ENDEIT
Sonny Stitt
Photo: Tom Marcello Webster, New York, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Saxophonists · 1924–1982

Sonny Stitt

American jazz saxophonist (1924-1982)

Born
2 February 1924
Boston
Died
22 July 1982
Washington, D.C.
Country
United States
Record labels
Atlantic Records, Prestige, Flying Dutchman Records, Cobblestone Records
Discography
94 albums

Biography

Sonny Stitt was a jazz musician who played saxophone. Sonny Stitt was born on 2 February 1924 in Boston and died on 22 July 1982 in Washington, D.C.. The music is usually filed under jazz. Record labels: Atlantic Records, Prestige, Flying Dutchman Records and Cobblestone Records. The discography here lists 94 albums, from “Favorites, Volume 1” (1952) to “Boppin' in Baltimore: Live at the Left Bank” (2023).

Sonny Stitt (born Edward Hammond Boatner Jr.; February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982) 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 era, recording over 100 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 regarded as a Charlie Parker mimic early in his career, but gradually developed his own sound and style, particularly when performing on the tenor saxophone and even occasionally baritone saxophone.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Discography

Studio and live albums

Favorites, Volume 1 1952 · Prestige Favorites, Volume 2 1952 · Prestige The Battle of Birdland 1955 · Live · Roost New York Jazz 1956 Sonny Stitt Bud Powell J.J. Johnson 1956 · Prestige Kaleidoscope 1957 · Prestige Sonny Stitt With The New Yorkers 1957 · Roost Only the Blues 1958 · Verve Sonny Stitt 1958 · Argo Sonny Stitt Plays Jimmy Giuffre Arrangements 1959 · Verve The Saxophones Of Sonny Stitt 1959 · Royal Roost Burnin' 1960 · Argo The Sonny Side Of Stitt 1960 · Roost At The D.J. Lounge 1961 · Argo The Sensual Sound of Sonny Stitt 1961 · Verve Feelin's 1962 · Roost Records Low Flame 1962 · Jazzland Rearin' Back 1962 · Argo Sonny Stitt & The Top Brass 1962 · Atlantic Stitt Meets Brother Jack 1962 · Prestige Now! 1963 · impulse! Salt and Pepper 1963 · impulse! Soul Shack 1963 · Prestige Shangri-La 1964 · Prestige Stitt Plays Bird 1964 · Atlantic Live at Ronnie Scott's 1965 · Live · Ronnie Scott's Jazz House Soul People 1965 · Prestige Broadway Soul 1966 · Colpix Night Crawler 1966 · Prestige Pow! 1966 · Prestige Soul in the Night 1966 · Cadet Records Deuces Wild 1967 · Atlantic Brothers-4 1969 · Prestige Donny Brook 1970 · Prestige When Sonny Blows Blue 1970 · Jamal Black Vibrations 1972 · Prestige Constellation 1972 · Cobblestone Move on over..... 1972 · Cadet Records I Cover The Waterfront 1973 · Cadet Records Mr. Bojangles 1973 · Cadet Records So Doggone Good 1973 · Prestige Soul Girl 1973 · Paula Records Satan 1974 · Cadet Records The Champ 1974 · Muse Records
Tornado 1974
Mellow 1975 · Muse Records Forecast: Sonny & Red 1976 · Catalyst Records My Buddy - Sonny Stitt Plays For Gene Ammons 1976 · Muse Records A Tribute To Duke Ellington (With Strings) 1977 · Catalyst Records I Remember Bird 1977 · Catalyst Records Blues For Duke 1978 Sonny's Back 1980 · Muse Records
Battle of the Saxes 1981
I Giganti Del Jazz Vol. 61 1981 · Armando Curcio Editore Moonlight in Vermont 1983 · DENON Sonny's Last Recordings - The Bubba Sessions 1983 · Dargil Tune-Up! 1983 · Muse Records Sits in With the Oscar Peterson Trio 1991 · Verve in Brazil - with Zimbo Trio 1991 · Fresh Sound Records
Jazz at the Hi-Hat 1992 · Live
Sonny Stitt Plays Arrangements From The Pen Of Quincy Jones 1995 · Roulette I Should Care 1996 · Jewel-Paula Records
Jazz At The Hi-Hat Volume 2 1996 · Live
Stitt's Bits 1996 · Prestige Made For Each Other 1997 · Delmark Records
Just In Case You Forgot How Bad He Really Was 1998 · Live
Legends of Acid Jazz, Vol. 2 1998 · Prestige 12! 1999 · 32 Jazz In Style 2000 · Muse Records
Just the Way It Was: Live at the Left Bank 2000 · Live
Sonny, Sweets & Jaws 2000 · Who's Who In Jazz
In a Mellow Tone 2002
Inter-Action 2002 · Universal Classics Rockin' At The Hi-Hat 2002 · Past Perfect Sonny Stitt Plays 2002 · Royal Roost In Walked Sonny 2004 · Sonet
Just Friends (Live At Bubba's Jazz Restaurant, 1981) 2004 · Live
Personal Appearance 2004 · Verve It's Magic 2005 · Delmark Records
Work Done 2005 · Live
No Greater Love 2007
Legends of the Saxophone 2008 · Live
Sonny Stitt Plays Jimmy Giuffre 2010 · Fresh Sound Records My Mother's Eyes 2011 · Pacific Jazz Sonny Stitt Plays Arrangements From the Pen of Johnny Richards and Quincy Jones 2011 · Fresh Sound Records Blows the Blues 2012 · Verve Swings the Most 2012 · Verve Ornithology 2018 · X5 Music Group
Boppin' in Baltimore: Live at the Left Bank 2023 · Live
Back to My Own Home Town · Ahead Records Primitivo Soul! · Prestige Sonny Stitt Sonny Stitt (Audiophile Jazz Collection) Sonny Stitt Meets Sadik Hakim · 2xHD

