Sonny Rollins And His Dragon

No one can doubt the fact - musicians, Jazz musician in particular, I think, lives are ruled by music, and the music scene, and it is well know and that in the 40’s and 50’s a lot of them were committing slow suicide with heroin.
There is a similarity between doing drugs and making art and music in the buzz they create for the person involved, and I suppose the attraction is there for artist to test the limits of there creativity in an altered state of mind.
Once in this maze - the way out is very difficult, and the time in is very often not necessarily lucrative for  creatively.

Many a wonderful jazzmen have given up the gost to heroin, and a few have won the fight againt the dragon to emerge stronger for a few more decades of musical prowess.

Since the ’scene’ in the 50s and 40s was full of drugs, for an active musician to pruge himself of drugs was an even harder feat than the usual, because if one wanted to continue playing, the reality was the the heroin dragon was waiting for you at every corner beckoning, and inviting you in.
Sonny Rollins is one of the victorious over drug addiction, wich involved a stay at the narcotics hospital and another stay in prison… and when he thought he was clean and strong enough he dared to visit a prominent jazz club, known as an addicts gathering place.
A lot of his friends were there, and although they knew he was no longer in the game, invited him to get high with them.
This is when, in his own words he faced his Goliath, and with very much ease.
It would have been easier for him if he quite music and distanced himself from drugs, But he decided to deal with the dragon and returned to working as a musician.

His bet payed of and so did his decision to be strong, and avoid temptation, because he is now 78 year old and still playing.

Tenor Madness, 2006

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