I miss playing with Miles. I did play with him a little while before he left the planet, but even at that time I longed to maybe do some things together. Sonny Rollins More Quotes by Sonny Rollins More Quotes From Sonny Rollins But if I didn't have to make money, I would still play my horn. Sonny Rollins horny making-money play My mother came from St. Thomas. I heard that melody and all I did was actually adapt it. I made my adaptation of sort of an island traditional melody. It did become sort of my trademark tune. Sonny Rollins tunes mother islands Even the most jingoistic person would have to admit that even American cultural music comes from Europe. That's what classical music is, real European music. Sonny Rollins classical-music real europe I am interested in my music lasting only while I'm alive. I'm not writing for the future. Sonny Rollins lasting alive writing What I am more concerned about is whether our whole civilization will be around in the next 25 years. Sonny Rollins next civilization years I'm fortunate that I'm making a living at it now because I'm not equipped to do anything else. Sonny Rollins making-a-living jazz music Jazz is an endless source of ideas, because you can use anything. You can play operatic arias. You can incorporate them into jazz. You can play gypsy music and incorporate it into jazz. You can European classical and you can incorporate it into jazz. You can use anything and jazz it up, as they used to say. Sonny Rollins use play ideas I think what we need is a more welcoming mode from the people who put on a hundred million country-western shows on television. How about a monthly jazz show? Sonny Rollins country people thinking I guess I'm fortunate that I'm still around and I emphasize 'I guess', because you never can tell what musicians would be playing had they been around as long as I have. Sonny Rollins musician would-be long Many jazz artists go to L.A. seeking a more comfortable life and then they really stop playing. Sonny Rollins jazz music artist I feel that I have an obligation to jazz and also to myself to play as good as I can play. Sonny Rollins obligation jazz play You had many jazz musicians who lived in the United States, who had a hard time being accepted over here and had to play in sort of these inferior type dives. Sonny Rollins hard-times play america Jazz has an audience all around the globe and has had for many decades, I think speaking of the United States, let's say that what we need is more of an official recognition. Sonny Rollins united-states sea thinking America is deeply rooted in Negro culture: its colloquialisms; its humor; its music. Sonny Rollins rooted culture america Charlie Parker stuck out in my mind. Sonny Rollins charlie stuck mind I am a person who thinks about the music first in trying to achieve something musically valid. Sonny Rollins trying firsts thinking I think we are in the midst of this period where we are committing this suicide on the planet and everybody is just using up all of our natural resources like a bunch of insane people. That's what I worry about more than I worry about jazz. Sonny Rollins using-resources suicide thinking I think as long as people are around and can hear a record and hear people like Lester Young on a recording, there will always be a great inspiration for somebody to try to create jazz. Sonny Rollins inspiration long thinking I feel that L.A. has not always been my strongest base for support. That can be for various reasons. Sonny Rollins support reason feels I think the problem starts with the general appreciation of the music in the larger society. Sonny Rollins problem appreciation thinking
