Cornelius “Sonny” Fortune was an American jazz saxophonist. He lived from May 19, 1939 to October 25, 2018. Fortune was a soprano, alto and tenor saxophonist, as well as a clarinet and flute player. Fortune recorded with Elvin Jones’s band in New York City after he moved there in 1967. He was a member Mongo Santamaria’s band in 1968. He was a performer with Leon Thomas (1971-1973) and McCoy Tyner (1973-1973). Fortune took over Dave Liebman’s Miles Davis ensemble in 1974. He remained there until 1975 when Sam Morrison succeeded him. Fortune can be heard on the albums Big Fun and Get Up With It. He was also featured on Agharta and Pangaea. These last two were recorded live in Japan. After a brief stint with Davis, Fortune formed his own band in June 1975 and recorded two albums for Horizon Records. He recorded many albums for Blue Note in the 1990s. He also performed with Buddy Rich, Roy Brooks and George Benson. Fortune passed away in October 2018 at the age of just 79. Source: Wikipedia
