Sonny Rollins, Remembered Through Three Essential Bass Performances
Tenor saxophonist and jazz composer Sonny Rollins died on May 25th, 2026, leaving behind a legacy that changed the face of jazz. He was 95 years old.
His unflinching commitment to the music made him one of the most recognizable and respected artists of his time. He came up during the rise of bebop, but as his New York Times obituary explains, he could not be pigeonholed.
“Over the years he flirted with the avant-garde, jazz-rock fusion and other styles,” the Times wrote. “But with his ferocious energy, his penchant for playing the unexpected note at the unexpected moment, and his unusual sound — sometimes harsh and mocking, sometimes lush and romantic — he was ultimately unclassifiable.”
As a pioneer of the music, Rollins was always accompanied by bassists of the highest caliber. His experimentation with different genres helped to spawn new styles for the low end, while his pianoless trios left room for bassists to explore. He was also an early adopter of the electric bass in his band. Rollins recruited Paul Chambers, Percy Heath, Jimmy Garrison, Wilbur Ware, Ron Carter, and many more to propel his music. Today, we remember the saxophonist with three iconic songs and the bassists who drove them.
“St. Thomas” – Doug Watkins and the Calypso Pulse
Released in 1956, Saxophone Colossus is probably Rollins’s most well-known album. It features a quartet filled out by pianist Tommy Flanagan, drummer Max Roach, and bassist Doug Watkins, who would also play with Horace Silver, John Coltrane, Donald Byrd, and many others.
The album kicks off with “St. Thomas,” a song that quickly became a jazz standard. It became one of the most famous jazz recordings to bring a calypso feel into the hard-bop era, embracing the Caribbean folk tradition. Watkins delivers a simple bass line that dances while keeping the foundation solid as a rock. It’s the perfect example of how a bass line built primarily with half notes can be a driving force. After Roach’s hearty solo, the band comes back in swinging with Watkins deftly outlining the quick harmonic motion.
“I’m An Old Cowhand” – Ray Brown and the Power of Space
1957’s Way Out West saw Rollins drop the piano for a trio album of just sax, bass, and drums. “I’ve always enjoyed creating my own harmonies and creating my own rhythm, and my own concept of the way the composition can be expressed,” he told Bill Kopp of the decision. “So for me, it was sort of a natural thing.”
According to the original liner notes, Rollins had never played or recorded with drummer Shelly Manne and bassist Ray Brown before the session, only rehearsing after gigs in the wee hours of the morning leading up to it. Their version of “I’m An Old Cowhand” switches between a cowpoke kind of drum beat and straight-ahead swing. The space between the melodic statements gives Brown plenty of room to respond. He does so with incredible lines that incorporate the full range of the bass. When Rollins takes his solo, Brown’s bass lines imply the harmony so perfectly that a piano would seem superfluous. He then takes a killer solo that leans on the melody for grounding.
(Check out the full transcription in Matt Rybicki’s Ray Brown – Legendary Jazz Bassist)
“Playin’ in the Yard” – Bob Cranshaw’s Early Fusion Style
In 1972, Sonny Rollins returned from a six-year recording hiatus with Sonny Rollins’ Next Album. In those six years, the jazz landscape – and music in general – had changed drastically. Rollins adapted to the electrified sounds of funk and R&B with the first song on his comeback record, “Playin’ in the Yard.”
It features bassist Bob Cranshaw, who also appeared on Rollins’ first comeback album, The Bridge, on electric bass, laying down a bass line that would be just as at home on something from Atlantic Records. Cranshaw began as an upright bassist, but switched to electric after a car accident left him with severe back issues. His playing on “Playin’ in the Yard” brought a contemporary sound to Rollins, who had been recording professionally for more than two decades at this point.
These three songs only scratch the surface of a lifetime of music. Be sure to put on some Sonny Rollins and listen to how he interacts with the bass.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Sonny Rollins.
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
