Early life
Edward Boatner was born in Boston, Massachusetts[1] and grew up in Saginaw, Michigan. He had a musical background; his father, Edward Boatner, was a baritone singer, composer and college music professor, his brother was a classically trained pianist, and his mother was a piano teacher.[1] Boatner was soon adopted by another family, the Stitts, who gave him his new surname. He later began calling himself "Sonny".
In 1943, Stitt first met Charlie Parker, and as he often later recalled, the two men found that their styles had an extraordinary similarity that was partly coincidental and not merely due to Stitt's emulation. Stitt's improvisations were more melodic/less dissonant than those of Parker. Stitt's earliest recordings were made in 1945 with Stan Getz and Dizzy Gillespie. He had also played in some swing bands, though he mainly played in bop bands. Stitt was featured in Tiny Bradshaw's big band in the early forties. Stitt replaced Charlie Parker in Dizzy Gillespie's band in 1945.[2]
Stitt played alto saxophone in Billy Eckstine's big band alongside future bop pioneers Dexter Gordon and Gene Ammons from 1945 until 1956, when he started to play tenor saxophone more frequently, in order to avoid being referred to as a Charlie Parker imitator. Later on, he played with Gene Ammons and Bud Powell. Stitt spent time in a Lexington prison between 1948–49 for selling narcotics.
Stitt, when playing tenor saxophone, seemed to break free from some of the criticism that he was imitating Charlie Parker's style, although it appears in the instance with Ammons above that the availability of the larger instrument was a factor. Indeed, Stitt began to develop a far more distinctive sound on tenor.[1] He played with other bop musicians Bud Powell and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, a fellow tenor with a distinctly tough tone in comparison to Stitt, in the 1950s and recorded a number of sides for Prestige Records label as well as albums for Argo, Verve and Roost. Stitt experimented with Afro-Cuban jazz in the late 1950s, and the results can be heard on his recordings for Roost and Verve, on which he teamed up with Thad Jones and Chick Corea for Latin versions of such standards as "Autumn Leaves."
Stitt joined Miles Davis briefly in 1960, and recordings with Davis' quintet can be found only in live settings on the tour of 1960. Concerts in Manchester and Paris are available commercially and also a number of concerts (which include sets by the earlier quintet with John Coltrane) on the record Live at Stockholm (Dragon), all of which featured Wynton Kelly, Jimmy Cobb and Paul Chambers. However, Miles fired Stitt due to the excessive drinking habit he had developed, and replaced him with fellow tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley. Stitt, later in the 1960s, paid homage to one of his main influences, Charlie Parker, on the album Stitt Plays Bird, which features Jim Hall on guitar and at Newport in 1964 with other bebop players including J.J. Johnson.
He recorded a number of memorable records with his friend and fellow saxophonist Gene Ammons, interrupted by Ammons' own imprisonment for narcotics possession. The records recorded by these two saxophonists are regarded by many as some of both Ammons and Stitt's best work, thus the Ammons/Stitt partnership went down in posterity as one of the best duelling partnerships in jazz, alongside Zoot Sims and Al Cohn, and Johnny Griffin with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. Stitt would venture into soul jazz, and he recorded with fellow tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin in 1964 on the Soul People album. Stitt also recorded with Duke Ellington alumnus Paul Gonsalves in 1963 for Impulse! on the Salt And Pepper album in 1963. Around that time he also appeared regularly at Ronnie Scott's in London, a live 1964 encounter with Ronnie Scott, The Night Has A Thousand Eyes, eventually surfaced, and another in 1966 with resident guitarist Ernest Ranglin and British tenor saxophonist Dick Morrissey. Stitt was one of the first jazz musicians to experiment with an electric saxophone (the instrument was called a Varitone), as heard on the albums What's New in 1966 and Parallel-A-Stitt in 1967.
