01. Salt and Pepper 7:49
02. S'posin' 6:18
03. Theme from Lord ofthe Flies 2:25	play
04. Perdido 12:37
05. Stardust 6:05
06. Surfin' 4:08
07. Lester Leaps In 6:20
08. Estralita 3:14			play
09. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone 4:31
10. Touchy 5:10
11. Never ---SH! 5:03
12. My Mother's Eyes 4:05
13. I'm Getting Sentimental over You 4:14

Personnel:
Paul Gonsalves - Sax (Tenor), Performer
Hank Jones - Piano
Sonny Stitt - Sax (Alto), Sax (Tenor)
Milt Hinton - Bass
Osie Johnson - Drums
Bob Thiele - Producer
Al Lucas – Bass

This 72-minute CD starts off with one of the underrated gems of the 1960s, an exciting matchup by tenors Sonny Stitt and Paul Gonsalves. Other than the brief throwaway "Theme from Lord of the Flies" (producer Bob Thiele's idea), this is very much a jam session set, with "Salt and Pepper" being a heated medium-tempo blues and the two competitive tenors stretching out on "S'posin'" and a lengthy "Perdido." Actually, the most memorable selection from the date is the one on which Stitt switches to alto, "Stardust." His beautiful playing behind Gonsalves' warm melody statement raises the session to the classic level. Also included on this consistently exciting CD is a Sonny Stitt quartet set originally titled Now! Although Stitt (doubling on alto and tenor) recorded scores of quartet sessions, he sounds particularly inspired here, especially on such offbeat material as "Estralita," the Dixieland standard "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone," and "My Mother's Eyes." Highly recommended to bebop and straight-ahead jazz fans. ---Scott Yanow

Edward Boatner Stitt, 2 February 1924, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, d. 22 July 1982, Washington, DC, USA. Starting out on alto saxophone, Stitt gained his early experience playing in the big bands led by Tiny Bradshaw and Billy Eckstine. Influenced by Charlie Parker and by the many fine young beboppers he encountered on the Eckstine band, Stitt quickly developed into a formidable player. He played with Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Clarke and others but by the late 40s was concerned that he should develop a more personal style. In pursuit of this he switched to tenor saxophone and formed the first of many bands he was to lead and co-lead over the years. Among his early collaborators was Gene Ammons, whom he had met during the Eckstine stint.

In the late 50s Stitt was with Jazz At The Philharmonic and in 1960 was briefly with Miles Davis. Throughout the 60s and 70s Stitt maintained a high level of performances at home and abroad, despite periodic bouts of ill health generated by his drug addictions. In the early 60s he recorded with Paul Gonsalves, Salt And Pepper, and in the early 70s toured with Gillespie as a member of the Giants Of Jazz, continuing to make many fine record albums. His early 80s albums included Sonny, Sweets And Jaws (1981), with Harry Edison and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, and a fine set made just weeks before his death.

Although his early career was overshadowed by Parker, Stitt was never a copyist. Indeed, his was a highly original musical mind, as became apparent after he switched to tenor and forged a new and appreciative audience for his work. In later years he played alto saxophone as often as he played tenor, by which time it was plain to see that the comparisons to Parker were largely the result of critical pigeonholing.

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01. Stardust [0:03:52]
02. Cherokee [0:04:15]
03. Autumn in New York [0:04:51]
04. The Gypsy [0:03:34]
05. Loverman [0:05:21]
06. Matter Horns [0:10:52]
07. Hello [0:07:01]
08. Night Work [0:07:30]

Sonny Stitt, alto sax
Howard McGhee, trumpet
Walter Bishop, piano
Tommy Potter, bass 
Kenny Clarke, drums

This Black Lion CD combines together four selections from a quintet session featuring altoist Sonny Stitt, trumpeter Howard McGhee, pianist Walter Bishop, bassist Tommy Potter and drummer Kenny Clarke (three boppish blues and a Stitt feature on "Lover Man") with four selections showcasing Stitt with unknown accompaniment from a 1962 date at Birdland. The saxophonist recorded so many sessions that it is not necesssary to acquire them all to get a good sampling of his playing (particularly since his style was virtually unchanged after the mid-'50s), but the CD has its heated moments. ---Scott Yanow, Rovi

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1. Blue Devil Blues
2. Home Free Blues
3. Blue Prelude
4. Frankie And Johnny
5. Birth Of The Blues
6. Blues Offering
7. Hymnal Blues
8. Morning After Blues

Alto Saxophone – Sonny Stitt;
Bass – Leroy Vinnegar; 
Drums – Mel Lewis; 
Piano – Lou Levy.

