Born on September 7: Sonny Rollins, the tenor saxophone colossus

Theodore Walter Rollins was born in 1930 in New York and is rightly considered one of the giants (literally and figuratively) of modern jazz.

As a tenor saxophonist with a powerful sound and a rare freedom of phrasing, he left his mark on musical history with his virtuosity, inventiveness, and constant quest to explore new avenues.

In the working-class neighbourhood of Harlem where he grew up, Sonny Rollins discovered jazz at an early age. Through contact with his contemporaries such as double bassist Thelonious Monk, pianist Bud Powell, and trumpeter Miles Davis—three major figures—he became familiar with the bebop style that was in vogue at the time. But he quickly forged his own identity with extremely varied colours.

By the 1950s, he established himself as an outstanding soloist and participated in recordings that would mark the history of jazz, such as "Dig" (1951) with Miles Davis, with the Thelonious Monk Quintet (1954), and with Art Blakey in 1956. A year later, supported in particular by Max Roach, he released the masterful "Saxophone Colossus," his third solo album and the cornerstone of his impressive discography. It's true that the man impresses with his physical stature, to which he owes his nickname, but also, and even more importantly, with the extent of his prodigious talent as a wind player and seasoned improviser.

In 1959, at the height of his fame, he retired from the stage for more than two years to work on his instrument alone. His image on the Williamsburg Bridge in Manhattan, where he often went, summer and winter, to experience the sounds of the city, is now legendary. He regularly spent up to twelve hours there at a time. Today, an association is calling for the imposing metal structure spanning the East River in New York to be named after the saxophonist.

Despite his failing health, which led him to retire from the stage in 2012, Sonny Rollins, who celebrates his 95th birthday today, remains a major figure in jazz. Recipient of a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement and honored with the National Medal of Arts in 2010, he continues to inspire admiration for his artistic integrity and uncompromising creativity. We recommend the documentary "Beyond the Notes" to familiarise yourself with this extraordinary figure.

(MH with Stéphane Soupart - Photo : © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Sonny Rollins on stage at Bozar in Brussels, Belgium, on October 11, 1993