Sonny Rollins | Broken Record

Today we’re continuing our celebration of Black Music Month with the incredible jazz legend, Sonny Rollins. Rollins is an American tenor saxophonist and composer who is widely regarded as one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time. Sadly, now at 91 years-old, Rollins no longer plays as a result of pulmonary fibrosis. Fortunately for us though, he's able to look back over an eight-decade career that started at the beginnings of Bebop, and included playing with the Rolling Stones, and performing on stages all over the world.
On today’s episode, Justin Richmond talks to Sonny Rollins about one of his first big gigs in 1949 playing alongside other jazz icons like Bud Powell and Fats Navarro. He also explains why he no longer actively listens to music, and for the first time ever, Rollins talks about how Charlie “Bird” Parker is the reason he kicked drugs.
Hear over nine hours of our favorite Sonny Rollins-featured songs: open.spotify.c...
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[@automatics1im]

I had the honor of pinning a mic on Mr. Rollins once for a television interview. Standard practice was that we let the guests snake the mic cable through the clothing, when he was done he looked up at me with an expression that said, “Did I get this right?” A small, inconsequential moment but I was amazed for an instant that a man who made a huge foot print on American music was asking me if he got some detail right. That interview was a while ago, but he was a very sharp octogenarian.

[@ProjectDreamCatcher]

Just WOW .... The story of Clifford Brown, etc. The main thing I remember about Sonny is that he wasn't afraid to play "happy" - meaning he could REALLY play ANY emotion in ANY style. Also, he must have had iron chops as I heard he once played a gig all by himself?🎷

[@jibsmokestack1]

You asked Sonny questions a proper jazz fan would! Thanks!

[@TheShabazzProduction]

He's a household name we been hearing all our lives!

[@kiz8409]

Thank you Mr. Sonny Rollins for everything you gave to the world with your music. Thanks for posting this great interview.

[@bygonedaze7935]

this is an excellent interview - Sonny Rollins is simply GREAT. Thank you for posting

[@charlesdavis5542]

Blessed by the Creator, shared with us by the musician. May the Creator continue to bless Sonny Rollins. And thanks for a top-notch interview...

[@raefblack7906]

Good to hear Sonny recall the history of the greats gone bye

[@arize84]

Man, this interview could have easily lasted another 2 hours. These were great questions and the host put Sonny at ease and didn't let the moment intimidated him. My hats off to the team.

[@buckleyesqueveronica3655]

Amazing to be able to connect with legends in their 90’s Justin !! ✌🏼😎

[@Fatdogrecords]

Such a great interview, what a Life. My only gripe is I could have listened to a few more hours.

[@theopaopa1]

great, great, great !! 🙏 💯👏👏👏💞💞

[@uneedtherapy42]

91 and his memory is sharp as can be. Tell me music doesn't positively effect the mind

[@michaellambright7968]

Wow!!

[@marcyfan]

lester young loved "the jester" and so do i.

[@steveburchfield5576]

There has never been a greater improv man!!!!!!

[@inflatedear7131]

Got to hear Donny a couple of times. Wonderful listening experience from a master musician. Amazing storyteller through his horn.

[@michaelthompson6452]

Sonny still has his mental faculties still in tact.

[@dennis524]

Sonny is a great individual and was a great player.

[@MusicLiberates]

Wonderful interview with a real musical legend! The questions came from an informed knowledge base about jazz music. Much appreciated!

[@johnvalentine3456]

Excellent questions.

[@thepartimemusician65]

Beautiful interview

[@mediumstudio]

wow - thank you for this! so interesting and intriguing - and important.

[@euclid1618]

the story of the session w Bird.... whoa -- gutwrenching

[@koreyriker]

That was beautiful. Thank you.

[@PabloVestory]

Amazing document! thank you both so much

[@750count]

What a great document Thank you for this

[@ssballs]

Treasure.

[@dariusmolark6820]

excellent ♥

[@jeshurunabinadab6560]

🙏🙏🙏

[@jibsmokestack1]

Ernie Henry played Alto not Tenor!

[@gregrice3867]

Has Mr. Rollins gone on record whether he has considered playing music using assistance of electronic means? - like using WII type motion capture and/or AI with "thought control" of musical device (MIDI)?

[@antstep1030]

What an awesome interview, put a smile on my face to hear this living legend tell it all in his own words. Thank you for this

[@bartoandreskibinski2253]

So great to hear this inspiring story. But please do something about the soundquality of the people you interview. That’s really an issue. Thank you

[@jackdolphy8965]

C’mon bro CP was dead in March 1955. Gotta do your homework before you ask a question. No matter though - Sonny didn’t miss a beat and rapped beautifully about those times and the drugs stuff.

[@justinrichmond5124]

The recordings of those sessions were released after CP’s death. Which along with recording dates he had (both as leader and sideman) in 56/57 is why I allude to those being big years for him.

[@mongoharry]

Wonder if he could play an electric wind instrument

[@nathanwyatt7748]

That's not Sonny 😊

[@mongoharry]

@@nathanwyatt7748 ahhh, you can hope

[@frederickhill7181]

Sonny could not have played with Bird in 1956. Bird died in 1955.

[@nathanwyatt7748]

The session was in '53, the music was released in '56.

[@rinahall]

I just listened to a 10h European podcast radio show on Sonny Rollins (yes, 10x 1h, covering 1951-2001 !!!). My opinion of Rollins is that it seems very overrated to me. First of all as a player, he does not seem to me better than Johnny Griffin, Stitt, Roland Kirk, Phil Woods, Lateef ... but enjoys a much more important reputation ... and unjustified in my opinion. Ok he plays well, but not better than the musicians I mentioned. In terms of composition, he did not compose anything, everyone knows that St Thomas is a Caribbean folklore already recorded by Randy Weston in 1955 under the title Fire Down There. His other compositions from the 50s ... well, Oleo, Airegin etc ... this can in no way be compared to the compositions of Trane, Bird, Monk or Shorter ... also, his playing and his sound are terribly degraded after 1966 (36 years). It seems that he was traumatized by the arrival of Ornette, Trane, Ayler ... In the 60's he tried to be more free than Ayler, more calypso / blues than Ornette, and more mystical than Trane, but he didn't. did not succeed. Then in the 70s / 80s he tried to be funky, disco ... with really ridiculous and cheesy results ... Did he want to be funkier than James Brown himself? Also, in the radio show they say that he was paid current $ 300,000 for himself to record the Nucleus album (so listen to the result !!!!), and that, for his concerts, his financial claims were unrealistic, only the big festivals could afford it. He played with the Stones but didn't want to go on tour with them because, according to Jagger himself, he wanted too much money! I mean, I'm not making anything up here. In my opinion, he should have remained what he was before, a disciple of Bird at the Tenor, and quit at the age of 40 to leave a quality job, and without trying to follow fashion. Thank you for not insulting me because I have documented myself on Rollins and I like to have constructive discussions without being attacked on my person.

[@stephenkuester2303]

So you listened to a 10 hour podcast about Sonny and you think it’s appropriate to regurgitate it here after he blessed us with his stories and wisdom? You say he didn’t compose anything, yet you go on to cite compositions that are firmly established standards in the jazz cannon, recorded by a who’s who of jazz greats? Don’t nobody care about the stones and considering the number of great musicians who died alone in poverty, damn right he got paid! He deserves all that and more. You should be glad you get to share the same planet as Sonny Rollins. He’s a blessing to us.

[@rinahall]

@@stephenkuester2303 ya man