Keith oxman sonny stitt biography

Sonny Stitt

American jazz saxophonist (–)

Sonny Stitt

Birth nameEdward Hammond Boatner Jr.
BornFebruary 2,
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedJuly 22, () (aged&#;58)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
GenresJazz
OccupationMusician
InstrumentSaxophone
Years active–
LabelsPrestige, Roost, Savoy, Verve, Argo, Impulse!, Atlantic, Roulette, Cadet, Muse, Flying Dutchman, Sonet, Who's Who in Jazz

Musical artist

Sonny Stitt (born Edward Hammond Boatner Jr.; February 2, &#; July 22, ) was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom.

Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of his generation, recording more than albums. He was nicknamed the "Lone Wolf" by jazz critic Dan Morgenstern because of his tendency to rarely work with the same musicians for long despite his relentless touring and devotion to the craft. Stitt was sometimes viewed as a Charlie Parker mimic, especially earlier in his career, but gradually came to develop his own sound and style, particularly when performing on tenor saxophone and even occasionally baritone saxophone.

Keith oxman sonny stitt biography net worth A jazz musician since the s, he toured with the Buddy Rich big band in , and has played with artists including Art Blakey, Sonny Stitt, Red Holloway, Pete Christlieb, Jack McDuff, Phil Woods, Dave Brubeck, Jon Hendricks, Pete Christlieb, Louis Bellson, Pearl Bailey, The Temptations and The Fifth Dimension.

Early life

Edward Hammond Boatner Jr. was born in Boston, Massachusetts,[1] and grew up in Saginaw, Michigan. He had a musical background: his father, Edward Boatner, was a baritone singer, composer, and college music professor; his brother was a classically trained pianist, and his mother was a piano teacher.[1] He was placed for adoption in by his father and adopted by the Stitt family in Saginaw.[2] He later began calling himself "Sonny".

While in high school in Saginaw, he played in the Len Francke Band, a local popular swing band.

In , Stitt met Charlie Parker. As he often recalled, the two men had similar styles. Parker is alleged to have remarked, "Well, I'll be damned, you sound just like me", to which Stitt responded, "Well, I can't help the way I sound.

It's the only way I know how to play."[3]Kenny Clarke said of Stitt, "Even if there had not been a Bird, there would have been a Sonny Stitt."[4]

During the s, he played alto saxophone as a member of Tiny Bradshaw's big band, Billy Eckstine's big band with Gene Ammons and Dexter Gordon, and Dizzy Gillespie's big band.[5] Stitt was a leader of Bebop Boys and Galaxy in and respectively.[6]

When playing tenor saxophone Stitt seemed to break free from some of the criticism that he was imitating Parker's style, and began to develop a far more distinctive sound.[1] He played with other bop musicians including Horace Parlan,[7]Bud Powell and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, a fellow tenor with a distinctly tough tone in comparison to Stitt, in the s and recorded a number of sides for Prestige Records as well as albums for Argo, Verve, and Roost.

Sonny Stitt (album) - Wikipedia: A jazz musician since the s, he toured with the Buddy Rich big band in , and has played with artists including Art Blakey, Sonny Stitt, Red Holloway, Pete Christlieb, Jack McDuff, Phil Woods, Dave Brubeck, Jon Hendricks, Pete Christlieb, Louis Bellson, Pearl Bailey, The Temptations and The Fifth Dimension.

Stitt experimented with Afro-Cuban jazz in the late s, and the results can be heard on his recordings for Roost and Verve, on which he teamed up with Thad Jones and Chick Corea[8] for Latin versions of such standards as "Autumn Leaves".

In Stitt played with pianist Jimmy Jones and the next year performed orchestral music with Johnny Richards.

