Sonny Stitt & The Top Brass

1. Souls Valley

2. Coquette

3. On a Misty Night

4. Stittsie

5. Poinciana

6. Boom-Boom

7. Sea Sea Rider

8. Four Ninety

9. Hey Pam

Sonny Stitt & The Top Brass,Sonny Stitt,Import,Bop

Jazz

Music

jazz

music

Average customer rating: beyond fantastic ! ! ! Sizzles with torrents of energy. Quite possibly the best "blowing" album ever jazz at its best Quite short, but a piece of JAZZ Heaven and History

Sonny Side Up Dizzy Gillespie , Sonny Stitt , and Sonny Rollins Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Tenor Madness Somethin' Else Go! Saxophone Colossus Moanin' ASIN: B0000047CZ Release Date: 1997-07-29

Tracks:

1. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
2. The Eternal Triangle
3. After Hours
4. I Know That You Know

Amazon.com

Dizzy Gillespie's long, fruitful career is peppered with a number of high-profile summit meetings with a variety of jazz royals, and this 1957 date ranks with the best of them. Gillespie facilitated this battle between tenor titans Sonny Stitt and Sonny Rollins and even, according to legend, stoked their competitive fires with well-timed phone calls prior to the session. The good-natured opener "On the Sunny Side of the Street," complete with a lighthearted Dizzy vocal turn, doesn't even hint at the serious business to follow it. "The Eternal Triangle" is a quintessential bop fracas filled with inspired, white-hot improvisation. Rollins and Stitt exchange mighty blows, in solos and in trades, and Gillespie's trumpet work is no mere afterthought, bristling as it does with creativity and authority. The ensemble catches their collective breath with "After Hours," a tasty slow blues introduced by Ray Bryant's mood-setting piano, before they unleash a ripping reading of the chestnut "I Know That You Know." You get the sense that the more artful (and "jazz's new thing") Rollins was dragged into a real street fight by the fiery Stitt, who was unbeatable on his own blistering bop turf, but each man--Gillespie included--rises to the occasion in spirited fashion. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

beyond fantastic ! ! ! .......2006-11-27

Ahhhhhhh... the good old days... when players could play technically challenging material, yet NEVER lost their sense of swing - - To call this session swingin', boppin' and in the pocket is an understatement.

What makes it really fun to listen to is that even though Rollins and Stitt are clearly children of Bird, their sounds are different enough that you can tell who's up at the mike. (Stitt has a sharper more agressive intonation... Rollins is bit warmer - - seems to have a bit of Dexter Gordon in him (or is it just me?) - - Gillespie often stands off to the side enjoying the action, but once he's in on the game its a master in his own territory/god knows what's going to happen next type of intensity that's classic Gillespie. - - As for the album... The rhythm section is soooooooooo tasty you want to eat the notes (*tell me I'm lying !) - - Line up is Ray Bryant, Tommy Bryant and Charile Persip.

In addition to the fact that this is one of those "sit down and transcribe" type blowing sessions, what also makes it phenomenal is the variety... from the frensic bop of triangle, the 12 beat after hours blues of the aptly titles AFTER HOURS, the sprightly swinging SUNNY SIDE (which also features Dizzy on vocals) and alas the more hard boppish I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW.

All in all this is just one of those sessions which is in such a league of its own you almost want to shed a tear that few groups are really playing with this feel (not the solid high hat on the 2 and 4 - - modern day drummers don't like to do that any more but notice how toe tapping the music is... yet the Roach-like punches are still as there. - - Another fine point is that the clearly listening to and digging each other (At one point Rollins clearly flubs a tone in his solo, but it don't matter and clearly Dizzy digs it and you can hear him vocalizing sort of an encouraging Gotcha!/I dig it! that Jazz msicians of that era were prone to do.)

Conclusion: What a session - - must have study and listening ! A journey back to a time when Jazz was cool, fresh, vibrant, boppin', swinging and every word in between !

Sizzles with torrents of energy........2005-03-06

Sonny Side Up is a fine album. In particular, the piece called The Eternal Triangle sizzles with torrential energy. A more consistent album, in terms of style and instrumentation, is The Bop Sesson (reviewed below).

The following concerns The Eternal Triangle. The Eternal Triangle begins with a multi-instrument theme (30 seconds). Then there is a saxophone solo, apparently by Rollins (1 minute), then a short multi-instrument interlude, followed by another Rollins solo (1 min.). There follows then another sax solo, this time by Stitt. The Stitt solos are distinguished by the springiness of the connected notes, and because of Sonny Stitt's trademark "fly-away" fluorishes that he sometimes attaches to the end of a phrase. Rollins has a sharper, almost tearing, sound. Then comes a short multi-instrument interlude. There then follows an extended period (about 5 min.) of alternating sax solos, without any intervening interludes. Then comes a trumpet solo (1 min and 20 sec.), a multi-instrument interlude, another trumpet solo (1 min and 20 sec.), and lo and behold, a piano solo (50 seconds). After the piano solo is what might be construed as a drum solo, where the drum solo consists of eight alternating short exclamations by the trumpet and by the drums, in this order: trumpet drums, trumpet drums, trumpet drums, trumpet drums, trumpet drums, trumpet drums, trumpet drums, trumpet drums. This followed by the multi-instrument theme (30 sec.). The piece is be-bop from beginning to end.


Now this concerns The Bop Session, another album similar to (but less raw, if you don't mind the term "raw") than Sonny Side Up. "The Bop Session," was recorded on May 19-20, 1975. The album is on Sonet records, and is distributed by VOGUE. The musicians are Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, John Lewis, Percy Heath, Hank Jones, and Max Roach. The album is basically a shared Stitt/Gillespie album. All the pieces are in the "be bop" style. There are no Cuban congas, Brazilian harmonies, pleasant Broadway melodies, or sprited blues wailings. These chamber music pieces are unadorned with singing, chanting, electric guitars, or vibraphones. The piano and drums only have relatively short periods for soloing. On the other hand, the album could be called "The Percy Heath Bass Album," since bass notes spew continuously throughout, without pause, where the bass lines are always clearly defined and right out in front.

In all the pieces the saxophone comes from the left speaker, the trumpet from the right, and the bass, drums, and piano from the center. For best appreciation of the album, the volume should be turned up, to enable hearing Max Roach's clicking cymbol rhythms.

1. Blue'n'Boogie. This piece is unusual, in this set, because after the intro there is a piano solo (rather than a sax or trumpet solo). Next comes a sax solo which, at one point, appears to quote from a fragment of When the Saints Go Marching In. At another point, Mr.Stitt plays one note repeatedly, but with two different fingers, providing an interesting effect. Then there's a trumpet solo. Next a bass solo. There is a drum solo, which concludes with an alternating interlude. Overall, the alternating interlude could be construed as a drum solo, and it consists of the instruments taking turns like this: trumpet, sax, drums, trumpet, drums, sax, drums, trumpet, drums, and sax.

2. Confirmation. Confirmation and Groovin' High are tunes for all Americans to learn by heart. First comes a saxophone solo. The sax solo contains many notes, as one might expect. They are strung together in a way that invokes oozing honey, melting butter, or a cube of vibrating jelly. At one point in the solo, Mr.Stitt plays one note repeatedly, but with two different fingerings, providing a special effect (see above). There's a trumpet solo. Then a piano solo. Then come multiple bass solos, each bracketed by an ascending fluttering motif on trumpet/sax. There are six such ascending fluttering motifs.

3. Groovin' High. The sax solo consists of many notes, as one might expect, but one of them is distorted (intended or not). The single distorted note provides a more powerful effect than repeatedly playing distorted notes, here and there throughout the piece. (Thirty years ago, in the mid 70s, I heard Dave Holland and Sam Rivers at Keystone Korner in San Francisco. In the middle of one of the pieces, Sam Rivers stopped playing saxophone for a moment, and screamed into the microphone, then resumed playing. He didn't do that again, during that particular evening. Doing odd things once can have a bigger effect than doing them a plurality of times.) Then comes a trumpet solo. Then a piano solo. Groovin' High is unique among these pieces in that it concludes with a dramatic fanfare.

4. Lover Man. This piece is slow, though the lenghthy muted trumpet solo contains a few spurting arpeggios that are as quick as those found elsewhere in this set. Lover Man begins with a long sax solo. Then there's a muted trumpet solo. Then a short piano solo. Then a sax solo.

5. All the Things You Are. Begins with a sax and muted trumpet duet. Then a muted trumpet solo. Then sax solo. In this piece, the sax has a somewhat sharper tone, rather than the more honey-toned saxophone tone found in the other pieces. Then a piano solo. Then a non-muted trumpet interlude, DRUM SOLO, sax solo, DRUM SOLO, trumpet solo, DRUM SOLO, sax solo, DRUM SOLO, trumpet solo, DRUM SOLO, sax solo, DRUM SOLO, finally a duet with muted trumpet and sax.

6. Lady Bird. Lady Bird begins with a sax solo. The saxophone solo contains Sonny Stitt's trademark ascending fluttering arpeggios. Muted trumpet solo. Piano solo (the longest on this album). Bass solo. Drum solo. The ending comprises Sonny Stitt playin the tune (theme) while Gillespie improvides on this tume.

In my opinion, every American high school student should be issued a copy of "The Bop Session," prior to graduation, as part of their acculturation process.

Quite possibly the best "blowing" album ever.......2004-07-07

This is not an important album in the sense that something like Kind of Blue, or Birth of the Cool, or Giant Steps or Moanin' was. It is, however, a showcase of what modern jazz was originally all about: the jam session. This album is nothing more than a glorified jam session, but what a jam it is! All musicians, especially the Sonnys are in the finest of form, contributing burning soloes on the Eternal Triangle, hard swinging ones on Sunny Side of the Street, and finger-poppin' ones on After Hours. The playing is infectious: this cd will always put you in a good mood. I've debated with my friends many times over who wins in the fast Eternal Triangle: Stitt, with his bebop lines? Or Rollins, who somehow manages to be melodic even in this rapid atmosphere? But then Dizzy enters in with his trumpet way up high, and the "winner" question becomes impossible to answer. That's the way it is throughout the entire album, and that should be all the info one could ever need. A perfect 5 stars.

jazz at its best.......2004-06-01

wow this is the best jazz album i ever heard. giant steps comes close but wow this album is amazing. both sonny's sound great as usualy but its almost as tho they raised their game some. diz sounds great everyone sounds good this is a must buy get this album NOW!

Quite short, but a piece of JAZZ Heaven and History.......2003-09-09

There is no doubt that this session served to push both Stitt and Rollins to some of their best ("The Eternal Triangle" for Stitt and Rollins...and "..Sunny Side.." finding Rollins compact and captivating in his solo). "After Hours" is one of my favorite tunes (called 'the Black National Anthem' by one of my 80+ year old best friends), and while it is played for quite a while - it is literally more than a fourth of the recording - I could listen to Ray Bryant with brother Tommy all night long. This is a great recording, and I wouldn't 'pass it around' without keeping a close eye on it!

Average customer rating: An American Master (but it takes a European to know) Bird Lite? Mastery

The Complete Original Quartet Recordings Sonny Stitt , and Hank Jones Manufacturer: Lone Hill Jazz ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: New York Jazz Stitt's Bits: Bebop Recordings 1949-1952 Personal Appearance Sonny Stitt/Bud Powell/J.J. Johnson Hank Jones Quartet: Complete Recordings, Vol. 1 ASIN: B0008GIXFU Release Date: 2005-05-10

Tracks:

1. Afterwards
2. If I Should Lose You
3. Blues for Bobby
4. My Melancholy Baby
5. Cherokee
6. Engos, The Bloos
7. Body and Soul
8. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
9. Best Things in Life Are Free
10. People Will Say We're in Love
11. Bloosey
12. Bird's Eye
13. It Might as Well Be Spring
14. Fine and Frisky
15. No Cal
16. Corn Flakes
17. Eye Ball
18. Saginaw

Album Description

This 20-bit remastered collection contains two of Sonny Stitt's finest sessions in a quartet setting with the illustrious pianist Hank Joneson on one CD. Lonehill. 2005.

Album Details

This Exceptional Release Includes Two of Sonny Stitt's Finest Sessions in a Quartet Setting with the Illustrious Pianist Hank Jones. Jones' Delicate Piano Accompaniment and Tastefully Sparse Solos Mark the Perfect Complement to Stitt's Dazzling Virtuosic Display. Both Sessions Boast Exceptional Rhythm Sections with Tommy Potter and Roy Haynes Expertly Holding Down the Bass and Drum Chairs for the Stitt in Orbit Session and Wendell Marshall and Shadow Wilson Swinging Away on all of the Exciting Material from the Album Sonny Stitt and the New Yorkers. The Two Different Dates also Include Eight Original Stitt Compositions and Feature the Leader on Both Tenor and Alto Saxophone.

Customer Reviews:

An American Master (but it takes a European to know).......2007-06-08

A previous reviewer, Mr. Chandlee from Paris, has crafted a concise single-paragraph review as insightful for its evaluation of Stitt's music as for its appraisal of the immediate and more lasting cultural significance of this supreme player. In fact, it's the verbal equivalent of a Sonny Stitt solo! Hardly the most innovative musician, Stitt was certainly the "most perfect" of saxophone players. It's been estimated he recorded approximately 150 sessions under his own name in his 30-year-career. On the '50s Roost recordings (the tapes were thought lost until recently), he would arrive at the studio, quickly select 10 standards and proceed to play three-minute improvised solos that could not have been better constructed if composed in advance. The syntax wasn't as complex as Parker's but was no less original or remarkable for being a more universally understood logic (as the reviewer, Mr. Hodges, states more plainly in his review). And the beauty of his sound! "Pure" and "pellucid" but also undeniably "black," or "soulful"--a fully "embodied" tone on both saxophones. And the articulations--as crisp and fluent as any other saxophonist on the planet--but also capable of introducing tones with a warmly legato tonguing, followed through by a wistful, slightly elegaic quality alternating with the utter "presence" of the uptempo numbers, whether bebop sound & fury or inner-city blues.

Stitt was not an "open" improviser. He had his formulae, which he stitched seamlessly together and worked to perfection, which some listeners hold against him. His playing, or "system," is about "closure," rather than the continual creation of tension. I don't think Sonny ever saw a tonic chord he didn't like, and whenever the opportunity presented itself, he would touch "home base" before embarking on his next melodic excursion. As a listener, there are times when a Hank Mobley or Harold Land is like a fresh breath of air, but inevitably, even after Coltrane and Dexter, I return to the mastery of Stitt, who was instrumentally to the American Songbook what Sinatra was vocally. He was a ubiquitous lone wolf, a traveling musical gunslinger for hire who loved tenor and alto "battles" (I've always felt he was a bit more creative on alto, though his audiences, and probably Sonny as well, seemed to favor the tenor, especially for the "duels").

These two Roost sessions are merely representative, not quintessential, Stitt-- but even representative Stitt is timeless, quintessential jazz. Still, you might look for "New York Jazz" (Jimmy Jones rather than Hank Jones), which is like an Art Tatum recording--a bit overwhelming but indispensable; also "Sonny Stitt with the Oscar Peterson Trio" is worth the price of the Japanese import; and "In Style" finds him in rare form on both horns, sometimes on the same tune.

Sonny played through pain, hard knocks, heavy hang-overs, but he kept playing--and 90% of it is "can't miss." But avoid anything with "Ronnie Scott's" or "Left-Bank" in the title (both are rip-offs) as well as any sessions on which he distorts his gorgeous sound with the Selmer Varitone attachment that he favored for several years in the late '60s. Also, he appeared with Blakey's Jazz Messengers on two dates in the '60s--the 2nd one, on Impulse ("Jazz Message," I believe), is particularly lame (at least for a Stitt performance).

Perhaps the most currently prized out-of-print set is "Endgame Brilliance," a single CD compilation of the two studio sessions--"Tune Up" and "Constellation"--that caused musicians and critics to "rediscover" him in the early to mid-1970s. (It may be coming out as a Spanish import.) Finally, the most fascinating match-up in the music: the six months Sonny played with Miles in 1960 following the departure of Coltrane. It's a colossal struggle--Miles' new modernist, modal bag vs. Sonny's Bird-inherited harmonic universe and bop language. Miles tries everything to shove Sonny's face in the new music, but he'll have none of it. (I caught Sonny many times in person. He could be outgoing and personable--or as cold and "ornery," stubborn and independent as they come, barely more approachable than Miles). Neither player gives an inch on the Miles-Sonny confrontations (available only on overseas recordings made in France and Sweden).

Bird Lite?.......2006-09-30

My first reaction to hearing Sonny Stitt was "Bird Lite", like he was a kinder, gentler Charlie Parker. After listening to this CD every day since I got it, I would refine that initial impression. Sonny flies to the heights of a Parker, but he first adheres to the melody line of the (mostly) standards on this disk. And he plays that line with beauty and control. Then, when he takes off into the improvisational stratosphere, it's a lot easier to mentally attach the variations to the melody. Also, the effect of the sudden acceleration is breath-taking. I love Charlie, but I find SS a more listenable music experience. I love garlic, but I don't eat the cloves raw, know what I mean?

My prior exposure to Sonny Stitt was through his late career recordings on Verve. The playing here seems vastly more assured. And as noted below, the remastering job is awesome: you really get to hear the delicate nature of the tone of the sax; his alto always seemed a little screechy to my ears on the Verve records. And the bonus is the piano work of Hank Jones. Wow! Complex, melodic, and perfectly simpatico with the horn.

This CD is really something special; it's one of those rare jazz records where all the elements come together perfectly. Nearly 80 minutes worth, and I'm always a little sad when it's over. If I had any complaint at all, it's that I would have liked to have heard more of his tenor sax playing, which is confined to the last few tracks.

Mastery.......2006-03-08

The advent of the CD, with its close-up reproduction of the sound of the saxophone, has been particularly kind to the late Sonny Stitt by bringing out his remarkable sonority on tenor and here primarily on alto. For those who knew Stitt from variable-quality LPs, the first exposure to his best recordings on CD can be hair-raising. Here on 13 cuts he is superbly accompanied by Hank Jones, Wendell Marshall and Shadow Wilson, also featured to great advantage on a recent live 50s release with Monk and Coltrane. Obviously inspired, Stitt's fiery, hard-edged yet voluptuous sound is the capper on his superb mastery of the three other parameters - melody, harmony and rhythm. Sonny Stitt did it all, as few others ever have, if truth be known. Of course as a musician who came up during the years when Charlie Parker dominated the jazz landscape, his playing is within the idiom created by Bird. But attentive listening reveals Sonny's originality and unique brilliance. Like Handel, Vivaldi and Telemann who made inestimable contributions while never reaching the level of JS Bach, Stitt's playing, while not as complex and innovative as Bird's, seemed to effortlessly attain gorgeous summits on days like these sessions with Hank Jones. His intensity and blues heat often transcends bebop and even jazz, exemplifying a popular musical form all his own, somewhere between rhythm and blues, song and the big-city night sound of the old black neighborhoods, where Stitt was a popular hero, incessantly on tour, ever constant to the blues and immensely respected for his faithfulness both to Bird's idiom and to himself. To some degree, his omnipresence and mastery consoled jazz fans for the premature departure of the incomparable Bird. These sides are exemplary of the rewards for the listener attentive to his confidence, control, kaleidoscopic yet always relevant virtuosity, and his urbane yet exalting soulfulness.

Average customer rating: Gene & Sonny on Verve: Round 2 The Price of Progress An album of its time Sublimely Soulful

Boss Tenors in Orbit (Dlx) (Dig) Gene Ammons , and Sonny Stitt Manufacturer: Umvd Labels ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: God Bless Jug and Sonny We'll Be Together Again Boss Tenors: Straight Ahead from Chicago 1961 Groovin' with Jug Quadromania ASIN: B00006466T Release Date: 2002-06-04

Tracks:

1. Long Ago And Far Away
2. Walkin'
3. Why Was I Born?
4. John Brown's Body
5. Bye-Bye, Blackbird

Customer Reviews:

Gene & Sonny on Verve: Round 2.......2006-09-14

This is the second of two albums Gene and Sonny made for Verve in 1961-62, and it's a beauty. One of the best tracks on the CD is LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY, a slow ballad, with wonderfully lush solos by both tenormen. Organist Don Patterson lays down a soft, deep carpet for the men to play on as well. Sonny plays alto on WHY WAS I BORN, taken medium tempo that features a long extended ending as both men seem determined to have the last word. BYE BYE BLACKBIRD has excellent exchanges between Gene and Sonny near the end. Guitarist Paul Weeden has a decent enough solo on WALKIN', but sounds a bit clunky and obtrusive on JOHN BROWN'S BODY. This CD is not quite on the same extraordinary level as the earlier Verve BOSS TENORS, but anything with Gene and Sonny playing together on it will never disappoint.

The Price of Progress.......2004-07-14

As a result of remaining vigilant on Ebay, I've recently been able to restore the original monophonic vinyl LP to my collection. Now I know why this session has always been one of my 6-7 desert island discs. I'm sure the engineers who remastered this date were proud of their work: the two horns sound like they're rooms, practically worlds, apart; Billy James' drum kit sounds as "clean" as a Boss Dr. Jazz digital rhythm machine; Donald Patterson's bass lines are so definitive they sound like a separate instrument from his B3. The B3 itself has the immaculate sound of a new instrument (just what every true B3-lover despises). The ensemble ambience is so dry and unforgiving that the horns occasionally seem to be out of tune with each other and the rhythm section.

In short, it's a wonder that even the inspired musicmaking of this extraordinary pair somehow rises above the technology. Take it from me, the humble mono LP is far closer to the way this ensemble sounded when I heard them play in the early '60's at McKie's Show Lounge on Chicago's south side. There was no space (literally) between the musicians or between the musicians and the listeners (on more than one occasion I simply reached across the bar to supply Sonny with his drink--didn't even have to get off the stool). Only on the vinyl do you begin to feel included in the sound mix, much as in the club itself.

Granted, the CD reissue isn't as indispensable as the original, but it's still exemplary Ammons-Stitt-Patterson, and most musicians I know have ears that can "translate" even bad audio reproduction into sublime musical content (which helps explain the high regard for much early recorded material by Bird, Billie, Satchmo, and even Tatum).

For the record, Sonny plays tenor and not alto on "Walkin'", the blues line made famous by Miles. He's so fluid and comfortable in the upper register of the instrument that it's easy to be fooled. And whether you call it "John Brown's Body" or "Battle Hymn," there are many players and listeners alike who will find these public domain chord changes, like those of the blues, felicitous ones to blow on.

An album of its time.......2002-10-23

An album where Sonny Stitt comes at you from the left channel and Gene Ammons from the right.Confusingly on "Walkin'" Stitt also plays alto as well, and on "Why was I born" he plays only Alto.So not completely Boss Tenors throughout!. However the blowing is joyous across nearly the whole album, and the pair were clearly at the height of their powers. The reason for only four stars really has to do with the material, which seems very much of its time.Recorded during the Civil war centennial "John Brown's body" is the nadir,with both players attempting to move away from the 'hard to improvise on' theme by throwing reducing clusters of notes at each other. This is really a shame, but at 7.22 it takes up a substantial part of the playing time on the CD.The other four tracks are really good, however.Favourites are the version of Jimmy Mundy's "Walkin'" and an excellent take of Kern& Hammersteins "Why was I born". The rhythm section is excellent throughout, though Don Patterson is rather more restrained than I would have liked (perhaps in defference to the hard blowing that's going on in front of him)and Paul Weeden on guitar and Billy James on drums propelling the whole session along really well. The remastering is excellent, and it would have been a five star review if it weren't for THAT version of John Brown's body!

Sublimely Soulful.......2002-10-22

If your thing is "tough tenors" (though Sonny switches to alto on "Walkin" and "Why Was I Born?") accompanied by masterfully-played Hammond B3 (without any gratuitous bass player), this album will represent an unequaled event. It's also the best recording by 4 of the most soulful, empathetic musicians who ever played together--Jug and Sonny, organist Donald Patterson, and Sonny's favorite drummer, Billy James.

The abum has been reissued several times under different titles and formats. The original LP opened with "Bye Bye Blackbird," featuring Donald Patterson's fresh, original chord changes (outclassing players like Jack Macduff and Jimmy Smith). The playing of Sonny and Jug is as lyrical and inspired as it's earthy and funky. And it's so much more than another "cutting contest." These are two musicians for whom the whole point of human existence is playing music, all the better if you can play it together--and neither player ever sounded better.

"John Brown's Body" (a tune that's become a signature number for Monty Alexander) is literally exhumed and reanimated by Jug and Sonny. Like Horace Silver's "The Preacher" (based on "Show Me the Way to Go Home" changes) it's an infectious "public domain" tune that brings out the spirits of both saxophonists at their most communicative, from extended emotive choruses to a feisty exchange of 4's. Patterson's a delight whether or not he's soloing (and he does get some extended solo space), because of his logical bass lines, rich registrations, judicious use of the Leslies, and responsiveness to his two boss men. Billy James synchronizes the time clock of his trap cymbals to Patterson's walking left foot and gooses the principals at every opportunity.

And whether you love Gene Ammons or wonder why you should, simply listen to his building, passionate, inimitable sound on the opening track. All the man needs is a single note and he can simply knock you out--much like the sound of Judy Garland's voice.

In short, this album comes closer than any other to capturing these two tenor titans at the top of their game. It's the way I remember them from their very best nights at the long-gone Chicago southside jazz club, McKee's Show Club (at 63rd and Cottage Grove). The remastering, though state of the art, does in effect produce some "digital drying-out" of those "dirty" Hammond frequencies and overtones (if you have a good LP version, save it). All the same, I'd swap 5 Joey D's and even Jimmy's "The Sermon" for this session.

Average customer rating: Sizzling! Merely perfect

New York Jazz Sonny Stitt Manufacturer: Verve ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Verve | Verve Music Group | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Personal Appearance The Complete Original Quartet Recordings Sonny Side Up Sonny Stitt/Bud Powell/J.J. Johnson Johnny Griffin Sextet ASIN: B00004SNQW Release Date: 2003-06-10

Tracks:

1. Norman's Blues
2. I Know That You Know
3. If I Had You
4. Alone Together
5. Twelfth Street Rag
6. Down Home Blues
7. Sonny's Tune
8. Stars Fell On Alabama
9. Body And Soul
10. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

Customer Reviews:

Sizzling!.......2006-03-10

A friend said Stitt was probably his favorite jazz saxophonist. I was slightly embarrassed to admit I hadn't heard of him, so I thought I'd educate myself.

