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Not claimed by Sonny Rollins

Sonny Rollins has not joined FLAPSS and has not endorsed it. This page is a reference record assembled from published interviews and public remarks. Every answer below is a direct quotation with the source and date shown next to it.

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Sonny Rollins

Jazz tenor saxophonist and composer

United States

Arts and letters

reference

5 answers

Question What made you stop something you were known for, and how did you know it was time? Time & hindsight read 13 other answers →
I realized I wasn’t sounding as good as my reputation was, so I wanted to kind of get to that point where I wouldn’t be ashamed to go on the bandstand, which happened to me one time on a job I was playing with… Elvin Jones, at that time, was the drummer playing with me. We used to go around, had a big sign, “Sonny Rollins is coming to town,” everybody was there, but I didn’t sound good, and I knew I wasn’t playing up to what I should be. So I said, “Okay, I am getting out of here. I am going to go and woodshed,” as they say, and get myself together.
Recorded Academy of Achievement (achievement.org) source ↗

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