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  • Published: 21 May 2019
  • ISBN: 9781580898812
  • Imprint: Charlesbridge Children
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 40
  • RRP: $40.00

Sonny's Bridge

Jazz Legend Sonny Rollins Finds His Groove



This groovy, bebopping picture book biography chronicles the legendary jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins's search for inspiration on the Williamsburg Bridge after quitting the jazz scene in 1959.

This groovy, bebopping picture book biography chronicles the legendary jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins's search for inspiration on the Williamsburg Bridge after quitting the jazz scene in 1959.

Rollins is one of the most prolific sax players in the history of jazz, but, in 1959, at the height of his career, he vanished from the jazz scene. His return to music was an interesting journey--with a long detour on the Williamsburg Bridge. Too loud to practice in his apartment, Rollins played on the New York City landmark for two years among the cacophony of traffic and the stares of bystanders, leading to the release of his album, The Bridge.

Written in rhythmic prose with a bebop edge, this picture-book biography of Sonny Rollins's journey to get his groove back will delight young and old fans alike.

  • Published: 21 May 2019
  • ISBN: 9781580898812
  • Imprint: Charlesbridge Children
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 40
  • RRP: $40.00

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Praise for Sonny's Bridge

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  • "An engaging, humorous narrative."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

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  • "Mallett's lush acrylic paintings glow with a golden light in several scenes, treating his subject (and the Harlem Renaissance movement he documented) with the same reverence VanDerZee brought to his work."--Publishers Weekly, starred review