Sonny Simmons

A boldly independent altoist, Sonny Simmons was a fiery improviser whose work straddled the modal free jazz and swinging hard bop traditions. Emerging on the West Coast in the early '60s, Simmons first peaked ears leading a group with Prince Lasha. He also played with Charles Mingus, Eric Dolphy, and Elvin Jones. However, it was his 1966 album Staying on the Watch with his wife, trumpeter Barbara Donald, that established his legacy as a daring and free-spirited soloist at the forefront of the avant-garde jazz scene. Years spent homeless and playing on the streets for money cur...