six string Posted June 1, 2007 Report Posted June 1, 2007 I have a few Sonny Stitt albums which I'll list in a minute but I'm curious about other releases that I should investigate. I've eyed the Mosaic box that's available, but at nine cds, it's not only more than I want to spend to look into this artist, but that's a lot of music to wade through as well when you're "just exploring." Here's what I have and I love them all. Personal Appearance Verve lp Stitt Plays Bird Atlantic lp Sonny Stitt Blows the Blues Verve lp New York Jazz Verve cd Jazz at the Hi-Hat Roulette cd I saw a cd at the store today on Evidence with Sonny Stitt and the Hank Jones Trio (Duvivier and Tate). I can't remember the title, but I didn't pick it up because I wasn't sure about it and I had six cds in my hands already. Should I go back and get that one? Any other recomendation or comments (even negative ones if appropriate). Quote
Guy Berger Posted June 1, 2007 Report Posted June 1, 2007 Have you heard Dizzy Gillespie's Sonny Side Up, w/Rollins and Stitt? Guy Quote
T.D. Posted June 1, 2007 Report Posted June 1, 2007 (edited) Some others I can recommend: Sonny Stitt / Bud Powell/ J. J. Johnson (Prestige) Sonny Side Up (w. Rollins, Diz) (Verve) Sits in With the Oscar Peterson Trio (Verve) For Musicians Only (w. Diz, Getz) (Verve) I've been pretty cautious with Stitt, because he tended to record more or less the same album over and over... I really want to get Endgame Brilliance: Constellation / Tune-Up (32 Jazz), which everyone raves about, but it's causing a dilemma. It's OOP, and used copies cost a fortune on eBay. Slated for "re-release" by a European pirate firm, but I don't think I'll be comfortable going that route. Edited June 1, 2007 by T.D. Quote
six string Posted June 1, 2007 Author Report Posted June 1, 2007 (edited) Speaking of 32 Jazz, I forgot I had a comp of sorts on that label entitled Giving the Store Away which is quite good as well. I've come close to picking up Sonny Side Up for years and still haven't bought it yet. Maybe that should be the next one. Edited June 1, 2007 by six string Quote
DukeCity Posted June 1, 2007 Report Posted June 1, 2007 I've come close to picking up Sonny Side Up for years and still haven't bought it yet. Maybe that should be the next one. Yes, it should! Quote
Big Al Posted June 2, 2007 Report Posted June 2, 2007 Some others I can recommend: Sonny Stitt / Bud Powell/ J. J. Johnson (Prestige) If you're going to get that, you may as well get the box called STITT'S BITS: THE BEBOP RECORDINGS 1949-1952, which feature Stitt's work on Prestige in a variety of settings (quartet, big band, tenor duels with Gene Ammons, and the aforementioned groups with JJ and Bud). It's on Concord, the sound is good, it can be had cheaply, and is well worth the money IMHO. Quote
J Larsen Posted June 2, 2007 Report Posted June 2, 2007 Am I the only one who feels like it is often hard to tell one Stitt record from the next? I mean, he's good and all, but... Quote
Shannon Dickey Posted June 2, 2007 Report Posted June 2, 2007 Heck, so many fine Stitt recordings, and some MOR stuff... I constantly enjoy the Impulse recording "Salt and Pepper" with Paul Gonsalves. But, Stitt made sooo many records... Another on Impulse that I dig, is "NOW" Check 'em! ---HB Quote
Big Al Posted June 2, 2007 Report Posted June 2, 2007 Am I the only one who feels like it is often hard to tell one Stitt record from the next? No! That's one reason NOT to get the Mosaic; it really is nine discs of the same thing! Quote
marcello Posted June 2, 2007 Report Posted June 2, 2007 From my collection: This one is pretty smokin' : Quote
jlhoots Posted June 2, 2007 Report Posted June 2, 2007 Am I the only one who feels like it is often hard to tell one Stitt record from the next? I mean, he's good and all, but... I used to feel that way. For some inexplicable reason, I don't feel that way currently. I really enjoy the Mosaic. I also recently picked up a Japanese reissue of The Hard Swing which smokes. Ammons / Stitt CDs do it for me too. Quote
brownie Posted June 2, 2007 Report Posted June 2, 2007 Sonny Stitt revelled in tenor confrontations. A favorite opponent was Gene Ammons. These duels have been pretty well documented. A favorite is the Verve album 'Boss Tenors in Orbit'. Other Stitt albums to look for are the Cobblestone/Muse sessions, 'Tune Up' and Constellation' in particular. Quote
Shawn Posted June 2, 2007 Report Posted June 2, 2007 One night Jim Sangrey brought a later Stitt Prestige record (can't remember which one) to our weekly listening party. He quickly sampled all the tracks on both sides and then exclaimed... "FUCK Sonny, how many times can you record the SAME FUCKING ALBUM?!" Quote
