Sonny Rollins From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigationJump to search Sonny Rollins Rollins performing in October 2011 Rollins performing in October 2011 Background information Birth name Walter Theodore Rollins Born September 7, 1930 (age 90) New York City, U.S. Genres Jazz, hard bop Occupation(s) Musician, composer, bandleader Instruments Tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone Years active 1947–2012 Labels Prestige, Blue Note, Contemporary, RCA Victor, Impulse!, Milestone, Doxy, Okeh, EmArcy/Doxy Associated acts Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, Art Farmer, Dizzy Gillespie, Babs Gonzales, J.J. Johnson, Jackie McLean, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Max Roach, Modern Jazz Quartet Website sonnyrollins.com Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins[1][2] (born September 7, 1930)[3] is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians.[3] 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"[4] and the "Saxophone Colossus".