Album of the Week July 20 to July 26

[Brad]

Thanks to Lon for picking me to select the Album of the Week for July 20 to July 26. This is probably a little premature since we only just started July but the album of the week will be Endgame Brilliance. I picked this because I wanted to pick Sonny and assume that many of you have this already. More to come later.

[AfricaBrass]

Nice choice!

You get two great albums for the price of 1.

I'll look forward to it.

:rsmile:

[JSngry]

Just got back from the closet, and I'll have the original 5-star Down Beat reviews for both albums ready to post when the time comes.

Found a WHOLE buncha interesting stuff while looking for them, including a Grant Geen Blindfold Test!

[pryan]

A most excellent choice, Brad. Coincidentally I was just about to put this one on. I'll save my comments for later, however.

Looking forward to reading those reviews too, Jim.

[Claude]

The title of that 2LP-on-1CD sampler is very well chosen. If you only want one Sonny Stitt CD this is the one to get ... if you can find it.

[Brad]

Awhile ago, Gary Giddins put out a book called Rhythm-a-ning. In it he had a small section on Sonny. This is part of what he said:

"10 years ago, in the middle of a relentless and largely undistiguished recording regimen including tenor-organ dates and a brief flirtation with electronic sax, Stitt made a superb album called Tune Up for Cobblestone. There isn't a rote note on it. One reason for its success was was producer Don Schlitten, who has a magical touch with bop saxophonists, and another was pianist Barry Harris, a catalyst for some of Sittt's best playing since 1957 (their 1961 "Koko" for Cadet is one of Stitt's masterpieces). Heady with success, the three returned to the studio four months later to cut Constellation, which is measure for measure probably the best LP Stitt ever made. When it tied McCoy Tyner's Sahara for first place in the Down Beat critics' poll, some colleagues were dismayed that what appeared on the surface to be an ordinary six-hour quartet date, leader plus pick-up rhythm, should win the prize from more fashionable doings. But I contine to think it was one of Down Beat's more privileged moments, recognizing a veteran player's reclaimed inspiration."

[JSngry]

Giddins wroter the 5-Star Down Beat review of CONSTELLATION. I think you'll appreciate what he had to say.

[Gary]

... if you can find it.

which may indeed turn out to be a bit of a problem....

(anyone care to set me up with a copy?)

I'm struggling too ,

This is the only place I've seen it so far

http://www9.gemm.com/c/search.pl?sid=36303....x=8&Go%21.y=11

[Jim Alfredson]

I have the original Muse issue of Constellation on CD, but not Tune-Up. Gonna have to look for it.

[jazzbo]

Well, I don't have either! It will be fun to read what you all think!

[Soul Stream]

I can't find this either. I'm really kicking myself for not appreciating 32 Jazz CDs more when they were available for next to nothing (8.99 seemed to be the list). I don't know how many times I thumbed passed "Endgame Brilliance." A lot. 'I'll get that some other time.' I always thought. I wasn't aware of it's reputation as some of Stitt's best work.

Why do good things like 32 Jazz always fade away. I even miss those black plastic cases!

[Dan Gould]

I'm gonna bring this up again as a reminder that this starts in a couple of days, and also because I don't think Brad has made his declaration of the July 27 nominee. (?)

[BruceH]

These are the albums that got me into Stitt, and the 32Jazz two-fer is still me go-to CD for a quick hit of Stitt. Great AOW choice!

[JSngry]

Dan Morgenstern's ***** review of TUNEUP!, Down Beat (or, as it was known then, down beat), 6-22-72, reviewed in conjunction with Deter Gordon's THE JUMPIN' BLUUES (which Morgenstern gave 4.5 stars). Morgenstern was then the magazine' editor.

Two albums showcasing a pair of jazz' greatest saxophonists without frills or concessions to commercialism.

The Stitt, recorded just a few months ago, is an instant classic. One of the most frequently recorded of all jazz artists (perhaps THE most frequently recorded), Stitt must have made close to 100 LPs. TUNE UP! belongs with his half-dozen all-time best, up there with BURNIN', PERSONAL APPEARANCE, and STITT PLAYS BIRD.

No organs or Varitone devices get in the way here. It's just Sonny Stitt, in superb form, with a tailor-made rhythm section, playing a repertoire in which he is completely at home.

Stitt is such a master of his instruments that he can outplay most saxophonists without challenging himself. And he's a sly fox who knows every trick avalable to simulate passion and excitement. Thus, he never gives a bad performance - but there are times when he just coasts on his expertise.

When he's inspired, however - watch out! And here he surely is. "I Got Rhythm", the crowning glory of this LP, is not only a lesson in saxophone playing and ultimate swinging. but nearly 10 minutes of driving, emotion-filled, impassioned, and astonishingly inventive music-making. This is one for the desert-island collection.