JSngry Posted June 2, 2007 Report Posted June 2, 2007 It was So Doggone Good, that one was. I mean really, with Stitt, it's very seldom a question of what he's going to play. How he's gonna play it, that's where the suspense come in. Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted June 2, 2007 Report Posted June 2, 2007 YES YES YES YES YES! That's possibly the greatest live recording ever made. Even if you hate electric sax, it's a total fuckin' burner! I imagine the audience coming out after the gig with horrid blisters, weeping pus, all over their faces. And Don Patterson was playing Like a maniac! And so was Billy James! MG Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted June 2, 2007 Report Posted June 2, 2007 It was So Doggone Good, that one was. I mean really, with Stitt, it's very seldom a question of what he's going to play. How he's gonna play it, that's where the suspense come in. That Whispers song, "(Your love is) so doggone good", makes that LP for me. The whole approach, but particularly Hawes' piano rhythms, is so off-centredly funky... MG Quote
sidewinder Posted June 2, 2007 Report Posted June 2, 2007 Some great Stitt on that Miles Davis Manchester Free Trade Hall recording - would have loved to have been there for that gig. He seems to have recorded some good stuff over here during the 60s - also that BBC 'Tribute To Charlie Parker' video from 1964 with Howard McGhee and JJ Johnson. That one (with Walter Bishop Jr on piano I think) is unmissable ! (wonder if Valerie has seen it?) Quote
sidewinder Posted June 2, 2007 Report Posted June 2, 2007 First Stitt I ever heard I think was 'The Bop Session' and 'In Walked Sonny' on Sonet. Not sure if these have ever come out on CD. Quote
brownie Posted June 2, 2007 Report Posted June 2, 2007 First Stitt I ever heard I think was 'The Bop Session' and 'In Walked Sonny' on Sonet. Not sure if these have ever come out on CD. They were part of the Sonet Jazz Story reissues from a couple of years ago... The Stitt/Messengers CD had two added alternate tracks. Good way to start the Stitt road! Quote
mikeweil Posted June 2, 2007 Report Posted June 2, 2007 (edited) For earlier Stitt, I like and recommend the recent Prestige box: If you like organ, all the CDs with Don Patterson are great - Patterson was one of the partners who made Sonny play at his best! Edited June 2, 2007 by mikeweil Quote
king ubu Posted June 2, 2007 Report Posted June 2, 2007 Big to these Legends of Acid Jazz ("Low Flame"'s my favourite) and the "Soul People". Most of my favourites have been mentioned, but here they are again, from the top of my head: - Stitt/Powell/Johnson (OJC) - Legends of Acid Jazz: Low Flame (Fantasy) - Night Letter (another Fantasy twofer with Jack McDuff on one album) - the two Cobblestones (32jazz - latest issue is a euro illegitimate one) - 12! (Muse/32jazz) and some of the 1960 stuff with Miles has great Stitt, too - favourite probably the Paris concert! (I assume on LaserLight, also at least two more French editions before that.) There's more Stitt/Ammons on a disc called "Soul Summit" (another Fantasy twofer), and an encounter with Paul Gonsalves on "Salt & Pepper" (Impulse, another twofer, pairing it with Stitt's own "Now" album). And that still leaves out all of the Roost material collected on a Mosaic that I still have to get... I assume most of that is pretty good as well! Quote
sidewinder Posted June 2, 2007 Report Posted June 2, 2007 And that still leaves out all of the Roost material collected on a Mosaic that I still have to get... I assume most of that is pretty good as well! Yes ! The music is wonderful and the saga with which the set was painstakingly compiled by Mr Cuscuna and one of EMI's engineers from tapes stored in the vaults (above one of the old London meat markets I believe ) is fascinating. I still have to make my way right through that particular set. When I get a spare week I will do so. Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted June 2, 2007 Report Posted June 2, 2007 Some of the Argo/Cadet material that's come out in the recent past on Euro labels is damn fine - with Sonny put in unusual situations. "Stitt goes green" is a twofer with "My main man" with Bennie Green and "Soul in the night" with Bunky Green (and Odell Brown). "Move on over" - another twofer with "Move on over", with Nicky Hill (only just getting into this after having it a couple of weeks and it kicks!) and "At the DJ Lounge" with Johnny Board. Both LPs had Eddie Buster on organ. There ain't any slacking on any of these! MG Quote
paul secor Posted June 2, 2007 Report Posted June 2, 2007 My Mother's Eyes is a good one. O/P, I believe, tho the buys in Spain are about to reissue it. Take that for what it's worth. Quote
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