Later life
In the 1970s, Stitt slowed his recording output slightly, and in 1972, he produced another classic, Tune Up, which was and still is regarded by many jazz critics, such as Scott Yanow, as his definitive record. Indeed, his fiery and ebullient soloing was quite reminiscent of his earlier playing. He also recorded another album with Varitone, Just The Way It Was - Live At The Left Bank in 1971 which was released in 2000.
Stitt joined the all-star group Giants of Jazz, which also featured Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Kai Winding and bassist Al McKibbon) and made albums for Atlantic Records, Concord Records and Emarcy Records. His last recordings were made in Japan. In 1982, Stitt suffered a heart attack, and he died on July 22 in Washington, D.C..[2]
At Last
Sonny Stitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
my lonely days are over, and life is like a song
At last,the skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped in clover
Every since the night I looked at you
And I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream to call my own
A thrill I'd never known
When you smiled, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in Heaven, I found my love at last
I found a dream that I could speak to,
A dream to call my own
I found a thrill to press my cheek to
A thrill like I had never known
You smiled, when you smiled at me that was how the spell was cast
And here we are in Heaven
I found my love at last
In "At Last," Sonny Stitt fittingly describes the euphoria of finding true love. The first verse of the song signals a change from his previous loneliness and the beginning of a new chapter of joy. He chooses to use the metaphor of a song to embody his newfound joy, a theme which runs throughout the track. The next verse transitions into describing his romantic relationship, noting that the sun is shining a little brighter and his heart is no longer in a place of gloom.
The third verse is where the heart of the song lays. Stitt speaks of finding a dream he could call his own. It's as if he is describing a feeling that is beyond words and he can only pour his emotions into song. The thrill that he felt when he first looked at the person he loves is nothing he has ever felt before. When they smile, the spell is cast, and he knows he has found his true love. The song culminates in the final verse where Stitt declares that he has finally found his love, and he feels as if he is in heaven with them. The conclusion of the song leaves one feeling the power of love and the beauty that comes with finding a true connection with another person.
Line by Line Meaning
At last, my love has come along
Finally, after a long wait, the person I love has arrived in my life.
My lonely days are over, and life is like a song
I am no longer alone and feel happy and excited about life.
At last, the skies above are blue
After a period of darkness and sadness, I feel like the world is bright and hopeful again.
My heart was wrapped in clover
I was filled with joy and good luck since I met you.
Every since the night I looked at you
From the moment I saw you, everything changed for the better.
I found a dream that I could speak to
Through knowing you, I discovered a goal or aspiration that I can talk about and pursue.
A dream to call my own
I finally possess a personal dream that I can cherish and work towards fulfilling.
I found a thrill to press my cheek to
You bring me excitement and pleasure that I have never experienced before.
A thrill I'd never known
You make me feel alive in a way that I never thought possible.
When you smiled, and then the spell was cast
Your smile had such an impact on me that I fell under your charm or influence.
And here we are in Heaven, I found my love at last
Now that we are together, I feel like I am in a state of pure happiness and joy.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Harry Warren, Mack Gordon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Andrew Kendle
Man what a player … The one and only Sonny Stitt. Perfect !!! If this doesn't move you, nothing will.
Ronald Unkel
A few weeks after this magic recording Sonny sadly died. Just an amazing altoist on par, if not better, with Charlie Parker and Frank Morgan. Met mr Stitt several times, during the 70’s in Europe. Very nice, somewhat aloof man, who played all his life brilliant and beautiful Jazz music, and now for the Angels to savour. Many dear Cheers to you mr “Lone-Wolf”!
Ronald Unkel
@Martin Dalmasi He certainly was. Cheers!
Martin Dalmasi
Nice person too. Met him
mjsamm1
No one sounds like Sonny Stitt! Magical sound.
Ramakumar Jones
As always, Sonny sounds great!
npc
This was playing on the local jazz station, on my way to work at 12AM. So good.
wilbert blankenstein
This is heavenly !!!!!
marksgmail66
Masterful and lovely.
Bill Forrest
An absolute master class in Jazz Alto Saxophone by the master himself.