Saxophone Collosus — not only is this the title of a break-through album by Rollins, but also a nick-name for his exceptional position in the world of jazz.

This double winner of the Grammy Award, the winner of the Polar Music Prize (also known as the Nobel prize in music) has been also continuously topping polls held by jazz magazines. Rollins is the last of the jazz giants and the link between contemporary music and the legends.

Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday — Rollins has performed together with the biggest stars. For over fifty years of his career, Rollins has recorded compositions and albums that have become part of the history of jazz. The most significant albums include “Saxophone Colossus”, “Tenor Madness” and “Freedom Suite”, but there are many other that deserve mentioning.

In 2006, Rollins topped the Down Beat Readers Polls for “Jazzman of the Year”, “Tenor Sax Player” and “Recording of the Year” for the album titled “Without a Song”. In 2010, he won the title of the “Saxophonist of the Year”.

On 2^nd of March 2011, Rollins received the 2010 National Medal of Arts from the US President Barack Obama, awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). This is the most significant award for musicians in the United States. “Sonny Rollins’ melodic sensibilities, playing style, and solos have delighted audiences and influenced generations of musicians for over fifty years and I join the President and the country in saluting him”, said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman.