Sonny Stitt • Sonny Stitt With The New Yorkers

 

 

Biography:
Edward “Sonny” Stitt was a quintessential saxophonist of the bebop idiom. He was also one of the most prolific saxophonists, recording over 100 records in his lifetime. He was nicknamed the “Lone Wolf” by jazz critic Dan Morgenstern, due to his relentless touring and his devotion to jazz.

Stitt was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in Saginaw, Michigan. Stitt had a musical background; his father taught music, his brother was a classically trained pianist, and his mother was a piano teacher. His earliest recordings were from 1945, with Stan Getz and Dizzy Gillespie. He had also experienced playing in some swing bands, though he mainly played in bop bands. Stitt featured in Tiny Bradshaw's big band in the early forties.

Stitt played alto saxophone in Billy Eckstine's big band alongside future bop pioneers Dexter Gordon and Gene Ammons from 1945 until 1949, when he started to play tenor saxophone more frequently. Later on, he notably played with Gene Ammons and Bud Powell. Stitt spent time in a Lexington prison between 1948-49 on account of selling narcotics.

Stitt, when playing tenor saxophone, seemed to break free from some of the criticism that he was apeing jazz genius Charlie Parker's style. When alto saxophonist Gene Quill was criticised for playing too similar to Parker once by a jazz writer he retorted, “You try imitating Charlie Parker!” Indeed, Stitt began to develop a far more distinctive sound on tenor. He played with other bop musicians Bud Powell and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, a fellow tenor with a distinctly tough tone in comparison to Stitt, in the 1950s and recorded several albums for the burgeoning Prestige Records label as well as for Argo, Verve and Roost. Stitt's playing is said to be at its zenith on these now rare records. Stitt experimented with Afro-Cuban jazz in the late 1950s, and the results can be heard on his recordings for Roost and Verve, on which he teamed up with Thad Jones and Chick Corea for Latin versions of such standards as “Autumn Leaves.”

Stitt joined Miles Davis briefly in 1960, and his sole performance with the 1960 quintet is on the record Live at Stockholm, which featured Wynton Kelly, Jimmy Cobb and Paul Chambers. However, Miles fired him due to the excessive drinking habit he had developed, and replaced him with fellow tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley. Stitt, later in the 1960s paid homage to one of his main influences, Charlie Parker, on the seminal cut “Stitt Plays Bird”, which features Jim Hall on guitar. He recorded a number of memorable records with his friend and fellow saxophonist Gene Ammons. The records recorded by these two saxophonists are regarded by many as some of both Ammons and Stitt's best work, thus the Ammons/Stitt partnership went down in posterity of the best duelling partnerships in jazz, alongside Zoot Sims & Al Cohn, and Johnny Griffin with Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis. Stitt would venture into soul jazz, and he recorded with fellow tenor great Booker Ervin in 1964 on the enjoyable Soul People album. Stitt would also record with Duke Ellington alumnus Paul Gonsalves during the 1960's.

In the 1970s, Stitt slowed his recording output, though not by much and in 1972, he produced another classic, Tune Up, which was and still is regarded by many jazz critics, such as Scott Yanow, as his definitive record. Indeed, his fiery and ebullient soloing was quite reminiscent of his earlier playing. Stitt was one of the first jazz musicians to experiment with an electric saxophone (the instrument was called a Varitone) in the late '60s. Because the device distorted Stitt's glorious, uncluttered, pure yet embodied sound, critics and Stitt followers were relieved when he eventually discarded the gratuitous gadget.

Stitt, to his credit, never slowed down, joining the Giants of Jazz (which included Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk) on some albums for the Mercury Records label, and recording sessions for Cobblestone and other labels. His last recordings were made in Japan. Sadly in 1982, Stitt suffered a heart attack, and he died on July 22.

Although his playing was at first heavily inspired by Charlie Parker and Lester Young, Stitt eventually developed his own style, one which influenced John Coltrane. Stitt was especially effective with blues and with ballad pieces such as “Skylark”.
https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/sonnystitt

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Biografía:
Edward "Sonny" Stitt fue un saxofonista por excelencia del idioma bebop. También fue uno de los saxofonistas más prolíficos, grabando más de 100 discos en su vida. Fue apodado el "Lobo Solitario" por el crítico de jazz Dan Morgenstern, debido a sus implacables giras y su devoción al jazz.

Stitt nació en Boston, Massachusetts, y creció en Saginaw, Michigan. Stitt tenía formación musical; su padre enseñaba música, su hermano era un pianista de formación clásica, y su madre era profesora de piano. Sus primeras grabaciones fueron de 1945, con Stan Getz y Dizzy Gillespie. También había experimentado tocando en algunas bandas de swing, aunque principalmente en bandas de bop. Stitt apareció en la gran banda de Tiny Bradshaw a principios de los años 40.

