Billboard : 05/05/1956
Score of 79

The heir-apparent to the “top alto sax man” crown of the late and great Charlie Parker is generally conceded to be Sonny Stitt, who gives a royal performance on this LP. Stitt’s warm approach to the “cool school” makes him a particularly good sales bet for dealers in that his interesting technique and wonderful tone appeal to the most exacting cultist, while his expressive phrasing and obvious joy in playing have a universal attraction for practically any kind of jazz fan. Selections include Yesterdays, Nearness of You, and Blues for Bobby. Tasteful backing.

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Virginian-Pilot
Robert C. Smith : 04/29/1956

Altoist Sonny Stitt may deserve a good deal more credit than he has ever received for developing the principals of the Bebop school of modern jazz. Certainly his latest LPs for Roost lend plausibility to the belief that his style is a conscious parallel to Charlie Parker‘s rather than a derivative, and that it is in some ways a technical advance in the idiom.

In the first of these LPs the 32-year-old veteran of pioneering bop days with Gillespie and Kenny Clarke combos play arrangements by the talented Quincy Jones. Backed by simple rhythm or an ensemble featuring Thad Jones and Jimmy Nottingham, Sonny produces clean-lined, always musical improvisations. There is a marvelously unsentimental My Funny Valentine, a perky Love Walked In and Quince, which includes a sensitive Thad Jones solo. On the second set Sonny plays with Hank Jones, Freddie Greene, Wendell Marshall, and “Shadow” Wilson with equally rewarding results. It may be that he sounds more at home by comparison with younger Parker emulators who didn’t reach maturity “feeling” the bop expression; it may be that he has been underrated in the light of Parker’s genius.

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Down Beat : 05/30/1956
Nat Hentoff : 4.5 stars

On the first side, Sonny is backed by Hank Jones, Wendell Marshall, Shadow Wilson, and Freddie Greene. On the last four, Freddie is absent. Of all the modern altoists unabashedly in the Bird tradition, Sonny is the most authoritative disciple, but he also is so committed to almost all of the vocabulary of Bird that there seems little likelihood Sonny will ever emerge as an original voice. Yet, judged as a direct continuer of Bird’s style, Sonny is an exciting asset to the contemporary scene.

On these freely improvised tracks – and fortunately there’s plenty of elbow room in terms of space for each number – Sonny blows with strong emotional impact, intense rhythmic power, and a driving, sharp-edged flow of Bird-shadowed ideas. The rhythm section is excellent and there are several fine solos by Hank. Leigh Kamman’s otherwise good notes err twice. Greene is on the first, not the second side. And Sonny is not a member of the “cool school.” He’s as hot as any jazzman can be without being radioactive. He should, however, stick to the alto in person as he does here.

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Liner Notes by Leigh Kamman

CHARLIE PARKER ONCE SAID:
“Music is your Own Experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn.”

“The Bird” also made the remark:
“They teach you there’s a boundary line to music. But, man, there’s no boundary line to art.”

As you listen to this album you may feel Yardbird’s philosophy gently rippling from the loudspeaker. For here is the impact of this pioneer translated by Sonny Stitt, an artist who is as important a force in contemporary jazz as say Johnny Hodges was to the era of swing and as “Bird” was to the modern jazz transition. To paraphrase: Sonny’s experience, thoughts, and truthful musicianship lives in his expressive horn, much in the manner of Charlie Parker. A sweet, sweet sound pours from the Stitt horn. In sum Sonny blows up a new warmth and glow on behalf of the “cool school.”

HIS BACKGROUND:
Edward “Sonny” Stitt was born in Boston, February 2, 1924. He grew up in Saginaw, Michigan. Both his mother and father are music teachers. His mother still teaches music back in Saginaw. His father now heads a conservatory of music in Brooklyn. Originally Sonny played clarinet. Since then he was mastered the baritone as well as tenor and alto. Stitt first became known as an alto man around Detroit and Newark playing with Tiny Bradshaw and other bands before gaining recognition with Dizzy Gillespie in 1946. One of his early alto solos can be found on Oop Bop Sh’Bam (Musicraft 383) recorded with the Dizzy Gillespie Sextet. Sonny won the 1947 Esquire new star award for his work on alto.

