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]
Pennies From Heaven
Sonny Stitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't you know each cloud contains pennies from heaven?
You'll find your fortune's fallin' all over the town
Be sure that your umbrella is upside down
Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers
If you want the things you love, you must have showers
So, when you hear it thunder, don't run under a tree
Every time, every time it rains, it's gonna rain pennies from heaven
Don't you know every cloud contains lots of pennies from heaven
You'll find your fortune's fallin', baby, all over the town
Be sure, be sure that your umbrella is upside down
Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers
If you want the things you love, you've got to have showers
So, when you hear it thunder, don't run under a tree
There'll be pennies from heaven for you and me
The lyrics of Sonny Stitt's song "Pennies From Heaven" use the metaphor of pennies falling from the sky to remind us that in life, we should always be looking for the silver lining. The repetition of the phrase "Every time it rains, it rains pennies from heaven" reminds us that even in difficult times, there is still some good to be found. The lyrics suggest that the rain and thunderstorms we often associate with dark and gloomy weather can actually bring something positive into our lives. The "package of sunshine and flowers" mentioned in the song represents the good things in life that we all strive for - love, happiness, and success - and the message is that we can obtain them if we embrace the challenges and obstacles that come our way.
The lyrics also suggest that we need to be prepared to receive the good things that come our way. We must have our "umbrella upside down" in order to gather the abundance that falls upon us. This means we must be open, aware and ready to receive the fortune that the world offers, even in unexpected ways. Finally, the lyrics suggest that we must be cautious and avoid the temptation to hide away, even when we hear thunder. As long as we stay open, there is a bright future, with pennies falling down like rain from heaven.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time it rains, it rains pennies from heaven
In times of trouble or hardship, there will be a small amount of unexpected help that will come from the heavens.
Don't you know each cloud contains pennies from heaven?
It's important to remember that during tough times, there is always a silver lining and a chance for good things to come your way.
You'll find your fortune's fallin' all over the town
Good luck can come from anywhere and everywhere, so always remain hopeful and optimistic.
Be sure that your umbrella is upside down
Stay open and receptive to the help that is coming your way, even if it seems unexpected or counterintuitive.
Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers
Use the small blessings and opportunities that come your way to help create a brighter future for yourself and those around you.
If you want the things you love, you must have showers
Working hard and persevering through hardships is necessary in order to achieve the things in life that you truly desire and love.
So, when you hear it thunder, don't run under a tree
In the face of adversity, it's important to stay strong and not shy away from the challenges that may lie ahead.
There'll be pennies from heaven for you and me
Ultimately, with perseverance and an open mind, good things will come to those who are patient and hardworking.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
toni basanta
JAZZEANDO SUAVE Y FRESCO PARA TODAS LAS EDADES
Pennies From Heaven (1936)
Music by Arthur Johnston, lyrics by Johnny Burke
Singer Veronica Swift & Larry McKenna with
Alex Claffy Trio & Drew Nugent (2020)
18,112 views since March 15, 2020
Melissa Gilstrap
804 subscribers
Veronica Swift - vocals / Larry McKenna - tenor sax
Alex Claffy Trio Alex Claffy - bass, Tim Brey - piano, Joe Strasser - drums
Drew Nugent - trumpet
Filmed & edited by Melissa Gilstrap
©2020 Melissa Gilstrap. All rights reserved.
www.melissagilstrap.com
Harry Giovanoni
The interaction with Larry and Veronica is ever so good, around 7:00. This is really difficult to pull off and still keep all the chord changes in tact. Also, this is the way a classic jazz song should be played. Great arrangement too!!!
Brandon L
Larry's tone is beautiful. A musician's musician.
Irmhild Schleifer-Hoevel
sag GM CL
Bobeen2
Larry McKenna - incredibly fantastic sound !!! A thousand likes !!!
paxwallacejazz
Yeah legitimately great no need be nice he is straight up kicking ass
Jazz Monty Music
He swings the whole band in a second.
Terry Griffin
The interaction between Veronica and Larry is just wonderful. Priceless music making. Loved the whole thing. More please.
hawkrider88
Veronica's talent goes without saying but Mr. McKenna is killing it....lovely!
Luis Camacho
Never heard of Larry. So impressed. Gotta listen to more of him. Tremendous musician.
Jazzgent
Larry McKenna, one of the great great masters still living! Every note of pearl!