Under Quincy Jones's guidance in he played uptempos and ballads such as "My Funny Valentine" and "Star Dust" and the same year performed "Afterwards" and "There Will Never Be Another You" with Hank Jones. Stitt joined Dolo Coker in to perform "Blues for Yard" and "Blue Moon" before returning to Hank to perform "Cherokee".[3]

Stitt joined Miles Davis briefly in , and recordings with Davis' quintet can be found only in live settings on the tour of [9] Concerts in Manchester and Paris are available commercially and also a number of concerts (which include sets by the earlier quintet with John Coltrane) on the record Live at Stockholm (Dragon), all of which featured Wynton Kelly, Jimmy Cobb, and Paul Chambers.

However, Miles fired Stitt due to the excessive drinking habit he had developed, and replaced him with Hank Mobley.[10] Later in the s, Stitt paid homage to Parker on the album Stitt Plays Bird, which features Jim Hall on guitar.[11]

Stitt recorded several times with his friend Gene Ammons in sessions that were interrupted by Ammons' own imprisonment for narcotics possession.

The records recorded by these two saxophonists are regarded by many as some of both Ammons and Stitt's best work.

Keith oxman sonny stitt biography Sonny Stitt (born Edward Hammond Boatner Jr.; February 2, – July 22, ) was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop / hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of his generation, recording more than albums.

The Ammons/Stitt partnership went down in posterity as one of the best dueling partnerships in jazz, alongside Zoot Sims and Al Cohn, and Johnny Griffin with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. Stitt ventured into soul jazz, and he recorded with fellow tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin in on the Soul People album. Stitt also recorded with Duke Ellington alumnus Paul Gonsalves in for Impulse!

on the Salt and Pepper album in Around that time he appeared regularly at Ronnie Scott's in London, a live encounter with Ronnie Scott, The Night Has a Thousand Eyes, eventually surfaced, and another in with resident guitarist Ernest Ranglin and British tenor saxophonist Dick Morrissey. Stitt was one of the first jazz musicians to experiment with the Selmer Varitone amplification system as heard on the albums What's New!!! in and Parallel-a-Stitt in [12]

Later life

In the s Stitt slowed his recording output slightly but in produced another classic, Tune-Up!, which was and still is regarded by many jazz critics, such as Scott Yanow, as his definitive record.

Indeed, his fiery and ebullient soloing was reminiscent of his earlier playing. In he managed to record four albums; Turn It On! with Leon Spencer, Melvin Sparks, Idris Muhammad, and Virgil Jones, You Talk That Talk! with Gene Ammons and George Freeman as new members of the group, Just the Way It Was (Live at the Left Bank) with Don Patterson and Billy James, and Black Vibrations which featured the same group as in Turn It On!.[12]Just the Way It Was (Live at the Left Bank) which was released in also featured Stitt as an electric saxophone player, which was the first album which encompassed it.[13]

Stitt's productivity dropped in the s due to alcoholism.

He drank heavily after giving up heroin in the late fifties and the abuse was beginning to take its toll.

Gene ammons biography Keith Oxman is a Denver jazz scene icon, tenor master and bandleader - he has played with notable artists Sonny Stitt, Art Blakey, Buddy Rich, Jack McDuff, Red Holloway, Pete Christlieb, Joe Bonner, Tom Harrell, Phil Woods, Dave Brubeck, Gerry Bergonzi and many more.

A series of alcohol-induced seizures caused Stitt to abstain and quit for good.[14]

Stitt joined the all-star group The Giants of Jazz (which also featured Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Kai Winding and bassist Al McKibbon) and made albums for Atlantic, Concord and EmArcy. His last recordings were made in Japan.

