Boppin' in Baltimore: Live at The Left Bank (Live at The Left Bank)

Album review

Boppin' in Baltimore captures Sonny Stitt's quartet in November 1973 playing the Famous Ballroom as part of the Left Bank Jazz Society's run of Sunday jazz concerts from 1969-1981. It is one of three simultaneously issued volumes on Jazz Detective from the society's archives; the other two are organist Shirley Scott's Queen Talk and pianist Walter Bishop, Jr.'s Bish at the Bank. Stitt's band on the date included bassist Sam Jones, drummer Louis Hayes, and pianist Kenny Barron. The two-disc program showcases the quartet in an incendiary jam session stretching out blues, bop, and swing standards. Stitt's approach differs from the less bop-oriented recordings he was making for Cadet, Muse, and Flying Dutchman at the time. That said, this is Stitt the survivor who emerged as a fiery, take-no-prisoners competitor from the days of live cutting sessions during the '40s and '50s. All but two of these nine selections are over eight minutes, with most over ten. Set-opener "Baltimore Blues" is a muscular, 19-minute bebop sprint reminiscent of the many all-star jams Stitt cut for Prestige, Savoy, and Roost. Introduced by Hayes and Barron, Jones drops in a meaty blues walk before Stitt solos on tenor. The fingerpopping monolith offers fantastic soloing from Barron, too. That said, the locked-down interplay between Hayes and Jones --arguably one of the other most underrated bassists of the 20th century -- is textbook; it provides the groove engine for this music to open up wide. They work off the same changes for the entire ride, but the playing is so spirited and the solos so creative, it doesn't get bogged down. Stitt's knotty, dazzling opening solo on "Star Eyes" is so fleet and dexetrous, Barron alters the vamp with a Latin tinge while Hayes and Jones swing like mad. And speaking of Latin, the entire rhythm section grabs a Cuban son groove to kick off "A Different Blues." Its pace and tension get ratcheted by Jones and Hayes as Barron comps colorfully and Stitt blows wild and unfettered. That said, anyone who's ever spent time listening to the saxophonist knows he's awfully expressive, as evidenced here on the powerful ballads "Loverman" and "They Can't Take That Away from Me." The second disc kicks off with "A Different Blues," offering another 14-and-a-half minutes of raw, kinetic bebop blues where Stitt showcases his devastating technical mastery. "Stella by Starlight" features another uncredited saxophonist joining Stitt in a honking R&B sax chorus, as Jones double times and Hayes adds funky fills, accents, and rim shots after every chorus while Barron constructs a harmonic shelf for the saxophonist. The handsome package is annotated with liner essays and tributes by writers and musicians alongside rare photos. Sound quality is good, though not pristine. For Stitt fans, Boppin in Baltimore is essential, offering an intimate, fiery portrait of the saxophonist with a killer band later in his career. For the un- or under-initiated, this an excellent introduction to a jazz giant.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo