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]
Until The Real Thing Comes Along
Sonny Stitt Lyrics
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I'd slave for you
I'd be a beggar or a knave for you
If that isn't love, it will have to do
Until the real thing comes along
I'd gladly move
The earth for you
And its worth for you
If that isn't love, it will have to do
Until the real thing comes along.
With all the words, dear, at my command
I just can't make you understand
I'll always love you darling
Come what may
My heart is yours
What more can I say?
I'd lie for you
I'd sigh for you
I'd tear the stars down from the sky for you
If that isn't love, it will have to do
Until the real thing comes along
With all the words, dear, at my command
I just can't make you understand
I'll always love you baby
Come what may
My heart is yours
What more can I say?
I'd lie for you
I'd cry for you
I'd lay my body down and die tor you
If that isn't love, it will have to do
Until the real thing comes along
In "Until The Real Thing Comes Along," Sonny Stitt expresses his deep commitment and love to a person who has not reciprocated the same feelings. The singer is willing to do anything for their love, waiting for them, suffering for them, and begging for them. Stitt denotes his absolute dedication and expresses his willingness to prove this love to them. Even if it is not true love, it will have to do for now until the real thing comes along.
The lyricist employs hyperbole to emphasize the extent of his love as he assures the person that he will lie, cry, and even die for them if they want him to. However, despite all the words and promises, the singer cannot make the person understand his feelings. They also speak about their heart belonging to the other person, and there is nothing more to say about it except that they will wait until the real thing comes along.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd wait for you
I am willing to stay and be patient for you.
I'd slave for you
I am willing to exert extreme effort for you.
I'd be a beggar or a knave for you
I am willing to give up my social status or dignity for you.
If that isn't love, it will have to do
If these actions and sacrifices are not enough to prove my love, I don't know what else to do.
I'd gladly move The earth for you
I am willing to do the impossible to prove my love for you.
To prove my love, dear And its worth for you
I am willing to do anything to show you that my love is true and valuable.
With all the words, dear, at my command I just can't make you understand
Despite my effort to express my love, it seems that you don't see or feel it.
I'll always love you darling Come what may My heart is yours What more can I say?
I will continue to love you no matter what happens, and my heart belongs to you. I don't know how else to express my love.
I'd lie for you I'd sigh for you I'd tear the stars down from the sky for you
I am willing to deceive or suffer for you, or even do the impossible to please you.
I'd cry for you I'd lay my body down and die tor you
I am willing to express my sadness or sacrifice my life for you.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., IMAGEM MUSIC INC
Written by: ALBERTA NICHOLS, L.E. FREEMAN, MANN HOLINER, SAMMY CAHN, SAUL CHAPLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind