This is Fresh Air. I'm David B. and Cooley.

Tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins died Monday. He was 95 years old.

For decades, he had been hailed as the greatest living jazz musician.

Today, we're going to listen to Terry's 1994 interview with Sunny Rollins.

But first, we have this appreciation from jazz historian Kevin Whitehead.

He says no figure in jazz was more universally revered.

Oh. I'm......and......and......and......and...

...and...

...and... Wagon Wheels, old cowboy song written for Broadway's Ziegfeld Follies of 1934.

It's from the album Way Out West, an excellent introduction to a few things that made Sonny Rollins great.

Like how the saxophone has thrived in the bare bones trio format, which left him fully exposed.

Also the clarity of his best improvisations.

When you have as much technique as Rollins, it's easy to overdo it.

But he leaves so much space, the effect is more like

singing than showing off. and the uh... bhaer the uh...

and

uh...

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