Review by Booklist Review
Born in Harlem in 1930 to West Indian parents, Sonny Rollins was enthralled by the saxophone early on and acquired a phenomenal mentor, Thelonious Monk. Confronted by racism, he launched his quest for freedom and self-determination in life and art. Caught by the scourge of jazz musicians, heroin addiction, he landed in prison, then devoted himself to a healthy and spiritually focused life, the foundation for his world-altering achievements as a courageously creative and searching musician and composer, technical virtuoso, and "consummate improviser." Biographer Levy, a saxophonist himself, has written the keystone Rollins biography, proceeding year-by-year in engrossing, often deeply affecting detail. He recounts Rollins' relationships with fellow jazz giants and the younger musicians he recruited for his many bands and insightfully chronicles Rollins' numerous recording sessions, albums, performances, and tours, drawing on his extensive interviews with the saxophone colossus and people who know him. Rollins muses on his famous retreat from performing and long hours of solitary practice on the Williamsburg Bridge, his stay at an ashram in India, and spiritual pilgrimages in Japan. Levy provides precise and ravishing descriptions of Rollins' music, "tireless work ethic," inspirations, frustrations with the record industry, social and environmental activism, and surprising collaborations. An unrelenting perfectionist, Rollins has been his own harshest critic, always seeking to reach higher in the belief that jazz can be "a tremendous force for understanding and peace."
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Levy's (Dirty Blvd.: The Life and Music of Lou Reed) biography of saxophone great Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (b. 1930) meticulously moves from year to year with material gleaned from 200 interviews and much-neglected sources. He describes Sonny's childhood, his start on the saxophone, and his initial professional success with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk that drug abuse and short prison stints partly tarnished. Levy continues with Rollins's drug-free brilliance during the mid-to-late 1950s, his two-year disappearance from the scene, and his triumphant return in the early 1960s with five classic albums. The last part of this monumental book focuses on Rollins's symbiotic relationship with wife Lucille and his creative, intense, never-ending, and spiritual search for jazz perfection during the next 50 years. This includes his hesitant appearance on the Rolling Stones album, Tattoo You, and his musical battles with Wynton and Branford Marsalis. Throughout, Levy vividly illuminates the clubs, jazz artists, record labels, and such burning social issues as racism and the 9/11 bombing near his home that enveloped, shaped, and motivated Rollins. VERDICT A memorable work that will become the standard biography of the saxophone giant and should be embraced by all jazz fans and general readers. Highly recommended.--Dr. Dave Szatmary
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
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. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
