Sonny Rollins, the towering tenor saxophonist widely regarded as one of the defining voices of modern jazz, has died at the age of 95, according to a statement issued by his family and publicist.
No cause of death was announced, though Rollins had battled respiratory illness in later years and retired from performing in 2014. He died at his home in New York, ending a career that stretched across more than six decades and reshaped the language of jazz improvisation.
Known as the ‘Saxophone Colossus’, Rollins combined a muscular tone with restless melodic invention and became one of the few musicians considered the equal of fellow jazz revolutionary John Coltrane. Their celebrated duel on ‘Tenor Madness’ in 1956 remains one of the defining moments in jazz history.