Pushkin.

Hey everyone. Today we're continuing our celebration of Black Music Month with one of my all-time favorites, Jazz legend, Sonny Rollins.

Rollins is dubbed the saxophone colossus. He's an American

tenor and composer who is widely regarded as one of the most influential jazz musicians ever.

With several awards under his belt, a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement and the National

Medal of Arts, to name a few.

Some even venture to call him the greatest living improviser.

Sadly, now at 91 years old, Rollins no longer plays as a result of pulmonary fibrosis.

But he is able to look back at an eight-decade career that took him all the way from the beginnings of bebop to playing

with the Rolling Stones and all over the world. On today's episode, I spoke to Sunny Rollins by phone

about one of his first big gigs at 18, way back in 1949, playing alongside other jazz icons

like Bud Powell and Fats Navarro. He also explains why he no longer actively listens to music.

And for the first time ever, how Charlie Parker is the reason he kicked drugs.

This is Broken Record.

Liner Notes for the Digital Age.

I'm Justin Richmond.

Here's my phone conversation with

the great Sunny Rollins. I want to talk about early in your career. You're 18 years old in

1949. That was your first, like, professional date. And the first that I can figure was with Babs

Gonzalez on St. Louis Blues? Does that seem true?

I know that I began recording in the late 40s, so I would imagine that it might be true. I can't

verify exactly. Do you remember Babbs Gonzalez pretty well?

...