SAXOPHONE COLOSSUS

A colossally detailed account of the legendary saxophonist.

In this meticulously researched biography of Sonny Rollins (b. 1932), Levy, the author of Dirty Blvd.: The Life and Music of Lou Reed, documents a 65-year career through conversations drawn from nearly everyone who interacted with Rollins. The saxophonist’s central place in the history of jazz means that he played with a list of luminaries that spans generations. We hear about his interactions with early idols like Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young, his work with contemporaries Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, and his later mentorship of younger players like the Marsalis brothers. While completists will be thrilled with the in-depth chronicle of exactly which songs were played with which musicians at which concert dates, others will find that these frequent asides make the text read like a very long track list. Levy’s obsession with complete documentation also means that we only come to appreciate Rollins’ fascinating personality through the sheer weight of repeated anecdotes instead of synthesis on the part of his biographer. The portrait of Rollins the activist, yogi, and perfectionist genius that emerges frequently borders on hagiography, though the author gradually manages to convey the essence of an artist driven by a relentless spiritual quest to improve himself. Fans who are only familiar with Rollins’ late-1950s hard-bop golden age (particularly the classic album from which the book’s title is drawn) will be delighted to discover more about his later evolution. In fact, Levy's greatest contribution is his extensive account of the dissatisfaction that led to Rollins’ decision to practice on the Williamsburg Bridge for more than a year as well as the attention paid to the less-well-known work that followed. In this sense, Levy’s book counts as a success, since its endless supply of superlatives can still inspire and guide readers to listen afresh to Rollins’ huge catalog of recordings.

A definitive account of a jazz icon in which the level of detail will interest only superfans.