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Friday, May 29, 2026

Saxophone Colossus (Weekend Street/Reflections #279)


 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Several years ago in Philadelphia, I snapped this photo of a dapper street saxophonist holding court in his favorite spot, playing solo with quiet intensity. News of Sonny Rollins’s passing this week brought the image rushing back. Rollins didn’t just influence generations of sax players—he practically reinvented what the horn could do alone. By stepping away from the bandstand in the early 1960s to practice for hours on the Williamsburg Bridge, he turned unaccompanied solo saxophone into a profound art form: raw, meditative, and endlessly inventive. Maybe that’s why this Philadelphia player kept returning to the same patch of sidewalk year after year?

                                            Have a great weekend!

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9 comments:

  1. Saxophone is very versitile instrument.

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  2. cette photo est magnifique. j'aime beaucoup la classe et l'élégance du musicien

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  3. Love your tribute photo of this journeyman Street player

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  4. I do like the sound of this instrument, it was very popular in the 80s, have a good weekend.

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  5. Love the saxophone James Great shot. I hope you have a lovely week ahead

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  6. Quite dapper! I heard a broadcast on NPR today about Sonny Rollins.

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