Am I glad I did! This is a great CD. The solos will burn up your CD player. The supporting cast is great as well. If you like bebop, or just a casual jazz fan, I suggest you add some Stitt to your collection.

Merely perfect.......2004-03-31

Sonny Stitt may not be the most adventurous, the most unpredictable, the best saxophonist of all time, but he certainly is the most perfect. No one plays with more impeccable logic, executes with better technique or offers a truer sound--at once pure and direct and rich, warm and soulful. And he manages to maintain this perfection despite being listed as a leader on no fewer than 150 separate recording sessions (albums, not tracks)! He may not be the omega of saxophonists, but he should be considered the alpha by anyone who hopes to play the instrument.

One of the big myths among even those players who respect Sonny's playing is that his so-called "popular" recordings--the early Roosts and Verves on which he turns in 5-6 flawless gems on each side of the record--can be overlooked in favor of his earlier pairings with Diz and Rollins or his later virtuosic work on Muse. On the contrary, it's on these miniature performances where Sonny's unique genius is especially apparent. Allowing himself no more than a couple of choruses he still manages to construct logically complete, emotionally satisfying solos with a beginning, middle, and end, time and time again. Just listen to what he does with "Alone Together"--first on tenor, then switching horns and taking the tune out with another textbook solo on alto.

This reissue is especially welcome because it complements Sonny with an ideal rhythm section. Jo Jones was the prototypal straightahead swinging drummer during his Basie tenure; Jimmy Jones was always the self-effacing accompanist for Sarah Vaughan, and Ray Brown could be whatever the occasion demanded. All three merely lay down a harmonic/rhythmic track and stay out of Sonny's way--as it should be.

Average customer rating: A Jazz Master Goes Out In Style very solid final effort The last from a legend

Last Stitt Sessions, Vols. 1 & 2 Sonny Stitt Manufacturer: Savoy Jazz ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: New York Jazz Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall ASIN: B00009UVXZ Release Date: 2003-07-01

Tracks:

1. Steamroller
2. I'll Be Seeing You
3. Out of Nowhere
4. Sweet Georgia Brown
5. Keepin' It
6. This Is Always
7. Makin' It
8. Angel Eyes
9. At Last
10. Bouncing with Bud
11. As Time Goes By
12. Swifty
13. Sugar
14. Jumpin' the Blues

Customer Reviews:

A Jazz Master Goes Out In Style.......2007-05-07

If anyone needed a reminder of the integrity of Stitt's playing, these sessions provide more than an adequate example. Stitt knew his niche and explored it to it's fullest capacity. He's completely on top of his game on these sessions and gives no hint of the illness he was dealing with at the time. Remarkable music from a remarkable musician. - Alan Chase, Dover NH.

very solid final effort.......2006-10-05

These final recordings of Sonny Stitt are beautifully played and recorded. Accompanied by bass, drums, and piano on the first part with the addition of trumpet on some of volume two. A wonderful CD. If you enjoy this disc, I would also strongly recommend Stan Getz "The Lost Sessions" which were also recorded toward the end of his long career and contains some fantastic music.

The last from a legend.......2005-04-09

If you are a serious jazz head...this CD should be part of your colledtion. It was recorded about a month before Sonny Stitt's death in 1982 and he was playing at the top of his game. Stitt was a competotor who loved to jam...and he had done battle with the best...Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Flip Phillips, Ben Webster and the like from his years with "Jazz At The Philharmonic". Simply put, "this cat could play". He is backed on this album by either Junior Mance or Walter Davis on piano, George DuVivier on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums.

Average customer rating: Fantastic Listen !

Stitt Meets Brother Jack Sonny Stitt and Jack McDuff Manufacturer: Ojc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Soul-Jazz & Boogaloo | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Soul People Soul Summit Down Home Blues New York Jazz Arc Angels ASIN: B000000YWT Release Date: 1992-02-17

Tracks:

1. All Of Me
2. Pam Ain't Blue
3. Time After Time
4. Ringin' In
5. 'Nother Fu'ther
6. When Sonny Gets Blue
7. Thirty-Three, Ninety-Six

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic Listen !.......1999-11-23

This is the laid back side of both Stitt and McDuff... Its not your juke box grinding Jimmy McGriff or "prototypical" McDuff stuff like HOT BARBEQUE and ROCK CANDY, instead, it shows his brilliant ability to create toe tapping basslines and gritty/soulful chord comps. The solos are concise there and to the point... and Stitt plays into it like a fish into the mouth of a shark. Again, the thing to listen is the way McDuff's yummy basslines fall into the groove of the rhythm section (guitar, conga and drums) - - The only thing missing is a very young George Benson and some hot barbeque over at Sylvia's. - - Take a listen to a bit of Jerry Weldon or Sam Yahel after this to see how these sounds, though recorded in the early '60s, are still very contemporary.

Average customer rating: Bud yes, but what a Sonny !!! Transcendent Bud A True Classic BUD POWELL! A gem

Sonny Stitt/Bud Powell/J.J. Johnson Sonny Stitt , Bud Powel , and J.J. Johnson Manufacturer: Ojc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Sonny Side Up New York Jazz Boss Tenors: Straight Ahead from Chicago 1961 The Complete Original Quartet Recordings Sits in with the Oscar Peterson Trio ASIN: B000000Y0C Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. All God's Chillun Got Rhythm - Bud Powell
2. Sonny Side - Bud Powell
3. Bud's Blues - Bud Powell
4. Sunset - Bud Powell
5. Fine And Dandy (Take I) - Bud Powell
6. Fine And Dandy (Take 2) - Bud Powell
7. Strike Up The Band - Bud Powell
8. I Want To Be Happy - Bud Powell
9. Taking A Chance On Love - Bud Powell
10. Afternoon In Paris (Take I) - John Lewis
11. Afternoon In Paris (Take 2) - John Lewis
12. Elora (Take I) - John Lewis
13. Elora (Take 2) - John Lewis
14. Teapot (Take I) - John Lewis
15. Teapot (Take 2) - John Lewis
16. Blue Mode (Take I) - John Lewis
17. Blue Mode (Take 2) - John Lewis

Customer Reviews:

Bud yes, but what a Sonny !!!.......2004-08-09

Bud played some of his best music here that's for sure and I say this thing too just to clarify that I agree with other reviewers who tribute the genius of Bud Powell on this particular recording. But the other guys' review lack words about Sonny who was the main actor of this music. Here he was in his tenor period so his playing is somewhat different from what we are used to hear from him. Personally I prefer his alto playing simply because with the alto Sonny was almost unreachable. With the alto he had an incredibly shining sound and he was able to blow chorus after chorus with tons of ideas. The tenor slowed him a little bit, he was forced to play differently, still in the bop idiom but with lesser "turns" and "curves" .. still he remained the boppest tenorman out there! In my opinion a lot better than a lot of celebated tenorman of the sixties .. Some, probably non-parker aficionados like him most with the tenor, I don't agree because I'm a parkerian, but Sonny Stitt remains Sonny Stitt even if you left him only his whistle .. It is true that what matters here are the first nine tracks and that the J.J.Johnson session are less important, altought still splendid recordings too. But the titans encounter between Stitt and Bud is something that every jazzcat should own in his collection! Just in case you forgot how bad those two were!!!