Stitt has been called a "cold" player. Don't you believe it. Check out any track on this great record - the lovely warm balladry of "I Can't Get Started", the hot drive of the title track (a gigantic display of tenor prowess and a lesson in swing), or the moving "Blues For Prez and Bird" (Stitt's twin points of departure). Such playing is an emotional experience as well as a staggering display of virtuoso skill. Stitt has a lightening mind, and the lightening fingers and steel chops to realize instantly what comes into it.

The Messrs. Harris, Jones, and Dawson give Stitt whatever he could ask for in terms of support. They never let him down, not even for a split second, and when he changes gears, they are the perfect transmission. Harris also contributes some exceptional solo work (or rather, what would be exceptional from a less consistent player).

An auspicious ace of trumps in Cobblestone's first deal of new releases, boding well for the future of a label that has had the good sense of hiring Don Schlitten to produce.

...Gordon review...

These LPs are representations of men at work, something for the boys to listen to and learn from. Undiluted jazz music from mature masters who get better and better as time goees by. For twice, the real thing.

Other items of interest in this one issue, just for perspective: News of Kenny Clarke coming home to set up a US tour for the Clarke-Boland Big band (this never happened, did it?) & the Jones/Lewis Soviet Union tour; Interviews with Cannonball Adderly, Houston Person, Al Belletto, and Dexter Gordon; Record Reviews of: the Ayler Shandars (by John Litweiler), a UA 2-fer repackaging of Miles' Blue Notes. Frank Foster's THE LOUD MINORITY, Mahavisnu's THE INNER MOUNTING FLAME (another ***** review, this time by Joe Klee), Edgar Winter's WHITE TRASH; the infamous BLindfold Test where Ernie Watts mistakes Coleman Hawkins for Lester Young; Live performance reviews of Cecil Taylor (NYC) & Elvin Jones (Baltimore); a full-page advertisement for Gerry Mulligan's AGE OF STEAM (hey - if you still want to sell it so damn bad, how about KEEPING IT IN PRINT FOR LONGER THAN 20 MINUTES, HMMM?); and in the classifieds, ads for Savoy ("Send $0.10 in coin..."), a free Benny Goodamn discography, a solicitation for students by George Russell, and a box ad for "Anita O'Day Records", promoting ANITA O'DAY 1972.

I was 16, and it didn't get any cooler than this.

[Big Al]

This is one I've been kicking myself abuot trading away ages ago. Obviously, it's been awhile since I've listened to it, but I do remember "I Got Rhythm." If ever there was just ONE piece on how a saxophone should be played, this is it! Not one note wasted, a pure command and confidence unlike anything else.

Man, if I ever see this one again.....

[Brad]

Agreed on I Got Rhythm. He starts off in a slow mode but revs it up and then goes out the same way. There's a lot of nuggets in this album such as Just Friends or I Can't Get Started. After relistening to Just Friends several times, it's hard to say if I've ever heard a better one (excepting maybe Bird maybe but it's close). Also, Grooving High just sounds so fresh, it's like it was recorded yesterday. Sonny on these two records was at a peak comparable to his mid 50s Verve-Roost output, maybe even better. He'd obviously gone back or just decided to make two damn good albums.

This was my first Sonny and I hadn't listened to it for awhile and thank you to Jim (as usual) for putting the thought in my head.

[JohnS]

Sorry Brad, I don't have this one, in fact I don't have very much late Stitt. I'm not sure why, especially as I saw Stitt late in his life when he toured here (UK) briefly with Red Holloway. He didn't look to well but he played beautifully.

[skeith]

Well Brad,

As I have said before, this a one great CD and I think it is one of the best of Stitt's career. I play this one quite a bit.

[pryan]

This 2-fer was my introduction to Stitt, and after playing it through once or twice I didn't really know what to think. It almost seemed like he was too good. So I put the cd away for a while and got into other areas/players of jazz. Then when I finally came back to it, I realized not only how fully in control Sonny was on those respective dates, but also how inspired he seemed to be. Some of his patterns and rhythmic artistry are astounding and most of them are downright original, regardless of the Bird-likeness of them. A great set, worth searching for.

[Soul Stream]

The thing about Stitt, to me at least, is this. It's like driving around NYC with a taxi driver that KNOWS the city. Every inch. Every turn. Every blocked street under construction. I mean Stitt is THE best when it comes to knowing his way around the changes. On the downside, just like a ride with crazy cabbie who doesn't know jack....sometimes THAT ride can be even MORE exciting. And that's the feeling I get listening to these two albums. I find myself admiring Stitt more than I find myself FEELING him. He's so great, but at the same time it feels like he's been down these roads so many times he's bound to be a little bored. I think the fine rhythm section spurs him on to these terrific performances. And, to me, they're the real stars of the albums. They give Sonny a nice cloud to float on. And float he does.

I've heard Stitt on fire more elsewhere. The stuff he did with Patterson is exceptionally burning in my mind, although anti-organists might disagree.

On the ballad side is where I feel Stitt the most here. "I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You" is expecially fine. Although Dizzy Reece has wrung more out of the tune for me than Sonny does here to be honest.

This stuff really is a swan song for that whole era. By the time this stuff was laid down, times had changed. I get the feeling this is more like a reunion of old friends talking about old times than anything else. But, nothing wrong with that either. Masters plying their craft like only they can.

On the whole, the Tune-UP album hits me more. The title track is a standout. Nobody flys like Sonny over II V's. Endless variety and nary a slip up ever. He's like a dog on an iced-over pond, sliding around like a son of a bitch!

I wanted to thank Brad again for picking this one, and especially for sending me a copy. Thanks Brad!!!!

[jazzbo]

Thanks also Brad, for the same reasons.

Well, I feel very very similar to Soul Stream about this cd. Technical brilliance pours from Stitt's horn, but I don't really feel strongly attached to the music, I don't really make an emotional attachment, which is important for me in music. "I Don't Stand A Ghost of a Chance" is probably my favorite piece here; the very SOUND of his tenor is wonderful. But this pales in comparison to a Pres version for me (pick one practically.)

I'm sort of on a "lukewarm for Sonny" phase. I listen to a lot of his work and he's a master player who often just doesn't reach me. Kudos to Barry Harris on these dates: Barry plays very well and gives Sonny exactly what he wants. They are both in total command of each performance.

[JSngry]

Where do thee two sessions fit chronologically with Stitt's stint (hmmm..song title?) with the Giants Of Jazz?

I dug CONSTELLATION more than TUNE UP!, seemed "deeper, which is why I took an offer I couldn't refuse for it aways back. I'd like to have it back, though. A buddy of mine found the Muse CD in a cutout bin a few months ago, so maybe there's some more out there.

[Brad]

These are some very insightful and interesting comments and while I don't really agree with them completely I do understand them. Sonny has been down these roads before but I think he plays them here with fire. One of his attractions in general is how he plays what he plays. As I like to say, it's Sonny doing what he does best. I like that out of Sonny.

However, as Soulstream said, you know he's been down those streets before (great imagery, BTW). That's also his attraction and part of his problem. You know what you're getting with him but you'd like to see what he might have been had he embraced some current trends. I think I've mentioned this before but this is what probably got A. Lion upset at the "infamous" Sonny-Dex session; it was the same old stuff.

Maybe it's the same old stuff with Sonny but man he does it so well.

[ADR]

I listened to this disc while I drove out to pick up my son at my in-law's house last night.

I can understand the mixture of feelings about these sessions expressed in this thread.

For me it sounds like Sonny was in a state of grace when he made these sessions - he could do no wrong, and he knew it. He is absolutely relaxed and utterly confident. The ideas just seem to come flowing out of his horn. The pleasure of listening to this type of performance is very different from the pleasure of listening to an artist who is reaching and struggling to attain the unknown. Listening to Trane on "Giant Steps" or Jackie McLean on "Let Freedom Ring" or Miles' second classic quintet on the "Live at the Plugged Nickel" material, one is mesmerized by the palpable thrill of discovery. Honestly, most of my favorite jazz is of this type.

In contrast, on something like this Stitt material, we get to hear an absolute master at the peak of his powers, confident of his abilities and with nothing to prove to anybody (including himself). There's certainly nothing wrong with that

Other random thoughts:

- Kudos to Barry Harris. Several times while I was listening I found myself laughing out loud in pleasure at particularly savory comping lines by Barry behind Sonny.

- One amazing thing about Sonny Stitt is that (to my ears at least) he was equally accomplished on both the alto and tenor and this is vividly demonstrated on "Endgame Briliance" - particularly on "I Got Rhythm" where he plays both horns. There are so many horn players that play multiple instruments and IMO with the overwhelming majority of them you just wish they would stick with their primary axe. This is not the case with Sonny. I really can never make up my mind which instrument he is more adept, fluid, and expressive on - the tenor or alto. About the only other jazz musician I can think of who I enjoy equally on two instruments is Eric Dolphy on the alto and bass clarinet (his flute playing, while very good - I don't find to be on the level of the other two instruments).

[JSngry]

Garry Giddins' 5-Star review of CONSTELLATION from down beat, 5-10-73, reviewed in conjunction w/MADE FOR EACH OTHER. a Delmark album w/the Patterson/James duo.

