Search - Sonny Stitt :: Sax O Bebop

Complete Early Recordings!!

Jazz Fan 59 | Toronto, Canada | 05/22/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This 4-CD set captures all Stitt's recordings from his debut in 1946 with Dizzy Gillespie on Savoy, through the Prestige Years of 1949 to 1951, ending with his first Roost recording session in 1952 with Johnny Richards.



Stitt was one of the foremeost bebop saxophonists, a true virtuoso who raised technical standards for saxophonists everywhere. He was widely admired by musicians as diverse as Oscar Peterson, Zoot Sims, Booker Ervin and John Coltrane. A formidable player, he loved to "battle" with other horn players, forcing them to play at their best.



Stitt started on alto sax, later adding tenor and baritone. His technique on all three horns is amazing. Adding the other horns

made him a more complete and soulful player. Like Parker, he excels at the blues and soulful ballads. Few players, then or now, could stay with him on up-tempo numbers.



This is an exhaustive survey of his early stuff. Some of the material is very good, the Gillespie material and the Prestige quartet sides from 1950 and 1951 are great. The most critically acclaimed sides are a quartet date with Bud Powell from 1949

and a quintet date with John Lewis and JJ Johnson from around the same time. Stitt's tenor playing here is among his best.



The band Stitt co-led with Gene Ammons is here as well, but I find the 1960s Boss Tenors sessions much preferable to this stuff, which is a bit raw. You may also find the period vocals

by obscure singers offputting. Stitt plays well on the Johnny Richards stuff, but the busy, contrived arrangements don't suit his style.



I like the quartet sides from 1950 & 1951. Stitt is the focus of attention and plays beautifully on these, whether on alto tenor or baritone, on which he shows more ability than many full time baritone players. Stitt is so obviously superior to most of his contemporaries that the presence of other soloists, as on the "Bebop Boys" Savoy sessions is merely distracting. True, Fats Navarro and Bud Powell are on these, but so are some other players who tend to ramble on.



The sound quality is pretty variable. Two sessions recorded for an obscure Detroit label seem to have been recorded in an echo chamber. There is some distortion on some of the Prestige stuff. The Savoy and Roost material sounds pretty good, remembering that these were 78rpm recordings.



Of great historical interest, as much early Bud Powell is here, but not essential unless you are a Stitt fan. Nice to have and not expensive to buy. Very informative booklet as well."