Transcendent Bud.......2004-04-19

It's really the Powell-Stitt tracks that matter, and they contain some of the most inventive and articulate piano playing in the entire history of jazz. On "All God's Children," Bud's choruses build on each other with dizzying creativity; the flow of ideas at such an astounding tempo is almost too much to grasp.

Bud's solo on "Strike Up the Band" begins as if he had already been playing silently for a chorus (of course, he'd been comping for Stitt to good effect!): you have to catch up with the ideas, and when you do, he doesn't disappoint; the musical narrative is both moving and surprising. Moreover, the way he backs Stitt, with highly syncopated chord punctuations, brings out the best in Sonny.

Often overlooked is the incredible subtlety in Bud's playing, in addition to the astonishing tempos, and this sets him apart from other jazz pianists. His incisive yet elegant touch is almost classical: he forces the listener to concentrate on how he shapes musical ideas and on the ways he manipulates notes with distinctive "trills" and arpeggios. I can never hear these tracks enough, and each time I listen I hear something new. This is pure Bud, pure genius, and Bud is boss!

A True Classic.......2002-12-07

What can anyone say? Powell's playing is PERFECT. Not only no bad notes whatsoever, but not even any remotely QUESTIONABLE notes. The rest of the gang are amazing, but Bud is PERFECT. I don't even listen to the non-Bud tracks.

I can't wait to get my live in NY 1944-49 CD.

BUD POWELL!.......2002-01-05

Unquestionably tracks 1 to 9 contain the best uptempo modern jazz piano playing on record. The piano must have been still smoking after he finished this assault!

Great playing from Sonny Stitt, but even he's left looking a bit flat-footed by the dazzingly incisive work of Bud Powell. I first heard this when I was quite young and unfortunately everything else I've heard since then by him or by anyone else for that matter was bound to seem a little second-rate by comparison. It's amazing music!

A gem.......2001-07-12

This essential-to-own recording captures every one of the players at the top of their form. Powell and Stitt at their very best, wonderfully complementing each other. Speed, articulation, creativity, soul, tight group, bebop at its very best. Don't even ask, just own it.

Average customer rating: An Unforgettable Musical Journey Essential for all who appreciate the saxophone.

Sits in with the Oscar Peterson Trio Sonny Stitt with Oscar Peterson Trio Manufacturer: Umvd Import ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000M5AKZI Release Date: 2007-05-01

Tracks:

1. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
2. Privave
3. Gypsy
4. I'll Remember April
5. Scrapple from the Apple
6. Moten Swing
7. Blues for Pres, Sweets, Ben & All the Other Funky Ones
8. Easy Does It
9. I Didn't Know What Time It Was [*]
10. I Remember You [*]
11. I Know That You Know [*]

Customer Reviews:

An Unforgettable Musical Journey.......2007-07-15

"If there had never been a Bird, there would have been a Sonny Stitt." ~ Kenny Clarke, Drummer ~

In this outstanding recording, the living legend of jazz piano, Oscar Peterson, takes a back seat, shies away from the limelight and gives the remarkably brilliant saxophonist, Sonny Stitt the center of attention as they offer the listeners an unforgettable musical journey to the world of great jazz with the support of a talented crew of seasoned jazzers such as Ray Brown (bass), Ed Thigpen and Stan Levey (drums) and Herb Ellis (guitar).

The original album, produced by a well-respected name in record production, Norman Granz, only includes the first eight tracks, which were recorded in Paris on May of 1959 while the CD format has three additional tracks - these are the last three, which were recorded in Los Angeles on October of 1957 and all previously unissued. Moreover, it also boasts of an original composition by Sonny Stitt, "Blues for Pres, Sweets, Ben & all The Other Funky Ones."

On Liner Notes written by James Isaacs in 1991: "For Sonny Stitt, any place he played his horns was home." True enough, Sonny Stitt (1924-1982) was completely at-ease doing his craft excellently, thus, making him one of the best and most prolific alto and tenor saxophonists not only in his time but of all-time. What I love most from his recordings is "Sweet And Lovely" - this is one of the best jazz tunes ever recorded!

The best tracks here include a time-tested standard, "I Can't Give You Anything But Love,' which showcases Sonny Stitt's mastery and flair in sax playing. "The Gypsy" beguiled my ears with its instrumentation particularly Mr. Stitt's powerful and sweepingly beautiful sound of his saxophone. And not to mention two of the most charming tunes from this CD, "I Remember You" and "I'll Remember April."

This CD goes beyond the ordinary listening experience so just immerse yourself in the pulsating sounds of jazz and enjoy! I wholeheartedly recommend it not only for Stitt and Peterson fans but for jazz aficionados as well.

Essential for all who appreciate the saxophone........2007-06-22

The virtuoso, indeed the "most perfect" alto and tenor saxophonist of them all, in the company of his pianist equivalent. This isn't the first reissue (give the Japanese credit for recognizing it for what it was), but it's the first that some might consider "affordable." Released two months ago, it appears on other sites but may be difficult to obtain, since I see that Amazon isn't presently offering it (copyright problems?).

It's practically criminal that this superlative session, originally recorded by Verve in 1959, hasn't come out as a domestic reissue, but at least this Canadian import, provided you can locate it, is available at a more reasonable price than some previous Japanese editions. The original liner notes, describing the joint musicmaking of Stitt and Peterson as "four of the fastest hands that jazz has known," does an injustice to a musical summit meeting that features a relatively conservative Peterson piano and a tradition-minded Stitt, honoring Charlie Parker on the program's first half, then moving from alto to a Prez-influenced tenor for the second half. The tempos are moderate to slow, allowing ample room for Stitt's full-bodied, richly expressive tone, as is evident on the very first track, a medium-up "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," on which Stitt's alto sound is alternately articulate and legato, lush and light. "Blues for Pres, Sweets, Ben and All the Other Funky Ones" finds Stitt on tenor for a slow-tempoed, heartfelt yet thoughtful musical love letter from one inimitable voice to some others no less personal and identifiable. Be careful not to fall into the trap of writing this album off as "another Stitt blowing session": it easily belongs in the top ten of all 500 Stitt recordings. The reissue includes three new tunes from a 1957 Stitt-Peterson date with the addition of Herb Ellis' guitar.