Sonny Stitt led a number of excellent record dates in 1959, especially at the end of the year when he produced three LPs for Verve over a span of three sessions with pianist Lou Levy, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Mel Lewis. Playing alto sax throughout this album, Stitt hardly sounds like a Charlie Parker clone, something that unfortunately was a frequent claim by tin-eared critics throughout a fair portion of his career. The music includes several potent originals, especially "Hymnal Blues" (which is based on an old hymn) and the slow, powerful "Morning After Blues." Even an old warhorse like "Frankie and Johnnie" (which actually dates back to the early 1800s, according to liner note writer Leonard Feather) sounds fresh in the quartet's hands, with great solos by Stitt, Levy, and Vinnegar. ---Ken Dryden, AllMusic Review

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1. In a sentimental mood
2. In a Mellow tone
3. Jeep's blues
4. The way you look tonight
5. Forecast
6. You don't know what love is / I'm getting sentimental over you
7. Lester leaps in
8. Just friends
9. All God's children got rhythm

Sonny Stitt was born in Boston but grew up in Saginaw, Michigan. He came from an extremely musical family — his father taught music at the college level, his brother was a concert pianist, and his sister was a singer — and his own training began on piano at age seven. Shortly thereafter he switched to clarinet. He left home for life on the road early, touring with Tiny Bradshaw before joining the legendary Billy Eckstine orchestra in 1945. A year later he was participating in some of the early, classic bebop recording sessions with Kenny Clarke, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Fats Navarro, and other giants.

Stitt worked exclusively on the alto saxophone on these early recordings; yet there was more to Stitt than his command of one horn. He began performing on the tenor in 1949 (in an effort, according to some, to distance himself musically from Charlie Parker), and he immediately became a leading influence on the larger saxophone. Stitt brought the same effortless facility to bear on the tenor plus a more relaxed attack that suggested his affinity with Lester Young. Stitt was a complete saxophone virtuoso, who recorded several impressive solos on baritone in the Fifties.

Stitt often worked with pickup bands as he toured, continuing his odyssey until his death. In his final decades he introduced the electric Varitone saxophone, worked extensively in the funky organ-group setting, and participated in such further all-star gatherings as the Giants of Jazz, which included Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonious Monk. He was a true road warrior and blowing demon to the end, never failing to provide a lesson to any younger player who dared to test him on the bandstand. --- vervemusicgroup.com

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01. Ernest's Blues (Ranglin) 15:31
02. Home Sweet Home (Traditional) 0:43
03. M-O-T-H-E-R (Johnston) 3:27
04. My Mother's Eyes (Baer, Gilbert) 9:41		play
05. Sonny's Theme Song (Stitt) 1:23
06. Blues With Dick and Harry (Stitt) 14:55
07. It Could Happen to You (Burke, VanHeusen) 10:39
08. Oh, Lady Be Good (Gershwin, Gershwin) 8:26	play
09. Interview With Sonny Stitt 1:41

Personnel: 
Sonny Stitt - (tenor, soprano saxophone, piano), 
Terry Shannon - (piano), 
Rick Liard - (bass), 
Benny Goodman - (drums), 
Phil Bates - (bass - 1,6), 
Ernest Ranglin - (guitar - 1), 
Dick Morrisey - (tenor saxophone - 6), 
Harry South - (piano - 6)

Like hip-hoppers, bebop musicians can be fiercely competitive, and no one was more competitive than Sonny Stitt. His legendary battles with Gene Ammons, in fact, were the essence of musical sportsmanship. Stitt's extroverted nature is impossible to miss on Live at Ronnie Scott's, which was recorded at the famous London jazz club in May 1964. The saxman plays both alto and tenor during this jam session, and his company includes tenor saxman Dick Morrissey, pianist Terry Shannon, and Jamaican guitarist Ernest Ranglin. While Stitt is in good form on "It Could Happen to You," "Lady Be Good," and various blues items, the sound quality is imperfect by 1964 standards -- not bad, but imperfect. There's too much tape hiss, and Stitt's vocal is distorted on "M-0-T-H-E-R" (a cute number that gives us a rare chance to hear him singing). Nonetheless, the performances are generally enjoyable, and while this CD falls short of essential and isn't recommended to casual listeners, it will appeal to Stitt's hardcore fans. ---Alex Henderson.

