs with a life-long practice of yoga.
The search to constantly improve, even when it was obvious to everybody else that Sonny Rollins was the greatest improvising musician alive, makes for a fascinating biography. Levy also throws in some sharp analysis of the music, sometimes from himself, sometimes from Rollins, and frequently from other musicians along the way. Rollins didn’t participate heavily in political concerns, though his “Freedom Suite” was an explicit musical commentary on the Civil Rights movement and he eventually wrote a piece called “Global Warming” that was one of his most played in the last dozen or more years of his career. Levy makes sure to put Rollins in the context of political times around him, without moving focus away from Rollins himself. This is a close look at a major musician, which kept me learning more and more until nearly the last page. The last sentence of the penultimate chapter is one which probably makes every other musical biographer jealous.
August 14, 2023
Sonny Rollins is one of the great Sax players in the history of the world. This is a truly exhaustive biography of the man, his music, and his philosophy. Sonny is a very interesting guy right from the beginning. There's a wealth of fantastic information and interesting stories throughout, and you get a ton of insight into how Sonny developed as a musician. I feel bad giving the book 3 stars because it's really a failing of mine, not the author's. Once Sonny stops making essential music (probably sometime in the 70's), the story gets way less interesting, and there's like 300 pages of that part of his life. Unfortunately, I was just not super interested in that part of his life since there wasn't fantastic music to read about. I imagine that for someone who is a massive Sonny Rollins fan, you couldn't ask for a better book than this. As someone who is a big Sonny Rollins fan, but is not an obsessive, it was just a little bit too much.
September 27, 2022
This is a monumental bio of a great musician. The cultural context which it is set in provides a deep and moving picture of life in the 50's as it was for black musicians. This one of the best bios of a musician I have ever read. Mr. Levy has done a magnificent job. For any jazz or music fan this is a must read.
July 9, 2023
First, I’d like to thank the publisher for making this book available in a Goodreads giveaway. By far my best Giveaway winner 😊
I loved this book! As someone with a background in Jazz, I was fascinated to read about the details of Sonny Rollins’ life, performances, and albums. The author did a great job putting it all together. I especially loved listening to each album on Apple Music, and honing in on the points mentioned in the book. (I suppose albums are available on other streaming services, but your mileage may vary…)
Highly recommend!
I loved this book! As someone with a background in Jazz, I was fascinated to read about the details of Sonny Rollins’ life, performances, and albums. The author did a great job putting it all together. I especially loved listening to each album on Apple Music, and honing in on the points mentioned in the book. (I suppose albums are available on other streaming services, but your mileage may vary…)
Highly recommend!
January 15, 2025
Sonny Rollins was a giant figure in jazz saxophone, playing for a longer period of time than any of his predecessors like Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, Eric Dolphy, or the great Lester Young. Rollins played over a stretch of 70-some years from the 1950's to his death in 2020. Part of it was because in the early years of Jazz musicians many of them had health problems as a result of alcohol or drugs like heroin. Although Sonny started out in that mode, he cleaned up his act, and not only strived to perfect his sound but also himself, studying yoga and other more physical forms of fitness until he looked more like an athlete than a musician. He also wasn't satisfied to find his own individual style and sound but wanted to master all modes of playing and push the instrument farther than anyone else had ever done. To this end, he practiced more hours than anyone else, more scales and patterns, and took breaks from playing every so often to push himself into other areas, always trying to achieve perfection. This biography truly captures his size and importance as a "colossus". - BH.
January 21, 2023
Wow, just wow! Saxophone Colossus is a mammoth effort by Aidan Levy who spent seven years of his life researching and writing this +700 page biography about one of the greatest jazz improvisers ever to record or perform on stage. I learned so much about Sonny but also about jazz history since Sonny knew and interacted with so many jazz artists who are mentioned here extensively in this book. I learned even more just how much of a perfectionist Sonny was with his music, always searching for “that lost chord” as Levy writes, Sonny had an insatiable desire for improvement, both on his horn and spiritually. Truly Sonny Rollins is a complete human being and reading this book provided further proof as to why I’ve always greatly admired him. Highly recommended and you’ll come away from reading this book with a beautiful perspective on Sonny, go seek out a copy right away!