Average customer rating: Complete Early Recordings!!

Sax o' Bebop Sonny Stitt Manufacturer: Proper UK Boxed Sets ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Bebop Years Settin' the Pace Big Ben The Wardell Gray Story Town Hall, New York City, June 22, 1945 ASIN: B0000DZH5B Release Date: 2003-10-27

Tracks:

1. One Bass Hit, Pt. 1 - Dizzy Gillespie Sextet
2. Oop Bop Sh'bam - Dizzy Gillespie Sextet
3. That's Earl, Brother - Dizzy Gillespie Sextet
4. Bebop in Pastel
5. Fool's Fancy
6. Bombay
7. Ray's Idea
8. Serenade to a Square
9. Good Kick
10. Seven Up
11. Blues in Bebop
12. Epistrophy - Kenny Clarke
13. 52nd Street Theme - Kenny Clarke & His 52nd Street Boys
14. Oop-Bop-Sh'bam - Kenny Clarke
15. Royal Roost - Kenny Clarke & His 52nd Street Boys
16. Boppin' a Riff
17. Fat Boy
18. Everything's Cool
19. Webb City
20. Stardust - Lord Nelson and His Boppers
21. Third Song - Lord Nelson and His Boppers
22. Body and Soul - Lord Nelson and His Boppers
23. Ratio and Proportion - Lord Nelson and His Boppers

Tracks:

1. Red Shoes
2. Be Bop Blues
3. Royal Wedding
4. Fine and Dandy
5. Scamparoo - Russell Jacquet
6. Suede Jacquet - Russell Jacquet
7. Lion's Roar - Russell Jacquet
8. Relaxin' - Russell Jacquet
9. Afternoon in Paris - Jay Jay Johnson, Sonny Stitt
10. Elora - Jay Jay Johnson, Sonny Stitt
11. Teapot - Jay Jay Johnson, Sonny Stitt
12. Blue Mode - Jay Jay Johnson, Sonny Stitt
13. Blue Mode [Alternate Take] - Jay Jay Johnson, Sonny Stitt
14. All God's Chillun Got Rhythm - Bud Powell, Sonny Stitt
15. Sonnyside
16. Bud's Blues - Bud Powell, Sonny Stitt
17. Sunset - Bud Powell, Sonny Stitt
18. Move
19. Hot House
20. Strike Up the Band - Bud Powell, Sonny Stitt
21. I Want to Be Happy - Bud Powell, Sonny Stitt
22. Taking a Chance on Love - Bud Powell, Sonny Stitt
23. Fine and Dandy - Bud Powell, Sonny Stitt
24. Fine and Dandy [Alternate Take] - Bud Powell, Sonny Stitt

Tracks:

1. Avalon
2. Later
3. Ain't Misbehavin'
4. Mean to Me
5. Stairway to the Stars
6. Touch of the Blues - Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt
7. Bye Bye - Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt
8. Blues Up and Down - Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt
9. You Can Depend on Me [Take 1] - Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt
10. You Can Depend on Me [Take 2] - Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt
11. Chabootie
12. Count Every Star
13. Nice Work If You Can Get It
14. There Will Never Be Another You
15. Blazin'
16. Seven Eleven
17. To Think You've Chosen Me
18. After You've Gone
19. Our Very Own
20. 'S Wonderful
21. Stringin' the Jug

Tracks:

1. Nevertheless
2. Jeepers Creepers
3. Imagination
4. Cherokee
5. Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)
6. Can't We Be Friends?
7. New Blues Up and Down, Pts. 1-3
8. Thrill of Your Kiss
9. If the Moon Turns Green
10. P.S. I Love You
11. This Can't Be Love
12. I Cover the Waterfront
13. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
14. Down with It
15. For the Fat Man
16. Splinter
17. I'm Confessin'
18. Cool Mambo
19. Sonny Sounds
20. Blue Mambo
21. Stitt's It
22. Sancho Panza - Johnny Richards Orchestra, Sonny Stitt
23. Hooke's Tours - Johnny Richards Orchestra, Sonny Stitt
24. Opus 202 - Johnny Richards Orchestra, Sonny Stitt
25. Loose Walk - Johnny Richards Orchestra, Sonny Stitt
26. Pink Satin - Johnny Richards Orchestra, Sonny Stitt

Album Description

UK exclusive box-set for one of the greatest sax players to emerge in the post bebop era, originally known as a disciple of Charlie Parker. Includes 40 page booklet with discography. Standard jewel cases housed in a slipcase. Proper. 2003.

Album Details

One of the Greatest Sax Players to Emerge in the Post-bebop Era, this Four CD Set is a Comprehensive Guide to his Early Years. The Set Includes a Booklet with Full Discography, Rare Photographs and Full Liner Notes.

Customer Reviews:

Complete Early Recordings!!.......2005-05-22

This 4-CD set captures all Stitt's recordings from his debut in 1946 with Dizzy Gillespie on Savoy, through the Prestige Years of 1949 to 1951, ending with his first Roost recording session in 1952 with Johnny Richards.

Stitt was one of the foremeost bebop saxophonists, a true virtuoso who raised technical standards for saxophonists everywhere. He was widely admired by musicians as diverse as Oscar Peterson, Zoot Sims, Booker Ervin and John Coltrane. A formidable player, he loved to "battle" with other horn players, forcing them to play at their best.

Stitt started on alto sax, later adding tenor and baritone. His technique on all three horns is amazing. Adding the other horns
made him a more complete and soulful player. Like Parker, he excels at the blues and soulful ballads. Few players, then or now, could stay with him on up-tempo numbers.

This is an exhaustive survey of his early stuff. Some of the material is very good, the Gillespie material and the Prestige quartet sides from 1950 and 1951 are great. The most critically acclaimed sides are a quartet date with Bud Powell from 1949
and a quintet date with John Lewis and JJ Johnson from around the same time. Stitt's tenor playing here is among his best.

The band Stitt co-led with Gene Ammons is here as well, but I find the 1960s Boss Tenors sessions much preferable to this stuff, which is a bit raw. You may also find the period vocals
by obscure singers offputting. Stitt plays well on the Johnny Richards stuff, but the busy, contrived arrangements don't suit his style.

I like the quartet sides from 1950 & 1951. Stitt is the focus of attention and plays beautifully on these, whether on alto tenor or baritone, on which he shows more ability than many full time baritone players. Stitt is so obviously superior to most of his contemporaries that the presence of other soloists, as on the "Bebop Boys" Savoy sessions is merely distracting. True, Fats Navarro and Bud Powell are on these, but so are some other players who tend to ramble on.

