Ever heard of a musician who shies away from praise? Meet Sonny Rollins, the last standing jazz giant from an era considered the pinnacle of jazz music, and perhaps the last person you'd expect to feel undeserving of success.
As a young tenor saxophonist growing up in Harlem, N.Y., Rollins landed gigs alongside the likes of Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis, but he didn't consider this an easy path to success. In 1959, just as he was gaining fame, Rollins escaped from the attention he felt was premature. He returned to the jazz scene three years later, taking to practicing on New York's Williamsburg Bridge.
Rollins, 78, spoke about jazz and his relationship to it in advance of his Thursday concert at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.
So you started out playing tenor saxophone with artists like Thelonious Monk as a teenager. How did those opportunities come up for you at such a young age?
Yes, being in that great ambience of Harlem and jazz I got the opportunity to play with some of these old stars, like Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis, all of whom were my senior, Miles by about four years, I think, and Monk was about 13 years my senior. But anyways, I was accepted into this intimate fraternity and began recording and working with some of these people. It was a great opportunity and I'm just grateful that I happened to be born at the right place at the right time.
Right, you were in Harlem, so you were in the middle of it all. But you must have been playing places where they saw you ... I mean, how exactly did they recognize your talent?
Well, we had a little band among people our age, you know, people I went to high school with, and eventually the word got out to the older musicians that there are these young guys that really sound good. And these older musicians are always eager to use the talents of young people who are qualified. So by word of mouth, it got around that I was somebody who was worth listening to, and then it went from there, from one situation to another to another to another.
Well, you're such a humble artist. In past interviews, you've said that you're constantly dissatisfied with your music, and you're always looking to improve on your skills, which is surprising to hear from such a seasoned jazz musician. Is there anything in particular you look to improve, or does it just come from being in the right zone when you're playing?
As a young tenor saxophonist growing up in Harlem, N.Y., Rollins landed gigs alongside the likes of Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis, but he didn't consider this an easy path to success. In 1959, just as he was gaining fame, Rollins escaped from the attention he felt was premature. He returned to the jazz scene three years later, taking to practicing on New York's Williamsburg Bridge.
Rollins, 78, spoke about jazz and his relationship to it in advance of his Thursday concert at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.
So you started out playing tenor saxophone with artists like Thelonious Monk as a teenager. How did those opportunities come up for you at such a young age?
Yes, being in that great ambience of Harlem and jazz I got the opportunity to play with some of these old stars, like Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis, all of whom were my senior, Miles by about four years, I think, and Monk was about 13 years my senior. But anyways, I was accepted into this intimate fraternity and began recording and working with some of these people. It was a great opportunity and I'm just grateful that I happened to be born at the right place at the right time.
Right, you were in Harlem, so you were in the middle of it all. But you must have been playing places where they saw you ... I mean, how exactly did they recognize your talent?
Well, we had a little band among people our age, you know, people I went to high school with, and eventually the word got out to the older musicians that there are these young guys that really sound good. And these older musicians are always eager to use the talents of young people who are qualified. So by word of mouth, it got around that I was somebody who was worth listening to, and then it went from there, from one situation to another to another to another.
Well, you're such a humble artist. In past interviews, you've said that you're constantly dissatisfied with your music, and you're always looking to improve on your skills, which is surprising to hear from such a seasoned jazz musician. Is there anything in particular you look to improve, or does it just come from being in the right zone when you're playing?
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