Sonny Stitt - Sonny's Blues (Up Front lp)

Not the live record from Ronnie Scott's nor the recording done just a year before his death but another record with the same title.
 This blog has always been about the music I love with no pretensions towards rare or obscure recordings. I'm pretty sure the sessions on this very short release have been available elsewhere but this seems to be the only examples I have in my collection.
 Clocking in at a mere half hour, my first exposure to these recordings were a cassette tape most likely purchased at a 7-11 type joint for 2 bucks when that was a more common occurrence. Needless to say I had only dim fond recollections of the music when I ran across this lp at a flea market a couple of weeks ago. Not the best sounding recording but now I have another 2 dollars wrapped up so I thought I would share. And I fing I still dig the title tune as much as I remember.

Not a lick of info on the sleeve but that's where completists and other record geeks come in. Your turn to shine. Fill us in if you can.

Sonny's Blues

1. Star Eyes

2. Autumn In New York

3. Sonny's Blues

UPF-196

The Blue Note Lost Sessions comp.

Embarrassingly I am offering up another cd copy. Once again though, I don't believe it ever saw light as a vinyl release.
It was also apparently made available as part of a 7 disc set for the Connoisseur series. Popular opinion is that this disc is the only only one really worthwhile.
There are many fine players spread across these tracks as one might expect from what made have been the world's most "perfect" label at one time.
Any flaws these tracks may have that kept them from being released originally are beyond my scope.

A few observations... apparently the opening Charlie Rouse track was the only thing salvageable from his two sessions. I have always enjoyed his work with Monk so I am surprised. I also have a Charlie Rouse lp that I will share soon that I think is swell.
Tadd Dameron's arrangements always astound me, and Ike Quebec is highly under rated.

Blue Note Records presents
THE LOST SESSIONS

1. One For Five
2. The Elder Speaks
3. Bevan Beeps
4. Lament For The Living
5. Aloof Spoof
6. For All We Know
7. I See Your Face Before Me
8. Sweet Slumber
9. Lady Be Good
10. Blues On Trial
11. Cowbell Boogie
12. Don't Even Go There

1. Charlie Rouse - tenor; Freddie Hubbard - trumpet; McCoy Tyner - piano; Bob Cranshaw - bass; Billy Higgins - drums 1/22/65
2 -5. Tadd Dameron - piano; Donald Byrd - trumpet; Curtis Fuller; Julius Watkins - french horn; Sam Rivers - tenor sax; Cecil Payne - baritone; Paul Chambers - bass; Philly Joe Jones - drums 12/14/61
6-8. Duke Pearson - piano; Ike Quebec - tenor; Israel Crosby - bass; Vernel Foournier - drums 6/26/60
9. Sonny Stitt, Dexter Gordon - tenor sax; Don Patterson - organ; Paul Weeden - guitar; Billy James - drums 5/14/62
10. Ike Quebec - tenor sax; Gene Harris - organ; Andrew Simpkins - bass; Bill Dowdy - drums 2/4/62
11. Fred Jackson - tenor sax; John Patton - piano; Grant Green - guitar; Herbie Lewis - bass; Ben Dixon - drums 6/12/62
12. Herbie Hancock - piano; Melvin Lastie - cornet; Stanley Turrentine - tenor sax; Eric Gale, Billy Butler - guitars; Bob Cranshaw - bass; Bernard Purdie - drums 7/19/66

BN 21484


I'm betting many of these tracks have ended up tacked to individual lps as bonus cuts. The "leader" of each date is in bold.

Gene Ammons - The Soulful Saxophone of Gene Ammons

Gene Ammons is not the best known tenor around. Nor the most loved. But he is good at what he does, and that is that big FAT tenor sound.

What I have for you here are couple of Ammons lps. The first is a Chess release that I don't see round much, the other a Prestige lp that you shouldn't have too much trouble running down.

Since both are short they are being included here together. They will fit on a disc nicely.

