Sonny Rollins has been a powerful force in jazz since the early 1950s. Sonny is the king of the calypso jazz mode. His first jazz records were cut in 1948 with Babs Gonzales. After this beginning he played with Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Art Blakey and Tadd Dameron. One of his important career highs came in 1955, playing with the Clifford Brown/Max Roach quintet. He continued recording and performing through the 1990s, becoming one of the most influential saxophone players in jazz.