A rejuvenated Stitt also toured with Red Holloway in the late s, who noted a marked improvement in his playing.[1] In he performed with Ron Burton, Major Holley and drummer John Lewis at the Village Vanguard.[15]

In , Stitt performed with George Duvivier and Jimmy Cobb, Six weeks before his death, Stitt recorded two consecutive sessions which were with George Duvivier, Jimmy Cobb, Bill Hardman and either Junior Mance or Walter Davis Jr.

on piano.[6]

In , Stitt was diagnosed with cancer, and died on July 22 in Washington, D.C.[1] He is buried in a wall crypt at Fort Lincoln Cemetery, Brentwood, Maryland.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

With Gene Ammons

  • All Star Sessions (Prestige, –55 [])
  • Jug and Sonny (Chess, –51 [])
  • Boss Tenors (Verve, )
  • Boss Tenors in Orbit! (Verve, )
  • Soul Summit (Prestige, )
  • You Talk That Talk! (Prestige, )
  • God Bless Jug and Sonny (Prestige, )
  • Left Bank Encores (Prestige, )
  • Together Again for the Last Time (Prestige, )

With Art Blakey

With Miles Davis

  • Miles Davis in Stockholm Complete with John Coltrane and Sonny Stitt (Dragon, )

With Dizzy Gillespie

  • The Modern Jazz Sextet (Verve, ) with Skeeter Best, John Lewis, Percy Heath and Charli Persip
  • Duets (Verve, ) Quintets featuring Sonny Stitt or Sonny Rollins; with Ray Bryant, Tommy Bryant and Charlie Persip
  • Sonny Side Up (Verve, [rel.

    ]) Sextet featuring Sonny Stitt and Sonny Rollins; with Ray Bryant, Tommy Bryant and Charlie Persip

  • The Giants of Jazz (Atlantic, ) with Art Blakey, Al McKibbon, Thelonious Monk and Kai Winding
  • The Bop Session (Sonet, ) with John Lewis, Hank Jones, Percy Heath and Max Roach

With Milt Jackson

With Don Patterson

With Oscar Peterson

With Zimbo Trio

  • Zimbo Convida Sonny Stitt (Clam, )

References

  1. ^ abcdeWilson, John S.

    (July 24, ). "Sonny Stitt, Saxophonist, Is Dead; Style Likened to Charlie Parker's". The New York Times. p.&#;

  2. ^Friedwald, Will (August 14, ). "Bebop's Greatest Sparring Partner". The New York Sun. Retrieved April 29,
  3. ^ abMarc Myers (March 29, ).

    "Sonny Stitt: Roost Sessions".

  5. Sonny Stitt - Discography of American Historical Recordings

  6. JazzWax. Retrieved April 27,

  7. ^Ron Scott (May 26, ). "Boss tenors, 'ReOcurring Dreams,' Regina salutes Ella". New York Amsterdam News. Retrieved April 29,
  8. ^Wynn, Ron. "Sonny Stitt". AllMusic. Retrieved April 29,
  9. ^ abYanow, Scott ().

    Bebop.

    Keith Oxman Musician - All About Jazz

    Sonny Stitt (born Edward Hammond Boatner Jr.; February 2, – July 22, ) was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop / hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of his generation, recording more than albums.

    Miller Freeman Books. p.&#; ISBN&#;.

  10. ^Matt Schudel (February 25, ). "Horace Parlan, jazz pianist who overcame disability, dies at 86". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 2,
  11. ^"Chick Corea's Detroit connections will shine at Detroit Jazz Festival". Detroit Free Press. August 26, Retrieved July 2,
  12. ^Samuel Chell (April 9, ).

    "Miles Davis and Sonny Stitt: Jazz Time: Olympia". All About Jazz.

  13. Keith Oxman - Pathways To Jazz
  14. Biography - Sonny Stitt
  15. Item 1 of 3
  16. Item 3 of 3

    17. Retrieved July 2,

  17. ^"Edward "Sonny" Stitt". WNCU. Retrieved July 2,
  18. ^Marc Myers (March 12, ). "Top Charlie Parker Tribute Albums". JazzWax. Retrieved July 2,
  19. ^ abMarc Myers (December 20, ).

    "Sonny Stitt: Varitone Redux". JazzWax. Retrieved July 2,

  20. ^"Sonny Stitt: Just The Way It Was - "Live" At The Left Bank". All About Jazz. October 1, Retrieved July 2,
  21. ^Perkins, Bob (September 1, ). "Bob Perkins' Jazz Library: The Story of Sonny Stitt". WRTI. Retrieved July 2,
  22. ^Wilson, John S.