April 1, 2024
This book is a literary colossus; it has changed my life
February 29, 2024
i'm a saxophonist and i love sonny rollins. i have loved his playing since i was in my early 20's, so it's impossible to have an objective opinion about this book.
but i've read other books on sonny and so far this is the best. at 715 pages (plus acknowledgements and index, which is lengthy), you get a well detailed account of his life and the music. tireless documentation of just about every gig he ever played is on hand, all the dealings with various record labels, personal struggles and highlights, his outlook on spirituality, and so much more fill these pages.
again and again i found a great deal of inspiration from reading about his legendary practice routines, including the various "sabbaticals", where he stepped away from public life to dig deeper into the horn. so many aspects of sonny's artistic aesthetics mirror my own, so there was also a lot of confirmation of ideas and practices here.
the book really made me want to write to him and i have an address. i really need to do that before he transitions. i've heard from someone close to him that his health has been declining, which is mentioned in the final pages of the book, but apparently even more so.
the last great thing about the book was to go back and listen to all the albums in chronological order while working my way through the book. it made for an excellent soundtrack to this finely tuned study of one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century.
but i've read other books on sonny and so far this is the best. at 715 pages (plus acknowledgements and index, which is lengthy), you get a well detailed account of his life and the music. tireless documentation of just about every gig he ever played is on hand, all the dealings with various record labels, personal struggles and highlights, his outlook on spirituality, and so much more fill these pages.
again and again i found a great deal of inspiration from reading about his legendary practice routines, including the various "sabbaticals", where he stepped away from public life to dig deeper into the horn. so many aspects of sonny's artistic aesthetics mirror my own, so there was also a lot of confirmation of ideas and practices here.
the book really made me want to write to him and i have an address. i really need to do that before he transitions. i've heard from someone close to him that his health has been declining, which is mentioned in the final pages of the book, but apparently even more so.
the last great thing about the book was to go back and listen to all the albums in chronological order while working my way through the book. it made for an excellent soundtrack to this finely tuned study of one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century.
May 20, 2023
Thorough, to say the least. While this is a very readable history, it should also serve as a useful history for future ... histories and research?
I really liked it - it's a fan of its subject and that's OK. It's consistent and helped me put all of Sonny Rollins' music in context. And introduced me to a lot of the music.
It is LONG, but with a little focus reads pretty easily. I'm glad I took my time - a little over two weeks - as it let me go familiarize myself with the music as I went along.
Overall, nothing fancy, but really well researched and pretty engaging for such a straightforward biography.
I really liked it - it's a fan of its subject and that's OK. It's consistent and helped me put all of Sonny Rollins' music in context. And introduced me to a lot of the music.
It is LONG, but with a little focus reads pretty easily. I'm glad I took my time - a little over two weeks - as it let me go familiarize myself with the music as I went along.
Overall, nothing fancy, but really well researched and pretty engaging for such a straightforward biography.
November 30, 2022
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Hachette Books for the an advanced copy of this magisterial biography on a true legend and leader in music history.
Some people are destined to for greatness, but only a few except their greatness and never let it ruin them, always practicing, always seeking, never letting the ego infect what makes them great. Sonny Rollins, saxophone player, influencer, teacher, band leader, student and master is one of these people. A man who practiced everyday, sometimes for hours, dealing with health issues, addiction, racism, and his own sense of worth and critical view of his own performances an talents. For over seventy years Rollins has blown his horn with a power and assuredness that many could never contemplate, blowing younger talents, sometimes with bigger mouths than skills, off the stage while giving back as much as Rollins felt he received. Rollins has seen friends, comrades, brothers and sister, lovers and others transition to another world, while he remains with his music his only constant. Aidan Levy in his book Saxophone Colossus: The Life and Music of Sonny Rollins has captured not just the life of this man, but the soul of this positive creative genius one that will shine on, as long as music is listened to.
Walter Theodore Rollins was born in the year 1930, in the city of New York, the youngest of three children to a West Indian family. Talent ran in the family, as all of the siblings played music and did well academically, except for Rollins who had more of a taste of the street and people than books and learning. After high school, Rollins began to play out more and more with his saxophone, moving from alto to tenor, and winning spots in bands, and recording with jazz luminaries like Bud Powell, a lifelong friend, and Fats Navvaro. However Rollins was also picking up bad habits, such as heroin, which led to some poor decisions, and jail time in 1950. Losing his ability to play shows in New York because of his police record, Rollins began to travel and developing his style and finally try to beat heroin for good. Slowly he began to make his name appearing on Best of lists for both his style and his albums. And Rollins was only getting started.
