Iconic jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins has died

Sonny Rollins — the famous American saxophonist and three-time Grammy Award winner — has died at the age of 95. The musician died on Monday at his home in Woodstock, New York.

This was reported by his official Facebook page.

The cause of death was not disclosed. Rollins had been known to suffer from pulmonary fibrosis and other respiratory problems in recent years. He stopped touring in 2012.

Who is Sonny Rollins?

Walter Theodore Rollins (real name of the musician) was born in New York in 1930. He began playing the saxophone in his teens. He made his first recording in 1949 with American singer Babs Gonzalez. In the following years, Rollins worked with jazz stars, including Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Art Blakey.

He released over 60 albums as a bandleader. His most famous works are Saxophone Colossus (1957) and The Bridge (1962). Also considered classics are Way Out West (1957), A Night at the Village Vanguard (1958), and Freedom Suite (1958).

Rollins is considered one of the last great stars of the bebop era. The musician was known for his improvisational and experimental approach to playing the saxophone.

Jazz publicist and popularizer Terry Hinte called Sonny Rollins "one of the most famous and influential figures in American music of the 20th century and beyond".

Sonny Rollins won Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Album of 2000 for This Is What I Do (2001), Best Instrumental Jazz Solo for Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert (2006), and Outstanding Achievement in Creative Writing (2004).

The saxophonist had a long and fruitful career, continuing to work actively until the age of 80.

Author: Ihor Telezhnikov

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