City. In 2014 he was the subject of a Dutch television documentary entitled Sonny Rollins-Morgen Speel ik Beter. He made a public appearance in June of that year introducing saxophonist Ornette Coleman at an all-star tribute performance to Coleman in Brooklyn, NY. In October 2015, he received the Jazz Foundation of America's lifetime achievement award. In the spring of 2017, Rollins donated his personal archive to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, one of the research centers of New York Public Library. Later that year, he endowed the "Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble Fund" at Oberlin College, in "recognition of the institution's long legacy of access and social justice advocacy." In February 2023, Rollins sold his music catalogue to Reservoir Media. Influences As a saxophonist he had initially been attracted to the jump and R&B sounds of performers like Louis Jordan, but soon became drawn into the mainstream tenor saxophone tradition. The German critic Joachim-Ernst Berendt described this tradition as sitting between the two poles of the strong sonority of Coleman Hawkins and the light flexible phrasing of Lester Young, which did so much to inspire the fleet improvisation of bebop in the 1950s. Other tenor saxophone influences include Ben Webster and Don Byas. By his mid-teens, Rollins became heavily influenced by alto saxophonist Charlie Parker. During his high school years, he was mentored by the pianist and composer Thelonious Monk, often rehearsing at Monk's apartment. Instruments Rollins has played, at various times, a Selmer Mark VI tenor saxophone and a Buescher Aristocrat. During the 1970s he recorded on soprano saxophone for the album Easy Living. His preferred mouthpieces are made by Otto Link and Berg Larsen. He uses Frederick Hemke medium reeds. Discography Decorations and awards Elected to the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame (1973) Honorary Doctor of Arts from Bard College (1992) Honorary Doctor of Music from Wesleyan University (1998) Honorary Doctor of Music from Long Island University (1998) Honorary Doctor of Music from Duke University (1999) Honorary Doctor of Music from New England Conservatory of Music (2002) Honorary Doctor of Music from Berklee College of Music (2003) Grammy Award for lifetime achievement (2004) Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council member Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (2006) Minneapolis, Minnesota officially named October 31, 2006 after Rollins in honor of his achievements and contributions to the world of jazz Polar Music Prize "for