I Remember Bird/A Tribute to Duke Ellington

Product Description
Two long out-of-print Catalyst recordings by Sonny Stitt are paired together on a single compact disc. "I Remember Bird" features Frank Rosolino on trombone, Dolo Coker on piano, Allen Jackson on bass and Clarence Johnston on drums. "Tribute" (aka "Sonny Stitt With Strings") includes Jackson and Johnston, in addition to Gildo Mahones on piano and the Bill Finegan String Ensemble.

I Remember Bird/A Tribute to Duke Ellington,Sonny Stitt,Collectables,Bop,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop

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Tracks:

Waltz For Diane
Body And Soul
Jeepers Creepers
Streamlined Stanley
I Remember Bird
Watch What Happens
Yes Jesus Loves Me
Take The 'A' Train
Prelude To A Kiss
It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing
Cottontail
In A Sentimental Mood
In A Mellow Tone
Jeep's Blues

Album Description

Two long out-of-print Catalyst recordings by Sonny Stitt are paired together on a single compact disc. "I Remember Bird" features Frank Rosolino on trombone, Dolo Coker on piano, Allen Jackson on bass and Clarence Johnston on drums. "Tribute" (aka "Sonny Stitt With Strings") includes Jackson and Johnston, in addition to Gildo Mahones on piano and the Bill Finegan String Ensemble.

Album Description

2 for 1 includes - I Remember Bird & Tribute To Duke Ellington both originally releases in 1977. These superb recordings include 'Prelude To A Kiss', 'In A Sentimental Mood' and 'Body And Soul.' Collectables. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

Fuzzy if fond remembrance.......2004-07-15

The preceding reviewer has a point about Sonny's unfortunate decision to avoid the alto saxophone--Bird's own instrument!--for this session, which features Sonny with trombone great, Frank Rosolino. I've always found his alto to be Bird-like yet very distinctive and less cliche-ridden than his tenor playing. On tenor, Sonny can't resist "directing" an ensemble through its paces, especially on his extended endings with their repeated I-vi-ii-V riff patterns. It's the instrument he goes to when he wants to control things.

On the other hand, Sonny's technique is so fluid and his control of top-tones so assured that on tenor he can easily be mistaken (and frequently is) for an alto player. Perhaps he wanted to avoid too close a comparison with the legend, or to be in charge of the proceedings (Leonard Feather's liner notes indicate that the musicians were able to pack up early), or simply to establish a more basic, elemental and earthy groove.

All in all, it's consummate if predictable and less than inspired Stitt, with his solo rendition of the title tune, "I Remember Bird," a highlight. Rosolino's style is quite different from that of two previous trombonists--J. J. Johnson and Benny Green--with whom Stitt shared the front line on several recording sessions. Again, the alto would have been a better complement to Rosolino's bright and brassy pyrotechnics than the tenor. But as is clear from the choice of a closing tune--"Jesus Loves Me" (!)--Sonny clearly had another kind of session in mind. Maybe he was out to teach this former Kenton, West-Coast trombone virtuoso how to play with South-side directness and soul.

All in all, a worthwhile session and, given the time period in jazz history and in Sonny's career, almost noteworthy. Still, if you were hoping for Charlie Parker, pick up Sonny's "Stitt Plays Bird" along with any of the Supersax recordings featuring Frank Rosolino as lead soloist.

A very good session, not a lot of magic happened.......2003-04-10

I REMEMBER BIRD A very good session from two of the best be bop soloist ever. Rosolino is in good shape, he plays here with attitude and energy. Stitt does not shine here as he used to. He obviously plays great but is common for him. I mean that there is a lack of magic in his playing probably due to the fact that he plays mainly tenor saxophone here. This is really a shame. In those years someone told him that he sounded too much like Bird and that he should change from alto to tenor if he would like to find a much own voice. I mean, what a silliness !! Why didn't that person mind to his own business??
I never took Stitt for Bird one single time in all my life. Stitt was a parkerian sure, but his own man! In a certain sessions he could outplay the same Bird (who was the king of kings). When he played tenor, which he did however with great taste and technique, he lost that fantastic and incomparable shining sound he had on alto, and this is really a shame. Anyway, I appreciate this album just because of the once ina lifetime encounter that happened between Stitt and Rosolino. But the album in se it's not a magic one. Consistent but not magic.
ELLINGTON TRIBUTE Good this one too. Stitt fly over strings orchestra on some of the best known ellington standards. Enjoyful. The two album are not historical albums, they were made in 1977. So to me they are just for the be bop enthusiasts, not for the common audience who probably would like to own few but fundamental jazz records.

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