Soulful Saxophone
Gene Ammons

1. My Foolish Heart
2. Prelude To A Kiss
3. It's You Or No One
4. Can Anyone Explain
5. Goodbye
6. Pennies From Heaven
7. Happiness Is Just A Thing Called Joe
8. You Go To My Head
9. Once In A While
10. It's The Talk Of The Town

Gene Ammons, Tom Archia (ts) Christine Chatman (p) Leroy Jackson (b) Wesley Landers (d) Chicago, IL, October 12, 1948
U7142 It's The Talk Of The Town
Gene Ammons (ts) Christine Chatman (p, vo) Leo Blevins (g) Lowell Pointer (b) Ike Day (d) Mary Graham (vo) Chicago, IL, February 28, 1949
U7181 Once In A While
Jesse Miller (tp) Matthew Gee (tb) Gene Ammons (ts) Junior Mance (p) Leo Blevins (g) Leroy Jackson (b) Wesley Landers (d) Chicago, IL, January 8, 1950
U7231 Pennies From Heaven
Bill Massey (tp) Matthew Gee (tb) Gene Ammons (ts) Charlie Bateman (p) Gene Wright (b) Wesley Landers (d) Chicago, IL, May 2, 1950
U7248 Goodbye
U7249 You Go To My Head
U7250 My Foolish Heart
add Sonny Stitt (bars) Chicago, IL, August, 1950
U7266 Can Anyone Explain?
U7268 Prelude To A Kiss
Gene Ammons (ts) Junior Mance (p) Gene Wright (b) Teddy Stewart (d) Chicago, IL, May 3, 1951
U7338 Happiness Is Just A Thing Called Joe
U7339 It's You Or No One



This second lp was Prestige released with credits listed only as "organ, bass, and drum accompaniment."

This record probably has more soul than the last record.

I don't know if it is the gospel undertones on this lp that make feel so fulfilled...or just that big ole saxophone!

Preachin'
Gene Ammons

1. Sweet Hour
2. Yeild not
3. Abide With Me
4. Blessed Assurance
5. The Prayer
6. You'll Never Walk Alone
7. I Believe
8. Precious Memories
9. What A Friend
10. Holy Holy
11. The Light

Gene Ammons (ts)
Clarence "Sleepy" Anderson (org)
Sylvester Hickman (b)
Dorral Anderson (d)

Chicago, IL, May 3, 1962


Chess Lp - 1442

Prestige 7270

Battle of the Tenor Saxes - IAJRC 15

A big damn thanks to Luis for scanning this cover for me.


I used to be a member of this organization, but economics and differences in taste finally caused me to drop out. I still hold them in the highest regard.

This is obviously a labor of love. Self published and full of rare tracks, I truly hope I am not hurting any one's feelings by sharing this, but it no longer appears available on their website in any form.
This lp is split into two camps, "The Big Sound" and "The Cool School". Can't say I really dig one side over the other as this is some outstanding shit.

The liner notes are extensive, comprehensive and far too detailed to provide here. but the one thing I want to reiterate from them - "Melvin Moore's vocal on Deep Purple is regrettable but the side is included here for its rarity as well as the brief contribution of Marsh."

(Aw shit - an hour of typing gone in a keystroke - what you get here is a track
and artist list, full personnel detail available in a couple of days.

Battle Of The Tenor Saxes IAJRC 15
Side One - "The Big Sound"

1. Skippy - Coleman Hawkins
2. Surf Board - Ben Webster
3. Dumb Woman Blues - Gene Ammons
4. Cup-Mute Clayton - Ike Quebec
5. Topsy - Ike Quebec
6. The Happening - Paul Gonsalves
7. Sahara Heat - Illinois Jaquet
8. Don't Push Daddy - Illinois Jaquet

Side Two - "The Cool School"

9. Movin' With Lester - Lester Young
10. Lester Smooths It Out - Lester Young
11. On The Town - Dexter Gordon
12. The Way You Look Tonight - Allen Eager
13. I'm Shooting High - Warne Marsh
14. Deep Purple - Warne Marsh
15. Oh Well - James Moody
16. The Great Lie - Wardell Gray

IAJRC 15

You won't gleam a lot of info off this back cover scan but here it is if you want to try. Again , thanks Luis.

