The way some musicians play, you think they'll never die. Theodore "Sonny" Rollins was such a man: A saxophonist revered for his huge tone and seemingly inexhaustible improvisations. Rollins died May 25, 2026 at his Woodstock, N.Y. home at the age of 95.
Rollins was a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, a recipient of a Kennedy Center honor and a recipient of the National Medal of the Arts. And he was the very incarnation of a modern jazz musician. His art was his life. "All these prizes are nice, I appreciate them,” he told NPR in 2007. "I don't go crazy about them — you have to do your work whether you're recognized or not. The real deal is doing it the best you can do it and that's it. That's its own reward.” Rollins was no elitist or purist. He enjoyed blowing on calpysos as much as extending himself in unaccompanied cadenzas. He composed a jaunty theme for the movie Alfie, sat in with the Rolling Stones and recorded an exuberant version of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely.” All his compositions became Jazz Standards. I selected Mr. Rollins’ song “Oleo” to pay tribute to a true Jazz Master. Mr. Rollins was often called "the greatest living improviser". Sometimes known as "saxophone colossus", Rollins was awarded a lifetime Grammy Award. He was credited as a defining figure of the jazz genre