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]
But Not for Me
Sonny Stitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never tell me dreams come true
Just try it and I'll start a riot
Beatrice Fairfax don't you dare
Ever tell me he will care
I'm certain it's the final curtain
I never want to hear from any cheerful Pollyannas
Who tell you fate supplies a mate
They're writing songs of love but not for me
A lucky star's above but not for me
With love to lead the way I've found more clouds of gray
Than any Russian play could guarantee
I was a fool to fall and get that way
Hi-ho, alas, and also lack-a-day
Although I can't dismiss the memory of his kiss
I guess he's not for me
I was a fool to fall and get that way
Hi-ho, alas, and also lack-a-day
Although I can't dismiss the memory of his kiss
The lyrics of Sonny Stitt's song "But Not for Me" convey a sense of resignation and heartbreak, as the singer realizes that love is not meant for them. The opening lines establish a sense of cynicism and defiance towards those who try to offer hope, with the old man sunshine and Beatrice Fairfax representing symbols of positivity and optimism. The singer dismisses their words as unrealistic and impossible, as they believe that fate is unpredictable and random.
The chorus of the song echoes the feelings of the singer, emphasizing the idea that love is something unattainable for them. The mention of a lucky star above creates a sense of irony, as the singer feels unlucky in love. The cloud imagery furthers the sense of despair, with the singer feeling as if the world is against them. The reference to a Russian play could be interpreted as an allusion to the tragic love stories often found in Russian literature.
The second verse continues to emphasize the singer's sense of foolishness and regret, as they acknowledge that they fell for someone who was not meant for them. The use of the phrase "hi-ho, alas, and also lack-a-day" creates a sense of wistfulness and sadness, as the singer realizes that what they had wasn't meant to last. The final lines communicate a sense of ambivalence, as the singer acknowledges the memory of a kiss while realizing that the person they were with is not the one for them.
Line by Line Meaning
Old man sunshine listen you
I refuse to listen to optimistic talk or believe in luck.
Never tell me dreams come true
I don't believe in dreams coming true or fate supplying a mate.
Just try it and I'll start a riot
If someone tries to convince me otherwise, I will react strongly and rebelliously.
Beatrice Fairfax don't you dare
I won't listen to advice from Beatrice Fairfax or anyone else.
Ever tell me he will care
I don't want to hear that this person I've fallen for will ever care for me.
I'm certain it's the final curtain
I am sure that this is the end of the line for us.
I never want to hear from any cheerful Pollyannas
I am tired of hearing from overly optimistic people.
Who tell you fate supplies a mate
I reject the idea that fate controls who we end up with.
It's all bananas
It's all nonsense.
They're writing songs of love but not for me
Love songs don't apply to me or my situation.
A lucky star's above but not for me
Even if there is a lucky star, it doesn't shine on me or my love life.
With love to lead the way I've found more clouds of gray
My attempts at love have led to disappointment, heartbreak, and sadness.
Than any Russian play could guarantee
My romance has been more tragic than any fictional account of love and loss.
I was a fool to fall and get that way
I admit that I was foolish to fall in love and let myself get hurt.
Hi-ho, alas, and also lack-a-day
I feel sad and resigned to my romantic fate.
Although I can't dismiss the memory of his kiss
Even though I know it's over, I still remember the good times we had together.
I guess he's not for me
I accept that this person is not meant to be with me.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DrJones - Jazz & More
man that sound is as clean as water
SATOSHEEE E
How many albums of Sonny Stitt which I've never known! Still always performed fantastically.
Maria Pérez Borràs
Tot un plaer escoltar-lo
Edna Fernandes
Obrigada
Hussain Bakar
from the master!
lastknowngood0
Clearly not for me. :-(