CONSTELLATION is a bitch! The year is still young, but for saxophonists, this is the record to get in the ring with. I've never heard Stitt sound more alive, energetic, or inventive. If last years TUNE UP! presented him at his most exciting, this disc has him at his most intellectually stirring. You have to dig it repeatedly to hear how MUCH music Stitt can play.

Undoubtedly, one of the main reasons this session maintained so dazzling a level is that it was profoundly a group effort. Barry Harris, whose music seems to grow more deeply into himself than outwward into the world, solos imaginatively and with verve, but equally important is the perfect accompanist. The ever-dependable Sam Jones is solid; his huge tone seems to make it easier for Stitt. And Roy Brooks is a model of the listening drummer. One never feels that he is only keeping time, and his sensitive, pushing work has rarely been better sampled.

On the title cut, Stitt is a fire-breather. This Charlie Parker riff inspired its composer to a stunning flight, and Stitt's version rivals it. With the exception of one hesitation, he tears through chorus after chorus with undaunted pace and imagination. "Ghost" recieves definitive treatment. The Stitt tenor is as warm and caressing as any you can name. Every line is handled with an alertness that proscribes cliche and repetition. The same can be said for "Casbah", the too rarely heard Tadd Dameron re-working of "Out Of Nowhere".

But each track is notable. At the risk of merely revealing my own limitations in listening capacity, I'd suggest you listen to only a couple of tracks at a time. It would be a shame to miss the fireworks that close each side because your mind is still reeling from the opening ones. No one took an easy ride here; the more you listen, the more surprises there are. This is a priceless example of devoted artists celebrating their music.

...review of the Delmark follows, basically "nice, but eh..."...

In conclusion, Giddins writes:

Comparing the albums reveals the difference between a great player displaying the obvious aspects of his talents and the same man going for broke in fast company.

Also in the same issue:

News about Atlantic Records 25th aniversary & Dexter Gordon's 50th birthday bash; a brief profile of Columbia Records Vice-President of Marketing, Bruce Lundvall, in conjunction with the release of CLIFFORD BROWN: THE BEGINNING AND THE END, the JAZZ AT THE PLAZA albums, the Byas/Powell date produced by Cannonball, and a few other things, including a "Stan Getz LP made up of both previously released and unreleased stuff from a Bob Brookmeyer date that also included Herbie Hancock, Gary Burton, Ron Carter, Elvin Jones, and guest vocalist Tony Bennett." When did THAT one ever come out?

Interviews with Gato Barbieri (who had just signed to but not yet recorded anything for Impulse!) and a roundtable discussion with Jimmy smith, Terry Gibbs, Ahmad Jamal, Hampton Hawes, and John Klemmer; "The Function Of An Artist, PArt 2", an articvle written by Chick Corea, a long article by Giddins about a Mingus Philharmonic Hall concert (he mentions being surprised to see Don Pullen who he "hadn't heard since the record with Milford Graves. He tells me he's been musical director for Nina Simone for a year, picked up a variety of gigs, worked with Mingus for about a week and can't seem to get recorded." Giddins also raves about the performance of trumpeter Joe Gardner, and a new Mingus piece, "Portrait Of Dizzy", performed by Gillespie his ownself. (WAS THIS CONCERT RECORDED???).

Record reviews of Von Freeman's DOIN IT RIGHT NOW. a NEW album by The New McKinney Cotton Pickers, Lucky Thompson's I OFFER YOU, Horace Silver's IN PURSUIT OF THE 27th Man, and the first two waves of Roullette 2-fer reissues.

Blindfold Test with Stan Getz, Caught In The Act (performancereviews) of the Herbie Hancock MWANDISHI-era band, the Chuck Mangione Quartet, & Don Cherry with the Jazz Composers Orchestra performing RELATIVITY SUITE, and a transcription of Freddie Hubbard's "Killer Joe" solo from WALKING IN SPACE.

The various city notes include mention of Gene Roland sitting in on tenor with Roy Eldridge; a group lead by drummer Al Drears that included Howard McGhee, Dave Hubbard (Shrugs!), Richard Wyands, Richard Davis, and vocalist Stella Williams; news of Candy Finch taking over Larry Gales' after-hours club in L.A.; a report from San Francisco of Roland Hanna replacing "an ailing Thelonious Monk" for a Giants Of Jazz concert that also saw Max Roach on drums; and finally a report (more of a note, really - fine print at the bottom of page 43 - from Denmark thatt "Jackie McLean recorded his first LP in six years during his stay in Copenhagen last summer. It was done live at cafe Montmarte with pianist Kenny Drew, who also wrote the poetic liner notes, bassist Bo Steif, and drummer Alex Riel."

All this (and more!) for 50 cents. Hell yeah.