Stitt tocó el saxofón alto en la big band de Billy Eckstine junto a los futuros pioneros del bop Dexter Gordon y Gene Ammons desde 1945 hasta 1949, cuando empezó a tocar el saxofón tenor con más frecuencia. Más tarde, tocó notablemente con Gene Ammons y Bud Powell. Stitt pasó un tiempo en una prisión de Lexington entre 1948 y 1949 por vender narcóticos.

Stitt, cuando tocaba el saxo tenor, parecía liberarse de algunas de las críticas de que estaba imitando el estilo del genio del jazz Charlie Parker. Cuando un escritor de jazz criticó al saxofonista alto Gene Quill por tocar demasiado parecido a Parker, le respondió: "¡Intenta imitar a Charlie Parker!" De hecho, Stitt comenzó a desarrollar un sonido mucho más distintivo en el tenor. En los años 50 tocó con otros músicos de bop Bud Powell y Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, un compañero tenor con un tono claramente más duro en comparación con Stitt, y grabó varios álbumes para el floreciente sello Prestige Records, así como para Argo, Verve y Roost. Se dice que la interpretación de Stitt está en su apogeo en estos discos ahora raros. Stitt experimentó con el jazz afrocubano a finales de los 50, y los resultados se pueden escuchar en sus grabaciones para Roost and Verve, en las que se asoció con Thad Jones y Chick Corea para las versiones latinas de estándares como "Autumn Leaves".

Stitt se unió brevemente a Miles Davis en 1960, y su única actuación con el quinteto de 1960 está en el disco Live at Stockholm, en el que participaron Wynton Kelly, Jimmy Cobb y Paul Chambers. Sin embargo, Miles lo despidió debido al excesivo hábito de beber que había desarrollado, y lo reemplazó por su compañero saxofonista tenor Hank Mobley. Stitt, más tarde en los años 60 rindió homenaje a una de sus principales influencias, Charlie Parker, en el corte seminal "Stitt Plays Bird", en el que aparece Jim Hall en la guitarra. Grabó varios discos memorables con su amigo y compañero saxofonista Gene Ammons. Los discos grabados por estos dos saxofonistas son considerados por muchos como algunos de los mejores trabajos de Ammons y Stitt, por lo que la asociación Ammons/Stitt pasó a la posteridad de las mejores asociaciones de dúo en el jazz, junto con Zoot Sims & Al Cohn, y Johnny Griffin con Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. Stitt se aventuraría en el jazz soul, y grabó con su compañero tenor, el gran Booker Ervin, en 1964 en el agradable álbum Soul People. Stitt también grabaría con el ex-alumno de Duke Ellington Paul Gonsalves durante los años 60.

En el decenio de 1970, Stitt redujo su producción discográfica, aunque no por mucho y en 1972 produjo otro clásico, Tune Up, que fue y sigue siendo considerado por muchos críticos de jazz, como Scott Yanow, como su disco definitivo. De hecho, su ardiente y exuberante solitario era bastante parecido a su anterior trabajo. Stitt fue uno de los primeros músicos de jazz que experimentó con un saxofón eléctrico (el instrumento se llamaba Varitone) a finales de los 60. Debido a que el dispositivo distorsionaba el glorioso, despejado y puro pero encarnado sonido de Stitt, los críticos y los seguidores de Stitt se sintieron aliviados cuando finalmente desechó el aparato gratuito.

Stitt, a su favor, nunca se detuvo, uniéndose a los Gigantes del Jazz (que incluían a Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie y Thelonious Monk) en algunos álbumes para el sello Mercury Records, y sesiones de grabación para Cobblestone y otros sellos. Sus últimas grabaciones se hicieron en Japón. Tristemente en 1982, Stitt sufrió un ataque al corazón, y murió el 22 de julio.

Aunque al principio su forma de tocar se inspiró mucho en Charlie Parker y Lester Young, Stitt desarrolló su propio estilo, que influyó en John Coltrane. Stitt fue especialmente efectivo con el blues y con piezas de balada como "Skylark".
https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/sonnystitt

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Tracks:
1 - The Best Things In Life Are Free
Written-By – DeSylva, Brown & Henderson*
2 - Engos, The Bloos
Written-By – Sonny Stitt
3 - It Might As Well Be Spring
Written-By – Rodgers & Hammerstein
4 - Cherokee
Written-By – Ray Noble
5 - I Didn't Know What Time It Was
Written-By – Rodgers & Hart
6 - Body & Soul
Written-By – Eddie Heyman*, Johnny Green
7 - People Will Say We're In Love
Written-By – Rodgers & Hammerstein
8 - Bloosey
Written-By – Sonny Stitt
9 - Birds' Eye
Written-By – Sonny Stitt


Credits:
    Alto Saxophone – Sonny Stitt
    Bass – Wendell Marshall
    Drums – Shadow Wilson
    Piano – Hank Jones

Recorded in N.Y.C., 1957

Label:    Roost – LP 2226, Royal Roost – RLP 2226
Country:    US
Released:    1957
Genre:    Jazz
Style:    Bop
https://www.discogs.com/master/359944-Sonny-Stitt-With-The-New-Yorkers-Sonny-Stitt-With-The-New-Yorkers

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