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]
Lover Man
Sonny Stitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I long to try something I never had
Never had no kissin'
Oh, what I've been missin'
Lover man, oh, where can you be?
The night is cold and I'm so alone
I'd give my soul just to call you my own
But no one to love me
Lover man, oh, where can you be?
I've heard it said
That the thrill of romance
Can be like a heavenly dream
I go to bed with a prayer
That you'll make love to me
Strange as it seems
Someday we'll meet
And you'll dry all my tears
Then whisper sweet
Little things in my ear
Hugging and a-kissing
Oh, what I've been missing
Lover man, oh, where can you be?
These lyrics convey the sense of loss and desperation felt by someone who longs for a lover they have yet to meet. The lyrics are written in a poignant and wistful tone, expressing the singer’s feelings of despair and loneliness. The opening line “I don't know why, but I'm feeling so sad” sets the tone for the entire song, as the singer is in a state of melancholy, devoid of any hope, and looking for a way out. The singer longs to try something, someone, they’ve never had before, or perhaps, have missed out on in their past experiences.
The singer is alone, and the night is cold. Despite the beautiful moon shining above, the emptiness of the singer's heart is not filled. The singer wishes for a lover to make that emptiness go away, someone who can love them as they are. The lyrics “Got a moon above me, But no one to love me” imply that even though the singer is surrounded by beauty, they cannot fully appreciate it without love. They’ve heard that being in love is akin to a heavenly dream, and they pray to find their true love. The lyrics "Someday we'll meet, And you'll dry all my tears, Then whisper sweet Little things in my ear," paints a picture of hope that one day the singer will find their soulmate.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know why but I'm feeling so sad
I am experiencing feelings of sadness but I am unsure of the reason behind them
I long to try something I never had
I have a desire to experience something new that I haven't had the opportunity to try
Never had no kissin'
I have never had a kiss
Oh, what I've been missin'
I am aware of the fact that I am missing out on something important
Lover man, oh, where can you be?
I am searching for a lover and wondering where they are
The night is cold and I'm so alone
I am feeling cold and lonely during the night
I'd give my soul just to call you my own
I am willing to give up anything to have you as my own
Got a moon above me
There is a moon in the sky that I can see
But no one to love me
Unfortunately, I don't have anyone to love me
I've heard it said
I have been told
That the thrill of romance
The excitement of being in a romantic relationship
Can be like a heavenly dream
This experience can be compared to a wonderful dream
I go to bed with a prayer
I express my hopes and desires through prayer before going to sleep
That you'll make love to me
My hope is that you will fall in love with me
Strange as it seems
This may seem unusual but it is how I feel
Someday we'll meet
One day we will cross paths
And you'll dry all my tears
You will help me to feel better and stop crying
Then whisper sweet
You will say romantic and loving things to me
Little things in my ear
This will happen while you whisper softly in my ear
Hugging and a-kissing
We will hug and kiss each other
Oh, what I've been missing
I realize that I have been missing out on physical affection
Lover man, oh, where can you be?
I am still searching for a lover and wondering where they are
Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, MUSIC.INFO FINLAND OY, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lance Dugger
When you hear Stitt on Alto, you automatically know that it’s him. Impeccable timing and effortless technique only are exceeded by his melodic inventiveness in improvising. A jazz giant of the highest order., R.I.P. Sonny.
Damir Lolic
The first time I heard this tune as a chubby little kid at my grandmas house in Vienna, I cried like a baby. For no reason at all. The music just moved me. Thank you Sonny Stitt & crew for getting me into jazz.
Tony Hyde
Sonny -is there anyone like him since? I challenge my jazz sax students to do extensive listening. It's all there-style, sound, phrasing, ideas. A true giant!
Wuhoo
If there was ever such a thing as a perfect solo, it would belong to Sonny Stitt
ikema781
This is one of the greatest videos of a Sonny Stitt performance , you get a in depth view of one of the greatest saxophone players ever. Thanks for posting this!
Lynn Coles
One of the very best Alto Sax players ever. So soulful, you feel everything he's saying. So under rated. I collect all Stitt recordings, video's and photos. Got any?
Pierre Chaouat
Working on a Sonny Stitt's chorus equals to a masterclass per se. Not only he has worked intensely on Bird's vocabulary, but his impeccable phrasé allows to follow his choruses like a melody...
Vincent LaVorgna
What a genius he had for jazz. So glad you posted this
Frankie-O
Sonny Rollins is the genius of jazz.
James Jefferson
I haven’t heard this song in 30 years. It is still on fire Stitt was dope