Prestige First Sessions 1949/50

A two-fer set of lps I have had for years.

Some great stuff on these. These lps are responsible for my love of Tristano/Konitz. I originally bought this set for the Fats Navarro tracks. While I was familiar with much of the work of several artists on here, at the time I was familiar with Tristano and Konitz in name only.

When I bought this set in the early '80s much of this stuff was unavailable. Freaking internet takes all the fun outta things! If you're like me, I prefer the vinyl any time.
And if you think there is anyway I can list fully the performers for all these tracks... you're dreaming. That's where the internet comes in. But I will cover the major bases.

Disc One:
Lennie Tristano
1. Tautology
2. Retrospection
3. Subconscious Lee
4. Judy
Lee Konitz
5. Marshmallow
6. Fishin' Around
7. Tautology
8. Sound Lee
Don Lamphere
9. Spider's Web
10. Strike Up The Band
Kai Winding
11. Broadway
12. Waterworks
Fats Navarro
13. Wailing Wall
14. Go
15. Infatuation
16. Stop


Disc Two
J.J. Johnson
1. Afternoon In Paris
2. Elora
3. Tea Pot
4. Blue Mode
Wardell Gray
5. Easy Living
Sonny Stitt
6. Fine and Dandy
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
7. Sweet and Lovely
8. Squattin'
Al Haig
9. Liza
10. Stars Fell On Alabama
11. Stairway To The Stars
12. Opus Caprice
Leo Parker
13. Mona Lisa
14. Who's Mad
15. Darn That Dream
16. I'll Cross My Fingers

Additional performers include Denzel Best, Duke Jordan, Warne Marsh, Shelley Manne, Brew Moore, Gerry Mulligan, George Wallington, Roy Haynes, Max Roach, Bud Powell, Wynton Kelley, and Oscar Pettiford, among others.

Prestige P-24081 (disc one)
Prestige P-24081 (disc two)

Sonny Stitt / Zoot Sims - Inter-Action

This is a very short but nice meeting of two underrated tenors.

I can't speak for the backing band as I have never heard of any of them but they all seem to rise to the occasion as needed.

What draws me to this outing is Stitt's Parker influences smack up against Sims' Prez impressions. And the way they co-mingle sometimes to the point where I struggle to tell which tenor is blowing.

Stitt picks up his first horn, the alto on Fools Rush In, but it is undeniably Sims' tenor solo on this song that is the highlight of the lp for me.

Anyway, short lp, short review.

Sonny Stitt and Zoot Sims
Inter-Action

1. My Blue Heaven
2. The Saber
3. Katea
4. Fools Rush In
5. Look Down That Lonesome Road
6. I Want To Go Home

Sonny Stitt - tenor and alto saxes
Zoot Sims - tenor sax
John Young - piano
Sam Kidd - bass
Phil Thomas - drums

recorded Chicago, Jan 1965
in glorious mono!

Cadet LP-760

Sonny Stitt and the Giants

A really cool record for several reasons. First it is up to Stitt's usual high standards.

As you probably know the comparisons between Stitt and Bird were the main reason Stitt switched to the tenor as his main instrument. On this outing he switched back to the alto.

Which is the second reason this record shines. Stitt's choice to pick up the alto for this session are his cohorts, The Giants, all veterans of Parker's bands.

The first two tracks are outstanding blues work outs by the whole band. Loverman sees the band with just Stitt on a song made infamous by Bird.

Satin Doll is the rhythm section's chance to shine, while they join McGhee on Don't Blame Me.

The blues reassert themselves as the entire band closes out on a clever choice, Hello.

Sonny Stitt & The Giants

1. Night Work
2. Matter Horns
3. Loverman
4. Satin Doll
5. Don't Blame Me
6. Hello

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

Recorded at Turicop Studios, Zurich
18th October 1967

Black Lion records BL-307

And a big thanks to rviti for locating this cover for me!!!