Sonny Stitt & His Electric Saxophone

Sonny Stitt & Don Patterson - Brothers-4 (1969) {2001 Prestige Remastering}
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© 2001 Prestige / Fantasy | PRCD-24261-2
Jazz / Hard Bop / Soul Jazz / Jazz Funk / Groove / Boogaloo / Organ / Saxophone

Two organ/sax cookers back to back – both featuring Don Patterson and Sonny Stitt! First up is the wonderful album Brothers 4 – a mighty pairing of organist Patterson and saxman Stitt – one of Don's grooviest late 60s outings, thanks to an excellent sound from all players involved! Stitt plays Varitone sax on the date, which gives his horn a cool electric feel that really sounds wonderful next to Don's work on Hammond – and Grant Green's also in the group, serving up some great single-line solos that are almost more in his early 60s style than his Blue Note work from this same period. The group's rounded out by Don's regular drummer Billy James – a wonderful player with a great ear for unusual rhythms!

Sonny Stitt - Mr. Bojangles (1973) {2013 Japan Jazz The Best Series 24bit Remaster UCCU-9983}
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© 1973, 2013 Cadet / Verve / Universal Japan | UCCU-9983
Jazz / Bop / Soul Jazz / Saxophone

Mr. Bojangles pairs Sonny Stitt with arranger Don Sebesky for one of the smoothest and most mainstream-facing dates of the saxophonist's career. Sebesky's luminous treatments underscore the elegance of Stitt's soulful alto and tenor leads–Roland Hanna's graceful electric piano leads the music even closer to funk, but the overall emphasis is more on atmosphere than rhythm. The material likewise spotlights ballads and slow-burn groovers, borrowing liberally from the pop charts for tunes including "Killing Me Softly with His Song" and "Ben"–even War's "The World Is a Ghetto" simmers instead of boils.

As is often the case in this CD reissue series, the music has little to do with acid jazz, but it does feature a few organists. Tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons is heard on music that formerly comprised two complete LPs from 1970-1971 (The Black Cat and As You Talk That Talk), plus a pair of titles from a 1962 date only previously out on a sampler. The Black Cat is an interesting if erratic set that finds Ammons (along with guitarist George Freeman, Harold Mabern on electric piano, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Idris Muhammad) playing everything from the pop tune "Long Long Time" and George Harrison's "Something" (both of those tunes have unimaginative strings) to "Jug Eyes" and the boppish blues "Hi Ruth." As You Talk That Talk is a reunion with fellow tenor Sonny Stitt…

The Greyboy Allstars with Fred Wesley - West Coast Boogaloo (1994) {Greyboy Records GBRCD001}
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© 1994 Greyboy Records | GBRCD001
Jazz / Jazz Funk / Soul Jazz / Groove

The Greyboy AllStars debut album, West Coast Boogaloo, is a fresh reinvention of an old jazz theme - chill grooves fortified with killer musicianship make for great listening. in 2018, these guys are well known. In 1995, it was the presence of Fred Wesley of James Brown fame that lent name credibility to this project. It still went unnoticed, but is a terrific addition to those who like their jazz straight with a smooth chaser.