Tag Archives: Sonny Stitt

Sonny Stitt: Only The Blues

In November 1957, “Verve” label released “Only the Blues”, the 14th Sonny Stitt album. It was recorded in October 1957, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Sonny Stitt – alto saxophone
  • Roy Eldridge – trumpet
  • Herb Ellis – guitar
  • Oscar Peterson – piano
  • Ray Brown – double bass
  • Stan Levey – drums

Track listing:

  1. The String (The Eternal Triangle) – Sonny Stitt
  2. Cleveland Blues – Sonny Stitt
  3. B.W. Blues (Boogie Woogie Blues) – Sonny Stitt
  4. Blues for Bags – Sonny Stitt

Sonny Stitt: Personal Appearance

In June 1957, “Verve” label released “Personal Appearance”, the twelve Sonny Stitt album. It was recorded in May 1957, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Sonny Stitt – alto and tenor saxophone
  • Bobby Timmons – piano
  • Edgar Willis – bass
  • Kenny Dennis – drums

Track listing:

  1. You’d Be So Easy to Love – Cole Porter
  2. Easy Living – Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin
  3. Autumn in New York – Vernon Duke
  4. You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To – Cole Porter
  5. For Some Friends – Sonny Stitt
  6. I Never Knew – Ted Fio Rito, Gus Kahn
  7. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
  8. East of the Sun (and West of the Moon) – Brooks Bowman
  9. Original? – Sonny Stitt
  10. Avalon – Buddy DeSylva, Al Jolson, Vincent Rose
  11. Blues Greasy – Sonny Stitt

Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt and Sonny Rollins: Sonny Side Up

In January 1959, “Verve” label released “Sonny Side Up”, album by Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt and Sonny Rollins. It was recorded in December 1957, at “Nola Recording Studio” in New York City, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Dizzy Gillespie – vocal, trumpet
  • Sonny Stitt – tenor saxophone
  • Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone
  • Ray Bryant – piano
  • Tommy Bryant – double bass
  • Charlie Persip – drums
  • Burt Goldblatt – cover photography
  • Nat Hentoff – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. On the Sunny Side of the Street – Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields
  2. The Eternal Triangle – Sonny Stit
  3. After Hours – Avery Parrish
  4. I Know That You Know – Vincent Youmans, Anne Caldwell

Sonny Stitt: Night Letter

In November 1969, “Prestige” label released “Night Letter”, the 74th Sonny Stitt album. It was recorded in 1969, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Bob Porter.

Personnel:

  • Sonny Stitt – tenor saxophone, varitone
  • Gene Ludwig – organ
  • Pat Martino – guitar
  • Randy Gelispie – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer

Track listing:

All tracks by Sonny Stitt, except where noted.

  1. Night Letter
  2. When It’s Sleepy Time Down South – Clarence Muse, Leon René, Otis René
  3. Stringin’ the Jug – Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt
  4. Pretend – Lew Douglas, Cliff Parman, Frank LeVere
  5. Blue String
  6. You’ll Never Know – Harry Warren, Mack Gordon
  7. Blues Walk

Roy Haynes

On November 12, 2024 Roy Owen Haynes died aged 99. He was musician (drums), regarded as one of best and most influential drummers in the history of jazz music. In his career lasting over 80 years he recorded and performed with the best known and most important jazz musicians, including Miles Davis, Lester Young, Kai Winding, Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Wardell Gray, Sarah Vaughan, Cal Tjader, Eddie Shu, Nat Adderley, Milt Jackson, Red Rodney, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Art Farmer, Art Blakey, Dorothy Ashby, John Handy,  George Shearing, Randy Weston, Kenny Burrell,  Phineas Newborn, Jr,  Sonny Stitt, Lee Konitz, Eric Dolphy, Etta Jones, Booker Little, Betty Roché, Tommy Flanagan,  Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Oliver Nelson, Sonny Stitt,  Kai Winding, J. J. Johnson, Lem Winchester, Steve Lacy, Ray Charles, Jaki Byard, Ted Curson,  Bob Brookmeyer, Jackie Paris, Roland Kirk, Willis Jackson, McCoy Tyner, Ted Curson, John Coltrane, Frank Wess, Andrew Hill, Jackie McLean, Jimmy Witherspoon, Gary Burton, Archie Shepp, Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette, Leon Thomas, Clifford Jordan, Pharoah Sanders, Gato Barbieri, Dave Brubeck, Duke Jordan, Warne Marsh, Mary Lou Williams, Nick Brignola, Dizzy Reece, Johnny Griffin, Alice Coltrane,  Art Pepper,  Sal Nistico, Red Garland, Hank Jones, Stanley Cowell, Joe Albany, Freddie Hubbard, Toshiyuki Honda, Michel Petrucciani,  Mark Isaacs, Dave Holland, Pat Metheny and Kenny Barron.  Roy Haynes received big number of awards including “Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award” by the “National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences”, and the award at the “Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception” of the “54th Annual Grammy Awards”. In 2019, Haynes was given the “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the “Jazz Foundation of America”. As leader and co-leader, Roy Haynes released 32 albums.