I could go on, as Sonny Rollins has lived a life in full, with ups downs, and magic moments, all covered in this amazing book. I can not remember the last time I was this enthralled in a biography, nor felt that I learned so much, not just about the subject, but by the world he inhabited. So much more than jazz is covered in this book. Religion, social issues, racism, poverty, prison and drug laws. Levy has done a fantastic job of research, bringing together Rolllins, his inner and outer world, his creativity, and those that helped bring it out of him. The book is wonderfully sourced, and the writing is really quite good. There was never a time I felt overwhelmed or thought, why are we talking about the Rosicrucians, what does this have to do with Sonny Rollins. Well everything. Levy presents the whole man, when he makes mistakes, mean, addicted, wrong, right, and at peace.
For jazz fans, and for people who like books on music. This is also a biography for people who love to read about complicated, gifted people, who accomplish great things. There is so much in here, so many good stories, so many sad stories. Sonny Rollins has lived an incredible life, I am glad that he found a biographer good enough to capture it. I can't wait to read more by Aidan Levy, and lister more to Sonny Rollins.
Some people are destined to for greatness, but only a few except their greatness and never let it ruin them, always practicing, always seeking, never letting the ego infect what makes them great. Sonny Rollins, saxophone player, influencer, teacher, band leader, student and master is one of these people. A man who practiced everyday, sometimes for hours, dealing with health issues, addiction, racism, and his own sense of worth and critical view of his own performances an talents. For over seventy years Rollins has blown his horn with a power and assuredness that many could never contemplate, blowing younger talents, sometimes with bigger mouths than skills, off the stage while giving back as much as Rollins felt he received. Rollins has seen friends, comrades, brothers and sister, lovers and others transition to another world, while he remains with his music his only constant. Aidan Levy in his book Saxophone Colossus: The Life and Music of Sonny Rollins has captured not just the life of this man, but the soul of this positive creative genius one that will shine on, as long as music is listened to.
Walter Theodore Rollins was born in the year 1930, in the city of New York, the youngest of three children to a West Indian family. Talent ran in the family, as all of the siblings played music and did well academically, except for Rollins who had more of a taste of the street and people than books and learning. After high school, Rollins began to play out more and more with his saxophone, moving from alto to tenor, and winning spots in bands, and recording with jazz luminaries like Bud Powell, a lifelong friend, and Fats Navvaro. However Rollins was also picking up bad habits, such as heroin, which led to some poor decisions, and jail time in 1950. Losing his ability to play shows in New York because of his police record, Rollins began to travel and developing his style and finally try to beat heroin for good. Slowly he began to make his name appearing on Best of lists for both his style and his albums. And Rollins was only getting started.
I could go on, as Sonny Rollins has lived a life in full, with ups downs, and magic moments, all covered in this amazing book. I can not remember the last time I was this enthralled in a biography, nor felt that I learned so much, not just about the subject, but by the world he inhabited. So much more than jazz is covered in this book. Religion, social issues, racism, poverty, prison and drug laws. Levy has done a fantastic job of research, bringing together Rolllins, his inner and outer world, his creativity, and those that helped bring it out of him. The book is wonderfully sourced, and the writing is really quite good. There was never a time I felt overwhelmed or thought, why are we talking about the Rosicrucians, what does this have to do with Sonny Rollins. Well everything. Levy presents the whole man, when he makes mistakes, mean, addicted, wrong, right, and at peace.
For jazz fans, and for people who like books on music. This is also a biography for people who love to read about complicated, gifted people, who accomplish great things. There is so much in here, so many good stories, so many sad stories. Sonny Rollins has lived an incredible life, I am glad that he found a biographer good enough to capture it. I can't wait to read more by Aidan Levy, and lister more to Sonny Rollins.
March 23, 2023
Levy can be recitative ("and then Sonny played this venue, that college, such and such festival, met this musician here fired that one there") without adding more than the factoid. He's lighter on analysis/judgement than most readers might expect. Still, a full portrait of a true jazz giant emerges: a protean perfectionist always seeking "the lost chord" on the saxophone. He's the only musician who played with Charlie Parker and laid down tracks for the Rolling Stones. And probably the ony one who did a stint at Riker's Island, played at the White House and earned the National Medal of Arts, bestowed by President Obama.
Rollins' expansive definition of his chosen field - "I don't know how people compartmentalize music, but to me jazz is jazz is jazz is jazz.... Jazz is life shown through music, the musical expression of life. It is ever-changing" - his bewildering number of accompanists and guests over the years, endless rehearsing and staggering approach to thematic improvisation resulted in an immeasurable amount of timeless music over his 60+ years of performance. His equally expansive life story, from Sugar Hill to Woodstock, encompassing heroin and heroic live shows, yoga and climate consciousness before they were hip, makes for and engaging and inspiring read.