The sound quality is pretty variable. Two sessions recorded for an obscure Detroit label seem to have been recorded in an echo chamber. There is some distortion on some of the Prestige stuff. The Savoy and Roost material sounds pretty good, remembering that these were 78rpm recordings.

Of great historical interest, as much early Bud Powell is here, but not essential unless you are a Stitt fan. Nice to have and not expensive to buy. Very informative booklet as well.

Average customer rating: A Must Have Hard to Beat Potent Package Stitt was never better than on these Cobbelstone dates. Sonny Blows Up A Storm

Endgame Brilliance: Constellation & Tune-Up Sonny Stitt Manufacturer: 32. Jazz Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Sits in with the Oscar Peterson Trio The Complete Original Quartet Recordings Goin' Down Slow Sonny Stitt/Bud Powell/J.J. Johnson Just In Case You Forgot How Bad He Really Was ASIN: B000005BE8 Release Date: 1997-04-01

Tracks:

1. Constellation
2. (I Don't Stand) A Ghost Of A Chance With You
3. Webb City
4. By Accident
5. Ray's Idea
6. Casbah
7. It's Magic
8. Topsy
9. Tune Up
10. I Can't Get Started
11. Idaho
12. Just Friends
13. Blues For Prez And Bird
14. Groovin' High
15. I Got Rhythm

Amazon.com

Of all the saxophonists that would be touched deeply by the genius of Charlie Parker, Sonny Stitt came away from the experience indelibly marked. Endgame Brilliance finds Stitt decades removed from Parker, recording in 1972, fronting a ready-to-rumble quartet rounded out by pianist Barry Harris, bassist Sam Jones, and either Alan Dawson or Roy Brooks on drums. They play with palpable sizzle on both the sessions here (originally released on Muse Records as Constellation and Tune Up!), tackling an array of bop cornerstones and more. Stitt blazes through the title track to "Tune Up," alerting the ears that he's not one to pull punches. But he also plays with late-night romance in his heart on "(I Don't Stand) A Ghost of a Chance with You" and strutting soul in his hips on "By Accident." In all, the 15 tracks of Endgame Brilliance amount to a primer on bop, blues, and balladry at once. It's some of Stitt's finest playing on record, and all of it comes off as an extended simple, inspired, game-winning jump shot. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

A Must Have.......2007-01-14

This hard-to-find CD, containing the tracks from TWO even harder to find vinyls, is an absolute must-have. Sonny takes all other players to school on the tenor, and in passing shows himself to be a jazzman of the first rank. This recording, along with Boss Tenors, and Sonny Side Up, shows you what Sonny Stitt can do in a variety of settings. I never could see why being in the Bird tradition was like some kind of fault. Listen to Stitt then to Parker-- well it's a very near thing. Endgame Brilliance is the CD your friends will beg to borrow. I'm thrilled I was able to grab a copy! Beautiful beautiful stuff.

Hard to Beat.......2005-07-01

Out of the hundreds of jazz CDs that I own, this is one of my favorites.

Barry Harris on piano,
Sam Jones on bass,
Roy Brooks on drums.

This album is actually a compilation of 2 of Stitts previously released records. From the cover:

Tune-Up! and Constellation are among the best records Sonny Stitt ever made, and, without question, are the two finest examples of his late period work. Aside from their inherent musical brilliance, they go a long way to show just why Stitt was so respected by his peers and revered as one of the giants of modern jazz. Both records were originally released on the now defunct Muse label. Even though Constellation was nominated for a Grammy and Tune-Up! was as critically acclaimed, both records have been relatively hard to find. Now they're both on one disk.

Tune Up! and Constellation were originally released 1972

Potent Package.......2005-02-19

It's always bothered me that the world's most ubiquitous and prolifically recorded saxophonist, not to mention arguably the most "perfect" tenor and alto player in the history of jazz, was not "discovered" by many critics and listeners until two no-nonsense, straight-ahead, blistering sessions that he recorded for Cobblestone records in the mid-seventies: "Tune-Up" and "Constellation." Both of these stellar sessions are collected on this CD, but how frustrating that not only has the original label gone under but its successor, "32 Jazz," has folded as well. Fortunately, I've been able to locate a mint LP copy of "Constellation" to go along with the earlier session, but this music would admittedly receive far more playing time from me if it were on a single CD.

If you can locate "Endgame Brilliance" (and at a time when you're not too strapped financially), by all means grab it up. These may be Stitt's best recordings during the last ten years of his career; they're certainly among his most uncompromising. On "Tune-Up" Sonny turns in a tour-de-force on "I Got Rhythm" changes, using two tempos and both of his horns. On "Constellation" he uses the same changes, ups the tempo a notch, and sticks to alto, once again confirming my slight preference for his work on the smaller and lighter instrument.

[Addendum: The two sessions are not yet available domestically but can be ordered in a single-CD format from Spain (do a search for Fresh Sound Records). Listening to the disc now, I'm going to say that it's quintessential, not necessarily the "best," Stitt. In effect, these two 1972 dates represented Sonny stripping his horns of his Selmer Varitone device, announcing an aversion to the Hammond B3 organ, and moving beyond the '60s "funk/soul artist" tag. It was an inspirational moment to keepers of the flame at a time when country, fusion, and disco ruled the day.]

Stitt was never better than on these Cobbelstone dates........2001-11-14

After several years of indifferent recording sessions for a variety of labels, Sonny Stitt walked in and blew the house down on these two early 70's dates for Cobbelstone Records (NOT "Muse" as was stated above--"Muse" put out LP reissues in the 1980's!). I think Stitt was invigorated by the tour he had just done with the "Giants of Jazz" and was pushed harder by this swingin' combo than he had been in years. There was never a more fluid and melodic sax player than Sonny Stitt--and that INCLUDES Bird. I can't reccomend this reissue highly enough.

Sonny Blows Up A Storm.......2000-02-21

This disc is mistitled - it should have been called "Sonny Blows Up A Storm". This is 78 minutes of some of the best straight-ahead jazz I've ever heard. It rolls from one great song to the next without ever giving you a chance to catch your breath. I started listening to jazz about 6 months ago and this disc is easily my favorite. Every note is right on the money and there's none of the screeching and growling you get with Coltrane. If you like this CD I also recommend "The Champ" and "Sonny Side Up".

Jazz Music:

1. Soul Trombone [Limited Edition] [Original recording remastered] [Import]
2. Soultrane [Import]
3. Spellbinder [Original recording remastered]
4. Steamin [Import]
5. Sunday at the Village Vanguard [Import]
6. Take Twelve
7. Terumasa Hino/Masabumi Kikuchi Quntet [Import] [Original recording remastered]
8. That's Him [Import]
9. The Indispensible, Vol. 3-4 (1937-1938) [Import]
10. The Marlowe Suite

Jazz Music

jazz music