Sonny Rollins, saxophonist and restless genius of jazz, dead at 95

Key Points:

• Sonny Rollins, a pioneering tenor saxophonist and influential figure in jazz for over 50 years, died at age 95 at his home in Woodstock, New York, after years of physical health challenges.
• Renowned for his improvisational skill and constant experimentation, Rollins was a key figure of the bebop era alongside John Coltrane and Charlie Parker, and remained active in music until pulmonary fibrosis forced his retirement in 2014.
• Throughout his career, Rollins embraced change, often taking sabbaticals to refine his style, including a notable two-year practice period on the Williamsburg Bridge and a spiritual awakening that influenced his music and life.
• He earned multiple Grammy Awards, including for his albums "This is What I Do" (2001) and "Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert" (2006), and collaborated with artists across genres, such as his sax solo on the Rolling Stones' "Waiting on a Friend."
• Despite struggles with heroin addiction in his youth, Rollins overcame personal challenges to become a jazz legend, leaving behind a significant legacy and unreleased recordings, with no specific plans for their posthumous handling.