Like hip-hoppers, bebop musicians can be fiercely competitive, and no one was more competitive than Sonny Stitt. His legendary battles with Gene Ammons, in fact, were the essence of musical sportsmanship. Stitt's extroverted nature is impossible to miss on Live at Ronnie Scott's, which was recorded at the famous London jazz club in May 1964. The saxman plays both alto and tenor during this jam session, and his company includes tenor saxman Dick Morrissey, pianist Terry Shannon, and Jamaican guitarist Ernest Ranglin. While Stitt is in good form on "It Could Happen to You," "Lady Be Good," and various blues items, the sound quality is imperfect by 1964 standards -- not bad, but imperfect. There's too much tape hiss, and Stitt's vocal is distorted on "M-0-T-H-E-R" (a cute number that gives us a rare chance to hear him singing). Nonetheless, the performances are generally enjoyable, and while this CD falls short of essential and isn't recommended to casual listeners, it will appeal to Stitt's hardcore fans.

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01. Sonny Stitt - Body and Soul (04:33)
02. Sonny Stitt - Sunday (03:56)
03. Sonny Stitt - Lazy Bones (07:45)
04. Sonny Stitt - On the Sunny Side of the Street (05:44)
05. Sonny Stitt - After Hours (12:22)
06. Sonny Stitt - All of Me (03:03)
07. Sonny Stitt - Stars Fell On Alabama (04:11)
08. Sonny Stitt - Two Bad Days Blues (04:45)
09. Sonny Stitt - Blue Mambo (02:27)
10. Sonny Stitt - If I Had You (06:19)
11. Sonny Stitt - It's You or No One (04:33)
12. Sonny Stitt - I Can't Get Started (07:32)
13. Sonny Stitt - I Cover the Waterfront (03:15)
14. Sonny Stitt - Cool Mambo (02:41)
15. Sonny Stitt - Alone Together (04:54)

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.

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1.I Got Rhythm 	
2.What's New 	
3.Subito 	
4.If I Had You 	
5.I'll Remember April 	
6.Blues For Lester 	
7.After You've Gone 	
8.Street Of Dreams 	
9.The Way You Look Tonight 	
10.Presto 	
11.Tune Up

Alto Saxophone – Sonny Stitt
Bass – George Morrow
Drums – Lennie McBrowne
Piano – Amos Trice
Tenor Saxophone – Sonny Stitt 

Sonny Stitt, who was a master saxophonist on alto, tenor and in his early days, baritone....was one of the most misunderstood musicians in the Jazz spectrum. Throughout his long career he was called an imitator and a copier of Charlie Parker on alto and Lester Young on tenor......he stopped playing the baritone in he early 50's (he found it tiresome to lug the big horn around from gig to gig) but had he continued somebody would have called him a copier of Serge Chaloff or Gerry Mulligan. Poor Stitt never copied anybody. He grew up with the same influences as Parker and was musically stimulated by many of the same musicians as Bird so natually there were some superficial similarities in their concepts but Stitt was his own man. When he began playing the larger tenor in the late 40's, Lester Young was an influence to be sure but even the most tin-eared critic would never have confused Stitt and Lester. Sonny developed strong personalities on both horns and the few recordings he made on the big baritone showed once again an individual concept beholden to no one.

