Lifetime Achievement Award for Sonny Rollins
The Jazz Foundation of America is to honour American tenor sax giant, and Harlem original, Sonny Rollins at the Apollo Theatre October 22.
American tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins is to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Jazz Foundation of America. The Foundation will present it at its 14th annual ‘A Great night in Harlem’ at the Apollo Theatre in New York City on October 22.
Performing on the night will be Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen, drummer Jack DeJohnette, saxophonists Gary Bartz, Ravi Coltrane, Kenny Garrett, Jimmy Heath and Billy Harper, trumpeters Randy Brecker and Wallace Roney, gospel soul singer Merry Clayton, the Cecil Bridgewater Big Band and many more.
Rollins, regarded as one of the most important and influential musicians in the history of jazz, grew up in Harlem and has been active since the mid 1940s. Some of his compositions are widely known and much played and recorded including ‘St Thomas’ (paying tribute to parental roots in the US Virgin Islands), ‘Airegin’ (Nigeria spelt backwards) and ‘Oleo’. He recently celebrated his 85th birthday on September 7.
The event will also pay special tribute to the late civil rights activist Julian Bond who died in August 2015.