Sonny Rollins
- Type: Classic Bandleader
- Country: United States
- Born: September 7, 1930 in New York, New York, United States
- Died: May 25, 2026 in Woodstock, New York, United States
- Active: 1930 - 2026
Biography
A titan of the tenor saxophone, Sonny Rollins is one of jazz's most influential and celebrated improvisers. His career, which began in the late 1940s, is marked by a powerful tone, harmonic ingenuity, and a gift for thematic development. He rose to prominence in the 1950s with landmark albums for #Prestige#, #Blue Note#, and #Contemporary Records#, including 'Saxophone Colossus' and 'Way Out West'. Known for pioneering the pianoless trio format and for his legendary sabbaticals for intensive practice鈥攎ost famously on the Williamsburg Bridge鈥擱ollins has consistently pushed his artistic boundaries, composing standards like "Oleo" and "St. Thomas" and influencing generations of musicians.
Genres
Sonny Rollins Discography
- Sonny Rollins Quartet (1952) - Album - rated 3.31/5
- Work Time (1955) - Album - rated 4.08/5
- Moving Out (1956) - Compilation - rated 3.84/5
- Plus 4 (1956) - Album - rated 3.86/5
- Sonny Rollins Plus 4 (1956) - Album - rated 4.3/5
- Tenor Madness (1956) - Album - rated 4.1/5
- With The Modern Jazz Quartet (1956) - Compilation - rated 3.75/5
- The Sound of Sonny (1957) - Album - rated 3.57/5
- Saxophone Colossus (1957) - Album - rated 4.52/5
- Sonny Rollins (1957) - Album - rated 3.94/5
- Rollins Plays for Bird (1957) - Album - rated 3.95/5
- Newk's Time (1957) - Album - rated 4.55/5
- A Night at the Village Vanguard (1957) - Album - rated 5/5
- Sonny Rollins, Vol. 2 (1957) - Album - rated 4.55/5
- Way Out West (1957) - Album - rated 4.12/5
- Tour De Force (1958) - Album - rated 3.26/5
- Freedom Suite (1958) - Album - rated 4.1/5
- Sonny Rollins and the Big Brass (1958) - Album - rated 3.56/5
- Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders (1959) - Album - rated 3.57/5
- Sonny Boy (1961) - Album - rated 3.53/5
- What's New? (1962) - Album - rated 3.81/5
- The Bridge (1962) - Album - rated 4.55/5
- Sonny Meets Hawk! (1963) - Album - rated 4.02/5
- Our Man in Jazz (1963) - Album - rated 3.84/5
- Now's the Time! (1964) - Album - rated 4.21/5
- Sonny Rollins on Impulse! (1965) - Album - rated 3.99/5
- The Standard Sonny Rollins (1965) - Album - rated 3.57/5
- East Broadway Run Down (1966) - Album - rated 4.1/5
- Next Album (1972) - Album - rated 3.84/5
- Nucleus (1975) - Album - rated 3.56/5
- Easy Living (1977) - Album - rated 3.4/5
- Sunny Days, Starry Nights (1984) - Album - rated 3.18/5
- Falling in Love With Jazz (1990) - Album - rated 3.45/5
- Global Warming (1998) - Album - rated 3.5/5
- Ken Burns Jazz (2000) - Compilation - rated 4.04/5
Members
- Sonny Rollins Quartet - Member
- Lonnie Liston Smith - Member
- piano - Member
- synthesizer - Member
- electric piano - Member
- Donald Smith - Member
- Dave Hubbard - Member
- Al Anderson - Member
- Hollywood Barker - Member
- Ron Dean Miller - Member
- Michael Carvin - Member
- Sonny Rollins Quintet - Member
- Sonny Rollins & Co. - primary artist
- Bob Cranshaw - bass
- Mickey Roker - drums
- Stu Martin - drums
- Jim Hall - guitar
- Herbie Hancock - piano
- George Avakian - producer
- Sonny Rollins - tenor saxophone