Sonny Rollins

There was a period which I refer to as the 'Golden Age of Jazz,' which sort of encompasses the middle Thirties through the Sixties, we had a lot of great innovators, all creating things which will last the world for a long, long time. 

I think the problem starts with the general appreciation of the music in the larger society. 

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. 

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? 

I feel that L.A. has not always been my strongest base for support. That can be for various reasons. 

Many jazz artists go to L.A. seeking a more comfortable life and then they really stop playing

I don't want to appear hostile, like I'm hostile to L.A. or that I feel that the people don't appreciate jazz. I don't think it's that. I think it's something more. It's something a little bit more complicated than that. 

But if I didn't have to make money, I would still play my horn. 

It's all about creation and surprise. It just needs to be appreciated and watered like flowers. You have to water flowers. These peaks will come again. 

What I am more concerned about is whether our whole civilization will be around in the next 25 years. 

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. 

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. 

I am a person who thinks about the music first in trying to achieve something musically valid. 

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. 

I enjoy playing clubs. I still enjoy the closeness of the nightclub venue. However, after a certain period of time and after playing around some of the clubs in New YorkI felt that jazz should be presented in a more prestigious atmosphere.