Legendary Saxophonist Sonny Rollins Opens Up About Self-Confidence in a Lost 1985 Interview

In a beautiful episode of “Notes from the Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame“, a collaborative series from Quoted Studios and Jazz at Lincoln Center, an animated version of legendary jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins opened up about his sense of self-confidence, his endless drive to be the best version of himself and that seminal night in 1959 when he went to practice his horn on the Williamsburg Bridge during a self-imposed musical sabbatical. This interview took place with journalist Ben Sidran on November 14, 1985.

It was beautiful because you’re playing against the air. You know the sky it was just a beautiful place to practice a horn. It’s a magical thing you know the keys are there on the piano but what you do with them Tuesday night is going to be different than anything you could have thought about Sunday. So this is the magic of it and it’s a beautiful life.