Sonny Stitt Organ Dates: 1961-1971

[Late]

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? 

[Niko]

I know 26 from the list, some better than others, my favorites are Low Flame and You talk that talk.... Regarding Patterson's People, the tracks are not used on Shangri-la, are they? (Patterson's People got ***** in Downbeat Back in the day, I have a Dutch Jazz magazine from back then which starts out with the question how that could happen)

[mikeweil]

I think 14 of these are with Don Patterson. They were a great, inspiring combination.

[Late]

1 hour ago, mikeweil said:

I think 14 of these are with Don Patterson. They were a great, inspiring combination.

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

[JSngry]

Maybe some day there will be a similar listing for his Varitone dates. There will only be some overlap.

12 hours ago, Late said:

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

Looking sharp there!

[clifford_thornton]

I had Deuces Wild at one point, due to Robin Kenyatta and Rufus Harley's presence. Did I send that LP to you, Jim? I know I gave it to someone...

[danasgoodstuff]

I have a CD that combines everything from 9/15/69 - 2 LPs plus one stray track IIRC.  I bought it mostly because Grant Green's on it, but I enjoy everyone's playing.

[Rooster_Ties]

4 hours ago, danasgoodstuff said:

I have a CD that combines everything from 9/15/69 - 2 LPs plus one stray track IIRC.  I bought it mostly because Grant Green's on it, but I enjoy everyone's playing.

This seems to be that two-fer comp…

https://www.discogs.com/release/14722696-Sonny-Stitt-Don-Patterson-Brothers-4

Have to confess that I’ve never explored any of Stitt with organ before — and was only vaguely aware Grant Green had done any sideman work as late as 1969.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

25 minutes ago, Rooster_Ties said:

This seems to be that two-fer comp…

https://www.discogs.com/release/14722696-Sonny-Stitt-Don-Patterson-Brothers-4

Have to confess that I’ve never explored any of Stitt with organ before — and was only vaguely aware Grant Green had done any sideman work as late as 1969.

I've avoided "Brothers 4" because Stitt uses the Varitone throughout. I'm not much of a fan of that sound but I'm starting to try again. I just picked up his other two--fer, "Legends of Acid Jazz" with one half being Varitone. Maybe I'll get more out of it this time around?

[JSngry]

11 hours ago, clifford_thornton said:

I had Deuces Wild at one point, due to Robin Kenyatta and Rufus Harley's presence. Did I send that LP to you, Jim? I know I gave it to someone...

Not me, but I do have it 

[Late]

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.

3 hours ago, Kevin Bresnahan said:

I've avoided "Brothers 4" because Stitt uses the Varitone throughout. I'm not much of a fan of that sound but I'm starting to try again.

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.

 

[Late]

Aha! I found an addition:

• 26. When Sonny Blows Blue       1970       Jamal

This record has Herbie Hancock playing organ on a few tracks.

[mikeweil]

21 hours ago, Late said:

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

All of their recordings are listed here, btw https://jazzdiscography.com/Artists/don-patterson/index.php

 

[Dub Modal]

Thanks for putting this all together and starting the thread. Definitely will explore this bc I'm not familiar with much of Stitt's work in collaboration with the organ. 

[Late]

3 hours ago, mikeweil said:

All of their recordings are listed here, btw Don Patterson Discography.

An excellent resource. Thank you for putting that together!

[mhatta]

If we can include unissued material, we might also include the infamous Blue Note recording with Dexter Gordon (May 14, 1962). Only “Lady Be Good” saw the light of day.

7.5.                  Rejected session w/ Dexter Gordon                  5/14/62         Blue Note

 

[Late]

4 hours ago, mhatta said:

If we can include unissued material, we might also include the infamous Blue Note recording with Dexter Gordon.

7.5.                  Rejected session w/ Dexter Gordon                  5/14/62         Blue Note

 

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.

[danasgoodstuff]

Re Brothers 4 on CD, to my ears it's surprisingly straight-ahead for '69 and the Varitone/other device is barely noticeable (I think we had this discussion or one very like it on my blindfold test long ago).  Grant did a bunch of sideman session for Prestige at the start of his comeback and would have signed with them, but they couldn't/wouldn't match BN's $1,500 up front per leader date.  In the late sixties, an organ date could be more or less straight ahead, old school greasy shuffles, or new school funky, or a mix.  GG had also done a few dates for Prestige with McDuff etc. early on.  I have most but not all of GG's sideman dates and all the leader dates, except Funk in France and the other one that came out at the same time (I have heard them, the're not terrible but...).  Sonny Stitt is one of those guys who recorded so much and mostly in more or less similar bags that I don't feel compelled to have it all or even anywhere near.  But I do enjoy what I have and would by that rejected date with Dexter in a flash.  Some may feel that there's no need to have everything by Grant, or even near, but they would be wrong.  I thought the clash with Alfred was more about choice of material and casual approach to recording - but I find the accounts of him running into the studio literally pulling his hair out a little hard to credit given that they got a full album's worth done that day.  Makes a great story tho'.