Edward Boatner was born in Boston, Massachusetts on February 2, 1924 into a musical family. His brother was a concert pianist and his dad was a college music prof. Boatner's mom was also musical and taught piano but when Edward was very young Mrs. Boatner divorced and remarried and Edward took his stepdad's name.....Stitt; and was nicknamed "Sonny". Young Sonny studied piano, then clarinet and then the alto saxophone, which remained his strongest and favourite horn. By this time Sonny's parents had moved to Saginaw, Michigan and soon Sonny began his professional career playing gigs and eventually joining and touring with the Tiny Bradshaw Band. It was during that tour in 1943 that he heard and met Charlie Parker. Bird and Stitt hit it off and Bird reportedly said "Sonny, man, you sound like me" to which Stitt replied, "Bird you sound like me". Stitt was in the famous Billy Eckstine band with his best buddy, tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons and others and then was with Dizzy Gillespie's small and big bands but Stitt was pretty much a loner and not a joiner and preferred to go it by himself and work with small groups as featured soloist. He did however work with a few bands that were to his liking especially his on and off partnership beginning in 1950 with Gene Ammons. Stitt and Ammons were one of the foremost two saxophone partnerships in all of Jazz. Stitt toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic in the mid-50's and loved it as it was basically a travelling jam session and Sonny, during this time made some of his best records: eg. "Sonny Side Up" with Dizzy Gillespie and Sonny Rollins and so many others. Miles Davis asked Stitt to join his band after Coltrane departed and some fine concert recordings were made during a European tour with Stitt. As an aside, Jimmy Heath was to be Coltrane's replacement in Miles' band but the conditions of Heath's parole(he had spent several years in prison for narcotics possession) did not allow for him to leave New York at the time, so Stitt got the gig. Sonny didn't last long as he was not a joiner and he left Miles to go on his own. The only other band Sonny was ever involved in after Miles was the 'Giants of Jazz' group in the early 70's with Dizzy, Kai Winding, Blakey and Monk et al. Other than that and the odd reunion with Ammons....Sonny toured all over picking up local rhythm sections until his death from cancer on July 22,1982.

Sonny Stitt was one of the most widely recorded musicians in Jazz and while some of his recordings were rather routine, some were totally inspired and rank as some of the finest recordings ever. Even the discs where Sonny seemed to mail in his part have something to offer as his technique and endless flow of ideas and his immense knowledge of tunes are always worth checking out. Stitt had the respect of his peers, and people like Coltrane, Getz, Rollins, etc. all listed Sonny on either horn as a favourite.

Tonight's Feature is a rare recording that has never been re-issued domestically, called "The Hard Swing" was done in Los Angeles in 1959 with a band that he had picked up and worked a week with at a club in Watts. Sonny carries the ball on most tunes leaving very little space to his worthy rhythm section. We'll hear him on alto for the the first seven tunes then on tenor for the final four. Stitt is backed by the obscure and rarely recorded pianist Amos Trice. George Morrow, who had just left Max Roach's band to settle in L.A. is on bass and the very talented drummer Lenny McBrowne keeps the fires burning. Stitt is in inspired form on this date and the ideas pour out of his horns with fiery intensity....."The Hard Swing" indeed!!!! ---Gavin Walker, vancouverjazz.com

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A1 	Sunday 	
A2 	Soul Shack 	
A3 	Love Nest 	
B1 	Hairy 	
B2 	For You 	
B3 	Shadows

Alto Saxophone – Sonny Stitt (tracks: B1, B3)
Bass – Leonard Gaskin
Drums – Herbie Lovelle
Organ – Jack McDuff
Tenor Saxophone – Sonny Stitt (tracks: A1 to A3, B2) 

Recorded September 13, 1963.

Mid tempo blues & standards with the relaxed but powerful saxes of Stitt and the warm & soulful hammond of McDuff, a perfect combination on this album. ---mekkipuur, rateyourmusic.com

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A1 Western Style	 4:42
A2 I'll Walk Alone 	5:34
A3 Just You, Just Me	 4:50
A4 The Good Life 	2:46
B1 Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby? 	4:58
B2 Killing Me Softly With His Song	 4:08
B3 Eastern Style 	3:35
B4 Yesterdays		6:16

Sonny Stitt (saxophone)
Barry Harris (piano)
George Duvivier (bass)
Jimmy Cobb (drums)

Recording March 18, 1981 Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

Sonny Stitt (heard on both alto and tenor) is in excellent form on this LP -- yet another quartet date. He led over 100 sessions through the years. With pianist Barry Harris, bassist George Duvivier, and drummer Jimmy Cobb inspiring him, Stitt is creative within the boundaries of bebop on such songs as "Just You, Just Me," "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby," "Yesterdays," and a pair of his basic originals, which he titled "Western Style" and "Eastern Style." ---Scott Yanow, AllMusic Review

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