Sonny Rollins Earns Kennedy Center Honors

We here at Nippertown.com would like to send our congratulations to Sonny Rollins, the 81-year-old jazz giant, saxophone colossus, composer and Germantown resident, who was among the honorees at the 34th annual Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, DC, on Sunday.

And Sonny Rollins was in pretty good company; the other honorees were Barbara Cook, Neil Diamond, Yo-Yo Ma and Meryl Streep.

Bill Cosby, Benny Golson and Herbie Hancock were among those who paid tribute to Rollins during the ceremonies.

It’s been a good year for the sax master. Back in March, he was awarded the prestigious National Medal of Arts at a White House ceremony. At the Jazz Journalists Association’s Jazz Awards in New York City in June, he was not only honored as Best Tenor Saxophonist, but he also earned the top award, Jazz Musician of the Year.

And when the Grammy nominations were announced last month, there was Sonny Rollins again – garnering two nominations for Best Jazz Instrumental Album (“Road Shows, Vol. 2”) and Best Improvised Jazz Solo (“Sonnymoon for Two”).

A two-hour television special of the Kennedy Center Honors ceremonies will be broadcast on CBS (WRGB-TV) at 9pm on Tuesday, December 27.