With Sonny Rollins’ passing last week at the age of 95 we lost one of the last members of the jazz elite that had been around seemingly since the dawn of time. A living legend and one of the final links that bound us to a time when the jazz cats were the coolest kids on the block and displayed a mastery of their instruments that only a few could ever hope to achieve, Sonny Rollins was the consummate perfectionist that was always reaching beyond, grasping for that spark of creativity that would ignite the truth he sought. Sonny was an inspiration on several levels for me. He chose to step away from the spotlight several times during his career and woodshed, practicing his instrument relentlessly until he was satisfied with himself before performing again. He taught me that art in its purest form is non commercial and at its core an act of self care. He also kicked a heroin addiction in his twenties using one of the very first methadone treatment programs. He never went back, living another seventy years. In an environment where drugs were viewed by many folks as an essential stepping stone to artistic enlightenment, Sonny proved he could do without. Today we pay tribute to one of the greatest jazz men ever, and an elder who’s wisdom was accrued over close to a century of constant learning. The show will focus on Sonny’s early years as a sideman with Miles Davis, then his first times as leader with Prestige and then moving into his Blue Note years and beyond.