Not surprisingly, some of the most invaluable insights come from Sonny's peers. Just two:
Jimmy Heath: while Heath and John Coltrane "were thinking about harmonic connections in the music, the melodic connections...Sonny was always - and this is the most important thing about him - he was a leader in rhythmic playing on the tenor saxophone.... He set the pace for rhythmic playing as a jazz improviser."
Mark Turner on Sonny/Coltrane: "They're both storytelling, but Sonny feels more like a novelist and Trane is taking a journey to the top of a mountain and then ccoming back down with information to give us all. They're two different paradigms, but both of them are necessary." For sure.
Rollins' expansive definition of his chosen field - "I don't know how people compartmentalize music, but to me jazz is jazz is jazz is jazz.... Jazz is life shown through music, the musical expression of life. It is ever-changing" - his bewildering number of accompanists and guests over the years, endless rehearsing and staggering approach to thematic improvisation resulted in an immeasurable amount of timeless music over his 60+ years of performance. His equally expansive life story, from Sugar Hill to Woodstock, encompassing heroin and heroic live shows, yoga and climate consciousness before they were hip, makes for and engaging and inspiring read.
Not surprisingly, some of the most invaluable insights come from Sonny's peers. Just two:
Jimmy Heath: while Heath and John Coltrane "were thinking about harmonic connections in the music, the melodic connections...Sonny was always - and this is the most important thing about him - he was a leader in rhythmic playing on the tenor saxophone.... He set the pace for rhythmic playing as a jazz improviser."
Mark Turner on Sonny/Coltrane: "They're both storytelling, but Sonny feels more like a novelist and Trane is taking a journey to the top of a mountain and then ccoming back down with information to give us all. They're two different paradigms, but both of them are necessary." For sure.
April 9, 2023
There is no doubt Sonny Rollins is a musical genius. His stamina & longevity are legendary as is much of his music.
That being said, for me the book could have been a much more engrossing read with some major editing of many insignificant details which tend to go on ad nauseam.
At times it almost comes off as a chronological list of every club and concert he has played. Also the phrase 'one of the best concerts of his life' comes up so often it becomes meaningless.
I was very interested in the many phases of his career but with the excessive length of the book I found it necessary to skim much of the tedious minutia & try to find & focus on the actual career defining moments of his life, of which there are many.
Glad I read it but don't recommend it for a casual fan or a reader who is impatient and easily bored with a lot of non-essential trivia.
That being said, for me the book could have been a much more engrossing read with some major editing of many insignificant details which tend to go on ad nauseam.
At times it almost comes off as a chronological list of every club and concert he has played. Also the phrase 'one of the best concerts of his life' comes up so often it becomes meaningless.
I was very interested in the many phases of his career but with the excessive length of the book I found it necessary to skim much of the tedious minutia & try to find & focus on the actual career defining moments of his life, of which there are many.
Glad I read it but don't recommend it for a casual fan or a reader who is impatient and easily bored with a lot of non-essential trivia.
August 9, 2023
This massive tome (which would have been much bigger but the publisher opted to put all the hundreds of pages of end notes online - but citing an erroneous weblink!) is chock full of information about your friendly neighbourhood World's Greatest Saxophone Improviser.
It does as it says on the tin and tells you about Sonny's life and his music. The early part of the book, about his family and growing up is the most interesting part. Arranged mostly in years, going through Sonny's career, does get the reader bogged down with names and places. Some things are mentioned tangentially and others are given a lot of space.
As my faith is in Jesus - and this is a personal issue, not a fault of the author or Sonny - I lamented that Sonny was or is involved in many 'spiritual' things which are anathema to me, such as yoga and other metaphysical things. Some things were a bit disturbing, to me personally.
I knew quite a lot of things from other sources already but sometimes the author might have interpreted events differently or not included something. But there has to be a limit.
This isn't the only book about Sonny and whilst there was a lack of true musicological analysis (I'm a saxophonist myself), said analysis can be found in other Sonny bios.
One thing that was a bit disappointing, is that I saw Sonny five times at the Barbican on London, from late 1990s to 2007 but these later gigs are mot mentioned at all, apart from the one in 2012 (I didn't go to his last appearance there, in 2012 - Aidan the author says it went ahead but I have a - false? - memory that it was cancelled). My fiancé (we got married in 2008) and I went backstage to meet Sonny personally in 2007 - he was suffering with a cold but 'the show must go on' and my wife presented him with a bag of her renowned chocolate fudge brownies!
One final thing, it's a pity they titled the book Saxophone Colossus, as there have already been books about Sonny using that title. Price wise, it's great value for money, as the much thinner books on Sonny (the out of print ones) - and not hardback - go for about the same sum as this was!