WHAT OTHER MUSICIANS SAY ABOUT STITT
Kenny Clarke: “If there had never been a ‘Bird,’ there would have been a Sonny Sitt. Sonny, at present, is one of the greatest artists of the saxophone. I feel he has a deep sense of rhythm. Sonny is an all around musician. He’s ‘Bird’ all over again, in a sense, but although he’s the essence of ‘Bird,’ he is quite individual in his style. He can improvise in the spirit of the moment. Really a joy to hear him play.”

Quincy Jones: “I think that a lot of people make the mistake of classifying Sonny as ‘Bird’ influenced. He’s one of the few who is justified in playing with a parallel technique, feeling and conception. There are only a few ways of making an alto sound good. ‘Bird’ and Sonny discovered the way.”

Oscar Pettiford: “I think Sonny is influenced by ‘Bird’s’ technique. ‘Bird’ taught a lot of musicians how to use the horn. However, Sonny is the leading alto saxophonist today. Nobody around surpasses him although there are potential artists coming up like Gigi Gryce, Charlie Mariano, Frank Morgan and Phil Woods.”

Tadd Dameron: “He’s tops since Charlie Parker. He has terrific drive, chord knowledge, and he’s the greatest that’s all.”

Gigi Gryce: “I think he’s much underrated – and the most spectacular – most interesting saxophonist since Charlie Parker. This is spoken from the heart.”

THE MUSICIANS ON THE DATE

The musicians selected are men in tune with the important elements of modern jazz. But more than that Shadow Wilson, Freddie Greene, Wendell Marshall and Hank Jones are hand picked for their skill in accompanying the soloist. Shadow and Hank who provided the effective background for Ella Fitzgerald know the bounds and limits which musically inspire the soloist. Freddie Greene and Wendell Marshall have proved their musicianship in the big bands of Basie and Ellington.

Henry “Hank” Jones, Pianist:
Early influences Fats Waller, Teddy Wilson, and Art Tatum. Later the work of Bud Powell and Al Haig produced a change in his technique. He was born in Pontiac, Michigan, July 31, 1918, and has worked with Hot Lips Page, Andy Kirk, John Kirby and accompanied both Billy Eckstine and Ella Fitzgerald.

Wendell Marshall, Bassist:
Became interested in bass through the influence of Jimmy Blanton. Blanton was Marshall’s first cousin and a member of Duke’s band. Following in Jimmy Blanton’s footsteps, Wendell finally joined the Ellington organization in September 1948. He toured Europe with Duke. In 1955 Marshall began a freelance career doing record dates and stints with Dan Terry‘s big band and the Tony Scott group. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, October 24, 1920.

Freddie Greene, Guitarist:
Musically self-taught. John Hammond recommended him to Count Basie with whom he has been playing almost continuously since March 1937. Never plays amplified guitars. He was born in Charleston, South Carolina, March 31, 1911.

Shadow Wilson, Drummer:
He was an Esquire new star award winner in 1947. He played drums in the Earl Hines band which boasted Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Green and others. Shadow is a product of big bands – Lucky Millinder, Jimmy Mundy, and Lionel Hampton, but is equally at home in the small combo. He was born in Yonkers, New York, August 25, 1919.

What You Will Hear…

Depends on your point of view and the condition of your ear. Generally speaking, no matter whether your taste is limited to modern or just swing, or even the traditional you will find a musical frame of reference here which is the happiest. In contrast to the proceeding album, Sonny Stitt Plays the Arrangements of Quincy Jones (Roost LP 2204) this session represents the small combination completely “Ad Liberty.” The emphasis is on the solo work of Sonny Stitt and Hank Jones with the rhythm section maintaining the beat and the mood. Side 1 features the quartette. Side 2 features the quintet. The quartette tracks reveal some of Shadow Wilson’s expert percussion work. The quintet shows off Freddie Greene’s ability to anchor the rhythm section and give it solidity. The collection of sides includes three spontaneous compositions: Biscuit Mix, Afterwards, and Blues for Bobby, dedicated to Sonny’s wife, plus themes reminiscent of the “Bird” – If I Should Lose You, Yesterdays and the Nearness Of You. The other tracks are There’ll Never Be Another You and Melancholy Baby. You listen and do your own critique. Just one comment in conclusion. Sonny’s colors, shades and wails through the perennials and “new sounds” with such sincerity it prompts us to recall a prophetic anecdote. It seems several weeks before Charlie Parker passed away he met Sonny Stitt. And in the course of his conversation with Sonny he was reported to have said:

“Man, I’m not long for this life. You carry on. I’m leaving you the key to the kingdom.”