Sonny Rollins: Saxophone Colossus

Saxophone Colossus is a lengthy documentary of the life and work of jazz saxophonist Theodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins. Clips of Rollins making music alternate with interviews of the subject's friends, relatives and co-workers. Recounted for benefit of fans and casual viewers alike are Rollins' years ...more

Hard bop tenor saxophonist Rollins, regarded by many as the world's greatest jazz improviser, made history by adapting the jazz stylings of Charlie Parker to his chosen instrument, but by the mid-late 1980s, Rollins's wife-turned-manager, Lucille, felt concerned that his star might be fading, despite the fact that he was performing more brilliantly, at that point in his life, than at any other time. Mugge's film was thus designed as a vehicle to reassert Rollins's greatness, and on that level ...more