Sonny Rollins
Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jaz… Read Full Bio ↴Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as a leader. A number of his compositions, including "St. Thomas", "Oleo", "Doxy", "Pent-Up House", and "Airegin", have become jazz standards. Rollins has been called "the greatest living improviser" and the "Saxophone Colossus".
Rollins was born in New York City to parents from the United States Virgin Islands. The youngest of three siblings, he grew up in central Harlem and on Sugar Hill, receiving his first alto saxophone at the age of seven or eight. He attended Edward W. Stitt Junior High School and graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School in East Harlem. Rollins started as a pianist, changed to alto saxophone, and finally switched to tenor in 1946. During his high school years, he played in a band with other future jazz legends Jackie McLean, Kenny Drew, and Art Taylor.
As a saxophonist he had initially been attracted to the jump and R&B sounds of performers like Louis Jordan, but soon became drawn into the mainstream tenor saxophone tradition. The German critic Joachim Berendt described this tradition as sitting between the two poles of the strong sonority of Coleman Hawkins and the light flexible phrasing of Lester Young, which did so much to inspire the fleet improvisation of bebop in the 1950s. Other tenor saxophone influences include Ben Webster and Don Byas. By his mid-teens, Rollins became heavily influenced by alto saxophonist Charlie Parker. During his high school years, he was mentored by the pianist and composer Thelonious Monk, often rehearsing at Monk's apartment.
Rollins has played, at various times, a Selmer Mark VI tenor saxophone and a Buescher Aristocrat. During the 1970s he recorded on soprano saxophone for the album Easy Living. His preferred mouthpieces are made by Otto Link and Berg Larsen. He uses Frederick Hemke medium reeds.
Rollins was born in New York City to parents from the United States Virgin Islands. The youngest of three siblings, he grew up in central Harlem and on Sugar Hill, receiving his first alto saxophone at the age of seven or eight. He attended Edward W. Stitt Junior High School and graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School in East Harlem. Rollins started as a pianist, changed to alto saxophone, and finally switched to tenor in 1946. During his high school years, he played in a band with other future jazz legends Jackie McLean, Kenny Drew, and Art Taylor.
As a saxophonist he had initially been attracted to the jump and R&B sounds of performers like Louis Jordan, but soon became drawn into the mainstream tenor saxophone tradition. The German critic Joachim Berendt described this tradition as sitting between the two poles of the strong sonority of Coleman Hawkins and the light flexible phrasing of Lester Young, which did so much to inspire the fleet improvisation of bebop in the 1950s. Other tenor saxophone influences include Ben Webster and Don Byas. By his mid-teens, Rollins became heavily influenced by alto saxophonist Charlie Parker. During his high school years, he was mentored by the pianist and composer Thelonious Monk, often rehearsing at Monk's apartment.
Rollins has played, at various times, a Selmer Mark VI tenor saxophone and a Buescher Aristocrat. During the 1970s he recorded on soprano saxophone for the album Easy Living. His preferred mouthpieces are made by Otto Link and Berg Larsen. He uses Frederick Hemke medium reeds.
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Sonny Rollins Lyrics
'Round Midnight It begins to tell 'Round midnight, midnight I do pretty well…
02. You Don't Know What Love Is You don't know what love is 'Til you've learned the meaning…
06. My Reverie Our love is a dream, but in my reverie I can…
16. It's Only A Paper Moon Say, it's only a paper moon Sailing over a cardboard sea But…
4 Stairway To The Stars Let's build a stairway to the stars And climb that stairway…
Almost Like Being In Love What a day this has been! What a rare mood I'm…
Blue Room Don't worry I'm not looking at you Gorgeous and dressed in…
Body & Soul My heart is sad and lonely For you I sigh, for…
Body And Soul My heart is sad and lonely For you I sigh, for…
But Not for Me Old man sunshine listen you Never tell me dreams come true …
Cocktails for Two Tea For Two Tony Bennett (Irving Caesar/Vincent Youmans) I…
Dearly Beloved Tell me that it's true, tell me you agree, I was…
Don't Explain Hush now, don't explain Just say you'll remain I'm glad your…
Everything Happens To Me Black cats creep across my path Until I'm almost mad I mus…
Falling In Love With Love I weave with brightly colored strings To keep my mind off…
For All We Know For all we know We may never meet again Before we go Make…
Get Happy Pack up your troubles and just get happy Ya better…
Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe It seem like happiness is just a thing called Joe He…
Here You Come Again Here you come again, just when I've begun to get myself…
How Are Things in Glocca Morra I hear a bird, Londonderry bird, It well may be he's…
How Are Things in Glocca Morra? I hear a bird, Londonderry bird, It well may be he's…
How High the Moon Somewhere there's music How faint the tune Somewhere there's…
I This lovely day will lengthen into evening We'll sigh goodby…
I Could Write a Book If they ask me, I could write a book About the…
I Feel a Song Comin' On I feel a song comin' on And I'm warning ya It's a…
I Knew I wish I knew someone like you could love me I…
