Legendary tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins is turning 95 on September 7, 2025. Many happy returns! 

The Free Library of Philadelphia is partnering with local radio station WRTI to celebrate Rollins and bring you a special month of jazz programming featuring his music. 

About WRTI: WRTI is a member-supported, non-commercial radio station for classical music and jazz serving Greater Philadelphia, PA, NJ, and DE. WRTI champions music as a vital cultural resource through discovery, curation, performance, community, preservation, and education. Tune in at 90.1 FM, or stream at WRTI.org and the WRTI app. WRTI is a broadcast service of Temple University. Learn more at wrti.org.  

Programs to listen in on:

September 2: WRTI's biweekly podcast, The Late Set, will be releasing an episode focusing on Sonny Rollins, featuring contributions from show hosts Nicole Sweeney, Julian Booker, Bob Craig, and J. Michael Harrison. In addition to the podcast release, there will be both audio and video components posted to WRTI's website and social media accounts.

September 4–8: WRTI's Sonny Rollins Weekend! Starting with Evening Jazz (Thursday, 9/4, at 6:00 p.m.) and concluding with Jazz Through the Night (Monday, 9/8, at 6:00 a.m.), listeners can expect two to three Sonny Rollins songs an hour on most WRTI radio programs. You can tune in and listen along on the radio (90.1 FM), streaming online, or on the WRTI app. 

September 24: The Music Department's fifth installment of Library Mixtape (previously Vinyl Record Listening Club) will be playing Sonny Rollins albums from 5:30–7:30 p.m.. WRTI's Jazz Associate Program Director, Julian Booker (he/him), will be co-hosting. From 5:30–6:30, Julian will play albums out of the Library's collection (see list below). From 6:30–7:30, we welcome you to present your own album, or a Library pick that we haven't played yet! Our setlist, once announced, will be available on our club Sign Up Sheet- make sure to subscribe to our email list if you'd like to participate; this is the only place Librarian Jane shares club forms! Please help us know how many people to expect. RSVP at our Eventbrite!

The Music Department owns 19 of Rollins' 90+ albums on vinyl:

• Sonny Rollins Quartet (1951)
• Worktime (1955) 
• Tenor Madness (1956)
• Saxophone Colossus (1956) 
• Way Out West (1957) 
• Sonny Rollins at Music Inn/Teddy Edwards at Falcon's Lair (1958) 
• The Modern Jazz Quartet at Music Inn – Volume 2 (1959)
• Sonny Boy (1961)
• The Bridge (1962)
• What’s New? (1962)
• Our Man in Jazz (1962) 
• Shadow Waltz (1962)
• Sonny Meets Hawk! (1963)
• Now’s the Time (1964)
• On Impulse! (1965)
• East Broadway Rundown (1967)
• Sonny Rollins (1972)
• Easy Living (1977)
• Contemporary Alternate Takes (1986)

For Rollins' full body of work, check out his discography. The Library does have other Sonny Rollins materials; browse the catalog for CDs, music scores, biographies, and more!