THE MIND OF SONNY ROLLINS

A few images from the archive of the greatest living jazz musician

Over the last year I’ve been researching the career and philosophy of Sonny Rollins for a short film I’ve been shooting. The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture has the great jazz saxophonist’s archives and the collected papers are full of jewels about the artistic process of this phenomenal soloist and composer. Sonny was obsessed with study and rehearsal, so much so that he claimed to enjoy practice more than performing for an audience. His archive is full of notes on technique and practice habits as well as illustrations that feature caricatures of himself and saxophones. Sonny didn’t just make it up as he went along, but had a philosophy of music informed by Budhism, yoga, and the streets of his native New York. He lives quietly in Woodstock, New York now, having had to give up a playing a few years back. But, in conversation, his mind is sharp as he recalls events from seventy years ago. If you want to take a deep dive into Sonny’s history I highly recommend ‘Saxophone Colossus’ by Aidan Levy, a biography just published a few years ago. And, of course, there’s his music. Over his 93 years Sonny has released over sixty albums as a leader and is a sideman on countless other classic albums. His epic LP, named ‘Saxophone Coloossus’ is a great place to start.

Celebrate Sonny Rollins for Black History Month.