Sonny in retirement ends the book but his story isn't over - God bless Sonny Rollins!
It does as it says on the tin and tells you about Sonny's life and his music. The early part of the book, about his family and growing up is the most interesting part. Arranged mostly in years, going through Sonny's career, does get the reader bogged down with names and places. Some things are mentioned tangentially and others are given a lot of space.
As my faith is in Jesus - and this is a personal issue, not a fault of the author or Sonny - I lamented that Sonny was or is involved in many 'spiritual' things which are anathema to me, such as yoga and other metaphysical things. Some things were a bit disturbing, to me personally.
I knew quite a lot of things from other sources already but sometimes the author might have interpreted events differently or not included something. But there has to be a limit.
This isn't the only book about Sonny and whilst there was a lack of true musicological analysis (I'm a saxophonist myself), said analysis can be found in other Sonny bios.
One thing that was a bit disappointing, is that I saw Sonny five times at the Barbican on London, from late 1990s to 2007 but these later gigs are mot mentioned at all, apart from the one in 2012 (I didn't go to his last appearance there, in 2012 - Aidan the author says it went ahead but I have a - false? - memory that it was cancelled). My fiancé (we got married in 2008) and I went backstage to meet Sonny personally in 2007 - he was suffering with a cold but 'the show must go on' and my wife presented him with a bag of her renowned chocolate fudge brownies!
One final thing, it's a pity they titled the book Saxophone Colossus, as there have already been books about Sonny using that title. Price wise, it's great value for money, as the much thinner books on Sonny (the out of print ones) - and not hardback - go for about the same sum as this was!
Sonny in retirement ends the book but his story isn't over - God bless Sonny Rollins!
May 5, 2024
I doubt if any other biography of a jazz musician - or perhaps a musician of any genre of music - gives such an complete account of a musician's playing life. The fact that Sonny Rollins is alive and was involved in the creation of this biography provides readers with insights and incidents that probably would have been lost without that cooperation.
Saxophone Colossus also gives a detailed portrait of a jazz musician's working life - travel, playing in clubs - in other words, the music business and the road. It's a hard life, and if Sonny's wife Lucille hadn't taken over his career and steered it into almost strictly playing concerts with less hard travel and better conditions, it's fairly certain that he wouldn't be with us today.
A few years ago, a friend pointed out once that I was only interested in the first third of Sonny's career and, after he said that, I realized that he was right. Interestingly, the first two thirds of this book covers the first third of Sonny's career. Perhaps that says something about me, the author's opinions, Sonny's career, or none of these. From my point of view, it speaks to the quality of the bands that he chose to tour and sometimes record with over the last 40 years of his career.. At one point in the book, the pianist Cecil Taylor describes many of the musicians Sonny chose to play with him as "chumps". I agree with that, though some might not.
A personal confession/comment: I've kept only one of his post 1970 recordings. That one is the CD of the solo concert he did at MOMA in 1982. The bio mentions that there were 5000 people lined up in the street to get in, but only 2500 did get in. I was one of the 2500 who didn't get in and bought the album to hear some of what I didn't get to hear then.
After I finished reading the book, I came away the a tremendous amount of respect for Sonny Rollins, what he lived and went through, and what he accomplished. And I've gotten a lot of pleasure from listening to his recordings during the time I spent with the book. If you're a Sonny Rollins fan, this book is a must (and you've probably already read it.) Even if you're not a Sonny Rollins fan, I can imagine that you might find much that's interesting and fascinating here, should you choose to read it. The man has led quite a life.
Saxophone Colossus also gives a detailed portrait of a jazz musician's working life - travel, playing in clubs - in other words, the music business and the road. It's a hard life, and if Sonny's wife Lucille hadn't taken over his career and steered it into almost strictly playing concerts with less hard travel and better conditions, it's fairly certain that he wouldn't be with us today.
A few years ago, a friend pointed out once that I was only interested in the first third of Sonny's career and, after he said that, I realized that he was right. Interestingly, the first two thirds of this book covers the first third of Sonny's career. Perhaps that says something about me, the author's opinions, Sonny's career, or none of these. From my point of view, it speaks to the quality of the bands that he chose to tour and sometimes record with over the last 40 years of his career.. At one point in the book, the pianist Cecil Taylor describes many of the musicians Sonny chose to play with him as "chumps". I agree with that, though some might not.
