Customer Reviews

Night Has a Thousand Eyes

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As the most recorded, consistent (admittedly, predictable), musicianly and exemplary saxophonist (no pretender on either alto or tenor should advance any further without attending the grammar school of Sonny Stitt), Stitt was frequently recorded and published under dubious circumstances. Be especially wary of dates with "Ronnie Scott's" or "Left Bank" in the title. That said, this one has more to recommend it than the other, especially egregious recording made at Ronnie Scott's under Stitt's name.

The saxophones are distorted (Stitt sticks to tenor), the drums overwhelm the bass and piano, and the solos are way over-extended (how many different ways can you play a Bb?), but Scott proves himself a surprisingly worthy sparring mate and Stitt, for the most part, is on his game. He's certainly in convivial spirits, introducing the band and making remarks about trying a different mouthpiece (perhaps not the best decision, since notable by its absence is his altissimo register on an interminable Bb blues).

I can think of at least a hundred Stitt albums to own ahead of this one, but there may be some followers of either saxophonist or the club who will appreciate an amateurishly recorded session by two pros having fun. Not that it matters, but Stitt, who had toured briefly with Miles after the departure of Coltrane, uses space (silence) more effectively than Scott. Yet, as perfect a player as he could be (none better), he puts to a serious test Charlie Parker's insistence that no one has enough to say to be worthy of playing more than two choruses. On his famous recording sessions with Rollins ten years earlier, Sonny was beginning to avoid closure (the tonic note) at the end of each chorus, thus assuring "melodic momentum" throughout a long solo. After listening to him (live and on record) in the '60s, one almost wishes he had continued to work on harmonic innovation at the end of choruses--or followed Bird's advice.

At one point during a piano chorus Sonny can be heard exclaiming: "Hey, cool down!" It's a momentary glimpse of his feelings about the relentless poundings of the pianist who, though he may have listened to Brubeck and Cecil Taylor, is clearly clueless about bebop and Bird.