I Know I know what you're doing yeah yeah I know why you…
I Must Have That Man Don't want my mammy I don't need a friend My heart is…
I Remember You This lovely day will lengthen into evening We'll sigh goodby…
I Surrender Dear Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
I Want to Be Happy I'm a very ordinary man Trying to work out life's happy…
I Wish I Knew I wish I knew someone like you could love me I…
I'll Be Seeing You I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places That…
I'll Remember April This lovely day will lengthen into evening We'll sigh goodb…
I'll String Along With You All my life I've waited for an angel But no angel…
I've Got You Under My Skin I've got you under my skin. I've got you deep in…
I've Told Ev'ry Little Star I've told every little star Just how sweet I think you…
If You Were The Only Girl In The World If you were the only girl in the world And I…
If You Where the Only Girl in the World If you were the only girl in the world And I…
It Don't Mean a Thing It don't mean a thing If it ain't got that swing (doo…
It's Only a Paper Moon Say, it's only a paper moon Sailing over a cardboard sea B…
It's Only a Papermoon Say, it's only a paper moon Sailing over a cardboard sea But…
Just Friends Just friends, lovers no more Just friends, but not like befo…
Like Someone in Love Lately, I find myself out gazing at stars, Hearing guitars…
Long Ago And Far Away Long ago and far away I dreamed a dream one day And…
Love Is A Simple Thing Love is a many splendored thing It's the April rose that…
Lover Man My ship has sails that are made of silk, The decks…
Mack the Knife Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear And it shows…
Mangoes Mangos, papaya just nuts from the fire In my house…
More Than You Know Whether you are here or yonder, Whether you are false…
Moritat Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear And it shows…
My Man It's cost me a lot But there's one thing that I've…
My Old Flame My old flame, I can't even think of his name…
My One and Only Love The very thought of you makes my heart sing Like an…
My Reverie Our love is a dream, but in my reverie I can…
Now's the Time I'm trav'lin' light Because my man has gone So from now on…
Old Devil Moon I look at you and suddenly Something in your eyes I…
On Green Dolphin Street It seems like a dream, yet I know it happened A…
On the Sunny Side of the Stre Walked with no one and talked with no one And I…
Round About Midnight It begins to tell 'Round midnight, midnight I do pretty well…
Softly As In a Morning Sunrise Esse é o caminho de um ninja Que renunciou toda sua…
Solitude In my solitude You haunt me With dreadful ease Of days gone …
Someone To Watch Over Me There's a saying old says that love is blind Still were…
Soneymoon for Two Tea For Two Tony Bennett (Irving Caesar/Vincent Youmans) I…
Sonny Boy Climb up on my knee Sonny Boy Though you're only three…
Sonny Rollins Interview I wish I knew someone like you could love me I…
St Thomas Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you! Embrace me, you irrepl…
Stairway To The Stars Let's build a stairway to the stars And climb that stairway…
The Last Time I Saw Paris When ever we kiss, I worry and wonder. Your lips may be…
The Song Is You I hear music when I look at you, A beautiful theme…
The Way You Look Tonight Some day, when I'm awfully low, When the world is…
There Is No Greater Love There is no greater love Than what I feel for you No…
They Say It's Wonderful They say that falling love is wonderful It's wonderful, so …
This Love Is Mine This love of mine, goes on and on Though life is…
This Love of Mine This love of mine, goes on and on Though life is…
Time On My Hands When the day fades away into twilight The moon is my…
Toot Toot Tootsie Toot, toot, Tootsie, good-bye! Toot, toot, Tootsie, don't cr…
Volume 1-How Are Things In Glocca Morra I hear a bird, Londonderry bird, It well may be he's…
Wagon Wheels Wagon wheels, wagon wheels, Keep on a-turnin', wagon wheels…
What Is This Thing Called Love What is this thing called love? This funny thing called love…
What Is This Thing Called Love? What is this thing called love? This funny thing called lov…
What's New What's new How is the world treating you You haven't changed…
When A Woman Loves A Man Maybe he's not much, just another man Doing what he can But…
When You Wish Upon a Star When a star is born They possess a gift or two One…
When Your Lover Has Gone What good is the scheming, the planning and dreaming That c…
Where Are You You are my lucky star I saw you from afar Two…
Whispering Don't worry I'm not looking at you Gorgeous and dressed in…
Why Don't I Spending these lonesome evenings With nothing to do But to l…
Why Was I Born Spending these lonesome evenings With nothing to do But to…
Why Was I Born? Spending these lonesome evenings With nothing to do But to l…
Without a Song Without a song the day would never end Without a song…
You Whether you are here or yonder, Whether you are false…
You Are My Lucky Star You are my lucky star I saw you from afar Two…
You Are My Lucky Star - You are my lucky star I saw you from afar Two…
You Are Too Beautiful You are too beautiful, my dear, to be true And I…
You Do Something to Me What a day this has been! What a rare mood I'm…
You Don You don't know what love is 'Til you've learned the meaning…
You Don’t Know What Love Is You don't know what love is 'Til you've learned the meaning…
You Stepped Out of a Dream You stepped out of a dream You are too wonderful to…