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]
On Green Dolphin Street
Sonny Stitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A man, a maid, a kiss, and then goodbye
Romance was the theme
And we were the players
I never think of this without a sigh
Lover, one lovely day
Love came, planning to stay
The setting for nights beyond forgetting
And through these moments apart memories live in my heart
When I recall the love I found on
I could kiss the ground on Green Dolphin Street
Lover, one lovely day
Love came, planning to stay
Green Dolphin Street supplied the setting
The setting for nights beyond forgetting
And through these moments apart memories live in my heart
When I recall the love I found on
On Green Dolphin Street
The lyrics to Sonny Stitt's song "On Green Dolphin Street" describe a romantic encounter between a man and a woman. It opens with the singer acknowledging that the experience seems like a dream but he knows it "happened." The man and woman share a kiss but part ways after a short romance where "romance was the theme." The singer reminisces about their encounter and admits that he cannot think of it without a sigh. These memories of the romance are an unforgettable part of his life.
The chorus begins with the word "lover" and describes how love came around on a lovely day and planned to stay. Green Dolphin Street is introduced as the setting for these unforgettable nights where the singer found love. The memories of their time together live in his heart, even though they are apart. When he recalls the love he found on Green Dolphin Street, he says he could kiss the ground on that street. The lyrics convey a sense of nostalgia and longing for a past love that remains unforgettable.
Line by Line Meaning
It seems like a dream, yet I know it happened
Although it seems unbelievable, I am certain that it was a real experience.
A man, a maid, a kiss, and then goodbye
There were two individuals who shared a romantic moment, but their relationship was short-lived.
Romance was the theme
The central idea or focus of their encounter was love and passion.
And we were the players
The two individuals involved were active participants in the romantic encounter.
I never think of this without a sigh
The memory of the brief romance is bittersweet, and the artist can't help but react emotionally when thinking about it.
Lover, one lovely day
The singer addresses the person they shared the romantic moment with affectionately, referring to them as 'Lover'.
Love came, planning to stay
The love that the two individuals shared was intense and had long-term potential from the start.
Green Dolphin Street supplied the setting
The location of their romantic encounter was on Green Dolphin Street.
The setting for nights beyond forgetting
Their time together on Green Dolphin Street was memorable and unforgettable.
And through these moments apart memories live in my heart
Despite being separated, the memories of their time together on Green Dolphin Street are still vivid in the artist's heart.
When I recall the love I found on
The singer reflects on the intense love that they experienced during their romantic encounter.
I could kiss the ground on Green Dolphin Street
The artist feels so strongly about their time on Green Dolphin Street that they would be willing to physically express their affection for the location.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Tratore, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: BRONISLAW KAPER, NED WASHINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind