Sonny Rollins, the legendary saxophonist who redefined jazz improvisation and famously practiced on New York's Williamsburg Bridge, died at 95 on Monday, his publicist announced.
Rollins began playing on the bridge's walkway in the summer of 1959 to avoid disturbing his pregnant neighbor. He ended up practicing there for over two years, often 14 to 15 hours a day.
"What made me withdraw and go to the bridge was how I felt about my own playing. I knew I was dissatisfied," Rollins told The Guardian in 2022.
The result was the album "The Bridge" (1962), which elevated his soloing and improvisation to new heights. He recorded over 60 albums as a leader, including the classic "Saxophone Colossus" (1956).
Rollins played with jazz greats such as Art Blakey, Bud Powell, and Miles Davis, for whom he wrote early pieces like "Oleo" and "Airegin." He also collaborated with the Rolling Stones on their 1981 album "Tattoo You."
After winning two Grammys and a Lifetime Achievement Award, Rollins retired in 2014 due to respiratory illness. He died at his home in Woodstock, New York.
