Sonny Rollins Plays the Bridge

Gary Golio; illustrated by James Ransome

James Ransome's glorious art celebrates jazz icon Sonny Rollins and how he found an inspired spot to practice his saxophone when his neighbors complained.Sonny Rollins loved his saxophone. As a teenager, he was already playing with jazz stars and making a name for himself. But in 1959, at age twenty-nine, he took a break from performing-to work on being a better, not just famous, musician. Practicing in a city apartment didn't please the neighbors, so Sonny found a surprising alternative-the Williamsburg Bridge. There, with his head in the clouds and foghorns for company, Sonny could play to his heart's content and perfect his craft. It was a bold choice, for a bold young man and musician.Sonny's passion for music comes alive in jazzy text and vivid, evocative paintings of New York City. His story celebrates striving to be your very best self, an inspiration to music lovers young and old.Story Locale: New York City

AWARD-WINNING ILLUSTRATOR: James Ransome's awards and honors include a Coretta Scott King Award, IBBY Honor, and NAACP Image Award.GORGEOUS ILLUSTRATIONS REVEAL SONNY'S PASSION: Sonny's sax playing and his passion for music come alive in vivid, evocative oil paintings of New York City.LYRICAL TEXT: Written in verse, the story reads like a poem or song lyrics with a jazzy beat.AUTHOR KNOWN FOR PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHIES: Gary Golio has received starred reviews for his picture books about Blind Willie Nelson (our own Dark Was the Night), Billie Holiday, Carlos Santana, John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, and Charlie Chaplin.STORY OF A MUSIC ICON: Sonny Rollins is famously one of the greats from the Golden Age of Jazz.DARING TO BE DIFFERENT AND TO BE TRUE TO YOURSELF: Sonny confused a lot of people when he took a break from the spotlight, but he knew it was the right decision for him.HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING HIGH STANDARDS FOR YOURSELF: Sonny was motivated to keep working to be the best musician he could be, and young musicians will appreciate and find inspiration in his story.INCLUDES AUTHOR'S NOTE filling in more information about Sonny, his music, and the Williamsburg Bridge.