    (August 30, ). "Sonny Stitt, Loner, Plays at Vanguard". The New York Times. p.&#;

  23. ^ abc"WinGate". . Retrieved October 28,

External links

Sonny Stitt

Years given are for the recording(s), not first release.

As
leader or
co-leader
  • Sonny Stitt/Bud Powell/J.

    J. Johnson (–50)

  • Stitt's Bits ()
  • Kaleidoscope (–52)
  • Jazz at the Hi-Hat ()
  • The Battle of Birdland (and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, )
  • Sonny Stitt Plays Arrangements from the Pen of Quincy Jones ()
  • Sonny Stitt Plays ()
  • New York Jazz ()
  • For Musicians Only (with Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz, )
  • 37 Minutes and 48 Seconds with Sonny Stitt (c/57)
  • Only the Blues ()
  • Personal Appearance ()
  • Sonny Stitt with the New Yorkers ()
  • Burnin' ()
  • Sonny Stitt ()
  • The Saxophones of Sonny Stitt ()
  • A Little Bit of Stitt ()
  • Saxophone Supremacy ()
  • Sonny Stitt Blows the Blues ()
  • Sonny Stitt Plays Jimmy Giuffre Arrangements ()
  • Sonny Stitt Sits in with the Oscar Peterson Trio ()
  • Sonny Side Up (with Dizzy Gillespie and Sonny Rollins, Verve, )
  • Sonny Stitt Swings the Most ()
  • The Hard Swing ()
  • The Sonny Side of Stitt ()
  • Previously Unreleased Recordings ()
  • Sonny Side Up (Roost, )
  • Stittsville ()
  • Stitt in Orbit (–62)
  • Sonny Stitt at the D.

    J. Lounge ()

  • The Sensual Sound of Sonny Stitt ()
  • Feelin's ()
  • Low Flame ()
  • Rearin' Back ()
  • Sonny Stitt & the Top Brass ()
  • Stitt Meets Brother Jack (with "Brother" Jack McDuff, )
  • Move on Over ()
  • My Mother's Eyes ()
  • Now! ()
  • Primitivo Soul! ()
  • Salt and Pepper (and Paul Gonsalves, )
  • Soul Shack (with "Brother" Jack McDuff, )
  • Stitt Goes Latin ()
  • Stitt Plays Bird ()
  • My Main Man (and Bennie Green, )
  • Shangri-La (with Don Patterson, )
  • Sax Expressions ()
  • Sonny Stitt / Live at Ronnie Scott's (with Dick Morrissey, )
  • Soul People (with Booker Ervin and Don Patterson, –69)
  • Broadway Soul ()
  • Inter-Action (and Zoot Sims, )
  • Night Crawler (with Don Patterson, )
  • Pow! (with Bennie Green, )
  • The Matadors Meet the Bull ()
  • Deuces Wild ()
  • I Keep Comin' Back! ()
  • Soul in the Night (and Bunky Green, )
  • What's New!!! ()
  • Parallel-a-Stitt ()
  • Little Green Apples ()
  • Soul Electricity! ()
  • Come Hither ()
  • Night Letter ()
  • Black Vibrations ()
  • Turn It On! ()
  • 12! ()
  • Constellation ()
  • Goin' Down Slow ()
  • Tune-Up! ()
  • Mr.

    Bojangles ()

  • The Champ ()
  • Satan ()
  • Blues for Duke ()
  • Dumpy Mama ()
  • Mellow ()
  • My Buddy: Sonny Stitt Plays for Gene Ammons ()
  • Forecast: Sonny & Red (with Red Holloway, )
  • I Remember Bird ()
  • Stomp Off Let's Go ()
  • Sonny Stitt with Strings: A Tribute to Duke Ellington ()
  • In Style ()
  • The Last Sessions ()
And
Gene
Ammons
With
Dizzy
Gillespie
With
Don
Patterson
With
others