Also plays on

Albums where Sonny Stitt is credited as a sideman

1951 Modern Jazz Trombones Volume Two — Bennie Green, J.J. Johnson with Sonny Stitt tenor saxophone
1957 For Musicians Only — Stan Getz / Dizzy Gillespie / Sonny Stitt alto saxophone
1958 Duets — Dizzy Gillespie with Sonny Rollins and Sonny Stitt alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
1959 Sonny Side Up — Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt & Sonny Rollins saxophone, tenor saxophone
1962 Boss Tenors in Orbit! — Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt tenor saxophone
1962 Boss Tenors: Straight Ahead from Chicago August 1961 — Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt tenor saxophone, saxophone
1962 Dig Him! — Gene Ammons / Sonny Stitt tenor saxophone, alto saxophone
1962 Soul Summit — Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt with Jack McDuff tenor saxophone
1971 You Talk That Talk! — Ammons & Stitt tenor saxophone
1972 The Giants of Jazz — Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Al McKibbon, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Stitt, Kai Winding alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, saxophone
1976 Together Again for the Last Time — Gene Ammons / Sonny Stitt tenor saxophone
1977 Jug & Sonny — Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt baritone saxophone
1978 Everyday I Have the Blues — Joe Turner with Pee Wee Crayton and Sonny Stitt alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, saxophone
1993 Bud Powell — Bud Powell alto saxophone
1993 All-Star Sessions — Gene Ammons saxophone, tenor saxophone
1994 Con Alma — Dizzy Gillespie alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
1995 The Bop Session — Dizzy Gillespie saxophone
2000 The Cool Mr. B — Billy Eckstine alto saxophone
2001 God Bless Jug and Sonny — Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt tenor saxophone, alto saxophone
2008 Live in Paris & Copenhagen 1974 — Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt Quintet alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
2008 Unissued in Europe 1971 — Thelonious Monk & Dizzy Gillespie saxophone
2008 Live at the 1972 Monterey Jazz Festival — Art Blakey and the Giants of Jazz alto saxophone, tenor saxophone

Standards written by Sonny Stitt

TitleKeyFormGroove
Eternal Triangle B♭ major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing

Analysed solos by Sonny Stitt

  • Blues in Be-Bopalto saxophone · 186 BPM · Eb-maj · 1946-09-04
  • Good Kickalto saxophone · 173 BPM · F-maj · 1946-09-04
  • Body and Soulalto saxophone · 68 BPM · Db-maj · 1948-06-01
  • Blue Modetenor saxophone · 61 BPM · Bb-maj · 1949-10-17
  • Eloratenor saxophone · 193 BPM · Bb-maj · 1949-10-17
  • Teapottenor saxophone · 168 BPM · F-maj · 1949-10-17

Historic 78 rpm records

  • EPISTROPHY KENNY CLARKE & HIS 52nd STREET BOYS · K. Clarke · "Sonny" Stitt · R… · 1950 archive.org ↗
  • ROYAL ROOST (Rue Chaptail) KENNY CLARKE & HIS 52nd STREET BOYS · K. Clarke · "Sonny" Stitt · R… · 1950 archive.org ↗
  • Why Do I Love You Sonny Stitt · Jo Jones · John Simmons · Fletcher Peck · Hammerstein… · 1952 archive.org ↗
  • Symphony Hall Swing Sonny Stitt · Jo Jones · John Simmons · Fletcher Peck · 1952 archive.org ↗
  • If I Could Be with You One Hour Tonight Sonny Stitt · Creamer · Johnson · 1952 archive.org ↗
  • Sancho Panza Sonny Stitt · Johnny Richards · J. Richards · 1952 archive.org ↗
  • HOOKE'S TOURS Sonny Stitt · Stitt · Rochards · 1953 archive.org ↗
  • Sweet and Lovely Sonny Stitt · Arnheim · Tobias Lemare · 1953 archive.org ↗

Listen on Spotify

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Sonny Stitt play?

Sonny Stitt is known for playing saxophone.

When and where was Sonny Stitt born?

Sonny Stitt was born 2 February 1924 in Boston.

What are Sonny Stitt's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Favorites, Volume 1 (1952), Favorites, Volume 2 (1952), The Battle of Birdland (1955), New York Jazz (1956) and Sonny Stitt Bud Powell J.J. Johnson (1956).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.