Stan Levey and Sonny Stitt

[Larry Kart]

A post from vibist Charlie Shoemake on Doug Ramsey’s blog, about drummer Stan Levey:

 

 ‘About the recording [“For Musicians Only”] Stan told me that Dizzy and Sonny Stitt had planned to burn Stan Getz out with the incredible blazing tempos but he turned out to be too much for them and actually had THEM a bit on the defensive. He also told me that when they kicked off those tempos John Lewis folded his hands and just sat there for almost the entire session.

 

‘More trivia concerning Sonny Stitt. Conte Candoli told me that Stitt was the one that had given Stan up to the drug police in order to save himself, thus sending Stan to prison. When I asked Stan about it he said that it was true and that when he got out he took a notorious Philadelphia hit man that he knew from his boxing days to where Sonny Stitt was playing and they sat in the front row causing Sonny Stitt to turn ashen white. I said to Stan…"but all of those recordings you made with him years after that, what was that like?” Stan said they never spoke but every once in a while he would see Sonny glance over at him very nervously. He also said that going to prison actually saved his life because he got completely clean and married a beautiful girl, Angela, who was a wonderful person and a steady rock for him the rest of his life.’

[Gheorghe]

Thanks for sharing. Indeed a very interesting story. I also have that record "For Musisians Only". Haven´t spinned it for a long time, but I remember that I also had the impression that the up tempo didn´t appeal to John Lewis. He was best on medium tempos. Same on Bird and Diz at Carnegie Hall. Not much to hear from John Lewis.

[paul secor]

Larry, your post just made me take For Musicians Only off the shelf and put it in my listening queue.

[Peter Friedman]

2 hours ago, paul secor said:

Larry, your post just made me take For Musicians Only off the shelf and put it in my listening queue.

Me too!

[mjzee]

Interesting post.  I always thought that For Musicians Only sounded needlessly frantic, and it turns out there were extra-musical decisions made.  I wonder why Norman Granz didn't exert a stronger hand.

[AllenLowe]

just a possible historical footnote, and to feed my Dave Schildrkaut obsession; in the one conversation I had with Dizzy he told me he asked Schildkraut  three times to do sessions with him when he was with Verve, and that Dave turned him down every time (the third time Dizzy said, "well, Dave, three strikes you're out").

It makes me wonder if this was one of those (and Getz, also, btw, loved Schildkraut's playing).

[Peter Friedman]

What was the reason for Schildkraut turning down Diz?

[JSngry]

The bringing a known hit man to the gig was a nice touch. Intimidation by implication. Well played, Stan Getz!

[AllenLowe]

1 hour ago, Peter Friedman said:

What was the reason for Schildkraut turning down Diz?

well, that was Dave; he was both arrogant and insecure; probably felt he wasn't ready, but it is hard to explain his mindset; Bill Evans thought he was self-destructive, but the root of Dave's avoidance of fame is mysterious; he also turned down Norman Granz, who wanted to send him on the road in a 'Bird with Strings' package, with Dave playing Bird.

Edited April 26, 2016 by AllenLowe

[BillF]

15 hours ago, Gheorghe said:

Thanks for sharing. Indeed a very interesting story. I also have that record "For Musisians Only". Haven´t spinned it for a long time, but I remember that I also had the impression that the up tempo didn´t appeal to John Lewis. He was best on medium tempos. Same on Bird and Diz at Carnegie Hall. Not much to hear from John Lewis.

Is that the one where the piano is very under-recorded? Could that be the reason you don't hear much from J L?

[Larry Kart]

2 hours ago, JSngry said:

The bringing a known hit man to the gig was a nice touch. Intimidation by implication. Well played, Stan Getz!

No, it was Stan Levey, not Getz, whom Stitt ratted on to the narcs and thus sent to prison and who then, after getting out, brought a hit man to Stitt's gig.

I would have thought that "It Don't Mean a Thing (If it Ain't Got that Swing)" from "Diz And Getz" would have told Dizzy at least that there's no tempo that Getz can't make.

 

 

[JSngry]

Nicely played, Stan Levey, then!

[Larry Kart]

The son of a boxing promoter, Levey fought professionally.

[JSngry]

Did he take his own photograph?

I love how he kept in contact and could get a favor out of a hit man, hopefully clean, who was an old acquaintance. I call that character. Hell, for that matter, same for the hit man. Let's hear it for loyalty!

[Gheorghe]

Finally I had enough time to give "For Musicians Only" a spin. Have forgotten how good this record is. And indeed, I could hear John Lewis only in the background, he plays a few things on Side B, on "Dark Eyes" and "Lover Come Back to me", but isn´t audible on Bebop and Wee. With the exception of Herb Ellis, this is a vintage bop group (Getz wouldn´t be considered as a bop musician, but his first recordings from the late 40´s and 1950 are very boppish so he knew his stuff). Stan Levey is great on drums, the strangest thing is Herb Ellis´ more old fashioned comping on fast tunes like Bebop.

Lewis indeed is really subdued and off the mike like on "Bird and Diz at Carnegie Hall", after "Musicians Only" I spinned "Diz and Bird", and after that, also for the "subdued" Lewis the maybe last Bird Live from september 1954 at (?) Carnegie Hall with Lewis, Heath and Clarke (The Song is You, My Funny Valentine, Cool Blues)......

[paul secor]

Just relistened to it. All up tempo played tunes makes it a bit wearing to listen to the entire LP in one sitting, but it's a better date than some of the other Granz sessions of its kind. And, as Larry says, Getz certainly holds up his end without a problem.

Edited May 7, 2016 by paul secor

[Guy Berger]

Out of the Getz/Dizzy collabs, I like SITTIN' IN the best.  Love the contrast between the 3 tenor soloists.

[Quasimado]

On 2016/4/26 at 5:48 AM, Larry Kart said:

No, it was Stan Levey, not Getz, whom Stitt ratted on to the narcs and thus sent to prison and who then, after getting out, brought a hit man to Stitt's gig.

I would have thought that "It Don't Mean a Thing (If it Ain't Got that Swing)" from "Diz And Getz" would have told Dizzy at least that there's no tempo that Getz can't make.

 

 

Right Larry. That's a VERY serious album. For contrast, on the ballad "It's the Talk of the Town" Diz is beautiful, no mistake - but Getz is sublime. Q