Sonny Simmons

Huey “Sonny” Simmons (August 4, 1933 – April 6, 2021) was an American jazz musician.

Sonny Simmons at Keystone Korner, San Francisco CA 10/22/80
Simmons was born on August 4, 1933, in Sicily Island, Louisiana. He grew up in Oakland, California, where he began playing the English horn. (Along with Vinny Golia, Simmons was among the few musicians to play the instrument in a jazz context.) At age 16 he took up the alto saxophone, which became his primary instrument. Simmons played primarily in an avant-garde style, often delving into free jazz.