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]
Jeepers Creepers
Sonny Stitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the weatherman says it's raining
You'll never hear me complaining
I'm certain the sun will shine
I don't care how the weather vane points
When the weather vane points to gloomy
It's gotta be sunny to me
Jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those peepers?
Jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those eyes?
Gosh all, git up, how'd they get so lit up?
Gosh all, git up, how'd they get that size?
Golly gee, when you turn those heaters on
Woe is me, got to put my cheaters on
Jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those peepers?
Oh, those weepers, how they hypnotize!
Where'd ya get those eyes?
The lyrics of Sonny Stitt's song "Jeepers Creepers" convey the singer's unwavering positivity even in the face of gloomy or rainy weather. Stitt assures us that no matter how bad the weather may seem, the sun will eventually come out, and everything will be alright. The singer's optimism and belief in brighter days ahead are palpable in the chorus when he sings, "Jeepers Creepers, where'd ya get those peepers? Jeepers Creepers, where'd ya get those eyes?"
The song seems to imply that the singer's sunny disposition is not only rooted in the weather but also in the presence of someone special. The final lines appear to be directed towards a lover whose eyes mesmerize the singer. Golly gee, when you turn those heaters on, they make me put on my cheaters. Here, we might understand the word "heaters" to mean the eyes that seem to glow and shine bright as if they're ignited by heat or passion. Indeed, the song's overall mood suggests that love can work wonders, even on a cloudy day.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't care what the weatherman says
I am indifferent towards the predictions of the weatherman
When the weatherman says it's raining
Even if the weatherman says it's raining
You'll never hear me complaining
I won't whine or complain
I'm certain the sun will shine
I firmly believe that the sun will ultimately shine
I don't care how the weather vane points
I'm unconcerned with the direction of the weather vane
When the weather vane points to gloomy
Even if the weather vane points towards a dull day
It's gotta be sunny to me
It's sunny to me no matter what
When your eyes look into mine
When I gaze at you
Jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those peepers?
Where did you get those eyes?
Jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those eyes?
Where did you get those eyes, oh my!
Gosh all, git up, how'd they get so lit up?
Gosh, how did they become so bright?
Gosh all, git up, how'd they get that size?
Wow, how did your eyes get so big?
Golly gee, when you turn those heaters on
When you radiate your charm
Woe is me, got to put my cheaters on
I must put on my eyeglasses because you are too dazzling
Jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those peepers?
Where did you get those eyes that make me lose all focus?
Oh, those weepers, how they hypnotize!
Those eyes, how they hypnotize me!
Where'd ya get those eyes?
I'm still mesmerized by those eyes of yours
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny Mercer, Harry Warren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@juliesender1560
fun, swingin' jazz! love sonny stitt!!!!!!!!!!