Sonny Rollins, the tenor saxophonist and restless genius whose bold, distinctive tone and constant experimentation kept him on the cutting edge of jazz for more than 50 years, died Monday at age 95.Spokesperson Terri Hinte said in a statement that Rollins died at his home in Woodstock, New York.
She cited no specific cause of death, but said he had been largely housebound over the past couple of years because of various physical problems.From his early days as a teen phenom to his more measured solo work and experimentation with free jazz, Rollins was revered for his improvisational skill.He was one of the last living greats of the bebop era and — along with John Coltrane and Charlie Parker — one of the most influential saxophonists of his time.Rock fans got a dose of his music with the Rolling Stones' 1981 album "Tattoo You," which features' Rollins' wistful sax solo on the ballad "Waiting on a Friend," devised after watching Mick Jagger dance.Despite his enduring success, Rollins was never quite satisfied with his art, occasionally taking lengthy hiatuses from playing and consistently adopting eclectic new styles.He always referred to himself as "a work in progress," saying he wasn't one of those artists who settle into one way of playing.While his early bebop work was the most popular with his fans, Rollins never looked back, saying he found it "excruciating" to even listen to the flaws in his older recordings.
"I don't consider myself a musician that has learned as much as I want to learn," he told The Associated Press in 2007.In the 1990s and 2000s, Rollins released a string of critically acclaimed albums.He maintained a rigorous practice regimen and continued to tour into his 80s.
Pulmonary fibrosis, a thickening and damaging of the lungs, would eventually force him into retirement.He played his last concert in 2012 and stopped playing altogether in 2014.While he missed the adoration of crowds, he missed the actual playing more."I playe...