Sonny Stitt Bud Powell & Jj Johnson

Bud Powell, J. J. Johnson, Sonny Stitt, Sonny Stitt,bud Powell,j.j.jonson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ojc
• ASIN: B000000Y0C
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #151,673 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A bop classic., March 4, 2001

By 

"jazzfanmn" (St Cloud, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sonny Stitt Bud Powell & Jj Johnson (Audio CD)

Cut during two seperate sessions in 1949, this cd is classic bop top to bottom. The first half of the cd features Stitt's tenor Backed by the genius of Bud Powell, Curly Russell on bass, and Max Roach on drums. The set kicks of with a high energy performance of Powell's "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" and the bird flavored "Sonny Side", on which both Stitt and Powell cook. The second half teams Stitt up with trombone heavyweight J.J. Johnson, pianist John Lewis, Nelson Boyd on bass, and Max Roach returning on drums. Johnson's "Teapot" is a highlight. While the sound quality suffers on a couple of tracks, the performances are consistantly superior. Stitt, Powell, Johnson and company are all in top shape and do not fail to impress. This cd is a must for bop fans, and contains some of Stitt's best playing.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bud yes, but what a Sonny !!!, August 8, 2004

By 

Jazzcat "stef" (Genoa, Italy Italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sonny Stitt Bud Powell & Jj Johnson (Audio CD)

Bud played some of his best music here that's for sure and I say this thing too just to clarify that I agree with other reviewers who tribute the genius of Bud Powell on this particular recording. But the other guys' review lack words about Sonny who was the main actor of this music. Here he was in his tenor period so his playing is somewhat different from what we are used to hear from him. Personally I prefer his alto playing simply because with the alto Sonny was almost unreachable. With the alto he had an incredibly shining sound and he was able to blow chorus after chorus with tons of ideas. The tenor slowed him a little bit, he was forced to play differently, still in the bop idiom but with lesser "turns" and "curves" .. still he remained the boppest tenorman out there! In my opinion a lot better than a lot of celebated tenorman of the sixties .. Some, probably non-parker aficionados like him most with the tenor, I don't agree because I'm a parkerian, but Sonny Stitt remains Sonny Stitt even if you left him only his whistle .. It is true that what matters here are the first nine tracks and that the J.J.Johnson session are less important, altought still splendid recordings too. But the titans encounter between Stitt and Bud is something that every jazzcat should own in his collection! Just in case you forgot how bad those two were!!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gem, July 11, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sonny Stitt Bud Powell & Jj Johnson (Audio CD)

This essential-to-own recording captures every one of the players at the top of their form. Powell and Stitt at their very best, wonderfully complementing each other. Speed, articulation, creativity, soul, tight group, bebop at its very best. Don't even ask, just own it.