Late

Another addition: July 16, 1962 • Atlantic Perri Lee on organ on half the album.

A few years back, Real Gone Music had a Christmas album reissue campaign (think Andre Kostelanetz, George Melachrino, Jack Jones)—mainly albums from the 50's and 60's—that brought back vintage holiday music from the Lp days onto compact disc. I've noticed that some of these titles are now out-of-print and going for absurdly high prices on the used market. What Christmas albums from the 50's and 60's did you listen to back in the day, and what do you recommend? I always liked the Firestone holiday albums, even if some tracks were fairly tepid. I think my family had 2 or 3 of the volumes.

Yes!!

One of my all-time favorite Christmas albums. Dorothy Ashby is such a badass.

Spun this one today. I like Stitt with Patterson best, but this record is no slouch. The title track is a good groove.

Agreed. The Trainwreck lives!😛

Agreed. It seems like if any label would release the complete 1965 Coltrane Half Note recordings, it would be Hat. (There is that bootleg soundboard recording out there, but still. Be nice to have "Creation" out there for a wider audience.) Some Hat wishes: • Jimmy Giuffre 3: Tübingen, 1961 • Steve Lacy — any unreleased Hat titles • Sonny Simmons: It Is Revealed • Ric Colbeck: The Sun Is Coming Up I think the Ayler is well is fairly dried up. But maybe not Don Ayler? What I don't get is why Hat is reissuing Blue Note and Prestige stuff when they could be so much more creative with their choices. The Atavistic Unheard Music Series was a model in this regard.

👍

(Bumping up this old thread—which answers some questions I had about the Stitt/Gordon session.)

Absolutely.👍 I've read that Stitt "clashed" with Alfred Lion in the studio. Was this because he and Dexter had helped themselves a little too much to [their choice of alcohol] prior to the recording? Stitt's not as precise as he usually is; still, pretty good playing. Dexter doesn't sound off his game to me. Too bad this session wasn't attempted a second time.

An excellent resource. Thank you for putting that together!

Aha! I found an addition: • 26. When Sonny Blows Blue 1970 Jamal This record has Herbie Hancock playing organ on a few tracks.

A note for consideration—I think the Tolliver sessions newly reissued in this program sound much better than what's on the Mosaic. I was surprised at the difference. I actually sold off my Mosaic Select (the big band) as a result. The sale funded quite a few Mack Avenue releases.

I recently discovered that Stitt didn't always use the Selmer Varitone attachment when recording. For his Turn It On! session, for example, he used a Gibson Maestro effects unit for the saxophone. (I think it sounds worse than the Varitone.) While I much prefer Sonny's sound without effects, for some reason the Varitone has never bothered me. A few other companies made effects units in the mid-60's. Hammond made the "Condor," and Conn made the "Multi-vider." I've never done a deep dive on the history of effects units specifically for the saxophone. Coltrane used one at home evidently, but not in the studio. Musically, it's a very good album. You can tell that Patterson had been listening to Larry Young at this point in time. The first couple of tracks sound like Sonny forgot to turn on the Varitone.

The working trio of Don Patterson, Billy James, and Sonny Stitt was a great combination indeed!

I put together a simplified mini-discography of Stitt's recordings with organ—both leader and sideman dates, studio and live. Here's what I came up with. Please post corrections/additions. (1961-1971 is a guidepost. There might be sessions outside this decade.) Thanks! Sonny Stitt Organ Dates 1961-1971 1. At The DJ Lounge 6/--/61 Argo 2. ‘Nuther Fu’ther 2/16/62 Prestige 3. Boss Tenors In Orbit! 2/18/62 Verve 4. Soul Summit 2/19/62 Prestige 5. Low Flame 4/4/62 Jazzland 6. Feelin’s 4/--/62 Roost 7. My Mother’s Eyes 5/--/63 Pacific Jazz 8. Move On Over 6/17/63 Argo 9. Soul Shack 9/17/63 Prestige 10. My Main Man 3/10/64 Argo 11. Shangri-La 3/19/64 Prestige 12. Soul People 8/25/64 Prestige 13. Night Crawler 9/21/65 Prestige 14. Made For Each Other 7/13/68 Delmark 15. The Boss Men 12/28/65 Prestige 16. Soul In The Night 4/15/66 Cadet 17. Deuces Wild 9/11/66 Atlantic 18. What’s New!!! 1966 Roulette 19. Parallel-A-Stitt 1967 Roulette 20. Soul Electricity! 9/23/68 Prestige 21. Funk You! 9/24/68 Prestige 22. Donny Brook 9/15/69 Prestige 23. Brothers-4 9/15/69 Prestige 24. Night Letter 10/27/69 Prestige 25. It’s Magic 1969 Delmark 26. Turn It On! 1/4/71 Prestige 27. You Talk That Talk! 2/8/71 Prestige 28. Just The Way It Was 3/21/71 Label M 29. Black Vibrations 7/9/71 Prestige 'Nuther Fu'ther was originally titled Stitt Meets Brother Jack. I left out Patterson's People because (if I'm not mistaken) the two tracks with Stitt are actually part of the Shangri-La session. Lastly, what are your favorites from this bunch?

One of the greatest live trio (saxophone-organ-drums) recordings.

Very much agreed. I'm gonna spin the whole album again right now.

My favorite Halloween tune. I love this track. I think I've played it five times today.

Let us know what you think after you've had a chance to spin it. Hopefully the Varitone doesn't get in the way of the groove! 😁 Stitt & Patterson could be considered The Anatomy of Hip. Oh, wait-a-minute...

Bad! Bossa Nova had three additional covers on Prestige. (The tiger cover was the second.) Weird. It was even issued on reel-to-reel!

Excellent! I've been spinning this disc in the mornings for the last four days. Such good grooves.

I didn't know until recently that "Onaje" means "Sensitive One" in Swahili. Thank goodness this record was made. 1976. Solo piano. The centerpiece of the album, for me, is the longest tune, a Gumbs original called "Street Life." I usually prefer trio records to solo, but man. This album is not your usual piano fare. What pianists do you hear as influences when you spin this record? Some Jaki, some McCoy, and maybe even a little Stevie Wonder? Another note—covers of "Giant Steps," no matter how brilliantly played, are usually forgettable, but not Gumbs' version. He makes it his own. I think this is more than a good record. It might very well be great.

I noticed—while browsing eBay, Amazon, and discogs—that the entire Legends of Acid Jazz series is now pretty scarce. Some discs are going for weirdly high prices. I came to the series many years after its initial run and don't have that many. I'd say you can safely skip that Stitt disc pictured above if you don't like the Varitone. Stitt's solos are excellent, but it's one of the worst Varitone sounds I've heard—the octave doubling isn't there, and it sounds like Sonny has a drawer-full of socks stuffed down the bell of his horn. That said, the music is amazing, and Muhammad just kills on the record. I love that guy's playing. I wish Craft would find a way to re-release their catalog of late 60's-early 70's organ dates.