Sonny Stitt: Now

In July 1963, “Impulse!” label released “Now!”, the 45th Sonny Stitt album. It was recorded in June 1963, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Bob Thiele.

Personnel:

  • Sonny Stitt – alto and tenor saxophone
  • Hank Jones – piano
  • Al Lucas – bass
  • Osie Johnson – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording

Track listing:

All tracks by Sonny Stitt, except where noted.

  1. Surfin’
  2. Lester Leaps In – Lester Young
  3. Estrellita – Manuel Ponce
  4. Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone – Sam Stept, Sidney Clare
  5. Touchy
  6. Never —SH!
  7. My Mother’s Eyes – Abel Baer, L. Wolfe Gilbert
  8. I’m Getting Sentimental Over You – George Bassman, Ned Washington

Dizzy Gillespie: Duets

In March 1958, “Verve” label released “Duets”, the 26th Dizzy Gillespie album. It was recorded in December 1957, at “Nola Studio” in New York City, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Dizzy Gillespie – trumpet
  • Sonny Stitt – alto and tenor saxophone 
  • Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone 
  • Ray Bryant – piano
  • Tommy Bryant – bass
  • Charlie Persip – drums
  • Norman Granz – supervision

Track listing:

All tracks by Dizzy Gillespie

  1. Wheatleigh Hall
  2. Sumphin’
  3. Con Alma
  4. Haute Mon’

The Three Sounds: Moods

In February 1961, “Blue Note” label released “Moods”, the sixth Three Sounds (The) album. It was recorded in June 1960, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Gene Harris – piano
  • Andrew Simpkins – bass
  • Bill Dowdy – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording, lacquer cut
  • Hugh Bell – photography
  • Leonard Feather – liner notes
  • Ruth Mason – model

Track listing:

  1. Love for Sale – Cole Porter
  2. Things Ain’t What They Used to Be – Mercer Ellington
  3. On Green Dolphin Street – Bronisław Kaper, Ned Washington
  4. Loose Walk – Sonny Stitt
  5. Li’l Darlin’ – Neal Hefti
  6. I’m Beginning to See the Light – Duke Ellington, Don George, Johnny Hodges, Harry James
  7. Tammy’s Breeze – Gene Harris
  8. Sandu – Clifford Brown

Sonny Stitt: Soul Shack

In December 1963, “Prestige” label released “Soul Shack”, album by Sonny Stitt and Jack McDuff (the 47th Sonny Stitt album overall). It was recorded in September 1963, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

Personnel:

  • Sonny Stitt – alto and tenor saxophone
  • Brother Jack McDuff – organ
  • Leonard Gaskin – bass
  • Herbie Lovelle – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording, lacquer cut
  • Don Schlitten – design, photography
  • Dan Mongerstern – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by Sonny Stitt except where noted.

  1. Sunday – Chester Conn, Jule Styne, Bennie Krueger, Ned Miller
  2. Soul Shack
  3. Love Nest – Louis Hirsch, Otto Harbach
  4. Hairy
  5. For You – Joe Burke, Al Dubin
  6. Shadows

Sonny Stitt And Art Blakey With The Jazz Messengers: In Walked Sonny

In September 1975, “Sonet Records” label released “In Walked Sonny”, album by Sonny Stitt and Art Blakey with The Jazz Messengers. It was recorded in May 1975, in New York City, and was produced by Sam Charters.

Personnel:

  • Sonny Stitt – alto and tenor saxophone
  • Art Blakey – drums
  • David Schnitter – tenor saxophone
  • Bill Hardman – trumpet
  • Walter Davis, Jr. – piano
  • Yoshio “Chin” Suzuki – bass
  • Elvin Campbell – engineer 
  • Terence Brace – design
  • Kenji Takigami – photography
  • Sam Charters – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Blues March – Benny Golson
  2. It Might as Well Be Spring – Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II
  3. Birdlike – Freddie Hubbard
  4. I Can’t Get Started – George Gershwin, Vernon Duke
  5. Ronnie’s a Dynamite Lady – Walter Davis, Jr.
  6. In Walked Sonny – Sonny Stitt