A personal confession/comment: I've kept only one of his post 1970 recordings. That one is the CD of the solo concert he did at MOMA in 1982. The bio mentions that there were 5000 people lined up in the street to get in, but only 2500 did get in. I was one of the 2500 who didn't get in and bought the album to hear some of what I didn't get to hear then.
After I finished reading the book, I came away the a tremendous amount of respect for Sonny Rollins, what he lived and went through, and what he accomplished. And I've gotten a lot of pleasure from listening to his recordings during the time I spent with the book. If you're a Sonny Rollins fan, this book is a must (and you've probably already read it.) Even if you're not a Sonny Rollins fan, I can imagine that you might find much that's interesting and fascinating here, should you choose to read it. The man has led quite a life.
May 29, 2023
OK, is it a biography or an encyclopedia? Sonny Rollins is known for his concerts and solos that go on and on, building in momentum, testing the stamina of band mates and occasionally audiences. And this book kind of echoes things in its completeness and detail. Levy has combined hundreds of interviews with archival documents, government records, concert reviews and magazine articles from New York and beyond. He even reviewed details of legal documents such as the case that Rollins brought against his record company at one point. There are so many footnotes that these are not referenced in the book itself but rather exist online.
But when is enough enough or maybe too much? As the years go by with all of the tours and concerts enumerated with details of the band members listed, as the concert dates are recorded with similar details, eventually a lot begins to blur. For example, when new members join, if Levy was able to interview them, their comments are here. But many repeat basically similar experiences and make similar comments.
I'm thinking a case could be made for enumerating concert dates and band members in an appendix and then hitting the highlights in the actual text. Focus on especially illuminating comments made by band members rather than including everyone you were able to interview. And why name the book Saxophone Colossus when a previous biography of Rollins carries that name?
But these are perhaps minor quibbles in the context of a book that really does bring Rollins to life for all of us, illuminating especially the personal side of things that Rollins was long known for keeping a bit to himself. An enjoyable read despite the 715 pages!
But when is enough enough or maybe too much? As the years go by with all of the tours and concerts enumerated with details of the band members listed, as the concert dates are recorded with similar details, eventually a lot begins to blur. For example, when new members join, if Levy was able to interview them, their comments are here. But many repeat basically similar experiences and make similar comments.
I'm thinking a case could be made for enumerating concert dates and band members in an appendix and then hitting the highlights in the actual text. Focus on especially illuminating comments made by band members rather than including everyone you were able to interview. And why name the book Saxophone Colossus when a previous biography of Rollins carries that name?
But these are perhaps minor quibbles in the context of a book that really does bring Rollins to life for all of us, illuminating especially the personal side of things that Rollins was long known for keeping a bit to himself. An enjoyable read despite the 715 pages!
March 17, 2023
My only regret with Saxophone Colossus is starting to read it right after I finished The McCartney Legacy. The later was 800+ pages (exhausting, but great) and the Sonny Rollins biography was 700+ pages. I think I read about 15 books between the time I started this and the time I finished. Don't get me wrong, this book was excellent from start to finish, but it truly is (must be?) Rollins's definitive biography. Levy seemingly covers everything - personal, professional, and everything in between. The level of detail is very high and this could occasionally be overwhelming. Some chapters were on single years in his life. Regardless, Sonny Rollins, not surprisingly, is an inspiration. His level of dedication to his craft is relentless and unstoppable. This guy used to practice more hours a day than most people are even awake! No exaggeration. He played with everyone and pushed everyone to be better. It was sad reading about his wife's death near the end of the book, but Rollins never stops. We all knew his music was excellent, but I can say that after reading this that he's a high class person as well. Inspirational.
April 3, 2023
This is the Sonny Rollins encyclopedia. Over 700 pages plus 45 pages of index. Every concert, every recording, every incident, every jazz great. An amazing career. It reads like a hagiography, but everyone seems to agree that Sonny was the greatest. A few facts in summary. Sonny was a perfectionist. He never was happy with his performances or records. He practiced, a lot. Sometimes 12 hours a day. He played on and on. Sometimes he would start his solo off stage walk on, keep playing for hours. He exhausted his sidemen who had a hard time keeping up with him and all the key changes. He changed sidemen constantly. Very few people played with him consistently over the years except for Bob Crenshaw. He had terrible dental problems that he suffered from throughout his life. He was an amazing improvisor. He knew thousands of tunes and quoted from them extensively. In battles of the saxes he invariably won. The critics often hated his recordings but in the end they came around. A fascinating read, but a long one (even though the original manuscript was over twice as long).
December 24, 2023
I consider myself a fan of his early work--since that's what I'm familiar with--but even as a fan, this book felt really long. It's truly packed with detail and it's hard to imagine anyone ever trying to top this, but I feel like there was almost too much detail, to the point where it got in the way of the "story," if that makes sense. I found myself wishing that there had been appendices for the recording sessions and discography, and another for the performances, and another for biographical references of collaborators (place and date of birth/death, instrument, years active), just so that detail could be available there for those that wanted that reference, and to free up the body of the work so that it wouldn't be as cluttered with the names, dates, places, and wardrobe choices.
Coincidentally, I was at the gym this morning, and the Stones' "Waiting on a Friend" played on my ipod. I had never known that the killer sax solo was Rollins till a day or two ago.
And in case it's not obvious: the 3-star rating is for the book, not for Rollins. He's 5-star, all the way.
Coincidentally, I was at the gym this morning, and the Stones' "Waiting on a Friend" played on my ipod. I had never known that the killer sax solo was Rollins till a day or two ago.
And in case it's not obvious: the 3-star rating is for the book, not for Rollins. He's 5-star, all the way.
February 4, 2026
A well written book, an easy writing style, considering it is 700 pages plus.
With some biographical subjects I don’t get a good vibe about their character, and I must say this is the case with Sonny Rollins. He may change his band members regularly for aesthetic reasons, but it does make me wonder about his relations with these members. When he is quoted there’s a slight pretentiousness I find in his remarks. I’m not saying the biography is a hagiography, but I felt that I could read between the lines that as a personality he was possibly not as he was presented on the surface. I noticed that one critic drawn into the camp earlier was always effusive in his praise.
He obviously had a tremendous work ethic and great talent, and I was impressed with his speaking out on environmental matters.
Yes, to keep interest over such a long book is quite an achievement.
And maybe part of the reason why I feel that the whole picture is not given is that Sonny Rollins was alive at the time of the writing. Yes this last point is part of a conjecture that may be wrong, but I feel I must include this overall observation as part of my review.
With some biographical subjects I don’t get a good vibe about their character, and I must say this is the case with Sonny Rollins. He may change his band members regularly for aesthetic reasons, but it does make me wonder about his relations with these members. When he is quoted there’s a slight pretentiousness I find in his remarks. I’m not saying the biography is a hagiography, but I felt that I could read between the lines that as a personality he was possibly not as he was presented on the surface. I noticed that one critic drawn into the camp earlier was always effusive in his praise.
He obviously had a tremendous work ethic and great talent, and I was impressed with his speaking out on environmental matters.
Yes, to keep interest over such a long book is quite an achievement.
And maybe part of the reason why I feel that the whole picture is not given is that Sonny Rollins was alive at the time of the writing. Yes this last point is part of a conjecture that may be wrong, but I feel I must include this overall observation as part of my review.
Want to read
January 16, 2024From Wall Street Journal book review by Larry Blumenfeld (Dec 3-4, 2022): "Mr Levy divides his book into two parts: before and after Mr. Rollins's two-year self-imposed sabbatical - beginning at the height of his popularity in 1959 - during which he practiced alone on New York's Williamsburg Bridge."
"Mr Levy cites some of the criticisms directed at Mr. Rollins, but mostly steers clear of his own assessments...That said, Mr. Levy effectively positions Mr. Rollins's frequent switches of band personnel and his unpredictable approach to repertoire as experimental intent. He focuses less on musicology and more on the man who grew up as bebop took hold; who negotiated jazz's existential crises parallel to his own; who fell into addiction alongside his colleagues, then found his way out; and who blended the Great American Songbook with avant-garde expression, favoring neither one over the other."
"Mr Levy cites some of the criticisms directed at Mr. Rollins, but mostly steers clear of his own assessments...That said, Mr. Levy effectively positions Mr. Rollins's frequent switches of band personnel and his unpredictable approach to repertoire as experimental intent. He focuses less on musicology and more on the man who grew up as bebop took hold; who negotiated jazz's existential crises parallel to his own; who fell into addiction alongside his colleagues, then found his way out; and who blended the Great American Songbook with avant-garde expression, favoring neither one over the other."
September 19, 2023
This is one of the finest music biographies I have ever read. Sonny Rollins is one of the most imaginative and accomplished improvisers jazz has had. At the time I write this, he is still living, but has retired from playing due to health issues.
With a sure hand, Levy outlines Rollins' musical progress and spiritual journey, which have been one and the same to the great saxophonist. Along the way, there are wonderful details I had not previously read - young Rollins had a crush on Faith Ringgold and got to kiss her during a game of Post Office; the seemingly gentle Clifford Brown was the enforcer for the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet, in charge of convincing recalcitrant clubowners and promoters to pay the band the agreed amount. (And after a visit from Clifford, they always did.)
Sonny Rollins' music is a beautiful thing. And 800 pages and all, so is this book.
With a sure hand, Levy outlines Rollins' musical progress and spiritual journey, which have been one and the same to the great saxophonist. Along the way, there are wonderful details I had not previously read - young Rollins had a crush on Faith Ringgold and got to kiss her during a game of Post Office; the seemingly gentle Clifford Brown was the enforcer for the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet, in charge of convincing recalcitrant clubowners and promoters to pay the band the agreed amount. (And after a visit from Clifford, they always did.)
Sonny Rollins' music is a beautiful thing. And 800 pages and all, so is this book.
August 17, 2023
At 93, it's legacy time for the great Sonny Rollins. So, the famously hermetic grand master of jazz opened up his archives to biographer Aidan Levy, letting him in on his familial, musical, and spiritual secrets. The result, augmented by reflections from almost anyone who's ever played with the man, is a "definitive" biography in a mixed kind of way: molecular (the good) and monolithic (the bad). Throughout its sometimes swampy 700-and-some pages, Sonny, on paper as in life, stays true to his implacable character: fanatically devoted, doggedly self-critical, perpetually seeking. His diehard devotion to his lifelong passions - jazz, exercise, advocacy, spiritualism - will inspire you to elevate your standards, work harder, take more chances, cultivate self-respect, speak your truth, and bond with the beyond- and, like both Sonny and Levy, be humbled by the search for the definitive.
January 16, 2024
I have been listening to his music for years and when I can find one of his albums I buy one, which is more and more difficult. Here though is a look into his life and career from starting and getting into the business with Bud Powell and Fats Narvvaro, to his addiction to heroin and jail time. Then he is working his way back from his addiction and regaining his playing status once again. Most of the information in this book I did not even know like him not being able to play in New York because of his conviction. It's this information and so much more that makes this book a good read. If you follow jazz this is a book for you you will not be disappointed. I received this book from Netgalley.com
July 29, 2025
Sonny Rollins - an amazing man.
Gave 100% on every performance and was never satisfied.
Expected 100% of everyone who played with him and most found it artistically and physically very demanding. If they didn't give 100%, Rollins would let them know or he would replace them.
Once he kicked the heroin habit in his late 20s, he put great emphasis on the strength of his body and on spirituality.
In his 80's a musician asked him how to go from good to great and Rollins told him - watch your karma, never steal and be good to people.
I would have ranked the book a 5, except too many details. Went into every single performance he ever had, including who he played with, what he played and, in many cases, what he wore. Too much.
Gave 100% on every performance and was never satisfied.
Expected 100% of everyone who played with him and most found it artistically and physically very demanding. If they didn't give 100%, Rollins would let them know or he would replace them.
Once he kicked the heroin habit in his late 20s, he put great emphasis on the strength of his body and on spirituality.
In his 80's a musician asked him how to go from good to great and Rollins told him - watch your karma, never steal and be good to people.
I would have ranked the book a 5, except too many details. Went into every single performance he ever had, including who he played with, what he played and, in many cases, what he wore. Too much.
May 10, 2025
We have the benefit of bountiful interviews with Sonny Rollins, the subject of this exhaustive (exhausting!) biography, but often Rollins is not the best explicator of what he's trying to accomplish with his music. Levy's book digs into the minutiae of Rollins's court dates (p. 149), a chance first meeting of Bennie Maupin, Herbie Hancock, and Rollins (p. 453), the endless hirings and firings by Sonny as he continually reassembled his combos. At least we learn that Rollins was a fan of Bob and Ray (p. 132).
August 25, 2023
A comprehensive, loving biography of the great Sonny Rollins. The book focuses on the early part of his career and his work with so many of the greats of jazz including Bud Powell, Miles and Monk. You come away with a great sense of Sonny's work ethic - ever practicing, never satisfied with what he has produced, always looking to improve. The biography includes the many seminal moments in Sonny's career. A must for any Sonny fan.
August 31, 2024
I loved this book. It was long and had a lot of names; however, I felt Levy is a very good story teller. I have been in the dark not knowing Sonny Rollins. I wish I could meet him now. He is to be admired for his consistent work and life ethic and all his accomplishments, even though he is never satisfied with himself.
I also listened to a number of Sonny's recordings while reading the book. That made it even more interesting.
I also listened to a number of Sonny's recordings while reading the book. That made it even more interesting.
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