The Traveler

Issue date: 4/15/09 Section: Lifestyles

Media Credit: Courtesy Photos Jazz musician Sonny Rollins will arouse the audience with his extraordinary skills tonight at the Walton Arts Center.

Famed jazz musician Sonny Rollins will visit Northwest Arkansas today at the Walton Arts Center's Baum Walker Hall for a one-night performance.

Nicknamed the "Saxophone Colossus" for his incredible skills on the tenor saxophone, Rollins has established a reputation as one of the most innovative and influential jazz musicians of the 20th and 21st centuries, according to a press release.

Rollins grew up in Harlem, not far from the Savoy Ballroom, the Apollo Theatre and the doorstep of his idol, Coleman Hawkins. He started out on alto saxophone, but at the age of 16, he switched to tenor, trying to emulate Hawkins.

He also fell under the spell of the musical revolution that surrounded him - Bebop, a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos and improvisation based on the combination of harmonic structure and melody.

Rollins began to follow Charlie Parker and soon came under the wing of Thelonious Monk, who became his musical mentor and guru. Rollins first recorded in 1949 with Babs Gonzalez, and in the same year he recorded with J.J. Johnson and Bud Powell. In 1951, Rollins made a name for himself when he recorded with Miles Davis. In 1953, he again collaborated with Monk.

"At 78 years old, Rollins is still at the top of his game," according to the press release. "His accomplishments in the last decade alone speak to the depth of his talent."

Rollins has won two Grammy Awards, was a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and was inducted into the Academy of Achievement, for which he gave a solo performance at the International Achievement Summit in Los Angeles.

"Sonny Rollins holds a unique place in the temple of jazz deities," said Robert Ginsburg, host of KUAF's Shades of Jazz. "Rollins is a living and performing link to the past who refuses to rest on his laurels. In concert, he humbly and persistently continues his quest for musical perfection."

In an interview for the Catalan magazine Jaç, Rollins said, "I am convinced that all art has the desire to leave the ordinary. And to say it one way, at a spiritual level, a state of the exaltation at existence. All art has this in common.

"But jazz, the world of improvisation, is perhaps the highest, because we do not have the opportunity to make changes. It's as if we were painting before the public, and the following morning we cannot go back and correct that blue color or change that red. We have to have the blues and reds very well placed before going out to play. So for me, jazz is probably the most demanding art."

Rollins is known for putting on a rousing and amusing show, sure to entertain a wide array of audiences.

Rollins' performance will begin at 7 p.m. Students can purchase tickets for $10 by contacting the Walton Arts Center Box Office at 479-443-5600 or by visiting Waltonartscenter.org.

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