Album Reviews

This set, recorded May 1959 in Paris during a Jazz at the Philharmonic tour finds Sonny Stitt on the Oscar Peterson guest list mostly playing alto with some tenor thrown in for good measure.

Peterson, producer Norman Granz and the recording engineer rightly treat Stitt as an honored guest, giving him the right channel and a reverb bath extending well into the phantom center channel. The balance also tilts in Sonny’s favor: he’s far louder than Peterson left of center or drummer Ed Thigpen right of center and catching some of the reverb, or the great Ray Brown centered in the mix.

On side one Peterson and co. mostly play backup to Stitt who blows up a funky storm on two familiar Charlie Parker tunes, “Au Privave” and “Scrapple From the Apple.” Peterson steps out for one wicked solo on “I Remember April” and one on “Scrapple…” but mostly he lays back and hosts graciously so Still can blow like crazy

Side two, with Stitt on tenor, is more laid back, beginning with the walking bass lines of “Moten Swing,” but even when he’s laying back, Stitt is jumping. His own “Blues For Pres, Sweets, Ben And All the Other Funky Ones,” pretty much sums up what he’s saying throughout side two.

This is a great jam session, well recorded and fun to hear repeatedly. Stitt’s inventiveness is on display throughout and the sound, though somewhat oddly mixed and a bit crisp on the drum kit is spacious, reasonably dynamic and will easily hold your undivided attention.