Sonny Stitt
Hijo de un profesor de música y hermano de un concertista de piano, el
saxofonista tenor, Sonny Stitt (Boston, 1924), empezó a estudiar piano
para después pasarse al clarinete y al contralto. Afincado en Saginaw,
empezó a trabajar con Thad Jones, hasta que se trasladó con su familia a
Detroit donde contacto con Mel Lewis y Lucky Thompson. En la ciudad de
Newark, obtuvo algunos contratos intrascendentes y en aquélla época
empezó a escuchar a Charlie Parker cuando el saxo alto de Kansas,
trabajaba en la orquesta de Jay McShann.
Poco después conoció personalmente a "Bird" en Kansas City, donde ambos
se juntaron para tocar en una sesión privada en la que Parker pudo
comprobar lo que se decía de Sonny Stitt, (Miles Davis confirmó que
Stitt tocaba como Parker, incluso antes de que este conociera al genio
de Kansas). Entre 1945 y 1946 y en New York, tocó con Dizzy Gillespie,
grabando varios temas para el sello "Musicraft" y tambien con el
pianista, Bud Powell. A su vuelta a Detroit, tuvo que interrumpir su
actividad a consecuencia de su adicción a la droga. Afortunadamente
siguió un severo proceso de desintoxicación en Lexington y en 1949, ya
estaba de vuelta a New York. Adoptó el saxo tenor en esta segunda etapa
-probablemente tras comprobar que Parker era el rey indiscutible del
saxo alto- y formó un pequeño grupo que codirigió con Gene Ammons,
durante un par de años. 1949 fue tambien el año de su debut discográfico
con el tema: "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" (Prestige) un sello con el
que grabó durante dos años (1949-1950) una serie de espléndidos discos.
A finales de los años cincuenta, fue contratado por el productor Norman
Granz, para su famoso espectáculo "Jazz at the Philharmonic" con el
que recorrió varios países europeos. En 1964 realizó otra importante
gira, esta vez a Japón con un gran sexteto que incluía entre otros
grandes músicos, a Jay Jay Johnson y Clark Terry. De vuelta a los
Estados Unidos, formó un quinteto con Zoot Sims, de duración efímera.
En 1971 fue llamado por George Wein para formar junto a Dizzy
Gillespie, Kai Winding, Thelonious Monk, Al McKibbon y Art Blakey el
sexteto "The Giants of Jazz" con el que realizó una larguísima y
extensa gira por Nueva Zelanda, Australia, Japón, Israel y Europa con un
resultado de critica y publico extraordinario. En 1974 participó en el
Festival de Newport dentro del espectáculo "The Musical Life of Charlie
Parker".
Claramente influenciado por Charlie Parker, la discografía de Sonny
Stitt es abundantísima -grabó sólo a su nombre cerca de ciento cincuenta
álbumes.
Su muerte en 1982 dejó un vacío importante entre los saxofonistas importantes del jazz.
///////
Artist Biography by Bob Porter
Charlie Parker has had many admirers and his influence can be detected
in numerous styles, but few have been as avid a disciple as Sonny Stitt.
There was almost note-for-note imitation in several early Stitt solos,
and the closeness remained until Stitt began de-emphasizing the alto in
favor of the tenor, on which he artfully combined the influences of
Parker and Lester Young. Stitt gradually developed his own sound and
style, though he was never far from Parker on any alto solo. A wonderful
blues and ballad player whose approach influenced John Coltrane, Stitt
could rip through an up-tempo bebop stanza, then turn around and play a
shivering, captivating ballad. He was an alto saxophonist in Tiny
Bradshaw's band during the early '40s, then joined Billy Eckstine's
seminal big band in 1945, playing alongside other emerging bebop stars
like Gene Ammons and Dexter Gordon. Stitt later played in Dizzy
Gillespie's big band and sextet. He began on tenor and baritone in 1949,
and at times was in a two-tenor unit with Ammons. He recorded with Bud
Powell and J.J. Johnson for Prestige in 1949, then did several albums on
Prestige, Argo, and Verve in the '50s and '60s. Stitt led many combos
in the '50s, and re-joined Gillespie for a short period in the late
'50s. After a brief stint with Miles Davis in 1960, he reunited with
Ammons and for a while was in a three-tenor lineup with James Moody.
During the '60s, Stitt also recorded for Atlantic, cutting the
transcendent Stitt Plays Bird, which finally addressed the Parker
question in epic fashion. He continued heading bands, though he joined
the Giants of Jazz in the early '70s. This group included Gillespie, Art
Blakey, Kai Winding, Thelonious Monk, and Al McKibbon. Stitt did more
sessions in the '70s for Cobblestone, Muse, and others, among them
another definitive date, Tune Up. He continued playing and recording in
the early '80s, recording for Muse, Sonet, and Who's Who in Jazz. He
suffered a heart attack and died in 1982.
Tracks:
1. Goin' To D.C. (Spencer)
2. Black Vibrations (Spencer)
3. Where Is Love? (Bart)
4. Them Funky Changes (Spencer)
5. Aires (Stitt)
6. Calling Card (Stitt)
Personnel:
Virgil Jones - trumpet
Sonny Stitt – alto sax, tenor sax (baritone)
Leon Spencer Jr. - organ
Don Patterson – organ (5,6)
Melvin Sparks - guitar
Idris Muhammad - drums
Year Of Release: 1971
Label: Prestige
Total Time: 00:36:23
1. Goin' To D.C. (Spencer)
2. Black Vibrations (Spencer)
3. Where Is Love? (Bart)
4. Them Funky Changes (Spencer)
5. Aires (Stitt)
6. Calling Card (Stitt)
Personnel:
Virgil Jones - trumpet
Sonny Stitt – alto sax, tenor sax (baritone)
Leon Spencer Jr. - organ
Don Patterson – organ (5,6)
Melvin Sparks - guitar
Idris Muhammad - drums
Year Of Release: 1971
Label: Prestige
Total Time: 00:36:23
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