Sonny Stitt

Featuring: Sonny Stitt (as, ts), Lou Levy, Amos Trice (p), Leroy Vinnegar, George Morrow (b), Mel Lewis, Lennie McBrowne (d)

The Blues and Sonny Stitt always had a smooth and engrossing partnership. These performances live up to their full potential, with Stitt in excellent form, at his most sparkling: quick fingers, a nimble musical mind, a well-developed ear, fine sense of time, attractive sound, and good intonation. He was a swinger full of energy, with unusual technical facility. But even when he was a lot closer to Charlie Parker, he always had things of his own to say: such a lyrical player could never be accurately labeled just a Parker clone or a “hard swinger.” Either way, he always injected much life into his playing, displaying his considerable virtuosity, blues feeling, and controlled emotion.

Tracklisting:

01. Blue Devil Blues
02. Home Free Blues
03. Blue Prelude
04. Frankie and Johnny
05. Birth of the Blues
06. A Blues Offering
07. Hymnal Blues
08. Mornin’ after Blues
09. Blues for Lester
10. After You’ve Gone
11. Street of Dreams
12. The Way You Look Tonight
13. Presto
14. Tune Up
15. I Got Rhythm
16. What’s New?
17. Subito
18. If I Had You
19. I’ll Remember April

Total time: 79:00 min.


Original sources:

Tracks #1-8 from "Sonny Stitt Blows The Blues" (Verve MG VS-6149 / Stereo).

Tracks #9-19 from "The Hard Swing"
(Verve MG VS-6038 / Stereo).


Personnel on "Blows The Blues":
Sonny Stitt (as & ts), Lou Levy (p), Leroy Vinnegar (b) and Mel Lewis (d).

Recorded in Los Angeles, on December 2 (#1,6), and 22 (#2-5, 7-8), 1959.

Personnel on "The Hard Swing":
Sonny Stitt (as & ts), Amos Trice (p), George Morrow (b) and Lennie McBrowne (d).

Recorded in New York, on February 9, 1959.