Sonny Stitt
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.
© Ron Wynn and Bob Porter /TiVo
Similar artists
-
Work Done (Recorded Live at the Keystone Korner, 1976)
Bebop - Released by HighNote Records on 15 apr. 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Swings The Most
Jazz - Released by Verve Reissues on 1 jan. 1960
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Complete Recordings: 1949-1956
Jazz - Released by Playtime on 10 feb. 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Complete Recordings: 1957-1959
Jazz - Released by Playtime on 10 feb. 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Complete Recordings: 1959-1961
Jazz - Released by Playtime on 10 feb. 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
An Introduction To Sonny Stitt
Jazz - Released by Fuel 2000 on 6 sep. 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Triumvirate
Sonny Stitt, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Eddie Davis
Jazz - Released by Synergie OMP on 1 okt. 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Smooth Sonny
Jazz - Released by Archive of Folk & Jazz Music on 21 apr. 1982
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rhythm & Jazz Riffs
Pop - Released by Music Manager on 30 jul. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live At Ronnie Scott's: The Best of the 60's Vol. 1
Benny Golson, Ernest Ranglin, Sonny Stitt
Jazz - Released by Carter Lane - OMiP on 9 dec. 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Legendary Studio Sessions: Cherokee
Jazz - Released by Jazz Lovers on 5 dec. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dizzy et les 2 Sonny (Remastered, Mono Version)
Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt
Jazz - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1961
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Soul People
Sonny Stitt, Booker Ervin, Don Patterson
Jazz - Released by Prestige on 1 jan. 1965
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Sonny Side Up
Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, Sonny Rollins
Jazz - Released by Supreme Media on 19 dec. 1957
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Kaleidoscope
Jazz - Released by Original Jazz Classics on 22 nov. 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
-
Verve Jazz Masters 50: Sonny Stitt
Jazz - Released by Verve Reissues on 26 sep. 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo