Sonny Rollins (born September 7, 1930, New York City, New York, USA) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist, widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. He has worked with greats such as Miles Davis, Art Taylor, J.J. Johnson, Bud Powell, and Thelonious Monk. He was a recipient of the prestigious Polar Music Prize in May, 2007. In March 2011 he received the National Medal Of Arts from President Barack Obama.